Garden Time

Every year the girls and I get really excited about planting a vegetable garden.  This year things are a little different, however.  We have an 8 month old black lab/golden retriever mix, River.  Do you have a lab?  Do you know someone with a lab?  If you do then you understand that nothing is off limits to her little chewing teeth.  Here's an example- a few months ago we had a new internet connection installed.  River noticed there were now cables tacked to the side of the house where there once were none.  She was happy to remove them and chew them to bits.  The installer came back and moved the connection to a higher location.

So, the bottom line is, we could spend a lot of time and effort to attempt to puppy proof our garden bed or we could skip a garden this year and try next year when River is (fingers crossed) a little more mellow and not so apt to dig it up as soon as we turn our backs.

Since we still wanted to be able to plant something, we moved our big green pots to the front porch and bought a bunch of flowers and herbs and planted them.

We also added a few more plants to the front beds.

They turned out so pretty and really give the porch a nice pop of color. We are having new windows installed throughout the entire house in a few weeks and then would love to get the house painted.  I can't wait to see how it all comes together!

Those are the wicker chairs that I found in a junk pile last year.  They could use a little sprucing up, but they are perfect for relaxing and sipping iced tea while the kids play outside.

I hope this inspires you to plant something this weekend!

Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs

Sometimes you have all these plans.  A planner full of play dates, a menu full of meals, jobs scheduled, volunteer hours to complete.  Sometimes, instead of any of these things happening, you spend the night in the emergency room with a very sick child instead.

All those plans? All that preparation?  It goes out the window when your daughter's fever spikes up to 105 degrees.  And sometimes you feel like the most helpless person in the world.  For as much Tylenol, Motrin and mom cuddles that you give, nothing helps.

Last week was like that for me and my family.  On Monday the secretary from Lily Claire's school called and said she wasn't feeling well.  I went and picked her up early and could tell she was sick. She was running a temperature and seemed pretty miserable.  Tuesday wasn't any better.  By Wednesday I was starting to get worried and we went to the doctor.  She did a few tests, but seem to think Lily Claire had a virus.  Thursday evening her fever was at 104 and we couldn't get it to come down.  We decided to take her to the ER.  They took it very seriously and started running tests immediately.  Chest x-ray, blood cultures... All inconclusive, the only thing we all agreed on was Lily Claire was a sick little girl.

Friday Lily was seen by another doctor who ordered more lab work.  She suspected Lily Claire had the Epstein Barr virus (also commonly called mono).  Friday evening Lily Claire's fever reached 105 degrees.  As a mother I've never been so worried.

We were so tired on Friday, hadn't slept well in days... The dogs had barely gotten any attention all week.  With an 8 month old lab puppy that is a recipe for disaster.  And so when we woke up on Saturday morning and discovered Lily Claire's beloved doll, Sara had been literally "gutted" by River we were distraught.

In complete and utter panic mode, I texted my friend Gina who is a seamstress and costume designer. I asked for a miracle, but was pretty certain that Sara was not going to survive.

When your child is sick you would go to the moon and back to give them what they want.  Sara was something I could not fix.

Thank God there are angels out there, because Gina fixed Sara.  She stuffed her full of original stuffing and used a favorite old shirt of Lily Claire's to make her dress.  She sewed new arms and cut new hair and she used Sara's original face.

My little girl has her sweet Sara back.  Lily Claire is feeling better.  We are on the road to recovery after 8 days of fevers between 101-105 degrees.  With the exception of a few hours, when she was getting repaired, Sara has been by her side every minute.  We still don't know what caused Lily Claire to get sick.  Her blood work indicated that there could be an underlying auto-immune issue.  It could have just been a bad virus.  I'm not sure we'll ever really know.

But I do know, without the kindness and artistry of a very dear friend, my Lily would be heartbroken.

Gina's having dinner on me tonight.  There's nothing I can do to repay her kindness, but cooking is what I am good at and it comes right from my heart, the same way fixing Sara came from her's.

