Welcome back! How have you been?
Me? Well thanks for asking....we've been craaazy busy around here, and tonite I am Tired, Tired, Tired, with a capital "T"......
I'm so exhausted that nothing sounds better to me than curling up on the sofa with a cat or two and watching a sappy Lifetime or Hallmark movie. And I'll fall asleep in the middle of it and miss the ending, fer sure.....
But it's a good tired, because in the midst of all of our busy-ness with our (Little Miss Thing's and my) back breaking planting/gardening job and our Open House/Memorial Day weekend extravaganza (it's over--yay! And it was a huge success, me thinks..yaaaaay!), we've managed to have ourselves a little bit o' fun, too.
Because it's summertime, and the living should be sweet and easy.....with lots of sundress wearing / bike riding.......Abbie says pale is the new tan (OMG I love this child!).........
And lawn mowing (Wink's idea of a GREAT sweaty time, I am not kidding)...
And Weber-ing and dining on the back deck, whenever the weather permits....
Gotta love these darling unscented votives I picked up at the Hob Lob....a pack of 6 runs about $3.....
Big fun for me in the summertime equals working in my yard and eagerly watching all on my precious perennials that faithfully come back to life, year after year. Which is truly a miracle, what with our below zero temperatures AND the deer we get around these parts.....
This Boston ivy never fails to bloom mid-May...I don't think anything could kill it (I like to joke that I could pour gasoline on the roots and set the vine on fire and it would still come back, like a champ)....
Black-eyed Susans, Coneflowers, and the Shasta Daisies are all doing just swell...
Lamb's Ear....truly one of my favorites.....
Clematis, A.K.A. "deer crack"........
Check out these wild ferns that I transplanted to the bed under our Red Leaf Maple a few years back...they will be huge by July.......
Best thing about these ferns (well, besides their beauty)? They're FREE!.......
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Not to change the subject or anything, but.......
Need a quick and easy and nutritious dinner idea? How does this look to you?.......
Maple Grilled Salmon.....it is our absolute FAVORITE way to cook salmon these days! The cous cous is just the Far East boxed kind...gotta love how cous cous comes together in about 5 minutes flat. And the green beans? We like to roast them...
To roast your fresh green beans, just trim them, rinse them and lay them flat on a baking sheet. Toss (use your hands) with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Roast for about 20 minutes in a 425 degree oven, flipping beans over about half-way through the cooking time. Absolutely delicious!
The salmon...super easy, and your kids will love it, because it tastes like candy!
Here's the recipe...enjoy!
MAPLE GRILLED SALMON
Serves 3-4
1 cup REAL maple syrup
3 tblsp. orange juice
2 tblsp. butter
1 tsp. soy sauce
kosher salt
1 lb. skinless salmon fillets
In a small saucepan, bring syrup to a boil over medium heat. Boil until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in orange juice, butter and soy; remove from heat. Pour into a shallow casserole. Let cool for 20 minutes. Place salmon in cooled sauce and let sit for 1/2 hour, tossing in sauce once or twice. Place salmon on stove-top grill pan ; sprinkle with kosher salt and cook for aproximately 4 minutes per side over medium-high heat. Brush salmon with sauce while cooking. Serve immediately.
TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT......
***Our daughter has been such a huge help to me since she's been home, and never complains about any of the mundane tasks I ask her to do!
***My husband just brought me a nice glass of wine, without my asking!
***All of the feedback on our home today (QUITE a few people came through our little Open House!) was super positive.....
***That my readers are so very forgiving and loyal...I know you will all forgive me for any and all type-o's and grammatical errors in this post, due to my brain-dead state tonite!
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