All dressed up and ready to go!

The dogs and I are headed off to do some hiking. We have been making the most of our fantastic weather with hikes at Thunderbird Park and North Mountain.

Today we are going to do an oldie but a goody, Squaw Peak Circumference Loop. It is a nice little 2 mile hike. Not too difficult and very pretty this time of year.

Reece has the water bottles, she's ready!

Old becomes new again!

If you haven't been yet, you should rush on over to the new Richardson's Restaurant

They moved to a new location, combined with the Rokerij and created a gorgeous patio in between. Here's a tip... if you sit on the patio you can have food from either menu. This is really nice for those of us that have a hard time making up our mind. 

Mike and I ate there with the family last Sunday and then I came back with my mom and sister on Thursday and then for the trifecta, Mike and I were back for a Brunch date on Sunday. 

It is such a great place to sit out and enjoy our beautiful Spring weather, eat some delicious food (cheese enchiladas and eggs) and sip some of their fresh squeezed orange juice.

Richardson's, I have missed you. I am excited that you are back and I will see you again soon!

Hiking season!

Am I the only one that feels guilty if I don't get outside and enjoy this glorious weather? I just know it is going to turn in to 100 + degree weather and I will be wishing for these days.

On that note, I decided to try out a new place to hike. It's Thunderbird Mountain Park at 59th Avenue and Deer Valley. There are lots of trails at all different levels. It was a great hike and I can't wait to go back!

 The trail is dog friendly and there were lots of people out there with their pups enjoying this beautiful day. Lily and Reece were pretty pooped as you can see. They were just wanting me to snap the picture so they could get back in the shade.

What are your favorite hiking trails?

Broccoli!!

We have broccoli! I am so excited! Our first little bud. Check it out!

Doesn't it look delicious?

 And here's the before, after and after picture collage. I really need to take them all from the same angle so you can get the feel for how big these plants have gotten.

I can't believe how much these plants have grown in such a short time.

Dave at Harvest to Home has me on his e mail and text list to tell me when to cover the plants which is really a great idea because this has been such a no-brainer that I have forgotten about these guys a few times. This service has really helped keep the plants healthy.

Hopefully soon I will have some cauliflower to show!

Garden, Week Three!

This little guy is really growing! Check out the before and after:

I was a little concerned about this Fall edition. I didn't know if our patio would give the plants enough shade and then there was the self watering issue. When David from Harvest to Home installed the system it was leaking a little bit. I told David about it and he came right over and fixed it. The problem was my diverter. He fixed it up as best as he could but since the diverter is messed up we have to leave the water off and turn it on to make sure it gets enough water.

This of course has me a bit panicked because I am not exactly responsible in the watering department. The dogs and the cat have taken to drinking out of the toilet and staring at me pointedly when their water dishes are empty.

So far though, the plants are looking great and the watering is not an issue. I am salivating in anticipation of the crops of broccoli and cauliflower soon to come!

Garden, Fall Edition!

It’s here! It’s here! The new garden from Harvest to Home is here! 
David and his assistant Ralph delivered the new container garden last weekend and I am SO excited! 


The great guys at harvest to home were kind enough to offer me a complimentary fall garden to replace the cucumbers from the summer season. Turns out no one expected those plants to turn in to Godzilla cucumbers and they sucked out all of the nutrients in the soil which is why they didn’t produce the way they were supposed to. It was really great of David to give me a complimentary garden and I hope to do him proud this go round.

First off, they provided me with some stuff to keep the caterpillars and other pests away. David was leaving nothing to chance and he WROTE ON THE BOTTLE the water to mixture ratios. He was taking no chances on a repeat of THIS.

The garden I chose was a cauliflower and broccoli mix. I am super excited to mix up some of my famous broccoli salad and to cook up some cauliflower with cumin cream sauce. Yummolicious!

Here’s some pictures of the plants.

Hi little guys, welcome to your new home. Good luck to you!

Turkey Day!!

Is everybody in the holiday spirit? I am! After spending a relaxing weekend up north with just Mike and I and the pets, I can hardly wait to get started on my Christmas shopping!

Thanksgiving this year Mike and I decided to try something different. We went up north, just the two of us and, of course, 3 dogs, 1 cat and a 2 car loads of food.

We kicked off the feast by by making a champagne turkey, well, sort of. We did a little bit of a hybrid of that recipe. We tried a dry brine along with some fresh herbs and the champagne turkey recipe. It was without a doubt the best turkey I have ever had! Sorry, mom. :-)

Here He is, ready for the final touches

Glug Glug Glug, Mike is getting our turkey drunk

There were six new recipes in the rotation this year so it was not your traditional Thanksgiving day feast. The first new recipe was a twist on sweet potatoes. We had chipotle sweet potatoes. I must admit, I am not a sweet potato fan but these were really good. I think I may be a convert. 



We also had a brussel sprout, asparagus salad. It had pomegranate seeds and bacon and almonds in it. It was really pretty. Definitely going to make it for Christmas Dinner. Plus, there's nothing like adding a little bacon to lower the nutritional value of your greens.

We also had two new types of pie, buttermilk pie and chocolate mousse. Delish. Both of the recipes were courtesy of my dear friend Suzanne who also provided us with a great turkey tetrazini recipe which I am excited to make with the leftovers.

I confess, we were a little ambitious with the turkey buying. I got a 14 pounder for just the two of us. I know, lots of left overs. Turkey sandwiches for everyone! I did make some turkey and sour cream enchiladas and we will be mixing up turkey tetrazini for dinner tonight.

And, because I am all about over sharing, I thought I would also post before and after pictures of our kitchen.

Yes, he did help clean up. I know, Husband of the year!

But I digest ha ha, I mean, I digress. This Thanksgiving wasn’t just about the food for us. Mike and I were so happy to be able to get away and spend some time just hanging out together. In our hectic lives we don’t get to do that as often. I did miss being with my family and it was a tough decision to be away from them but I am glad we did it this way this year. 


This was a great kick off for the holidays and now I am energized and ready for the season to begin!


Oh!! Check out cheapthrillsinaz.com Beth and I are posting about some great inexpensive gifts and holiday celebration ideas. I am excited to get some posts up there. I have found lots of cool ideas!