52 New Recipes in 2012

   At the beginning of this year, I decided I would try to make 52 new recipes in 2012. The plan is one recipe a week, although it hasn't worked out exactly like that. Some weeks have zero new recipes, some weeks 2 new ones. The point is basically to try to make new things. Also we are rating the new recipes. So far there have been no failures. :)

   So far this year the very best new recipes that we have tried are bread sticks and pizza calzone. I will attempt to post those recipes at some point in the future when I make them again which I'm sure I will. The bread sticks have been made multiple times and also were taken to a Super Bowl party. The pizza calzone  has already been devoured twice. :) You will also notice that a majority of the new recipes have been desserts of some kind. What can I say? Sweet food is pretty much amazing to make and eat!

   Do you like to try out new recipes? What is a good one you have made recently?

Love, jessica

A time to plant

   This week had some great moments filled with life and rest and beauty. Life is made up of many good and also hard moments, but I love sharing some of the good times with you.  It's been really fun to look back on my week and recognize and be thankful for all the big and little gifts we have been given. 

This week’s highlights

1. We have a new nephew! His name is Zeke Michael. He is definitely a highlight! We now have 7 wonderful nieces and nephews who we miss like crazy!! 

2. Having a break from school. :) There was a national holiday here. Tomb sweeping day. So we got the week off, which was nice. My brain was definitely in need of a language break!

3. Going to a flower market with a good friend and picking some beautiful flowers for my windowsill. These flowers are really helping to brighten up the gloomy gray skies and rain that we have had the last few days.

The load of flowers my friend and I took home

Re-potting the flowers

My beautified windowsill!

Aren't these gorgeous!

4. Planting more seeds! I also picked up some new seeds at the market, and planted pumpkins, red peppers, yellow cherry tomatoes, green beans, strawberries (from seed), and some flowers from seed. I can't wait till all of these sprout as well. Here are some updated pictures of my ever growing veggie plants.

Beef Tomatoes, Spinach, Cucumbers, and Cilantro

Love,
Jessica

Spinach Sprouts

   Winner of the first to sprout award goes to the Spinach! Now there are sprouts of everything! Its so exciting! We just need to find a place to get a whole lot of dirt, and create a good space for all the plants to grow.

   I did go a little (ok, a lot) over board with my planting...two whole packages of tomatoes (they were different kinds) and two packages of cucumbers. I wasn't sure if the seeds would all grow, but they pretty much all did. Yeah, I didn't really think through that one, so now all my friends will be getting their own tomato plants. :) If my plants all do well here, my friends will not be lacking in veggies!

The First sprout! 

What the spinach looked like a few days later:

Cucumbers

Painting

   I had a bunch of teenage girls over to paint one night. It was really fun to be creative, and to see the artistic talent that all the girls have. Sorry that you only get to see my painting.

Above is the first completed piece, then there was a tragic moment when I accidentally squeezed some white paint right onto my painting, so I had to change it a little. Below is the finished one. :)

  

Flying our new kitE

Ian and I have a date together once a week, this past week for our date we decided to fly a kite together. d

Kites are a pretty common sight in the sky here. It is a great way to relax. This day it wasn't super windy, but we still managed to get it in the air. 

Peach Blossoms

 I took a trip out of the city with some friends to a place famous for their flowering peach trees. It was absolutely beautiful there.

   There were people everywhere selling these beautiful flower crowns...really how could I resist, especially when my friend was so sweet to buy one for me. :)

  Happy Easter!

Love, jessica