Funny Friday - Royal Style

All this coverage of the Royal Wedding has got me thinking....I've always felt that somehow I was born into the wrong family.  I'm pretty sure that I should've been a Royal.  Maybe I was switched at birth, kidnapped...I don't know, but it seems pretty apparent to me. 

I mean, don't I look perfectly natural in a tiara???  I could get used to trumpets blaring and people curtseying when I enter a room. 

If, like me, you think you should've been born a princess, go ahead and crown yourself, too.  I tihink on a day like today, we're should all be Royals!!

Make me a Princess

I hereby decree you are a princess....enjoy!!

Garden Pergola Swing...the perfect gift!

When my husband asked me what I wanted this year for my birthday, I gave it some serious thought.  Past gifts have included whiskey barrels and flowers, dilapidated chairs, antique wooden bunnies..... many of these gifts will live forever in the realm of family lore...let's just say hubby has a "knack" for gift giving. 

But I digress....what did I want this year?  Some girls wants diamonds, furs, expensive cars...me, I want the smell of fresh lumber and topsoil.

We had a swing at our old house and I've always missed it, so when I mentioned that to hubby, he pounced on it and said, "I'll build you one!"

....and that's how the perfect birthday gift came to be.

This area of the yard used to have a wooden bench, but it had gotten rickety and we were trying to figure out what to do to jazz up the area.  It meant moving my beloved baby lemon tree (you can see it in the far left of the photo) and I was nervous about that, but it seems to be doing just fine in it's new home. 

We looked at pictures on the www and hubby came up with a plan and got started...no kits for him! We did order the cypress swing, but he did everything else. 

Did I mention that I have quite possibly the handiest husband in the world?

To get started...he cemented the poles in the ground....

and started building the fun stuff.

Tons of measuring, figuring out angles, cutting notches, curves, trim....countless trips to Lowe's and Home Depot....

...and voila!!!  Isn't it just perfect? 

He even built a little lattice screen to go behind the swing and hide the A/C units.  We planted Confederate Jasmine to grow up the pergola and the A/C screen, and I can't wait for that, and the rest of the landscape, to take off.  

We just finished it Sunday night and you can guess where I've spent most of my evenings since then. 

Just a swinging......

Hands down...one of the best gifts ever.  Did I mention that I have a great husband?  Thanks so much....smooches!!!

Meatless Monday - Eggplant Lasagna

 I love me some Italian food...I mean, other than chocolate, what's better than tomato sauce and cheese...so when I'm looking for meatless dishes, I naturally gravitate towards pasta.  I searched the all knowing Google and couldn't find a recipe that I really liked, so I combined several of them and came up with my own. 




Today, you get a bonus, simple salad recipe to go along with your main dish.

Eggplant Lasagna

with Ricotta and Parmesan

Ingredients:

28 ou. can crushed tomatoes

14.5 ou can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes

1/4 cup red wine

2 eggplants

1 onion

3 cloves garlic (or a couple tsps of minced garlic)

4 tbs. olive oil, plus more for eggplant

15 ou. ricotta cheese

2 lg. eggs

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped

1 tbs. Italian seasoning blend

Grated Italian Cheese blend

Directions:

1. Heat broiler. In 2 batches, arrange the eggplant slices on a broilerbroof baking sheet, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil until charred and tender, 4-5 mins. per side.

2. Meanwhile, pour 4 tbs. of olive oil in skillet and brown onions and garlic. Turn off the fire and pour in the red wine. Immediately turn the fire back on high and allow the wine to cook off, scraping the pan to get all of the goodies off the bottom. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, oregano, and Italian seasoning blend. If you don’t have fresh oregano, just add extra Italian seasoning.  As always, all of my seasoning measurements are approximately.  Add or subtract to your taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, basil and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

4. Spread 1/3 tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish. On top of it, layer 1/2 the eggplant slices, half the ricotta mixture. Repeat for the next layer, finishing with the final 1/3 tomato sauce. Sprinkle grated Italian cheese blend on top.

5. Bake at 400 until bubbly, about 20 mins. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

and here's your bonus side salad recipe

SALAD:

4 cups mixed baby greens

chopped red onion

Grated Italian cheese blend

ITALIAN VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbs. fresh oregano/2 tsp dried

3/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients. Shake. Dress salad immediately before serving.

I have to tell you, we REALLY liked this meal.  Even Meg, who has "food texture issues" enjoyed the eggplant.  Definitely a keeper.

Funny Friday - For all my Peeps!

In honor of Easter, today's Funny Friday is brought to you by

The Washington Post.

Every year, they sponsor a contest where people use Peeps to make a diorama.  Here are the this year's entries and the winner of the

2011 Washington Post Peeps Diorama contest

Chilean Mine Rescue

Check out the detail

Here are some other clever ones:

InPeeption

Angry Peeps

The King's Peeps

TSA gets a "Peep" show


and you thought all you could do with Peeps is...



Happy Easter!!!

...and with this ring....

In case some of y'all have been living under a rock and missed my shouts of joy....my eldest daughter, Megan, is engaged!!  They've been engaged for just over a month now and the wedding plans are moving along nicely.  The orignal plan was to just wait until after she and her fiance'. Matt, take the Bar exam in late July before they began any hardcore wedding planning, but after talking to a few vendors at a Bridal show a few weeks ago, we realized that many venues and vendors are already booking up for Fall of 2012. 
Can you even imagine that?!?

So....the planning has begun!

But I digress.....I figure most people have already seen "THE RING", so I'm safe now in posting a picture now on the www.  Here ya go.....isn't it beautiful??  And believe me, this picture doesn't do it justice.  If you could put Meg in the form of a ring, this one would sum up her personality perfectly. I can't believe what a great job Matt did in picking this ring out.  A++++

Think back to when you got your engagement ring.....do you remember how you couldn't look at it enough...how you caught glimpses of it in the mirror, or as you were holding a glass, or doing any number of mundane things....how elegant and foreign it looked on your hand?  How it reminded you that someone loves you with all his heart and you'll be sharing a lifetime together.  So much love, anticipation, hope and...as life goes on...memories wrapped up in a tiny band of diamonds.

Meatless Monday - Crunch Romain Salad with Sweet and Sour Dressing

This is a delicious salad that was introduced to us a few years ago by my daughter's future Mother in Law, Ginger....so, we call it Ginger's Salad.

It's from the Mississippi Junior League cookbook and it is DELICIOUS!

Here ya go....  Crunch Romain Salad (aka Ginger's Salad). 

The only change I make is that I substitute Splenda for the sugar...and I add red onions.

On "Meat Days" it's also really good if you marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a variation of this dressing (overnight preferably), pop them on the grill, slice and place on top of the salad.  I could almost live off of this meal.

Hope you enjoy!

Funny Friday

I know I should save this for Father's Day, but heck...it's too good to wait.

You might be listening to the radio too much if.....