H.A. Larson's Blog, page 65
March 15, 2016
Monday Edition #2
Yesterday was my Monday, and the weather was absolutely perfect again. This means, of course, that I took a hike out in the woods somewhere. This week it was Schramm State Park, technically located in Gretna, NE. It was originally established in 1882 as a fish hatchery, and, to this day, the Hatch House still stands although it is now a small museum. (You'll see the Hatch House in some of these pictures as the red building near the ponds.) Also onsite at this state park are hiking trails, a rock edifice suitable for climbing, picnic areas, a recently renovated playground, and the Ak-Sar-Ben aquarium that is free of charge to peruse. The fish in their tanks are of the native variety, and it's neat to wander through there on a lazy day.
A view of the forest from one of the lean-to shelters in the park. There is a grouping of two that surround a couple of benches around a fire pit.
A garter snake that I came across on the trail. I nearly stepped on him, and when I stopped in time he high-tailed it out to the safety of the forest.
Me, taking a water break.
After coming out of the top end of the trail and going down the hill, one can take a detour down these steps. They lead to the old hatchery fish ponds that still contain a variety of fish.
A view down the boardwalk that lines the hatch ponds and leads down to the Hatch House.
Another pretty shot of the Hatch House.
A view of the hatch ponds. See that coi swimming?
I was taking a picture of my reflection in the water when I inadvertently captured a picture of a swimming snake as well. He wasn't moving very fast though, so he was probably a bit on the cold side. Still, it was cool to get a picture of it...even if accidentally.
A view on the ponds from the other direction. It's gorgeous.
So, that was my Monday, my day. Have a fantastic Tuesday!
-H.A.
A view of the forest from one of the lean-to shelters in the park. There is a grouping of two that surround a couple of benches around a fire pit.
A garter snake that I came across on the trail. I nearly stepped on him, and when I stopped in time he high-tailed it out to the safety of the forest.
Me, taking a water break.
After coming out of the top end of the trail and going down the hill, one can take a detour down these steps. They lead to the old hatchery fish ponds that still contain a variety of fish.
A view down the boardwalk that lines the hatch ponds and leads down to the Hatch House.
Another pretty shot of the Hatch House.
A view of the hatch ponds. See that coi swimming?
I was taking a picture of my reflection in the water when I inadvertently captured a picture of a swimming snake as well. He wasn't moving very fast though, so he was probably a bit on the cold side. Still, it was cool to get a picture of it...even if accidentally.
A view on the ponds from the other direction. It's gorgeous.
So, that was my Monday, my day. Have a fantastic Tuesday!
-H.A.
This Week's Monday Edition
Yesterday was my Monday, and the weather was absolutely perfect again. This means, of course, that I took a hike out in the woods somewhere. This week it was Schramm State Park, technically located in Gretna, NE. It was originally established in 1882 as a fish hatchery, and, to this day, the Hatch House still stands although it is now a small museum. (You'll see the Hatch House in some of these pictures as the red building near the ponds.) Also onsite at this state park are hiking trails, a rock edifice suitable for climbing, picnic areas, a recently renovated playground, and the Ak-Sar-Ben aquarium that is free of charge to peruse. The fish in their tanks are of the native variety, and it's neat to wander through there on a lazy day.
A view of the forest from one of the lean-to shelters in the park. There is a grouping of two that surround a couple of benches around a fire pit.
A garter snake that I came across on the trail. I nearly stepped on him, and when I stopped in time he high-tailed it out to the safety of the forest.
Me, taking a water break.
After coming out of the top end of the trail and going down the hill, one can take a detour down these steps. They lead to the old hatchery fish ponds that still contain a variety of fish.
A view down the boardwalk that lines the hatch ponds and leads down to the Hatch House.
Another pretty shot of the Hatch House.
A view of the hatch ponds. See that coi swimming?
