March 12 - Barefoot Contestant

I love Barefoot Contessa. (Chuck calls it Barefoot Contestant.)
He can't stand Ina Garten, but he usually doesn't complain when I make one of her recipes!

Tonight I made Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic served with Basmati rice with cashews and golden raisins and a side of spinach sauteed with bacon and shallots.

This seems like a lot of bacon because I got
the stuff at the bottom of the pan.
The rest of the spinach wasn't overrun with bacon.

For dessert, we had orange cake with cream cheese frosting.
(Not from scratch. I cheated.)

March 11 - Rain, Rain, Go Away

So, Northeast Indiana's been inundated with rain the last few days, with lots of flooding and road closures. We got 3 inches of rain on Tuesday in addition to the 2 we got Sunday. Then the temps dropped and it froze! Where the heck is Spring??!!

March 10 - More Deer!

Okay, there were 11 (11!) deer in the yard today and I was able to get 10 in one picture! You know I had to put it on here.

March 9 - Pluggin' Away

I've got to do a plug for Hillshire Farm Deli Select Ultra Thin sliced pastrami and salami. I'm super picky about the lunchmeat I'll eat. That chopped, formed and pressed stuff makes me want to hurl. I recently discovered these two particular varieties of the Hillshire Farm and let me just tell you... they are fabulous! Closest thing to deli-sliced meat outside the deli case. YUMMY! I mean... GO MEAT! (Their commercials leave something to be desired.)

March 8 - A River Runs Through It

We have a wee little tiny creek-like thing on one part of our property and it only has water in it if it rains. This is after about a good 20 minute downpour. (We got 2 inches of rain this day.)

March 7 - Goin' Back to Cali, Cali....

Today, Justin went back to California. Kyle went along for the drive to Detroit and the three of us enjoyed a nice breakfast at Ruby Tuesday in the airport.

Remember when you were a kid and being served juice
in a wine glass was the most special thing ever?

Mmmm, pancakes and breakfast burritos!

Here's Justin's plane waiting to take off...
I only a cried a little. A few times. :(

March 6 - Buggies and Silly Cats

Today was Justin's last full day visiting us on his little vacation out here. We went to Shipshewana for breakfast (at Dutchmaid Diner - our favorite) then stopped at Yoder's Meat & Cheese Shop (I call it the Amish Trader Joe's) and Yoder Popcorn.

Here's Justin outside Yoder's...
I think I caught him mid-sentence. Lol!

Horse & buggy parking...


And here's my dinner clean-up help...
turn around for half a second and she climbs in the dishwasher!

March 5 - Gotcha!

This little guy (or girl) is one of two raccoons that have been TERRIFYING us the last few days. Okay, not terrifying us. They've just been wandering around the back yard.

This is the smaller of the two. One night, it did climb up a tree and stalk us, though, and that was pretty damn terrifying.

March 4 - Wanna Buy Some Cookies?

Here's Justin, Coobie and Mayah, enjoying some delicious Girl Scout cookies.

March 3 - French Fried 'Taters, Mmmhmmmm

Okay, so these weren't taters a la Billy Bob Thornton and they weren't taters at all. This is my first attempt at making Irish Potatoes, a delectable combination of cream cheese, coconut, powdered sugar and vanilla, rolled in cinnamon.... YUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM!!!!