round up – Page 2 – morestomach

january | remember

Published on January 31, 2014January 30, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach10 Comments

today’s the last day of the month
which means
it’s the first day
of the Year of the Horse

may this new year be:
prosperous
joyful
flavorful
simple
healthy

felt … falling snow, wet and hard and unforgiving. this winter has been brutal. 30F has actually felt balmy around these parts.
saw … perfect 20/20 vision. my lasik procedure was a success and while i’m still recuperating, it’s been a revelation to wake up to an in focus world.
read … a book! actually, still reading it and i’m serious, i’m about 18% in and my heart is breaking already

a few pinterest & internet discoveries:
||i have a serious thing for tutus and sequins
||i don’t even like camping, but how delightful does this look?
||i have my heart set on making this, even though we’ve been shedding books
||i’m a fan of this solemn man and i need his action figure in my life
||this is magical
||my creative writing professor never gave us this assignment, thank gawd
||i loved this read so so SO MUCH: What’s wrong with me? Plenty. But that was never the point.

photo captions:
||it’s not so much the snow that kills me, it’s the damn cold. it’s like a soul-sucking siege, a state of which i see no end of
||weekends in general means dw makes breakfast. i’m not complaining, the man spoils me rotten
||not seeing these seeds any longer at the markets, meaning the season is over… meaning, winter needs to make her exit now already
||i walked into michael’s for yarn and walked out with these spoons, completely unnecessary
||finally, i signed up for a foodie penpal thing back in november. it happened to fall during a busy time and can i just tell you, seeing a package on my desk after an absence from the office was just what i needed. my penpal Alyssa sent me some trader joe’s ingredients and cookies will be forthcoming, i’ve had an idea floating in my head for the last 3 weeks and it just might be born this weekend… stay tuned. meanwhile, to join the fun, go here

last. i must share this with you. my current celebrity crush is tom hiddleston. i like me a bad boy and he as loke had me quivering. this is him doing a reading of ee cummings’ may i feel said he. swoon

november | remember

Published on November 30, 2013November 27, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach6 Comments

know that feeling
where you have to much to do
the to-do list is long,
you’re not crossing things out,
instead you keep adding
and what you end up doing is
taking a 3 hour nap?

felt … the crunch of leaves underfoot. autumn is on her way out, leaving behind a fading trail of yellows, reds and oranges
smelled … paint. we’re working on a craft project that i am excited to share with you, eventually
touched … yarn. i’ve been busy busy crocheting my fingers off
heard … a reading. do not go gentle into that good night!
saw … an overturned vehicle on the way to work this week. be careful out there people, get there in one piece, the turkey will hold till you arrive

a few pinterest & internet discoveries:
|| organization is not my forte but if i could just get my shit together, i’d make this
|| you guys. tutu + sweater tights? mind exploded
|| this pumpkin soup + coconut panna cotta: yes please
|| this rosemary laced buttercream piques my interest
|| i am so in love with this vintage campaign desk
|| my high school, in thailand, aerial view
|| last, if you’re not already tired of hearing about our wedding, our photographer posted a few more pix

photo captions:
on a very quick trip to NC to visit the bff and this guy, she made a tiny replica of our wedding cake, this time sans the dairy doom. it’s now ~~safe~~ in our freezer
then a few weeks later we visited with dw’s family in Louisville and i made the same cake for the family gathering, this is the recipe that i always use for for sure results. picture taken by my brother in law Jonas Wilson, used with permission, but with my edit
finally, pulled pork tacos. so good. recipe: 2 lb pork shoulder + 1 bottle ginger ale + salt & pepper + 1 onion sliced + a few cloves of garlic in crockpot for 12 hours on low = sweet tender pork. thanks erin w.

meanwhile: hello december!

october | remember

Published on October 31, 2013November 4, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach10 Comments

it’s full on scarf and cowl season
of course i lament my beginner knitting skills
and i daydream about playing with yarn
but sit me down with a hook
and i’m itching to get up to knead dough
that’s how it goes, you know?

witnessed …. at a college job fair the interaction between a potential employer and girl dressed in full on assassin ninja garb, complete with black gloves. i could be wrong, she may have been auditioning for a gwen stefani music video.
touched …. a gypsy who read my palms and told me basically everything a buddhist monk once told me when i was kid.
shook my head at …. this. i despair.
participated …. in the most obnoxious FB status war ever, all in part due to judgement and just plain stubbornness
remained …. enamored with this man, though slightly disappointed that some of his mysterious aura has faded
reenacted …. this video. because dw & i like to dance fight to club music

a few pinterest discoveries:
|| i desire just one more tattoo
|| mayhap a snowstorm hits us this winter, and we can create something like this
|| i’ve made this twice already, and it’s amazing, one day i might blog about it
|| finished this book and again, i am in complete awe of this man
|| in the meantime, i’m digging into this book

photo captions:
an old school vw bus. it makes me think of woodstock, especially out in the field that we were at. minus the mud & pot
october sky in north carolina
a late day in our home, the light, oh the light

september | remember

Published on September 30, 2013October 16, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach14 Comments

