Better Homes And...

So I got to have a little time to myself to be domestic this weekend. So I whipped up a batch of granola loosely based on this recipe for easy breakfasts (for Matt, I have eggs every day before work because otherwise I am starving by 10am). This batch used agave nectar, applesauce and molasses as sweeteners/stickifiers and I think the recipe is honey, applesauce and brown rice syrup. So let's just say it is very loosely based. Like, the measurements are the same but the actual contents aren't always.

And a pot of spicy curry coconut carrot soup. Which is perfect with some buttery toast on a rainy day. It is rich and sweet and spicy and warms you up inside. This is even more loosely based on any kind of recipe, I just looked at a couple of carrot soup recipes and then made this instead. It is a hit, as orange gruel goes. 

And I am starting to organize my thoughts and recipes for our holiday party. I am trying to figure out a reasonable time to have it based on the fact that people down here a. live farther apart and b. have crazy schedules. So I am trying to figure out if I should just have a Sunday afternoon open house and people can come have snacks and cider and hang out instead of having a Saturday night rager where people mix their own cocktails in pint glasses (ah, Reno).

Would my bloggy friends theoretically come to a Sunday afternoon cocktail/housewarming/holiday open house? Or should it be Saturday afternoon since that's less weird for a party day?

Movie Tidbit

This is fully in the category of Movies I Want To See Just To LOOK At. Although it actually does look quite entertaining. But those sets! Those costumes! Julia Roberts finally letting out her inner evil queen! Now it's just getting Matt to go. Oh well. Maybe it's a girls' night type of film. Although this is the same director that just released The Immortals, maybe I can do a quid pro quo deal if I go see that with him (but it looks SO violent). Quandary.

Roundup/Update/Just Some Stuff

I need to blog about more stuff, clearly! Sorry about that. The tree guy came out yesterday and he is going to take out our front trees (dying, badly pruned, etc.) and we have to go through the rigamarole with the city to replace the street tree... it literally took MONTHS to get the permit to take it out when it is obviously dying. Here's the fun part: if a branch falls on somebody, it's our fault, if it lifts up the sidewalk it's our problem, but we need their permission to do anything to/about it or they will ticket us. And we have to replace it with the same kind of tree. The plus is that there is a nonprofit that will give us a free tree but we have to go to some sort of class in order to get it so now we just want to get it over with ASAP. Then we can replace it and start fussing with the actual front yard instead (I plan on a minimum of one fruit tree).

Also, we are going to a show this weekend! It is a group Matt loves, the guitar player was a child prodigy that stuck around and the mandolin player has been playing hippie music since Jerry Garcia was around and now they play jazz and gypsy jazz together. It is at a cool club in Jack London Square and we are going to get all dolled up and go early and have dinner there (if you eat there they will reserve you seats, otherwise you have to wait in line outside for hours and then other people have already gotten seats reserved for them, it's a complete scam but at least the food is good).



And I get to dress up instead of wearing khakis and a polo shirt like the rest of the week...

Edited to add: Aarean at The Color Issue is having ANOTHER giveaway. Please don't go enter, I want to win ;)