Garden Harvest Baskets

Recently, my husband has taken an interest in woodworking. For months he has been watching instructional Youtube videos, reading books, and looking at tools. Within the last few weeks he purchased some tools and set out to try a few projects. He turned out to be pretty good at it!

Yesterday was our 3rd anniversary, and he gave me his first completed project - Garden Harvest Baskets! I've been wanting one of these for so long, but they are so expensive. I am super excited to have these beautiful baskets, and they're extra special because he put a lot of time and effort into making them for me :)

They are great for collecting eggs and gathering produce from the garden! I'm so thankful for a talented husband.

Chicken Flat Bread Recipe

We were invited to a cook out last evening - and it was a beautiful night to be outside! Beforehand, I was looking for something to take along in which I could include some fresh produce from our garden. I came across a recipe for Chicken Florentine Flat Bread from the blog Creme de la Crumb. As I scanned the ingredient list, I knew it would be an amazing dish. And I was able to use some of our spinach and fresh basil in this flavorful recipe! If you're looking for a great appetizer, I highly recommend this one

I made my own flat bread using this recipe.

Harvested Salad Greens

Our garden is doing great, and we are so excited to be finally gathering produce from it. While it is still early on in the season, yesterday we were able to harvest some lettuce and spinach. It made for a delicious fresh spring salad for lunch today! For my husband and I, one of the greatest satisfactions in life is growing our own food. It never gets old, and it is so rewarding to be able to use the fruits of our work to nourish our bodies. 

Saturday Morning Breakfast

I love Saturdays... so many great things happen on this day! The house gets cleaned, baking is done, time is spent enjoying the beautiful outdoors, and I get to crawl into freshly washed sheets at night (one of the best feelings ever). I especially love Saturdays when I have the time to make a nice breakfast. I love sitting down with that husband of mine with a cup of coffee and some delicious food. This morning was one of those Saturdays. I whipped up some pancakes (chocolate chip, of course!) cut up some fruit, and made some homemade whipped cream (ah-mazing!) 

Here is my favorite Pancake Recipe. (I just add chocolate chips as I cook them on the stove top). 

The homemade whipped cream is ever so simple! Just put heavy cream and a little bit of powdered sugar (amount depends on how sweet you like it, I use about 1/4 cup to 1 cup of heavy cream) in your mixer and mix it on the highest setting until it turns into whipped cream consistency.

First Veggie of the Year!

I suppose this radish below marks the first veggie harvested this year! How exciting! My husband and I have our garden at my parents' house, and we went over to check it this evening. He pulled up a radish to see how they were coming along, and they're doing great! In no time we'll be able to eat fresh veggies from our garden daily. Our lettuce and spinach are also ready for the picking. Gardening is so rewarding, and I hope in the near future our dream to be produce farmers becomes reality :)

Herb Garden

It's been a while since I've posted, and that is because it's so hard to be inside with all of this gorgeous Spring weather. My free time has been spent taking walks, going for runs, kayaking, and of course gardening! I thought for this post I would share a little bit of my fun! 

Last year around the time of my birthday, I saw this amazing planter on Pinterest that I knew would be perfect for my herb garden. It was listed for several hundred dollars online, so I knew I wouldn't be purchasing it! I went to my wonderfully, talented dad and showed him a picture. For my birthday, he made an exact replica (I actually like the one he made even better than the online version), and I stained it. Not only was it less than $50 in materials to make, but it also has sentimental value and a handwritten note from my dad on the bottom. He used black locust wood as it lasts a long time and is not quick to decay. Below is a picture of my handmade planter.

Last weekend, I was able to get some of my herbs planted in it! I love cooking with fresh herbs throughout the summer. I planted some oregano, basil, dill, rosemary, chives, and sage in my planter. I also have a container of spearmint, and multiple lavender herbs along the side of our house. I cannot wait to can our dill pickles, make lavender biscotti, and cook up some delicious Italian food! Recipes to come throughout the summer months :) 

Spring Tulips

When it comes to decorating my home - I love simple, and I love natural. There is no decor more beautiful than fresh flowers. Below, I used an old mason jar and added some blush colored tulips. Having fresh flowers in your home makes it so much more inviting; I love bringing the outside in (except for bugs!). On rainy days like yesterday, having these tulips sitting on my dining room table, made the day just a little bit brighter.