Cooking with the Hubs

Posted on January 15, 2022 by Debbie

Oh my goodness! How about our Tropical cool front? Is it cold where you are? It was 53 degrees outside this morning. So I bumped the heater in the house to take off the chill. What is it about just a degree or so that seems to take the sharp nip off? After giving the heater a moment and a few sips of coffee later, I was able to adjust the heater such that it would turn off.

On my way to our grocery pickup this morning, I captured the team taking down the Christmas lights in our little town. I appreciate the care put into this tree and all of the lights paired with giant size snowflakes. The lights added to this tree are quite large and they look like shooting stars against the night sky. It’s truly magical. I’ll look forward to the town lighting up again when Christmas rolls around.

The last of Christmas decor getting packed away in our sweet little town

We’ve been hooked on zoodles for the last two weekends. It’s such a simple yet delicious meal. I used to use our hand spiralizer, but now that we have the KitchenAid attachment, there is no need to go back.

This gadget makes quick and easy work.

We snipped the strips (with kitchen sheers) every so often

We missed using our wok today. I really need to get that seasoned again so that we can get back to using it.

I can’t tell you how yummy this was. But we both agree that the squash and zucchini pack the best flavor. In fact, we much prefer zoodles over pasta. Our date at the kitchen table was the best.

We added quite a few zucchini and squash to our grocery pickup today. I foresee another meal like this again soon.

What’s your favorite meal on cool day?

Wherever you are, may your day be blessed and your meal delicious.

Blessings – Debbie

Happy Thanksgiving ~ Happy New Year

Posted on January 5, 2019 by Debbie

Yes! The title, in that order. This makes me thankful and ever so happy this New Year.

So I went away (from the blog) just before Thanksgiving. It was on purpose.

You see, we were planning a trip to Florida for Christmas.

And there were many guys in the family (my brother, dad, nephew and more) who had the beard swagger going on. My brother has had a beard for years, but my pop was sort of doing it for me. That’s another story, not for today. But I finally got to see pop with a beard. That was really special.

I had never seen the hubs with a beard.

I like beards.

Beards are not the hubs thing.

But he decided to grow one and surprise the family for Christmas. See where this is going?

That said, back to Thanksgiving. I stopped the blog just before this post. The hubs was looking good with his beard, but didn’t want any spoilers before surprising the fam.

This was our special little selfie before we left the house for our Thanksgiving date. The hubs beard was not even a month old.

Another special selfie.

Onward to our little Thanksgiving dinner for two. We decided to try a (new to us) fancy place that we’ve heard good things about. So Vintana Wine and Dine it was.

This is a fun little vignette near the entrance.

From the menu – We Had several choices to choose from. From the first course to the dessert, our dinner was amazing.

This bread…let me tell you…or popover as they call it is something I’ve never had. This Yorkshire pudding popover was goodness I will never forget.

They are crispy on the outside, with an airy, tender and slightly chewy inside. So Yummy! And with a dollop of the sweet warm butter, made this a winner.

The hubs started with the lobster bisque, no photo of the goodness, but he enjoyed.

I started with the farmers market greens candied walnuts + blue cheese + marsala dried figs + pickled red onion + toasted walnut-champagne vinaigrette

Next up, the hubs had the diestel farms organic roast turkey buttermilk mash + cranberry apple relish + wild rice chestnut stuffing + lemon-herb root vegetables.

I went non-traditional Thanksgiving. I didn’t have turkey, shocker! I had a craving for the macadamia and coconut crusted sea bass served with crispy sea beans + roasted pineapple salsa + mashed sweet potatoes + lime + ginger-lime beurre blanc

Delish!

For dessert, I had the pumpkin cheesecake. The perfect Thanksgiving touch. No photo to share the amazing visual of the sweet goodness.

The hubs enjoyed his key lime tart. It looks amazing! It agreed with him too.

The views were magnificent from the 3rd floor.

But this guy was the absolute best part of my day.

Our meal ended with full tummies and a happy note. Our evening was spent digesting, kicking back, watching a movie and chilling.

It truly was a Thanksgiving to remember.