I was taking a picture of my reflection in the water when I inadvertently captured a picture of a swimming snake as well. He wasn't moving very fast though, so he was probably a bit on the cold side. Still, it was cool to get a picture of it...even if accidentally.
A view on the ponds from the other direction. It's gorgeous.
So, that was my Monday, my day. Have a fantastic Tuesday!
-H.A.
A view of the forest from one of the lean-to shelters in the park. There is a grouping of two that surround a couple of benches around a fire pit.
A garter snake that I came across on the trail. I nearly stepped on him, and when I stopped in time he high-tailed it out to the safety of the forest.
Me, taking a water break.
After coming out of the top end of the trail and going down the hill, one can take a detour down these steps. They lead to the old hatchery fish ponds that still contain a variety of fish.
A view down the boardwalk that lines the hatch ponds and leads down to the Hatch House.
Another pretty shot of the Hatch House.
A view of the hatch ponds. See that coi swimming?
I was taking a picture of my reflection in the water when I inadvertently captured a picture of a swimming snake as well. He wasn't moving very fast though, so he was probably a bit on the cold side. Still, it was cool to get a picture of it...even if accidentally.
A view on the ponds from the other direction. It's gorgeous.
So, that was my Monday, my day. Have a fantastic Tuesday!
-H.A.
March 14, 2016
March Glam Bag
It's that time of the month again. Yep, my Ipsy came in, delivered breathlessly by my daughter who looks forward to the bright pink envelope the glam bags come in every month. For those of you who haven't followed along here on my website yet, I've had a subscription to Ipsy (it's a makeup sample subscription that is pure awesome) since October of last year. I talk a bit about how it works in my first post about my first glam bag here, or you can go to Ipsy's website here to customize your own subscription. It's inexpensive and fun!
So here is the bag and it's contents!
This is a multiplying volume mist made by Caviar. You put it on clean hair before blow-drying for volume. Considering my thin flat hair, I'm excited to try this!
This is a baked bronzer in the color heat wave, made by Be a Bombshell cosmetics. I have only worn bronzer a couple of times and have not been a fan, but I don't know, I think I'll play around with this one and see how it goes.
Model Co.'s Lip Lacquer in the color Morocco has a muted, matte almost salmon type color. It's a good color for early fall or spring. It will go perfect with some eye shades that I have, so I can't wait to wear it. We all know how much I love my lip colors! Do not fear color.
Lastly, we have a black, precision pencil eyeliner made by Starlooks. One can never have too much black eyeliner. I wear it more than any other color of liner.
The other item is NudeStix's lip and cheek pencil in the color Mystic. It's a bit darker than the Model Co. lip color I got, but would make a good base for the former. A touch of it on the cheeks and the whole look will match.
So, there's this month's Ipsy subscription. I can't wait to try out some of my new goodies. Have a fantastic day!
-H.A.
So here is the bag and it's contents!
This is a multiplying volume mist made by Caviar. You put it on clean hair before blow-drying for volume. Considering my thin flat hair, I'm excited to try this!
This is a baked bronzer in the color heat wave, made by Be a Bombshell cosmetics. I have only worn bronzer a couple of times and have not been a fan, but I don't know, I think I'll play around with this one and see how it goes.
Model Co.'s Lip Lacquer in the color Morocco has a muted, matte almost salmon type color. It's a good color for early fall or spring. It will go perfect with some eye shades that I have, so I can't wait to wear it. We all know how much I love my lip colors! Do not fear color.
Lastly, we have a black, precision pencil eyeliner made by Starlooks. One can never have too much black eyeliner. I wear it more than any other color of liner.
The other item is NudeStix's lip and cheek pencil in the color Mystic. It's a bit darker than the Model Co. lip color I got, but would make a good base for the former. A touch of it on the cheeks and the whole look will match.
So, there's this month's Ipsy subscription. I can't wait to try out some of my new goodies. Have a fantastic day!
-H.A.
March 12, 2016
Brewery Tour
Ever since I was old enough to legally set foot inside a bar, I've been a beer drinker. There's nothing more refreshing on a hot day than a cold beer, there just isn't. Over the years, my tastes in beer have become more refined, but I still like a Budweiser sometimes, much to my husband's chagrin. I've toured a few breweries in my time here, Budweiser (two times) in St. Louis, MO; Shiner in Shiner, TX; Boulevard in Kansas City, MO; Guinness Storehouse in Dunlin, Ireland; and Lucky Bucket in La Vista, NE, to name a few.
It was my husband's birthday recently, and I surprised him with a tour of the Brickway Brewery right here in Omaha, NE. The tour is short, but fantastic, and with your tour you get a beer of choice, the tour, a drink of whiskey (they distill spirits as well: vodka, whiskey, rum, and gin), a six-pack of their brews each, and a pint glass each. It was a bargain, and the beers were delicious. I had the Raspberry Hefeweizen, and a Chocolate Coffee Stout, both delicious. The whiskey was smooth and had nice back notes.
It was also half-off day on growlers, so we each picked up a growler. I got the Raspberry Hef, and for our six-packs we brought home the standard Hefeweizen, and the Vanilla Coffee Stout. Good stuff.
Classic beer cans.
More classic beer cans.
The still for the spirits.
Beer vat.
Our haul. Isn't it beautiful? ;)
If you ever get a chance to visit Omaha, NE, check out the Brickway Brewery, located right in the heart of the Old Market.
March 10, 2016
Chickpea-Cashew Vegan Cheeze Sauce
I have a confession to make: I love cheese. Simply adore it...always have. In fact, it was my love of cheese that was the hardest barrier to get over when I went vegan. Luckily for me, there are some good vegan cheeses on the market, and tons of vegan cheese recipes to be found on the internet. I really fell in love with the potato-carrot cheeze sauce (my variation can be found in the Cooking & Recipes section of this website) which is good for so many things. I also have a fondness for cashew cheeze sauce, because cashews.
Recently, I found inspiration for making a chickpea pasta sauce and I fell in love with that too. I was craving some pasta, chickpeas, and cheeze sauce so I decided to play around with making a chickpea-cashew cheeze sauce. What I came up with was perfect and delicious, and there's no need to soak the cashews first!
The finished cheeze sauce.
The cheeze sauce lovingly embracing a bed of pasta and veggies.
Here's how I made it.
Chickpea-Cashew Vegan Cheeze Sauce
Ingredients:
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed1 c. vegetable broth1 c. water divided in half1 c. cashews1/2 c. nutritional yeast1 t. each granulated garlic, granulated onion, smoked paprika, turmeric, and pepper1 1/2 t. salt1 T. steak seasoning1 T. lemon juice1/4 c. olive oil
Instructions :
1. In a saucepan, bring the chickpeas, vegetable broth, and half of the water to a boil.2. In a blender, add all the other ingredients except the other half of the water.3. After the chickpeas have been lightly boiling for about 7 minutes, remove from heat and let cool for a minute.4. Add the chickpeas, including all the liquid, to the blender and puree until smooth.5. Scrape down the sides, add the other half of the water, and puree again for about 5 minutes on a medium-low speed until smooth and creamy.
And that's it! It's that easy, and it's very delicious. Put it on your favorite pasta, burritos, lasagna, or whatever you like cheeze sauce on. Enjoy!
2015: All rights reserved. H.A. Larson - Author
Recently, I found inspiration for making a chickpea pasta sauce and I fell in love with that too. I was craving some pasta, chickpeas, and cheeze sauce so I decided to play around with making a chickpea-cashew cheeze sauce. What I came up with was perfect and delicious, and there's no need to soak the cashews first!
The finished cheeze sauce.
The cheeze sauce lovingly embracing a bed of pasta and veggies.
Here's how I made it.
