A First Time For Everything

I am writing this post using Windows Live Writer for the first time. 

A big step for me! But this is what my goal was when I went through all kinds of crazy efforts in order to get Windows + Windows Live Writer set up on my new iMac.

Another first is that this past week I’ve been enjoying the first white nectarines of the season.

Saying they are “the first of the season”, however, implies there is a long season for white nectarines.  Oh, contraire.  Blink and you miss it.

So I have been enjoying juicy, sweet, perfect white nectarines like they’re going out of style.  Because they will be, soon, actually.

It’s also the first time I won a giveaway that included beans, grill tools, a cooking pot, and a $50 Visa gift card!

I want to extend a big thank you to Bush’s Beans and Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod.  I won her Bush’s giveaway that she hosted a few weeks ago and just received my prize yesterday.

I can’t wait to cook up some beans in my new pot!  I’ll be cooking them up the beans savory style. 

I also want to take a can of beans and use them in a Cheezy Vegetable Bake

Whatever fresh veggies or canned beans you have on hand will work.  It’s a very flexible recipe.

But there will be No Beans In Desserts for me, though.  Not yet, anyway.  I still haven’t jumped on board that trend.

There will never be beans in White Chocolate Blondies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting, ever.

And now it’s time to announce the winner of my Coconut Oil Giveaway:

Beth on June 8, 2011 at 5:38 am said: I’m subscribed to TT’s newsletter.
I use coconut oil in pie crust, cookie dough balls, raw vegan coconut chocolate snowballs, protein bars, and raw vegan chocolate / fudge.

Congrats, Beth!  Email me your shipping address and your coconut oil will be on the way!

Thanks for the great comments, thoughts, and perspectives from my last post, Rising Food & Grocery Prices.  Most of you said that yes, you unfortunately have noticed rising food prices and you’re just trying to cut corners and do the best you can to deal with it.

Many of you mentioned that gas prices are really inching up and that is worrisome, too.

Let’s not talk about rising prices.  Let’s talk about something sweet like Rice Pudding with Raisins

 

Questions:

1. Do you like white nectarines?  Or peaches and nectarines in general?

I love apricots, peaches, nectarines, and there is just nothing better than a perfectly ripe, in season, juicy peach, nectarine, or apricot for me!  Eating out of season fruit is not even worth eating.  Especially when it comes to peaches.  <—Wood much?

2. What’s a First for you lately?

As I am concluding the end of this post, from editing the pictures in Lightroom 3, saving them on my computer, then getting them uploaded into the post and just figuring out where everything is on the settings in WLW, this post has taken me at least 5 times as long as it would have had I not tried to use Windows Live Writer and just blogged directly from WordPress.

I resisted the urge about 17 times to just quit WLW and go back to WP because I knew it would have been faster but everyone swears WLW is faster so I hope I get the hang of it and am whizzing around on it in no time.

Now, fingers crossed, the post publishes ok.  I am saving a copy before I hit publish.  If I lost this post, I would start crying!

Honestly, maybe I am missing something, but I don’t see how this is going to be that much faster?  I can almost feel myself going back to just blogging from WordPress’ platform for all you inquiring minds because with my new computer, it has taken me far less time anyway.

All that…for possibly nothing.  Ahh, well, live and learn and you never know til you try something, right.

And I haven’t ruled WLW out completely yet, but it did just take me forever to write this post!

One other first was our ocean boat ride with Skylar.   Firsts lived through the eyes of a child are the best.

3. Weekend plans?

I am working but plan to spend some time with Skylar.

And I plan to get some nice runs and yoga in, as well as hopefully some time outside and keeping my fingers crossed for sunny weather!

 

TGIF and enjoy your weekend!