mmmmangoes

We got our annual order of mangoes from pine island!!! 30 pounds came to us 3 days ago and they're already half gone. We had planned to freeze them for smoothies, but they are just so delicious that I've been eating mango and avocado salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If we DID have enough to spare, I'd like to make these and these. I have popsicles on the brain.

the building.

Well, I finally finished my dad's quilt. I LOVE how it turned out, and even though it took me 2 years, I still want to make another one. I am trying to decide on a pattern from the Denyse Schmidt book I have.

Anyway, the point of the story is that I am finally allowed to start NEW PROJECTS and the first thing I did was help Ruben build us a bar out of a piece of bowling alley. Okay, that's a lie. I just watched. Okay, even that is a lie. He did it while I was at work. But whatever, it's great!

A few years ago the bowling alley in our town burned down. We went by when they were putting the alleys in giant dumpsters and hauled a few pieces home. We still have several huge chunks left that Ruben wants to use as flooring somewhere, but this is the first time we've used them in a project. He sanded them a lot to get off the smokey varnish and that really lightened them up. I think the bar turned out just stellar (definitely an improvement over the former formica!), and it inspired us to do a new paint job on the dining room walls. Oh, AND I think I've just about convinced him that we really need this table.

the clearing.

We've been doing some cleaning.

Cleaning out the cabinets, dusting off the shelves, trying to part with more and more of our beloved stuff.

I come from a long line of hoarders. For me, clearing out is hard and serious work. I have to keep reminding myself of those pretty magazine pictures that show the spaces I'd really love to inhabit (like pretty much everything on this website!)

yummmm.

I finally got around to making these cookies. The dough gave me fits when I rolled it out and there may have been some cursing involved-- but it's Florida in the hottest summer I can remember, what did I expect? The end result is decidedly worth it. These are very very good. It was my first time using quinoa flour, and I love the nutty-wholesomeness it lends to the flavor of the cookies. I'll be making these again.

mysterious waters

A local favorite. Wakulla Springs State Park