Chickpea-Cashew Vegan Cheeze Sauce
Ingredients:
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed1 c. vegetable broth1 c. water divided in half1 c. cashews1/2 c. nutritional yeast1 t. each granulated garlic, granulated onion, smoked paprika, turmeric, and pepper1 1/2 t. salt1 T. steak seasoning1 T. lemon juice1/4 c. olive oil
Instructions :
1. In a saucepan, bring the chickpeas, vegetable broth, and half of the water to a boil.2. In a blender, add all the other ingredients except the other half of the water.3. After the chickpeas have been lightly boiling for about 7 minutes, remove from heat and let cool for a minute.4. Add the chickpeas, including all the liquid, to the blender and puree until smooth.5. Scrape down the sides, add the other half of the water, and puree again for about 5 minutes on a medium-low speed until smooth and creamy.
And that's it! It's that easy, and it's very delicious. Put it on your favorite pasta, burritos, lasagna, or whatever you like cheeze sauce on. Enjoy!
2015: All rights reserved. H.A. Larson - Author
March 8, 2016
Monday Edition #1
Typically, I work 4-10 hour shifts with three days off. Work has been very busy lately (as most of you who keep up with me already know) and we've been short-staffed as well. This means we've been working a fair amount of mandatory overtime, which is nice for the paycheck but rough on days off. I'm forever grateful for my job though, so I'm not complaining, but I digress. Mondays are one of my days off, and I refuse to schedule myself any hours on that day. It's my day.
Since Monday has been my only real day off, for the most part, for the last several months, I've begun to make the most of those days. Instead of going back to sleep after getting kids/husband where they need to go, I've been staying awake and taking full advantage of my Mondays. Yesterday, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was nearly 80 degrees, and the sun was shining so beautifully! After getting back home from dropping everyone off, I picked up the house, did the dishes, worked on my author stuff, took a shower, and headed out to the woods.
It was a perfect day to go hiking and since we're just coming out of Winter, it was the first time in quite awhile that I've gone hiking. When I came out of the woods I was absolutely exhausted, so I figured I must be out of shape from not hiking much lately, but then I checked my watch. What normally takes me two hours to hike, took me just a little over an hour. Which means I'm not out of shape...I'm in better shape! It was a tremendous feeling to know that I'm slowly, but surely and steadily, improving my health. Anyway, here's how my day went.
This is one of a couple of benches out at Neale Woods, my favorite hiking spot around here. It overlooks a valley surrounded by forest, and from that bench, you can just make out the Omaha skyline. Gorgeous.
I found this little artistic creation on my way into the forest. Someone found an animal skull and made it the centerpiece of carefully placed rocks. I thought it was pretty cool so I took a photo for posterity.
Itsa me. I got my hair and outfit hiking-ready. Check out my new hiking backpack that my husband gave me for Xmas. It's so much better than my old school backpack.
This is the barn where I'm pretty sure they keep a large mower in. It's usually closed up, and I'm pretty sure this is only the second time I've seen it open. It's a cool structure that has obviously been around for a number of years.
Here I am, deep in the heart of the forest. Down in the valley, surrounded by trees and bathed in sunlight. Is there a better way to reset your batteries? I think not.
My view coming out of the forest. Just off in the distance is the Omaha skyline that I mentioned. Cool huh?
Overall, it was a wonderful day off, and I enjoyed every second of it. I rounded the day out with a visit from a friend, spending time with my family, enjoying a few good beers, and an easy meal of vegan fish & crab with french fries and some miso-sauteed veggies.
It's back to work for me today, but I have my regular schedule this week, and I'm excited for my impending weekend off. Have a fantastic day!
Since Monday has been my only real day off, for the most part, for the last several months, I've begun to make the most of those days. Instead of going back to sleep after getting kids/husband where they need to go, I've been staying awake and taking full advantage of my Mondays. Yesterday, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was nearly 80 degrees, and the sun was shining so beautifully! After getting back home from dropping everyone off, I picked up the house, did the dishes, worked on my author stuff, took a shower, and headed out to the woods.
