!March!

I have worn short sleeves for the last TWO DAYS and I'm going skiing on Friday! Gotta love Utah season transitions! I haven't seen any flowers come up yet but I am really looking forward to it. I have some pics of the first phase of wall removal but I don't have my camera with me today. I'm hoping hoping hoping that we are done with the kitchen remodel by the end of April since garden season really starts to take off after that. Here are some of the things I would like to get done this month:

Sprinklers -- Measure them (and not lose the paper like we did before) and figure out how much it will cost. Trev recently went to a sprinkler expo too so hopefully this will not be such the daunting task we have been expecting. I'm also sick of not having any grass in the back yard. White tiles, dog door, 8 paws...you get the picture.

Front yard -- Rosebushes need pruning, dead stuff needs to come out of the beds. With this warm(ish) weather I have really been dying to get out there and do it but we have been soooo busy. We have added A LOT of mulch to the beds to try and keep the weeds (mostly grass) out of them and there is really only one spot where it's coming back. Ugh and the dreaded blue flower stuff that spreads LIKE CRAZY with roots like small trees. Hopefully one truckload of new mulch will do the trick!

Exciting stuff

I'm even wondering if I should write this down, as that might jinx it...but what the hell!? We are finally starting to tear out our McDonald's from hell kitchen! We have since painted it "Charlie Brown," yellow walls and dark brown cabinets, but it is time for Charlie to go too. Trev is supposed to tear out the wall this weekend and the electrician is coming next week to move our electrical box (currently on wall that is getting torn out) downstairs. Trevor's dad does cabinets for a living so we've picked out some really neat wood and have measurements for him to start building the boxes. The electrician will also put new lighting in the kitchen and front L-shaped room. Soon I will be able to see when I knit or read! Really exciting stuff but holy $hit! It's a leetle scary to fork out so much of our cushion but I think it will be worth it and it means we are nearly done remodeling this place. The only other projects I have in mind for the future are putting in sprinklers and painting the exterior. Trevor recently went to a sprinkler expo for work and he is feeling a lot more confident about doing the work ourselves (like how I throw myself in even though I don't know anything?). The exterior paint job is also pretty minimal since our house is brick and we only need to paint porch railing, window trim, etc. We are getting there!

Spring is in the air

"Jade" (clever name for a jade plant) soaking up the sun this morning. Can't wait for this Spring!

Gorgonzola

So I made a delish pasta last night and it was refreshingly different than pasta we normally eat. It called for gorgonzola dolce, which I am assuming is Gorgonzola cheese? *googles gorgonzola dolce* Damn! It is different, and I quote...

"Dolce Gorgonzola is a younger, therefore milder, version of aged Gorgonzola. Dolce, by nature of its shorter aging time, is wetter and more ivory colored than Gorgonzola Naturale, which is drier and whiter and tends to have bluer streaks."

Well anyway, I bought a triangle of gorgonzola and after I used it all in the pasta I let Dexter lick the container. Partially for his enjoyment and partially for mine. It was funny to watch him chase it around while trying to lick every last bit. His face stunk like stinky cheese. A little bit later he started itching his face LIKE CRAZY and his chin and eyes were all pink, so I guess my dog's face is allergic to gorgonzola. Good to know. I washed his face to end the torture and it seemed to work.

Here is the recipe, it was seriously one of the best pasta dishes I have ever made.