Ingredients:

6 chicken thighs, patted dry (bone in skin on)
1 fennel bulb cut into chunks
1 head of garlic, removed from the head, skins still on cloves
2 lemons sliced
handful of fresh thyme
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 3-4 minutes.  Add a couple tables spoons of olive oil.  Season your chicken liberally with salt and pepper and place skin side down in the skillet.  Brown for about 5 minutes, then turn to the other side and brown for 5 more minutes.  Add the fennel and lemon and top with the thyme.  Place in the oven and continue to cook for about 35-40 more minutes.  Top with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Mexican Style Stuffed Bell Peppers

With swimsuit season just around the corner and spring break just a few weeks away, many of us out there are looking to cut back on calories.  By no means am I suggesting that these stuffed bell peppers are 100% healthy, but I will say that they are a great alternative to traditional tacos with the fried shell.  (Let's be honest, I'm still eating tacos...) These Bell Peppers, however do have the traditional taste of Mexican food, and they are also a favorite among my dinner delivery customers.

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground turkey
1 small yellow onion diced
4 bell peppers (I like using red, yellow & green.)
1 pkg of your favorite taco seasoning
2 tbs of parmesan cheese
handful of roughly chopped cilantro (save a little for garnish)
red rice (either from your favorite Mexican take out place or from my recipe below)

Directions:

• Brown your turkey over med-high heat in a non-stick skillet lightly sprayed with canola oil.  Once turkey is browned, add the taco seasoning and onions and cook until unions are soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

• If necessary, drain turkey and then add to a large mixing bowl. Add two cups of cooked red rice, cilantro & parmesan cheese.  Mix well.

• Rinse peppers and slice them in half length wise.  Clean out the seeds and ribs.

• Lightly spray a baking dish with canola oil.

• Spoon the stuffing mixture into the bell peppers and place in the baking dish.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I hope you give them a try and let me know if you like them as much as I do!!

Red Rice Ingredients (cooked in rice cooker)
6 oz can of tomato paste
2 cups white rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 an onion finely diced
1/2 tsp of paprika

Put all the ingredients in the cooker and turn it on.  When it beeps, fluff the rice and you're ready to serve or use in the stuffed bell peppers.

Review of the Ikea Minnen Toddler Bed

Last February we purchased the Minnen Toddler bed from Ikea.  Ella had figured out how to climb out of her crib and it was only a matter of time before she fell and hurt herself.  I knew that I wanted a bed for her that had a vintage feel, but wasn't too high.  Unlike our older daughter, Ella flails a lot in her sleep and we were worried about her falling out of bed.  I remembered that Ikea had a number of toddler beds so we went out there to look at them.  I ended up loving the Minnen and we took it home and set it up that night.

The Minnen Toddler bed is a low, adjustable bed, with two additional mattress sections that can slip in as your child grows.  Since last February Ella had been sleeping on the main part of the mattress and the two additional pieces were stored away in her closet.  The other night while I was tucking her into bed I noticed that she had grown so much that she was nearly touching the foot of the bed when she stretched out.  So... yesterday I took her bedding off and added one of the additional sections.

The side rails have two bolts on each side.  You just unscrew them and slide the bed out a notch, then replace the bolts and the bed is extended to the next size up.  It was really simple to switch the size and it didn't take very long at all.

So, what you probably want to know is do we like the Minnen?

Yes!

Is there anything you don't like about the Minnen?

Yes!

Let me explain...

A standard twin sheet will not fit properly on this bed.  Ikea does sell fitted sheets that will fit the mattress, and we purchased a set, but the quality was poor and the jersey knit quickly got holes in it. Instead of using the sheets it comes with, I use a standard twin and tuck the excess fabric under the mattress. This works, but takes a bit of effort since the mattress rests on wooden slats and you can see the fabric hanging down under the bed if you don't tuck properly.

The bed is hard to make.  I like a well made bed.  I do in fact make all the beds in the house every morning.  To me this is important, its a habit I grew up with and just can't shake even as a busy 34 year old mom of two.  Because this bed has little scrolly sides, to make it properly the sheet and quilt need to be tucked in all the way around.  This means I have to lift the mattress on three sides and tuck, tuck, tuck, then check to be sure that all the fabric is tucked properly between the mattress and slats so there isn't excess hanging down under the bed. (Yes I know this could be seen as obsessive, but to me it matters!) If this isn't something that would bother you, then it wouldn't be a problem, but it might just drive some of you crazy, so I think it's worth mentioning.

