It's SUMMER.

Sorry, folks. I've been oddly absent lately. This is going to be a short post, but I wanted you to know that I'm alive and well.

Summer has started off with a bang. Today is my last day of work for my second week back to my old job. Wowza! Confused yet?

I used to work at The Coffee Company while I was in college. I had to take some time off while I worked for housing and then I worked during my last summer of college and during student teaching. Crazy enough, I'm back at it, after an almost 2 1/2 year hiatus!

It's so nice to be back. I love coming home from work and being physically exhausted instead of mentally exhausted. It's a change of pace and scenery...and I like it that way.

So--if you want some coffee or beans, stop in or order online/via phone (only beans can be shipped, it'd be weird to ship a latte)!

I also have finished planting my entire garden! Kyle might want me to plant a few more onions, which I'd be happy to do. I just counted 4-6 rows of onions, 4 rows of carrots, 3 rows of radishes, 15 tomato plants, 5 pepper plants, 9 potato plants, approx 15 feet of beans, 4 feet of peas, 7 cucumber plants, mesclun, swiss chard, and 4 hopeful watermelon plants.

Who knows what will actually be fruitful when we're all said and done. But if we get something, I'll be happy.

I know this is super short, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive. And that I will be back to this space a little more often now that summer's routine is a little more predictable.

We have a few adventures to keep you posted on: Kyle is keeping bees & I'm going to be writing a sponsored post (my first!) for Wild Moon Salsa, see the deets over on their page.


Stay tuned and Happy Friday Eve!

Let it snow, Let it snow...Wait! It's May 18! {By the Numbers}

Yeah, you read that right. It's snowing.

On May 18.

But that's okay. Because with the forecast for the rest of the week, we're looking at mostly sunny with highs in the 70s!

Wahoo!

So I figured that today was as good as any, to do a By the Numbers. It's been a while since I've hosted one...so, why not?

As teachers, we look forward to summer. Not necessarily because we get a break (because I'm hoping to teach summer school this year & Kyle is hoping to help a beekeeper--another story for another day), but because we have a new routine. Sure--some of us do get a legit vacation, but most of us have additional jobs, we work on our curriculum, or we even take grad classes. And some of us have family obligations (por ejemplo--weddings coming out of our ears!!) that can't be attended to during the school year.

And if you've survived that crazy train, here's the rest of my school year By the Numbers.

626 miles

7 meetings

5 dinner dates

4 graduation gifts to buy

3 graduation ceremonies

2 birthday presents to make/send

2 graduation parties to attend

1 wedding
 
1 Federal Holiday

And only
17 days to do it all in

As always, grab the button and join in!

Chicken Salad Recipe--Dinner tonight

We tend to have troubles at our house picking out meals for supper. Kyle is hungry all.of.the.time--his metabolism is better than mine...hello, love handles. So I've been searching for meals that are filling, but healthy too. Now...this one might not fall into the "filling" category for Kyle...but as long as we give him a can of soup, he should be good for the night until 7:30 tonight.

I made this for lunch with a friend over Christmas break and I faux followed someone's Pinterest recipe. But this is my variation.

Enjoy!

Chicken Salad Croissants

1/2 c lite mayo
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 c celery--sliced (we love celery at our house)
1/2 c grapes--halved
1/4 c dried cranberries (to taste)
*milk, whipping cream, heavy cream, half and half can be added if your salad needs some thinning

Seriously--that's all I did! We were so happy with these sandwiches. The next time I make them (on a weekend) I'm going to try my hand at making the croissants by myself! *instead of buying them from Target* Hah!

I'll post photos tonight when I'm finished. Enjoy and let me know what you think! Ooh...don't forget to try your own variations of this salad. Don't like cranberries? Try almonds. Don't like nuts, add some shredded cheese!

Vacation: Family, Friends, and Contest Winners

Well, you may have noticed that I've been posting about our upcoming vacation and a contest. That contest has closed and we have two winners! Congratulations Aubrey and Ben! Aubrey came in with 8 correct guesses and Ben had 3 correct. Our two winners will now be mailed a prize in the next few weeks!

Day #1: We embarked on our two week vacation last Thursday and our first stop was good ol' Fargo, ND! Our day consisted of the Air Museum, BWW, a Redhawks game, Space Aliens, and The Fiddler on the Roof.

