Seabiscuit Questions: Finally!

I know, I know. I'm at least a week late and more than a dollar short (on both questions and discussion). BUT! Here are the questions we'll be discussing for Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand.

1. First off, how did getting into the book go for you?

2. What was your reaction to Hillenbrand's writing style?

3. Have you read her other book, Unbroken? And if so, what did you think of it? (Esp. compared to Seabiscuit.) And have you seen the movies of either?

4. Which character did you find yourself drawn to and why?

5. How did Seabiscuit and War Admiral stack up against each other? What were their strengths and weaknesses?

6. What were your thoughts of the Seabiscuit crew? (Howard, Smith, Pollard)

7. In reading Seabiscuit, we learned of the hardships jockeys faced. How familiar were you with those hardships before reading? What were your reactions afterward? Did Woolf and Pollard overcome any of these? How?

8. What was your overall reaction to this story? What can we take away from it?


Come back on Saturday for the discussion of Seabiscuit and don't forget to start reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for April!

Happy Wednesday!

Week 23

It's been a whole week since I've even posted here. Yikes! But, that's okay because babies are fun, right? Right.


How far along: 23 weeks

Size of baby: Approximately the size of a grapefruit, an ear of corn, or the same size of a Barbie fashion doll. Huh.

Gender: Take the poll in the right hand sidebar to cast your vote! Also...send me an email or leave a comment because I'm just curious like that.


Nursery: We made some progress yesterday with our basement bedroom, which will help when it comes to actually fixing the nursery. The futon frame is sold and GONE (!). And now we can move the full sized bed to the basement so we can paint the nursery. WOO!


Movement: Lots. Wiggling as I type this, actually.


Symptoms: Clothes are continuing to shrink (right) and my hips hurt. Bad.


Sleep: I'm still sleeping through the night for the most part. If sleeping through the night doesn't count the times I wake up to go to the bathroom at 7 am even when I'm not getting up for work? And if I don't have a pillow between my knees when I'm sleeping, my hips are angry with me in the morning.


Cravings: Still not much. Boo.


What I miss: Being able to drink as much coffee as I'd like throughout the day. Or pop. Basically just having all of the caffeine that I want.


Best moment of the week: We didn't have school yesterday, so I laid down on the couch to relax for a little bit when all of the sudden my stomach jumped. And I was able to see it. So, I ran walked upstairs to show Kyle. He's not the most patient...but he finally saw baby jammin out in there too.


Looking forward to: Meeting some new babies! We have friends who are due any day now. :)

Happy Tuesday!

Week 22

Since we've entered Spring, I'm becoming increasingly aware of how fast time is flying. We're at 22 weeks and we've only got 18 left. Wowza!

How far along: 22 weeks

Size of baby: Depending on the app, s/he is the size of a papaya, an ear of corn, or a Nalgene water bottle.

Gender: Take the poll in the right hand sidebar to cast your vote! Also...send me an email or leave a comment because I'm just curious like that.

Nursery: I'm loving the gender neutral nursery over at The Girl in the Red Shoes. Isn't it just the cutest??

Movement: Lots. Still not strong enough for Kyle to feel. In time.

Symptoms: Heartburn...not as bad. My hips still hurt from shifting...sometimes I can barely walk. Oi. I've been told a few times that I'm finally starting to look pregnant. YES! And I still don't eat terribly much. I've heard about the pregnancy (esp. 2nd tri) hunger...but I get hungry and when I eat, I get full faster. Hmm.

Sleep: For the last week or so, I've been sleeping through the night and not needing to get up. Maybe that's because I'm suuuuper exhausted or maybe things are just going well right now. And I still might take evening or mid afternoon naps...shh.

Cravings: Not much. Carbs are still my best friend. Cereal, bagels, Icees. But, if I had to, I could do without.

What I Miss: We went to JL Beers this week and someone in our party ordered a cider...and it looked real good. It's the first time I've wanted "just a taste." So far, I've been pretty content with my tonic water w/cranberry juice and a lime.  And still...sleeping on my back.

