Hello Everybody :-)

Hello! Just wanted to say a quick Hi & check in with you all! Hope everyone is having a fantastic

fall! I must say I do miss Clyde's Cider Mill in Mystic this time of year- with there amazing cider donuts (which I can no longer eat :-( .... But I miss all the same) Other than that, Fall is slowly working it's way through all the aspen trees- pretty soon it will start to snow- so we're enjoying every warm day we have right now! I think I have a recipe for you, and I'm sure I can scrounge up a photo or two :-)

So I thought I would start by remembering how gorgeous the setting was for Sarah and Mick's wedding @ the top of Aspen Mountain last weekend- it was Beautiful!

So happy for them both!

And I also had to give props to Tor. He hasn't had to many photo's lately... So I felt he was due.

Jim suggested retiring Tor from the garden,

 to which I replied... Shhh, He can hear you you know.

Needless to say Tor is sticking around for a bit :-)

We do have Red leaves in Colorado!

These are some of the first Aspen leave to change in our yard.

Sorry for the dark photo

Jim's Next big project is to clear out some space for a small green house behind the shed-

Tough work when the soil is like cement.

Jim just cleared all the brush out of the left side of our back yard.

He's going to terrace part of it, and flatten out the higher ridge to make a deck.

Should be quite beautiful when it's done!

We had to pick up a cooler that we found online in Beaver Creek last saturday.

Jim just drove this truck right though the foot mall- under a tiny bridge and everything!

I should have gotten a picture of the cooler loaded on the truck- it was massive!

Here's the coolers final resting place- Just outside the front porch.

We were originally going to put it in the shed- But Jim figured out that we were going to have to cut out part of the door to fit it in- So we decided against it!

Garden Update!!!!

Our cherry toamtoes-

 they are still hanging in there even after they got nuked by frost last week!

our first 2 ripe tomatoes!

Sweet and delicious!

Our harvest from our garden last week !

Today's Harvest!

mmmmm. carrots!

Smoked Tofu Recipe

For the rub:

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp montreal chicken spice seasoning

Directions:

Slice tofu in half lengthwise. press tofu for at least 20 minutes to get most of the liquid out. Rub both sides of tofu with the Rub mixture. Plave in smoker for at least an hour- turning every 20 minutes.

Here's the smoker barrie picked up from the thrift store. Andy tried to smoke some ribs in it, but the temperature wouldn't stay high enough- So we decided to smoke some tofu instead!

This smoke picture was taken just after we added dry twigs to the coal pit-

The smoke definetly tasted a little brush firey!

another view of the smoke!

all of us smelled like smoke last night! but The flavor of the tofu was worth the smell of smoke on my clothes!

Ok well, I hope you enjoyed the random photo's this week :-)

Please check out my New Blog Dedicated to my Floral Design Business!

Just Click on the Link Below!

Lots of Love!

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Happy Wedding Day!!

Just wanted to write a quick note to wish a very happy and wonderful couple all the best on this there wedding day!! Congrats Sarah & Mick may you always be as happy as your are on this day! All our love!! S&J

And I should also say thanks to my wonderful husband, whom one year ago (last Sunday :-) made me the happiest and luckiest woman ever! Thank for truly being my best friend and my biggest fan- I adore you!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Sunshine and Vegetables.....

Well I thought I would start off with this photo...

 Which has neither sunshine or vegetables.

But is Stikingly beautiful nontheless.

This was actually taken on the Oregon coast a few weeks ago- and Since I haven't blogged in what seems like forever, we have a LOT of photo's to get through! So you ready??? You Sure??

Ok. Lets go

PORTLAND, OREGON on the near side,

& 

WASHINGTON on  the far side-

and no, we never made it into washington..

I know it looks like its only clouds out there, but somewhere down there, is the ocean, I swear!

See, I told you, I wasn't lying.

Yes, It does look like something the incredible hulk would eat,

but actually is was this amazing moss/lichen stuff- that was awesome.

Canon Beach, Oregon

A long since fallen tree.

It made a great seat to sit and watch Jim surf.

Yes, Jim was out there surfing. In 56 degrees water.

I touched my toe in the water briefly, and immedietly took it out.

brrrr...

He's out there somewhere....

No one could remember the name of this huge rock-

But it had some significance....

Yeah Vineyards!!!!! I love Wine Tasting!!!

and I'm pretty sure we convinced Jim's Mom that there pretty awesome too :-)

Oregon Wine Country, Willmetta Valley

Vineyard #2

If all the vineyard's didn't closed by 5pm, we would have gotten to a few more..

 i'm sure of it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Finally,

The reason we were actually in Oregon to begin with..

Jim's Aunt Marilyn's and Uncle Tom's 50th Wedding Anniversary!

Congrats again guys!

A basket Arrangement I helped make for the Party.

Another view.

Sidewalk/Road Chalk

50th Anniversary Sign!

What a wonderful party!

Thanks again for having us!

Happy Anniversary you two!

now moving on.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~

PART II

Garden Pics!!!!!

Our vegetable garden was getting a little crammed,

So we decided to Harvest some stuff....

Like Swiss Chard

Red Beets

and

Bags Full of Lettuce

After our first Harvest, I made this...

Barley with Yellow bell peppers, Coconut Swiss chard, Saute'd Polenta

&

a Tomato and Potato bake

(which I could have sworn I wrote down the recipe too, but can now no longer

find.)

But I do Have the Coconut swiss chard recipe...

Coconut Swiss chard with Beet Greens

1 huge handful of Swiss chard- chopped in ribbons

6 beet green heads
1 half medium onion - diced
1 orange bell pepper- thickly sliced
2 zucchini - thickly sliced
1 garlic scape
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp Ginger
Salt & pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon thyme
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh sage

Sauté onion, garlic scape until soft. Add bell pepper and zucchini, add spices. Add greens and coconut milk- cook down, around 15 minutes

Serve with rice
 
 

Our Raspberry bush this year.....

pretty tasty!

Eryngium

Tiger Lily

Holly hock, and a bee midflight.

Beans

Tomatoes! maybe they'll even have time to ripen this year :-)

our second harvest-

Garlic, Swiss chard and Beets

POTATOES!!!!

not bad for our first year!

Jim's New rock wall he just built.

Brilliant.

this pictures doesn't do it justice.

Life is just a bowl full of Raspberries!!!

supper sweet and awesome Raspberries!

~~~~~~~~~

Alright guys, you hanging in there with me...

I told you,

There are a LOT of pictures this time!

................

I know this doesn't look like a ton of flowers,

But it is...

Jim was genious and made up a system to keep them cool

by using buckets, ice, trashcans & blankets!

We'll get a cooler for the flowers soon enough :-)

Some arrangements I did for one of our house accounts.

Some wanted all one color arrangements,

others wanted multi-colored

Jewle Toned Arrangement

Jim Did this one, and a bunch of others!

Beautiful isn't it?

I think I may have to keep him around......

Tough to see all the color in this photo-

but It was BIG, BRIGHT & YELLOW!

and Finally.....

LAKE POWELL.

Beautiful place to dock our house boat don't you think?

it was wickedly hot, but absolutely Breathtaking.

Our houseboat, towing our friends wakeboard boat.

And if you look to the left of the boat, you'll see....

a slide!

which was awesome when we were docked!

One of the many canyons we wakeboarded into.

The rock walls were massive!

It was a wonderful trip, with wonderful people...

can't wait to go back again next year!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well guys, that's all i've got for today- sorry the writing wasn't too long, but I think I made up for it in pictures!!! Hope everyone is evnjoying whats left of summer...

Have a wonderful week, and Remember to laugh!

(especially at yourself :-)

Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary!!!!

Just wanted to wish a very Happy Birthday to my wonderful father & and a very special wish to both my parents on their anniversary!!! Love you both more than you'll ever know!! Thanks for being such amazing role models- I aspire to be more like you everyday :-)

On another note, I promise to post lots of pictures and recipes soon! I really will, I promise!!! Hope everyones having a stupendous day!! Cheers-