March Madness

March Madness around here I assure you has NOTHING to do with college basketball. We've been busy training the pup and celebrating birthdays around here. Hard to believe it's already March and soon to be April, but boy am I ready for warm weather and sunshine. Anyhow, here is a glimpse into life around here these days.

February is my Dad's Birthday. The last two years I've gifted him a home made dinner from me. Last year it was his choice and he chose Thanksgiving for dinner. The most complex meal he could think of. These are pics from his real b-day in Feb when he got his dinner choices gifted.


I was pretty proud of the cake I decorated for him!


Pa teaching the young one to lick frosting of the candles.

Brayden learns fast. :)

We scheduled this year's follow up home made dinner on St. Patty's day. Yes we had Italian on St. Patty's day this year. I crafted some silly Irish decor for the party.

This is my interpretation of a rainbow of Easter eggs with a pot (pitcher) of gold (fabric/eggs) at the end of it. Hey, this is what I can do with things laying around the house so I don't have so spend money!

I do have a little shamrock pot I filled with greens from the yard and added some green food coloring to the water in my mini vases with the green eggs resting on top. So funky, but it was green so I decided that it was appropriately festive.

So, for his dinner this year, he got three choices under appetizers (he chose crab stuffed mushrooms), entree (meat lasagna) and desserts (he couldn't decide between the apple pie, carrot cake and lemon bars). The mushrooms just got thrown together and they were ok, but needed something. I'll have to work on that one, so they aren't pictured. The lasagna however came from The New Best Recipe cookbook from America's Test Kitchen and it was SUPERB! SOOOO good.


The process of building the HEAVY lasagna

All cooked up and being devoured.


The complete meal
The birthday boy enjoying his meal

SO you know how I said Dad couldn't decide on the dessert option, well neither could the baker Steve either. So he made all three. Here is the dessert buffet (bad picture, sorry). It was so good. Steve being such a great baker is a blessing for my tummy and a curse for my workouts.

Update on the fast growing pup. Her name is Bailey, I'm not sure if that was reported in the last blog or not.

She is very skilled at taking naps.


Taking naps ANYWHERE that is.

She loves to be right under foot in the kitchen. We're working on this one.


Some couch cuddles. She is so delightfully warm so a very welcome cuddle buddy for me.


Won't be able to lift her up like this for much longer. She is just shy of 13 wks and very close to 27lbs. Growing like a weed. Steve estimated about 1/2 lb a day based on her weight gain.



And this one is just one more random pic. This was one of the most simple yet flavorful meals I found on one of the food blogs I look to for inspiration fortheloveofcooking.net
Baked chicken flautas. YUM. so easy to make and they tasted SO good. I love when new things work out :)

Ok, that is it for the update now.