Fenced In

We finally got our yard fenced in!  Inga is happy as a clam now that she can run around sans leash.  Of course, to celebrate the new found freedom in the backyard, we had to have a puppy play date :)  Meet Leeluu!

Our rough and tumble girls

A picture of them both staying still was nearly impossible

Inga looks like she's practicing for the red carpet ;)

 
Such a fun night getting to play off leash in the yard!

I am going to be taking the next week off from blogging, but I will be back with amazing pictures and stories to share with you all!!  Take care!

Porkchops with Rhubarb Cherry Sauce

We have a decades old rhubarb in our backyard, and I plan to take full advantage of it.  Here is the first in what I hope will be many rhubarb recipes.

Serves 4.  You will need:

• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup hot water
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• dash of ground nutmeg
• 4 pork chop

Combine the cherries, balsamic vinegar, and water in a bowl.  Let them stand for 10 minutes to allow the cherries to rehydrate.  Once they have sat for 10 minutes, top with the rhubarb and sugar.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of olive oil in a small pot.  Saute the onions until they are soft.  Once the onion is soft, add the cherry mix, rhubarb, and sugar to the pot.  It will look like there isn't enough liquid, but the rhubarb will release a lot of water as it heats.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 5-8 minutes, and add a dash of nutmeg.  Remove from the heat, but keep the sauce warm.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the pork chops and cook thoroughly (about 4 minutes on each side).

Serve the chops topped with the sauce.  We served ours with steamed green beans and oven roasted potatoes.  For the potatoes, make a tin foil pouch, fill with chopped potatoes and onions, top with salt and butter pats.  Bake for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees until the potatoes are soft.

Super Smoothies

Lately I've been on a smoothie kick.  They make a great breakfast or a super healthy snack.  Here's a few of my favorite recipes (they each make two servings)

Ginger, Berry, and Oat Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup low fat plain yogurt
• 1 cup ice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Take the oats and let them soak in the water for 10-15 minutes until they are soft. 

Then, put all of the ingredients (oats and water included) into a blender and blend until smooth.

 

Berry Nut Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons honey

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

I like to make a few batches at a time and store them in the fridge in ziplock baggies.  Then, I've got breakfast or snacks in a snap!

Flowers and Herbs

This year, I'm trying a new pink, purple, and yellow color scheme in the pots and the beds.  Also new, I decided to do double duty with my flower pots.  I wanted them to be pretty and decorative, but I figured I could  throw some herbs in the mix, too!  And just to make sure I don't get confused when reaching for fresh herbs to cook with, I'm using these adorable garden markers - a birthday gift from John's aunt and uncle.  Do you grow any herbs?

The Perfect Warm Weather Salad

Our temperature has been jumping around like crazy lately; one day it's 80, the next we have frost!  For those warmer days, though, nothing beats this salad!

All it takes is:

• Mixed baby greens
• 1 grilled chicken breast, sliced
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 ounce of feta
• A handful of grape tomatoes, halved

Pile it all on a plate and dig in!  I used a balsamic vinaigrette, but it would be great with so many different dressings.  What I love most about this salad is that it's filling, delicious, and just sits on the border of healthy food :)  Enjoy!

There's a chicken breast buried in there somewhere....

House Numbers

We have slowly been sprucing up the house, and this weekend we added new house numbers! Near the end of last year we put in a new front door, but out with the old door went our house numbers.  We had been using a computer print out taped to the door until this weekend.  I think things are coming along nicely :)  Now I just need to add some potted plants!

Old door, old numbers

New door with lovely printer paper house numbers

New door, new numbers!

Dirty Little Secrets

I spend a great deal of time posting the crafts I do and delicious recipes on this blog.  However, I have a confession to make:  I do not always make amazing meals.  I do not always have a fun project to work on.  Sometimes, I sit around watching Netflix and eating microwaveable popcorn for dinner.

So, on the days that I feel especially lazy and not at all like Suzy Homemaker, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Trick #1: Macaroni and Cheese.

Instead of just a plain box of mac and cheese, I make mine with fat free plain yogurt instead of milk.  It makes it feel a little more grown up and a little less lazy :)  Add the butter (2 tablespoons) and cheese powder like usual.  Then just add the yogurt by the spoonful until the consistency is to your liking!  Bonus points for adding bacon bits or some cooked veggies.

Trick #2: Dust

Whenever I lack the time (energy, motivation) to clean the whole house, I dust.  Cleaning the surfaces and clearing away piles on the table tops does SO much to make a house look clean.  In fact, just the other week I only dusted.  John came home and assumed I had cleaned from top to bottom!  (Another neat trick on the dusting line: dust a lampshade using a lint brush roller.)

Trick #3: Salad Dressing

Homemade salad dressing was impossible for me to master.  Then, I got a gift that changed everything: an emulsifier!  It whisks your ingredients together to the perfect blend and, best of all, it has the recipes and amounts listed on the side!  I can now make a balsamic vinaigrette, red wine vinaigrette, dijon vinaigrette... the list goes on.  Seriously, get one!

So, there's my list of dirty little secrets :)  Do you have any?