Doggie Treats

My Grandma Lorraine used to call my mom and I names like Esmeralda and Molly Putz, just for fun. When saying these names, she'd usually wink. I can still picture it. So, in honor of her, my parent's little dog is named Molly Putz. She just turned two so I decided to try out a dog treat recipe. I've been in a baking mood, so I thought I'd experiment. Turns out, most homemade dog treats are made with unusually difficult ingredients to hunt down, so I settled for a more simple option with peanut butter and wheat flour.





Isn't she the cutest dog?


Peanut Butter Dog Treats:

2 T corn oil
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 c. water
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. white flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, peanut butter and water. Add flour, then knead into dough. Roll dough to quarter inch thickness and cut with desired cookie cutter. Bake for 20 minutes.

Basil Ice Cream

Usually, my basil plant is used for Basil Martini's on Ice (my absolute favorite summer cocktail). However, the mocktail version of a Basil Martini is no fun because all that's left is lime, basil and simple syrup. Not so appealing without the vodka. :)

Anyway, I thought I'd try this Basil Ice Cream recipe from the blog 17 and Baking. There are some fantastic recipes on this site I want to try. Anyway, click here for the recipe.

Enjoy this summer treat! It's very custardy, but fresh.

Pistachio Ice Cream

Anytime you need to bribe a certain friend to do a favor (more on that to come), I'd recommend this Pistachio Ice Cream recipe. It's totally worth it and is delicious! I used this recipe (click here) from the blog Use Real Butter. I followed the directions, except I adapted it by adding two drops of green food coloring. Other recipes I'd read suggested adding this tiny bit of coloring to enrich the pistachio appeal. :)

Enjoy!

P.S. July is National Ice Cream month.

Nursery Project

Update #2 from our nursery, although it's not quite complete...

I took inspiration from "Little Green Notebook" (click here and here) and made two Pelmet Boxes for baby's windows. I ordered the same fabric from our crib sheet and used duct tape, hot glue and foam core board (literally, that's it). I think they're a cute and inexpensive alternative to a valence.

Thanks to Grandpa-to-be (my Dad) for helping me measure, cut and tape.

Door County Half-Iron Triathlon

This past weekend, we spent time in Door County for the Door County Half-Iron Triathlon. Mr. Evans raced along with my uncle Mark, cousin Lauren and her husband Brodie. We had a blast and I am so incredibly proud of each of them. Throughout the weekend, 2,000 athletes participated. And, despite the 95 degree temperature and 105 degree heat index, we all survived!

Mr. Evans dominated and is such an inspiration to me. :)

And, my cousin Lauren placed first out of all women to compete in the Sprint distance triathlon on Saturday. Way to go!

Next up... Ironman 2011 for Uncle Mark and Brodie, Kona Ironman World Championships in Hawaii for Lauren and Ironman 2012 for Mr. Evans (oh yeah, and becoming a father in a few weeks)!

See more photos here.



Week 33

Wow, time is flying! I can't believe I'm already 33 1/2 weeks... and growing!!

Weeknight Family Potluck

Melissa and David were home this week from NC, so we all got together for a little potluck cookout. Burgers, beer, bocce ball, and some homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes (thanks Dana!)... what could be better?

I never manage to make it any photos. I'll have to get better at it! :) However, the bump is growing. I'm 32 1/2 weeks along. Wow, time flies.

Peach Pie

It's tradition that every summer we attend a good old fashioned pig roast at our family friends, the Colson's. Mr. Evans has been helping roast the pig all night long for the past eight years, but I am a new addition (and do not last the night). I usually come in the morning with baked goods, like this Peach Pie.

The recipe is from my Grandma Lorraine and is very loose, so interpret it as you wish. Either way, it makes delicious pie!

Prepare pastry for 9-inch lattice-top pie (i.e. make your own or buy it at the grocery store).

Combine around 1 cup sugar, 3 T flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and/or nutmeg and a dash of salt. Add approximately 5 cups of peeled and sliced/diced peaches (I prefer my peaches to be on the firm side so they don't get so mushy when they bake). Mix peaches with dry ingredients.

Pour peach mixture into pie, dot with butter, dash with extra spice if you like and lattice the crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Piggies and Ponies

My good friend Erin recently gifted these items for little baby Evans. How adorable are they? I think the burp rags and headband will be perfect in about 8 weeks! Thanks Erin!

If you're interested, they were handmade by Erin's future sister-in-law (I'm being presumptuous - hehe), Kristen. Check out her Etsy shop, Piggies & Ponies, by clicking here.

4th of July Strawberries

This sweet treat was a hit on 4th of July. Served on a festive Americana platter, they were the perfect dish to pass at our dinner potluck. I definitely recommend you try these. And the best part is, they would work for all seasons - perhaps green sprinkles for Christmas? :)

Butter Cookies

I love a great loaf of French bread. Seriously. And, the epitome of French bread is the Paris boulangerie, Poilane. My mouth waters just looking at the website. Anyway, they're known for the bread, but also for these little butter cookies. I first heard about these cookies in particular on Food Network and then saw a recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen. They are super simple and full of pregnancy gooodness in which to indulge. I made a batch and kept them in the freezer. Every now and then, we'll pull one out for a sweet treat.

Click here for the recipe. They'd also be great filled with Nutella as sandwiches.

Independence Day Weekend

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.  ~Elmer Davis

We had a fantastic weekend celebrating Independence Day with friends and family. Below are just some of the photos from our festivities.

Friday included a great dinner outdoors with our good friends Bob and Erin.

Saturday included an early morning stop at the Farmer's Market, a fabulous wedding of our good friends Aaron and Emily, and time with my college friends in between and at the reception.

Sunday we spent time at the lake with Mike, Kala, Evelyn and Aunt Chris. We ate Kala's famous guacamole and salsa and dined on pulled pork sandwiches with homemade barbecue sauce for dinner. We ended the night with a sunset cruise, campfire and marshmallows.

Monday we went to the 4th of July parade, while the guys took a nice long bike ride. In the afternoon, my in-laws came to the lake for drinks and relaxation. Ina Garten's Watermelon Mojitos (and a mocktail version for me) were a hit. We also went to the Moore's pool, Galante's for dinner by boat, and watched the fireworks on the lake. As always, it is one of the most amazing sights to see.

Tuesday we continued to spend time on the lake, but this time just relaxed. The weather was so beautiful, we just couldn't help ourselves.

Now, it's Wednesday evening and I wish I was still on vacation. Luckily, the weekend is on its way here.

I hope everyone had a great weekend celebrating this beautiful country we live in. There is nothing like living on American soil - kids at a parade, the chug of an old tractor down the road, knee high corn fields, the smell of a bonfire... what could be better?

Bump - Week 30

Here I am over the weekend with a 30-week bump. Baby Evans is growing fast!

Summer ... Finally

This is where I'll be all weekend. See you there!