A December Night

It is a good December night: 

Newly found Ben Rector Christmas Album

Dancing alone in the kitchen

A pot of Sunday Caramel Escape black tea

Apartment decorated for Christmas

Worrysome presentation over

It's finally the weekend!

Life is oh, so good!

Thanksgiving on my mind

With the amazingly gluttonous holiday of Thanksgiving swiftly approaching, there is one thing that has frequently been on my mind: Food. No surprise there. I think about food often no matter what time of year it is. It's just the types of food that I dream about that changes.

Springtime: fresh lemonade and the first fruits of the garden

Summer: Hamburgers, Hotdogs, and melons

Fall: Squash, apples, turkey, and pies

Winter: Hot Tea, Christmas cookies, Holiday cheeses, soups, and anything else that's warm.

Now, I'm going to admit something with the hopes that you won't come hunt me down and threaten me but I'm not a huge fan of pies. I don't know what it is about them but they just don't "hit the spot". I would much rather have an amazing piece of cake or some chocolate chip cookies.

I have always glorified making pies in my mind. Whenever I heard the women in my family talking about baking them, it was always about their struggles to get it just right. I'm no expert baker so I've never had the confidence to attempt this baking challenge, but in retrospect, I'm not really sure why. 

Last week, a dear friend came to visit me we make a pumpkin pie! Despite not being a huge fan of most types of pies, I do love pumpkin pies! The custard-y goodness is just so irresistible! I had no idea how well it would turn out. I'm not even going to try to be humble about this. It was DELICIOUS! And not to mention super duper easy. I don't understand why people don't make their own pumpkin pies more often. In comparison to other home-baked treats it was about as easy as making brownies from a box mix (if you buy the pie crust that is).
 

I am now inspired to never buy a pumpkin pie from the store, ever. I am hoping to whip up some of my newly conquered pumpkin pies for the upcoming fatty season.

Pinterest Fail

If you are on Pinterest you have probably noticed the sudden surge of anything-fall. Jeans, flannels, pumpkin desserts, fall decor. You name it, it's there.

Well, I saw a brilliant idea for making caramel apples. I love the taste of caramel apples but I always have to cut them up into slices because they are so incredibly messy. Even cutting them up doesn't eliminate their mess-making attitude.

The idea I saw was absolutely brilliant:



Don't those guys look beautiful?
So, Andrew and I tried it. here's what we got:

 They look ugly don't they? I was very disappointed. However, as you can probably tell from the half eaten plate I photographed, they were still tasty. Just not quite as good as I was expecting. They look like they're dying in a pool of blood, or tomato soup, whichever your imagination prefers.

Moral of the story: As much as we want to believe it, Pinterest isn't always perfect.

Celebrating Fall

I am proud to actually have pictures to post with my text this week! I feel as if I have neglected my camera over the past few months. I know it's weird feeling sorry for inanimate objects but I feel sorry for my camera for not giving it the attention it deserves. Not only does is deserve my attention but I love spending time with it. I find it amazing how the wind can be howling around my camera and it will not affect the image it captures because it's just sound. I often feel like sounds and smells should also be captured in a single image but this way just leaves room for imagination. It always amazes me how a camera works to capture beauty that sometimes smacks us in the face and says "look at me" and sometimes you have to look at the overlooked and sometimes the ugly and draw the beauty out of it.  I am reminded that everything is beautiful in its own way. Sometimes it just takes a special eye to see it that way. 

This past weekend I went hiking on Tinker Cliffs in Roanoke, VA. Round trip it was 7.2 miles. While I was not as energetic going into the hike, it was a really good trail! There were fun bridges for creeks, ladders to climb over barbed wire fences, cow pastures to walk beside, and a variety of elevation grade. I wish it wasn't as cold and windy when we got to the summit so that we could have explored the amazing rocks more but it was a fair trade off for the autumnal coloring. There were a fair amount of people on the trail but from what we heard it was just a popular hiking day all around. Overall, it was a great hike and I would definitely recommend it.

Jitters

After much anticipation, I have finally started my Grad School application. I though that starting the application would feel overwhelming but it has had quite the opposite effect. I literally have the jitters about it because I am so excited! Yes, it is possible that this could be from the hot mug of coffee I just downed but it is more likely from the excitement of the application. I have 3 of the 4 parts completed but the 3 that remain are the hardest. 

The biggest curiosity I had before starting my application was what the questions for the personal statement would be and I must say that immediately after reading them I had answers and examples come to mind for each one of them!

I feel very encouraged that I am looking to go in the right field for me because all of the prompts are so personal to me. I can't wait to continue working on my application but I am going to have to exercise a bit of self-control and hold off for a while because I have a pretty busy week with a paper due and an exam approaching. I have been spoiled thus far this semester with my lax schedule.

