{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Mmmm...Smells Good

Many of you know that I started a patio garden this summer. Well, it's been kind of here and there...hit or miss...some good stuff...and some not so good stuff. The other night I made homemade lasagna for dinner and decided I wanted to use some of the basil I've grown. I was kind of nervous at first because the basil hadn't really looked good all season...UNTIL this weekend!
I was so excited when I picked a few leaves off the plants and held them to my nose. The smell was intoxicating. I had to hold myself back from picking all of the leaves and taping them to my nose. But, I restrained myself and picked enough for the lasagna. Adding this fresh ingredient was the best thing I could have done to that meal. It added so much to the recipe.
And another exciting thing I discovered (while researching exactly how to harvest basil) is that I can dig up my basil plants right before the first frost and keep them going inside all winter long. I'm so excited! Is there anyone else out there who gets as giddy about these kinds of things?

P.S. This is my 199th post...which means my next post will be my 200th...which means there will be a celebration...which means a GIVE-AWAY! Keep close watch to see what the fun prize will be.

First One of the Season

Here it is folks. The first Early Girl tomato of the season here at the Pead Home. It's not a very large one. In fact I could toss it in my mouth like a cherry tomato, but hey, even runts need lovin'. I feel like a proud mother who has raised a successful, healthy child. I am absolutely ridiculous. *Note to self: Get head checked for over-enthusiasm about a tomato.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

New Books! New Books! La-La-La-La-La-La!

Sam's Club is always a dangerous place for the Hubby and I to go to, but where else can you buy 30 rolls of toilet paper and 5lbs of frozen broccoli and not break the bank? And who would have ever thought that the Hubby would find three amazing Birthday presents for me? No - It's still not my Birthday (not until April 27th in case you were wondering). BUT - one of the things he bought me is a seasonal item and we were afraid that Sam's would run out or stop selling it before my Birthday. So here it is:

It's a patio vegetable garden and I am sooo excited! This will be the first year that I actually attempt to grow fresh produce and I needed somewhere to do it on our porch. At first I was going to use some of my other planters and containers and not get as many flowers this year, but Dustin found this and thought I would love it. And oh was he right! I'm going to be able to grow tomatos, green beans, parsley, basil, lettuce, and possible strawberries. Oh happy day!

The next two presents just make my little sewing heart full of joy. There are some books that I've had my eye on for a while and Sam's had two of them for a great discounted price. They are Last Minute Patchwork Gifts & Weekend Sewing.


Not only are these books filled with beautiful projects, but they are designed so beautifully. I can't wait to start making some of these projects. Perhaps they will help me figure out a fun pattern for my Anna Maria Horner quilt.

Funny Faces & Yummy Salads

So today is one of those random posts that contains the delightful little happenings of life. With the changing seasons, I finally dug up my lovely patio garden this past weekend.


It definitely served me well and made my Spring and Summer days filled with beautiful blooms and heavenly fragrances...but alas, the days are much cooler and the leaves are at their peek of golds, reds, and ambers. Today was one of those slightly warmer November days, so I decided to take the dog for a walk and soak up some of the Autumnal color palate.









I just can't get enough of these wonderful colors. I find myself completely distracted while driving down the road because I get lost in the beautiful colors that are scattered across Central Indiana.

Now this next picture has quite the story to it. While walking our proud pup Jalen, I could tell that he wanted to get back home, but I was determined to take a picture of him on our walk. Well...when I snapped the picture, he just so happened to blink his eyes in the bright sun at the exact moment of the shot. Thus I got this photo...

How funny is this? I think it looks like he's closing his eyes in protest to the photo. It's as if he's saying, "If I close my eyes, she won't know I'm here and we'll have to go back home." It is definitely Jalen in his finest moment!

After our walk, I was quite famished, so my Hubby made a yummy salad that was quite a refreshing treat for such a fine day.


Doesn't it just look scrumptious! Mmm...Mmmm.

Well I hope that your day is filled with the beauties of this Autumn day and that something out there just makes you smile. Oh...and one last note...I'm planning on having a Christmas Give-away in the next couple of weeks, so be on the look-out for your chance to win some trimmings for your tree!

[Delightfully Fragrant]

My senses were on overload yesterday!
First of all...
My wonderful Hubby bought me a lavender plant. We've been using this all-natural lavender soap to wash our faces lately and he has fallen in love with the fresh smell that it produces. So while he was at the grocery store yesterday, he happened to find a lovely lavender plant on sale. Oh how excited I was!

Back in the Spring, my Hubby also bought me a bucket of bulbs. It was actually a beginner's gardening kit for children and knowing how much of a child at heart I am, he knew it would tickle me pink...so he bought it for me. Once the bulbs were planted in their brightly colored yellow bucket, they immediately began to grow. It was such a wonderful process to watch them go from 1 inch sprouts to 2 foot leaves.


Well...as excited as I was to see the beautiful foliage of the elephant ear, glads, and other lovely plants, I was somewhat sad that they had not bloomed yet...

Well...

Just last week...

They began to bloom!

Look at how gorgeous and exotic these beautiful blooms are!


I was absolutely thrilled. My patience and waiting the summer out finally came to fruition and these lovely ladies graced me with their presence. Of course I'm not quite sure what type of flower they are because I had such a variety of bulbs, but I don't care. All I know is that they are lovely. And as I sit here and type this, looking out my studio window, I can see them dancing in the late summer breeze. [Sigh]

On another note...

I baked a yummy dinner last night that my Hubby said was going on his "Top 3 List of Best Dinners Ever." We were in the mood for quiche and I like spinach quiche, but he doesn't...So we compromised and I created my own recipe of Broccoli Quiche. I kind of combined my Spinach quiche recipe with my Broccoli casserole and this is what we got...



Oh the yummy-ness!

Here's the recipe for those of you who would like to create this delightful treat for yourself.

Broccoli Quiche
1 9-inch pie shell
1/2 a bag of frozen finely chopped brocolli
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 jar of Cheese Wiz or 1/2 a block of velveeta
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
a pinch of pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar

• Blend melted butter, eggs, and milk.

• Add Cheese Wiz, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, sugar, and broccoli. Mix well.

• Pour into pie shell.

• Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until filling is set and golden brown on top.

• Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting...and then...ENJOY!
  

[Sum-Sum-Summer Time]

We have had some beautiful summer days these past couple of days.
Sweet breezes that blow the scent of fresh flowers and fired up grills through out windows.

This weather has inspired me to take pictures of my "garden" out on my patio.

Being on the second floor of our apartment complex, I can't exactly have a "real" flower garden, so I've created a garden with fun pots, buckets, window boxes, and hanging baskets. I can see them through my office window and through the sliding glass doors in the living room. They just make me smile.







I love going outside to water and prune them. And every time I snip away the dead blooms, I'm reminded of how God says that He must prune the vine in order for good fruit to bloom in our lives. I have to prune the dead blooms in order for beautiful flowers to grow.



The other day, Dustin fixed me a wonderful dinner on the grill...A Barbecue chicken sandwich on a wheat bun with broccoli, baked potato, and home-grown cherry tomatoes from my friend Stacy's garden. Doesn't it just look like a perfect summer meal?


And here is a sneak peek of my quilt. I sewed all 18 rows together last night and am going to begin quilting it today. I'm so excited!


I hope these beautiful summer days last forever.

[P.S. I've updated the Revel Design blog with some new work]