Now the next question...Would I buy this bed for my daughter again?

Yes

Again, let me explain...

I love the look of this bed so much that I don't mind the extra effort (most of the time) that it takes to make it.  My daughter loves her bed.  It fits her perfectly and I love that it will grow with her.


To sum things up, I think this bed is a great choice and worth the effort.  I hope this helps you make up your mind if you're considering the Minnen!

Sweet Dreams!

Our Performance Leather Sofa 2 Months Later | A Few Spring Touches

Hi Friends.  It's been so beautiful and warm here the past few days Northern California that it already feels like spring.  Then I woke up to rain this morning.  Not complaining at all!  We desperately need the water!  But I was getting used to the 70 degree days and sunshine... The rain does give me and excuse to stay home today and get some things done inside.  And I thought I would share a little update with you on my sectional sofa that we bought a couple months ago.

If you remember, I hemmed and hawed between this p-leather sectional and the Ikea Ektop. {More of that story here...}  And after agonizing to the point of driving everyone around me crazy we finally settled on this one.

And I am soooo happy we did.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the Ektorp and really think it would be beautiful in my home, but the maintenance would have driven me insane.  I have a semi-mild case of OCD you see, and some things just make me crazy.  I know, I know, Ektorp lovers, you can wash slipcovers.  But... I can imagine I would be doing that every day.

If the dogs jump up with dirty paws, I can spray a little cleaner on a rag and wipe it off and it's good as new!  Milk spill? No worries!  Naked baby booty on the couch? No biggie!  Really, this couch has been so good for me!  Lol!  No more stress and no anxiety about pet hair or kid messes.  It's wonderful!

And two months later it still looks brand new.  And it's so comfortable.  The one thing that I will say took some getting used to is the dark brown color.  We have dark wood beamed ceilings and I was worried that the room might feel a little heavy with all the dark colors.  So, I went shopping for some new throw pillows and love how the lightened up the room.

I also have vases of daffodils around the house to brighten things up a bit.  They are so cheery and only $1.49/ 10 stems at Trader Joe's.

Anyhow that's how things are looking around my house!  Hoping you all are getting as excited about spring as I am!

Chili Relleno Casserole

Chili Rellenos are a big treat at our house.  My three year old has a severe egg allergy, so anytime I bring eggs into the house I have to be extremely careful.  Yesterday we had her distracted and I was able to make this treat for my husband and I for dinner.

I have to say this would also be great for brunch.  And let me tell you, it's easy peasy to put together.

Ingredients:
1 can of whole mild green chilies
2 cups of montery jack or cheddar jack cheese
5 eggs
2 cups of whole milk
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne (or a few dashes of hot sauce)
1/2 tsp of paprika
cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl whisk eggs, milk and seasonings together. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Make a slit in the whole chili until it will lay flat, pat dry with a paper towel and place in the bottom of the casserole dish.  After you have a layer of chilies top with half of the cheese.  Lay another layer of chilies, then top with the rest of the cheese.  Pour the egg mixture on top of the cheese and place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro and allow to set for about 15 minutes before dishing it up.  It would also be great at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Monday Monday

Happy Monday Friends.  I am feeling surprisingly chipper today for a Monday, even despite the fact that my coffee maker quit on me this morning.  I have been busy with life and haven't been posting much lately, so I thought I would let you know what I have been up to...

Cleaning... It's nearly spring and the heavy blankets and bedding are a little too much now so I've been lightening things up a bit around the house.  Flannel sheets have been put away and heavy quilts stored for next winter.  I've also been deep cleaning closets and cupboards and collecting a big box to donate. I realized the other day that we have so many sheets and blankets that we never use that take up way too much space, so I am on a mission to simplify and de-clutter.

Over the weekend we meet up with my friend and photographer Laurie Theriault.  She took some amazing picture of my kiddos and I'm so excited to see the results of her talent.  Don't worry, I'll share them soon!

I'm also keeping busy with my Dinner Delivery service and can't wait to share a new recipe for chile rellenos later in the week.

Any whoo... Hope you all are having a happy Monday too!