Here Comes the Sun

Although my St. Louis winter has been much milder and more pleasant the the Michigan winters to which I'm accustomed (I picked a good year to move - it's been brutal in Michigan), there's one thing that stays the same in the Midwest - the sun don't shine for about 4 months a year. I appreciate the milder temps and don't miss the snow (I hate driving in it) but most days have still been cloudy and gloomy looking. I thought it would be the same in Michigan, where I've come for 2 weeks for spring break, but it has been sunny and gorgeous. It's even gotten up to 50 degrees, which means all Michiganders are basically ready to go streaking through the streets.

One of my indulgences when I come home to my mom's house is cooking. I enjoy cooking, but I rarely do it in St. Louis. I get free lunches at school and I eat out a couple of times a week for dinner, so basically my grocery lists consist of ingredients for breakfast smoothies and something frozen from Trader Joe's or the Schnuck's deli. I just can't justify buying so many ingredients for one person, and I hate leftovers. My mom's kitchen is stocked much more than mine, plus she always asks for a grocery list to get things for my brother and I when we come home. Yesterday I made orangeade - yes, like lemonade, but with oranges. My favorite restaurant in East Lansing that used to make it closed. I found a recipe online that I tried - I boiled sugar and water and sealed it into Mason Jars a couple of days ago. Then yesterday I added fresh squeezed oranges (that I made my brother do), water, and the simple syrup concoction. It was pretty good, although next time I'll use 5 oranges, not 4. I also made these incredible shortbread chocolate chip cookies, but it didn't take a picture of them. I got the recipe from a coworker at school - it's so nice to have a new cookie recipe.

Today I went to the library and I'm going to read some books on the red gingham couch in the SUN. I love my life.