Best Moment of the Week: When Kyle said I finally looked pregnant.

Looking Forward to: Getting going on the nursery and finding daycare for fall.

Happy Tuesday!

 

Five on Friday

As always, linking up with A. Liz Adventures for this week's Five on Friday. Go check it out!

In our house, we like to think we are fairly proficient at quite a few things: cooking, gardening, fixing things, meal planning... But in reality, we're just mediocre at most things. But this week, we actually were ahead of the game and did our meal plan for the week! So here are five meals that we I made this week (including tonight's recipe).

Most of these meals/recipes I have pinned on Pinterest, so if you're looking for some more inspiration...head on over.


one | one-pan chicken burrito bowls

We had our pastor and his family over for supper on Monday night, so we wanted something quick and not terribly involved. So I chose this meal. I had made it once or twice, but I don't think Kyle necessarily remembered it. After Monday, he decided that it should be in our rotation.

*The original recipe is linked to the title...what I have below is what I actually did...

prep time: 10-ish min          cook time: 20-ish min          total: roughly, 30 min

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
• 3 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of diced onion
• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• freshly diced tomatoes
• diced green onions
• sour cream

Directions:

1. Saute onions in olive oil until they start to soften.
2. Season diced chicken with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
3. Add chicken to pan and cook over medium high heat until chicken has started to brown.
4. Move chicken to one side of pan, in the other side of the pan add an additional tablespoon of olive oil and saute uncooked rice for about 2 minutes or just until some grains start to turn golden brown.
5. Stir in black beans, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.
6. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low.
7. Cook about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
8. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed (during or after cooking)
9. Sprinkle with cheese, recover and let set for 2-3 off heat to melt cheese.
10. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, green onions, & sour cream 

We love this recipe and it's going to be on our menu fairly regularly, I anticipate.

two | salad & soup

This one was super easy. Our sweet friend, Kaia, came over for supper and we decided on having a Chef's Salad with Cheesy Broccoli Soup.

The hardest part was cutting up all of the ingredients for the salad. The soup we got at Hugo's (on sale this week, 2 for $6!), so it was an easy decision.

Salad Ingredients:
-Romaine Lettuce
-Spinach
-2 carrots
-1/2 green pepper
-2/3 baked chicken breast
-1 hard boiled egg

Soup Ingredients:
-1 bag of soup
-8 cups of water

Start to finish, this probably took around 1 hour. The only reason it took an hour was so that the chicken would be cooked all the way through.

three | no knead artisan bread 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c hot water (100*)
1/2 T salt
3/4 T active dry yeast
3 c flour (and a little more for dusting)
parchment paper

Directions:
Pour hot water into med-lg mixing bowl and sprinkle salt in.
Then distribute yeast over the surface area of the water/salt combo. Let sit for 1-2 min.
Stir slowly and then add 3 c flour. Be sure that you use exactly 3 c. Mix well with rubber scraper.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, generously dust flour on parchment paper and release dough onto floured paper.
With floured hands, fold dough in half, sprinkle with flour and fold in half again.
Form dough into ball and replace on floured parchment paper, seam side down.
Let rise for 40 min.

After 30 min, preheat oven to 425*.
After another 10 min, using a serrated knife, make three slices in top of dough.
Then put 1 c water in oven safe container and place container on bottom rack in oven.
Then place dough in oven and bake for 20-25 min. Or until golden brown on top.

Let rest on cooling rack until cool to the touch. And enjoy!

four | chicken tetrazzini

Ingredients:
½ pkg thin spaghetti
¼ c butter
1/2  med onion, chopped
2 ½ cooked, diced chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ c milk
1 c sour cream
1 tsp basil
1 can mushrooms
1 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese
½ med green pepper 

Directions:

Break spaghetti into 1in pieces; cook & drain. Saute onion, gr. pepper, & mushrooms in margarine. Mix all ingredients except cheese; place in buttered 2 qt casserole dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and then Parmesan cheese over top. Bake at 300° for 30min or until hot and bubbly.

