Fresh Salsa!

One of my favorite things about summer is all of the delicious, fresh produce either from the store, a local fruit stand, or right from the garden! As you might have seen from one of my previous posts, I've made a small herb garden this summer and I've loved finding new recipes and cooking with the herbs! I've done pasta recipes, spaghetti, and some pork chops in the crockpot! 

One of my favorite things to make with the cilantro and green onion I've grown is fresh salsa. I've made fresh salsa a total of 4 times already and Tyler and I absolutely love it!

Pros of fresh salsa:

It's so easy to make and is great for summer parties or just to snack on!

If you have a garden, this can be a cheap and scrumptious snack to throw together. 

You pretty much can't go wrong when making this. I've never had a bad batch!

Cons of fresh salsa:

Mildly addictive so it doesn't last long - at least around my house! Haha ;)

I found a great recipe on Pinterest for fresh salsa and I added to it. I've posted my salsa recipe below in case you want to make your very own batch. :)

4-6 tomatoes depending on the size (I usually try to get two varieties so there is a mix in there)

1/2 - 3/4 of an onion (I've used both white and yellow... Can't really tell a difference?)

1/2 - 3/4 of a green bell pepper (I'm not much for spice, but if you want it hotter, feel free to add a jalapeño!)

Small bunch of green onions. I use anywhere from 6-8+ because they're quite small from my garden and I love green onion!

Small bunch of cilantro (about 1/4 cup chopped maybe? I don't like cilantro nearly as much so I add less but if you want to add more, feel free!)

1 tbsp Ground Cumin

Below are the ingredients I add to taste. So sprinkle about a teaspoon in, stir, and taste to see if you want more. I honestly don't measure too much with these ingredients.)

Garlic Powder

Chili Powder

Garlic & Sea Salt (Grinder)

Salt

Dash of soy sauce

Lime juice

Avocado*

Cut tomatoes, pepper, and onion and toss into a food processor. Depending on how you like your salsa, you can chop it up really small (this is what I like) or leave it pretty chunky. I usually do one or two ingredients at a time in the food processor, then put it into a container and repeat. Dice up green onion and cilantro (and avocado if you're using it) and add to salsa. Add remaining ingredients. Stir it all together and chill 1-2 hours before serving (if you can wait that long!)

*this is optional. I added some avocado to the last batch I made and it was delicious! However, avocado browns fast so if you add this, be prepared to eat it within 1-2 days. You can also split the salsa into two dishes and just add the avocado into one of the batches like I did (pictured).

This will last in the fridge in an air-tight container for about 7-10 days. ENJOY!

Side note: Cilantro isn't pictured because that herb is in the process of growing more leaves in my garden (I've used so much of it!). I didn't use it in my last batch and it was still scrumptious!

Memories & Fishing

Many people go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.

Henry David Thoreau

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Utah is such a fun place to live. There's always something to do - especially in the summer! You don't have to drive too far to find great camping, fishing, and hiking. Saturday was Free Fishing Day in Utah. On this day, you can fish without having to buy a license. Tyler and I went up Provo Canyon with my sister, Heather, and her husband, Christian. She knew of this great little place to fish on the Provo river in Heber City right by the railroad. We had packed a little dinner and had a blast watching the beautiful scenery and fishing. Tyler even got to fish off the railroad tracks which is supposedly a life-long dream of his. Haha Look out world, that boy has big dreams! ;) I love my country boy!

Christian was the only one to catch some fish! They were too small to keep but at least he caught something! Haha we left just before the rain hit but we saw some awesome lightening and got some great pics. I love summer time! Life is all about enjoying every day and making memories with those you love. :)

Memorial Day Fun

First off, I'd like to thank those who have served our country in the past and are still serving our country now. I am so thankful for my individual freedoms. I'm also thankful that we have this time to honor our loved ones who have passed. 

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For memorial weekend, Tyler and I journeyed down south to one of my favorite places, St George, UT. My aunt and uncle own a home down there and we had a blast spending time with them, my grandma, and my twin sister's family. For those that aren't aware, I have the absolute CUTEST nephew on this planet. See examples below!! We made sure to take lots of pics! Leo loves his bumbo!

On Friday, Tyler and I drove down with my aunt, uncle, and grandma through Zion's National Park and then went up to Bryce Canyon. I find geology so fascinating and down south in Utah you will see some of the coolest things! Thankfully the day wasn't too hot and it didn't rain on us till we were coming home. Ashley, Jonathan and Leo arrived that night so we headed over to the pool. This was Leo's first time swimming and he didn't like it too much. It was pretty cold. Haha 

Saturday we went out to breakfast at one of my favorite restaurants down there called The Bear Paw. If you haven't checked it out, you need to! We then went back to the pool and Leo was much happier! In fact I think it's safe to say he enjoyed it. :)

Ash and I then drove with my grandma up to Veyo, UT to buy some pies. There's this bakery that is apparently famous for their pies. I must say they did not disappoint! We had my grandma take our picture and we sure got a kick out of her trying to use a smartphone.

