{Kalamata Olives}

I like olives. Really, I love anything that's pickled, but especially olives. After a particularly awful day of teaching, I packed up my stuff and decided to head to my parents house to hang out for a bit ( code for: they had cable and I didn't). I vented to my mother about coworkers, students, and how discouraged I felt. My brother got home from his job working as a cook at a local restaurant, Malones. He had spent the slow time of his shift that night stuffing a pint of teeny tiny kalamata olives by hand with blue cheese just for me. He had done it on a whim, having no idea the day I was having. They were just olives, but was just one of those little things that made a difference.


I miss my brother. There, I've said it. Not something I would have ever thought I'd say, let alone write. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the kid, he's always just... been there. So He's never been one that I've had to miss. That, and we have had our healthy moments of sibling rivalry so that when we did have times apart, like while I was at college for semesters at a time, they were welcome breathers.

But, It's been a LONG two years. A LOT has happened. We separated two very different people than we are now. He's had his first very large taste of freedom from home ties, and has been forced to develop a sense of self and an identity that stands alone from who he's perceived within our family dynamics. And that's pretty huge, and has made him someone I'm very excited to get to know better when he returns in February. But also, since he left, I got married. I've had to grow up ( just a little more) since then and learn to be just a fraction of a bit less self centered, and egotistical. The world in fact does NOT revolve around me all days of the week ( ignore Jeff in the background shaking his head vehemently), and while I've got a long way to go, I'm a nicer, softer version of me in a lot of respects than what he'll remember.

And so, I've been reminiscing a lot. I've actually spent a lot of time in my head lately. Partially because it's such a mess and needs sorting. I've thought back on all our silly fights. All my pushy, bossy, terrible, no good, troll under the bridge older sister moments. All of his at the time annoying and intolerable behaviors. And through it all, I just shake my head and sigh, because I know that the majority of the time, it was mostly my fault. The kid has his faults, but in general, he's a pretty sweet and caring person. Quite the people pleaser, he was always out to make others feel special, even if they (me) didn't appreciate it, and I'm so very ready for him to be home again.

-Ashley

{Thanksgiving in Pictures}

Old recipes, with some new ones mixed in, Lots of smells wafting, mixing, and setting an excellent mood that lasted throughout the day. We had an amazing dinner with some exceptional food served on wedding china, our first opportunity to use it. The rest of the day was spent grazing deserts, watching movies, and playing games. It was good to loose track of time, divvy up food, and go to bed full and happy.

We had a lot of good conversation, and the ability to enjoy our time together as a family. This year has certainly not been a conventional one, and has provided it's share of trials for everyone. It's been a blessing to have a balanced perspective, and to have been able to come home when we did. If there's anything I've learned in the past couple of years, it's that through all of the difficult trials, there is always the promise of good things to come, and that happiness is a decision, not a result.  I'm so grateful for the two wonderful, funny, supportive, and good men I have in my life.  They are my happiness. Well, them and pie.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
-Ashley

1. Apple Pie
2. Grandma's Oyster Stuffing ( one without , for Jeff)
3. Flowers from a thoughtful husband
4. Pumpkins for Pie. No cans here!
5. Pinterest experiment of the night - cinnamon roll crust.
6. Creamy, spicy, and ready to be a pie!
7. Finished Pumpkin Pie. Yum!
8. Crust results. Not bad, eh?
9. Bananas waiting
10.  to be this
11. Fuel for the morning
12. Grandma's yeast rolls
13. Table setting starting to come together
14. Wedding china
15. Wealth of food
16 &17. Perfect company

Not Pictured: Jeff's 3 bean salad, green beans and bacon,, broccoli cheese casserole ( ALL YUM), and the best turkey I've ever eaten. 

{Happy Birthday Jeff}

Jeff doesn't like celebrating his birthday. We're working on it. Last year there was a mandatory surprise party that marked his first birthday married to an awesome woman. This year he got to spend his birthday in China. While there aren't whole lot of people here to help me force this man into celebration, I did manage to make the morning noteworthy with some home-made biscuits and gravy from scratch.* We've come so far with cooking in China with the meager instruments we have. I'm super proud.

Happy Birthday Jeff!
-Ashley

*Jeff helped with the gravy. He's just better at it than I am.

Awesome Super Easy Recipe For Biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups All Purpose Flour (An entire bag of flour costs less than 1 can of biscuits, fyi.)
1 Tbs baking powder (The stuff in the white can, not the stuff in the orange box that you can also brush your teeth with or add in with your laundry detergent...pro-tips!)
1 Tsp salt
1 Tbs granulated sugar (That's the stuff you put in your coffee, not the stuff you find on doughnuts. Mmmm....doughnuts.)
1/3 cup of shortening (Use margarine. It's cheap and you don't have to worry about accidentally buying lard...which would work, but your Hebrew and Muslim friends couldn't join you for breakfast.)
1 cup of milk (If you use one of the non-milks like soy or almond, this recipe is vegan. But, I guess if you're vegan you know that already. Carry on.)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. I know the packaged biscuits only say 375, but that's because their chemical additives make them weak!
In a large-ish bowl (The one you use to make cookies in should be fine. You don't make cookies from scratch? Well, that's a discussion for another day. Also, your family doesn't love you as much as they could.*) mix together all the dry ingredients. Cut in the margarine. That means to cut up the margarine into cute little square pats and put them into the bowl. Then, mix in the margarine (I've found hands work best for this...but when do they not?) until what's in the bowl resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in the milk until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If your dough seems too sticky, add a tablespoon or two more flour. If it's too dry, add more milk.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface (like your counter top, or a large cutting board placed on top of your counter top). Knead the dough. You don't want to over work it. Just until there are no sticky parts. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass if you're cool like me) to punch out the biscuits. Or, you could just pull off a little less than a handful and call them drop biscuits, if presentation means nothing to you.
Place the cut outs onto a greased cookie pan. Place in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the tops and edges start to brown.