Anglo-Aversary
Yesterday marked two years since I first packed up and came to the UK! I can’t believe how quickly it has passed. I think two years has been the perfect amount of time for me to spend here. I am so grateful for this time, but also so ready to go back home 
We spent the weekend at my in-laws home in Wales. They have a beautiful backyard that my father-in-law has basically turned into a pretty awesome garden. There is a tiny “orchard” in the middle and then all around the yard various vegetable patches. They have a compost and my father-in-law even has a small greenhouse that he built himself!
Some of the produce he grows: apples, plums, pears, lettuces of all kinds, onions, carrots, radishes, rhubarb, brussel sprouts, cabbage, beets, green beans, and even raspberries! The stuff he grows is actually bountiful and feeds us all at dinner on a regular basis. It’s so cool to see an actual garden up and running the way his is.
Here is a picture of me and my FIL from Saturday that I thought was cute. He is very red from working out in the garden! Me? I’m just always unabashedly camera-ready 
Here is some of the loot we got to take home (we also got some cabbage and plums):
And, all cleaned up:
Just for some reference on that zucchini (“marrow”?), look at this comparison!
I can’t wait to throw a beet into my juicer!
Last night, we used the tomatoes in a ratatouille sauce. I had mine with grated zucchini and sautéed spinach:
I’ve also used some of our bountiful supply of zucchini on a batch of zucchini spice bran muffins:
I had TWO of those muffins today! They are just so darn tasty!
A few other snapshots from the weekend…
Matthew and our niece
Celebrating his little sister’s engagement!
Oh, yes. Legos. My almost-30-year-old husband keeps his extensive Lego collection in his parents’ attic. When I ask him why he has kept is, his answer is, “for our son!” like it is the silliest question he has ever heard. I guess as long as we don’t have to store it, I can handle that
I didn’t get any food photos unfortunately, but we ate well: salmon, steaks, duck a la orange, lots of vegetables. This was quickly cancelled out, however, by an abundance of red wine. I can’t lie; I overdid it and woke up on Sunday morning with a headache that lasted most of the day. I tried to make amends with my liver on Monday morning with a yummy smoothie. I think this is my favorite combination so far:
Spinach, frozen banana, frozen blueberries, soymilk, and vanilla protein powder
I’m going to wrap this up here and hopefully do another post tomorrow with some resolutions for the month! Until then, I leave you with two sites I am totally addicted to:
Sporcle: This is an awesome quiz/trivia site that is DANGEROUS for wasting time. This quiz is especially fun to get started: UK/US Translations.
Design-Her Gals: You can design (for free) as many gals as you like and then buy various products with your custom image! I have already designed myself, Matthew, and my mom
Possibly related posts:
- The Hangover As you can imagine, the rest of the weekend was...
- Keeping Up Appearances Hi, it’s Mr Thinspired here again! Lara has been somewhat...
- Is It Friday Yet? The more time passes, the more I see how much...
- Sometimes… Sometimes you smile even when you are going crazy....
- Moving On, Eating Out Hi guys! I was hoping to post more often than...
WOW! That is one giant zucchini!!
Wow, 2 years? It’s really amazing how time does fly. Now that’s the kind of garden I’m dreaming about!!! How cool! I would just love that
All those veggies look so fresh, and holy zucchini! mmm . . . those muffins look addicting
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Awesome.
I’m so jealous of your produce loot! My mom’s garden is equally abundant but sadly, my own did not produce any zucchini, watermelon or cantaloupe that we planted. All we got were peas, a couple tomatoes, ONE bell pepper, potatoes, radishes and beets. Still good but I was super excited for those zucchini, last year we had so much I was giving it away to anyone who would take it.
I love zucchini muffins and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with some weekend wine – it’s all about balance! But it looks like you already knew that based on that yummy smoothie.
I love beets! I haven’t juiced them yet but I put them in salads.
Hehe – anything that Bobby wants to keep that I think it silly I have him ship home to his parents’ house. They have a lot of crap
As long as I don’t have to keep the clutter I’m okay with it!
Thanks again for the Sporcle link
That ratatouille and those zucchini muffins are making my mouth water!
-Sarah
http://thefoodiediaries.wordpress.com/
Happy anniversary-ish! My parents spend a year in London pre-children, and I’m kind of jealous that they lived in a foreign country for awhile. Lucky girl!
