maple surple

Who doesn't love to get mail? Especially fun, bulky package mail.

Count me in. I love packages. And I got one the other day.

I was excited. But to say I was excited once I opened the package is an extreme understatement. More like giddy.

Giggling like a giddy school girl. A solitary giddy school girl.

Inside was this:

Fresh (as in less-than-two-weeks-old fresh) maple syrup from the great state of New Hampshire. From dear Cheryl.

In the move I had to leave behind a whole quart of this deliciousness. And it's super expensive out here. (What you can find here comes from Canada, not NH. My Gram says the Canadians water their syrup down. Now I don't know if that's true, but I do prefer the New Hampshire variety. It's thicker and more golden.) (No hard feelings Canada, you know I love you and look forward to retiring to the land of the maple leaf!)

Giddy.

So I made these.

Banana Maple Walnut muffins.

(Mr. Yin doesn't like most baked goods, but he likes muffins. Especially ones made with real maple syrup.)

guessing game

Guess what we're having for dinner tonight?

(And then cross your fingers that it turns out, I don't have a backup plan!)

a lemony bust

Tonight's menu consisted of citrus pesto on linguini with broccoli on the side.

The broccoli (by Mr. Yin) was perfect and delicious.

The linguini (by me) was perfect and al dente.

The citrus pesto (by me) was a bust.

Citrus pesto turns out dramatically different than imagined when you only have a fledgling basil plant from which to pluck basil leaves.

Too many pine nuts, not nearly enough basil.

Photo from Bon Appetite.

madness

I can blog about basketball now because my team has been eliminated.

Typically I don't vote for a number one seed team to win it all and this year was no exception.

Maryland was my choice. For no good reason except I had heard someone talking about them right before I did my bracket. And because my sister lived near the University of Maryland last time they won and I was thinking about that.

Up until Maryland lost today all four of my Final Four teams were still in. If California can hold on against Duke I'll still be 3 for 4. And seven for eight in the Elite Eight.

Unlike 42.2% of the population, I had Kansas losing in the Sweet Sixteen so that didn't really hurt my results.

But Maryland bowing out to Michigan State did me in.

I know you all care so much, right?

Still, it's the best I've ever done on a bracket!

a new tradition

We've decided to keep track of the places we've lived (and will live) by buying a cool, original art of each city.

First up? This gorgeous serigraph from Heads of State.

(The Miami poster is so perfect I almost want to move there to justify it!)

Discovered via Design*Sponge.

Mrs. P.

Last week my friend and former roommate was in town to visit her brother.

Lucky me got to spend the afternoon with her and her adorable and funny one-year old.

Her sister-in-law (who was feeling under the weather) was kind enough to share her barley salad with us, and boy am I glad she did. I made some for the Yin home and have been eating it for lunch this week.

A friend and a sister visiting all in the same week?

Glory be!

new name, move down

I changed the name of my blog.

"The Yins" was a place-holder name until I came up with something less boring.

Now we're "Yins and Outs" because that's what this blog has turned out to be, the ins and outs of the Yins.

Mr. Yin likes it and I like it.

And we hope you do too.