Summer is Closing

Summer is coming to an end, and as sad as we are to think about the rain and cold temperatures that may bring, we also can’t wait for the fall. With fall comes pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin beer, corn mazes….and so much more. And, to top it all off, our house is getting closer and closer!

Life has been busy but fun lately. I keep wondering why it doesn’t feel stressful, as we have lots going on with my classes coming to an end, Danny beginning the next quarter soon, and our jobs. But life is simply trucking along, and it is great- stress has just passed by. I think we have done so well at keeping things in perspective, and keeping our priorities in line. First and foremost, Danny and I, and our relationship come first. Whatever that means, and whatever it takes, we are first. We have always had this mind set and I think because of this, everything seems so easy. Even if work is demanding, or finances are being pulled, cars break down, or whatever, we place our relationship and time together as number one. Everything else can wait. If we are good, life is good. Whatever comes our way, we tackle it, brush it off and move on.

We are heading to Spokane for the weekend to attend a wedding of a good friend of mine, Andrea, from high school. I can't wait to see her and maybe others from high school. It will be a great time! Unfortunately we will not be there long and time with the family will be little, but we are gearing up for the annual, (a whole two years!), Schlaich family camping trip over Labor day weekend.

Within all of this, we have still managed to visit the house twice a week and are amazed how quickly things are coming together. We have a roof! And windows! And showers and tubs! Very exciting. Here are some more pictures:

House with windows and roofing!

Our amazing master bath soaking corner soaking tub



Window right above living room, should let in lots of natural light



Skylight above upstairs hallway and stairs

Fireplace in our family room

Picture of kitchen, pantry, and greenbelt outside.

Things are flying by now...

As has been the case the last several summers, things sure are busy for the two of us during the summer.  This last weekend consisted of going to Professional Bull Riding, The Great Urban Race (see pictures on Facebook), a brief chance to see the house, and finished with us going mountain biking for our one year wedding anniversary.  For those of you who haven't heard of The Great Urban Race, it is the local equivalent to The Amazing Race.  We were provided 12 clues that were either mental or physical challenges that took us all over the city (we ran all of it).  To say the least we were exhausted at the end, but had a ton of fun throughout the race.  We ended up placing 27th of 162 teams so in our opinion we did pretty well.  :)

On Sunday when we were able to stop by the house and were pleasantly surprised to find a huge portion of the framing already completed.  In just a week it went from the foundation to the entire first floor framing done and a portion of the second floor.  Below are pictures of most of the main rooms and we plan to go to the house again on Wednesday to see just how far it has come.  With the progress already made, we expect the second floor to be done and more pictures will be posted then.

View from the front

View of formal living room/front door

View of formal dining room

View out of dining room window

View of staircase from formal dining room

View of pantry in kitchen

View of kitchen

View of family room with fireplace

View of garage from utility room

A Delicous new Recipe

I am always looking for new things to cook, techniques to try and food to eat. I am by no means a great home chef, but I love cooking. Lately it has been tough with school and the new job but I did manage to find some time Sunday night to try a new recipe. Shrimp seems to be one of our staple foods- we buy the frozen bags of jumbo raw shrimp and always have them on hand. This recipe was DELICIOUS and if you like shrimp, try it! It's a panko breaded shrimp with toasted couscous and a ginger orange sauce. This will be one that we will make for guests. Pair it with some white wine and appetizers and it makes for a great host dinner.

Sauce:

• 1 cup orange juice $
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro $
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Couscous:

• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup orange juice $
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions $
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

Shrimp:

• 20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound) $
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro $
• 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cups trimmed watercress

Preparation

1. To prepare sauce, bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.
2. To prepare couscous, place couscous in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.
3. To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.
5. Place 3/4 cup couscous on each of 4 plates; top each with 1/2 cup watercress and 5 shrimp. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.

Enjoy!

Tickin' Away

It has been a few weeks but life has continued to be a whirlwind. We think it is beginning to slow down but I am sure things will pick back up. I started my new job at Boeing and although only one week into it, I am really enjoying it. It has been great to carpool with Danny in the mornings- I think it adds that extra little perk to getting up and commuting in. It is also great getting to see each other first thing when we get off work. We are loving it. 

As for the house, there has been some progress. We have been driving up every week to see the changes, and they have laid the foundation. Nothing too exciting, but it means things have started! Originally the foundation was to be set back on the property but we were able to catch it soon enough and ask the builder to move the foundation forward to give us a couple more feet of backyard. It is already a fairly small yard so we want every inch possible. The two homes next to us are well on their way and moving quick. As soon and our house begins the building phase, we will be driving up twice a week. 

Looking down the main street of our neighborhood. This picture doesn't show it, but Mt. Baker is in the distance.

Looking down main street again.

This is our neighborhood park. This will make up for the lack of a backyard :). It is only a block away from our home.

Our foundation! Not so pretty, but we are excited to see it!

Enjoy the pictures!