Friday, October 24, 2014

Fabulous Fun Friday!

Den is home from the wilds of Minnesota...and starting at one...we are going to stop doing anything house and work related and binge watch our fave shows...Survivor and Top Chef and Boardwalk Empire and Black List and oodles more!
Den has already taken one car in for service, met with our construction guy for some house issues, taken Lucy for her spa treatment...his turn...and picked up stuffed pork chops from Country Butcher for dinner...whew!

I made this creamy cauliflower soup for dinner yesterday...so delicious!
This recipe is at Serious Eats.


I made this salad from a blog called portandfin. It has baby kale, a roasted sweet potato, quinoa, dried cranberries and a dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey...we loved it!


Reading this today...it's this author's first grown up book...I am truly loving it! She is from Vienna and I noticed that her name is different on the European cover! It's a chilling mystery that involves body parts and numbers! Yes...indeed!







Hopefully you are having a Fab Fun Friday, too!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Thursday's Trivia!

Ramen Trivia!


Rain, wind and just trying to get home from Minnesota ( where once Den lands he still has 3 hours of driving to do to get to his final goal ) had Den home and craving a steamy bowl of homemade Ramen Soup at 9:30 ish! He called from the airport the moment he landed...I had the soup simmering and all he had to do was drop in these amazing noodles when he was ready! He loved it! He slurped his soup to happy moans and groans!

I have no idea why I am so focused on Ramen...all I really know about it was the packages of MSG ladened stuff that I really never ate...the one I made...from Damn Delicious...has only fresh stuff in it...not even salt and pepper...the seasonings come from a little bit of soy sauce...barely a tablespoon.

The recipe called for these noodles...but you were to toss the seasoning pack in the trash. I could not find these!



I used these and they were perfect. We simply dropped them into the Ramen!


I can see adding really any kind of veg or even bits of meat...steak, pork, chicken...even shrimp? Anyway...this Ramen is a new staple!

Finished this...extremely good...


Reading this...YA, dragons disguised as people, rebel dragons disguised as people, beach town, surfing, volleyball...yep...it's all in this great new trilogy from an author whose work I love.


Oh...I got really lazy yesterday and could not face making pie crust...so I made this...a delicious apple cake! Moist, tender, with a cinnamon sugary crust...but the best thing? No mixer...one bowl...yogurt...Greek...makes it moist! Den was eating this at 10:00 last night!


That's it! It is again windy and wet and chilly here on the East Coast...it's a long sleeved long pants kind of day...

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A Wicked Wednesday!

Den has been away on business...so the girls and I have been relaxing, playing, reading, and totally eating things like toast for dinner...we lounge longer...we haven't been doing laundry...we keep the TV on loud way into the night...we sleep across the big bed and use all eight pillows...and more stuff like that...although yesterday for dinner...I had sautéed Chilean Sea Bass and steamed organic broccoli...so good! Whole Foods has an aisle with freshly diced, sliced, vegetables that are perfect for two people...when I am lazy I grab some.

I marinated the fish in a teriyaki sauce and then just tossed it in a pan...yum! Roxie and Lucy each had a tiny bite...but declined the steamed broccoli...lol.

But Den will be home soon and I want to tidy everything and make him a yummy dinner.

I think I am going to try this...it's a Slab Apple Pie. I am not good at making crust...I hate peeling apples...but I am determined. This one is from Brown Eyed Baker.

Wish me luck?



And I am finally getting to Damn Delicious's Easy Ramen...easy peasy!



Reading this...a good old police mystery...it's really good!


That's my Wednesday...it's rainy and kind of windy here...hopefully Den's flight will be on time....

Have a great day!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Tuesday's Thoughts...

I didn't walk today...so now I feel guilty...so does Roxie...but...I had a million other things to do and it is about to rain...tomorrow we will walk double blocks...maybe we will even try wandering over to the other block...we will run through the geese and have an entirely new adventure!

Finally finished this...it is so good but it is not a standalone...you definitely have to read the first two and they are massive books...filled with Matthew's vampire family and Diana's witch family...I think these books must be historical fantasies...I loved every word!




Now I am about to sit on the sofa...in the family room...under a cozy throw...with a kitty on either side of me! This is what I will be reading whilst I watch Masterpiece Theatre...inspector Lewis! Tea will be brewed, too!


That's all I have!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, October 20, 2014

Monday!!! Menus And More!!!

It's really really really coldish here this week! I want to make all of these "sorta stick to your ribs" suppers this week!

This is an Enchilada Bake from a new blog I love called Damn Delicious! See those little puffy bites? They are buttermilk biscuits! Little pieces of dough that you fold in and then bake in the oven!







Roasted cauliflower soup from Serious Eats...I bought the most beautiful local cauliflower for this baby...lol!






Acorn Squash...simple and savory from Simply Recipes!








Homemade Ramen! This is another one from Damn Delicious...the recipe is so simple and there is only good stuff in this soup! Den can't wait for this one!






Books! NetGalley...I have total mad love for you! New babies this week!


Curses, castles, bloodlines and the day the main character Sarah falls in love...she will turn into a beast...unless the curse is broken. This sounds so YA good to me!











Every citizen gets a score that determines life or death...high score wins...low score...you face the Hybrids outside of the city...oh me oh my!










A mystery thriller...which involves "a vicious power struggle involving greed, envy, ambition and tangled family relationships." OMG...there is nothing that I love more!











An English mystery where the crime shocks an entire village! Oh boy! I am a huge fan of village shocking crimes!




This book is described as "every parent's nightmare"...that phone call that you don't want to get in the middle of the night that changes lives forever...






That's it for me! Enjoy your day!









Sunday, October 19, 2014

Sunday Stuff!

We were out of apples!!! We were out of milk!!! We needed bread!!!

And...because of where we live...everything was at three different places but all of them really truly close by!

Seriously!

So...off we went...

First to Bernard's for apples, local honey, local everything! I got the most beautiful tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and a massive lovely local cauliflower!






Then to visit the cows, goats and sheep at Bailey's Dairy Of Distinction! I petted everyone! Plus we chatted with Bernard...who owns this farm...he was going to retire and sell until his daughter talked him into staying...it is a beautiful place! We buy butter and eggs and cheeses and ice cream...at this farm!






Last...off to the French Bread Ladies...all we needed was a lovely loaf of bread but their flag was down...which meant no bread or no bread yet...so...we had to go to Giant! Sigh!

Now we are home...reading papers, watching football, relaxing with kitties!

Finishing this...it is really good and makes me wish I would have read the first one...



Happy Sunday!