Coffee Dates: February/March

Welcome to March's Coffee Date. I totally missed February's date. Somehow, every year, it surprises me when February is a short month. I find myself blinking in shock at the truncated calendar thinking "Wait, what?" I've been on this earth 24 years; you'd think my brain would adapt to the fact that February is short. But no. Every year the sudden end sneaks up on me, and I find myself hurriedly writing those end-of-month checks and missing blog posts.

So. Let's talk about this weather. Do we all just agree that this sucks? I stepped outside this morning into a gust of wind that I'm quite certain was attempting to perform some type of insta-freeze. Either that, or Frozen's Elsa  was around the corner singing a power ballad. Either way, I did not appreciate the harsh chilling slap to my cheeks and nose.  Needless to say, coffee is much needed today!

Obsessing over...
Cookbooks and cookware. I recently bought this classic and this newbie for half-price on Amazon. The blustery weather prompts me to do one of two things: snuggle with a soft blanket and a good book or don apron and begin baking. The past few weekends have found me in the kitchen, bustling back-and-forth between sink, counter, and oven creating desserts, casseroles, stews, and pastas. In short, a variety of dishes determined to pack some winter fluff on my hips. To avoid that scenario, I force sweets on my friends and then hit the gym in earnest.

What are some of your favorite winter recipes?

A life update...
As some of you may know, this past week was particularly difficult for Mark and me. Last Saturday, I stumbled, half-asleep, to the bathroom only to turn on the faucet and hear a dreaded sputter-sputter-pffft that instantly jolted me awake. "Maaaaark!" I yelled.

We had no water. A dilemma that lasted nearly five days and resulted in a mountain of laundry, no heating, dirty floors, a torn-up basement, and a gaping hole in the street outside our house. Finally, the city of Frederick installed a new pipe from the main to our house. I can't tell you how much you enjoy flushing toilets, washing clothes, and brushing your teeth until you've been robbed of those under-appreciated luxuries.

Now that the No-Water Fiasco is resolved, we've moved onto happier things: namely, beginning our kitchen renovation. Over the next few weeks, I hope to share some fun DIY projects and their (hopefully successful) results. Stay tuned for updates!

Check this out...
1. The Oysterman. One of my professors said that a life which to us may seem simple, common, mundane may to others be exotic, if it's something that they don't know. I feel that Amy Evans does a good job capturing the uniqueness of one of my favorite places in the South: Apalachicola.
2. DIY blanket scarves.  I'm dying to try this!
3 .this Instagram feed  I love her recent photos of Scotland and its wild green.