Celebration

My mother had a landmark birthday this year. I don't feel it's my number to share...but I'll just say it ends with a zero. We had a huge celebration today, with everything from fried chicken to sweetened sun tea. It was lovely. Here are just a few pictures from the day.

Mother's Day

Sometimes what I need more than anything is to get out of town for a bit. Having lived in the same town all my 31 years, things can get a bit claustrophobic when I don't get a chance to clear my head away from home for  a while. Today was the perfect day trip. For Mother's Day, me and my kids drove an hour outside town to hike and see beautiful Burgess Falls. The hike is a mile and a half round trip, with some good hills but plenty easy enough for the kids to enjoy. 

I never cease to be amazed by the beauty of massive amounts of water rushing over the edge of a cliff. The speed, the roar, the cool mist...it's awe inspiring and restorative at the same time. Being out among the trees puts all of us in the best of moods. 

This Old House

Starting in early February, I have been extremely blessed to be able to add on a bit of space to the back of my house. My daughter will very shortly have her own bedroom and a little bit of breathing room away from her little brother. Of course, he's also about to have his own room too, and some breathing room from his big sister :) My dining nook is no more. It's now a really truly dining room. And with as much as I love to cook, I cannot wait to be able to entertain. I've been taking pictures throughout this whole process, and wanted to share just a few now that things are finally almost done. These are just a few, I'll put more up when everything is totally done. :) 

I got (two) wheels!

My bike is back in action, for the first time in about fifteen years. I figured it must be pretty easy to get back in the mode, like the saying says: "It's just like riding a bike!" And true to form, it didn't take long at all to remember the nuances of maintaining my balance on top of a thin metal frame.

Tennessee has some beautiful spring days, windy but cool still. They're just perfect for riding through the neighborhood, stopping off for a quick bite, then rolling on back home.

Ok. Enough talk. I'm ready to get back out there and enjoy this weather.

And, yes mom, I'm wearing my helmet. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Easy Wednesday Chicken Thighs

This is a really simple and quick chicken recipe. Paired with steamed green beans and rice, it's a perfect mid-week dinner. If I'm missing one of the spices, I just fill-in with another teaspoon of a flavor I like. It always turns out delicious, no matter what. The times on the recipe are for boneless-skinless thighs. Make sure to add a good three minutes on each side if you decide to do bone-in or larger pieces.

Recipe:

Set oven to broil.

In a large bowl, mix together:

1 tsp Curry

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Ground Red Pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

Wash and dry the chicken pieces, then one by one, toss them in the spice mix til well covered. Arrange pieces in a glass baking dish and set under the broiler. Cook five minutes on each side (remember to add time here for larger or bone-in chicken pieces).

While cooking, mix together well:

6 Tbsp Honey

2 Tsp Apple-Cider Vinegar

Remove Chicken from the broiler and brush top side with the Honey-Vinegar baste. Return to the broiler for 1-2 minutes (until dark-golden brown). Turn the chicken over and baste the other side, then broil for another 1-2 minutes (or until done).

Now Enjoy!

Seeds!!!!

Ok, I have to admit that with all the reading I had to do last semester with school, I haven't had much brain energy to read during my Christmas break. The other day, though, my favorite seed catalog arrived in the mail, and I haven't wanted it to be out of my sight very long since.

I always love this time of year. Winter is really settling in (which I do love) but the hope of spring isn't too far around the corner. And with it, the possibility of new growth, pushing up from the dirt outside that's now frozen, holding remains of last year's flowers...and just a few weeds. And with the new seed catalog comes excitement, planning what to order for the next year...promising to actually plant the seeds I order for this year...reading through all the descriptions of the different varieties of tomatoes or eggplants...envisioning the yard in the early summer, full of green and growth and life.

Last spring, shortly after I planted all my seeds, I decided to put my house on the market. Shortly after that, all the spare time I had went towards focusing on the inside of my house, and my new raised beds quickly got overtaken by weeds. This year, though (now that I know I'm staying put) I am finally gonna plant that asparagus! I cannot wait!!!!

If there are any of you out there that love planning and planting, here are a few great websites to order catalogs from (Click on the name to visit their website). Or, you can just peruse online through their catalogs as well!!

Seeds of Change: my top favorite! Growers committed to organic agriculture and making high-quality organic seeds available to farmers and gardeners.

Renee's Garden: a charming catalog full of heirloom flower and vegetable seeds. I got some amazing foxglove seeds from here.

All right! Back to my reading and planning! Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

Christmas, a bit late...

I would've been a bit sooner on posting all of this, but unfortunately me and my son both got the stomach flu Christmas night, and then a few days later we few to Disney World...so all our Christmas memories got put on hold for a bit. Wanted to share just a few before it got too late. Anyways...We had a lovely Christmas. My kidlings arrived home from their dad's house around noon, and the rest of the day was spent with Mimi and Pops opening presents and eating and playing. My new camera (HIP-HIP-HOORAY) documented the whole thing. I hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas as well. And now, we're on to the New Year...time to start baking!!!