Wrapping Up January: 2017

Cincinnati Skyline from Covington, KY

Seriously. It's February. Of 2017. Unbelievable.

January was (thankfully) not as busy as December you guys. However, it was busier than I expected. Not a lot of time for writing and the blog, but this is also a time period in history unlike anything I've ever seen. I don't know about you, but I'm finding it hard to write. Especially about food. It seems to me that everyone is angry these days. And I do mean everyone. The right and left alike are fired up. I mean, if you read any comments on any political piece, you will see anger. From both sides. I want to write about it, but I am still searching my soul for something to say that's not divisive. 

It seems an impossible task.

Short Margaritas

I've got an easy, short, FUN recipe on deck today!

I know I've shared margarita recipes before. First my Mangling Margaritas, and then my old stand-by, my Special Margaritas.  But sometimes you want a margarita and you don't want all the sugar from the mix. Sometimes you want just one margarita, and not a pitcher. What's a girl to do?

Enter the short margarita. Also known as the fresh margarita, the margarita for 1, and in some places, the authentic margarita. 

25 Things You May Not Know About Me: October 2015

Happy Wednesday friends!

I was all set to post a roundup of 25 chocolate recipes. Yummy, right? Then, I had a change of heart. We can get to those chocolate recipes at anytime. I decided to do something fun instead. Everyone likes to get to know the blogger behind the blog. I actually haven't done a post like this since June 28, 2013. I really tried to dig deep this time. So, enjoy! I'll be back with a new recipe on Friday :-)

The Parental Visit: 2014

Long time, no see bloggy friends!

Yes, it has been 2 weeks since I've opened or thought about my blog. Heck, it's been 2 weeks since I've even looked at my blog. Sometimes, you just need a little down time to reinvigorate.  It's not like I was too busy to blog, that wasn't even the case. Except in Minnesota, where my 80-is-the-new-40 year old aunt ran us ragged. We were all exhausted after the Minnesota weekend. I laugh, because who says that after attending an 80 year old's birthday party? WE DO! All I can say, is you haven't met my aunt. The gist of that tangent? No time to write in Minnesota. Plenty of time to write in Kentucky. Writing still didn't happen.

What did happen in the 2 weeks I've been gone?

- The hubby and I crossed 6 states in 14 hours driving to Minnesota. Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota! Oh, and a word of advice- If you are going to drive through Chicago, expect to spend about $20 in tolls. And Illinois' toll booths don't take debit cards. Are you kidding me? In Chicago. In 2014. For the love.

- My aunt's birthday party was amazing. It was wonderful to be there for her, plus I also met tons of family that I'd never met before. And they were definitely my kind of people!

- We had a huge spaghetti dinner and family baseball night with my parents and Jerame's side of the family back in Kentucky. My favorite moment from the baseball game? My niece and nephew accidentally running full speed into my dad, and everyone collapsing on the ground.

- A cat has made our yard his home.

- We drove my parents out to Lesage, WV to visit Hillbilly Hot Dogs. My dad was in hog heaven.

- We toured our local Brewery.

- The Ducks beat Washington State!

- The hubby made his homemade wings for the fam. Always a highlight!

- We found a fantastic restaurant in downtown Cincinnati, right before dropping the parents off at the airport. It's called "The Senate" and if you are in downtown Cincy, it's a must-try. They had an awesomely eclectic menu of fresh food combinations. The hubby had a Lobster BLT that was to-die-for. My dad's Korean Dog was filled with flavorful short rib and homemade kimchi. Trust me, I'll be back!

And, oh yes- I stole a bunch of pictures from my Mom's iPhone. My blog-vacation included a vacation from my camera :) Without further adieu-

Taken at Grizzly's in Minnesota. Our waiter just couldn't believe that my aunt (white sweater) was turning 80. "No way!" were his exact words. My aunt was stoked :)

Me with my aunt, my mom, and my mom's cousin (my 2nd cousin). 

