That's what was for dinner.

Green salad topped with 

   Cucumbers

   Tomatoes

   Quinoa

   Cranberries

   Lemon-Cranberry chicken

   Cheddar and

   25 Star Balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing.  (Of course that was from our beloved shop, Olio.)

I cooked the strips of chicken in my handy cast iron pan, and squeezed in the jiuce of 1/2 lemon.  While that cooked, cranberries boiled in a saucepan with a bit of water.  When the chicken was just about done, and the lemon juice sizzled in the pan, I added the cranberry water, turned up the heat and let that reduce.

The combination of the tart lemon and cranberry with the sweet balsamic and the sharp cheddar made this meal *Pop*.

What's for dinner?

As a professional tinkerer, I suppose you can say that I tinker in the art of good food.
And thriftiness.
Full-time mom.  Part-time jeweler.  Part-time lenscrafter.  Part-time good-deal-shopper.
Since having this cute little kid, I noticed it just isn't as easy to throw together a meal as it used to be. It's also not as simple to hop in the car to go get something to make for dinner.
So I started planning.
I am a list maker.
I've been a list maker for a good long time now, but it's gotten more serious lately.
Sunday morning rolls around and we have our breakfast, then I go through the paper, my husband actually reads the news, I look at the fliers for sales and coupons, and the wee one gets a marker and the discarded parts of the paper to draw on.  It's all good fun.  Especially when there are scones involved.  Or my mother-in-law's coffee cake.  (Hopefully it lasts until then!)
Then I try to plan the meals for the week.
For a while I would run them past my husband and ask if he had any requests.  I guess I don't really do that much anymore, but he doesn't complain, so I guess I'm doing alright!
At one point, though, I had planned out meals for nearly an entire month.
TRUST ME.  I know how crazy that probably sounds.  I Know.
But, when it came time to make dinner and buy groceries, it was so fast and easy.  Sitting down and racking my brain for probably close to an hour that one day saved me so much time and energy later.
Now that I really look at the fliers, since we just started to get the paper, it is a little different, because I try to plan dinners based on what is in sale for the week.
Anyway, I thought that I would try to get ahead of this meal planning thing, and even though I don't know what will be on sale coming up, I could get some ideas together.
Obviously, I googled meal plans.
I got some good websites like Cooking Light, and Whole Foods.  The thing that I had noticed was that sooooo many websites that boast their meal ideas use meat in their main dish.
Don't get me wrong.  I would be a GREAT vegetarian, except that I Love eating meat. Kinda wrecks that.  But, I don't want to have meat for every dinner.  Also, it is pretty easy for me to come up with a meal that includes meat- basically, I just add sides.  
It is coming up with the rest of the ideas.
A non meat based dinner that will still be filling, since everyone in this home eats a lot.

Two of my favorites to add to a weekly meal plan are
Fish with quinoa and asparagus
Followed a few days later with
A Huge salad topped with avocado, leftover quinoa that is then pan-fried to make it crispy,  and sautéed onions and peppers.

So, I'm not certain what will be for dinner coming up, but I did find this Sweet Potato Chickpea Cakes recipe.  I do believe that will make it in the mix!

Cheers.

The Sweet Scent of April Showers

We returned from a sunny yet crisp, extra long Easter weekend in Vermont
To find greener grass and bigger blooms.
While we were gone, our daffodils, shaded on the north side of the house, grew tall and flowered.
A playful morning at the park
Making new friends
Lunch on the porch
Now followed by some April showers.
 I sit to continue the job hunt with fingers crossed and high hopes.

Ice Cream, Part 2

I almost forgot!

Caught in a nick of time, before I washed the dishes is an empty bowl from the Simple Chocolate Ice Cream recipe.

In case youre wondering, it was delicious!

My super cool husband's cousin and his wife came to visit us this evening.  After a grand time in the park, with our wee one climbing up the big kid spiral slide and bumpy slide, we came home and had to hurry to make the ice cream.  We didn't want to take the extra time to make a custard base.  

I am not disappointed, just even more excited to try more recipes!

Sorbets.

Gelatos.

I think I may have seen some frozen adult refreshment recipes, too!

Ice Cream

My grocery list yesterday included heavy cream, whole milk and eggs.
Why?
Because this weekend we want to try out our new ice cream maker!
There are so many different recipes for ice cream, I just don't know what to choose.  I am kinda hoping for chocolate, but I don't know, a really good, custard based vanilla for the very first batch might be the way to go.
Decisions, decisions!
Homemade ice cream also requires some thought about which bowl to use.
Don't laugh, it's a serious matter!
It will have to be one that I made, it just wouldn't seem right otherwise.
Hopefully I will remember to take some photos of our delicious adventure and the finished product.

We also need to find a new ice cream scoop.
Maybe one of these Zeroll scoops.

Did you know you can get them customized?!
(Neither did I.  I just found that out.)

Also slated for this weekend, I will be at work making some glasses, and I need to sit down and get some jewelry designs out of my head and onto paper.
This little ring really got me thinking!

How does your garden grow?

Between the clouds was vivid blue sky.

Wind whistled through the trees. Birds sang and dogs barked.

Today I started to clean out my garden.

Amid the brown, crisp leaves, leftover from fall, there were green hints of life.

Welcome back, parsley and chives.

Hello, spinach.  I am glad to see you braved the winter and decided to pop up as the spring sun begins to warm the air.

Don't worry, I put up a fence to keep those pesky bunnies and squirrels out.

Now, just go on and do your thing.

Grow, grow, grow!

Happy Birthday to me

How will I spend my birthday this year?

Will I go play in the park with my daughter?

Maybe have a delicious dinner with a glass of wine?

Cake?

I don't know, but I bet it's going to start with breakfast.  Maybe I will make myself a sweet latte, too.  Probably not.  The coffee is enough to have me buzzing around.  I wish I could spend the day relaxing with my husband along with my daughter.  We will have no such luck, though.  I should find places yo go that give you free stuff on your birthday!  Hmmmm.  The only thing is, the guys have band practice at night, so if I want in on any birthday freebies, I have to start early.  I am really hoping the ice cream shop partakes!  

Meanwhile, I spent some time at my bench yesterday.

Spinning.

Red.

Dot.
Check Etsy, it might be there!

I do feel like I am finding my style again. Not that I had lost it, but I wasn't making work the same as I used to.

It usually comes down to movement and color. (And any combination of dots, geometry and symmetry.)

At any rate, it was kinda nice.  I feel like I am doing something productive, and it's even possible someone will like what I made!

Mom-in Law got me this for my birthday.

ICE CREAM!

And a few years ago, they got me a grill.  (These things are all for Us really, but that is ok by me!)

I'd just like to say that I lucked out with some of the best in-laws out there.    

And I'm not saying that because of the great gifts (but they are great), but because they are just so NICE, too!

Anyhow, the job hunt continues. 

What should a  super smart, jack-of-all trades kinda guy do for work, after he has been teaching alternative ed and emotional support for TEN years?  
He was even told twice yesterday that he is the model teacher, by people who have been working in that setting for years.  
The problem is, it's been 10 years, and he is ready for something 
New.  
Different.  
Better.   
Less stressful.  

Time to get the little lady who is singing to her animal friends up in bed!
Wish us luck in the hunt for a new career.