It was a perfect day to go hiking and since we're just coming out of Winter, it was the first time in quite awhile that I've gone hiking. When I came out of the woods I was absolutely exhausted, so I figured I must be out of shape from not hiking much lately, but then I checked my watch. What normally takes me two hours to hike, took me just a little over an hour. Which means I'm not out of shape...I'm in better shape! It was a tremendous feeling to know that I'm slowly, but surely and steadily, improving my health. Anyway, here's how my day went.
This is one of a couple of benches out at Neale Woods, my favorite hiking spot around here. It overlooks a valley surrounded by forest, and from that bench, you can just make out the Omaha skyline. Gorgeous.
I found this little artistic creation on my way into the forest. Someone found an animal skull and made it the centerpiece of carefully placed rocks. I thought it was pretty cool so I took a photo for posterity.
Itsa me. I got my hair and outfit hiking-ready. Check out my new hiking backpack that my husband gave me for Xmas. It's so much better than my old school backpack.
This is the barn where I'm pretty sure they keep a large mower in. It's usually closed up, and I'm pretty sure this is only the second time I've seen it open. It's a cool structure that has obviously been around for a number of years.
Here I am, deep in the heart of the forest. Down in the valley, surrounded by trees and bathed in sunlight. Is there a better way to reset your batteries? I think not.
My view coming out of the forest. Just off in the distance is the Omaha skyline that I mentioned. Cool huh?
Overall, it was a wonderful day off, and I enjoyed every second of it. I rounded the day out with a visit from a friend, spending time with my family, enjoying a few good beers, and an easy meal of vegan fish & crab with french fries and some miso-sauteed veggies.
It's back to work for me today, but I have my regular schedule this week, and I'm excited for my impending weekend off. Have a fantastic day!
A Perfect Day Off
Typically, I work 4-10 hour shifts with three days off. Work has been very busy lately (as most of you who keep up with me already know) and we've been short-staffed as well. This means we've been working a fair amount of mandatory overtime, which is nice for the paycheck but rough on days off. I'm forever grateful for my job though, so I'm not complaining, but I digress. Mondays are one of my days off, and I refuse to schedule myself any hours on that day. It's my day.
Since Monday has been my only real day off, for the most part, for the last several months, I've begun to make the most of those days. Instead of going back to sleep after getting kids/husband where they need to go, I've been staying awake and taking full advantage of my Mondays. Yesterday, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was nearly 80 degrees, and the sun was shining so beautifully! After getting back home from dropping everyone off, I picked up the house, did the dishes, worked on my author stuff, took a shower, and headed out to the woods.
It was a perfect day to go hiking and since we're just coming out of Winter, it was the first time in quite awhile that I've gone hiking. When I came out of the woods I was absolutely exhausted, so I figured I must be out of shape from not hiking much lately, but then I checked my watch. What normally takes me two hours to hike, took me just a little over an hour. Which means I'm not out of shape...I'm in better shape! It was a tremendous feeling to know that I'm slowly, but surely and steadily, improving my health. Anyway, here's how my day went.
This is one of a couple of benches out at Neale Woods, my favorite hiking spot around here. It overlooks a valley surrounded by forest, and from that bench, you can just make out the Omaha skyline. Gorgeous.
I found this little artistic creation on my way into the forest. Someone found an animal skull and made it the centerpiece of carefully placed rocks. I thought it was pretty cool so I took a photo for posterity.
Itsa me. I got my hair and outfit hiking-ready. Check out my new hiking backpack that my husband gave me for Xmas. It's so much better than my old school backpack.
This is the barn where I'm pretty sure they keep a large mower in. It's usually closed up, and I'm pretty sure this is only the second time I've seen it open. It's a cool structure that has obviously been around for a number of years.