This post will not be complete without a Happy New Year! Finally, now that we are home from our Christmas trip, I can start blogging without the concern of leaving the hubs out.

Cheers to getting on with the New Year!

Blessings – Debbie

Friendships are Treasures

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Debbie

When my childhood friend contacted me at the end of August, to see if I would be in town this week, I was sure to add her to the calendar at once.

The date was set for Thursday, Oct 25th and the spot was picked to visit at The Hotel Del.

There is nothing like friendship blended with toes in the sand, the beach, the beautiful Point Loma in the background, lunch on the sun deck overlooking the ocean, a nice visit and laughter on such a glorious day.

She is the sweetest most beautiful soul you will ever meet.

Toes in the sand = priceless! Hey, my toes match her pants! Love her French pedi.

Her friend was such a natural, I took some 38 photos of him with a different pose in each shot. I kept shooting, for fear I would miss something. I think I captured every single pose.

All of us together.

We enjoyed lunch at the Sun Deck Grill, a fabulous beachfront eatery at the Hotel Del.

I had the Baja Protein Bowl with red and‏ white quinoa, black beans, sweet corn, radishes, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, hard-boiled egg, lime dressing. So yummy!

My friend enjoyed this gorgeous shrimp dish.

The hubs and I made it home before sunset. Soon after, I received a text from my friend. She said “go outside and look at the moon”. I didn’t just go outside, I brought the camera with. I can’t think of a better way to end this day, than with this lovely moon rise.

What a blessing and treat it was to have the opportunity to see each other again. A treasure I will cherish for a lifetime.

Blessings – Debbie

Mothering Pups & Spooky Gifts

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Debbie

Sago Pups, to be clear. Did you know sago palms produce pups? These little gems grow from the mother palm, either from the side or base of the palm.

In the last 4 or so years, I’ve had a wish to extract the pups from the palms and try to root them myself. My first year was a total failure. But I didn’t give up. While I don’t have 100% success, let me be clear, it is well worth the effort and care when one begins to show new signs of growth. This is the latest pup stretching its fronds for the first time. How exciting is that? I plan to give her a new pot this winter/spring.

This is the true mother of the pup. I don’t have any “pup” examples as this sago underwent a nice trim this week.

Since I’ve had success with 7 pups with well-developed roots and fronds, I believe I’m finished with mothering pups. Now I’m off to find exciting new places for the little palms.

This is one of my pups from a couple of years ago.

Speaking of mothering, let’s review the plumeria I mothered from a clipping. It continues to put on a display this season. What I find interesting, is how the fresh blooms are such a deep rich color. Then as the days progress, the flower lightens to soft pink with an inner yellow starburst.

Get Spooky

Wow! Ordering groceries from Wal-Mart has been life changing! No really. I’ll refrain from getting too carried away. But check out our latest goodie bag! They are so good about exclusive goodie bags around each holiday.

New chip clips! They included two this time.

We used to use the regular binder clips for chip/cracker bags. We’re not picky, but the freebies are fun!

The contents of the little box (from the picture up above) held some fun treasures. The hubs enjoyed these little goodies. The sweet potato Good Thins and the chocolate fun size bar were a solid thumbs up. However, the cinnamon brown sugar snack was not so great, he said. He may have wrinkled his nose while eating said snack.

And from that box, I munched on the oven baked Ritz Crisp & Thins Sea Salt. Yum, so thin, flakey, crunchy and yummy. I would have a hard time sticking to one serving if I purchased a bag of these. I’ll just savor in small doses when goodie time rolls around.

But check out that little Trident Vibes Spearmint Rush piece of gum. Since I’m fresh out of my gum, it was a perfect time to add this to the new Wal-Mart shopping cart. You guys, this gum is so soft and packs a real nice Rush, living up to the name.

Not only do we enjoy our quick grocery pickup, we enjoy the little treats and how they go out of their way to service their customers. Sometimes it’s the little things that go a long way. Yay! I found my new favorite chewing gum, that’s huge!

Blessings – Debbie

While The Hubs Was Away

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Debbie

Hello World! I hope this finds you doing well. Hey, I’m posting a second post today. What’s up with that?

