*MAGIC* time!!

{image from vvork.com}
12:34:56PM 7/8/09

How cool is that??

New Neighbors -- so nice!

{first off -- I love our new house. LOVE!!}

I have lived a number of places before this house and I can honestly say I have never had neighbors like our new neighbors. They are sooo nice!! From the moment we walked up to the house they were there to greet us and welcome us to the neighborhood.

One of our neighbors was heading out of town, so she quick came over to meet us and then came over a bit later with a beautiful pink geranium and a letter with their cell phone numbers (in case we needed to get a hold of them over their vacation). So sweet!!

The neighbors on the other side were also over right away and brought us a plate full of chocolate cupcakes that were delicious!! Their daughter and her friend decorated the cakes. Unfortunately I ate the adorable smiley face and firework ones before I thought to take a picture, so you have to use your imagination. They were super cute (and yummy)! {there were seven cupcakes originally on that plate, by the end of the night there were only four. Rich hadn't eaten any, so I wonder where they disappeared to... :) }

Oh!! Both neighbors have dogs. This evening Malin met the dogs on one side of us; all three had a blast running around the backyards. They got along nicely, which is good!!

Yeah -- I think we are going to be happy here.

saddest potted of herbs ever

This is the saddest pot of herbs you will ever see. I just bought the basil, but the rosemary and lavender I have had for a few months. I just re-potted them all into a large pot and added some fertilizer. So hopefully they start to thrive.

I'll post another picture in a few days after they've had a bit of time to settle into their new homes. I love, love, LOVE fresh herbs in the summer!! If they make it, look for these bad boys in subsequent recipes this summer!

Green Bean Salad

From my farmer's market purchases, I created a fresh green bean salad for a fun summer side dish. I honestly just mixed up some stuff, so I don't have an exact recipe, only approximations.
Green Bean Salad
(Source: me!)
Ingredients
1.5 c Green beans (ends trimmed and cut into 1.5" pieces)
1.5 c. Yellow wax beans (ends trimmed and cut into 1.5" pieces)
1/2 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
2 T. prepared pesto
2 T. Apple cider vinegar
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Blanch the beans by plunging them into a pot of simmering salted water for 4-5 minutes, until tender. Drain and spread out to cool (or place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process). {to be honest, I didn't do this. I forgot. After the salad was made, I ended up microwaving the salad for 1 minute to help cook the beans -- they need to be cooked for a little bit}

Put the beans in a large bowl, add grape tomatoes, pesto, vinegar and salt and pepper. Mix to coat. Serve. Eat. {I stored my leftovers in the fridge where it will keep for several days}

Happy 4th of July!!

Yes, we are those kind of dog owners.

local farmer's market

Every Thursday our new town holds a farmer's market. Check out the amazing bounty I scored at our first trip. It was larger than I expected and had lots of yummy fruits, veggies, sweets, treats, breads, organic face care, soaps, meat, plants... okay, it had a lot of stuff!!

I was so excited to hit up a farmer's market! It worked out great, because we were able to take a break from moving, stop by and enjoy the new town for a little bit. However, I hadn't planned ahead and had zero cash on hand. Thankfully my mom and Rich were there (with $$) and paid my way.

Here's what we bought:

• Lettuce = $1 {It was a LOT of lettuce (and the least expensive I found... most were $2). I washed the lettuce when I came home and divided it into two gallon ziploc bags. Yum!}
• Green beans = $3
• Yellow wax beans = $4
• Yellow summer squash & zucchini = $2
• Small kalamata olive ciabatta loaf = $1.75
• Bacon = $5 ? {I can't remember the exact price, but that sounds about right}
• Fudge = $5.50
• Barbecue Sauce = $5
• Raspberry Jam = $7

Total: $ 33.25

The veggies were inexpensive; it was the non-produce that added up quickly. BUT -- so worth it!!

The jam is AMAZING!! In fact, the guy who was selling it has a farm and mentioned going to pick raspberries in a few weeks. I think I might just have to check that out! {Mom?? Rich?? Any interest?}

BBQ sauce = YUM!! I don't even like barbecue sauce, but this stuff was tasty (and a bit spicy)...

Bacon. Are you kidding me? Going to be soooooo good!!

Fudge? That was a gift for my uncle. He loves fudge and loves maple flavored stuff. This was our last purchase and we had to pool all of our money together (and use the change from my wallet), but we ended up with just the right amount of $$.

I can't wait to go again next week!!

Table & Chairs

Growing up we always dined as a family at the dinner table. We sat down together, ate and discussed our day. Yes, the television remained tuned into the Nightly News, but we still talked as a family. What I've learned over the last few years is that this is an important ritual to me. One that I miss.

At our old house we had a very small eat-in kitchen and no dining room. We found a small bar height table that fit perfectly, but it was so small that with two plates, drinks and silverware we were virtually on top of each other. I didn't help that we had to shove the table into the corner which gave us zero elbow room.

{our bar height table}

We honestly ate at this table twice the entire time we lived at that house; the photo above is from the very first time we ate together in our new house [note the moving boxes still under the table].

One of the more important criteria for our new house was a designated dining area. We didn't necessarily need a formal dining room, but a place for a normal-sized table. Ideally one large enough to seat a dinner party, or at least our family.

Thankfully our new home does feature that added space, so Rich and I went in search of a table. We had a very specific idea in mind: a rectangular traditional height table, dark wood, with a leaf and fully-backed chairs. We found what we were looking for and it was on sale! I am so excited to use it!!

{our new dining set}