Weekend Recap...

In one weekend, I went out to lunch twice.  Pretty nice.

Friday:  Such a quiet evening for the most part.  I prepared for a new recipe and ended up using my stone dutch oven for the first time ever!  I had about half a loaf a bread that had gotten a little hard when I left for the girls weekend and instead of throwing it away, I decided I would use it to make French Toast Casserole from Taste of Home.  I prepped it Friday night so that it could sit overnight.  I cooked it on Saturday morning and it was good, but I don't like the cinnamon on it.

Saturday:  Mrs. P and I met up for lunch and then hit the downtown shops.   We went to a cute little used bookstore where I found a book on my reading list for a really good price.  Although, I was getting worried that the cashier wasn't going to look up at all during our transaction.  We also went to some thrift/vintage shops to find some hidden treasures.  I found a cute shirt and a dress.  We also saw an original Oscar de la Renta piece from the 1960s.  It was pretty cool, but very fancy.

When Mrs. P went to her hair appointment, I went to our local Goodwill store and found a cute linen outfit and a pair of shoes.  The shoes fit well, but the outfit (still with tags!) didn't fit at all.  Sad.  After being out in the sun all day and the temperature reaching 87 degrees inside my apartment, I broke down and turned the air on that evening.  I was sitting with a fan blowing on me and not moving and I was sweating.  I couldn't stand it.  I think that even Melody appreciated that.

Sunday:  I met my grandma for lunch and we then went shopping for my mom's birthday present.  It took us a while to find what we were looking for, but I think we did well.  Grandma got herself a new Cardinals shirt to wear to the game this summer and you should have seen how excited she got.  It was like a kid at their birthday.  I went into a candy store looking for something that I love (cinnamon gummy bears) and I had to ask the clerk if they still had them because I couldn't find them anywhere.  They did!  It turns out that they were sort of hidden in a place I wouldn't think to look.  I was so excited!

After shopping, it was time for laundry.  It only took just under an hour this time, which was nice.  While waiting, I started a new book.  I hope to have it finished by this weekend.  We'll see if that happens.

How was your weekend.

Green Thumbs...and Plants...and Pots

This year, I am determined to make my tiny patio more colorful and inviting.  I am really praying for a mild summer that isn't desert hot or swampy wet.  My poppies never survived last year, so I had an extra pot that I decided to fill. 

In addition, Mrs. P. inspired me to grow some herbs of my own.  The timing couldn't have been more perfect because my work was offering a class called "Successful Herb Gardening" for free!  Yippee!  I got some valuable information from the class and picked up 5 plants.  I was only interested in about 2 or 3, but there was one in particular that was calling my name.  A very invasive plant called mint.  Intoxicating really.

After my trip to the store to pick up planters, soil, and essentials, I came back ready to plant.  While working, it became very obvious what my favorite color is.  Two green pots, green gloves, and a green pitcher (it will make an appearance later).  Haha!  I love it.

I carefully planted and realized that I completely underestimated the amount of soil I would need.  I also underestimated the size of my extra pot because I couldn't plant my mint and I had an extra begonia that needed a home.  I wasn't going to the store again because I had already spent too much, so they would have to wait.  After all of my work, here is what I get to look at and care for every day:

From left to right:  basil, chives, oregano, and rosemary.

My begonia doesn't look all that great in this picture, but it's doing pretty well now.  Do you see my little friend?  I love him.  He makes me smile. 

I plan to get some hooks so that the big planter can hang from the rail and not perch precariously on the edge.  I will do an update soon to mark the progress. 

Pinterest Recipe

I while back, I pinned this recipe to my Pinterest board to try.  I love each of the ingredients in these cookies and I wanted something that would be healthier and less expensive for breakfast.  Something to break up the cereal pattern.  And these look so pretty.

I made these on Monday night after spending an hour int he grocery store.  I've never made something with bananas before except for my oatmeal.  I did not add raisins to this batch though.  I only added dried cranberries because I like those a lot.

After following the recipe, I baked them up and waited for the to cool before storing them.  It was getting late that night, so I didnt' want to try them then.  I decided to wait until breakfast to officially try them.  Well, I'm not sure if I may have messed something up or had too high of expectations because I wasn't all that impressed with them.  They are really soft and chewy, which is nice in a cookie, but there's something a little off about them.  I will continue to eat this batch since they are not terrible.  I will try this recipe again sometime to see if the next round is better.  Maybe it's just my taste buds for bananas in baked goods.  Who knows?

If you are looking for something easy to make and quick to grab for breakfast in the morning that is healthier than the normal donut or something, try these.  They are not bad, just different from what I was expecting. 

Pretty Puppies!

Melody and Annie both went to the groomer on Wednesday last week and they always come back smelling so good and looking so pretty.  Unfortunately, both of them won't hold still long enough for me to get a good picture.

Annie goes for the shed treatment.  We learned that we should use exfoliating shampoo to help the loose hair fall out better. She sheds like I don't know what!  The first time she went, she got a bow attached to her collar.  This time, she came home with a cute bandanna.  We were all surprised to see that she kept it on and wasn't bothered by it at all.  Dad finally had to take it off before bed.

Melody always gets the "clean face" and "clean feet".  I got tired of seeing her food stained beard, so I had them shave it down.  Clean feet help to keep her from bringing in leaves and other dirt into the house.  Also, I love that she can wear bows.  She is getting a collection going now.

Enjoy the rest of these photos. 

Weekend Recap...

I hope everyone had a good weekend.  The weather here was perfect, which made time spent with my mom and dad very nice.  I was at my parents house from Tuesday until Sunday.  That was a long visit but it was because of my car.

Friday:  My dad went for a weekend getaway with a buddy, so it was just me and Mom.  We got Chinese for dinner and watched Les Miserables.  I love the movie, but Mom had some issues along the way.  It didn't help that the dogs kept wrestling and making a lot of noise.

Saturday:  Since the sun was shining and temperature was perfect, my mom and I spent the morning and part of the afternoon on the patio watching the birds and soaking up some sunshine.  Then, we went to lunch and did some shopping.  I got a new pair of shoes and some socks.  Not very exciting, but still fun.  Afterwards, we went to play bingo.  We were running late and arrived at the beginning of the third game and my mom nearly bingo-ed within three minutes.  She actually ended up winning 4 times and I still only got close.  We try to tell my grandma that you can't draw attention to the fact that someone is within one from winning.  It's a jinx.  Still, fun for a good cause.

Sunday:  My mom and I again enjoyed the morning and some of the afternoon on the patio watching the birds and soaking up sunshine.  I also planted a new plant for Mom in a pot on the patio table, then re-potted three indoor house plants for her.  They really needed new pots and soil.  I hope that they all grow even more beautiful now.  One plant is over 20 years old and was desperate for a new pot and soil.  It's got a lot of room now, so hopefully, it will go for another 20 years.  A friend of ours had a daughter graduate from high school, so we went to her party for a while.  My hometown has a terrible habit of placing graduation on Mother's Day every year.  It was good to see the friends, including those we don't get to see very often.  My dad came back and cooked dinner for us like he always does on Mother's Day.  He barbecued some ribs.  They cooked for about 4 hours or so and were falling off the bone by dinner.  Yum!

Melody and I finally made it home last night just before it got dark.  I spent some time getting things put away and back in order while she laid on the couch for the rest of the night.  She is always tired after a visit with Annie. 

How was your weekend?