I suppose I’m in the mood to get caught up on things.

April 16th – 23rd

It’s that time of the year for new growth. And word is out that there are new baby egrets over at the nearby lake.

Which brings me to the reason our pond is still covered. This guy came for a visit last week, only to discover he was not able to reach the fish, thank you pond net for holding up.

It’s also a busy time in and around the pond.

The fish have spawned several times and I’m working double duty to keep the pond nice and clean. In the process, I think I’m getting a little extra vitamin D.

Monday evening, the hubs called to see if I wanted to watch our show together. While we were worlds apart. Or so it seemed.

Note: If you are anyone that knows me well, you know I’m not a TV person. While I enjoy the shows we watch together, like survivor, Master Chef and Better Call Saul, I don’t bother turning on the TV when the hubs is away.

So on that particular night, he had to walk me thru instructions, just to get the TV on.

Once “we” (the me part of we) got to the right channel, we were all set to watch Better Call Saul.

The fun part was texting between commercials and even during the show. That was my favorite night, as he felt really close.

One day I picked roses from the garden. It makes me happy to bring the outdoors in.

What makes my heart sing – Sometimes things grab our attention without trying to notice. Like this canister at the front of the store in the after Easter clearance sale. Several thoughts that ran thru my mind in like 1 second. 4 dollars and change? really? I love it! It’s cheerful and happy! For that price it’s ours. And so it was. Next year, I’ll have to make a cozy little spot for us to enjoy.

One day the hubs sent a text…”How many pieces of fudge would you like?”

You see, he was in Ft Worth again, staying in the Stockyards next to the candy store where they sell my favorite fudge in the world. Of course not counting my mom’s fudge, her fudge is the best, but only made once a year. That’s another story for another time.

Back to the number of pieces I wanted. I responded “One piece baby, just one.” That was my fudge order.

Well fudge, I didn’t think another thing until he got home Friday afternoon with a couple of boxes of goodies. I wonder if he left enough fudge on the shelf for others. Obviously he was not concerned with sharing. That’s 8 huge pieces of fudge for me. Yeah, he’s not a fudge kinda guy, so it’s all mine.

The best part about this fudge is, the decadence of peanut butter and chocolate in one smooth creamy bite. It is sure to satisfy the craziest of chocoholics.

After the hubs busy week, we decided a laid back weekend was the ticket to rest up. We did enjoy a few dinners out, a quick stop at the ice cream store and a lot of relaxation.

And with that, my wish for you is a Happy New Week.

Blessings – Debbie

Fort Worth Stock Yards

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Debbie

Hello peeps! How are you? Yes, I’m here! Has it really been over a year since I had something to say on the blog? I find that hard to believe.

The blog’s been on my mind, it seems daily. And the weight of all the things left unsaid seemed to push me further away. Like a mountain of stuff piling up, and not knowing where to begin. Things like 3 weddings in 3 different states, memories of my grandma, gardening projects, monthly book club fun dates, painting birdhouses, our trip to Hoover Dam, Meteor Crater and the Grand Canyon and little things like ducks adopting our pond and the hubs and I named them Mack and Daisy and we became Certified Kansas City BBQ judges! And other stuff that I would find blog worthy.

But at some point, it’s good to know that it’s ok to start blogging right where I am. And not fret trying to get things in chronological order.

So for now, I would like to post an update from two weeks ago.

On Monday, April 3rd, our alarm rang at 3:15am. The hubs had a business trip to Fort Worth and we decided that I should go too. Our bags were packed the night before and we were up and at it and out the door in record time.

Fort Worth was our destination. In fact, we stayed at the Hyatt, right smack in the middle of the heartbeat of Fort Wort, the Fort Worth Stock Yards.

While the hubs worked, I found plenty to do, just steps away from our room.

One of the things I was excited about was the cattle drive.

The Old West comes to life during the Fort Worth Herd’s twice-daily cattle drive. Genuine Texas cowhands drive a herd of Texas Longhorns down Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District every day at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

On Tuesday afternoon, I arrived exceptionally early to experience the excitement on the street as people started to arrive.