Here I am, deep in the heart of the forest. Down in the valley, surrounded by trees and bathed in sunlight. Is there a better way to reset your batteries? I think not.
My view coming out of the forest. Just off in the distance is the Omaha skyline that I mentioned. Cool huh?
Overall, it was a wonderful day off, and I enjoyed every second of it. I rounded the day out with a visit from a friend, spending time with my family, enjoying a few good beers, and an easy meal of vegan fish & crab with french fries and some miso-sauteed veggies.
It's back to work for me today, but I have my regular schedule this week, and I'm excited for my impending weekend off. Have a fantastic day!
Since Monday has been my only real day off, for the most part, for the last several months, I've begun to make the most of those days. Instead of going back to sleep after getting kids/husband where they need to go, I've been staying awake and taking full advantage of my Mondays. Yesterday, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was nearly 80 degrees, and the sun was shining so beautifully! After getting back home from dropping everyone off, I picked up the house, did the dishes, worked on my author stuff, took a shower, and headed out to the woods.
It was a perfect day to go hiking and since we're just coming out of Winter, it was the first time in quite awhile that I've gone hiking. When I came out of the woods I was absolutely exhausted, so I figured I must be out of shape from not hiking much lately, but then I checked my watch. What normally takes me two hours to hike, took me just a little over an hour. Which means I'm not out of shape...I'm in better shape! It was a tremendous feeling to know that I'm slowly, but surely and steadily, improving my health. Anyway, here's how my day went.
This is one of a couple of benches out at Neale Woods, my favorite hiking spot around here. It overlooks a valley surrounded by forest, and from that bench, you can just make out the Omaha skyline. Gorgeous.
I found this little artistic creation on my way into the forest. Someone found an animal skull and made it the centerpiece of carefully placed rocks. I thought it was pretty cool so I took a photo for posterity.
Itsa me. I got my hair and outfit hiking-ready. Check out my new hiking backpack that my husband gave me for Xmas. It's so much better than my old school backpack.
This is the barn where I'm pretty sure they keep a large mower in. It's usually closed up, and I'm pretty sure this is only the second time I've seen it open. It's a cool structure that has obviously been around for a number of years.
Here I am, deep in the heart of the forest. Down in the valley, surrounded by trees and bathed in sunlight. Is there a better way to reset your batteries? I think not.
My view coming out of the forest. Just off in the distance is the Omaha skyline that I mentioned. Cool huh?
Overall, it was a wonderful day off, and I enjoyed every second of it. I rounded the day out with a visit from a friend, spending time with my family, enjoying a few good beers, and an easy meal of vegan fish & crab with french fries and some miso-sauteed veggies.
It's back to work for me today, but I have my regular schedule this week, and I'm excited for my impending weekend off. Have a fantastic day!
March 7, 2016
March 5, 2016
Geese Migration
Last night, we drove our kids a mile north to drop them off with my parents for the weekend. As we drove along the interstate, we came across a very large pond that had tons of geese flying above it and several more in it. I'm not sure if they're migrating or not since I'm no wildlife expert, but it sure seems like they were. Either way, with the setting sun on the horizon, it was a beautiful sight! My son took these pictures with his new iphone, and it does a pretty good job.
March 4, 2016
Bricks
It's raining and cold as I walk along the brick street older than my grandfather. I contemplate my place in the world as I stroll.Much like the bricks I'm stepping on, I'm one amongst many, only slightly different from the others.How many feet have trod upon these bricks over the years?These bricks have seen and heard many things:unrequited love and love lost,death and life,sadness and happiness,anger and defeat,even tragedy.These bricks have seen it all.I ponder all the people that have walked along this same pathand imagine what they were like.Where were they going?What were they doing?The rain has stopped, and from the brickscomes water that could not be soaked up by the ground underneath.The bricks are crying with a thousand memories ofyesterday and today.The sun begins to shine.