I promised an update on Fall Retreat so I will provide one that is very brief: 
It was a very fun and meaningful weekend. Great memories and friendships were made, prayers answered, and lives were impacted forever. I would post pictures but I forgot to bring my camera along. 

Another fun weekend is approaching to serve as a hiatus from this busy week. My parents are coming to visit me over fall break. I am most looking forward to my mom finally seeing my apartment! I am hoping to somehow find time to finish some decorating touches before they arrive on Friday. 

In joy and excitement, 
Kenz

P.S. How can dying leaves be so beautiful?

Full Weekends

So, I went home this past weekend and came away feeling very inspired and encouraged! It partially felt too soon to be going home but I'm so glad I did.

Here's things I did while home:

• A lovely 7 mile bike ride to a playground
• lunch at a cute independent place called Dillweeds following the bike ride
• Home cooked meal and played games with the parents
• Lovely lunch with Andrew's family
• Celebrating my little cousins birthday, surprise style
• Saw another cousin who was very ill and is doing remarkably better now
• Watched The Hunger Games movie and marveled at how much was left out from the book.
• Got very inspired to go hunting. Awaiting Thanksgiving break for that
• Great time with my oldest brother and his beautiful expecting wife. Can't wait to be an aunt again!
• Church and lunch following with the family

Going home this past weekend was just such a blessing to be. By the time I got back to school, I was feeling very encouraged and rested. 

I love the hometown that God has blessed me with and can't wait to get more involved in the town community there. I often find myself wishing that Bel Air was more like Blacksburg and I am realizing the ways that they are similar.  Yes, Bel Air is populated by way to many successful career people and their preppy little families and it has become much more build up than I would like. 

Despite this, it is still the town I have grown up in and come to love. I am looking forward to discovering the similarities that it has to Blacksburg when I move back home. I want to try all the restaurants on Main Street, attend local music festivals and art shows, grocery shop at the farmer's market every Saturday morning and whatever other quaint happenings the town has to offer. 

Today is InterVarsity's Fall Retreat and I am super excited. Big things are going to happen and I know it's going to be super fun! I'm really looking forward to seeing what Giant Jenga is like. 

Hopefully more updates on this after the weekend.

Until then find rest and joy in the day-to-day.

Love,
Mackenzie

Old News

Wow, I definitely had intentions of blogging much more in the past several months but as you can see, that didn't go too well. Though summer wasn't completely hectic, it was a whirlwind. An amazing whirlwind though. 

Tomorrow I am embarking on the fourth week of classes of my senior year. After procrastinating for the past year, I have actually been seriously researching grad programs and am going to get my applications as soon as possible. I'm just taking it one step at a time. I'm starting to get excited about what next year is going to hold but need to make sure that I continue to live in the present. 

Besides emotionally preparing to move into the next phase of life and whatnot I have also decided to take charge on my eating philosophy. I partially consider myself paleo now. If paleo is unfamiliar to you check this out.  I say partially because I am not 100% and feel guilty calling myself a true paleo. I have adopted it as my philosophy of the ideal way to eat but I'm not able to always perfectly execute this goal. I say this after I ate a delicious salad for lunch followed by a couple delicious cookies. I have made great improvements in my diet but I still adore sweet things and am not planning on giving that up anytime soon. 

I would like to take a paragraph to make a note-to-self: Mackenzie, you LOVE the outdoors! Think about how this weekend you went for a trail jog, hiking, and then the Mud Run for four consecutive days! Ohmygosh, wait... it didn't kill you? Who are we kidding! So what if you're a little sore. You still have energy and could probably do it all again tomorrow. 

Speaking of outdoors, here are some recent pictures:

View from the almost-summit of Dragon's Tooth. Catawba, VA

Andrew and the very top of Dragon's Tooth.

Dragon's Tooth... Before the rain came.

Hiking Angel Peak with Kelsey. Pearisburg, VA

Probably the creepiest thing ever.

Thanks for reading :)

A Canning Endeavor

I believe that today, I have become even more of a farm girl. I had been toying with the idea of entering the world of canning this summer but had not yet had the guts to give it a try. However, yesterday when my boss said that she was going to send the unsold day old strawberries to the cows I had to stop my self from gasping out loud. I could not let such beautiful berries go to waste! So home I lugged home a huge box full of eight quarts of berries!

Sitting here now I can say that for the first time since I was a small child I made preserves! I remember helping my mother with this process many years ago but have never done it on my own. So today, my newest sister-in-law and I embarked together into the adventure of making strawberry jam. It was the real thing. Not freezer jam or anything like that. Start to finish there was a lot involved and several hours passed but I think it will be worth it. Though we accidentally didn't follow the directions to a Tee and it took forever to boil, I think from the few scrapings on the side of the bowl I've snagged it will turn out well and last quite some time. Not to mention, I have several other people in mind who will receive great enjoyment from such a tasty little jar.

