If you would like more information about Black Hog Farm, their website is www.blackhogblog.com. ....check 'em out!
Until next time......
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Black Hog Farm
I know I haven't blogged in a few days but we haven't really had anything overly exciting for meals recently :( I do have something fun to share though! A few months ago we heard about this fabulous service from a little place called Black Hog Farm out of East Palatka, FL. They are a farm that deliver vegetables right to our front doorstep. For $17 you can get just vegetables or for $23 you can get fruit and vegetables. You can also get various meat, eggs, peanut butter and honey. You do not get to choose what you receive each week but when you sign up you do select what you do not wish to have delivered. You may also get your shipment every week or every other week. We chose fruit and vegetables to be delivered every other week because some weeks it is more than we can feasibly eat. This week we got an onion, garlic, okra, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, acorn squash, and peaches!! The following pictures are not from this week but are some samples of what we have got in the past. It has always proved to be enough for us and is always very tasty!
If you would like more information about Black Hog Farm, their website is www.blackhogblog.com. ....check 'em out!
Until next time......
If you would like more information about Black Hog Farm, their website is www.blackhogblog.com. ....check 'em out!
Until next time......
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Homemade granola bars
Good Morning....ok it's afternoon.
This morning we got up around 7:00. (yes, I know it's Saturday but we have the cutest little dog that can't seem to sleep past 7:00 not matter what day it is) We decided to go for a walk early before it got too hot and then have breakfast. Last night we were playing Apples to Apples with some friends that had come over for dinner and the card maple syrup was played. This of course made it so that we HAD to have pancakes for breakfast today. I didn't take any pictures because they weren't all that beautiful, but we did have so delicious chocolate chip and banana wheat pancakes and bacon.....yummm.
What I am going to post pictures of are the homemade granola bars I just made. I have been super excited about these since I saw them on Pintrest last weekend. Here they are:
Ingredients:
2 cups quick cook oats
1 cup rice cereal
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
chocolate chips
This morning we got up around 7:00. (yes, I know it's Saturday but we have the cutest little dog that can't seem to sleep past 7:00 not matter what day it is) We decided to go for a walk early before it got too hot and then have breakfast. Last night we were playing Apples to Apples with some friends that had come over for dinner and the card maple syrup was played. This of course made it so that we HAD to have pancakes for breakfast today. I didn't take any pictures because they weren't all that beautiful, but we did have so delicious chocolate chip and banana wheat pancakes and bacon.....yummm.
What I am going to post pictures of are the homemade granola bars I just made. I have been super excited about these since I saw them on Pintrest last weekend. Here they are:
Ingredients:
2 cups quick cook oats
1 cup rice cereal
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
chocolate chips
In a small sauce pan combine the butter, brown sugar and honey on medium high heat. Stir until well mixed.
Let this mixture bubble for two minutes to allow the brown sugar granules to all dissolve.
While the mixture is bubbling, combine the oats and rice cereal in a large bowl.
Add the vanilla to the mixture and then pour over the dry ingredients. Stir until all the oats and cereal are covered evenly.
Firmly press the mixture into a small cake pan. Add the chocolate chips last.
I honestly don't think I mixed and pressed enough. Hopefully my granola bars stay together.
Let the granola bars cool for 1 hour before cutting.
You could add any other ingredients you wish such as raisins, dried fruit, nuts, spices, etc.
Enjoy!
Until next time.....
I found this recipe at the following link and have to admit her granola bars look much prettier than mine:) http://www.laurenslatest.com/no-bake-chocolate-chip-granola-bars-easy-healthy/
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Fate was born in an airport
While the title of this blog is "Life as we know it", the web address is fatewasborninanairport. If you really looked at what that long string of letters said you would notice that it says fate was born in an airport. When I was choosing a domain name I wanted it to be something that reflected my husband and I. For those of you that don't know how we met, here's the brief run down.
On July 26, 2003 I was headed to Chicago for my dear friend Katie's baby shower. After a 45 minute silent ride to the airport, my ex boyfriend dropped me off at the curb of the airport, which at this point in my life was absolutely devastating. I immediately burst into tears as I walked through the Kansas City airport to my terminal. As I sat there feeling very sorry for myself I saw a guy wearing jeans and a black Calvin Klein shirt carrying A LOT of stuff. I pulled myself together as he sat in the same small terminal as myself.
When I got on the airplane there were two girls traveling together, however one was in my row and one was sitting in the row in front of me. I asked the girls if they would like to switch seats with me so they could sit next to each other. Low and behold when I switched seats I was sitting across the aisle from the guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt ;) Coincidence? I think not!
We argue about who initiated the conversation, but I know that I am right on this one. We were delayed and the guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt asked me if I knew what time it was. I said that I didn't but it just so happened to strike up a conversation between the two of us. Now for those of you that have flown from Kansas City to Chicago you know that it is maybe an hour flight. In that hour we had a nice casual conversation about what we do, school, etc. The guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt gave me his business card but I however didn't have one since I was going to start teaching that August. I did however ask for a piece of paper and made my own "business card" with my name, the school I would be teaching for, my title and cell phone number. Clever, huh?
After our short flight we parted our own seperate ways with little more than our "business cards" and a casual conversation. When I got off the plane to meet my friend Katie, I told her I might a boy on the plane. I think at that point she thought I was crazy!
I have to admit that I was the first to email the guy with the black Calvin Klein shirt but let it be noted that his response was very quick. I know its hard to believe but all of this was before myspace (mywhat?) or facebook. We relied on emails, AOL instant messenger and eventually calling cards (the guy in the balck Calvin Klein shirt didn't have a cell phone).
I'll spare you the rest of the details but on October 10, 2009 the guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt and I got married. This was of course after he proposed to me on an airplane on our way to New York for my birthday :)
When thinking about how we met, the only thing I can attribute it to is fate. We were supposed to meet that day. I don't think either of us knew where it would lead 9 years ago but I'm certainly glad that I asked the girls if they would like to switch seats with me.
So, I guess it wasn't such a short story but I truly belive that fatewasborninanairport. Oh and by the way.....the guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt still has my "businss card" ;)
Until next time....
On July 26, 2003 I was headed to Chicago for my dear friend Katie's baby shower. After a 45 minute silent ride to the airport, my ex boyfriend dropped me off at the curb of the airport, which at this point in my life was absolutely devastating. I immediately burst into tears as I walked through the Kansas City airport to my terminal. As I sat there feeling very sorry for myself I saw a guy wearing jeans and a black Calvin Klein shirt carrying A LOT of stuff. I pulled myself together as he sat in the same small terminal as myself.
When I got on the airplane there were two girls traveling together, however one was in my row and one was sitting in the row in front of me. I asked the girls if they would like to switch seats with me so they could sit next to each other. Low and behold when I switched seats I was sitting across the aisle from the guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt ;) Coincidence? I think not!
We argue about who initiated the conversation, but I know that I am right on this one. We were delayed and the guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt asked me if I knew what time it was. I said that I didn't but it just so happened to strike up a conversation between the two of us. Now for those of you that have flown from Kansas City to Chicago you know that it is maybe an hour flight. In that hour we had a nice casual conversation about what we do, school, etc. The guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt gave me his business card but I however didn't have one since I was going to start teaching that August. I did however ask for a piece of paper and made my own "business card" with my name, the school I would be teaching for, my title and cell phone number. Clever, huh?
After our short flight we parted our own seperate ways with little more than our "business cards" and a casual conversation. When I got off the plane to meet my friend Katie, I told her I might a boy on the plane. I think at that point she thought I was crazy!
I have to admit that I was the first to email the guy with the black Calvin Klein shirt but let it be noted that his response was very quick. I know its hard to believe but all of this was before myspace (mywhat?) or facebook. We relied on emails, AOL instant messenger and eventually calling cards (the guy in the balck Calvin Klein shirt didn't have a cell phone).
I'll spare you the rest of the details but on October 10, 2009 the guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt and I got married. This was of course after he proposed to me on an airplane on our way to New York for my birthday :)
When thinking about how we met, the only thing I can attribute it to is fate. We were supposed to meet that day. I don't think either of us knew where it would lead 9 years ago but I'm certainly glad that I asked the girls if they would like to switch seats with me.
So, I guess it wasn't such a short story but I truly belive that fatewasborninanairport. Oh and by the way.....the guy in the black Calvin Klein shirt still has my "businss card" ;)
Until next time....
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Turkey vs. Pork Loin...We choose turkey
Alright...Tonight we had turkey loin with snow peas, carrots, and potatoes. Did I mention we made extra turkey burgers last night so I was able to enjoy one for lunch today? Oh yea....that happened!
I have to admit that I didn't do anything fancy to our turkey loin. It went straight from the Publix package into my oven. We do enjoy turkey loin more than pork loin and it is a healthier option.
I have to admit that I didn't do anything fancy to our turkey loin. It went straight from the Publix package into my oven. We do enjoy turkey loin more than pork loin and it is a healthier option.
Here's our turkey loin in all its uncooked glory.
It went in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Baby red potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, rosemary along with a few onions. I baked these at 350 degrees for 45 minutes stirring every so often.
I would recommend spraying the foil with cooking spray so that the potatoes don't stick to the foil.
This has to be my all time favorite kitchen item.... my Pampered Chef vegetable steamer.
For tonight's dinner I put trimmed snap peas and carrots in the steamer with about an inch of water and put them in the microwave for 8 minutes. My vegetables always come out perfect!!
Dinner is served and all for a little over 300 calories!
Until next time :)
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Meet our pal....myfitnesspal
Alright Pam....this one's for you! You requested recipes so here is my first one.
My husband and I have been using myfitnesspal since January (OK, I admit it...he's been using it since January, I just hit it hard core in May, but that's besides the point). I hated the app at first because he was asking me every little ingredient I used when I was cooking. To be honest I didn't know how much olive oil, spices, how many cups of rice, how much pasta sauce etc I was putting in our dinner. I did what looked and tasted good. I tried my best to be more conscience of what I was using so I could let him now the next time he asked. After awhile it became second nature to measure what we were eating.
