Oooh, SMELLY!

It is Lulu's birthday...Happy Birthday, Lulu! And this is what she got, among other things.

My favorite little gift shop in Claremore, OK...J&J Gifts...has Glamorous Wash.  Now, I'm not going to lie to you, the stuff is expensive, but it is sooo worth it.  I use it to wash my sheets and you have never smelled anything so divine.  Plus, it makes the house smell good, too!  My favorite flavor, I mean scent, is Diva.  My second favorite flavor, (whatever, that's what I like to call it) is Kathina.  Lulu got the Kathina.  You can also choose from High Maintenance, French Market...oh my gosh, I could go on and on and oh, I have. 

Check it out at http://www.tylercandles.com/ (Oh, poo, the site is under construction, but most gift shops carry it.  Try back again to buy online or find shops that sell it, cause you're gonna want it!)

Onto the next smelly smell. I have been using diffusers and have been through several, but the thing is, this one, that I bought first from Archipelago, still has oil in it. Hello! I bought it in October! I'm sold. In other rooms, I've gone through two or more in that time and this one is still going and smelling soooo good. Havana flavor, travel size, yeah, the little one. 

And speaking of Archipelago, (I'm sure I pronounce that in some sort of offending hick way, so I apologize. You are lucky you cannot hear me.) below is another product of theirs that I'm hooked on because of the great scent, you know flavor? Milk Body Wash.  Okay, so many of the scents I like are food items, so I'm still going with the flavor thing, but I promise I don't taste them.

This stuff is great for the shower with a handy pump and you will smell good enough to, well, eat.
(See what I mean?)

  http://www.archipelago-usa.com/ 

Now, this site is up and running and I could go on some more about their Pomegranate lotions, etc., but I will spare you for now.  Wait, and the Sugar Bubble Bath, in coconut flavor.  I'm heading to the bubble bath now!

MY HAPPY PLACE, plus a DINNER IDEA

I love Whole Foods Market!

I have referenced their recipes several times, (See smoothies, under Flips label) and I just can't get enough of the place. 

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

It is my happy place, really.  I go there every couple of weeks to stock up on organic items that you can't find elsewhere.  If you have one of these stores close to you, check it out.  It will make you happy.

They sell these packs of veggies, all ready to cook.  This is the stir-fry pack.  (We have also tried the asparagus with lots of garlic and olive oil ready for roasting, yum!)

 I dumped the pack into a hot skillet with a little oil and stir-fried until tender.

 This is an easy sweet and sour sauce made by mixing equal parts apricot preserves (or plum jam is great, also) and Ott's Famous dressing.  You can also use French dressing or Catalina, depending on what you like.

One marinated chicken breast that Daddio grilled and sliced to add to the veggies.  (I put chicken breasts individually, in the freezer with lemon juice, garlic and herbs for dishes like this.  You can also use lime and chili powder with oregano.  Handy)

Pop some frozen egg rolls in the oven, or drop by your local take-out place, even better!

 Heat the sweet and sour in the microwave and pour over the chicken and veggies.  Be sure and save some to dip the egg rolls.  So easy and fresh.  Daddio says, "Tasty!"

POT RACK!!

Daddio finally got around to hanging my pot rack.  We've had it for a few weeks.  We had our families over  for dinner a couple of weeks ago and had it displayed as a nice fireplace screen at the time, but now it has found a home in the kitchen.

Look it has a rooster on it!  That's what drew us to it.  Well, what do you expect from a 2Hipchick?

I even found pots presentable enough to hang from it.  That was my secret worry at the store.  Only women think of these things.

So, isn't it great?  We like it.  It brings a nice division between the family room and the kitchen.

GARDEN UPDATE

Now that the last of the snow has melted, I am having garden fever again.

My pretty little strawberry plant peeking through the garlic leaves, hmm, hopes there's no flavor crossings.

Little tiny lettuces coming up and don't you love the stake, bees and ladybugs.

Grow garden, grow!

IT'S THE BEES KNEES

The Bee's are here!  Lulu (eldest daugher who has already flown the coop) gave Daddio bees for the garden for his birthday.  The bees arrived this week.

The canister contains orchard mason bees.  They are not honey bees, but they will pollinate the plants in our garden.  Cool, huh?

This is the Mason Bee House.  (We call it the bee hut.)

Daddio placed the bee hut in the corner of the covered porch.

This is a shot from below of the bamboo tubes where the bees will live and reproduce.  The tubes sticking out are the current bees, and the other hollow tubes are for future generations.  Now the bees and I can buzz on the porch with morning coffee.

Visit http://www.gardeners.com/ for more info on the bees.

SLOW ROASTED PORK

Slow Cooker with Slow Roasted Pork

Sometimes this is my best friend.  Nothing against my human best friend, but she is not here cooking dinner for me.  The part I like best is forgetting that i put the roast on that morning and walking into the house and the smell reminds me that my friend slow-cooker has been working all day on my dinner.  Yeah!

Inside is a pork roast and onions with lots of garlic and seasonings...drool.

I prefer a slow-cooker over a crockpot.  Sorry, to all of you crockpot crazies, but let me explain.

The pan that sets on the heating element can be placed on the stove top to brown/sear the meat you are cooking before you slow cook it.  This is important because it only messes up one pan.  Let me rephrase, "It only messes up one pan!"  I also put everything in the pan the night before, so in my morning no-brain haze, I can just set it on the base and plug it in.  Okay, now on to the important recipe ingredients.