I found a nice shaded bench on the sidewalk and found myself in my own little world enjoying the passing moments.

A little while later, I heard a sweet voice coming from a gal (Genevieve) who found a place to sit on the bench next to me.

In no time, we became friends and exchanged stories about our passion for art, photography and travel. Turns out, she is traveling the entire lower 48. How awesome and impressive is that folks!?! We also exchanged blogs and emails.

She also encouraged me to get back to blogging. Many thanks to her, the blog is back sooner than expected.

Every detail of the cattle drive—from the saddles and chaps to the boots and hats – is authentic and historically true.

On Wednesday, the next day, I watched the cattle drive again.

“Here comes the parade!” Ha! I got such a chuckle out of the gal behind me when she uttered those words. I guess you could argue that it’s a parade of Longhorns.

It was sweet to see the baby. His little horns are adorbs.

And that’s a wrap on the cattle drive. Till next time…

At the Cow Wash – I love how the hubs came up with the name cow wash. This was located just behind our hotel.

They didn’t enjoy getting sprayed in the face.

But didn’t seem to mind the rest of the wash.

Who knew Longhorns got the full service?

While in the Stockyards, it was nice to get out and stroll.

While on my stroll, It was nice to take the time to enjoy the finer things. Like this furniture store (Rios) located in the heart of the Stock Yards.

Southwest flare is pretty cool.

The Texan swagger is on.

A cool statue I shot one bright sunny day.

The hubs and I enjoyed a nice BBQ brisket meal at one of our old favorite places.

It was a must to take a picture where our daughter used to work. Just for old times sake.

Another evening, we went to Rodeo Goat for burgers.

Overall, the two of us got to enjoy some special things. Like our favorite fried chicken establishment, Babe’s Fried Chicken. We took a side tour of our old homestead, visited with our old neighbor in passing and enjoyed the time when we were able to do things together.

I was also blessed to visit with a good friend Jan over lunch one day. What a delight it was seeing her again, after 10 years. It’s a wonderful feeling when we are able to catch up with old friends. And able to pick right back up where we left off and not miss a beat. Does my heart good.

Our time in Fort Worth was a treasure, I gained a new friend Miss Genevieve, we were able to experience old favorite places and visit with old long lost friends. What a blessing after 10 years of separation to the place we once called home.

I have so much more to share, and look forward to posting again soon. I think it’s safe to say that I’m back and ever so happy to be here.

Blessings – Debbie

Flowers and Friendship

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Debbie

Happy Day! Today feels like flowers and friendship, because it is.

It’s flowers, because I noticed the ice plant on the upper terrace beginning to bloom. It’s also known as delosperma cooperi or mesembryanthemum cooperi.

However you call it, I find what little we have to be so very pretty.

And friendship, because a few of us got together for a little brunch and had the best time visiting over coffee before and after we finished eating. In fact, our special time together, prompted another brunch date in a couple of weeks.

And now to finish a little more work around home sweet home.

I’m sure the hubs and I will have another fun date (this evening) catching up on our new favorite show, Downton Abbey. I think we watched 3, if not more episodes last evening. It’s bound to be GOOD! No spoilers, we are still catching up.

Blessings – Debbie

Good Bad and Ugly

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Debbie

Lately we’ve bumped into some good, bad and downright ugly situations. But first, I’ll start with the good. Actually the good part of this should be more like GREAT!

Great in the sense –

Weekend dates are wonderful!
We’ve had a hankering to try this new restaurant in town and we finally got around to going.
They have ribs on the menu. (I love ribs, really good ribs)
They advertise fall off the bone ribs.
I’ve been searching for really good ribs since our move to So Cal a little over 6 years ago.
I need look no further for my rib fix. Finger licking good, let me tell you. We’ll be back!
The hubs had their filet and from what he said, it was really good too.

The Good – Another wonderful thing this past week was the girls book club get together. It was our first meeting of 2016. We had such a wonderful time discussing the book – Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

The bad – We had quite the storm over the weekend. Wind, rain, power outages in the area for up to 6 hours. Our friends, a mile or so up the road, brought some important frozen goods over that evening. Luckily our power, powered thru the storm.

