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Coconut-Banana Oatmeal

Eating oatmeal for breakfast is one of my favorite things about waking up each morning (although Michael would disagree :P). To avoid getting bored with the stuff, I am always trying to come up with creative new combinations to maximize my oatmeal's flavor and nutrients. I just tried a new "coconut-banana" combination this morning, and it is absolutely delicious! Plus it's low in fat and void of any added/processed sugars - making it a healthy breakfast choice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry oats (I use Full Circle Organic or Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4-1/2 coconut milk, depending on how creamy you want it
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced into pieces 
• 2 squirts lemon juice
• 3 drops liquid stevia (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook oatmeal on stove-top according to instructions on your package. 
2. Transfer cooked oats to a bowl, and slowly pour coconut milk over the oatmeal. 
3. Add lemon juice and liquid stevia.
4. Stir to combine. 
5. Add sliced bananas. 
6. Enjoy!

Thoughts on Getting Married Young

A lot of people who don't know Michael and I tell me that 21 is too young to be engaged.

"You should be out there living your life!" they say. But what they don't realize is that I am indeed living my life to the fullest - only instead of going it solo, I get to have my best friend right by my side the entire time.

Choosing to get married young is definitely not for everyone, but Michael and I know that we are ready to share our lives together. Sure, we don't have steady careers, but Michael and I aren't really the type of people who would chose money and security over happiness. No, we do not have a house, but we plan on building one together from the ground up. It is true that we will certainly experience personal growth and change as we grow older. Lucky for us that we have the opportunity to grow up together instead of growing apart. Yes, we are young, but Michael and I know who we are as individuals. We also know who we are as a couple. We know our strengths, and our weakness. We have seen the best and the worst in each other. We have laughed and cried together. We have fought on multiple occasions, and have always made up a few moments later. We talk about the future, and look forward to its endless possibilities. We understand that our marriage will be an endless cycle of up's and down's, but that the joy we bring to each other will always outweigh the hard times.

The most important thing about us is not that we are young. The most important thing about Michael and I is that we are so deeply, madly, and truly in love with each other, that there is no way our marriage could ever fail. I cannot imagine my life without him, simply because he is the biggest and best part of my life. He is my other half, my soul mate. My sun and my stars. And I simply cannot wait to marry this amazing, patient, handsome, and wonderful man next September.

Ipswich, Massachusetts

The barn at Russell Orchards. Inside were mini horses, ponies, piglets, turkeys, and "Big Darryl."

Michael and I woke up this past Saturday morning craving ocean waves and salty air. I called up my Dad after breakfast to see if he wanted to hit the beach, which of course, he did. My Dad and I are really fond of Crane's Beach in Ipswich, MA. It's a beautiful, 5+ mile stretch of coastline in northern Massachusetts. Not only is the beach itself spectacular, but there are miles of trails through the dunes. Michael and I went hiking through them when I first took him to Crane's Beach last September. Of course I am also fond of the place because they do a lot of tern/plover conservation. Most of the beach is roped off so that terns and plovers can use the area to nest without being disturbed by human activity.

Once we piled into my Dad's little white beemer, we raced towards the highway that would take us north. Unfortunately, I think everyone had the same idea as us of going to the beach, because the highway was packed. What should have been an hour drive took us nearly two hours. When we finally arrived in Ipswich, the parking lot at Crane's Beach was completely full. Park rangers weren't letting any more cars in until some people left the beach. Luckily, my Dad suggested that we try biding our time at a little "farmstand" a few miles down the road. What turned out to be a rather disappointing trip actually turned out to be an awesome day. The "farmstand" - known as Russell Orchards - was actually a fairly large working farm and orchard.