Throughout the process I couldn't help but be amazed that I was learning to make preserves in the same exact kitchen as my Great-Grandmother. Living in her house often brings about moments nostalgia when I reminisce about the days before my family inhabited it. Though I did not know her for long before she passed away, what I do know about her shows me that she was an incredible farm woman. Being able to can things in the same house as her is such an honor and a way that I can honor her from-scratch lifestyle which has since been forgotten by many.

Two days old and still beautiful!

Imagine this 8x. That's how many berries there were.

What a cute little miniature.

The main reason it tastes so good.

Boiling to a very long time. It looks like tomato sauce here.

Good thing we had aprons to avoid strawberry speckled clothes.

 

Now it's time to capture my Great-Grandmother's ingenuity and figure out what to do with my remaining 2.5 quarts of berries. Perhaps homemade ice cream or smoothies soon.

Boot Toppers - Easy as 1,2,3

I had seen an idea for making boot toppers recently and thought that it was brilliant. You get the look of having super warm socks poking out of your boots without worrying about your feet sweating. I had some really fun neutral scrap yarn that had bits of metallic gold and the texture looked homespun. I thought this would be perfect for boot toppers because they would go with anything. I started looking for patterns on ravelry.com but didn't find anything that I was satisfied with so I decided to make my own.

Here's how it turned out. Let me know what you think.

The Pattern: 

1. With small circular needles or Double Points, Cast on 44 stitches with US size 6 needles (or size needed to obtain gauge). 
2. Work in two by two rib until piece is desired length. 
3. Bind off extremely loosely and weave in ends. 

Repeat steps 1-3 for the other leg. After they are both finished wear with style and confidence!

You can adjust this pattern any way you want. Number of stitches can vary for different calf sizes or you can play with the pattern and do other things besides a basic rib. I would recommend having some type of rib at the top and bottom though and playing around in the middle. Good luck and if you make your own version I would love to see it! You can email any pictures to adams.m49@gmail.com

Fish and Chips

My parents have come to visit me this weekend and we have the weekend quite filled up! Today when they got here we went out for lunch at a great local towney sandwich shop and then went to the new Irish Pub for dinner. I had been wanting to try fish and chips for quite some and and they were great! Since my parents have had authentic fish and chips in Ireland, they are able to compare to the real stuff and the southwest Virginia version was up to par. Also, I had been craving some good ol' MD Boardwalk Fries with Old Bay and vinegar and had given up on the fact that I'd be able to find them here. However, our chunky potato wedge "chips" had a bottle of vinegar just waiting to be sprinkled on them. There was no Old Bay but the vinegar was more than satisfactory for now. I am so glad that I am able to appreciate these simple pleasures.

After dinner, we walked around campus for a bit so that we didn't feel like complete fatties and then went to 180, InterVarsity's large group meeting. It was a great night for them to come and visit and they really enjoyed it. It was great for them to see some of the things that God is doing through this ministry and meet some of the people that I have come to love dearly.

I am looking forward to spending tomorrow and Sunday with them as well. We will be doing a service project with some other families tomorrow morning, the Spring Game in the afternoon, and the 1st annual SERVE family banquet in the evening. Tomorrow's a big day!

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

my hope comes from him. 

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; 

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, you people; 

pour out your hearts to him, 

for God is our refuge. 

-Psalm 62:5-8

Forever Curious

"Don't only practice your art, 

But force your way into its secrets, 

For it and knowledge

Can raise men to the divine."

-Ludwig Van Beethoven

This is a quote that I can across recently and has really stuck with me. As most good quotes do, this one got me thinking about myself. For many years I have not considered myself to have “an art” or anything that I have obtained mastery over. I felt like everything I ever did was mediocre. School. Piano. Lacrosse. Hunting. Reading. Blogging. Fashion. Cooking. You name it, I can probably do it half-way. While it is nice that I am a well-rounded person, it is discouraging to not have one task that I can truly feel ownership of.

This has all been changing this year as I have been realizing the possibility that for the first time in my life I do have an art. Call it old-fashioned or something that grandmothers are supposed to do but I love knitting! I have been knitting since I was 12 years old and have tried to push my skills a little bit further with each project I have made. Knitting is my art. It makes me feel alive, creative, and purposeful. When applied to knitting, this quote spurs me on to constantly learn new things and push my self out of my comfort zone. Without this philosophy, I never would have learned many of the techniques I know today.