The Good – During the storm, the hubs and I did a little more binge watching of the old but new to us show Downton Abbey. Love that show! Where have we been? We are caught up thru season 4 already.

During the stormy and ever so windy night, I thought the wind was going to literally carry us away. The hubs slept right thru it.

The Good – The morning after, we woke to pretty sunny skies with a little sprinkling of hail left over from our storm.

The Good – A pretty red rose in the garden for the “love month”.

The Ugly – Late yesterday afternoon I noticed a bit of a waterfall on the upper terrace. I quickly sent the hubs a message saying that it did not look like a sprinkler gusher, but close. I then made my way up the terrace and quickly took this shot with the cell phone and sent it to the hubs saying “we have a problem”. Then he gave direction for me to turn off the water main.

The Good in the midst of Ugly – In true hero fashion, the hubs came home and saved the day! And we had running water once again last night.

The Ugly – The “root” of the problem. It’s pretty crazy the amount of trouble roots can cause. We plan to have more roots removed and new pipe put in the ground.

Life is not always roses and sunshine. But it’s what we make of it thru the storm.

Blessings – Debbie

Happy New Year

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Debbie

Much has happened between now and the time I last posted.

I feel like I’ve been sick for way too long. From dealing with muscle issues in my back for a couple of months to catching a cold on Christmas night. It finally feels good to have the old me back.

A big Happy New Year shout out from our home to yours!

Little reminders from the last couple of months.

This friendly reminder was shot at the salon. A nice reminder that shows how they love to treat their customers.

A nice reminder of my love for putting all things Christmas up on the day after Halloween. Better known as November 1st. It makes perfect sense to enjoy those evenings when the time change hits and makes the world dark before it should.

The best reminder of family. We traveled to see family for thanksgiving. What a special treat to have my two siblings, all nieces and nephews. Our nephew and his new bride. Our nephew and his fiancé, mom and dad and my grandma. Talk about great memories with family, it doesn’t get any better.

A reminder as I was getting ready to have my bookclub friends over to discuss our 2016 schedule.

A reminder of the morning beverages for the girls.

And a little reminder of the fruit bowl and other morning snacks (brownies and biscotti) on the dining room table. Following our morning meeting, we girls headed to Olive Garden for a wonderful lunch and more fellowship.

A reminder of the hubs amazing smoked brisket over his 2 week Christmas holiday. Loved spending those two weeks together around home sweet home.

While I don’t have a photo of the amazing chili he made with the brisket leftovers, I will never forget how wonderful it was. I rank it as the best chili ever made.

I don’t have a reminder picture of the fish we purchased for our pond, but I’ll never forget that wonderful experience with the hubs over Christmas. If you are reading this, My Love, Thank You!

A reminder of carolers on Christmas day.

A pretty reminder of where we sat enjoying our Christmas dinner. The view of ice-skating beneath the palm trees with an ocean view, what a delight.

A beautiful reminder of how we stayed until nearly sunset. We savored desert and slowly ever so slowly sipping my coffee while visiting with the hubs and taking in the view.

Approximately 2 hours after our Christmas dinner, I told the hubs “I feel a sore throat coming on”. And on the morning of December 26th, I woke to a sniffling, sneezing, aching, coughing, stuffy head sort of cold. The sort of cold where the hubs dropped everything and took care of me. After the 1st week, I told the hubs, “This feels like a 3 week cold”. Turns out, it was a 3 week cold.

A reminder of how pretty it was one morning as the sun came up. Especially since it rained the day before. A reminder of how the hubs made me promise to stay inside while I was sick. A reminder of my view from the sofa where I sat feeling miserable from my cold that morning. A reminder that I obeyed and took this image from inside the house. Thank you for taking care of me, My Love. And bringing medicine to me when I did not feel like moving. You’re the BEST!

Our New Years Reminder – I was still sick, but we watched the ball drop at Times Square, per usual. We kissed, yes, the hubs kisses me, even when I’m sick. And wished each other a Happy New Year. And chose to get an early start on sleep that night. No staying up for us until the New Year on the west coast, when we can watch it ring in on the east coast.