As soon as Michael, my Dad, and I sent foot in the barn-style farm store, I fell in love with the place. There were all sorts of local goods, produce, and treats for sale. The scent of homemade pies, scones, cookies, and breads filled the air. Local honey, maple syrup, and soap stocked the shelves. Freshly picked raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, kale, lettuce, and herbs lined the walls of the back room. Michael, Dad, and I even did a wine tasting for $5 a person. At first, I was hesitant because I noticed they were mostly dessert/fruit wines, which are normally a bit too sweet for me. But damn, did those people make a fantastic wine. My favorite was the raspberry-peach wine, which probably would have made a great sangria. Michael and I my Dad favored the blackberry wine. We also tried strawberry, blueberry, and red currant wine. My Dad ended up buying blackberry wine, and a few berry scones to go with it. Michael bought half a dozen apple cider donuts. Once we were satisfied with our purchases, we went outside and had a great little picnic by a field of sunflowers. The berry scones were definitely the best scones I have ever eaten in my entire life.

Hanging out by our picnic site. Unfortunately, you can't see the roaming guinea fowl that were to the left of us.

Ew gross!

<3

After a picnic lunch, we decided to explore the farm a little bit. Michael ran into some rather large, hungry geese, but he was able to avoid their clutches (LOL, bird joke). 

The farm had a ton of animals. Chickens, geese, and ducks roamed through the fields. A shetland pony was out grazing in the clover patch. Goats and sheep were lounging in the shade of their wooden shelter. In the barn, there were two of the cutest piglets I have ever seen, turkeys, mini horses, a pony, and of course, "Big Darryl."

Just chillin'

Just eatin'

Just being adorable <3

No comment

Around 4pm, we figured we might be able to get into the beach parking lot without starting any drama. So we left Russell Orchards and headed for the beach. As it turns out, we were able to finally get in! The rest of the day was spent relaxing, reading, bird watching, laughing, and swimming. Yes, swimming! Although the Atlantic was still freezing, it was definitely refreshing to take a dip in the cold water. Michael carried me out pretty far, but it wasn't long until my legs lost feeling and I nearly ran back to shore. Overall, it was one of the best days I have had in a long while.

My main squeeze

Love you big head <3

Photolog: Summer So Far

View of the Thimble Islands in Branford, CT. Taken at a S.H.A.R.P. site location.

Taken at a local brewhouse somewhere near Brattleboro. The beer and overall vibe were great!

A photo of the dinner Michael and I made for my Dad on Father's Day. I went back to our Southern Roots... Strawberry Fields salad with homemade bread, mint juleps, and Derby pie for dessert. Delicious!

My first little baby - who finally stopped peeing on Michael's carpet THANK GOD. She now has two litter boxes, one for peeing, and one for pooing.

A gorgeous dead tree that I found at one of the S.H.A.R.P. sites. I think Ellie and I were in either Branford or Guilford.

A Spicebush Swallowtail... I actually found this dead on the side of the road and just placed it on my Mom's gerranium for a nice picture :P

Summer Days

Summer is officially here and in full swing. I have been incredibly busy trying to manage my summer research internship, two online classes, job searching, and a semi-long distance relationship with Michael (although, that barely takes any work considering we were made for each other). Additionally, my Mom finally got another job in Pennsylvania, so I will be helping her and David move back down to Doylestown over the next few weeks.

I have to say, being extremely busy in the summer isn't all that ideal - I prefer those lazy summer days - but I am trying to make the best of it. Working as a Field Research Technician for the Saltmarsh Habitat and Avian Research Program (S.H.A.R.P.) has been really great so far... except for the fact that they don't pay me or reimburse me for gas! But I guess that's just the usual protocol for undergraduate interns. Hey, at least I'm getting 8 credits that I can put towards graduating this August. Anyway, I pretty much wake up every morning around 3-5, depending on what time I'm meeting the other Field Technician, Ellie, and then we head off to our designated points. Ellie and I cover most of Southwestern CT, all the way from Norwalk to Guilford. Once we've found a site using a handheld GPS, we observe the area for 5 minutes, and then we play a 7 minute mp3 recording of different calls from each target species. All the while marking down any species or observations that we see. In our area, we are mostly looking for Clapper Rails, King Rails, Virginia Rails, Black Rails, Soras, Black Ducks, Saltmarsh Sparrows, and Seaside Sparrows. Ellie and I do see/hear the Clapper Rail, Saltmarsh Sparrow, and Seaside Sparrow every so often, but that's really about it. I guess I have been doing a good job so far, because Ellie actually told me today that I might soon be getting a call from her supervisor to do some survey points on my own. You can read more about S.H.A.R.P. here on their official website: http://www.tidalmarshbirds.net/.

