Wrapping Up December: 2016

Ok, so I know it's 4 days into the New Year but......

December was way too busy and waaaaay too much fun to not wrap up 😁 This post is long and picture-heavy, and I have so much to discuss that I'm not even going to waste time on an introduction. Let's go!

That first picture is the garden on December 1st. The marigolds had finally had it, and so had pretty much everything else. I've still got some rosemary and some thyme alive, but that's it. The cold weather we had in Kentucky while the hubby and I were in Oregon even got my parsley. Darn it. 

Since I've Been Gone: August (So Far)

Ok friends, let's wrap up this time period of me being gone forever and a day. I've finished up talking about July, so let's talk about August so far. August has been pretty typical around here, lots of humidity (oh lord, the humidity) and heat. Also, lots of rain. I'm happy with rain in the summer though, we get such crazy downpours that I don't have to water the garden for 2 days. Talk about shaving some time off the chore wheel. But honestly, when you are talking about August in the garden (at least for me) there's not a lot to do. This downtime feels so crazy after the frenzy of landscaping the hubby and I did during the early summer. I can't complain though, it's a lovely contrast. I much need the rest after having such a full house. And August of the family's stay here was pretty busy-

Since I've Been Gone: July

Hi friends! It's been soooooooooo long. I didn't even mean to take such a long break, it just kind of... happened. I've had a pretty full house since I've been gone, but sadly, it's now empty. My family came to visit for almost a month, and it was AWESOME. Awesome to see and have all my family here, but I did suffer a touch of writer's block. I meant to post the week before everyone got here, but each day was crammed with chores to get the house ready for family. It seemed like every night I went to bed before their visit with a to-do list for the next day pounding in my head. This left little thought for writing.

Jessica's Special Margaritas

Happy National Margarita Day!

That's right, a whole entire day devoted to that delectable, salty-sweet drink known as the Margarita. I love me a margarita. They are one of my favorite drinks to order. This could be because I frequent a lot of Mexican restaurants... At any rate, if I don't have a margarita in my hot little hands, it's not a real Mexican feast to me. As you can imagine, there's several Mexican restaurants I've never tried around here, solely because they are stuck in a dry county.

Sorry, amigos. No tequila? No Jessica :-)

Enchilada Stacks

-with chicken, black beans, spinach, and pepper jack cheese

Just call me "The Globetrotting Eater"!

I'm doing pretty good this month. An Asian recipe, a Greek recipe, a cupcake recipe (you gotta throw one of those in every now and then), and now a Mexican recipe. I'm spanning the world over here! 

Variety is good, yes? I think so. I know lots of people who eat the same foods, day after day, year after year, for their entire lives. Never getting outside the box. While it's true, I could and do eat certain foods everyday (hello turkey sandwiches!), I need diversity. There's something amazing and life-changing about discovering a new food that you've never tried before. It's almost like falling in love.

Oregon 2015

Oh my goodness. I took quite the break!

It's been more than a month since my last post. And let me tell you, time off did me good. I definitely feel invigorated and refreshed. The hubby and I got back from our Oregon trip on Thursday night, but it's taken me a while to find my bearings. It always feels like that coming back from vacation. However, the house is back in order, the laundry is all done, the fridge is stocked with veggies- which means it's time to get back to writing. 

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Guess what today is??

Guess what day it is!!

Today is the kickoff of the NCAA tournament, or "March Madness" as much of the country joyfully calls it. What better food to kick of the tournament than the official food of sports-watching? There is none, these are hands-down the best! The hubby makes them a couple times a year, usually for the Super Bowl, the title game of the NCAA tournament, the Hall of Fame Game in the NFL, occasionally when the Steelers play the Bengals... and that's about it. They are a treat for us, and I look forward to them as such whenever I get them.

Philly-Style Chicken Sandwiches

I put this recipe on my "idea" list for the blog about 6 months ago. I have a sticky note where I keep all my ideas for upcoming blog posts. I add to it, make something, scratch that off, add a couple more ideas, start the process over.

Cancun: Part Uno

I'm back!

From outer space!

Wait. No, that's the start of a different post. LOL. But yes, I am back! Refreshed and re-energized, and thrust back into reality with a very busy week. I was going to try to post tomorrow morning, until I looked at my schedule and realized I have an 8 am doctors appointment. Yeah, no time for writing tomorrow morning. But that's boring, let's talk about Mexico! And by the way- this post is picture heavy. 

