Haven't posted a recipe in a while. How about some Orange-Honey Salmon??

Yummy yummy!!

1/3c orange marmalade]
2T honey
2T dijon mustard
1 1/2t. horseradish
1 (2lb) salmon filet

1. Mix the orange marmalade, honey, mustard and horseradish in a bowl. Set half of it aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F or preheat the grill.
3. Set the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet or on a couple layers of heavy duty foil for the grill. Brush the fish with half the marmalade mixture.
4. Grill or bake for 20 minutes, or until the meat flakes easily with a fork. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Enjoy!!

New family member-- Tobie!

Long time no blog! Time has been FLYING for the last few months. I can't believe its already December. Good thing I'mm done with Christmas shopping. :)

We have a new family member. His name is Tobie and he gets along famously with the kitties. Ralfie adores him. The doggies walk shoulder to shoulder everywhere, play together, sleep together, etc. It's been great so far and only one potty accident. His first vet appointment with our vet is Friday-- I think he may have an ear infection. Poor little guy keeps rubbing his ears on the carpet all the time. We'll see how it goes.

Minneapolis Vacation-- Wednesday

We also did a lot on Wednesday. We started at the James Hill House. James Hill is not only the name of one of my uncles, but also the name of the guy that built the railroad we traveled on to get to Minneapolis. His house was built at the turn of the century and is about 30,000 square feet. It was HUGE and filled with beautiful trim, tile, woodwork, etc. There was a kitchen in the basement that had a gas stove and a prep area on the main floor next to the dining room that had hot and cold cabinets where the food was stored until served. The coolest thing was the clothes dryer system. The system contained large wooden slats that hung over steam pipes. As steam ran through the pipes, the heat dried the clothes. Not bad for the 1890's!

The first picture is the front of the house. The bricks are a darker color because of the coal that used to be used to heat the furnace. The second picture is the buffet in the dining room. The third picture is the clothes dryer. The slats slid out so the clothes could be hung above the steam pipes.

After the Hill House, we went to the St. Paul Cathedral across the street. The church was filled with ornate stained glass, beautiful painted ceilings, and elegant statues. Here are a few pictures.

Minneapolis Vacation-- Monday and Tuesday

On Monday morning, we went to the Midtown Global Market. The global market is a collection of shops, delis and restaurants from around the world. My favorites were the Italian deli (fresh cheese, salami, and other meats), the Farm Stand (local cheeses and meats), and the soap shop. I got some rosemary mint soap that tingles nicely.

After the Market, we went to see Shanna at the University. She's a professor there. Here she is in the University of Minnesota mascot hat. Isn't she cute??

We ate lunch at a wonderful Italian deli and ventured off to the Zoo/Conservatory. Sam had never been to the Zoo-- he goes to the conservatory to beat the winter blues and the zoo is closed at that time. Admission to the Zoo/Conservatory is just $1! We saw a baby orangutan. sleeping monkeys with their tails wrapped together, a snow leopard, tigers, lions and giraffes.

Next, we went into the Conservatory. It took my breath away! The plants were beautiful.

Tuesday, I tortured my poor husband by taking him to the Mall of America. We spent about 5 hours just walking on every floor. I didn't go into too many stores. It was a great way to get our exercise for the day!

Minneapolis Vacation--Sunday's Activities

It's been a while! Ty and I just got back from a vacation to Minneapolis. We drove to Havre, MT to catch the train (Amtrak) to Minneapolis. The way there was really nice. We left Havre at 3:30 pm and arrive in Minneapolis the next day at 8:00 am. I was surprised at how comfortable the travel was. The train had a dining car where you could sit down to eat dinner and a snack car if you just wanted a little something. I saw several deer as we passed through Montana and North Dakota-- plus, I finished reading two books.

Once we arrived in Minneapolis on Sunday Morning, Sam (my uncle) took us to the Rennaissance Festival. It was really cool. People dressed in costumes and there were several fun shows to attend-- fire breathers, comedians, and magic shows. Here are a few pics from the fair...

That was it for Monday. We were tired after that long train ride and took a long nap. Here is Tyson with Abbie-- Sam and Shanna's Pit Bull puppy. She's a year old and LOVES to play!

Chicken Caprese Pasta

Dinner last night was great! I made Maple Grilled Chicken the other night and used it to make a Caprese Chicken pasta. To make the chicken, combine:

1T. Maple Syrup
2t. light soy sauce (reduced sodium) or light teriyaki sauce
2t. minced garlic
2t. olive oil

Pour over chicken breasts and let marinate at least overnight. Grill or broil for 7 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature registers at least 165°F.

To make the pasta, you will need:

6 oz. pasta (I use Dreamfields-- less digestable carbs) cooked according to package directions
1 small tomato, chopped
3T. chopped fresh basil
1T. chopped fresh parsley
1T. lemon juice or balsalmic vinegar
2t. olive oil
1 oz. light mozarella cheese, cut into chunks (Sargento makes a good light mozarella cheesestick)

Just combine everything in a bowl, plate it, season with salt and pepper, and top with chicken. Yummy!

While I was cooking, Charlie and Ralfie were playing in the back yard. Then they decided that it might rain soon and they should come in. Here they are waiting for me to open the door.




Until next time.... enjoy!

Howdy Ho!

Hello again, everyone!

Isn't Ralfie cute? He just got his hair cut again a couple weeks ago. He loves his bandana and enjoys going for walks around the neighborhood every night. He also knows what 'go for a ride' means now and is very proud that he can jump in the car by himself. They grow up so fast! Ha ha. And what have the kitties been up to? Well, lets take a look....





Charlie is hoping, wishing, and waiting patiently for the elusive Spring weather. We get 1 to 2 days of great weather, then it snows again. Charlie loves to be outside when it's warm and he's made a few friends (neighborhood cats that wait for him to come outside). I didn't know cats had playdates!

Ralfie is trying to increase his function as a vacuum in the kitchen. He waits patiently while anyone is fixing anything, just hoping something good will fall while he's paying attention. Good dog! This is also his 'I want a treat' face.

We recently recovered our orange dining room chairs with a pretty green fabric that matches the dining room rug nicely. Mocha loves to sit on one of the cushy chairs to take a nap in the sun. She can't wait for Spring to be here either.

In fact, she thinks she's ready to go on a vacation. We got the kitty carrier out to take Charlie to the vet and found Mocha chilling out in it. She likes to be in enclosed spaces-- closets, cupboards, boxes, etc.

Remember that crazy Idaho weather I've been telling you about? Well, on Monday it was 70°F outside. This is what it looked like yesterday morning:

Yes, my poor baby Maple trees are covered in snow. Good thing it didn't stick! Here's hoping for more nice weather for all of us. TTFN!