A Little Break

Things have been really hectic lately.  I'd love to be able to post all the great projects I've been working on, but they're Christmas presents and their recipients follow my blog. *thanks* :)  I've been experimenting a lot in the kitchen but haven't brought the camera out.  So, realizing that I don't have a post for this week and don't know what to post, I thought I'd take a quick break (about a week or two) to catch my breath and work on some content for LAA.  So be sure to check back in a week or two and I promise I'll have something cool.  Until then, enjoy the many adventures this life has for you in even the smallest of things.  :)

A Weekend in Flagstaff, Arizona

For my birthday, my Handsome Hubby organized a trip to Flagstaff, near the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona.  We go there sometimes in the summer to escape the heat of the desert and sometimes we visit in the winter to play in the snow.  Yes, it snows in Arizona.  Northern Arizona actually has four seasons and is at a higher elevation than the rest of the state.  So, we rented a tiny cabin for the weekend and went to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves and some great fall weather.

Seared Pork Chops with Wilted Spinach

We recently picked up a half pig from Date Creek Ranch, a local ranch here near Phoenix.  They are a local, family-run ranch that takes a holistic grazing approach; and they're just super-nice people.  We've ordered grass-fed beef from them in the past and LOVED not only the beef, but the prices as well.  Their prices are very comparable to conventional meats in the store.  So when we re-ordered our beef for this year, we ordered a half-pig as well.  It is delicious!  I've not been a big fan of pork because I've always thought it smelled and tasted funny, but I am now a fan of the pastured pork from the ranch.  No funny smell and the taste is nothing short of wonderful.  If you have access to pastured meats, I HIGHLY recommend you give it a try and taste the difference. 

Dino Hoodie Rex

I’ve seen a bunch of cute tutorials on making these adorable dino-hoodies.  I wasn’t able to find one that didn’t use felt or that didn’t cover the raw edges of the fabric.  So I sort of made this up as I went along.  Luckily, it turned out great.

Roasted Okra

It's okra time in the desert and boy am I ready!  I must admit that okra used to be on my list of veggies I tolerated but never really enjoyed.  I just couldn't get over the "slime" factor.  Fried okra is good, but I really try not to eat deep-fried vegetables.  Last year about this time, I was getting tons and tons of okra in my CSA basket and didn't know what to do with it.  Then I found this method.  Hallelujah! **light rays from the sky, angels singing, doves flying**

It's a Journey, Not a Sprint... Right?

I feel that this post is long overdue.  I guess I've been putting it off in hopes of the potential content changing, but alas, my procrastination has not yielded the results I had hoped.  Since my last Weight Loss Journey Post, I've fallen off the Harcombe Diet Wagon, rode the No-Diet Diet Wagon, and took a detour in Too-Much-Dessertville and Pastrytown.