can you believe?
it’s the end of september
i’m a Mrs!
(thank you so much for putting up with all the wedding
related stuff this month!)
(um. i might have a few more posts,
most likely vendor info, photographs of the actual Day,
and gift ideas for all parties)
~~(sorry about that)~~

oh but this month nearly did me in:

saw … twilight in the country. dw & i roadtripped to southern virginia, i had to work and since it was in the area of my alma mater, i brought him along to see what i saw all those moons ago when i fell in love with the mountains
heard … moos. really. it was enchanting. i could’ve stood in that field for hours watching them
smelled … lavender. rosemary. licorice. my bouquet smelled so beautiful
tasted … red wine. my cup really runneth over with the stuff this month
commenced … crocheting in earnest. this has been on my to-make list forever

and of course, a few pinterest treasures:

|| i’m dying to chop my locks but if can’t go full on pixie, i might have to do this
|| this might be my next arty farty project
|| gawd, this entire collection is gorgeous, i wish i could afford dvf
|| it’s cowl season!
|| excellent read: life divides into AMAZING ENJOYABLE TIMES and APPALLING EXPERIENCES THAT WILL MAKE FUTURE AMAZING ANECDOTES!

photo captions:
crocheted owl rattle – for a friend’s baby girl this autumn. i really did walk around for days after i completed this project, just shaking the shit out of it. i changed the pattern just a smidge, rather than doing the double crochet stitch, i used single crochet instead. also, i didn’t bother with the wings. i may have used a slightly bigger hook too. i purchased christmas-like bells so it’s not actually a rattler sound, and more like you know, reindeer on your rooftop type of sound.
blueberry citrus scones – i did bake this month, and fed dw breakfast. i swear. i adapted this recipe, from this recipe
sweet honey soda water – dw loves his soda water. i can’t remember what the exact ingredients were but this post has a couple of great options
gluten free blueberry donuts – i know. enough with the blueberries already. and i still have a bag in the freezer to use up. yeah. i don’t have a recipe for these gems. they were good though
soup dumplings (xiao long bao) – they weren’t perfect but i’m glad i tackled this project. now i know for sure to just hit up a dim sum joint for the real stuff. i adapted this recipe

and our unofficial song: love is all i am

august | remember

Published on August 22, 2013September 11, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach15 Comments

there’s a line in
500 days of summer
that has stayed with me:
(ok, fine there are plenty of
lines from that movie that i still recall)
i just woke up one day and i knew.
(that was out of context, but
bear with me)
all i know is,
finally,
where i am right now,
right this second,
i’m fine with it
things that used to bug me,
things that i used to hide,

things like …

being anti-social:
i used to say i’m just shy
(i think that’s only part of it)
but what it boils down to is:
i don’t like people
it gets messy,
complicated
having an online identity is
not really like in Real Life identity
how i behave and talk is similar
but the similarity ends when i get
annoyed/tired/disenchanted/whatever adjective
at someone, i can easily turn off
my computer,
cite bad internet connection
use emoticons to ease a sting
whereas in person
my eyes usually glaze over,
my internal turmoil is written all over my face
and i have been known to get up,
mid-sentence, and leave,
awkwardness be damned
i’m ok that i’m odd like that,
for being introverted
big up to ~~INTJ~~ ISTJ peeps!

resting bitch face:
i have a natural resting bitch face
i don’t say that to make excuses,
or even to boast
i used to get reprimanded for looking mean
which would then turn my face
to astonishment
and predictably to Real Bitch Face
(no one wants that)
i’m ok that that is how my face is
if anyone else is not ok with it,
i’m ok with that too

trashy novels:
i like the stuff
i also like other stuff too
science fiction
action/thriller
young adult
adventure
i fall back on the fluff,
especially after a stressful book
or when i’m trying to not think
currently reading this awesomely awful ridiculousness
next: the fall of five (just one more week!)
i’m ok that i’m not big on
jane eyre
sylvia plath
reza aslan

and so, i let it go
like an ocean current
carrying away the sand
from my open palm

in the weeks of this summer
i’ve haunted the internet
for randoms, inspiration
most made their way onto pinterest
here are a few …

|| just loverly
|| naked cake
|| beautiful, raw iceland
|| a s’mores picnic!
|| these remind me of my beloved gpa
|| truth

photo captions:
pickled mustard seeds – i’ve slathered this in sandwiches, it’s been added to salad dressings. i won’t lie, i’ve had spoonfuls of the stuff as is, it’s that good. i used regular white vinegar, added 5 whole cloves & 3 star anises.
quinoa veggie bibimbap – this has been made a few times, depending on what vegs we picked from the csa, so it varies each time. the sauce though, that’s the key. i adapted this recipe, minus the ground meat & corn syrup, switching out the asian pear for an apple once, and the most recent time, radishes.
hummus cake & asparagus ribbons with coconut yogurt – i veganized this recipe.
sour chicken + rice soup – i don’t remember, i think dw was sick and i made him eat this.
asparagus + poached eggs + fried capers – an adaptation of honestly yum’s recipe. my bff and kindergarten teacher have made this dish multiple times this summer. the fried capers were a revelation.