We love this one, but it takes a little longer. So if you're meal prepping for the whole week....this is a great one to make ahead of time. Just don't bake it until the night you want to eat it.

five | spinach & artichoke pizza 

I'm so excited to try this one tonight! Look out for an IG update. I'll let you know.

Ingredients:
1 loaf bread dough (Kelly's note: I use Fettings out of Finley, ND)
8 oz fresh spinach, divided
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp onion powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 oz provolone cheese (1 cup. I used deli slices and chopped)
2 oz shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
2 oz finely shredded parmesan cheese (slightly packed 1/2 cup)
6 - 8 canned artichoke hearts, drained well and quartered
Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Head on over to Cooking Classy for the directions for this pizza.

*update (4/7): not my favorite pizza...I'll probably try it again and tweak some things. Maybe it was just the mood I was in.

And as always,

Happy Friday!

Week 21

Time is flying by and we're officially past the halfway point. We had our ultrasound last week...and no we didn't find out the gender. But things are getting a little more real up in here. If you're following along on IG, you already saw the post about the cradle arriving... So here's week 21.

How far along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: the same size as a pomegranate

Gender: There's a new poll in the right sidebar for you to take a guess!

Nursery: No progress there...yet. But the cradle is in our room and we just need to order a mattress for it.

Movement: #babyentzel is still a wiggle worm. S/he has definitely gotten stronger throughout the last week. S/he was moving so much at our ultrasound, that the tech had a hard time getting clear pics!

Symptoms: Still dealing with heartburn. No matter the time of day or what I eat, it's bound to show up at some point. Also, I can feel my hips starting to move...and it does not feel nice.

Sleep: Sleep is not quite as restful as it has been in the past. I took a 1 1/2 hour nap on Monday night and it felt awesome. But then when I wake up in the morning, everything ends up hurting. We've got a long ways to go...

Cravings: Not many (or any) really. I still really like carbs and my headaches stay away as long as I have my coffee in the morning. And I'm not complaining about the coffee in my routine. At. All.

What I Miss: I feel like a broken record, but I really do miss sleeping on my back. And I also miss having multiple cups of coffee each day...especially after a long day at work.

Best Moment this Week: Seeing our baby for the first time (and only time til birth)!

Looking Forward to: Finally looking pregnant AND finding daycare for this fall. Yikes!

Happy Wednesday!

 

Welcome to our little corner...

It's been a while since I've had an update for anyone who is new to this space. So, I figured that on a Monday, and Daylight Savings Monday to boot, I'd share a little about us and some popular posts to help you get acquainted.

Here's some information About Us and here's a follow-up to that post. Here's what I learned in our first year of marriage.

And we've got a little nugget on the way...and s/he is arriving in July. So here's the announcement I made about that. If you're interested in following along with anything baby, labels on blog posts are tagged with #babyentzel, pregnancy, nugget 1, and pregnancy journal. You can follow me on IG and baby posts are also tagged with #babyentzel.

Since we're entering into this parenting adventure, I even shared a post about some unwanted advice that I've received...and this was before I'd even reached week 15!

Some of you have been around here for a while, so you know about our house. But for those of you who don't, here are a few posts about house hunting. Our house and the our wonderful realtor.

As a part of Bailey Jean's Blogtember Challenge for 2015, I wrote a letter to my sixteen year old self.

And if you want to go poking around this site, feel free to do some digging. Some more popular posts can be found here and as always, there are suggested posts at the bottom of every post.

Thanks for stopping by and be on the lookout for #babyentzel Week 21 update, coming soon!

OH! And make sure to participate in the #babyentzel gender poll in the right sidebar. :) Gender to be announced sometime in July (fingers crossed).

Happy Monday!

Five on Friday: Projects

Linking up with A. Liz Adventures again for another round of Five on Friday. Feel free to join up!