Another picture with my mom's cousin, her, and I. Taken at my aunt's birthday party. I'm not sure who took this picture, an iPhone newbie perhaps ;)

This was my aunt's name-tag for the party. I love it!

My aunt opening gifts with her great-grandchildren. I can't believe she has great-grandchildren.

Back home in Kentucky, I made Turkey Pesto Sandwiches for the fam. 

Lunch at the local brewery. I apologize for the bad lighting!

Getting a tour of the brewery.

Our trip to Hillbilly Hotdogs.

No one left hungry. Or without a couple of beers. Correction- Dad easily passed on the beer, but found it rather difficult to turn down a vanilla milkshake :)

The parents loved Hillbilly Hotdogs!

Here's the cat that just showed up. He (she?) showed up about a week ago. He was passing through the yard and when the hubby went to shoo him away, the cat came to him. The poor kitty was skin and bones, so we fed him. Thank goodness for my animal shelter donation pile in the basement! Anyhoo, it's been a week and he hasn't stepped one foot off the property. Not one foot. He now has a cat house, a food and water bowl, and a name. Samuel. Samuel the cat. We aren't exactly a cat family, having 2 small dogs and being backyard birders, but we'll see how it goes. Sam hasn't shown any interest in the birds. So far...

Scotch, wings, and Monday night football. It doesn't get much better. The hubby made wings for my parents the night before they left, and they were a hit. As usual :)

My parents and I outside the Senate, right before we dropped them off at the airport. It was a wonderful trip. Too short, as usual, but tons of fun!

That's it for tonight folks. I've got a couple of recipes to share this week, and then hopefully, I'll get back on track next week. I apologize to my fans to who check the blog in the morning with their coffee for the lack of new reading material as of late. Ahem, Norm. Yes, my parents let me know how much you read and enjoy the blog. A big, hearty "thank you" from me to you :)

Happy Wednesday!

Lately (Summer 2014)

I can't believe it's the last day of August. Tomorrow is September, summer is officially over, and all I have to look forward to is...

-the leaves changing color

-low humidity

-baking with pumpkin

-going to Cancun in October!

-breaking out the long pants. Hoodies. Boots.

-football

-chilly morning runs

-not having to run the air conditioner

-root veggies coming into season! 

-feeling the desire to turn the oven on again

-jacket weather

-apple cider

-Halloween

-all my shows coming back!

Ok. I must confess. I don't hate fall, and I might even be looking forward to it a little bit. But just a little bit. Don't worry summer, I will miss you! To gear up for the switch in seasons, I thought I'd share some summer happenings-

My little bro came out to visit in August. He arrived in Kentucky to relax for a week, right before he went back to school. He's a high school teacher and basketball coach. A little gearing up before the school year, if you will. We had a great visit, with lots of running, sight-seeing, Cincinnati Red-ing, swimming, and eating. Oh, plus an inordinate amount of video game playing. Ok, so I wasn't involved in that part! Haha. This picture was taken at The Yardhouse, a great bar and grill right next to Great American Ballpark. I mean, look at the size of those beers! Heaven...

The hubby and I are never ones to be serious!

Summer is watermelon season, and guess who loves watermelon? My crazy puppies. I couldn't cut into one this summer without being harassed. Come to think of it, they do the same whenever they hear a banana, a bell pepper, or a carrot on the cutting board. At least they're healthy monsters :)

Giz can't jump as high to get his watermelon, but he tries his best!

Sometime during this summer, I was out running by myself. It was a fairly hot day with high humidity, and the 5-miles I ran might as well have been 26.2. It was a miserable run, what with sunscreen-soaked sweat dripping and stinging my eyes every 2 seconds. But I pushed through, and as I was walking to my car, I froze. About 10 feet from my car was this baby bunny. He was so adorable. I'd barely taken a picture on my phone where there was a sudden rustling near me. Something sprang out of the bush close to where I stood, almost making me jump 10 feet in the air. It was his momma. She ran (hopped?) over to him, and they ran (hopped??) away. It was a sweet moment in nature, and it made melting away on that run almost worth it. Almost :)

Gizmo's selfie.

