Dinner was yummy...

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Beef Enchilada Rice
printable version of this recipe (with photo)
printable version of this recipe (without photo)

• one package beef (stew meat, steaks or a roast will work)
• 28 oz. can of mild red enchilada sauce
• 24 oz. jar of mild salsa
• one packet of taco seasoning mix
• cooked wild rice blend
• shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• sour cream

Combine first four ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.  When meat is cooked through, remove from sauce and shred with two forks.  Return meat to sauce and stir.  Serve over prepared wild rice blend, sprinkled with cheddar cheese and topped with a dollop of sour cream.

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I used stew meat tonight...  in hindsight, I should probably have used a roast instead only because it would make for easier shredding.  It was pretty tasty though.

It's getting hot in here...

...yeah, that's right.  I just referenced Nelly (I think), what of it?  No really, it *is* getting hot - as in spicy!  (...is my nerd showing again?)

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Buffalo Sauce
printable version of this recipe (with photo)
printable version of this recipe (without photo)

1 stick of unsalted butter
1 c Frank's hot sauce
1-2 Tbs white vinegar

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, being careful not to brown it.  Add hot sauce and vinegar.  Whisk until it looks smooth and creamy.  Yum.

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We made buffalo chicken pizza since I had some leftover chicken that we had roasted the night before.  As much as I looove the buffalo chicken pizza from our local pizza place, I think I loved my homemade version even more.  Plus, I know *exactly* what's in it when it comes from my kitchen, which puts my mind at ease (especially if the kids are eating it too).

If you like amazing pizza crust (really, who doesn't?), I very highly suggest that you try this recipe for whole wheat pizza crust (my only change was adding honey instead of sugar).  It's our family's favorite.  I searched for the longest time for a good pizza dough recipe and when I found this one, I quit.  It's seriously delicious.  Seriously.

This buffalo sauce is also great for buffalo chicken pasta!  

Happy Earth Day!!!

How are you celebrating?  Today, it's just my fiance, Moo and me, so we'll be doing some more planting, finishing up and hanging a pop bottle bird feeder that Rye and I started the other day and I'm sure we'll squeeze in a few other things.

A few posts back, I said that my cousin gave me a whole bunch of plants Easter weekend.  I feel so loved!  Check out what he gave me!

Wild black raspberries!

He gave us *eight* plants...

Six have made it, but that's not bad.

Oregano!

Yum.

Walking onions!

Chocolate mint!

Heck yeah.

Lemon Balm!

....which I found a sorbet recipe

to use it in that I *have* to try!

Catnip!

Well, I'm not quite as excited about this as Fluffy is.

Thanks to my cousin!!!  And check out his YouTube channel, you can see his greenhouse and a neat rocket stove that he built.

Making laundry more, err, fun...?

So a few posts back (when I shared my plant markers with you), I mentioned that I'd been doing some painting...  here it is:

(inspired by this)

I still have to hang it up, but I'm hoping that this will make me smile occasionally while doing laundry...  I also have an old school wooden and glass washboard that I'd like to hang up in the laundry room.  Hopefully I'll remember to get pictures of it all when it's done.

....I've got some catching up to do...

Yikes, have I been slacking!  I still haven't posted about Easter weekend!  Well, I'm not going to get into what kind of candy the kids got and whatnot, but I *will* share a bit about how we spent the Saturday before Easter because it was just too much fun to *not* tell you about it!

We started off the day meeting up with my cousin and his family at a GIGANTIC Easter egg hunt.  It was pure craziness.

O and Moo

(unfortunately, Rye was at her dad's house

and didn't get to join in our fun...

I'm sure they did their own thing there)

Look at all of those eggs!!!

Look at all of those people!!!  

...and that was just the people

on the other side of the football field,

there were just as many on our side!

And off they go!

O's got some loot!

More candy!

They even had a petting zoo there....

I'll let you guess what my favorite animal was

(keep in mind I'm a knitter and crocheter)!

I LOVE SHEEEEEP!!!

...and a cute little goat.

The bunnies were sweet.

O really liked them.

Afterward, we headed over to my cousin's house and hung out for a bit...  Most of the day was spent feeding and chasing their chickens.  I was amazed at how well behaved *all* the kids and the chickens were!  

O and Moo feeding the chickens some leftovers.

Look at her pretty coloring.

O says he thought they would try to eat him!

They have an old willow tree they like to eat the bugs from.

My cousin's daughter and Moo with the chickens.

My cousin showing the kids how to feed the chickens.

The little bag on top of the coop is a calcium supplement-

Chickens need their vitamins, too!

My cousin made the coop...

I informed him that he'll be doing

some building for us when we have

our own piece of land someday.

Fresh eggs!

Moo showing off the eggs that were laid that morning.

Lunch!

These were by far the best eggs I've *ever* eaten.

Yum.

 

More calcium for the chickens...

who knew they like to eat their eggshells?

My cousin's daughter and O playing.

   

My cousin's son- 

I told him to smile and say cheese...

This is what he gave me, haha.

Last year, they had a phenomenal garden, which they're getting going again this year...

Potatoes

Strawberries

Garlic

Ducks visiting their koi pond.

We had such a good time hanging out there!  Plus, my cousin gave me a whole bunch a plants to bring home!  (I'll have to show those off in a future post)

...Oh, what a beautiful day...

...Just a few quick pictures to share...

One of our backyard visitors.

Rye lookin' pretty under our lilac bush.

Stop and smell the flowers

Pointing out our new blooms.

They're so pretty!

I love how they look like they're painted!

I know that they're weeds, but I think they're pretty.

Another yummy veggie dish...

Cheesy Zucchini and Summer Squash

• 2 zucchini
• 3 summer squash
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into about 1/2" cubes
• 1 c. dubliner or white cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 c. parmesan, shredded
• about 3 or 4 sprigs of thyme or other herb of your choice
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350*

Slice zucchini and squash to about 1/4" thick.  spread out on a deep cookie sheet, trying not to let them overlap too much (a little bit is fine, but the goal is to get some cheese on each bite).  Evenly distribute butter over veggies, then sprinkle with both cheeses.  Pull the herbs off of their stems and sprinkle them even over everything.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 350* for about 30 mins. or until veggies are tender and cheese is golden and bubbly.