Proof and Comfort Food

1. I ate at Proof today for lunch. My Dadddy took me out since it was the second-to-last day of my internship. I've eaten there a couple times before--I always get the Moroccan Chicken Flatbread and the Spinach/Apple Salad. 

It's GOT to be one of the best restaurants in Iowa. No, the Midwest. It's only open for lunch Monday-Friday and only open for dinner on Friday nights. And that dinner menu is fixed, changing each week. 

Weird? Yes. 
Awesome? Yes. 
Delicious? OMGYES!

I am not a food critic. Not even an amateur. But that place is some serious cuisine. Alyssa, you would LOVE it.


2. I love my Grandma's sugar cookies. So simple. The cookies are crisp and sweet, never frosted but always with a little extra sugar sprinkled on top. I don't know that they taste any more spectacular than other sugar cookies. Some people might think they're bland. But for me they're some sort of comfort food. (She dropped off a bag of cookies today and I had one before hopping in bed.)

I don't totally understand "comfort foods" but I think that's the closest I've got. I really like my mom's lasagna recipe... Does that count? I also like when my dad makes tuna and noodle casserole. We can only have it when both my mom (who is allergic to mushrooms and we use cream of mushroom soup to make it) and brother (who is allergic to fish) are gone. So it's kind of a treat, and something that my dad and I share. Does that make it comfort food? 

This is the first picture in Google Images under "Comfort Food"

To me that just looks like lunch on Sundays when we used to all go to church together in the morning.
Does it make it comfort food that I can associate a nice memory with it?
In any case, I like food and I like things that are comforting.

What are your comfort foods?

Iowa

I love living in Iowa.

I love my drive to and from work.

I get to see things like this:

These are images of Iowan landscape, but not of my actual drive. My camera battery is dead and I can't find my charger. I wanted to post pictures from my beautiful daily commute, but these are the next best thing!

I love driving on gravel roads and seeing cows and horses grazing Iowa's green grass, corn and soy beans growing to feed the world, deer jumping over fences and rabbits hopping alongside the road.

I love the wildflowers.
Such vibrant purples and orange. Bright yellow, red and blue.
I also love the prairie grass once covering Iowa entirely.

I love barns and farm houses, old and new.
I love the silos peaking through the tree-tops like the ancient castles in Europe.

I love Iowa's rivers and creeks, lakes and ponds.
I love being IN and ON Iowa's rivers and creeks, lakes and ponds.

I love spending days (all day long) fishing.

Especially here:

Especially with him:

This dragonfly was cool too...

Iowa is such a beautiful place if you just spend some time exploring the back roads and waters. I was glad to spend a semester back home in my darling small town full of the nicest folks (yes that is a VERY "Iowa" term) and surrounded by some of the most peaceful and serene places on Earth.

In fact the word Iowa and the word love look pretty similar, no?
love Iowa
I can see it at least.

I'm looking forward to spending a full summer at home and fully intend to go back to my secret fishing spot, wander through the creek on my grandpa's farm, and canoe. Somewhere. If I don't find my camera charger soon I'll have to buy a new one.

I'm ready to get back out there and take more pictures of the places I love.

I'm Back

Hey everyone!

As you may have gathered, I'm a pretty big fan of all things music. I have a wide range of musical interests (and love getting new music if you have anything to suggest!) but in this post I want to promote some local talent.

I think it's really important to support local musicians and help them establish a home fan base. If they don't have that how can they spread their music? I'm sure many of you know people who play in a band, or maybe you dabble a bit yourself. I have a handful of friends who are playing in bands in the area, and two bands in particular mean a lot to me.

The first is a band called Saved on Sunday, or SOS. As the name implies, they are a modern Christian rock band with a really positive message and well-written music. They released their debut album last summer, (and my name is mentioned on the inside booklet!) and they've been playing around the state and even around the world since then. All members are from the Des Moines area. I've known three of the four for several years, and the lead singer/guitar/keyboard/songwriter (Dan) is one of my very good friends. You can check them out HERE! Or add them on Facebook HERE!

This video is of their CD promotion concert for their first CD Change the World. Enjoy!

The second band you should check out is Shades. They are all from the Des Moines/Ankeny/Ames area. I'm great friends with the drummer (Gavin) and this band is really important to him. Their music is a lot harder than I usually listen to, but it's really good.

This video is from their CD Release Concert last Sunday. I went to it and it was a great concert! Unfortunately there were probably only 25 people there. Their CD is self-titled and only cost $5 to buy! The quality of this video isn't that great, but you can get an idea.





We have such a rich music scene in Iowa if you only take the time to check it out. Make it your goal this summer to go to a couple concerts by local bands you aren't familiar with. They'll really appreciate your support, and you'll enjoy hearing good music and supporting your community.

If you want information on getting copies of these CDs let me know!