300 Days of Sunshine

Happy Easter!  I always think of Easter as occurring in early April, but apparently Easter falls in March almost 25% of the time, so it's really not that unusual.   Nonetheless, this Easter weekend certainly snuck up on me.  At least I remembered to get out the Easter baskets and buy a couple of new treats for our four-legged daughters.  I didn't go all out with brunch or Easter themed desserts this year, but I did find time on my day off to make my favorite Vanilla Bean Rhubarb Ginger Scones  (from  The Brown Eyed Baker)  and Banana Bread  (from  Beard on Bread ) with butterscotch chips.   I worked a little more on my garden this weekend!  I went to a garden store that was recommended by a friend and picked out some herbs, tomatoes, rhubarb, peppers, lettuce and greens.   The mountain climate and high elevation means that the temperature still dips below freezing in the mornings (we even got some snow flurries yes...

Hiding kitty says, "Happy Spring!" Today is officially the first day of spring!  It has been so warm and sunny in Santa Fe the past few weeks and I've just really gotten in the mood for being outside, riding my bike, and getting started on my garden.  We have been in our house one year this week!  I didn't do a lot with the garden during our first spring and summer but I am motivated to brighten up the yard a little more this year.  Frankly, I am completely clueless when it comes to gardening and I don't even know where to begin, but I'm trying to just start small and not overwhelm myself.  I welcome any advice and/or tips about successful gardening in the high desert climate!  Other home improvement projects this spring include painting the guest and master bedrooms, shopping for ceiling fans and a dining room chandelier, and reorganizing book shelves.  (The fun never ends.) Last weekend I ran a 5K trail race in Los Lunas, NM.  While the e...

Happy St. Patrick's Day (and happy birthday to my younger brother!).  The green beer is flowing, March Madness is officially underway, and spring is just around the corner!  What a fun time of year to celebrate and enjoy some yummy treats. If you like Thin Mints, mint chocolate chip ice cream, Shamrock Shakes, or not having to turn on your oven to make dessert, then this is the pie for you!  This delectable dessert is perfect for any season, but is especially festive for your St. Patrick's Day celebration. Mixing up the pie filling Preparing the crust Enjoy! Mint Chocolate Chip Pie Recipe from The Brown Eyed Baker blog INGREDIENTS Crust: 24 Oreo cookies, crushed into fine crumbs 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted Pie Filling: 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 tsp peppermint extract 4 drops green food coloring 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip 1 4.67 ounce package Andes Mints, unwrapped and finely chopped (...