Red-winged Blackbird Nest

As for the job search.... I think Michael and I are definitely having a harder time finding a job then we ever thought was possible. When people used to tell me that the wildlife/ecology/NRE field was competitive, they sure weren't kidding. Michael had an interview that went pretty well for a Forestry Supervisor position out in Washington, but he didn't get the job in the end. Me on the other hand, I haven't even landed one interview! I just keep getting rejection letter after rejection letter. I am a little confused, because I actually have a pretty good resume. My guess is that the supervisors out West think that a little girl from CT won't be able to identify any flora or fauna on their side of the country. I guess in a way, they're probably right... but I want to learn!! Oh well, I guess we'll just have to keep on looking. I'll probably start trying to look a little closer to the Northeast for now.

Oh, I started working on some art again! I think once Michael and I get jobs, move, and settle in to our new home together I will have a lot more time to dedicate to my creative side. I have also been increasingly interested in learning how to make homemade soaps. At least that is something I can to look forward to. 

A collage using a few old magazines I found.

Alexandra Roberts, our wedding photographer, did an engagement photoshoot session with Michael and I on Sunday! We had been e-mailing back and forth for a while about what date worked best for both of us, and where exactly the shoot should be held. Eventually, we decided on a Sunday evening in early June near the old mill at the Fenton River. Although I had been looking forward to the session for a few weeks prior... I have to say.... it was INCREDIBLY awkward at first. I have never been a fan of being in front of the camera, and Michael is just plain terrified of people looking at him. Needless to say, we were definitely both nervous for how it was going to go. Luckily, Alex was able to help us relax and get us used to the camera being constantly in our faces. I really enjoyed talking and laughing with Alex as she told us where to go, how to position ourselves, and what to do with our hands. Even Michael said he was having a good time! (Did you notice, I even got him to "dress up" in a white button-down shirt... but going to Target with him to buy it is a whole other story!)

Towards the end of the shoot, Michael and I brought Alex to Horsebarn Hill at UConn to show her our old stomping grounds where we first got to know each other last summer. On our way over to campus, the three of us saw the UConn horses run wild across the big open grazing field - a sight Michael nor I had ever seen in all our years there. It was magical. Once there, we introduced her to the cows and gave her a bottle of our homemade brew. She even took some photos of us on the hill, which is where this sneak peak photo was taken.

A Major Update: A Semester in Review

Finally this past semester has come to an end! And what a truly crazy semester it has been. I have barely had time to breathe, let alone keep this blog updated. While graduating in three years certainly has its perks, I can safely say from experience that it has been a very difficult journey. I'm not exactly sure if the tears, mental stress, lack of sleep, and were worth it.... but somehow I survived!

Now that my crazy semester is over, I can finally start this blog up again. Yay! Here are some things that Michael and I have been up to over the past few months (in chronological order, of course):

1. Valentine's Day & The Mink: Michael and I spent a typical Valentine's Day together... by snowshoeing and tracking of course! It was a an absolutely gorgeous, clear winter day with plenty of snow on the ground for tracking. We came across a set of tracks at Bigelow Hollow State Park that neither of us had seen before. As we veered off the trail to follow them, we tried to guess what they could be. Originally, we thought it was some sort of weasel. But when we looked in the guide book, we knew that couldn't be right. A few minutes later, a mink ran out from behind a tree and darted into a den of some sort. Casual, right? Later, we had a delicious V-Day dinner of rosemary-garlic steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.