Haloti's selfie. I can't decide whose I like better!

A Chinese fortune I received. I normally roll my eyes at these silly, traditional scraps of paper stuffed inside those crunchy cookies, but I liked this one. In fact, I even put it in my wallet. A positive affirmation to keep on keeping on. 

Bib and goodies from our 7-mile race.

Crossing the finish line of that 7-miler. I'm so super-proud of that time. I've said it before, and I'll say it again- I am not a born runner. It's never come easy to me. In fact, I always tried to avoid sports involving running as a kid. Soccer. Basketball. Track. I stuck to volleyball. Minimal running. However, with the proper training, I'm slowly and steadily getting faster. I may never run a marathon, but I've come a long way since that girl that started out last September not able to run 1 mile. I couldn't feel better about my accomplishments this year.

A brotherly tongue bath is the way these pups start most days :)

To celebrate this holiday weekend, we had a family cookout at the hubby's sister's house yesterday. Everyone in the family has busy, full lives, so we really relish the time we all get to spend together. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill, stuffed our faces with cupcakes, and even managed to take some family pictures. Oh, and if you thought I was the one to remember to take pictures, you would be wrong. So woefully wrong. LOL.

Happy Labor Day Weekend friends! I hope anyone and everyone is sending summer out with a bang. Because, before you know it, there will be pumpkin on this blog :)

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

I don't use my slow cooker enough.

There, I said it. I, simply and plainly put, don't use it enough. The slow cooker is near the top of my list of favorite kitchen appliances that are never used. Along with the blender. And the blow torch. And the electric wok. I should use it more, it makes dinner easy-peasy. It's been pretty hectic around the house lately, to the point where I'm usually tired by early evening. A long, complex meal has not sounded like the ticket. But with the slow cooker, you can expend all your energy in the morning completing the prep, and just be ready to go at dinner. Doesn't that sound like winning for everyone?

I prepared this last week when my MIL was staying with us while her carpet was redone. The hubby's uncle helped the hubby move his mother's furniture and pull up the old carpet, so we invited him to feast on French Dip's as well. This recipe worked perfectly for a hectic day! I got an absolutely stunning roast at the Farmer's Market (organic, grass-fed, not fed hormones, etc.) that I threw in the crockpot after prepping for 5 minutes. The roast is cooked in a beef broth mixture that makes the house smell delicious all day.

This was one of those dishes that the hubby hovered around whenever he could. Yes, he was at his mom's working most of the day but anytime he stopped back by the house, he was pressing his nose to the lid. The roast had been cooking for 7.5 hours when he came home for good. It was then that he decided he must open the lid and check the tenderness. I warned him against (you know, letting all the heat out!) but I had a feeling it was probably done. Sure enough, fork tender. I ended up pouring about 3/4 of the liquid into a stockpot on the stove, and leaving the remaining liquid in with the meat. The hubby couldn't make his sandwich fast enough. I'd bought plenty of sandwich hoagies, but it turned out one sandwich was filling enough for everyone. 

There's something magical about dipping those hot, beefy sandwiches covered in melted Swiss cheese into those little cups of broth-y goodness. I must say, I was pretty darn proud of my au jus. The sandwiches were a big hit in this house, and a fairly economical one at that. The magical slow cooker transforms cheap roasts into deliciously tender sandwich fare. If you have a roast beef lover in your house, make this one today!

One more tip- I bought a roast on the bone. After the roast was cooked, I fished out the bone and froze it. On Saturday, when I made a gigantic batch of marinara out of 15 lbs of tomatoes, I threw the bone in the sauce while it simmered all day. Magical! Get bones, save bones. That's my advice for the day :)

My little brother will be here on Thursday! Yes, I'm positive he'll be here Thursday. I've written it down, the hubby's written it down, the brother has called to remind me... It's safe to say I'll be a wee more prepared than last time! We don't have too much planned for this visit, although we will be attending a Red's game in Cincinnati which I'm excited for. He's looking forward to some relax and de-stress time, plus some home-cooking! I've only received one request so far, and it's for Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Done, and done! I'm sure I'll receive some more requests along the way, we'll just have to see. Other than pizza, the only other item I have planned is making Blueberry Danish. 

