Emily and Matt

The absence of blinds makes the sun a cruel weekend alarm clock. This morning, however, the sleeping-in plans cut short led to the idea of an awesome breakfast. Typically, we may chow down some cereal or a cereal bar. Instead, this morning our plan was a scramble with pineapple sausage and leftover potato wedges.  It was my first time cooking sausage and I used the opportunity to perfect my pan-flipping skills. The sweet, sizzling sausage practically begged me to sprinkle some brown sugar on top. So I obliged.

(As always, click on the photos to view a larger version.)

We decided my picture of the final product in the pan was too “in your face food.”  I’m still perfecting both my cooking and food picture skills. Thanks for your patience.

Along with homemade bread — my second and moderately successful attempt — it was an awesome way to greet the morning.

And if that weren’t enough, I had a hankering for chocolate chip banana bread. Problem was, I didn’t have two of the ingredients. Thank goodness for Google, as I was able to find substitutes. While I would like to say it was easy, the final product was my second attempt. (Sensing a trend here with my baking projects?) You see, our pantry is right next to our laundry in our kitchen, so it becomes a catch-all. While trying to make the scramble without overcooking the eggs, I wasn’t entirely focused on the banana bread. I went to get the white Costco-sized cooking oil bottle, measured it and poured it on in the mix. Thinking it was thicker than I expected, I double checked the package. Good thing, because I had put laundry detergent in the mix. D’oh! Upon telling Matt this, he asked me what would happened if he died from me poisoning him. Such love. Maybe we should build some bigger shelves above our laundry space. It reminds me of the time my mom accidentally sprayed Scrubbing Bubbles in her hair, thinking it was hairspray. Us Atwoods must be bad at mornings or multi-tasking. Or both.

So, the next batch turned out much better, although the edges got a bit more crispy than I would like. Since every appliance in our kitchen has the same beep, I have apparently tuned them out and my bread was neglected.

If our house wasn’t filled with enough delectable smells already, I decided to celebrate autumn by lighting a candle. My mom always has these great smelling candles that makes the drastic change in weather somewhat enjoyable. I finally went down to Michael’s and picked up a couple — gingerbread and pumpkin scents — as well as a couple candle holders like so:

We’re still working on home improvements, bit by bit. Matt installed a new front door lock today and yesterday I researched window coverings at a local store. Little by little, we’re getting settled into our new home and life together.