Day #2: Jamestown was the site of our next adventure. Time spent with family is always nice. But when we have the opportunity to spend time with our niece and nephew, we capitalize on that. Since hubs and I didn't see much of the am hours, our afternoon was packed. Canoeing has to happen when Grandpa and Grandma have a river in their backyard. And if that's not enough water time, the local outdoor pool is always a good option. Fortunately Aunt Kelly is the reigning cannonball champion! And after dinner, a nap, and a drive, we ended our day with the gun range and the DQ. 

Day #3: After a quick visit to see hubs' grandma, we left for Fosston (home of Cordwood Pete). A cousin was tying the knot and we were asked to be the host and hostess...so we celebrated with them. It's such a blessing to be able to visit family and to celebrate with them. I think all of my cousins and aunts and uncles were able to make it to the wedding. How fabulous is that? Just being able to support, love, and be with each other is truly a blessing. 

Day #4: Despite our attempts to leave as early as possible (8am), we didn't end up hitting the road until somewhere around 9:30 or 10:00. Oops! So, we popped in our book on CD and left for Sioux Falls, SD. A dear friend of mine lives there and I have missed her dearly. I think it's been almost 3 years since we've seen each other?! Yikes! And her sweet little girl was able to join us for coffee. One hour doesn't suffice when catching up with a friend, but our chat was good for my spirit. I have missed her laughs, her mannerisms, and her sweet heart. 

We did need to keep trucking, so off we went. We finished our trek to Lincoln, NE and met our hosts for the evening. If you have not used or heard of Airbnb, you should check it out! People rent out rooms, couches, guest houses, etc in their homes to others traveling through the area. It's usually pretty reasonable for prices and you get to meet some really great people too! If you're ever in Lincoln and need a place to stay, look up Nicole on Airbnb. She's great!

Day #5: Another long day of driving was ahead of us. Quite a few hours separated us from our next destination: Denver, CO (area). To make a long day of traveling short and sweet...we made a detour in 

Lincoln and then hit the road. 

After supper with a friend in Denver, we spent some down time with family. What we did on day #6, is yet to come. Stay tuned. 

Fathers' Day 2014: Recipes

As promised, here are the recipes I used for our Fathers' Day Extravaganza! 

First, I started the cheesy potatoes before we went to church. I found the recipe here. The best part of this recipe is that they're made in the crock pot!

Directions

Prep Time: 10 minutes (it took me 20-25)

Cook Time: 4 hours  (I cooked them a little longer--4 hours 15 minutes maybe?)

Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes  (4 hours 40 minutes [max])

Yield: 8 servings 

Ingredients:

1 can--cream of chicken soup

1 c. sour cream

1 T onion flakes*

1/4 c butter, melted

1/4 t salt*

1/4 t pepper*

1 (32 oz) frozen, cubed hash browns, thawed*

2 c. sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion and butter in a large bowl. Add hash browns and 1 1/2 c. cheese and stir until combined. Pour into 4 qt slow cooker, cover.*

Cook for 4-5 hours on low or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over potatoes and continue to cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*My Modifications

I used real onion. It made the preparation more time consuming, but it provided more flavor. I used approx. 1/4 onion, diced.

Instead of using 1/4 t salt and pepper, I added a dash of fresh ground salt and pepper so that my guests could add more to personal preference during the meal.

Because we only had the shredded hash browns, I diced up red potatoes. There were probably 5-7 potatoes in the crockpot. I will use at least one potato per serving next time so that they don't end up too runny.

The original instructions say to combine in a large bowl, but I didn't want to dirty more dishes before company came over. So I combined everything in the crockpot. Since I used a liner it was a tad more difficult, but definitely doable.

Next, the pork chop marinade. I tried this recipe out on some friends a few days prior and we loved it. Here is where I found the original recipe.

Directions:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Inactive Time: 1 hour*

Cook: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 c honey

2 T vegetable oil*

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 t ground cumin

1/2 t red pepper flakes

8 (1/2 inch) bone-in pork chops *

Salt & Pepper--freshly ground

Instructions:

Marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, oil, vinegar, cumin and red pepper flakes. 

Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper and place in a re-sealable plastic bag with the marinade. Let rest on the counter for 1 hour. That's easy.

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Remove the pork chops from the bag and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until the pork chop releases from the grill, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes.*

*My Modifications

For the ingredients--I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil and instead of 8 pork chops per recipe, I used 4 chops. Since I used 8 chops for Fathers' Day, I doubled the rest of the recipe.

The inactive time for these chops was right around 18 hours (yes...overnight). 

Even though the instructions say to grill the pork chops around 7ish minutes, make sure the internal temperature is 145° and give the chops a 3 minute rest period.

Well...that was our big meal for Fathers' Day. Fortunately both of our dads love pork chops. It was a hit and we are fortunate enough to have them here.

What are some of your favorite recipes?

Summer by the Numbers {Link Up!}

Well, Aubrey and I decided to do another round of "By the Numbers"! This time, it's a summer edition. Before we get started today, I'd like to formally invite you to participate! If you're new here, welcome.

If you have a blog and would like to participate, this week we are looking at our summer plans. Aubrey did a list of 10 summer goals. I am doing 12 (12-ish weeks in the summer, so...). The only "rules"...link up here by grabbing the button and directing readers back here to find the other participants!

Now, you might be thinking, "But, I don't have a blog...so I can't participate." That's not true! If you want to post on Facebook, Twitter (might be kinda hard with character limits, but good for you!), Instagram, Google+, etc. please DO! Whatever your drug Social Media of choice, please do participate! The more the merrier.

We will be trying to do these link ups once per week...or twice per month.

Without further ado, my 2014 Summer Plans "By the Numbers"! 

[in no particular order]

1. Read 12 three books this summer. I'd LOVE to be able to read a book a week this summer. But I don't think that's very feasible. So, one per month will have to suffice. These three books do NOT include any "self-help" books. I intend to read The Total Money Makeover and change my money mindset. But these three books WILL be fun books.

2. Make a quilt! My brother graduated three years ago and I had a quilt done for him when he graduated. My sister graduates in two weeks and I don't even have enough fabric to make her a quilt! So...I need to step it up. Plus, then I can finally use my new sewing machine!

3. Teach 2nd-6th graders the basics of knitting and crocheting. I can't wait!

4. Go camping SO MANY TIMES with my husband, friends, family, etc. I can't wait to just get away for a weekend or week. Some relaxation time is much needed.

5. Get our apartment completely unpacked. We've been in our new apartment for 2 months now and we still have stuff in boxes. Hmmph.

6. In the same vein...I'd like to get our apartment decorated. Pictures need to get up on the wall, shelves, a guest room... The tasks are limitless.

7. Be 100% prepared for the start of school come the end of August. I know this is ambitious, but I'm going to try my darndest to figure it out. Even if it means extra hours and lots of reading (in addition to my aforementioned 3 books).

8. Spend some time with our niece and nephew. They'll be in the state around our (mine & hubs') first anniversary...they'll be a joy to spoil! *Sorry mom and dad!*

9. Take a "just because" trip with my husband. Last summer we were spoiled because we had our wedding and then took off for our honeymoon right after. This summer we'll have to be a little more proactive about saving our money to go on a trip.

10. Go to some baseball games. Redhawks anyone? Or the Twins (Joe Mauer)?

11. Get a sun tan and enjoy my time with friends! Last summer hubs and I lived an hour away from most of our close friends. This summer, they're literally 100 yards away from our back window! I have a new pair of rollerblades and I'm ready to hit the town! *not really, I just want to get in shape and spend time with friends in the process...hah*

12. Cook and bake A LOT. We planted some seeds last week. And they're growing like crazy! Check em out! I can't wait to use our fresh herbs, tomatoes, peppers, peas, cucs, etc in all of our cooking and baking. PLUS we have a nice mixer to use in making our own bagels. OH MY! I can't wait!

Alright, now that I've sufficiently bored you to death, thanks for sticking around! Again, I'd love to have you participate in our Link-Up! Just grab the button and add it to your summer list "By the Numbers"!

Oh, and if you're looking for something a little less...boring wordy, my speech for this year's Junior/Senior Prom banquet will be up before tomorrow is out!