I've got big news!

Well hello, old friend! It seems this space hasn't seen much action the past few months... and that was never my intention. Not to make excuses, or really apologize for the absence, but things at work got very exhausting after the summertime, which led to me feeling less than inspired creatively, so this space just got shoved to the wayside. I've been posting on Instagram pretty regularly though, so if you'd like to keep up with me, or you just like cat photos, that's the place to be. There's lots of fun stuff there that I never shared here, like my trips to France, Spain, & Portland, getting a perm, and then cutting most of my hair off a few months later. I think I owe you guys some photos! But anyways, Shawn and I have some pretty big news and I thought this would be a fitting time to make my way back over to this little corner of the internet.

And before you even think it, NO, we are not pregnant. Let's just get that out of the way real quick, k, thanks. Actually, it's much more exciting than that! Well, at least we seem to think so. I'm not sure if the cats will agree, but hey, they're kinda stuck with us so I think they'll just go with it.

We're moving to Portland, Oregon!

I feel I should preface this by saying it's not an entirely impulsive decision. We've actually been talking about moving to the west coast in some capacity for the past six years or so, but it wasn't until about a year and a half ago that we finally started setting active goals to get there. And then a few months ago, once we realized it was finally a realistic possibility, we really committed to the idea and began looking into what it would take to get out there.

Originally we planned on buying an RV or converting a van and traveling around the country for a few months before settling down somewhere. But we kept coming back to the same question: What about the cats? I know some people have had success traveling longterm with their cats, but it's just not a stress we were willing to put on the boys, and honestly the whole permanent camping idea seemed slightly fiscally irresponsible for our current situation. I know there are plenty of jobs that can be done on the road, but it's not a sector we're all that familiar with yet, and we want to spend some more time considering all the options. So we ultimately decided to put that plan on hold for a few years and focus on something a little more attainable... moving across the country! We considered Colorado, northern California, Washington, and Oregon... and ultimately decided on Portland being the place to be.

Everyone who asked us, "Why Portland?" was shocked to hear we had never even been there before. So then the obvious question followed, "But what if you don't like it?" It's hard to explain, but sometimes you feel a pull towards a certain place/person/idea, and it just feels right. And that's exactly what happened here - we never had any worries about not liking it. Everyone I've talked to who has been there lights up when you mention Portland. Deep down, we just had a feeling it was going to be the right place for us, for now. (That's the funny thing about moving... you can do it as often as you'd like, to wherever you'd like. We just said, hey if Portland doesn't work out, we'll go somewhere else!) I flew over there last week and stayed with some local friends to really get a feel for the city, do a few job interviews and check out some potential apartments. And as it turns out, I absolutely fell in love with the city.


What's not to like?? Food culture is huge there- the city is filled with restaurants that can satisfy an endless array of palates. (So many Thai restaurants!) You can get alcohol at any food establishment, including cafes and places you wouldn't normally expect to find liquor/beer/wine. Speaking of beer, the city is loaded with local breweries... and speaking of wine, the local stuff is actually good! (Sorry east coast, but your wine sucks.) Everyone I interacted with while out there was so gosh-darn nice. I know it sounds cliche at this point, but there really is a distinct cultural difference between the fast-paced in-your-face East coast, and the laid-back good-vibes West coast; I felt it. People ask, "What do you have planned for the rest of your day?", and they actually want to know. Meanwhile, on the East coast, people barely have time to listen to your response when they carelessly ask, "Hey, how are you?". The city blocks are small, and super easy to navigate. It's super bike-friendly, in fact, I didn't notice much vehicular traffic at all. The beach, mountains, and wine country are just a short drive away. And, oh yeah, weed is legal there, if you're into that kinda thing.

So at the end of March we'll be driving the cats, along with a select few other things we care about, all the way across the country to our new home. Currently the plan is to spend about ten days driving across, which should give us enough time to see a few things along the way, but not so much time that the cats will be completely traumatized by the trip (fingers crossed that they'll travel well). A few weeks ago, the end of March felt so far away, but now we're on crunch time! We have a few more details to figure out before then, and a lot more things to pack up too... but it feels so good to put it all out in the open and finally start this next adventure together!