Wow! That’s crazy about you being there for two years! We can’t wait to have you back in the states!
All those veggies look SO good! They all looks so fresh and so nice. I think we need to start our own garden so we can have more fresh veggies!
The hubs has stuffed animals from when he was a kid in a bin in our basement. I think it’s cute!
Your FIL is the cutest man I have ever seen. I love his little round red face.
Looks like such a great weekend with family.
The backyard is so reminiscant of when I spent a summer in Cornwall. Everyone seemed to have the most quaint backyards; gardens, flower beds, and adorable cobble stone pathways.
I love the Uk!!!
How fun!!! I’ve never been to the UK and I’m dying to go
Wow, your FIL’s garden produces some fabulous loot! Love it. Wales is so beautiful. Is he in the Lake District? That’s my fav part.
Wow, I love the garden! That would be my dream, but I am a terrible gardener!
Funny you mention resolutions. I just posted on that topic tonight!
WOW, gorgeous garden! Everything looks so fresh and colourful. I love your top too – where did you get it?
What a beautiful weekend!! That garden sounds so amazing. I really love beet juice, but never seem to have them. You’ll love it.
I’m drinking some yummy, foamy green juice right now.
I’m hoping my green juice makes amends for my own liver evils from last week. eek.
Such wonderful photos! i love the one with your father in law, he looks like he loves you so much, he looks at you like a true father. And, your niece is so adorable.
Duck a la orange? That sounds like something right up my alley! I had duck for the first time a couple months ago, and really loved it.
That is a huge zucchini!! Those muffins sound so yummy.. I love adding veggies to foods.. especially when they are sneaky and you can’t taste them!
Awww that pic of you and your father in law is adorable! So photogenic, my dear! He is an amazing gardener too. Such lovely veggies
Love the zucchini bread and ratatouille you made with it.
Haha, the Lego story is too cute!
I love the pic of you and your FIL. And I love Matthew’s Lego collection! I think it’s sooo cool that he is keeping it!
I love Design-Her Gals. My best friend designed my baby shower invitations there, and they turned out sooo great!
Happy 2 Years Abroad! Loved the post esp. the pic of you and your FIL and the quote about Matthew and the legos (I did that w/ my barbies but an unfortunate incident with my parents’ garage and some mice meant they had to be tossed
)
Love your top too – it looks great on you
happy anniversary!
I’ve got garden envy!
Hahah how funny that you’re addicted to Sporcle. My brother recently introduced me to it, and I believe we’ve done 50% of the site together…those jelly belly flavors and ben and jerry flavors had us STUMPED!!!
Wow, your adoring fan (aka FIL) did a great job on the garden!! The Brits (and Welsh in this case) are sooo wonderful about their gardens. I’ve heard that it’s the #1 hobby in the UK! :-O
Something weird yet fabulous is going thru the blogoverse b/c everyone is doing resolutions of one sort or another! Erika, and “Joggerslife” (the latter also ditched her food records like I did!) Spooky!
Can’t wait to hear what yours are going to be!!
The garden is sooo pretty! I love that he grows all that produce–it looks amazing. The muffins look fantastic, too!
Holy crap – that is one hugeeeee zucchini!!! I’ve never seen one that big. Such beautiful pictures of you – and that yard is AWESOME. Love it.
Happy belated anniversary!
Looks like a great weekend- your niece is adorable and you look fab as always 
I’ve never had marrow before… Enjoy!
I love the picture of you with your husband. You are absolutely glowing in that pic!
Erin: They are in South Wales. I haven’t been to the Lake District (yet!), but I believe that is in England.
Run Sarah and Michelle @ A Shade of Gray: Thank you! It’s actually a dress
I got it at a store here called Oasis.
I have really vivid memories of my mom cooking stuffed marrow for dinners when I was a child…she’d stuff it with bolognaise sauce, or chilli or something and then bake it in the oven and serve it in slices. I’ve tried to recreate it once before but was unsuccessful – how do you get sauce to stay inside a vegetable?? But everytime I see them at the grocery store I contemplate trying again.
Happy UK anniversary!
-CJ
SUCH cute pics!!! You’re lucky to have in laws with an abundance of fresh veggies they’re willing to part with
The lego thing made me laugh. My boyfriend still has a full train set at his parent’s that he refuses to part with. Except, we don’t even plan on having kids!!
Happy Anglo Anniversary
HAPPY ANGLO-VERSARY!! Your blue top is really cute! I love it!
