October 5, 2013

I realize that it has been quiet around these parts- more quiet than usual, in fact. Things have been a bit hectic around here but all for a good, wonderful, joyous reason: I'm getting married! 

Dan proposed to me nearly two years ago, on a crisp October morning on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I'm not sure how he did it- I guess it's because he knows me so well -but he picked the one and only place that I ever imagined being proposed to, because it is my favorite place in the city.

Moments after his proposal in October of 2011

He had surprised me with a renewal of my museum membership a few months back- specifically (so I thought) so that I could visit the Rembrandt exhibition I had been pining to attend. We had recently moved out of Philadelphia, and into the suburbs, after living there for eleven years for me and five years for him. The trip to the museum was our first visit back to the city and our old neighborhood together and we were looking forward to getting brunch with our friends afterward at one of my favorite pubs and just enjoying the beautiful, late October day.

Little did I know, that as we were standing atop the steps, looking over our beloved city and discussing our future (would we move back? should we stick it out in the suburbs? how we couldn't wait to build a garden next spring.) Dan was gathering up the nerve to kneel down on one knee and ask me to marry him. And when he did, I was so stunned I actually stepped backwards!  We had been together at that point for six years- I truly wasn't expecting it.  But I said yes - of course! - after pulling myself out of the surreal haze I found myself in - I said yes with every bit of my being.  Moments later, after I wiped away tears, I was delighted to find that two of our best friends, Chris and Becky - and their little daughter Emily - and their twin boys that Becky was still carrying in her belly, looking as though she could burst at any moment - were watching the entire scene unfold as Chris snapped photos of the proposal.  I began to cry all over again.

After the above photo was snapped, we gathered up our things, called our families and jetted off to the pub to share our happy news with more friends and celebrate over Bloody Marys.

The next day I played hooky from work (okay, actually I called in with the good news and politely explained that I would be taking a personal day) and we went back to the city for a little celebrating of our own - hopping from bar to bar to enjoy hot cider and whisky, skipping through the fallen leaves (me, not Dan) and discussing a million different ideas about what our wedding day would be like.

Celebrating the fact that we are about enjoy an amazing meal at Talula's Table with some really wonderful friends, April 2013

And here we are- nearly two years later, having just celebrated eight years together, and almost four and half months away from our wedding day- and I have so much to share with you.  I'm not sure why I waited so long to give you the news.  I've mentioned it before on Facebook and Twitter and shared the news with one paricular blogging friend a while back who has been patiently dropping hints about how I should share my wedding plans with you all, here on my blog.  (Emily- :) - thanks for the pushes!)  And I'm going to do just that- but don't worry, I'm not turning this site into a "wedding blog" in case that is what you fear.  But I would love to share the many DIY things I've done and plan to do for our special day.  I hope you'll stick along for the journey!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this very special post.

xoxo,
Amy

Overnight Apple Pie Steel Cut Oats

I can hardly believe that today is the first day of March!  The year is just whooshing by.  Before we know it, spring will be here and all will be well again.  To be honest, this winter is really grating on my nerves and recently, each day it just seems harder and harder to pull myself out of my warm bed and into the angry cold of the winter morning.  During the week, I get up fairly early to catch my early morning train (between 4:15 am and 5 am- sometimes later, which in turn, completely sabotages my morning commute in to work.)   Usually, I allot myself the most minimal amount of time and my morning pans out to be a quick shower, a wild rush through the apartment getting everything together, running out the door with wet hair and then a sprint for 3 blocks, up three flights of stairs, and down a train platform allowing me to barely make my train.  It's not pleasant.  Of course, in my haste, I never seem to prepare anything for breakfast and usually end up eating yogurt and granola later on in the morning.  Don't get me wrong- I love a bowl of plain Greek yogurt topped with granola and honey.  It's my go to breakfast of choice.  But sometimes, especially at the tale end of winter's cold mornings, I crave something a little more comforting.  And warm.

Recently I found just that.  Steel cut oats, my friends.  Prepared during the night, while you sleep, in a crock pot.  They are the easiest thing to pull together and have such a delicious, simple taste to them. I've made two recipes so far- the first had dried apricots in it that plumped up deliciously over night and offered just the right amount of sweetness to the steel cut oats.  Recently I started making apple pie steel cut oats that sort of taste just like - you guessed it - apple pie.  Doesn't that sound like just the thing to pull you out of bed on a winter's morning?  It does to me!

Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal topped with almond milk and raw, local honey.

The steel cuts oats are paired with chopped apples; warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; a bit of almond milk (or whatever sort of milk you prefer), a bit of brown sugar; raisins; chopped nuts, if desired; and chia seeds.  They come together in about the time it takes you to peel and chop up two apples- less than five minutes.  Once mixed together the mixture is heated in a crock pot for 4 hours on low.  It is as simple as that.  In addition to them tasting delicious, the scent of warm apple pie wafting through the air in the early a.m. is a fabulous incentive to drag yourself out of bed.  Trust me.  And better yet- one cup of steel cuts oats gives you at least four servings so all you have to do is reheat them each morning.  And boy do they reheat well.  

Do you have any favorite recipes that feature steel cut oats?  If so, I'd love to hear about them!

Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal

The following recipe inspired by Closet Cooking, with a few additions.

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

1 cup steel cut oats

2 cups water or apple juice or apple cider -I used water

2 cups of milk (or 2 more cups of water) -I used almond milk

2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into bit sized pieces 

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 dash of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

1/4 cup of raisins (optional)

1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional)

1/4 cup of walnuts or almonds, chopped (optional)

Milk to taste (optional)

*I serve mine topped with almond milk and raw, local honey.  The second batch that I made was much sweeter than the first, perhaps due to the natural sweetness of the apples.  Taste your oatmeal before adding any additional sweeteners (such as honey or brown sugar) because you may not need them.  My second batch was sweet enough that I did not need to add the honey but the first batch worked quite well with the addition of honey.  It's all up to your taste preferences, really.

Inspiration: Bret Pendlebury, Portrait Artist

Today I shared the work of the very talented Bret Pendlebury on Handmade in Pa. His portrait work is so special that I just had to share it with you.  Hope on over to view more.  Hopefully you'll love it much as I do.

4/52

First festival of 2013.
It was is the low 20's on Saturday and the wind was ah'gustin.  I nearly lost all of my voice for the next two days.
It sure was a beautiful day, though.
Radio 104.5 Winter Jam 2013.  Piazza at Schmidts, Philadelphia.

3/52

Morning Walk.

2/52

Cheese Provisions.
Downtown Cheese, Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia.

Project 52: Week 1

Happy New Year! I hope you had a safe and happy holiday season. I definitely did and I'll admit, I was a little sad to see it pass by us. But now, as we are 11 days deep into 2013, I find that I'm okay with the closure of 2012 and I am so looking forward to the many, many wonderful things that the year ahead will hold.

When this time comes around next year, and we are writing the final chapter of 2013, I don't want to find myself looking back and forgetting all the crazy, quiet, happy, sad or meaningful moments the year brought me. This is why I am beginning a new project for my blog. Called "Project 52", this new venture will encourage me to share one moment from my week here, with you all. I'm certainly not the first to do this- there are so many interesting Project 52's out there. I'm excited to contribute my year's story to this larger photographic conversation.

This first shot is of our dear Heidi catching a bit of rest on a lazy Sunday morning. <3 br="">
*i apologize if any of the formatting is out of whack- attempting mobile blogging!