While I only have a few reminders in picture form, I’m thankful for the blessings of family, love and feeling back to my old self again.

Happy New Year!

Blessings – Debbie

Springtime in CA 2015

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Debbie

I know, it’s autumn, but I plan to do some spring catching up on the blog. I can’t seem to move forward without catching up. It’s time.

I’m still here. Kicking it and loving life.

In late March, I picked this little vase of goodies from the garden. In hopes to help my sick hubby to feel better. They certainly brightened the space…

Early April – I painted this image with the help of my Wacom and Photoshop.

Happy Easter! We spent the afternoon with friends watching our Red Birds on Opening Day.

A true Cardinal fan and our host.

Bring on the Cardinal color…

The beautiful hostess – Everything was positively delecious!

Children – Loved taking images of them in and around the pool.

Bashful – Image taken right after her first bite of dinner…But those eyes and expression…LOVE!

The big boys and girls had it made…

My Red Bird Fan! And my number 1 Hero.

Another early April painting. This is an underpainting (Layer 2) taking on a little shape.

Finished painting.

A little shot of my kitchen window garden with a fresh rose from the garden.

A rose as it begins to drift away. I just love the color!

April 16 – My somebody special on his way to work to present to the customer. I’m happy his meetings went well…

Mid April evening in the garden – Enjoying the last drop of light…

Late April – Amaryllis in bloom.

End of April – We joined Costco! Now that is an event worth noting. It had been 12 years since we enjoyed the benefits of being customers of Costco.

End of April – It’s the time of year when the dragonflies return. They come in all sorts of colors during the season. Here’s a female laying her eggs.

May 2nd – Boxing party was held at our house! The hubs and his buddy putting the brisket on the smoker early that morning. And the sad thing, this is the only shot I have from that glorious afternoon and evening with friends. But the memories are priceless…

Our dear friend gifted us with the beautiful flag (made and painted by her) that proudly waves over our front door.

The heron has landed – I figured a shot was appropriate before yelling at him. Sometimes they are persistent around the fish pond. But my yelling and screaming at them seems to do the trick.

In early May, I had the gardener transplant this tree. I really hoped to keep it alive. Unfortunately, it did not like the new home.

Springtime dilemma is when a girl can’t figure out what color she wants.

One of my May dates to Red Lobster with my love = Time well spent.

Another May Date with the hubs at the Cheesecake Factory. Just love this composition at the hostess desk…

An early morning capture of the dragonfly on a net.

And a bee pollenating…

A little capture of the hubs boots at the back door – a nice reminder he was busy in the garden.

My Christmas wish for 2015 came early. As in May early for my birthday! I had told the hubs (months ago – Jan/Feb this year) when I spied this arbor that I would like it for Christmas. Not only did he remember. But he surprised me with this a week before my birthday.

Up on the hill at the top of the winding stair path is where I wanted it. And so it was…

On the morning of my birthday, the hubs knew right where to place the special card for me.

When a statue is larger than life – Sometimes it’s the little things that need to be captured. Just bummed my cell is the only camera I had with me on that May evening night. But a great evening and dinner along the San Diego Harbor with the hubs and a friend.

May 31st is the day we picked this big guy from the garden – Indeed we kept it on the vine too long, but we grilled it for dinner anyway. The skin was obviously tough but the inside was tender and good.

One last image – rosebuds in the garden.

And that my friends takes us thru the month of May, 2015.

Blessings – Debbie

The Queen’s Tea

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Debbie

Picking up where I left off on the girls spring break.

Following our day in La Jolla, we decided to have a fun “girl” day. So we made reservations at Tea Upon Chatsworth for High Tea.

The Queen’s Tea to be exact. The description goes something like this. Our platinum 2 hour, 4-course tea service with 12 items with unlimited pots of premium loose-leaf tea.

What a special memory shared with the girls who have a fond love for tea.

Our table setting as we arrived.

Deciding on her flavor of tea.

Making her decision too.

Then adding a brown sugar cube with a little stir.

And the best part, enjoying a spot of tea.

