Yard sweet yard

To say that we love our yard would be an understatement! It really is like having our own little vacation spot May through mid September. We are so fortunate to have the space that we do living in a neighborhood with houses close together and are able to create a few different areas to enjoy. Come along, I'll show you what I mean.

Ahh, The Lounge. In the late afternoon it's a great place for an outdoor nap amidst the lush green plants, a shady tree up above just listening to the birds. After dinner it's a cozy place to enjoy the fire.

Last post you met our kegerator which is on this patio. This is the work area, my outdoor kitchen with a fridge and sink (not pictured)

The deck is the busy spot, it's the center of everything! Pool, dining and lots of potted plants.

And this gorgeous view!

Last but not least is the back, back yard that is still in progress but coming along nicely. It can be overflow for big parties or just nice to sit and look at the birds and perennial gardens. 

Thanks for visiting!

Kegerator beer cap backsplash

 Since opening my own non-crafty business my creative soul aches for any way to be creative. I've been saving bottle caps for an unknown project, unknown until now... what husband doesn't need his kegerator decorated?

We had some extra fencing that I've also been wanting to use, I just love when an idea just comes together when you least expect it. As you can see, there was not much to this project. I used some tiny nails and secured the caps. Done! Just a simple little project but it made me happy, cheers!

Irish Cream Cake Bites

These treats will brighten your "dreary, rainy, Monday-tired from the time change" day. I have been thinking about a St. Patrick's Day dessert to make with the bottle of Irish cream sitting in the fridge. I also have zero motivation to go to the grocery store, Irish Cream Cake Bites were born and I never left the house or turned the oven on! I have a terrible history with Cakes Pops, they always end up disastrous for me, luckily I had this random box of Nilla Wafers sitting around with nothing to do! 

I wasn't sure if it would work but it did and they are so good. Feel free to play around with the measurements , I was winging it and had good luck. 

Here's what I used:

1 box of Nilla Wafers

1 cup confectioners sugar 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

4 oz cream cheese 

1 tsp vanilla

1/2- 1 cup Irish Cream Liquor 

Chocolate for melting

Sprinkles

In a food processor, crush the wafers until they are tiny crumbs. Pulse in sugar and cocoa until combined. Add cream cheese until incorporated. With the processor on high, drizzle in the liquor until it forms a ball. You want it be pretty dense so it holds together. I didn't measure this, I'm sorry. You'll know if it's right. If by chance to add to much liquid you can use more confectioners sugar to tighten it up. 

Use a melon baller or small scoop and form mixture into balls. I made approximately 40. Set them in the freezer for 20 minutes or so and start melting the chocolate. 

Using a skewer, dip them one at a time in chocolate. Use another skewer to help drop them on a parchment lined tray. I used baking melts and white chocolate chips because it was what I had. 

Once you get a few done, decorate with sprinkles before the chocolate sets. 

I had one casualty, it was my taste test and it was good. 

Now let them set at room temp or if you're in a rush, you can chill them. That's it, you're done. Yummy, boozy treats!

Portabella & Arugula Pasta

This is a quick and easy weeknight pasta and it's not all that bad for you. It will be done in the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta. Make sure you save some of the pasta water, you may need it at the end. Here's what you'll need:

1 lb pasta

Olive oil

4 cloves garlic crushed 

4 scallions cut up

8 oz pkg baby Bella's chopped

5 oz bag of washed arugula

Salt and pepper 

Red pepper flakes

Grated or shredded Parmesan 

Start boiling pasta water. 

Crush garlic, chop mushrooms and scallion and set aside. 

Heat a large nonstick skillet with approximately 3 TBSP oil and cook the garlic and red pepper for a minute. 

Add the mushrooms and scallions 

Cook until the mushrooms get a little color

Season with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and arugula. 

Keep tossing together until the arugula wilts. At this point you can add a little water if needed and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Sprinkle a good handful of Parmesan and serve. Easy and good!

Spicy Chicken & Sausage

This is a family favorite, chicken thighs with sausage and hot cherry peppers! It's pretty spicy but can easily be tamed by swapping mild sausage and sweet cherry peppers. 

Here's what you'll need:

1 package of skinless chicken thighs with or without the bone

1 lb hot Italian sausage links 

Jarred hot cherry peppers and some of the liquid 

6 cloves garlic peeled

2 onion sliced

1 cup dry white wine

Olive oil

Salt, pepper

Fresh or dried herbs: parsley, rosemary, basil

Preheat the oven to 375. Working in batches, brown the seasoned chicken, cut up sausage and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat. 

When all sides are brown, transfer to a large roasting pan. In the meantime, prepare the peppers by removing stems and seeds and give them a rough chop. Use as few or as many as you'd like. 

When everything is browned and removed to roasting pan add the sliced onion and peppers to the sauté pan and cook for a few minutes. 

Add the wine and a splash of the jar liquid. Scrape the bits from the pan and reduce a bit. 

Combine peppers with the browned chicken  

and bake uncovered for approximately 45 minutes until the chicken is very tender

All you need is some crusty bread and a bottle of wine!

Friday Friendly Food

We love pasta with peas, usually I make it with prosciutto or pancetta and a little cream but for Friday during lent it goes meatless. It also went without cream because I didn't have any. It's still a great dish! Here's what you need:

Olive oil

Dry white wine

1-2 onions sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, crushed

I pint of grape tomatoes halved ( I had 3 plum tomatoes laying around that I added)

1 cup frozen petite peas

1 lb pasta

Grated cheese

Fresh parsley and basil chopped

Red pepper flakes, Salt and pepper

Heat pasta water. 

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and add the onions and garlic. Season and sauté until they wilt. 

Splash some white wine in the pan and add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start to collapse. 

Add the peas and chopped herbs and keep the heat on low while waiting for the pasta to cook. 

Reserve some of the water and add a bit when combining pasta to the sauce. Sprinkle a good handful of grated cheese on and serve. 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is nothing new, you can google it and find a bunch of recipes. I like to add potatoes to thicken it.  This is how I make mine:

2 lbs broccoli cut up

2 onions diced

3 carrots diced

3 celery diced

3 garlic cloves crushed 

4 whole potatoes peeled

8 oz shredded cheddar 

2 qts Chicken stock

2tbs butter

2 tbs flour

1 cup milk 

Thyme, salt, pepper

Sauté onion, carrot and celery in a heavy soup pot until they sweat. Season with salt and pepper and add the whole potatoes and the broccoli

Cover with chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add thyme and check seasoning. In the meantime shred the cheese and gather remaining ingredients 

Heat the butter in a small pan and cook the flour for a few minutes. Whisk in the milk and add the cheese, whisk until smooth. 

Blend the soup as smooth as you'd like and return to heat. 

Add the cheese sauce to the hot soup and combine. It's not a pretty soup but it's delicious!