Today let's take a look at the projects we need to get done before Baby E. arrives:

one | spare room

Obviously, we need to have somewhere for baby to sleep. BUT! For the first few months, baby will sleep in a cradle in our room (hopefully).  But here are some ideas that I've been loving for our "nursery"/spare room:

via

I desperately want a rocker like this:

via

And although I'm in love with these rooms...I know that it's really not plausible to have baby's room set up like this. I mean, really, we need space for company to sleep too. 

two | bathroom

Right now our main bathroom has a soaker tub (which is too small, cheap, and I hate it...another story for another time), a small vanity, and a toilet. When we moved in, the soaker tub had a shower nozzle/handle thing...but no mount for the wall...rendering the shower head completely useless to actually use for a shower. So. We put a mount on the wall and rigged up a 360 degree shower curtain.

Here's the thing. I'm so over it. The curtain clings to you. There's a huge window in the shower portion. I can't shave my legs efficiently because of said curtain. Oi. So....I asked Kyle if we could finish the bathroom this spring. He said probably (!). Yess!

Here's the tile I'm envisioning for the tub surround and for the floors.

No, this is not our shower...but I love this look.

And this isn't our bathroom...but it's the tile we want.

We are planning to do a majority of our tile shopping/purchasing at Lowe's. So far that's the place with the best price and variety.

three | our bedroom

Since we moved into our house, our room has been kind of a disaster. So, a few weeks ago we decided to do a bunch of straightening up and some rearranging. And now...we have a place for baby's cradle. I'm still not sure what we'll do for paint in our room. I just know that something needs to change. 

four | seedlings

I can't wait to get our garden started. Last year was our first attempt at our house...and hopefully we've learned some things so we can improve this year. Maybe this weekend will be the weekend where we start those seedlings. Maybe.

five | basement bedroom

Our basement bedroom is a disaster. If I thought our upstairs spare room was a disaster and catch-all...apparently I was sadly mistaken. I just went downstairs last night to survey the damage...and it's rough. Since I painted that room last summer, that's one less thing I have to worry about when we swap rooms. So, here's to hoping we can find space to store our misc. items and get this room in order before baby comes.

As always...

Happy Friday!

Week 20

It's hard to believe we're already at the halfway point! On one hand it feels like we had been keeping a secret for so long and we've known since November! Wowza. Our anatomy scan is this afternoon, so be on the lookout for an update on FB, IG, or Twitter.

How far along: Halfway!! 20 weeks. Yikes!

Size of baby: The size of a banana.

Gender: We will find out in July--but give me a week or two and we'll get a poll up here.

Nursery: We are starting to get everything cleared out. Kyle replaced the ceiling fan/light in there last week...so once everything is out, we can start painting!

Movement: S/he has been awfully active this last week! Whenever I'm sitting still I feel her/him moving around in there. Still no outward signs for Kyle...soon enough, though.

Symptoms: Tight pants...duh. And the heartburn has gotten pretty consistent since Friday. Other than that, I seem to get a headache about every other day. Silly hormones.

Sleep: Thanks to the headaches, I've not slept well. I tend to wake up at least once a night when I have a headache. And I seem to take the liberty to use the bathroom around 3:30-4:30. Oi.

Cravings: Still not much. I'm starting to return to my daily coffee every morning, though. Thank goodness!

What I miss: Still missing sleeping on my back. The other night my hips hurt, so I rolled onto my back. Kyle said I fell asleep in about 30 seconds and started to snore. Loudly. Hah! I'm missing my energy too. So if you know where I can find it, let me know!

Best Moment this Week: Being able to be outside and get some fresh air! And I'm sure our anatomy scan will fall under this category this afternoon. :)

Looking Forward to: Again, still looking forward to actually looking pregnant instead of just extra chubby. Hopefully that will happen soon-ish. :)

Have a great week and keep your eyes peeled for an update from this afternoon!

Happy Tuesday!