Mink tracks

The den?!

The best Valentine's Day dinner ever!

2. My 21st Birthday!: Michael and I went to the Cadillac Ranch in Southington to celebrate my 21st. I have always wanted to go there and try my hand at square dancing (they have beginners lessons on Saturday nights). Unfortunately, when we were about an hour away, a huge snowstorm hit CT. When we finally arrived at Southington and checked into a nearby hotel, the snow kept on falling with no sign of letting up. Of course, that didn't stop me from slipping on my cowgirl boots and heading over to "the ranch" with Michael. The bar was nearly empty when we got there. The staff informed us that the dance instructor probably wasn't going to make it that night due to the snow. I was bummed, but Michael and I still had a fun time at the bar. We played a really terrible game of pool, watched experienced people square dance, ate delicious bar food, and I also had my first legal drink (a blue moon of course). For my birthday Michael gave me an amazing handmade leather flask. It is almost too beautiful to use! Overall, my birthday was great. It was a little more relaxed than I was expecting since we weren't able to go square dancing, but at least I got to spend the night drinking with my best friend.

3. The "Almost" Daisy: So the day after my birthday, Michael thought it would be a great idea to take me the All Pets Club to play with puppies. I'm not really sure what he was thinking, as this was a TERRIBLE idea for an extremely spontaneous couple! When we first got there we asked to see a few different puppies. They were cute... but then we met Daisy (or "Beatrice" as she was referred to by the pet store employees). Daisy was a tiny, 9 week old cocker spaniel with beautiful color and huge doe brown eyes. We fell in love immediately. For weeks after meeting her, we discussed the possibility of buying her. Thankfully, we came to our senses and realized that now is just not the right time for a dog considering we plan on doing some extensively traveling in the next few years.

4. The Dress: That's right folks... I chose "the dress!!!" While I can't say too much about it because I want Michael to be completely surprised (in my own little fantasy world, he will start to cry as soon as he sees me walking down the aisle), I will say that it is absolutely breathtaking, timeless, and elegant all at the same time. I did not think that I would go to for this certain style at all, but as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one. I think that's why it's so important for brides to be open minded while dress shopping, and to listen to the salon personal. Most of them actually know what they're talking about! I bought my dress at The Plumed Serpent in Westport. The owner of the salon made my experience truly amazing. I would highly recommend this store to any future brides.

5. Assateague Island: Well, while the Island itself was absolutely AMAZING, this trip definitely didn't go as planned. I have actually always wanted to go here to see the wild ponies that inhibit the island, and also because it's a great birding spot. Incredibly enough, Michael and I saw the wild horses grazing on marsh grass as soon as we pulled up to the island! I was really excited about the prospects of the trip. There was almost no one on the island, and we were able to backpack into a really remote sheltered area along the bay where we set up camp. Unfortunately, Michael ended up coming down with an awful sinus infection nearly as soon as we got onto the island! This was the first time I had really seen Michael sick, and boy was it a nightmare for both of us! Apparently, Michael is a huge helpless baby (sorry honey, no offense) when it comes to being sick. Even though I tried to comfort him as best I could, he was miserable. We ended up having to leave a few days early so Michael could recover. As we were backpacking along the beach to return to our car and go home, I noticed two birds swimming along the surf that I had never seen before. I looked at Michael and said, "Oh my God, I'm pretty sure those are surf scoters." When I took a closer look through my binoculars, I knew I was right. If you've never seen a surf scoter before, google them, they're really weird and ugly looking) To this day, seeing those surf scoters for the first time was still the best part of the trip. Michael and I hope to go back there and explore the island more... and hopefully this time he won't get sick!