SLOW ROASTED PORK

1 2-3 lb pork roast, seared

1/2 red onion, chunked

1/2 yellow onion, chunked

1/2 t. cumin powder

1/2 t. sage powder

1 T. garlic, minced

1 t. dried rosemary
1/2 cup chicken broth

Seasoning salt and pepper, to taste

Sear the pork roast on all sides, right in the roasting pan.  Remove the roast and set aside.  Place chunked onions in pan and place seared roast on top.  Pour chicken broth over the roast and onions.  Sprinkle roast with seasonings and garlic.  Put the lid on and cook for 6-8 hours on med-high or until roast tests at 170 degrees.  Tasty!

After the roast was cooked, we heated this new item I found and spread it on top of the roast.  Spicy Apple Garlic Jam by Earth & Vine.  It was so yummy!  All the savory goodness you can imagine.  Give it a try!

http://www.earthnvine.com/

Photography by 2Groovydude

2Groovydude decided to take some of his own photos.  I thought this was the most creative and interesting.  Also, has the gross little boy element of chewed gum, but a nice bubble.

Rhubarb and 2Groovydude hangin' out after a tough day of school and squirrel chasing.

WHAT DID I SAY?

Winter Wonderland on the first day of Spring?

A few blogs ago I found some pics of a cardinal in the snow.  (Clicks label:  Hungry Cardinal)  I think I said that "I sort of like winter and I'm going to miss it"?  Well, here it is again, in March.  I'm not sure i really meant it...but Daddio did make chili.  (See the recipe in the previous Flips blog.)

Look at the poor chicken coop that we carried out in the yard the day before when it was 70 degrees.  (Don't worry the chicks aren't in there.  They are safe and warm.)

I was also just saying that I was ready to start sitting on my porch again, now that the weather is getting warmer.  Brrrr!

This little robin was having a great time...I stalked it for a long time before it slowed down enough for me to get a pic.

Look at this fat little robin.  Doesn't mind the snow at all.

2Groovydude spends his snowy days in a bathrobe in my bed, eating pretzels, and building Legos.  Smart and groovy, dude!

2Hipchick spends a snowy day drinking cinnamon coffee, cinnamon tea, or whatever else I can find to make into a hot drink.  Daddio and Rhubard sleep for hours.  (I did not snap their photos, as not to disturb.  They were very thankful.)

It may have been the last fireplace day of the season.  Now, that does make me sad and miss winter, but I think I'm over it now.  Bring on the spring!

DADDIO'S CHILI

12 Ingredient Chili for a Snowy Day

Have I mentioned that Daddio can cook?  That's why I married him.  Well, there are probably some other qualities that I considered, but the cooking was way up there on the list.  Here's how he makes chili that causes our neighbors to ask for our leftovers.

Brown hamburger.

Chop 1 small onion and gather the ingredients.

These are jalepenos and black pearl peppers from our garden last year that have been in the freezer.  Those little black pearls (they start out black and turn red) are spicy!

Your favorite chili mix and a bunch of minced garlic.  Garlic, yum!

Add the onion and peppers to the beef after it browns.

Okay, I know you have already seen these ingredients, but they were sitting there opened and ready to go in the pot and i just thought they looked really pretty.  Yes, I love food.

Tomato sauce from our garden also.  Daddio made this and put it in the freezer.  I told you he had other qualities to love.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for a while.

Add the black beans and heat through.

It was hard to get a pic when I am wanting to eat this up!  Tasty!  Snow on the ground and chili in the house.  Now, that's the way I like it.

12 INGREDIENT CHILI by DADDIO

Serves 6

1 lb. ground beef

1small white onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped

1 pkg Chili seasoning

1 4.5 oz can of green chilies

1 T. garlic, minced

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce or 1 med can

1 15 oz can of black beans

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Sour cream

Brown ground beef then add onion and peppers.  Cook until vegetables are tender.  Add the next 7 ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add black beans and heat through.  Top chili with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

This is better the next day, but it is real good the first day.  Enjoy.

SCRUMPTIOUS TEA

My New Favorite Tea

I am a huge tea drinker.  I drink green tea and honey every day, either iced or hot.  (I can even get Daddio to drink the iced tea.)  My friend Rona shared some of her tea with me on the Down Home Ranch trip. (See Trips) Every day after working on the ranch we would have a cup of Harney & Sons Decaf Hot Cinnamon tea.  It is a loose tea and so sweet, you do not have to add the honey.

I spooned some into a bowl to show the orange chunks in the black tea.  We think this is why it is so sweet.  Rona says that the caffienated version is not as sweet.  So, only decaf for us.  I always drink decaf anyway.  Recently we tried it as an iced tea and I'm hooked for the summer.

http://www.harney.com/

If you are looking for some delicious tea, check out the website.  I also ordered the Sencha green tea and it has a great flavor also, but not sweet.

2New Chicks!!!

Our 2new chicks have arrived!  We are starting out with three.

We brought them home in a tiny box.

2Groovydude is the primary caretaker.

Here they are in the brooder with a screen to keep them in and keep Rhubarb (the big bad wolf) out.

This is Coal.  She looks brown under the brooder lights, but she's really black.

This is Cluck.  Isn't she pretty?

This is Chuckles.  She is definitely the most interesting because of her coloring.

Now, you notice we are bringing the chicks home in a box.  Our chicks we ordered online will not be here until April 16th.  We couldn't wait any longer.  We had to have chicks, now!  So these are our practice chicks until the rest come.  The interesting twist to this story is, we had to get straight run chicks.  That means they don't know if they are male or female.  I will call them "girls" and "she" until proven otherwise.  However, Coal is showing some obnoxious rooster leanings already.  ???