03 Tuesday Jun 2014
Posted in Gardening
Only one month after planting our mini orchard, these beauties appeared.
Three Apples changed the world. The first one tempted Eve, the second inspired Newton and the third was offered to the world half eaten by Steve Jobs. RIP
– Unknown
Our red delicious semi-dwarf tree is very happy in its new home. 🙂
XOXO,
Young Wifey
16 Friday May 2014
Posted in Gardening, Landscaping
Tags
apple, cherry, fruit trees, gardening, landscaping, orchard, peach, pear, plum, potager, redbud, trees
Last year, Hubster & I planted four weeping cherry trees and a Japanese maple. One weeping cherry didn’t make it through the first year, but we had a one-year warranty and replaced it. While we were at the garden center, we decided to finally start our own mini orchard.
The past few weeks we’ve been busy planting, mulching, and watering our 12 new trees. Two were ornamental; the weeping cherry and an Eastern redbud.
Own Own Mini Orchard
We planted 10 fruit trees in a line wrapping around from the top of the hill behind our house and curving down the hill to the left side of our house. The new mini orchard perfectly frames our pool, fire-pit, and hammock. Starting from the back to the front we planted one of each: Golden Delicious Semi-Dwarf Apple, Red Delicious Semi-Dwarf Apple, Methley Semi-Dwarf Plum, Bruce Semi-Dwarf Plum, Keiffer Semi-Dwarf Pear, Bartlet Semi-Dwarf Pear, Elberta Semi-Dwarf Peach, Hale Haven Semi-Dwarf Peach, Black Tartarian Cherry, and Bing Semi-Dwarf Cherry.
Foliage is Filling In
The foliage is already filling in nicely, and some small blooms have appeared. I’ll post an update once they’re a little more established.
XOXO,
Young Wifey
09 Wednesday May 2012
Posted in Creating, Decorating
Tags
apple, craft, decoupage, gift, home decor, language arts, librarian, teacher
A while back I saw this cute decoupaged project and put it on my to-do-list. I wanted to make something unique for my student teacher, and I thought this would be the perfect something special for her desk.
Decoupaged Apple
I cut definitions and synonyms from an old dictionary & thesaurus that was in my art project box. Words like: inspire, create, think, educate, etc… I used Modpodge to attach the paper to a papier-mâchĂ© apple (the symbol of education) and coated it with another layer before using a spray-on sealer.
Teacher GIft
And for my former math teacher days…
Language Arts = Words
Teacher = Apple
Words + Apple = Teacher Gift
Educate, Create, Inspire
What have you created recently?
02 Monday May 2011
Posted in Cooking
Tags
apple, cabbage, cabbage salad, carrot, edamame, food, foodie, grilled shrimp, healthy eating, honey, postaday2011, recipe, red cabbage, rice vinegar, salad, seafood, sesame, shrimp, side dishes, slaw, summer, vegetarian
Hubster is working late this week, so that means I can indulge my palette… time for meatless dishes and seafood…
Red Cabbage Salad
Red Cabbage Salad Ingredients:
shredded red cabbage, edamame, green apples, shredded carrots, sesame seeds, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked pepper (I used a four-color peppercorn blend)
Red Cabbage Salad Directions:
Add edamame, water and salt to saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer over medium heat for a few minutes. Remove pan from heat, and allow to cool slightly. Remove beans from pods and set aside to cool. Chop, cut or shred green apples, immediately place into lemon juice. Whisk together sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar, sesame seed oil, honey, salt & pepper. Toss together carrots, cabbage and edamame. Pour vinaigrette over cabbage salad and mix. Let rest & chill. Toss in apples just before serving. Garnish with sesame seeds.
*Serve this red cabbage salad as a side dish at a BBQ or picnic.
Non-veggie suggestion: Place  layer of the red cabbage salad on plate. and add grilled ginger shrimp or chicken.
Grilled Ginger Shrimp & Red Cabbage Salad
What’s on your dinner plate???
06 Wednesday Apr 2011
Posted in Baking
Tags
apple, dinner, entree, food, foodie, grill, grilling, lunch, main dish, marinade, meat, postaday2011, recipe, supper, tenderloin, turkey, turkey tenderloin
It’s been a while since I posted a recipe, so let me share last night’s dinner. I had planned to serve a few slices of these turkey tenderloins over a bed of sautĂ©ed spinach, lightly drizzled with a glaze and a side of tarragon pear rice. Unfortunately the fresh spinach at the supermarket didn’t look so… fresh, and my turkey tenderloins were ready to be cooked. So today I skipped the spinach and the glaze… Hopefully next time, the spinach will look better and it’ll have a nice picture to update this post.
Apple Smoked Turkey Tenderloin
Ingredients:
2 turkey tenderloins, 4 c. sparkling apple cider, 1/3 c. honey, 1/8 c. smoke flavoring, 1 Tbsp. chopped sage, 1 small shallot minced, 1 tsp. powdered garlic, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper
Directions:
Put tenderloins in zipper bag and set aside. Mix together remaining ingredients. Pour marinade in zipper bag over turkey tenderloins, cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place tenderloins and marinade in casserole dish. Insert meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. Place in oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165°F. Cover and let rest before serving.
*This is also fantastic grilled.
What is for dinner at your place tonight?
12 Monday Apr 2010
Posted in Cooking
Tags
apple, breakfast, brunch, caramel, caramel apple, carmel, carmel apple, gourmet breakfast, gourmet brunch, gourmet pancakes, pancakes, pecan, recipe
Mmmmm…
Hubster is trying to cut back on carbs, not eliminate them, just cut back. He loves pancakes, but I wanted to make them a little healthier and satisfy his appetite, while giving him less carbs. There are a few things I did to cut back on carbs, calories and portion size. 1) I made smaller pancakes, portion control. 2) I served them on salad plates, just to trick his brain a bit. 3) I added protein, mmm… pecans. 4) I added fiber, in the form of apple chunks. 5) I swapped out the traditional butter and syrup for drizzled caramel. It had 1/2 the calories of the syrup alone, it stretched further, and not to mention those calories saved from omitting the butter.
Apple, Caramel, Pecan Pancakes
Recipe:
I whipped up a batch of pancakes, adding 1/2 c. ground pecans and a little melted caramel to the batter. I also swapped the in almond extract instead of the vanilla extract and cooked as usual. I topped the hot pancakes with fresh chopped Golden Delicious apples, hot roasted pecans and gooey drippy caramel.
The result? It tasted like a caramel covered apple. Hubster said this was one of his favorite things I’ve ever made by far… Happy Hubster in the morning = A good and productive day!
Mmmmm…
What is your favorite pancake topping?
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