Each little bite was goodness.

And time well spent.

We conclude that every girl should take time to enjoy her tea. I love that this was my first “official tea” with our nieces, who’ve been steeped with tea parties since they were just bitty.

After tea, we made a stop at the nearby beach. Point Loma to be exact.

What a picture perfect day with the girls.

I have just one more post to conclude spring break. I’ll be back!

Blessings – Debbie

Another Day of Spring Break Play

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Debbie

Up first, a visit to Thyme in The Ranch. A great little place for an early lunch with the girls.

I found this place on Yelp, a long time ago. And the day I went, it was closed. So I kept it in mind and thought it would be a fun place to take the girls. We give it 5 stars!

Our selfie on the patio.

Next up, we were off to La Jolla to see the seals.

We strolled along the shore and took a few time outs to enjoy each view.

Another time out.

Another.

And another.

Um…This shot is a bit silly. We had no idea the kissing couple was there on the steps, that is, until I uploaded the images. So their (the girls) silly expressions (not knowing about the couple) and the perfect way niece #1 has her hand, well I find it downright hysterical.

We spy a baby.

Having a friendly little visit.

We have two sweet visitors (the girls) who are up close with exactly what they were here to see.

How fun to explore this place.

A lot more seals to see.

And beautiful cliffs to admire.

I’ll say our day was picture perfect. And our evening lit up with BBQ from our favorite BBQ joint. Followed with fun and games thru the evening hours.

Still more spring break to follow…

Blessings – Debbie

A Simple Day

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Debbie

I went to bed around 7:30 (with a splitting headache) last evening. And woke (headache free) to the aroma of this amazing goodness. Love My Love! He finished adding more spices and thickened it after this shot.

Here it is, the first Saturday of the year and the sun has already set. Makes me wish time would stand still for just a moment longer.

As with the time, we just keep moving right along. We managed to get a few more things crossed off the list over the last couple of days. I had my eye Dr/exam this morning, found a new pair of frames (they’re a little bigger, providing a bit more room for the progressives YAY), and the hubs got a fresh haircut.

And we had the best beef stew for lunch and dinner. Boy was that yummy!

I don’t know about you, but I’m enjoying this brand new year.

Blessings – Debbie

Mango Salsa

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Debbie

Vine ripe tomatoes from our garden, help to kick this recipe up a notch. I can’t get over how new tomatoes and blossoms continue on our plants. I wonder how much longer they’ll bear fruit?

After washing our sun ripened tomatoes, I selected the larger beefsteak tomatoes for the salsa.

Then we seed the tomatoes. Totally worth this step, if you were to ask us.

When all the components are tossed together, we celebrate another batch of salsa!

Mango Salsa Recipe

3-1/3 cup diced tomatoes
2-1/2 cup diced mango
3/4 cup diced onion – Give or take
3/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped “I just eyeball what looks like 3/4 cups then chop it up. Obviously, after it’s all chopped, it shrinks to about 1/4 cup?
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp cider vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic minced

Stir and enjoy!

We like to refrigerate ours overnight for the flavors to infuse. So it’s just chillin’. Should be just right in the next day or so.

Happy September 1st!

Blessings – Debbie

August

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Debbie

August 2014 was filled with so much. And I could not seem to get my act together on the blog. So I didn’t. And things snowballed. So here I am, ready to post at bit about the month of August before it’s too late.

Painting – Guest Bedroom and Hallway –

Actually, the painting project started the end of July and into early August. I was so excited to get another two rooms painted. Many thanks to the hubs for helping with the clearing and then the setting things back up in the rooms.

Paint color is BEHR – Summer Bliss – P280-1″

Baby Brother and Sis-in-law visit –

Mid August, we had company!

This image has already been used on the blog. But for the sake of this post, I’m using it again.

Another visit –

Our friend from Phoenix came to San Diego to cool off a bit. We enjoyed breakfast by the beach last weekend.

Banana Banana Bread –

This bread gets a slot for the month of August, because I made it three different times for family and friends.