6. The "New" Ring: I made the tricky decision to change out the stone of my engagement ring. While I was IN LOVE with the ring's beautiful branching design of the ring itself, I did not really feel that the thick, clunky stone on top really went with the delicate feel of the ring. Now, I know what you're thinking, "Wow, what an ungrateful, selfish bitch." Trust me, I felt weird about bringing it up to Michael too. But the truth is that Michael and I never really discussed what type of engagement ring would best for me. Most couples actually pick out a ring together, or the brides discusses exactly what style of ring she would like best. Since Michael's proposal was a complete surprise (which was AWESOME), we never really got the chance to have "the ring" discussion. So, while it may have been a little bitchy, I am happy that I decided to change it. When I brought it up to Michael, he was a little hesitant at first. But once we received the ring back with the new rounded stone in place, he was just as happy with the new style as I am. I am absolutely in love with my ring, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Thank you Michael for making my dreams come true :)

Before:

After:

7. Dalice Elizabeth Winery: How do I describe this place? A small, homey cottage/shack in Preston, CT filled with amazing food, great wine, and the friendliest, most welcoming drunk people you will ever meet. I bought Michael a wine and chocolate tasting for two to this place on Valentine's Day, and we didn't have time to go until one sunny weekend in April. They first served us with a plate of chocolates and various homemade wines to try. Michael and I usually prefer dry red wine over white, but the white wine at this place was to die for. And so were the people! Michael and I sat next to a couple who had just recently gotten married. The girl looked over at us and asked if we were engaged. When I said yes, she proceeded to tell me about how lucky I was, and how much she missed planning for her wedding. The look on her husband's face was priceless! They were super nice though, and I really enjoyed talking to another bride who had already gone through the wedding process. Throughout the whole time Michael and I were there, one of the girls who worked at the winery played guitar and singing songs by Zac Brown Band and other great artists. By the end of the night after we were all pretty buzzed, we were played cards against humanity with the owner and the staff, even though the winery had officially closed for the evening. Michael actually ended up winning the game. Overall, it was an amazing time (although I spent WAY too much $$$ on wine), and I hope we can go back soon!

8. Michael's 23rd Surprise Birthday!: Michael's friend, Chris, and I decided that Michael should have a surprise party this year, since turning 23 is pretty boring. We had the whole thing planned down to a T. Chris invited about 20 people, and about 12-15 people actually showed up which was the perfect size. Elise, one of my bridesmaids, even came down from Boston! What I thought was really cool, however, is that I secretly asked Mike's best friends, Adrian and Kyle to come up to surprise Mike. For weeks he had been talking about how much he missed them, and I knew he would be elated to see them. When the party had started and Mike finally walked into Chris's apartment (late of course), we all yelled "SURPRISE" and the look on his face was priceless. Overall, the party was a great success, and I am really happy that Mike's birthday went over so well.

My brilliant photoshop creation for "Mike's Surprise Party" Facebook page. And yes, that picture of Michael with spiked hair is real.

Michael's actual birthday, before the surprise party. Even though I was busy with finals, I still found time to make him his very own, disgustingly chocolate cake:

9. My Graduation Ceremony: What a yawn! I really only went to this because it was Mother's Day and my Mom was dying to see me walk. Here's my advice to all of you who attend a HUGE school like UConn: don't go to your ceremony!! Unless of course you have a ton of school spirit or a cool speaker, I really don't think it's worth the wasted hours. Everyone says I'll be glad that I went in twenty years or so, and who knows, maybe I will. Luckily, I sat next to my friend Steph from RUF so at least I had someone to talk to during the ceremony. Afterwards, Michael and I went out to dinner with David and my Mom and the Bonefish Grill (obviously, I got their key lime pie). Here are some photos my Dad took from the ceremony:

