summer's been busy. blah, blah, but really it has been. j and i just walked home from a street/craft fair. we had plans to go back tonight and listen to some more bands and drink more beer, but j is napping on the couch from all the beers consumed earlier. there were something like fourteen breweries there selling their wares. j did not stray far from the beer tent the whole five hours we were hanging out. alas, no beers were consumed by i even though i was interested. i did feast upon the blue nile vegetarian sampler plate. it was a little on the skimpy side in terms of portions, but the food was delicious. spicy lentils (in hindsight, i should have skipped for the sake of my stomach), garlicky greens, and some spiced (but not spicy) vegetable mix served on injera. yum!

an ulcer is currently ruining my days and regular eating habits. i've been learning by trial and many errors what foods i should be avoiding. food that may not taste spicy to my mouth is turning out to be too spicy to my stomach. boo.

regardless we ran in to tons of old and new friends down at the fair. a friend of mine makes birch bark jewelry and gifts. i bought this adorable birch headband from her. i also picked up a johnny cash and sewing buttons from here. hopefully, we have some time to stop back there tomorrow and pick up a few more things i was eyeing and to take advantage of what may be the few remaining warm days in michigan.

the ulcer is really hindering our food choices around here these days. i was told to stick to bland foods, which is almost impossible. who wants to eat bland foods al time? not i, apparently i'd rather lay awake with stomach pain and heartburn. like i said, i'm learning... slowly. i've being eating a lot cereal, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and soy yogurt. we did veganize this broccoli gratin recipe from everyday food last weekend. i only picked up one head of broccoli at the farmers market last week so we ended up halving the recipe. we used plain soy milk and soy cheese (teese is good). j was in a cooking mood so he made it while i sorted bills and mail (fun!). we ate it with corn on the cob (also from the market). it was the perfect simple, creamy, comfort food to soothe my weary stomach after a week of assaulting it with pizza, penne arribiatta, and taco bell (!). this recipe is definitely going in to our regular rotation and we'll probably try it with pasta shells or potatoes mixed in.

we've also been devouring an obscene amount of chocolate chip cheesecake. i picked up a cake at whole foods on wednesday to celebrate mine and j's third wedding anniversary. so good, chicago diner cheesecake. we've both been sneaking bites here and there straight from the fridge.

adorable dog photo to hold you over until next time.

has it been that long?

yes, it's been a long time. much longer than i'd ever intended. but here i am again so let's forgive and forget, right? this is one of those mistakes new bloggers make that i'd read about before i started this blog. post a bunch of times in a row and then abandon the blog for a month or two. i've been busy though. seriously, out of town and occupied every weekend since the end of june. i've turned twenty-six, visited chicago, baked two hundred cookies, transported and bagged two hundred cookies (two hundred and eighteen to be exact), ate waaay too much cookie dough in the process, got my first manicure and pedicure ever, celebrated a best friend's wedding, partied at a scooter ralley, camped, floated down a river in tire tube, and attended j's grandpa's eightieth birthday. i've been to my parent's house more times this summer than i have since i actually lived there since the majority of the wedding activities took place in that vicinity. it's been fun, but i'm starting to feel like i've been run over by a truck. i could use a peaceful weekend at home around now, but instead i've got a full line up for a few more weekends. my graduation fiesta at my parent's house (again) this weekend (complete with a piñata per my nephew's request) and a friend's baby shower (my friend's are having babies now?! i feel old). the weeks after that have more camping (maybe), a welcome home party for some world travelers, and an out-of-town scooter ralley (the best of the scooting season). hopefully i can find so time in the next few days to post some more of what i've been up to (like finishing some curtains for our bedroom that i had started back in february).