Whose Nest is This?

I found a couple of bird nests in our backyard. I was walking towards one of them to see it closer, and a bird nearby started looking a bit nervous. Ok, I see, it's yours. I'll stay away. Let me know if you need anything!

One of the bird nests

She does not want to leave. 

Beautiful blue sky

Click if you like this post

Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

I like using wild rice as an alternative to rice. Wild rice isn't rice. It's the seeds of an aquatic grass native to North America. The rice-like texture satisfies my craving for rice, although it doesn't replace rice in every case. This dish has squash and cranberries for a hint of sweetness, and sausage for heartiness. I feel good about eating this dish.

A small bowl of this can be a meal by itself.

Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

2 cups cooked wild rice
3 links spicy Italian sausage
1/2 cup green peas
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 small butternut squash
1 Tbsp fresh parsley 
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar salad dressing, optional
Splash of lemon

Butternut squash and dried cranberries

Cook wild rice according to the package instructions. I cooked with chicken broth with a bay leaf and sage to add extra flavor. Make little balls with Italian sausage and cook them on a skillet. Cook peas in a sauce pan. Peel butternut squash and cube them into bite sizes. Coat them with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes at 420 degrees. 

Scooping the seeds out...

I added a pinch of nutmeg, too.

Nice and brown on the bottom

Mix all of these in a big bowl, drizzle salad dressing and toss. Top it with a splash of fresh lemon. This dish tastes great without the dressing. I add salad dressing when I want extra oomph, but it tastes plenty flavorful without it. Makes a great side dish, too.

Colorful food is fun to eat!

Click if you like this post

Let Us All Take a Nap

Some days are just simply like this. That heavy foggy feeling you have is only remedied by a leisurely afternoon nap. Let us all learn from our dogs and take a nap every now and then.

"Happiness is an afternoon nap." Well said, Charlie!

Click if you like this post

Okame Cherry's Back!

Okame cherry in our front yard is bloomed. It's always the first tree in the yard to put little pale pink flowers on, and it blooms when I start feeling a bit tired of the lingering cold weather. It cheers me right up. 

I see cars slowing down to see the tree. I hope it cheers you up, too. 

Small tree but strong

It must like this kind of weather since it's blooming right now, but I'm always worried about those little branches shaking in a cold wind.

Daffodils are coming along nicely.

Click if you like this post 

Muddy Yard

We've had some bad weather lately. Ice, snow and now rain. Our backyard hasn't had the time to dry out, and it looks really muddy. Ugh! Grass is looking patchy and sad. Of course our dog loves to walk on it and comes home with the muddy paws. We constantly wipe off his feet when he comes back into the house. When will this be over?

 

"Now, right there looks really interesting...."

Dog wipe station

"I think I saw a squirrel. Mud just makes it more fun!"

"My paws are my business...."

Click if you like this post

Thrifty Caesar BBQ Chicken

Don't you hate it when you have just a little bit of dressing left in a jar but not enough to do anything with it? I had Caesar dressing and BBQ sauce that were just about ready to run out but have been sitting in the fridge forever. So I combined them to make marinade for drumsticks. Turns out they make pretty decent marinade. Besides, I could see more room in the fridge now. Yay!

"Do I get one?"

Thrifty Caesar BBQ Chicken

5 chicken drumsticks
3 Tbsp Caesar dressing
3 Tbsp BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tsp dry rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a Ziploc bag and toss in drumsticks. Marinade in the mixture for a couple of hours. Bake for 35 minutes or the juice runs clear. 

Caesar dressing and BBQ sauce. Wut, wut?

Marinating...

Lightly grease the foil with olive oil.

After 25 minutes, turned once and baked for another 10 minutes.

"I'm not going anywhere until I get a piece!"

Click if you like this post

Hydrating Green Smoothie with Electrolytes

I've been trying to use more coconut water instead of water for my smoothies. When I wake up in the morning, I want to hydrate myself with something with electrolytes. Coconut water has electrolytes and potassium, but it has a lot less sugar than sports drinks. 

Hydrating Green Smoothie with Electrolytes

1 cup coconut water
Handful frozen kale
1/2 banana
1 apple
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 English cucumber

Cucumber adds such a fresh, clean, meadow-like flavor to your drinks. Love adding slices of cucumber to my water, cold soups, cocktails and smoothies.

Blend well to smooth out pulp.

You will feel you're doing something good to your body after this smoothie.

Coconut water = Good

Click if you like this post

Neighborhood Watch

After a few days of unusual snow storm, I decided to go out on a street with my dog to check things out. Snow was already melting and making a small stream. 

8:30 AM. Winter wonderland.

Noon. Sun is out!

"I spy partially frozen monkey grass!"

"I spy a stream!"

"I spy a bird!"

"Ok, time to go home."

     Click if you like this post