The Last of the Oranges

                                                           

During the winter months here in the desert we are blessed with an abundance of fresh backyard oranges.  Which means, naturally, that we have fresh squeezed orange juice almost daily. In my book, there's nothing better!  We have, however, just used the last ones, so I found myself scouring the ads this afternoon looking for deals from the grocers.....something I have not had to do for a while.

Right before Christmas we bought and planted yet another citrus for the yard. It's a Trovita Orange, a juicing orange, and is supposed to be a particularly sweet orange in our climate.  Evidently in this case the warmer the climate the sweeter the orange.*It's supposed to make a very good patio tree and can be brought into the house to overwinter in colder climates. It's a late producer too so in the coming years we won't run out until later into the Spring.  Which will be a very good thing.

Obviously we will have no oranges on this tree this year, but the last week or so it has began to burst forth with dozens of the most heavenly smelling orange blossoms!  Since it is planted right behind our backyard swing, it is making for the most delightful of afternoons.  My family sometimes finds it amusing that I like to take a nap outdoors. But to my way of thinking, "who wouldn't? ".......not with this kind of stuff going on out there!  Right? 

Hope you're enjoying your Spring!

I am linking up with:

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Feathered Next Friday @ French Country Cottage

Fertilizer Friday @ Tootsie Time

Friendly Friday Blog Hop @  The Clumsy Coquette

Friday Follow Over 40 @ Never Growing Old

Todays Flowers @ Flowers From Today

The Case for Outdoor Lunches

Since I knew I'd be eating lunch alone this afternoon I made myself a favorite Spring Salad, grabbed one of the books I'm currently reading, and set a place on the patio. Such lovely weather right now........don't want to waste a minute of it.

 

It's so quick and easy to put together a salad like this. I like to use the Baby Leaf Spring Mix from our local Fresh and Easy market......a nice mixture of organic green and red romaine lettuce, green and red oak leaf lettuce, arugula, spinach, and chard. My sister Jane likes to put little raspberries in her salad, but today, since I didn't have any fresh or even frozen ones, I decided to add a few mandarin oranges. Then I topped it off with avocado slices and glazed walnuts.

Finally I drizzled it with Lite Raspberry Pomegranate Dressing......doesn't just reading that name make you feel good?.......and it was every bit as delicious as it sounds.

The place mat and napkin are Laura Ashley, and the salad bowl and plate are some of my favorite inherited blue pieces.

 

As I spent time in California a couple of weeks ago, I had several lovely lunches on Jane's patio.....and today I found myself wishing she was here enjoying this with me on my patio. Still, even lunch alone on a beautiful spring day like today is definitely worth the effort!

Hope you're enjoying your Springtime,

The Mom Song with Lyrics

This is so hilarious and 100% accurate! I posted this on my Facebook page this morning and thought I'd share it with my Blog followers too.

Enjoy!.....and Happy Mother's Day!

Sexy Joes for Swimsuit Season

Who among us hasn't decided this time of year that we'd better get busy and lose a few pounds before swimsuit/shorts season is in full swing? Here is a great little sandwich that comes in at only 331 calories and is actually very good. I don't mean to sound surprised, but you all know what I mean.......sometimes the stripped down versions of things just don't taste that good. This is from the Biggest Loser Cookbook. I think it makes a great supper with lemon sliced cucumbers, veggie sticks, or a slice of nice juicy melon......and of course a big glass of iced tea! This "good for you" meal is guaranteed to be painless.

Sexy Joes

Ingredients:

I pound of extra lean ground chicken....

(if you can't find it in the package most butchers at major grocery stores will grind chicken breasts for you)

1 tablespoon of white vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2/3 cup chopped yellow onion

1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

3/4 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup chili sauce

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

4 whole-grain or whole- wheat buns

Mist a medium non-stick skillet with olive-oil spray ( or another cooking spray) and set on medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, breaking into large chunks, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, Worcestershire, honey, and hot-pepper sauce. Whisk to blend. Set aside.

Drain off any liquid that has accumulated in the pan. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomato sauce, chili sauce, chili powder, and the reserved vinegar mixture to the pan. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat so mixture simmers. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is thickend

Spoon the mixture equally onto the opened buns. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

If you're like me and want to add a little mayo to spread on the buns be sure to add the extra calories........45 for 1/2 Tablespoon of mayonnaise.

Enjoy!

Today I'm linking with:

Foodie Friday, Friday Favorites, Friday Feasts, Food on Friday

Friday Follow, and Follow Me Friday

Don't forget to drop by these great sites!

My Spring Breaks

Spring cleaning around here this week. Probably going to be next week too.....you see I'm trying to finish up a couple of furniture painting projects at the same time. I know, it's not that smart to combine the two but that's how it's working out. ( Will post about the projects soon) The cleaning part is not my favorite thing to do but I LOVE how everything looks and feels when it's done! It's an absolutely beautiful Spring day around here though, and I don't want to be inside ALL day so I'm thinking a girl needs a break to go sit at the park for a few minutes, watch the ducks, and just enjoy it all. So that's exactly where this girl will be when lunchtime comes around today. In the meantime I better get busy, hadn't I?

Today I'm linking with these great sites so be sure and stop by:

Outdoor Wednesday with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer

Watery Wednesday

Bacon Quiche Tarts on Easter Morning

Here's a scrumptious little recipe that I got from my cousin Debbie. They're little quiches made in a muffin tin.....and as an added bonus they can be made ahead of time, reheated, and they taste just as wonderful! I think they're particularly good for Holiday breakfasts or brunch buffets. That's why ever since I got this from her I've been making them for our Easter morning breakfast. Just serve with a quick fruit salad or a pretty little dish of melon cubes. Be sure to bake plenty because, believe me...... no one is going to be satisfied with just one.

