Friday, May 29, 2009

Home again Home again

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Long Beach, WA. The weather was decent, no rain, and a little bit of blue sky! You can't ask for more when you are on the coast. We spent one morning checking out 2 old litehouses.
We also hiked down into Dead Man's Cove. The name is kinda scary for such a beautiful place Do you think it looks scary? I don't It was so pretty!
We ate a lot of ice cream, visited with Brad's family, and spent time exploring. There are so many things to do while in Washington state, and we have only seen a few! Hopefully this summer we can go back to the beach and check out the things that we missed, like the cranberry bogs and the kite museum.
My garden is doing good. I will post more pictures soon, once I start getting some tomaters. I seriously need to do some yardowork before I take more pictures. The weeds and goatheads are out of control!!
For those that follow my blog (yes, I know there are only 3 of you :) ), what is your favorite thing to do at the beach, or favorite places at the beach to check out?






Wednesday, May 20, 2009

I'm back, but not for long.

I got back from my trip to California last nite. I drove down- it takes anywhere from 10-11 hours depending on how many times you stop to get gas and eat. I had a good visit with my aunt and my grandma. I met some interesting people in the nursing home. Heard my grama tell the aide to "tell the old bag to shut it". She was irritated with her roomate that depends ALL of your attention. I saw a turtle cross the highway, I ran over a snake, and saw an old tree covered with hundreds of shoes along the highway in Oregon. I really could get used to having someone pump my gas for me, but I don't think I will move to Oregon just for that.
We are leaving for Long Beach tomorrow, so I won't be on here much. I will try to sneak some pictures in of the trips when I get home! Have a safe and happy weekend!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Garden pics



Here are a few pics of my raised bed garden. Everything is slow to grow- except for the lettuce. I have to pick it every other day or else it just goes wild! Good thing we like salads! We had some cold weather last nite, so I am hoping that the tomatoes weren't harmed. I guess I will find out this summer when I have a plant with no tomaters growing on it. 
These planter boxes were easy and inexpensive to make. We used cedar fence panels from Home Depot (less than $2 a panel). If I had to guess, I would say the wood and materials for the 4 boxes were less than $20 total. Pretty cheap. The dirt, not so cheap. I did buy everything at different times, and I didn't keep track of the cost. But I do know that we will be able to reuse the soil and only have to add a little bit more next time we plant. I would bet that I have way more money invested into this project than we will ever get out of it. Good thing we aren't doing it to save money- I want fresh veggies right outside of my door. I want to be able to share with others, or try growing something that I might not normally eat.
From left to right we have celery and zucchini, mixed peppers ( jalapeno, green, and sweet colored peppers), tomatoes, basil, lettuce, and onions and garlic. I can't wait for the garlic. I am planning on roasting it in the oven and using it for spreads and dips. Or, I may just eat it plain with some bread. :)

I <3 the crockpot!


Here is a little something that I whipped up for dinner tonight. If you like a dinner that doesn't take a lot of time or thought, this is the recipe for you! This makes enough for 2 people for dinner, with some leftovers.

Honey Crockpot Ribs

2-3 lbs boneless country style pork ribs (or whatever other kind you like)
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 cup bbq sauce
1/3 cup honey
a few drops of hot sauce

Spray the inside of your crock pot with Pam spray. This helps when you have to clean it up after dinner!
Spread the meat out . Top with the sliced onions. 
Mix the honey, bbq sauce, and a few drops of hot sauce ( we used Tabasco) in a bowl. Spoon or pour over the ribs. Cover, and let cook on low for 7-9 hours. Depending on the size of your crock, it may take less time. 
These won't be spicy unless you add a ton of hot sauce. I couldn't really taste it all the last time we made them. If you use the boneless country style ribs, these will just about fall apart when you try to scoop them out. They are very tasty!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

I wonder what I wll be eating for dinner?


I started our raised bed gardens about a month or so ago. I took a risk and planted things outside before the last frost, and so far, everything has survived! I get anxious to plant things once the weather turns warm- even if it is only March or April. Anyways, today I worked in the beds and planted a new zucchini plant. I decided to pick some of the lettuce, thinking I would only get a few pieces. I ended up with about 2o or 25! The pea pods just started to poke out a few days ago. I guess 4 will be enough for today! I picked up the little metal platter at the thrift store last summer for a quarter. Its the perfect size to use to gather the slim pickings from the garden.