As much as I feel this quote applies to arts such as knitting, drawing, painting, and sculpting I believe its definition of art can be taken a step further. What if we use this quote as a catalyst to never be content with our role in the world and humanity? If we were to apply this to our jobs, academics, leadership roles, and other community interactions I believe that it could take us a thousand miles. For example, I don’t ever want to be content with the way I am serving my community. I always want to be seeking out rising needs and holes that need to be filled. Just because I have found my “niche” to serve does not mean that I should view the community service vacancy in my life as fulfilled.

I want to encourage you all to constantly be looking for new ways to force yourself into the secrets of life. If you are forever willing to be curious and constantly learn then your life will become richer than ever imaginable.

-Kenz 

Wind

Flying with my brother on New Years Day 2012.

My dad flying at Jockey's Ridge, NC.

Recovering the kite from a dive.

I love wind. Most people complain when it's windy, but it is becoming one of my favorite weather forecasts. I'm not really sure when this all started. I'm pretty sure that I haven't always loved wind, but I've never hated it either. I do know that when I was a child I was pretty apathetic about wind. I never gave it much thought one way or the other.

Whenever my family would go to the beach when I was growing up, my dad would bring his bag of kites. He had a wonderful collection of kites. He had 1 string kites that were fun shapes, two string kites, and even 4 string kites. I would help him fly them each summer at the beach because it provided a wonderfully steady sea breeze but that was pretty much the only time of year that I would fly.

A few years ago I caught onto the passion that my dad has always about towards kites. I've always wanted to be able to fly (you know, the whole wishing you had wings and could soar and whatnot) and flying trick kites is the closest I can get to that without doing something ridiculous like base jumping. When I fly a kite I feel so peaceful and relaxed. I think that my growing love for flying kites has been the cause for my love of wind. The most obvious and most important requirement for flying a kite is that you have a breeze. I truly believe that this is the reason that I have come to love wind so much.

Whether it is warm or cold, when I feel wind I am reminded of God. When wind wraps all around my body it is inescapable. Its like I can tangibly feel God's love and God's presence all around me. Wind represents to me God's strength, omnipotence, and omnipresence. Every time I feel a strong breeze I am reminded of God and feel comforted to know that he is on my side.

Nature

I love being at school. I love how productive I feel and all of the people I am around every single day. I love how I am so close to everything and can walk everywhere I need to go. I am truly grateful for the life I have here.

However, there are some things about being in college that are not my favorite. It is extremely difficult to find a place of complete solitude. A place where I am able to be alone and look around without seeing any man made structures. I miss that. I am also dissatisfied with not being able to live a natural life. There are many days where I am so busy that i am not able to take a few minutes to enjoy the beauties of nature or amazing weather. I am constantly seeking out many little ways to satisfy this, such as growing plants in my room, picking fresh flowers, and constantly admiring the many beauties that are outdoors. All of these things help, a lot, but they are not the same as living with constant opportunity to plant, water, grow, harvest, and eat things. I love being on the farm and working with animals, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. When I am in that environment I soak it up as much as possible to ensure that even when I am removed from it, I will be able to carry with me the joy that it gives me. 

Spring break this year was really nice because I was able to spend some time hiking. Honestly, of all the fun things I did over break I think that the day I spend the entire afternoon in the woods was a highlight. Opportunities like this bring me joy that I can carry through when I am cooped up in buildings all day.

Andrew and I packed a picnic lunch and found a really cool rock to eat it on. The rock was sticking out into the creek so the water was rushing all around. So fun!

Along the trail these trees had fallen over creating a perfect archway! It was so pretty.

One of the last (or the last) in the county. Makes me think that we are still somewhat connected to our old-fashioned ways.

A Fun Breakfast

I saw this idea and I've been wanting to give it a shot. All you do is slice a pepper so that it's in a circle, place it in the pan, and crack the egg into the pepper. These are the ones I made: 

 I was afraid that the eggs would be too runny but i put some water in the pan with a lid on it which makes a lot of steam and helps them to cook all the way through. They were perfect! You can see that I cut through the yolk and its only running out a little but which is just how I like it! 

The pepper with it was really good too. It was only in the pan for the amount of time that the eggs were cooking so they were still fresh and slightly crisp. 

I also had some greek yogurt with honey and bananas. 

Delicious :)

Headband

So I've been wanting to make another headband that I can use to keep my ears warm against the harsh Blacksburg winds (and MD farm winds too). I found this pattern and started making it with some scrap yarn I had in my dorm room.

It was super quick to make! I made almost the whole thing while sitting in SERVE planning meetings and reflections. My fellow CA's (Community Advisers) can attest to this. 

 I finished it today and am really excited for a little bit more cold weather to test it out. It feels so warm!

I chose a plain black button. It's nice because I can wear this headband whichever direction I want and it looks cute. I also really like how you don't have to make a specific button hole and that you can just put the button through any of the yarn over holes.

This was super fun and easy. I definitely would make more!