We had the best time. Ever. We both told each it was the best vacation either one of us had been on. The beach was gorgeous (see picture above!). The weather was, eh, pretty good considering a tropical depression formed on top of us while we were there. We had a couple of either mornings or afternoons that were rainy, but we didn't lose any full days. And even though there was rain, it was still 85+ degrees, so no complaints there! I'm in love with the wildlife-

These are coatimundas. They are relatives of raccoons but waaaaay tamer. They were all over the resort. They traveled in big packs, scouring the ground and overturning rocks for bugs. And maybe potato chips :) The packs they travel in are about 20 of them, and there are usually numerous babies with them. They were so darn cute! They would eat potato chips right out of your hand. I was in love, and almost sad to leave because I wouldn't see any more of them. 

One of our first beach days, I believe this was Sunday after we got there. The weather was gorgeous. That's me and the hubby's legs, in case you are wondering. We did go with a group of 8. We went with 2 of the hubby's cousins and their wives, along with another couple. 

Hubby and I on the beach.

Nothing like a beach selfie.

I'd never seen so many wild iguanas before! They were everywhere. You couldn't walk 10 feet in the resort without seeing numerous lizards sunning themselves. They move surprisingly fast. I was startled multiple times by a large lizard running out in front of me. Of course, after I jumped 5 feet in the air, it always made me smile. The hubby and I saw one lizard (not an iguana) that ran on 2 legs, like a raptor! It was small, but it still freaked me out!

In fact, that's a large lizard right behind me.

A very small lizard. More my style :)

This is how close these coatis get to you! Actually, this was the resident restaurant coati that never leaves. The staff calls him "Poncho". He runs all the other coatis off, because the restaurant is his territory. Several mornings he was asleep on the roof, and all you could see was his tail. The waiters said he loves sweet breads and will come up to the tables at the edge of the restaurant and beg for bread.

Like this!

Needless to say, Poncho got quite a bit of sweet bread from us.

One of the hubby's cousin's wives and I soaking up the sun.

A drink in hand at all times!

The day before we left was just gorgeous. Enjoying this view for a week went so fast!

I went back to my room to nap at some point, when I noticed a pack of coati outside my room. I couldn't resist, I crushed a bag of potato chips and gave it to them. It's funny, sometimes you start out with 1 and then they call their buddies with little squeaks. Then you end up with this!

This was a little baby. I loved the baby ones so much. Another funny thing is that after they eat all the potato chips and you go inside to hide from their demanding ways, they'll all come on the porch and stare in the glass door at you. As if to say, "What are you doing in there?? Give us more food!". It's amazing how different these guys are from raccoons. There didn't even seem to be a similarity, other than kind of looking like one. 

Playing a little beach volleyball. Beach volleyball is so hard! I played regular volleyball in high school, inter mural in college, and also coached while I was in college, but let me tell you, sand sucks. It's like jumping with your legs weighed down with concrete. On the plus side, I was always dying by the end of the game, so it was definitely a good workout. And after a couple margaritas, I would dive all over that sand court! LOL. 

Crab enchiladas at the Authentic Mexican restaurant. The hubby got these as an appetizer, they were so yummy. We ate some amazing food while we were there. The resort had 6 restaurants, all different types of cuisine. We are talking Japanese, Italian, Indian, French, Mexican, and an American Steakhouse. The French restaurant was my favorite, hands downs. I tried escargot, foie gras, and a tasty French Onion Soup for the first time. I finally know what real French Onion Soup tastes like, and I'm excited to recreate it :) Oh, and the escargot and foie gras? Simply amazing. Yes, escargot is snails. But damn! They be good. And the foie gras was so creamy, salty, and delicious. It's good to step out of your comfort zone. I will say, the only meal I didn't enjoy was Lamb Vindaloo at the Indian Restaurant. I did not enjoy their red curry. I'm left wondering if I just didn't like their red curry, or if maybe I don't like red curry at all? Experiments are in order for that one. 

Kissing under the sombrero at the Mexican restaurant. 

A shot of the main pool. It might look stormy in the background, but most of the time, it was just clouds passing over. It was still super warm. Just the way I like it :)

Another ocean shot. The water was so warm and clear. A 180º difference from the water on the Oregon Coast where I grew up. 

Hubby and I taking a shadow selfie.

Hubby and I on the beach.

Our group, minus one of the hubby's cousin's wives. It seemed difficult to get the whole group in one shot. It seemed someone was always missing. Isn't that how trips go with a big group? And it's kind of the best part. You can always sneak off to catch a little alone time or a much needed nap. This introvert took advantage a couple of times too :)

A picture of all the boys. The hubby, 2 of his cousins, and the guy with his thumbs up is half of the other couple who traveled with us. I just love this underwater shot.

