Last night I made this...

And even though the photo is cringe quality I am super smitten with my creation.  I still cook in the dark every night.  This is a result of continuous winter nights coupled with horrible  kitchen lighting.  Seriously, you would laugh.  It is a super dim combo between the overhead oven light (with one bulb burnt out) and a lamp most would consider strictly decorative.  But I make do.

So this is how it's done...

thinly slice, with the dullest knife you have to make it extra difficult because why not when you are already in the dark, your root veggies.

carrots

yukon golds

red beets

brussel sprouts

toss in olive oil and roast.  for a while.  til they are almost perfect.

get a pizza.  If it were summer and light out I would normally make my own and grill it.  But it is cold and dark and I bought one already made from Red Hen Bakery here in Vermont.

Brush with olive oil and begin to layer...

 

 

After the last layer is down drizzle some pure maple syrup over top.  This is my attempt as a cheese(less) flatbread.  I used to make this with honey and blue cheese but we are going vegan on this one... 

Then bake for 10 minutes or so letting the veggies and bread get warm and crispy.  Then cut, drizzle with a touch more maple syrup, and serve.

To my delight the kids ate every bite!  

They did spit out the quinoa citrus salad I made.  Whatever, it was delicious!

An Award...for me???

About a month ago the lovely **and stylish lady Chandra sent me this darling award and I was so flattered.  She writes over at a stylish little lady and gives daily doses of joyful reads that I visit frequently!  I much prefer reading the news of blog writers and their happenings than watching the racket on the nightly news, it is so much more inspiring...

So...my turn!

 This award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers, in the hopes that it will bring many new friends/followers.

Liebster is German and means 'dearest' or 'beloved' but it can also mean 'favorite'. The idea of the Liebster award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers. So, in the spirit of good fun I am passing this award on to four other bloggers..breaking the rules a bit as it is suppose to be 5.  And be sure to stop by and visit them.

 The Rules are:
1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your five picks {in my case 4} for the award and let them know.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogshare-other bloggers.

5. Finally and the best rule of all..........have fun and spread the love!

Here are a few more sweet sites that offer some respite from the woes of the world.  They bring a smile when days aren't great and they offer even more excitement to an already wonderful day..

Close to my Heart  - I love this family blog.  I have been reading it for a long time now and its sweet, honest, loving posts are always of interest to me.  Plus, Beth and her family live in Arizona so I look forward to the hilarity of their summer days in the blazing heat that I know of all to well.  Thank Beth!

Little Tranquillity - my favorite posts are her amazing vegan recipes and lovely literature reviews!  Thanks Amanda!

Vintage Chic by Bri - a dear friend, neighbor and, fellow blogger.  I love keeping up with her village happenings each and everyday!  Though she on a sunny vaca at the moment so we will have to wait for those stories until she returns! Thanks Bri!

The New General Store - Can you say swoooooon?  I adore every single detail in their delightfully modern general store.  The Lunch Bag will be mine one day!  Thanks Tricia!

xx

Happy Birthday Arizona...

This is slightly belated, I know.  The rude month of February is currently ruining my life with its oscillating temps and snowless(ness)... But I have decided not to let this Birthday pass without candles and cake... for turning 100 is kind of a big deal!

Arizona and I have had a love hate relationship for as long as I can remember...

The blinding sun piercing my eyeballs every.single.day.  

The awful burns from the scorching seat belt buckles ruining all car rides.

The chemical burn up my nose upon each accidental inhale of chlorinated water.

Third degree sunburns and greenish blond hair.

Heat stroke.

Snakes, scorpions, and killer bees.

But even with all of this I cannot deny the place it has in my life.  I was born there, I got married there,  I had two children there, and I feel it just might be my destiny to die there... but that is yet to be determined.  I have learned to love it for all that it is and all that it is not.

Sometimes a little Vitamin D feels good on the brain.

I have tons of wonderful childhood memories there.  Most of them include the pool.

Living next to California has its advantages.

The sunsets are to die for.

The food is seriously fantastic, something I didn't realize until I left.

Most of my very favorite people have lived there or live their currently.

They have  luxury gyms that served as a sanctuary for me every.single.day.

So happy 100th birthday you crazy state you.  Try and stop making the national news with all your controversial laws and crazy sheriff... k?

It's Thursday...

February 23rd.  Only 6 more days until March... Thank goodness!!  At least I have my own adorable bunny to go home to.  It is just enough to brighten the boring(est) of winters. Speaking of...

GREAT NEWS!!!

There is a little red exclamation mark by the word severe on my weather channel app!!  I am hoping hoping hoping for lots of white fluffy snow tomorrow.  If it comes I will be blowing up my totally rad LL Bean tube sled and heading to the Village hill on Saturday morning.  Then returning home to do this...

February is for illness.

Dear February,

You trick me with your hearts and lollies and then give me burning eyes and runny noses.  Thank goodness it is the shortest month of the year.

On a lighter note, we dined with another sick family on this butternut squash soup topped with freshly picked greens.  We exchanged juice and tissues, laughs and sneezes. 

Misery loves company I guess...

For the love of theatre.

Oh the joy of school productions.  The stage, the props, the plastic chairs.  Nothing beats going with my Mister to watch one of our offspring preform in the theatre...

Some of my favorite moments are just biding our time...

I was feeling particularly ill for this one but I tried to act perky and excited to be out and not in my pj's, on the couch, with my favorite blanket, watching reruns of Parks and Rec.  game face....

Usually Noah is calm and collected for these school shows in a... I-am-shy-so-no-one-look-at-me-I-am-barely-willing-to-move-my-lips-to-the-music kind of way.  This year we saw a new side to calm and collected... he was anxiously excited and nervous, pacing the house for an hour before. It was hilariously annoying...