Just for the record, I also want to point out that these past few months have been somewhat rocky for Michael and I. As I stated above, the craziness of this past semester really drove me into the ground. I was constantly stressed and overwhelmed with the amount of work that seemed to keep piling up no matter what I did. My mental and emotional exhaustion only lead to my lack of motivation to keep up with very difficult courses (i.e. physics/genetics). My stress definitely (and obviously) lead to tension between us. Luckily, I am truly blessed to have such an incredibly patient man. While I am sure that there were times Michael wanted to just walk away, he never did. He always stayed. And I think that's what love and marriage is really all about. It's about never giving up, no matter what hardship is thrown your way. Now that I am done with school and allowing myself to be happy again, our relationship is pretty much back to our ole' carefree romance. With that being said however, I know that this will not be the first or the last time that we go through a "downhill" time in our relationship. I know there will be times in our marriage when this situation is reversed, and I will have to be the one to help keep Michael together as he struggles with a personal issue of his own. But we both know that we will always find our way back to each other, no matter what. As 1 Corinthians points out, "love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things / Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13: 7-8).

Except for the fact that we are moving to New Jersey for a year or two to allow Michael to pay his debt, I am not really sure what our next chapter will be like. Michael and I have been together for a year now. In that time, we met, created the closest bond of friendship I have ever experienced, fell in love, got engaged, and started planning our life together. We have experienced good times, and hard times. We may be young, but our loves continues to mature and grow stronger as the days roll on.

Here we were, almost exactly 1 year ago:

And I simply cannot wait to see where life decides takes us next  :)

Shrubs of the day

My name is Mike, I am Chelsea's betrothed. This is my first blog post ever. I actually didn't even know what a blog was until a few weeks ago. I guess I'm not really hip with what the kids are doing these days. Anyway, I am not a very creative writer so I will make this short and sweet.

Today's walk through the beaver damn section of the UConn Forest, along the Fenton, yielded three new shrub species. I know virtually every tree native to Connecticut, but very few shrubs. It is winter, so I was forced to use my superb twig-identification abilities that I purchased from the University of Connecticut for a modest $180,000. Here is what I found:

Common Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

Habitat: Forest edges, meadows, fields, river banks
Form: Shrub
Leaf arrangement: Opposite
Leaf form: Compound, elliptic, toothed
Fruit: Black fleshy fruit, small berries in clusters
Flowers: Small, white, flat topped clusters
Twigs: Slender, warty lenticels, lenticels very large on older growth
Buds: Very small, overlapping scales, scales "loose"

I had been looking for this shrub for Ed Barreis, a wandmaker in Stafford. He has had multiple requests from the wicken-folk for elderberry wands. Elderberry wood possesses a myriad of magical powers, including the power to enlarge the wielder's penis ten-fold. No wonder it is in such high demand. The berries are also used for wine, syrup, and jam. Do NOT eat the RED berries of RED elderberry. You will die.

Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)

Habitat: Wetlands, floodplains, fields
Form: Shrub or small tree
Leaf arrangement: Opposite
Leaf form: Simple, fine-toothed, elliptic, long pointed
Fruit: Blue-black, fleshy
Flowers: Small white clusters
Twigs: Smooth, slender, resembles maple twigs
Buds: Appear naked, end flower bud is bulbous at bottom, then tapers out

This was a pretty cool little tree sitting on a peninsula jutting out into the Fenton. The tree was rather tall for a shrub, about 15 feet. The mature bark somewhat resembled that of young white-ash, but much darker. The buds appeared to be naked, with the end flower-bud resembling a disturbingly swollen tendril.

Maleberry (Lyonia ligustrina)

Habitat: Forests, wetland margins
Form: Shrub
Leaf arrangement: Alternate
Leaf form: Elliptic, hairy beneath
Fruit: Dry, brown capsules, bell-like
Flowers: Small white bells, blueberry-like
Twigs: Tan, splotchy, zig-zags
Buds: Valvate, pink, sharp, hugs twig

This unimpressive little seedling was spotted hiding along the bank of the Fenton. In the winter, the buds are noticeably pink. How feminine. I am almost offended that this is named "maleberry" and not "femaleberry". This little thing is related to blueberries, although the fruits mature into a dry crumbly capsule instead of a delicious berry.

Farewell fellow travelers.