I apologize for all the pictures, but we ended up taking 300! There were just too many to share. In case you were wondering about the "Part Uno" part, I do have more pictures to share. The story is this: When the hubby and I got engaged, we were planning on getting married in Las Vegas and honeymooning in Jamaica. The hubby ended up getting laid off during this time period, due to the crash in the commercial construction industry in Portland. We scrapped all of our plans, got married in my parents backyard, and spent 3 days on the Oregon Coast as our honeymoon. We never got a lot of things that went along with a traditional wedding, most specifically professional wedding pictures. So we ended up buying a lot of professional pictures of the hubby and I when we were in Cancun. And on Wednesday, I want to share a few. So, look forward to "Cancun: Part Dos" when I return on Wednesday.

Happy Monday friends!

Garden Update: End of June

Happy Sunday!

Let's jump right in shall we?

Now, I just commented on one of my friends blogs, telling them I had no confessions to make. I lied. I do. My confession? I have a secret, guilty pleasure in watching the reality TV show, "Wife Swap". Love that show! This week's episode met all my requirements for good reality TV- Pseudo-celebrities (Speidi), childish behavior by adults, and girls with blowouts and stilettos beings forced to sit in the rain. The swap this week was between reality TV royalty, Heidi and Spencer Pratt, and Olympic swimmer, Amanda Beard. To lay down the basics, Heidi and Spencer live in Southern California with a huge house, no kids, 4 tiny dogs, no jobs, house and garden staff, and huge spending habits. Amanda Beard, in comparison, lives a very normal life in Seattle, Washington, complete with kids, a normal house, yard work, fishing in the rain, and real jobs. I was really impressed with how down-to-Earth Amanda Beard was. She's just a normal, hardworking woman trying to raise her kids with good values. Her husband seems like a great partner, and together they make a great team. Heidi and Spencer, on the other hand, disgusted me. Neither of them have jobs, yet Heidi spends all day shopping and Spencer spends all day polishing his crystal collection. That, and they are constantly going out. For every meal. Spencer takes Amanda Beard out to eat, and orders half the menu. WTH? Their spending reminded me of the Kardashians- obscene when there are so many people suffering in this country.

What really interested me was when the couples turned the tables (a classic Wife Swap moment). Amanda made Spencer stay in and cook a meal, and all he could do was complain about bored he was, how crappy the food was, and how staying home was "absolute hell". I was appalled. I can't imagine what these people would think of my life, which I consider "heavenly". I've come to love staying home to make dinner and getting my hands dirty outside. It's therapeutic. I've found almost any activity outside brings me closer to nature, closer to where people were meant to be. It brings me peace and tranquility in a way that shopping, drinking, partying, and the "One-Up Game" never did. 

I've said my piece. Moving on to pictures of my garden! The first picture is a picture of the day we planted the herb garden, while the second picture is of the crazy thing today. It's out of control!

The mint is the most crazy. Mom was sooooo right. 

The mint escaping its box. I'm going to have go cut those vines, it's intruding on the thyme.

Basil is coming out of my ears! A huge bowl full, plus more to harvest. In addition, that's a little pile of extra herbs I'm drying out to add to the compost.

Vacuumed-sealed 2 bags of pesto this week.

I harvested the cilantro till it died. Now, I've planted new seedlings that are popping up extremely well. Baby cilantro :)

Planted some lavender. I think I'm going to start making my own organic bug spray.

Tomato plants. I decided to combine them into one picture :) I mean, the post is already pretty pic-heavy. 

My Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I don't think this plant will be saved. But, I'm learning a lot about tomato plants!

If only these would ripen before the plant dies. I don't think it's going to happen. Boooo.

More tiny tomato plants. I don't think these are going to take either. Sigh. 

Enough sad looking tomato plants. My jalapeño plant is doing well. It has blossoms and even tiny fruit forming!

The cucumber has attached its self to the trellis. Exactly what it's supposed to do.

And, it's blossoming!

Green bell pepper, taking off.

Zucchini blossoms.

Lettuce and chard.

And what garden post would be complete without my friends who join me in the garden? Here's a couple of gold finches that came calling.

A lady cardinal munching away.

Incoming hummer! Love this shot :)

The woodpeckers are one of the few birds who don't care if I'm outside with them. They'll eat anyway.

I heart woodpeckers. Look at that little face!

I hope everyone is having an excellent weekend, I know I am. I got tons of fresh veggies at the farmer's market yesterday, had breakfast and coffee with my girlfriend afterwards, a Netflix afternoon with the hubby, and then date night last night! Pizza and beer at the local brewery, and then ice cream from the local Dari Creme. The hubby and I are coming up on 5 years of marriage next month, and yet sometimes we still feel like young kids that just met. While I'd never say marriage is easy, it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. Events have transpired this week (I'm not going to get into them) that have made me eternally grateful to have that man firmly planted at my side. True love is a beautiful thing :)

Have a great day everyone!