I don't think there's anything more refreshing on a warm Spring or Summer morning than to serve glasses of iced water with lemon and orange wedges!

Speckled eggs on the table, all ready for hiding later in the afternoon. If you'd like to know how to make these you can find the directions here on the Southern Living website.

Debbie's Bacon Quiche Tarts

Ingredients

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

5 tsp milk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

2 Tbsp chopped green pepper

1 Tbsp chopped onion

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

(there are 8 in each tube, you will have 4 left over for other purposes)

6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled and divided evenly into two parts

*Beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add eggs, cheese, green pepper, onion and mix well. Separate dough and mold into greased muffin cups. Sprinkle half of bacon crumbles evenly into each cup then pour egg mixture over the bacon. Top with remaining bacon. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Serve warm. Makes 1 dozen.

* Filling and bacon crumbles can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated overnight.....then in the morning all you have to do is mold the dough into the muffin cups, fill, and bake.

ENJOY!

Be sure to check these out.......

Today I'm linking with Foodie Friday, Food on Friday, Friday Feasts,

Follow me Friday , Friday's Favorite , Friday Follow

and Tablescape Thursday

Easter Wordless Wednesday

May your Easter be filled with Joy

Today I'm linked with Wordless Wednesday, Five Minutes for Mom and Extraordinary Mothers . Be sure to drop by these sites to enjoy more Wordless Wednesday entries.

Vintage Easter Party

This is simply Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit out for a Saturday stroll. Except, I imagine, this isn't just an ordinary Saturday......this is on a Saturday before Easter. They've been gathering goodies for their Easter dinner. Mrs. Rabbit has not been able to resist picking lovely yellow flowers for the table, while her husband has loaded up his basket with big fat juicy carrots. As they walk they talk casually, intimately, comfortably, as only a husband and wife can. Their hearts are full as they think about their home, their large rambunctious family, the wondrous Spring they're surrounded by, and the wonderful gift the entire world has been given.
He is Risen!

Happy Eastertime

Today I'm joining Joan for the Vintage Easter Party @ Anything Goes Here. Be sure to drop by and join in the fun!

Easter Bunny Cake

Back in the 80's I picked up this cookbook at a used book sale. It was first published in 1966 and it turned out to have so many great ideas in it. I've used it over and over through the years. The nice thing about this is that while all of these cakes are made with mixes, they can easily be adapted to use with homemade cakes too. Just use your own favorite recipes. I've seen copies several times over the years and they're well worth picking up if you run across one.

I've made this Bunny cake for so many Easter dinners. It's so simple to make and turns out looking great AND tasting great every time. Guaranteed.

Easter Bunny Cake

Bake any layer Betty Crocker layer cake mix in two round layer pans (8 or 9 1/2 inch) as directed on the box. Or use your own favorite recipe. Cool. Cut one layer in half. Put both halves together with a prepared frosting (either a can of Betty Crocker White or Cream Cheese Frosting.........or again, use your own recipe if you like.) Stand cake upright on cut edge.

With a sharp knife cut a notch about a third of the way around the semicircle, forming the rabbits head. Save cutout piece for the tail. secure in place with a wooden pick. Frost the entire rabbit with remaining frosting. Sprinkle generously with shredded coconut.

Make ears of white paper; color inside pink with a crayon or colored pencil. Use pink jelly beans or gumdrops for eyes and nose. Form an attractive nest around the bunny with tinted green coconut ( see instructions below) and place a few Easter Eggs (jelly beans) around him.

Freeze the other layer for later use, or make another bunny.......color the inside of his ears blue and you'll have a " Mr. and Mrs." for your Easter dinner table.

Tinted Coconut:

Place one cup of coconut in a a jar or plastic bag. Mix 1 or 2 drops of food coloring with 1 teaspoon of water. Add to coconut. Screw on lid or fold close bag and shake until coconut is uniformly colored.

Here's a photo of 2 year-old granddaughter Kylie the first year she discovered the bunny.

Enjoy!

Today I'm linking with these great sites....Just click on the names for the link and be sure to check out their cute buttons in my sidebar!

Friday Follow

Foodie Friday

Friday Feasts

Friday Food

Vintage Recipe Thursday

Inspired on Friday

I'm Lovin' It Fridays

Show and Tell Friday

Funky Junks Saturday Nite Special

Strut Your Stuff Easter/Spring

Making the World Cuter Monday

Tasty Tuesday

Look What the Rains Have Brought

I'm going to miss our winter rains which were deliciously plentiful this year. This is the view from my office window looking out over the backyard. Such lovely afternoons spent here in recent months. Now it is Springtime, traditionally a much drier time of year in the desert.............but take a look at what this year's showers have given us!

The Sonoran Desert is now a carpet of green beginning to burst with color!

Wildflowers everywhere!

Such a lovely place to be this time of year.

Today I'm linking to Shadow Shot Sunday at Hello Harriet.....be sure to check out all the interesting photos on this site.

Also there are some gorgeous flowers at Today's Flowers and beautiful scenery at Scenic Sunday . Then for an interesting look around the world go to Sunday's in My City at Unknown Mami.

Finally I'm joining My World Tuesday G o on over and see what's going on in different parts of the world and Outdoor Wednesday for lovely outdoor shots.