In the meantime, I'm going to be busy. Very, very busy. Still training, but now throw in cleaning the house, cooking, baking, gardening, bathing the dogs, and trying to squeeze in photo shoots. Like I said before, it's hectic around here right now.

Hey, it keeps me young! Have a great day everyone! :)

Ingredients (makes 5-6 large sandwiches):

1 onion, chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 1/2 lbs chuck roast

sandwich rolls and sliced Swiss cheese (for serving)

Directions:

1. Combine onion through black pepper in slow cooker. Stir to incorporate. Place roast in slow cooker. Spoon broth mixture over meat. Place lid on slow cooker, and cook on low for 8 hours.

2. Remove beef from slow cooker. Pour 3/4 of liquid from slow cooker into stockpot, retaining the remaining liquid in the slow cooker. Place stockpot on stove over low heat. 

3. Place beef back in slow cooker with remaining liquid. Using two forks, shred the beef and coat it with remaining broth. 

4. Sandwich beef between rolls, top with cheese, and serve with reserved au jus.

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy. 

If you liked this recipe, you may enjoy these:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Shredded Beef Tacos

Buffalo Chicken Mozzarella Melts

Linked to: Treasure Box Tuesdays, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday

Mid-July in the Jarrell Garden

Not bad for a first harvest!

I can't believe it's Wednesday already, and I've yet to post this week. Eek. The hubby and I had a great time in Cincinnati over the weekend. It was sunny, relaxing, and just the fix we needed to recharge our batteries. So relaxing, in fact, I couldn't be bothered with my blog. Until now. I do have recipes to share this week, but first I'm going to share what's been going on in the garden. Cucumbers and tomatoes are starting to ripen, and I'm even going to have jalapeños this week! 

The hubby and I have been working slowly on landscaping. Here's one of our weekend projects- dwarf spruce's. I'm proud to say we planted these in our own compost!

I keep finding these giant moths around the house. They creep me out, big time.

The hubby and I finally got some chairs and a little table to put on the front porch.

The garden is starting to look a little greener and bushier. 

The path continues...

My gardening partner :)

The raised bed tomatoes are starting to take off.

As is the raised bed cabbage.

The chard and lettuce continue to grow...

Last week, my roma tomatoes started to look a little worse for wear. I think they got a little root-bound, so I transplanted them into bigger pots. I also read an article about using straw to combat blight, which is the problem I think I'm having. Every plant I've surrounded with straw at the base looks healthier. 

Even my Charlie Brown Christmas Tree! The new growth on this plant looks extremely healthy. If you are combatting blight this year, separating the soil from the plant leaves with straw might be an option for you. The theory behind straw in the garden is that it keep fungus from the soil from splashing onto your plant leaves while watering the garden, a process that can introduce blight to your plants. No bueno. The straw has been a fantastic (and cheap!) fix.

The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree has even started producing new fruit!

The green pepper has been growing by leaps and bounds. I'll have tiny blossoms within the week on this one.

My zucchinis were starting to get blossom-end rot, so I had to transplant them as well. I'm afraid it too was a little root-bound. We moved it into a bigger pot, and fertilized it with plenty of calcium.

This tiny zucchini continues to grow, so I think the transplant was successful.

The cucumber has started climbing (and almost outgrown) it's 2nd trellis. 

I should be able to pick this guy in a couple of days!

The cilantro is coming along amazingly well.

Lavender...

Grasshopper hunter :)

Let. Us. In!

Happy Wednesday friends! I'll be back tomorrow with recipes!

Interesting Articles:

Control of Tomato Blights in the Home Garden

Zucchini Growing Problems

Saturniidae Moths