Dinner

We made a delicious dinner the other day...
So, I wanted to share..

Garlic Roasted Asparagus ( I prefer to drench in garlic).

And, I adapted my Asparagus recipe from here

                                                  And, I paired it with Garlic/Parmesan Tilapia....

My Tilapia recipe included a little olive oil, a little Parmesan, and a little salt and pepper. 
Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, and dinner is served!

Walks

We went on a walk tonight...
And I snapped a few pictures...
And wanted to share...
So, I hope you enjoy....

Nostalgia

"Nostalgia sometimes includes a general interest in past eras and their personalities and events, especially the "good old days," such as a sudden image, or remembrance of something from one's childhood."

For me, this post comes from remembering my Grandma Becker.
She always had a clothesline in the backyard. She worked hard, and took care of everyone and everything in the house.
So, this past weekend I started dreaming up of how I could have a clothesline in the backyard. Low and behold Dave and I figured a way to put one up...

Isn't it cute?
So, we did that, and we raked a lot of leaves...

And, the puppy got hot, so he laid in the soil in the shade...

And, I needed something to enjoy about yard work, so I wore my pink golf shoes....

And, we enjoyed today, because it was a beautiful day...

Enjoy your day.

Mom

My Mom used to have a staple she'd make when we were growing up...
It was Beef Stroganoff served over rice.
It was also one of my favorite meals ever. So, I called her today to get the protocol down because I wanted to make it..
It's not quite as good as hers, but it does the job..

I served it over brown rice that I had left from earlier in the week. And, it was mmm, mmm good!
Here's the recipe I used:
Beef Stroganoff
1 pound of ground turkey1 8 ounce carton of fat free sour cream2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1/2 cup water2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules1/4 teaspoon black pepper2 cups fresh mushrooms chopped1/2 cup chopped onion1 clove garlic, minced2 tablespoons butter or margarine2 cups white or brown rice
1. In a small bowl stir together sour cream and flour. Stir in water, bouillon granules, and pepper. Set aside.2. In a large skillet cook and stir the ground turkey, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in hot butter over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until the meat is browned. Drain off fat.3. Stir sour cream mixture into meat mixture in skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Serve mixture over rice.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook: Bridal Edition

Chocolate Chip Cookie

I wanted to make something simple this week...
And, for our wedding my dear friend, Claire, got us The Better Homes and Garden Cookbook: Bridal Edition.
I had not used it, but thought for sure there were probably some good recipes in it.
And, after taking a good look at the book, I realized it had way more than just recipes in it..
Suggestions on how to be a good hostess, how to set your table, how to make recipes for two, it's awesome, and a great gift in my opinion for a bride-to-be!
So, I made some chocolate chip cookies, and had Dave pick up a Godiva Milk Chocolate Bar, that I cut up into huge chunks instead of using chocolate chips...
With no further ado...

The dough is amazing. The cookies are delicious. 
Here's the recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Garden
Prep Time: 40 minutesBake: 8 minutes ber patch (Or, I used the ice cream scoop and made 12 big cookies in one batch).Oven: 375 Degrees F3/4 cup butter, softened (Quick Tip: Don't have patience to let your butter soften? Put in microwave for 5 seconds on each of its sides, and when you have done each side it will be softened)!1/4 cup shortening1 cup packed brown sugar1/2 cup granulated sugar3/4 tsp. baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate pieces
1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces and, if desired, walnuts.
2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons two inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-9 minute sor until edges are light brown. Transfer to a wire wrack and let cool.
3. Serve to your husband and expect to be adored :)

Coffee Bar

So, before Dave and I got married, I was dreaming up of ways to decorate our cutesy little house.
One particular thing I wanted to do was to have a "Coffee Bar."
Last weekend, we purchased a bedroom set from one of my mom's clients...
The bedroom set is beautiful, but I did not have room for everything.
So, I took a piece and decorated each room.
The end tables were too big, but they were perfect for my coffee bar!
With no further ado, here are some pictures of my little nook..

The side table is perfect for holding all of those "K-Cups," The rack of coffee mugs frees up space in my cupboards, and overall I love it!

Raspberry Muffin

Noticing any trends here?
For some reason, I L-O-V-E raspberries. And, I really love raspberry muffins.So, I wanted to try making a batch to see if I could make them as good as Wheatfields. You know what I'm talking about if you live in Omaha.
So, I took myself on over The Kitchenarian, since she does a ton of breakfast foods, and a Monday Muffin each week. And, much to my hearts content, I found a raspberry muffin recipe.
You can find the recipe here.
I quickly assembled my shopping list for the grocery store, and was whipping these up in no time.
They are delicious.

And, a perfect quick little breakfast treat.