But he made efforts this year and actually learned that participation can equal fun.  He rocked it!!

He was the star of the show in the...that's-my-boy-the-star-of-this-show-and-no-one-else-compares-so-watch-out-everyone kind of way.  He is lucky I didn't make a poster and wave at him like a wild banshee, like last year...

Well done Noah.  Let's add actor to the list of things that make you great ;-)

A lovely day indeed

Beginning with these...

a lunch date with him...

and oh my goodness, I had THIS...

and then one of these...

simple. loving. delicious. and sweet.

Thank you Mister Witt.  I love you so.

xoxo

a love story...

 ...that dates back thousands of years.

It has just recently become clear to me that I have known my husband far longer than I had previously thought.  I sincerely believe that this love is eternal and we have been together in this world many times before.  And as much as I want to tell you those ancient tales today, sadly I am not privy to their details...

So I will stick with this lifetime.

The above statement does play a role here.  This union is no accident.  First of all, we look just alike, in the eyes.  And I believe that was our first hint at true love.

This story begins in early adolescence.  A quick romance of long evening phone calls squashed by a move to the East.  Letters kept him close while I gained my footing so far away.  Many words exchanged at first and fewer as time went on. Eight years slowly went by...

Both of us still posses all the letters that were written. 

I came to visit the desert many times over those years and I called him every single one.  I never went with intentions to see him, but intuition played as a reminder and checking in was part of this plot.  His number had been branded into my brain from the gazillion preteen phone calls made during those first fateful months.

Then came the year.  Neither of us new it would be the year until it became quite clear that that was exactly what it was.  And had always been.  

It happened at a record store.  

A glance was all that was needed.  An evening visit.  We spoke of books and the world, under the Arizona sky.

He was accepted to The University of Jerusalem.  Received the letter that very day.  A major in classics with a passion for language, this was it for him.  But not really.  Because I came and reminded him that it was not.  

I was whimsical and spontaneous.  I was on my way to the pacific northwest.  I asked him to come along, the day after the night of the year....

"How do you know I should come along?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I promise to stay with you and I hope that you do." I said, not knowing that these words had always been written.

and he did. he came with me.

And then we grew and we grew and we grew. Sometimes seemingly apart, not knowing the roots were entwining the most during the hardest times.  And now it has been ten plus years and he is my best friend. my eternal soul mate.  my one true love.

and now were are living the happily ever after.

Learning.

I had to go away this past weekend on an unexpected trip.  It was not the first time that I left the Mister to care for our kidos, and I am quite certain it will not be the last.  And I am very confident in his abilities to entertain those two and be happy doing it.  

However...

The evening before my departure, he says to me... I know it is not important, but what will we do for dinner?   I shrugged my shoulders and said we would figure it out and quickly drifted asleep.   

In the morning I woke Gabi and told her I had to go.  She burst into tears, as usual, and asked me to stay.  And after she caught her breath she says what will we do for dinner?  I say I don't know, you guys will figure it out, don't worry.  We hug and kiss and she gets ready for school.  

I am now ready to go with my overnight bag and blanket in hand ready to make my exit.  Noah gets up last, as usual, and I tell him I have to go.  He doesn't blink before he asks me,What will we do for dinner?

Clearly there is a need here.

So last night Mr. Witt got his hands in the mashed potatoes!  He did great everyone!  And I look forward to watching him grow as a mediocre chef, hahahaha.  I have to maintain my leverage in the house somehow!  I really do enjoy being needed, but certainly I must take necessary measures to ensure my family does not starve when I am away...

Who's the cook in your house?

Dear Mom,

Thank you.  

For teaching me.

It is because of you that I know the saving grace of a hot bath or a cool washcloth.  I know how to make a couch bed cozy with the perfect blanket and fresh sheets. It is a talent that you have and I have learned so much by watching you.  

There is something about the way that you take care of things.  In the most confident and caring way.  You know what to do.  You show up.  You are brave and you handle things.  difficult things.  with grace.  

You are a true inspiration to me.

Thank you.

I believe that...

                                             I have never been one to have faith.                                                                                                                                                                            I see myself as a recovering atheist and view my husband as a recovering catholic.  It seems that I had an aversion to anything organized and anything religious, for a very long time.  This included school and sports, pep rallies and games.  If it was organized you could find me at the exit sign. My mister, though rebellious at times still found himself at baseball practice and Sunday services.  He begged me for years to attend those Sunday services in one fashion or another.  I begged him not to.  For a short time we agreed to disagree.  He took the children and I went to the gym.  A woman passed him a note once, to encouraged his path as a single father and was no doubt looking for a response **wink wink.  And that was the end of that.

ANYWAAAYS....

I have come a long way.  So has he.  We are now free to discuss our beliefs about this fantastic universe without constraint or confliction.  It is an amazing thing.  Together we have faith and for this I am truly grateful.

In the face of suffering I find myself resting in this feeling of faith.  Not in a blind way.  More in a hopeful way.  Hopeful for meaning, for peace, for compassion.

I know two things to be undoubtedly true,

life is extremely fragile and we are so much stronger than we know.

My Month on...

Instagram!

a look back to the summer before last ;-)

a wintry dish.

my favorite beverage.

a delicious snack.

 

a peak of the sun.

best friends.  

best taco ever.

a very cold date night.

a gift from my Papa.

a handsome husband

winter boots

the view out my window that never grows old.

a beautiful girl.

a boy turns 10.

and now to attempt this...

care to join me?  I am @brittanywitt on this addictive app!  Follow along!

my view today:

Purple shoes and a maxi dress.

Thanks Amanda for the fun idea today ;-)