8: busy, but enjoying it (change)

Yesterday was an incredibly busy day. And I loved every minute of it. I was running around the house–in the kitchen, chasing Baby around the bedroom and relaxation in the TV room...

My sister and I have started doing yoga together, with a video that I just got (and is the best I've seen so far). We tried Jillian's yoga, which is not yoga and is actually terrible and miserable and made me like her less. So Chloe and I spend 40 minutes a day with Rodney Yee, a professional ballet dancer, on the TV and stretch across the floor. We look silly. We laugh. We relax. We feel better.

A lot of things made me feel better yesterday, actually. Like spending four hours scraping old caulk from windows with my dad and fiancé. Like making iced red tea with raw sugar. Like cleaning up the whole kitchen and chugging a glass of freshly filtered water. Like being home while Joe went back to work and making tons of food to surprise him.

We've talked about this. I don't like the idea of the expectations put on women–to provide the home life. I want it 50/50. And it is. We both love coming home to the other's surprises, whether its him making me green beans or me cleaning his apartment. Or in the case of today, it was me making Garlicky White Bean Crostini. (I forget where this recipe comes from.)

I put together our food processor, which always reminds me of the Silver Monkey. Then, I tossed this inside:
1 15-oz can of Cannellini (white kidney) beans
2-4 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt + 1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped (my homegrown basil, I might add)

I pulsed this until it was a chunky mixture, then I tossed it in the fridge. It will be put on top of thinly sliced, lightly toasted baguette (hence the "crostini").

Joe and I love finding recipes with beans, since neither of us enjoy eating meat really. Ok, we enjoy it but we don't trust it. This is my soap box and I will stand on it firmly. So beans are a big source of our protein, healthy fats, fiber and fullness. This is a new recipe for us. I suggest adding a little spice, since the white kidneys are a bit bland... maybe oregano to bring a more Italian flavor or cumin for a smoky spice. (I would put cumin on absolutely everything if people let me.)

A million e-mails and wedding details got sorted out... and I'm fighting the urge to decorate the shelter we will have our rehearsal dinner at. I saw a great spread on Design*Sponge (something I stare at too frequently), and I'd love to have a similar casual feel. We'll be at a park, surrounded by playgrounds and ball diamonds, so it would work out nicely. We just don't want to invest the money, but part of me is saying, "So what? Have some fun with it." We'll see. For now, I'll just get back to finishing the place cards and thank-you card early addressing. (Again, we're so so efficient.)