Zinky and Shadow

Yesterday we went to Kevin's friend's pool and played with his dogs all afternoon. I played with my new camera! Meet Zinky and Shadow... Zinky is the one with the white on his face, Shadow has the all black face. I'll probably make a recipe post and post about my new prints later this weekend, so check back soon. Have a good weekend!

CANONBALL!

Shadow

Zinky

JUMP! my favorite of the day

shake it off!

July birthdays and cookies

We have so many birthdays in July in our family... my oldest niece Meghan just turned 18 (makes me feel super old) and my nephew would have been 15. Also our aunt Lynette and sis-in-law Priscilla have July birthdays! This weekend we had Emma's party and yesterday was our cat's birthday (yes, we celebrate our animals' birthdays too). Emma is 2 now...I can't believe it! And Sgt. Pepper has now been with us for 4 years! Even though my birthday isn't until next month, Kevin got me a new camera to replace the one that vanished into thin air. So here are some pics from this weekend along with a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe! Enjoy!

opening presents!

CAKE!

sharing berries with Molly the giraffe

birthday breakfast: a saucer of cream, 4 greenies,
4 hairball treats, fresh crunchies, and a newly
cleaned water fountain... he is not spoiled at all

new frog toy!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup + 2 T. sugar
1/4 cup + 2 T. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips


Directions
Stir together flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and egg and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until fluffy. Stir in chips. Drop in round spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Chill for 30min-1 hour. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350. Bake 8-10 min. Makes about 18 cookies or 1 dozen big cookies. 

I love cheese

ODE TO VALDEON

I seriously have an obsession with cheese. I just had to share this amazing snack combo. Local black grapes with Valdeon Spanish blue cheese! Oh my! It is wrapped in sycamore leaves and has these beautiful blue green pockets of sharp picante goodness. If you aren't a blue cheese lover you should have stopped reading by now. My favorite part of this cheese is right under the rind. It has a brownish color and is the spiciest strongest part. Oh it is so so good!

ps. my camera has mysteriously
disappeared, so I have been trying
to use photos I find online and
using my web cam. Sorry if these
pics are bad. Hopefully I will be
getting a new camera soon if it
doesn't turn up.

watermelonade & popsicles

Watermelon just reminds me of July...I remember watching fireworks when I was little with juice running down my chin and off my elbows! So we got a big one at the farmer's market on Saturday, and you can't get a big watermelon for two people without a few recipes in mind. The first is from the website They Draw and Cook...I made a few changes. The second is still freezing and I cannot wait to try it! They look so good! I tried a little bit of the puree and wow! Well here they are...

This picture is not mine...I was
too lazy too take one. Mine were
much redder & didn't have bubbles

Watermelonade
Ingredients
3 cups chopped watermelon
juice of 1 lemon
2 T. sugar


Directions
Puree all ingredients in blender. Pour through a fine strainer, discard solids. Add ice and more sugar to taste. 




Watermelon Mint Popsicles
Ingredients
2 cups chopped watermelon
1/3 cup sugar
1 T. minced mint leaves
1/4 cup greek yogurt


Directions
Puree all ingredients in blender. Pour through a fine strainer, discard solids, then pour into popsicles molds. Freeze at least 3 hours or overnight. 


I hope everyone who is off work tomorrow has a nice holiday. Thanks for reading my ramblings. :)

a quick glance in the garden

Our garden is blowing up from the recent rain! We have big strawberries and this mysterious pink flower vine thing that blooms at night. The flowers are only about an inch long. It is beautiful! Anyone know what it could be?

It looks kind of like a tiny hibiscus

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend!