Today

Today I wrapped my hair in a high bun and tackled some cleaning, working out, laying out, reading, laundry, gardening, cooking, and more. Tony got off a couple hours early and I decided to make a big dinner just because. We had eggplant "meatballs" with spaghetti, fresh from the oven bread, salad, and apple strawberry crumble with banana ice cream for dessert. :) It had been a while since I cooked such a big meal for just the two of us. The internet was down for most of the evening, so in lieu of watching the 4th episode of Downton Abbey on Netflix we played a round of Rummikub and read from Gary North's Backward Christian Soldiers.

This will be turned into some yummy salsa :)  

A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen! :) 

The finished product!! 

I won :) 

Down Home Magazine

I made a little appearance in our local Down Home Magazine. I wrote about our recent anniversary trip to the Videri Chocolate Factory and the Tasty Beverage Company in Raleigh. There's also lots of yummy looking blueberry recipes, including my mom's famous Blueberry Buckle and my Amazing Blueberry Pie. The entire magazine can be viewed online here, as well as picked up at businesses in the surrounding area. I encourage you to flip through July's issue and to "like" Down Home Magazine on Facebook where Cindi always has something exciting to share!! :)

Return of the Swallowtail

Chubby caterpillar in my garden about a week ago. Love the contrast of greens and yellows and the starburst fennel flowers. There were 2 of them, but I see them no longer which means they have set up house somewhere to make their mighty transformation into beautiful butterflies. I love seeing them fly around our yard. Big black/blue butterflies with specks of red and yellow. :) 

Summer Night

Just a little crochet on a (very) warm summer night. We're sitting in the backyard, Tony sporadically reading me passages from Bahnsen's book "By This Standard." Dinner consisted of quinoa tossed with herbs, black beans, and garden tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil. Avocado and cucumber were great side kicks. With the temps reaching over a hundred degrees today, we wanted a cool, light dinner. The high temperatures is predicted to remain for several more days. This morning I created a little sheet fort for my garden. Offering some shade to my beloved plants. I am definitely not ready to part with my tomatillo plants. We are both happy the weekend is here. The days that we get to spend all our time together, adventuring and creating memories. :)

In the Garden

variety of lettuce

tomatilla's (it is so neat to watch these grow. Green lanterns fill the plant and the tomatilla's grow on the inside. I can't help but think of the movie Tangled every time I walk through the garden. 

happy gardener + freshly picked onions + shadow

paper flowers

indian flowers (a little touch of Surf City beach in my garden) 

cherry tomatoes

onions 

baby habaneros 

lettuce seeds

fennel flowers :)