Cana
Red & Green Chili! I have made several variations of this recipe. My favorite is the all green version.

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Cana
Callie picked our first baby watermelon today. It was very sweet and tasty. Brent still doesn't like watermelons, but I'm not taking that personally.
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Cana
Well, I was in the mood for potstickers and this is what happened. Check out my recipe at Nibbledish. I wanted a healthful version, so these have lots of veggies and are made with lean ground turkey. Brent was a great assistant.


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Cana
They don't often all occupy the same space.
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Cana
It's Sunday, so I thought I would confess my addiction to Animal Crossing. Our whole family has it, JT is almost out of rehab, and we all play it regularly.

Lily is extremely disappointed in Walker

I'm the one in the back wearing a custom designed dress, crown and smirk.

Sorry if you were hoping for something more in your confessions.
Cana
Brent and I grabbed coffee, sausage rolls & donuts and hit the road this morning looking for treasures. Brent nabbed a Starwars gun, mini golf club/pen & WA mug.

I got this chair for $7 and plan to make a cover for it.
This is for Callie's room. $0.25
These votive candle holders need to be cleaned, but will look great outside. They were $0.25 each.
All I wanted was the egg salt and pepper shaker, but she insisted I take the set for $0.50.
This too is for Callie's room. We are trying to decide now what color to paint it. I got it for $3.
Cana

I was browsing the Internet and came across this article about using vinegar as a fabric softener. I'm totally going to try this. I'll let you know if I smell like a pickle.

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Cana
Our cats have many nicknames. James Bond usually goes by JB, Baby or Kitchen Cat. He watches you wash dishes, cook and generally just hangs out on the cool tile keeping whoever is in there company. Kitchen Cat loves grocery time. It is a difficult task keeping him out of the bags. He used to fit in them and we would carry him around. Generally we use the reusable bags, but every now and then I need to replenish my grocery bag supply and I ask for plastic. That's probably not a very green thing to do. Anyway, Kitchen cat thinks he has died and gone to kitty heaven when that happens. I barely had emptied the bags when I found him nestled in them heading for a nap.
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Cana
I love the weather here in New Mexico!

Cana
One of our Yucca plants is blooming. I was surprised how pretty the blooms were.
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Cana
I love New Mexico!
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Cana
Apartment Therapy San Francisco | Outdoor Inspiration: Clothes on the Line

How come when I hang my clothes it doesn't look this cool?

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Cana
This tree is taller than our garage and is in full bloom right now. It is so lovely. We have a couple in the front yard, but they have been drastically trimmed and are no where near as large as this one.
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Cana
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Cana
OK, I got lucky last night and actually recorded one of Brent's home runs. I wanted to send it to family, but of course it was too big. This is when I realized that I had a collection of videos waiting to be burned onto CD's and mailed. Probably never going to happen. So, at the prompting of my kids, I have created an account on YouTube and am posting the videos there.

Cana
During the middle of the night last Friday, all our cats got out. We found a hole in the screen the next morning. JB and Bitty came back later that day, but not Delilah. She is the most street smart of the bunch, so initially we weren't worried. As night fell, our concerns escalated. Sunday was rough, she had never been gone that long. We love our cats, some say too much. By Sunday night we discussed plans for posters and visiting the Humane Society and local vets.

We spent Monday picking up fliers from Leandra (thanks) and posting them, checking the shelter and calling friends. The paper and the radio were also contacted.

This morning I woke around 4am worried about my cat. Unable to sleep I came into the living room. A few minutes later I heard meowing. It didn't sound like Delilah, but I thought I would check it out anyway. The meowing was coming from the roof. There she was, not sounding at all herself, still wearing her collar, on the edge of the roof.

JT headed up to the roof deck, after I woke him, and Delilah ran to him. She even let me hug her, briefly. JB and Bitty treated her like some foreign kitty for about 2 hours, then everything was back to normal. She didn't look like she had been roughing it for the past few days, she wasn't hungry but was very thirsty.

Today we will spend calling people to let them know Delilah has been found and taking down fliers.
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Cana
I love this birdhouse, left by the previous owners. We get so many birds here; I really should put some birdseed in it!
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Cana
These grapes in the yard were here when we moved here. They have nothing to trail on or anything. I had meant to build something before this summer, but surprisingly I didn't have time.
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Cana

This morning I woke to sounds of thunder. I love thunderstorms. We usually get them in the evenings here in the summer, not the morning. You can see in the picture the sun trying to peak through the thundercloud as it was rising.
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Cana
Softball is taking over the world, my world. JT played on two teams, the men's and coed. His first game was at 8am and he came home at 4am the next day. I'm not sure how many games he played.
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Cana
Last night we headed out to one of the local wineries to enjoy some music, wine, and see Rebecca and her family before she heads out on her month long camping trip. Everybody was supposed to bring some type of appetizer. We just got a red pepper hummus from Sam's Club, so I decided to make naan.

My first attempt was a disaster. I make naan all the time, three to four times a week, so it shouldn't have been hard. This time however, I decided to double the recipe. The consistency was just wrong, I made a few, then threw the whole thing out and started over. I didn't double the second attempt and finished the last naan 10 minutes before we were supposed to be there.

I got to try a lot of new things: beet salad, kidney w/mushroom and brandy reduction on puff pastry and roast quail breast. Callie was especially fond of the roast quail breast and was rarely seen not carrying one around (they were on skewers). I actually enjoyed the kidney dish, minus the kidney. Flavor wasn't the problem for me, it was texture. All the food was wonderful, as usual, and the wine was perfect.

The music was good. It was surprising how low the turnout was. The winery has the music monthly for free. I think more people would come if they knew. There were tables and chairs on the lawn for quests. They even had chips and nacho cheese.

I'm sure Rebecca will have a wonderful trip. What an amazing experience a month long camping trip will be. Especially with 4 kids. Good Luck Rebecca!


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Cana
Here are some new tomatoes. I love this part of gardening. My eggplant is flowering too.
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Cana
After finishing our errands, JT and I began driving around Las Cruces looking for a place to eat. We saw a crowded parking lot outside the Delicias Cafe on Amador Ave and decided to stop. The place was packed, noisy and a little overwhelming. We were seated promptly and drinks were quickly served. We found ourselves watching the constant stream of people coming and going. The menu was pretty standard traditional mexican fare, prices were good and there was an excellent soup selection. I ordered the Carne Asada tacos and JT had the Milanesa Steak. Both our meals came with soup. The soup was outstanding, a light homemade soup full of delicious veggies; whole corn, carrots, squash, cabbage, and more. Even the salsa was noteworthy, with fresh cilantro and just the right amount of heat. Despite the crowd, our meals were served quickly and were delicious. The staff was very attentive, our drinks and chip bowl were never empty. It was very busy and a little noisy, but entirely worth it.
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Cana
I was so excited to find baby watermelons this morning! Too cute. This is my first year growing watermelons and I wasn't sure how things would turn out. Callie came out and we both oohed and awed over the melons. Silly
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Cana
OK, I love my Wii Fit. I have been quite surprised how sensitive the equipment is. I kept doing the downward dog yesterday, the machine ensures you are applying enough weight onto the board, and I'm embarrassed to say my arms are a little sore today.
(I got this picture online, no it isn't me.)
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Cana
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