Back in Indy

My two boys!

Now that our European adventures are over, I don't have as many adventurous stories to share with you. However, Derek and I have moved back to Indianapolis and plan to not lead dull lives. We've settled into our apartment, Derek has started back to work at Freudenberg, and I'm on the hunt, the job hunt that is. I'm striving to fill our calendar with dinner dates, volunteer opps and explorations, and Derek's alright just taking it one day at a time. Can't say I blame him.

Anyways, this weekend we enjoyed the sun, our couch and the gym. Yesterday we visited Fort Harrison State Park for a long, fresh-air filled walk followed by some beer tasting at a new local brewery, Triton Brewery. This is what I love about Indianapolis - there is always something to do, even if you have to dig a bit to find it. With many state parks nearby, microbreweries popping up everywhere, unique neighborhoods and towns to explore, and not to mention, a thriving downtown culture, we'll have no problem staying busy at our own pace.

We've joined separate gyms; Derek's feels more like a "guys gym" or workout basement. Mine offers every type of class I could want, as well as my end treat, the sauna. For church, we plan to visit a few in our area and join where we feel most comfortable.

I plan to use this blog as I previously have - to share our adventures and lives, whether gallivanting around Europe or making a home here in Indy.

And lately, my adventures have been in the kitchen.  Here's what I came up with last week, and both meals met my husband's approval:

Butternut squash soup: Before

Butternut Squash Soup: After

In chicken broth, I boiled one peeled butternut squash, a head of cauliflower, two potatoes, half bag of mini-carrots and two small onions. After all vegetables were tender, I used my awesome new hand blender to puree the vegetables to an edible soup. I topped with a bit of paprika, and done! Delicious!

I adapted my recipe from this Allrecipes pizza crust entry. I like to add some garlic salt/powder and basil into the mix for a flavorful crust. Top with your favorite pizza toppings! We use olive oil, tomatos (no sauce), mushrooms, onions, peppers and sometimes, squash. And of course, meat for Derek!

A day in the park!

Beer sampling @TritonBrewing