it’s that time of year!
it’s been beautiful in portland the last few days
(i’m sure even just mentioning this will cause the skies to darken, the clouds to roll in, and the rain to pour, but i digress)… so yesterday, after breakfast…
a fitnessista inspired egg puff on dave’s killer bread dressed by frank
we decided to uncover the scummy pond that’s been stagnate since winter and crank it up…
we discovered the koi are in fact still alive (minus ralphie, who i believe we lost to a predator of some sort before winter)… after a trip to the pond store, too much money spent on replacement parts, and lots of “help” by porter (interpretation: standing right next to us, chewing on pond parts, and splashing in water), we hooked it all back up…
we still have a lot of yard work to do (i have no idea why the previous owners kept a dirt outer ring of the yard), but i’m already excited with how it’s looking so early in the year!
the backyard is one of the big reasons i bought this house, and i can’t wait to be able to sit on the upper deck and have dinner overlooking the yard.
between our own yard work, swapping out guest room beds, helping nikki cut down five large bushes in front of her yard and digging out the remaining stumps *insert flexing of muscles and girl power here*… we were TIRED, and i needed a green monster
enjoyed on the upper deck with my best friend
(sporting the one ear back look… i wonder if this will become a trend like the one strap of the overalls unhooked???)
in the green monster:
1/2 c. almond milk
couple dollops 0% plain greek yogurt
2 c. organic baby spinach
frozen pineapple
frozen mango
i liked the hint of tangy that the greek yogurt gave the smoothie…
i won’t get sick of these any time soon
speaking of sick, anne is nursing a nasty cold (clearly she needs more green monsters), so i thought i’d make a veggified dinner for all of us.
i started with vegan stuffed mushrooms:
1 lb. large mushrooms
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 7oz. package firm tofu
8 sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt/pepper
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. dried breadcrumbs
remove stems from mushrooms and put the caps in a baking dish
preheat oven to 375
toss everything, including the mushroom stems, except the olive oil, parsley, breadcrumbs into food processor and chop/mix it all up
heat oil in skillet, and toss in the mixture for about 5 minutes or until tender, obviously making a big mess on your stove top… then mix in the parsley and breadcrumbs
stuff mushroom caps with mixture and shove into the oven for about 20 minutes or until browned on top
i’ve never made stuffed mushrooms without drenching them in cheese, but these were really good, and the tofu provided smoothness to the mixture. i would definitely make these again, and experiment with other ingredients like italian seasoning, or giving them an asian flare…
speaking of asian flare
no, not that kind
i also made a pretty good stir fry to round out the evening
today i’m hoping to tackle the yard a little more, hit the gym for an overdue elipticizer interval workout, maybe some weights if i’m feelin dangerous, and then get ready for the oscars.
what’s your favorite thing about your house/condo/apartment??
what’s the one thing you would love to have in your dream home??
my favorite parts of my house are the backyard, and the huge window in my living room that takes up one whole wall and looks out onto the upper deck and over the backyard. i always feel like i’m part of the outside.
i’ve always wanted a big home theater. i LOVE movies, and would love a big screen and big comfy couches or chairs to watch lots of movies in…