Five on Friday: Current Loves

Five on Friday is a link-up with A. Liz Adventures where each blogger shares five things on your mind for the week. Here are five things I'm currently loving:


one | la croix

Since being pregnant (and truthfully, for some time before) I've decided to cut back on pop and sugary drinks. The problem is that I love the carbonation and some flavor. I will drink, and usually enjoy, an ice cold Perrier, but La Croix has been hitting the spot lately. My current favorites have been Cran-Raspberry and Coconut.

 

 

two | white collar

Kyle and I get on a tv show kick every time we finish watching our previous show. The show that we most recently finished was Lie to Me. I was disappointed to find out that the series was so short. BUT! We've stumbled across White Collar. And while it's still a pretty short series (6 seasons), it's longer than Lie to Me. Kyle jokes that he doesn't really like it all that much...but I see right through him.

 

three | new chairs

We went away for a long weekend last weekend. Aside from Easter break, it was our last chance to get away before baby arrives in July. So we took a trip and ended up buying new chairs for our dining room table. IKEA, you've impressed me this time!

 

four | sunshine

We live in the frozen tundra known as North Dakota and I've been so thankful lately for the sunshine. The sun has been consistently gracing us with his presence and it's been marvelous. I don't dare complain about winter this year since it's been so mild. *I've not worn a coat consistently!* But it really has been lovely and I'm looking forward to spring rounding the corner.

five | reading

I've desperately missed reading for fun. But Aubrey and I have made it a point to be intentional about this year's Second Chance Book Club. That being said, I loved falling into a book and being so engrossed in it that I don't hear the radio in the car. I've missed it. In high school, I used to read instead of anything else. It's a past-time that I've longed to rejuvenate and fortunately have.

Last month we read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Go here to see my blog review on it. But be forewarned...my blog post has spoilers. So if you want to read the book, make sure that you're only reading my Goodreads Review.

And join us next month for Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand!


Here's to a lovely weekend!

Happy Friday!

Week 19

This is a few days late, but hopefully this weekend/early next week I'll be on the ball enough to have a weekly update for you all.

How far along: 19 weeks--hard to believe our anatomy scan is next week!

Size of baby: The size of a mango!

Gender: Unknown--We'll start a poll here soon.

Nursery: It's currently a mess with a bunch of overflow from the rest of our house. The next few weeks will be filled with purging, painting, and set-up.

Movement: I felt the nugget's first obvious jab last Wednesday at lunch. Since then, s/he has been quite active. It's been so fun and so bizarre feeling someone moving around inside of me!

Symptoms: My pants continue to tighten and Monday night I had some wicked lower back pain--which I'm sure is from sitting on the floor assembling chairs, cleaning our room on my hands and knees, and moving furniture. Oops!

Sleep: Most nights are restful, but other times I'm tossing and turning like crazy. Before pregnancy, I was a back sleeper and it's been horrid to adjust to needing to sleep on my sides. I use a pillow between my knees to ease the pain in my hips when I wake up. But we're not even half way there and I'm already struggling. Here's to 21 more weeks!

Cravings: Not much. Definitely nothing out of the ordinary. Throughout this entire pregnancy I've been loving fruit (especially citrus). But the last week or so, I've continued to regain my appetite. Fortunately it doesn't take as long to be filled up, so I've ultimately been eating less than I did pre-pregnancy.

What I Miss: Not much. I do miss sleeping on my back, but otherwise I've been enjoying this time.

Best Moment this Week: Feeling Baby Entzel movin and groovin so much during our long weekend away.

Looking Forward to: Finally having Kyle feel the little nugget move. So far s/he has been just sharing the wiggles with me...when Kyle puts his hand on my stomach all of the wiggling stops. Little stinker! :) Oh--and also looking like I'm pregnant instead of just fat.

Our anatomy scan is this upcoming Tuesday, so say a few prayers that everything looks good and I'll try to have an update posted shortly after!

Happy Wednesday!

February Book Discussion

Sorry this post is a few days late. I'll have more on that later this week. But, I hope you've all had a chance to finish the book. And here we go.

Discussion questions for this book can be found here, but I'll also add them to this post.

Now, what did you all think? I was certainly looking forward to reading Me Before You because it sounded like it would be the perfect story for February (and Valentine's). And in some ways, I was right. But in others, I wouldn't consider this a Valentine's book at all.

1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were hoping for or expecting? Why or why not?

I really did like the book. It captured my attention once I made it through the first 4 chapters or so. And while I was engrossed in the book, it was not what I was expecting at all. Those of you who read along with us know that Will's desire is to end his life. He doesn't love the "new" life he's currently living and he doesn't want to continue to be stuck in it. Being the romantic that I am, I hoped and hoped that Lou would change his mind and that they'd be happy together. After their trip to a friend's wedding, my hopes were up more than they should have been. And while this book was engaging and my romantic heart was longing for the relationship between Will and Lou to work out, I found myself ultimately disappointed. Don't get me wrong. I did like the book, I am glad I read it, and I will recommend it to others. However, I didn't necessarily like the message of the book. While I didn't like the message of the book, I do appreciate that it challenged my beliefs and caused me to examine why I believe what I do. If you're up for being challenged in what you believe, read Me Before You.

 

2. What do you think the book title Me Before You means? Who is the me and who is the you?

 

I'm still unsure as to who the "me" is and who the "you" is. In a very surface level way, I think that the "me" could be Will and the "you" could be Lou. This could be because he dies before her. But on a deeper level, I see the "me" as Lou and the "you" as Will. Yes, Will chose to end his life prematurely, but unselfishly, he chose to but Lou's well-being before his own. He formed a deep relationship with her in the six short months that they knew each other and he decided to give her a better life than she had ever dreamed of. By agreeing to her adventures and dreaming with her, he chose to put her before himself.

3. "The thing about being catapulted into a whole new life-- or at least, shoved up so hard against someone else's life that you might as well have your face pressed against their window-- is that it forces you to rethink your idea of who you are. Or how you may seem to other people." Louisa Clark, Chapter 5 What do you think of Louisa? Was she a better person at the end of the novel? Why or why not?

I found Louisa to be a relatable character throughout the entire novel. Lou dealt with uncertainty and self-esteem, two things that most women can relate to. She was stuck in an unhealthy relationship for many years and it was only with the help of Will that she was able to get out of it. In looking at Lou as a person, I would definitely say that she did change. She's a better person at the end of the novel, because she realizes that she can show Will that she loves him in many different ways. She supported Will by saying good-bye and by following his instructions after his life had ended.

 

4. Will gets a tattoo that reads "Best before 19 March 2007." Will lost a lot in his life but he also chose to leave a lot behind. Did you find anything about the way Will chose to live his life inspiring? Or did you find the way he chose to live is life more difficult to grasp and/or reconcile?

 

The way that Will chose to end his life is not something I'd ever advocate for. Yes, some aspects of his new life were inspiring, like his ability to overcome the majority of his anger issues. However, I found his life and ultimately, his death to be an awful reality to reconcile with. Lou's online friendship with Ritchie helped her accept the fact that Will was going to end his own life and that it was his right to do so. But while Lou accepted Will's decision, she didn't agree with his choice. Up until the very end, I kept hoping Will's mind would change and that life with Lou would be "enough" for him.

5. What are your final reactions after reading the book? So many issues were raised and so many ideas were presented. How do you feel as you walk away from the book?

This book really struck a chord with me. I don't cry during books often. And while it may have been hormones from being pregnant, I really did fall in love with the idea of Lou and Will being together. And even though I don't agree with Will's decision to end his own life, I do empathize with Lou and the loss she was feeling. I am glad I read Me Before You and I'm still undecided as to whether or not I'll be seeing the movie this July.

Thanks for joining us this month and please leave your comments on the book below. I'd love to hear what you thought of it! And do let me know if you're planning to see the movie this summer.

Happy Tuesday!