Mmmm veggies
Those muffins look awesome!
Haha to the Legos – at least he’s prepared!?
Happy Anniversary! I think it is the coolest thing that you’ve had the opportunity of living there for 2 years. I must be PMS-ing or something because when I saw that your in-laws live in Wales I teared up. My grandparents lived in Caldicot, not too far from Cardiff(where in Wales do your in-laws live?)but I haven’t been back since they died.
That veg looks fantastic!! That is one long piece of zucchini! TWSS just doesn’t work there does it?
I love the picture of you and your FIL..and LEGOS!!! I wish I still had my legos – I love them!
I’m such a dork. A dork who wishes she had a beet to go in her juice today…that sounds good!
I just noticed that there isn’t a box for me to click on so that I can read follow-up comments. Is it just me that’s missing it?
Hayley: Thank you for pointing that out! I am going to be starting a blog makeover with Zesty Cook soon and I will note that as one of the changes.
haha love the legos for your yet to be born son.
congrats to his sister on th eegagement!
Holy cow that zuchinni is HUGE!
nice ratatouille! looks fantastic… ooo duck ala orange and lots of red wine sounds good to me. Glad you & your liver could make amends via green smoothie.
I love Sporcle! That UK/US game was fun..
haha love the legos for your yet to be born son.
congrats to his sister on th engagement!
Holy cow that zuchinni is HUGE!
nice ratatouille! looks fantastic… ooo duck ala orange and lots of red wine sounds good to me. Glad you & your liver could make amends via green smoothie.
ohh congrats to hubby’s sister!!
Ummmm.. I saved all my “My Little Ponies” for my daughter- and she seriously DOES play with them! ; )
Happy Anni!! What a beautiful back yard and all that produce he grows is amazing! I am lovin that zucchini and all the things you were able to whip uo with it. That is so cute about the Lego’s. I smiled from ear to ear when I read that
~Justine
I think it would be so wonderful to live in England. I think I might miss home, too, though. I moved to Florida from Boston a few years back – and I miss Boston soooo much!!
And I still have my barbies and stuffed animals in storage.
I think my mom might have some legos stashed away somewhere too.
I actually have a closet of toys my teenager saved for his ” brother” which he indeed did get… 14 years later!
so, keep the legos!
HA
I would ADORE a 2 year sabattical in the UK. how lovely!
great produce!!!! you have a cool FIL
what a beautiful garden! and lots of fresh produce= awesome!!
happy anniversary of movin to the uk
That smoothie looks so yummy! now im totally craving a chocolate smoothie..if only i had a blender to actually make one lol.
Enjoy your wednsday hun!
Thanks for the comments on my Lego collection! Although, it should be noted that the picture isn’t all of it – that is just what I got down for my cousins to play with! The whole collection includes 4 trains, with tons of track, buildings, cars, planes, you name it! Our kids better love Lego!
Aww it sounds like you had a great weekend… honestly, I must say there seems to be a real taboo in healthy blogland on alcohol! Everybody always apologizes for drinking (even if it’s only one glass). I don’t know if this is self-imposed but it always makes me feel like a complete alcoholic, haha. Whatever. Hangovers are part of life and I for one enjoy the restriction they place on me: I really cannot do a thing when I’ve had too much to drink, so I am forced to relax. They do remind me to tone it down next time, but every once in a while it’s really okay to party
What a beautiful back yard!! I wish mine looked like that:) I’m thinking I need to have a garden next year. We used to have a HUGE one until we moved where we live now. Sometimes I miss going out and picking fresh veggies to go right to the table.
Great pictures:)
your father in law is identical to matthew! i love wales, i spent some time there, even a halloween there. that zuke is large and in charge! your niece is a doll. i would definitely agree that you ate well. mmmmm.. salmon.
that is a HUGE zuchinni. twss. I love the pic of you and your fil and how exciting you’re gonna get a new sister in law in law. ? haha
That garden is absolutely stunning! My parents in law grow some veggies too. They brought us one of their tomatoes the other day and it was so fresh and flavorful. Very cool
Happy belated anglo-aversary
wow that is one HUGE freaking zucch!!
err…marrow? apparently?
i cracked up about the legos…haha, and then showed kyle and said dont get any ideas! we have some things stored at our parents house, but mostly dishware and random grown up things we dont need yet.
how soon til youre back here?