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Around here, we really love quiche. It's just one of those things that's super quick and easy to throw together, and even easier to heat up later in the week when you don't feel like putting any effort into cooking. I'm actually surprised I don't have more quiche recipes here... but it's probably because I use the same base each time and just toss in whatever ingredients I have laying around. I'm going to try to post more of the combinations though - just because the base is the same, doesn't mean you guys won't appreciate a new combination!

This particular one came together Saturday afternoon. I made and baked the crust in the morning, chopped up some bacon I had cooked earlier in the week, and then filled and baked the quiche later in the day, after running errands. Prepping everything ahead of time made it come together really quickly, and then dinner was ready in a jiffy. I used to buy frozen crusts from the store, but I'm kicking myself for it now. Homemade crusts are just so much tastier, they require only three ingredients (okay, four if you count salt), and they really take no time at all to put together. One of these days I'll make a proper recipe post for pie crust. In the meantime, just use whatever you have!

Smoked Gouda, Bacon, Spinach, & Red Pepper Quiche

• 1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade
• 1/2-pound thick-cut bacon
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 big handful baby spinach
• 1 cup grated smoked gouda
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Line a 9" pie plate with your crust, trimming or folding in the edges to your liking. Prick the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork, and freeze the crust for about half an hour. Then par-bake the crust in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, pricking with a fork again if the center has started to bubble up. If the sides of the crust have shrunk, just use a spatula to gently flatten them back up the side of the pan. Set the crust aside to cool.*
Turn the oven down to 350°F.
Lay the bacon out on a sheet pan, placing the slices side-by-side. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked through but not dark. Drain the grease from the pan, (I usually fill a small bowl with it, refrigerate it, and then spoon it into the trash later; you can also reuse it for cooking!), and set the bacon aside to cool. Once cool, dice the bacon and set aside.*
Chop the onion and red pepper - you can go the large dice route, or chop them slightly longer like I did. In a bowl, combine the chopped onion and pepper, spinach, diced bacon, and the smoked gouda. Mix everything together with your hands, then pour it all out into your par-baked crust. Flatten everything down so that it doesn't surpass the top edge of the crust.
In that now empty bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Pour the mixture over the rest of the ingredients, and carefully place your pie plate in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling doesn't jiggle and looks set. Allow to cool slightly before cutting, and enjoy!


* The crust and bacon can both be baked ahead of time. I usually buy a whole pound of bacon and bake it off, then use it throughout the week as needed. And the crust can be made a few hours in advance too. Then all you have to do later is get all the veggies ready, whisk up the eggs and milk, and you're all set!

Also worth noting: I rarely eat the quiche straight out of the oven. I find it much easier to slice later, so I'll usually make it in the morning in anticipation of reheating it for dinner later. Letting it sit really allows the filling to set completely. Leftover quiche keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge, and can be reheated in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.

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I've been really into making soups lately- they're quick, simple, and you really don't need more than a few veggies and some water to make a delicious soup. Plus, they warm your belly, you get a large yield, and they're super easy to reheat later! One of the bakeries I used to work at had four rotating soups each day, and one of my favorites was a Tuscan White Bean Soup. I've been trying to get Shawn and I to eat less meat lately, so I thought it would be fun to recreate one of my favorite veggie soups!

This one is great because you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already. (I always have carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the fridge, and I stock up on beans when they're on sale.) To make it vegetarian, just swap the chicken broth for veggie broth - I just don't like store-bought veggie broth because it's often too carrot-heavy.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

recipe makes approximately 3 quarts

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, small dice
• 3 carrots, small dice
• 4 stalks celery, small dice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/2 quarts chicken broth
• 3 cups swiss chard or kale, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, cooking until the vegetables have softened and the onion starts to appear translucent. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and add the swiss chard and all the spices. Adjust spices to taste. Once the swiss chard has wilted, the soup is ready to eat! Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve with bread, if you'd like.

This soup keeps well for about a week when stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Or, pour it into a large ziplock bag and freeze it flat for easy storage and quick defrosting.

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