• 1/2 cup(s) sun-dried tomatoes packed in extra-virgin olive oil, drained <--didn't drain 'em
• 2 clove(s) garlic, thinly sliced crosswise <--garlic press bitchez, and MORE garlic!
• 1 pound(s) whole-wheat spaghetti <--1 box, I didn't weigh it
• 1 cup(s) walnut pieces, finely chopped <--the more walnuts the better, the tomatoes and cheese are strong flavors
• 6 ounce(s) Gorgonzola dolce, cut into small pieces, at room temperature <--gorgonzola dolce does exist!
• 1/3 cup(s) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly-ground pepper, shredded <--how would one shred ground pepper? I'm interested

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cut tomatoes into thin strips; combine with 3 Tbsp of marinating olive oil from the jar and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cover skillet and sweat (slowly cook) mixture 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until garlic is tender without browning. Remove tomatoes and garlic with a slotted spoon to a pasta bowl, and cover.
3. Meanwhile, add spaghetti to boiling water and stir a few times; cook according to package directions. Drain spaghetti, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
4. Add walnuts to oil remaining in skillet and cook, stirring constantly on medium-high heat, until nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
5. Add spaghetti to skillet and toss with walnut mixture over medium heat until pasta is hot and evenly coated with walnuts; transfer to pasta bowl. Add Gorgonzola, parsley, black pepper, and reserved cooking water(d'oh didn't reserve cooking water! it turned out great though); toss again until cheese starts to melt. Serve immediately.

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/spaghetti-walnuts-gorgonzola-tomatoes-recipe?click=recipe_sr

Mmm MM

I just wanted to post one of my favorite dinner recipes, happen to be making it tonight :0 I love this recipe because the prep work is easy, it doesn't have a lot of ingredients and it cooks quick.

We cook a lot of vegetarian meals even though neither of us are vegetarians. We just love veggies!!! Here is a link if you'd like to read it without my commentary http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/penne-yellow-peppers-sweet-onion-2363?click=recipe_sr

Penne with Yellow Peppers and Sweet Onion

Ingredients
* 1 package (16-ounce) penne rigate or elbow twist pasta
* Salt <---I never add salt to anything, I copied this list
* 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil (I don't usually measure)
* 2 medium yellow peppers, thinly sliced (I usually use more like 3-4, they cook down and I love leftovers)
* 1 large sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia, thinly sliced(I use 2! and I still get a smooch later)
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper (who measures black pepper?)
* 1 tablespoon(s) balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. In large saucepot, prepare pasta in boiling salted water as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add yellow peppers, onion, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are tender and golden, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove skillet from heat; stir in balsamic vinegar and chopped basil.
3. When pasta has cooked to desired doneness, remove 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return to saucepot. Add yellow-pepper mixture and reserved pasta cooking water; toss well.

Not so used to this

We have had so many positive changes in our lives lately and I'm feeling like I'm just waiting for something bad to happen. Does anyone else ever feel this way? Then I get anxiety as if my waiting for something negative is actually going to cause it...I need therapy HAHA. But all in all things are going really great. Trevor got a new job as gardener for this rich dude (really awesome guy, deserves a better title than "rich dude") about two weeks ago and he officially starts it full time on Monday! He will be gardening indoor (greenhouse) and outdoor gardens, so it will be year round. He also is responsible for maintenance on the commercial building. We are healthy, the pets are healthy, the house is healthy...I really couldn't ask for more. I will try to focus on being more grateful for where we are at and where our lives are headed than feeling anxious about what could happen.

Something to look forward to

Feeling kind of bummed out this week and am really only looking forward to picking out yarn for this knitting class I'm taking toward the end of this month. I am also looking forward to lounging with the cat and the dog and hoping that Trev brings home some fries tonight. The title of this is also a Spoon song and I heard on KRCL this morning that they are coming to town on April 7! Trev and I drove all the way to Red Rocks in Colorado in 07 and just missed them. Them coming to town is definitely something to look forward too.

Longer term I am looking forward to the garden! (Fuzzy baby tomato to help me visualize) I'm actually looking forward to both the flowers and the veg this year, seems like we get a little better at it as each season goes on. I made pasta primavera last night (zucch, yellow squash, broccoli, red bell, onion, tomato...all topped with fresh parmesan of course) and it really made me long for the garden fare.


I have two posts written but haven't had my camera handy to put the corresponding photos on too. Maybe tonight will be the night?