Carrot Brownies to Write Home About

April 3, 2012June 20, 2012 ~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

I just baked these tasty carrot brownies and felt compelled to share.

Instructions:

1. Mix melted butter into all ingredients except the walnuts; mix well

2. Pour into the bakeware of your choice

3. Garnish with walnuts and sprinkle with cane sugar

4. Bake for 30 minutes

5. Serve warm with a tall glass of cold milk

Optional:

Feel free to try sweetened cocoa

Sprinkle in a little nutmeg

Substitute raw sugar for cane sugar

Tears for Fears station on Pandora*

Tall glass of soy or almond milk

Try out the optional suggestions as well. I was multitasking by prepping a pasta salad and cleaning house when I whipped this up, so my recipe is minimalist. My cooking style is also very lax, I’m not rigid with the spices or portions. Try it your way!

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* highly recommended suggestion

PNW Playlist Spring 2012

March 29, 2012June 15, 2012 ~ Crystle ~ 5 Comments

Prior to and after the road trip out here to the Pacific Northwest, I purchased several albums to start the new PNW era.

If you are anything like me then you store your memories along with scents, sounds and tastes.
Each new phase in my life brings forth a new catalog of music, food, fashion and literature. This new period in my life in Washington is no different. I’ve listed a few albums that I’ve been listening to lately to share with you, in case you hadn’t had the chance to check these artists/albums out.

1. Tanlines – Mixed Emotions

One word to describe this album: catchy.

These guys captured a synth heavy afro-pop feel on this album. It’s my current go-to record for all present progressive verbs (i.e. cooking, cleaning, living room dancing).

2. Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials

I know this album dropped late last year, but that hasn’t stopped me from including it in the Springtime library. This album is empowering. The powerful vocals help me dig deep on particularly difficult runs and the track ‘Shake it Out’ has been the perfect backdrop for Tacoma exploration. I’m a fan.

3. Gotye – Making Mirrors

This is my most recent purchase. My rainy days are filled with multitasking around the house so I love listening to this album while running up and down the stairs herding laundry, books and my dog to their respective places. It’s also fairly mellow at times too, which makes cozying up to my laptop equally pleasant.

4. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

Ladies, we finally have ourselves a Joni Mitchell / Carole King style duet. These girls come to us from Sweden but have a distinctly Pacific Northwestern sound. Think girl-folk Fleet Foxes tracks. I listened to this album a lot before moving and on the way out.

5. Y La Bamba – Court the Storm

This album is a beautiful blend of Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom stylings. Hello bilingual folk album of my dreams! I believe Joanna Newsom (a Tacoma, WA native, woohoo!) also collaborated on the title track of this album.

I’ve included reviews of these albums. I really pay no mind to the ‘ratings’ they receive by music critics. Music is not just something you listen to and critically analyze. It’s an accessory to life, a soundtrack to pace your experiences. Music is the score of our sentience, and the score is exactly what we make of it.

Enjoy the tunes, and Happy Spring!

Settling In

March 29, 2012June 15, 2012 ~ Crystle ~ 7 Comments

I must say, it is nice having the house almost completely unpacked. We still need a few more bookshelves and storage pieces for our books and media, but for now the house is totally functional (let’s pretend the spare room isn’t in the picture).

Not working is a little strange, but I do keep my days surprisingly busy. Between cooking every meal, cleaning, and exploring the new town, there isn’t a whole lot of time for much else. That isn’t to say that I don’t have time to lounge in the living room to this:

I’m also getting used to my new MacBook Pro and reading up on the local outdoor opportunities. I’ve already scoped out the nearest REI (sorry, Backwoods) and gauged the best local hikes per season. Looks like we won’t be outdoors outside of the metro until May.

With time aplenty, I’ve been able to cook breakfast, pack lunch and prepare dinner for both of us every day. On the menu today is a pizza on homemade dough with pesto, spinach and goat cheese. I prepped it earlier today so he and I can go running right after he’s done at work. After hitting the pavement, all I have to do is pop it in the oven.

Ah, I love foresight.

Did I mention that we’re going to a military ball this Friday? I went shopping at the Tacoma mall earlier this week and scored a classy little outfit. I really have no idea as to whether or not I’ll be underdressed, but there will be an open bar…which means it will only matter for like thirty minutes.

Well it’s the end of another business day in which I was not a cog in the wheel. Tanning, grocery shopping and library going is still a contribution; right?

Happy Wednesday!