2 1/3 cups or 5 bananas is the equivalent that went into my loaf. That’s a lot of bananas. Thus the title of the recipe – Banana Banana Bread. I love how moist and yummy it is right out of the oven. Or toasted the next morning. Either way, it holds that yummy moist soft texture, no matter how you slice it.

This loaf was made for my friend visiting from Canada. We still have another lunch get-together this week.

Class –

My photography class is in full swing. I’m happy to report it’s my absolute favorite class, ever.

I was a little nervous the dean would cancel our class due to a lack of students. As it turns out, we are good to go! I’m (selfishly) excited about having a small group, as we are able to get a lot more one-on-one time during the lab with the instructor.

Love the new Tervis set my bro gave us (from his company), I take this guy to class all the time.

I got a bit overwhelmed when the instructor wanted us to get used to using the Wacom in class. I’ve heard about this cool tool, but it was my first hands on experience. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a graphics tablet you hook to the computer. You draw on the tablet and it creates the drawing in your computer program.

Basically, I had some major arguments going on with the tool. It was hard to get used to performing different functions when there seemed to be a lot to remember. So I put it right back on the shelf and went back to using my mouse in class. At least I was able to keep up in class.

When I told the hubs all about it and not being able to keep up in class, he dropped what he was doing and ordered one for me right there on the spot that evening. And I had it in my hands in less than 48 hours!

Believe me, by the time class rolls around this week, I won’t need anyone to twist my arm for a Wacom in class.

The features of my Wacom Intuos Pro Medium are mind blowing. I’ve listed some of the cool features below.

Quickly and professionally edit photos and create digital artwork using natural pen control
Wireless accessory kit included
2048 levels of pen pressure sensitivity in both pen tip and eraser
8 customizable application specific Express Keys
Multi-function touch ring with 4 customizable functions

And I’ve already taken some of the most amazing webinars this weekend and set up my tablet with the express key functions that gel with what I like to use the most. I’m sure in time, I’ll take the liberty to change those functions as I grow-up in Photoshop.

While I’m not a Wacom genius, I’m learning that I can take the art of photography to a level beyond my wildest dreams. I’m so pumped!

And I look forward to sharing my assignments with you this semester. Stay tuned!

Labor Day Weekend –

We’re taking this 4-day time off together and getting a few things accomplished around the house.

The key ingredient at the top of our list is rest. Lots of rest.

We’ve spent a lot of time in the kitchen with our dueling knives. Homemade guacamole is in the house! Served fresh daily…I don’t kid about stuff like this.

Friday evening, we checked out some old cars. I think these sort of things could be an interesting subject for an assignment due mid September. Who knows, we may go back next week for more fun and pictures.

And for now –

I’m happy getting a few things from August on the blog.
Looking forward to un-labor-day tomorrow. Wait, I think we may spend a bit of time working. But if we’re doing what we love, it may cancel work altogether.
Loving on the plumeria our neighbors brought over for us today. What a special gift.
And I still can’t believe tomorrow is September 1st already! Somebody pinch me.

September 1st is my sign to start ringing in the season! It’s truly my favorite time of the year.

Then again, we had a glorious summer. Perhaps it’s that pumpkin spice latte time of the year that I begin to crave.

At any rate, I’m ready to embrace September, autumn and the season that I love so much. In fact, I had a little Christmas tree visit with the hubs today.

But first things first…Enjoy Autumn and that pumpkin spice latte. And the Holidays will unfold in due time.

Blessings – Debbie

I Call The Shot – one picture at a time

My world of art, life and health thru a lens

Category Archives: It’s Delish

Cooking with the Hubs

Like this:

Happy Thanksgiving ~ Happy New Year

Like this:

Friendships are Treasures

Like this:

Mothering Pups & Spooky Gifts

Like this:

While The Hubs Was Away

Like this:

Fort Worth Stock Yards

Like this:

Flowers and Friendship

Like this:

Good Bad and Ugly

Like this:

Happy New Year

Like this:

Springtime in CA 2015

Like this:

The Queen’s Tea

Like this:

Another Day of Spring Break Play

Like this:

A Simple Day

Like this:

Mango Salsa

Like this:

August

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: