Homemade Tomato Salsa

We put in a huge garden this year. By huge, I mean, HUGE. Fifteen plus tomato plants...twelve or so pepper plants of all varieties green, yellow, red, jalapeno, some red popper thingy (it's hot), banana peppers, onions, herbs, lettuce, celery, beans, squash, zucchini, pumpkins, asparagus etc. Although our garden is big, it can also be very, very simple. My friend Kristeen couldn't have used a better way to describe her garden. She has what they call a "salsa garden", as in they only plant stuff they can use in salsa...so innovative. Well, we have a much larger "salsa" garden, and now that our garden is starting to produce fresh veggies, we are planning many of our daily meals around the excessive amounts of produce from our garden.

This summer has been a hot and humid one. We've been eating lighter meals and dips just to carry us over from meal to meal, since our typical meat and potato dinners are too heavy. Since I've never made salsa before, and we had the ingredients on hand, I decided to make some. There is nothing like FRESH, chunky salsa to remind you of summer! More importantly I know what is going into this salsa (all fresh ingredients), and can regulate the amount of salt and oil used in the dish. Gotta love home cooking any day over store bought, processed foods. Yuck! Plus, it's good for you! How can you be mad at yourself for shoveling eating large amounts of this FRESH, veggie salsa. It's just what the doctor ordered for a healthy heart and mind!

Summer Tomato Salsa

 Doesn't that look so good!?

Ingredients
1 medium red onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
4 large ripe tomatoes
1-2 hot peppers (whatever you have on hand)
2-3 tablespoons of cilantro
2 tablespoons of lime juice
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

Chop up ingredients, it's okay if it's not perfect, it's gonna be chunky anyway!

*Side note: I've noticed you can do one of two things to your veggies, one you can leave them fresh OR I've also read that you can saute them to bring out more flavor. Either way, it'll be delicious.

Combine veggies with lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours so flavors blend.
Enjoy with chips!


I think hope by the end of summer we will be doing a whole lot of jarring for the winter months!! That'll be a process in itself with a two and four year old running around who want to help. Can't wait!

New Family Pics- Sunflower Power!

There is something about a sunflower that makes me smile. There is something about acres and acres of sunflowers that make me forget about all the craziness of life. Our photographer Carla, from Carla's Candids captured our girls and family perfectly! I can't stop smiling when I see these pictures. I love them!

It's like riding a bike...

McKenzie is riding a bike. My little girl. A bike. Yep, I'm crying now.

It didn't take her long to figure it out. The whole pushing down thing to accelerate forward was tough, I mean Mom and Dad aren't going to push you everywhere you go.... and, it was hilarious to watch her abruptly stop when she would try to pedal backwards because she didn't realize that's how you apply the brakes. I don't know what her obsession with pedaling backwards was, but apparently she felt the need.

She also made it perfectly clear to that now that she can ride a bike, she can go anywhere she wants at anytime. Today it was "I'm going to ride my bike to Gramma's house." In which I replied, "Go right ahead babe, maybe you'll make it for dinner."

It was a fun afternoon, and it gave us one of those special Mommy-Daddy-Kenzie moments that we don't get too much of now (Riley was snoozin' away).

She's growing up too fast, shit, she's riding a BIKE now!

See ya Mom! I'm off to Gramma's house!

Kenz wanted to see"college",...

...so we decided to take a day trip out to Cortland to visit campus. It's been almost a decade since we've been there. My last memories were of graduation, living at our house on Hill Street, and our friend Sean eating two month old chicken Alfredo that we left in the fridge after a long night of beverages. There are so many memories that were left on that campus, and simply put in the most cliche fashion were some of the "best years of my life." Most importantly,  it's where Tony and I met. Setting foot on campus brought back all the butterflies of first time orientation, college roommates, parties, endless walks, the fishbowl, and classes that made me the educator I am today.  I get so excited when one of my students mentions going to Cortland. I tell them, it's amazing there, you'll love it, and it seems like I'm right each time. 

Campus was exactly as we left it, except for the new buildings, renovations and construction everywhere....okay I guess it wasn't exactly as we remembered it, but it still had that same nostalgic feeling when we walked around. Nonetheless, the girls were super excited about sitting in the same classrooms where Tony and I both sat almost eleven years ago. 

Old Main

(love the finger shot, but for a 4 year old she did pretty well)

 Riley loved relaxing on the steps of Old Main

 One of the rare shots where I get a picture with the girls...usually I'm behind the lens

Tired Riley,...walking campus is hard work!

Wait, a rock to climb on? Game on! 

It was a great day! Next time, we're doing DP Dough...no exceptions. It's a Cortland thing....

Things I love Thursday...

FOOD

Asiago and Artichoke Dip (from Wegmans) 

I can eat this entire dish in one sitting....legit. Believe it. There are pictures to prove it. 

Since it's been hotter than Haiti in Upstate, NY, many dinners have consisted of strawberries. Yep, strawberries. That's it, no sugar, no whip cream, or heavy biscuit, just juicy berries. So good.

 Homemade sweet iced tea.


In my opinion the BEST recipe EVER! Here's all you have to do...

Boil one gallon of water with 8 tea bags of Salada tea. HAS to be Salada. 

Let it sit and cool, then add to pitcher. Add 2 cups of sugar (I know, not the healthiest, but you can have sweet tea without the sweet)

Add a quarter cup- 1 cup of lemon juice stir until sugar melts.

Then fill remaining pitcher up with water and stir. 

So Good. Just trust.

Tzatziki Sauce. 

Once again, this is a dish I have a love affair with. Thanks to Kristeen, I reunited myself with this delicious dish last night after a long separation period. But like any past love, I am once again swooped up by its charm. I could swim in it, eat it by the spoonful, drink it with a straw...too far? I digress....

Pasta Salad

Another recent reunion was with this yummy Salad Supreme pasta salad. So easy, so colorful,...and Riley loves it. So it's a go! You can add a TON of yummy veggies, cheese, and meats into this dish to make it a meal in itself. My Mom still makes garden salads using Salad Supreme with apple cider vinegar and olive oil. I LOVE it, and I don't use it often enough. Seeing, smelling, and eating this stuff brings me back to many childhood BBQ's in the backyard back home. 

 Get the recipe here

TV

Love, love, love the charm and quick wit of Hank in Californication. I'm half way thru the season....I'm hoping Hank and Karen get back together....it's a funky season so far....it's possible I guess?

Girls on HBO. I can't really describe the plot of this show...but if you're a girl...you'll appreciate and love this series. These four girls go through every girls' best and worst case scenarios in a half hour, weekly glimpse into a life of a girl. You'll get hooked....

Fantastic season! Was able to, HAD to watch the whole season in less than a day. Love Jackie, Love her character, Love what she was able to overcome this season. It's a deep, stomach turning season...so good.

Summer haircuts....bye bye long hair, hello bob! I needed a change....this summer was just the right time!
Feels fantastic to not be weighed down by inches, and inches of hair. So free and easy to do.

And I've finally given into the pressure....I'm reading.....

It's a perfect summer read for this hot and humid summer,...if you know what I mean.

Need a good book to read this summer??

I can go months before finding a book that I can't put down....this year I was lucky enough to work with THE BEST librarian (and friend) that I have ever met. I read a TON this school year, and it was all because of Marcie. She was so passionate about good literature and getting kids to read, that it rubbed off on me. I never met someone who was so into reading not only for herself, but her students too. She was such an inspiration. In the spring, I was lucky enough to tag along to a book talk conference that discussed hundreds of young adult and adult novels. I was in awe. I loved it. (I really could have sat there all day and listened to this woman). It made me realize HOW many good books there are out there, and how many we overlook because of censorship issues, themes, or conflicts that may be too touchy of an issue to read in our schools. There are soooo many good novels out there to use with our kids, why do we get stuck in literature ruts?

Here is a list of books that I could not stop reading,....we're talking one day, one sitting, simply amazing. I know there are more, but here are the first few that came to mind. Check them out on amazon.com for a summary, and let me know what you think!