If you haven't heard of myfitness pal it is an app that you log in all the food and exercise you do in a day. It tells you how many calories, fats, sugars, proteins, sodium, etc that are in the foods you eat. Most foods are already in the data base or if you are using your smart phone you can scan in the barcode of a pre-packaged food. Once you get the hang of it, its really not that hard. We have found that its easier to log as you eat instead of waiting until the end of the day to log everything because more than likely you will leave something out. Also, if you log as you go you can plan out your dinner, snacks and exercise for the rest of the day. As I mentioned before you can also log in your exercise which is figured for you based on your weight. We love this feature because you aren't caught guessing how many calories you are burning when you run, walk, bike etc.
You can also use myfitnesspal online. The cool thing to is that you can have friends join and can follow and help keep each other encouraged! This is what my profile pictures looks like. No, that's not me, that's my motivation!!!
OK....on to the recipe. Tonight we are having one of our neighbors over for dinner. We are having turkey burgers with a cucumber relish. They are super easy to make and spice up your generic turkey burger. Here's the process and the finished product. Hope you enjoy them!
Ingredients:
Burger
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 green onions, white and light green parts only, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pure chile powder (I didn't add this)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Relish
1 1/2 cup coarsely grated seedless cucumber
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno chili ( I didn't add this)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
My husband and I have been using myfitnesspal since January (OK, I admit it...he's been using it since January, I just hit it hard core in May, but that's besides the point). I hated the app at first because he was asking me every little ingredient I used when I was cooking. To be honest I didn't know how much olive oil, spices, how many cups of rice, how much pasta sauce etc I was putting in our dinner. I did what looked and tasted good. I tried my best to be more conscience of what I was using so I could let him now the next time he asked. After awhile it became second nature to measure what we were eating.
If you haven't heard of myfitness pal it is an app that you log in all the food and exercise you do in a day. It tells you how many calories, fats, sugars, proteins, sodium, etc that are in the foods you eat. Most foods are already in the data base or if you are using your smart phone you can scan in the barcode of a pre-packaged food. Once you get the hang of it, its really not that hard. We have found that its easier to log as you eat instead of waiting until the end of the day to log everything because more than likely you will leave something out. Also, if you log as you go you can plan out your dinner, snacks and exercise for the rest of the day. As I mentioned before you can also log in your exercise which is figured for you based on your weight. We love this feature because you aren't caught guessing how many calories you are burning when you run, walk, bike etc.
You can also use myfitnesspal online. The cool thing to is that you can have friends join and can follow and help keep each other encouraged! This is what my profile pictures looks like. No, that's not me, that's my motivation!!!
OK....on to the recipe. Tonight we are having one of our neighbors over for dinner. We are having turkey burgers with a cucumber relish. They are super easy to make and spice up your generic turkey burger. Here's the process and the finished product. Hope you enjoy them!
Ingredients:
Burger
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup bread crumbs
4 green onions, white and light green parts only, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pure chile powder (I didn't add this)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Relish
1 1/2 cup coarsely grated seedless cucumber
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno chili ( I didn't add this)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
Boring old ground turkey breast
Pumped up ground turkey breast
Cucumber relish-- I wish I would have left the peel on before I grated it
Grilled over Direct Medium heat on our Weber grill for 5-7 minutes turning once.
Complete dinner with corn on the cob and tomato, basil, mozzarella and balsamic.....yummo!
Total dinner was 412 calories :)
Monday, July 23, 2012
The beginning of a blogging era....
Welcome to my blog! I've thought about starting a blog several times but for some reason was super compelled to actually create one today! I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to blog about yet and how interesting it is going to be but I'm going to give it a try!! Enjoy!
Let's get started....
This is my husband I on our vacation a few weeks ago. We went to Toronto, Niagara Falls, and Geneseo NY. We travel quite a bit and have recently realized that we are getting a little tired of visiting big cities for example New York, Chicago, Vegas, and Toronto. While we visited Toronto this time to visit some family we ventured off into Letchworth Park, The Grand Canyon of the East, in Geneseo NY . If you enjoy "outdoorsy" vacations then I would highly recommend Letchworth Park. It is absolutely beautiful! We drove around, (it's about 25 miles or so) stopped at a few lookout points, walked a few trails and even did some kayaking which was totally unplanned. Here are a few pics ....
One of the walking trails in Letchworth Park
One of the three amazing waterfalls in the park
My first kayaking experience....not my best but still fun
We also went to a rural winery just outside of Geneseo. We went completely unprepared since everyone had either lawn chairs and blankets and seemed to know everyone. We ended up having a great time and chatted with some very nice people.
What you see in this picture is a New York delicacy....Belgium Waffles and Ice Cream. I was in complete fat girl heaven! I will have to remember this scrumptious treat for another day :)
There was also a local band called Future's Past. They were Fabulous! I even got up and sang Mustang Sally after being pulled to the front. Don't I look like I hate it ? ;)
As we were driving back to Buffalo I couldn't help but snap this picture of wind turbines in rural New York.
If you would like more info on Letchworth Park here is a link:http://www.nysparks.com/parks/79/details.aspx
Until next time.....
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