On Sunday we went on some really neat nature hikes around St George. It was such a beautiful day! 

Monday we went into town and finished the trip with some shopping and a ride on the old carousel in downtown St George. This is supposedly one of the oldest operating carousels around. It was flown in from California piece by piece and assembled in St George. It's pretty neat and Leo loved it. :)

We had such a fabulous weekend spending time with family, playing games, and holding Leo every chance we could. 

Sunday Walks

When I was young, my parents used to go on "Sunday love walks". Us kids would get left behind to do dishes while my parents took some quality alone time to walk around the neighborhood together. I always thought it was so cute and special that my parents would do that! Now I get to do this with my own husband. <3

Tyler and I have loved walking around the parks and neighborhoods around our condo - especially now that the weather is warm. This past Sunday I found the BEST surprise on our walk - peonie bushes!!! Peonies are one of my absolute favorite flowers! They only bloom the last half of May and first part of June and are VERY expensive. I was elated to see some growing right near our place so I insisted on picking some! I love having fresh flowers in my home. And I even get to enjoy some at work. Aren't they beautiful?!

Pallet Garden - My Summer Project

Tyler and I currently live in a condo with no outdoor space besides a small deck out back. I've always wanted to have a garden in my home and I thought I wouldn't be able to ever have one for at least a few years when Tyler and I were settled and had our own home. One day I was browsing Pinterest and came across the brilliant idea to turn an old pallet into a vertical garden!! I was super excited and decided it would be my summer project. 

I work for a company who ships out lots of product every day so I was able to snag an old small pallet for free! Score! I knew I wanted to have succulents, small flowers, and herbs in this garden so I began my research. I then went and purchased all the necessary items from local nurseries and Home Depot and planted it this weekend. I am so excited with how it turned out! I'm pretty sure this is one of the few, if not only, projects I've seen and attempted on Pinterest that didn't end as an epic failure. :) I can't wait to use all the herbs for fresh salsa and cooking this summer! I've posted pics with "how to" instructions below in case you ever want to do one of your own. :) 

Supplies Needed:

Pallet

Spray paint

Weed barrier material (I got mine from Home Depot)

Staple gun

Soil

Plants and herbs of your choice

Instructions:

Get yourself a pallet and clean up any loose boards or hanging-out nails you can see. Buy some spray paint in whatever color you want (I got mine at Hobby Lobby) and spray away! I did two-three coats of paint on mine. I also painted it a few weeks before I knew I wanted to plant it so that it would be nice and dry. 

Buy all the flowers, herbs, and/or succulents you want to plant. I absolutely love succulents! They look so cool and they don't need to be watered that often since they're a desert plant which is handy. :)

Use your weed barrier material to make small pots/craters for the plants to be planted in. This is a good way to hold everything up yet will still allow for adequate drainage. Take your weed barrier and cut out big rectangles that are large enough to make a small pot in the pallet shelf and hang over the edge some, as pictured below. Use the staple gun to secure it into place and trim off any extra material. I doubled mine to be sure they would support the plants and wet soil. I had Tyler help me with this part because it was easier with help!

Layout where you want to pot all your plants and begin planting each one. I wanted the succulents up top because they're so cute and small and I also wanted to be sure their soil would stay dry. I didn't want anything above them dripping water and keeping it more wet than it should be. Once you've planted everything, write the herb names on the pallet with either a Sharpie (that's what I did) or paint. You can even use a stencil if you want to!

There you go! You have an adorable, space-ideal garden! I had some extra plants so I got another container to finish planting them in. Be sure to keep your herbs watered and the soil wet (but not too wet!) Since there's not a lot of soil for them and they're not in the ground, they dry out very fast. I water my herbs every day and the succulents about once a week. 

A Much-Needed, Long-Awaited Vacation

Tyler and I were able to take a trip out to Portland, Oregon to visit some of his family in between semesters. We had such a great time soaking in the beautiful scenery of Oregon, visiting the ocean, and making up for lost time with family. This was mine and Tyler's first time flying together and it was a blast. We are looking forward to doing it more often in the future!

When we landed in Portland, we went to breakfast with Tyler's father and step-mom (Greg and Georgia) at this cute little restaurant in Portland. I got a peanut butter chocolate waffle and it was delicious. :) chocolate peanut butter anything is my favorite. After that, they took us on a drive around Portland. It was pretty rainy and cold (go figure) so we didn't get to walk around as much as I would have liked. We stopped and looked at some beautiful gardens, a mansion in the hills of Portland, and then ended at Voodoo Donuts. They have all sorts of delicious donuts! If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop on in. :)

We then drove out to Greg and Georgia's house. They live outside of Portland in a small town called Yamhill. I say "house" but that's an understatement. They live in this adorable log cabin in the middle of the woods. It was so beautiful with the trees and greenery all around. We spent the rest of the night talking and catching up. It was so nice and relaxing with the rain pattering on their tin roof. 

The next day, Tyler went on a ride-a-long with Greg. Greg is the Chief of Police in Yamhill. They had a blast and Tyler got to see some of the things police officers deal with. In the 4 hour time span Tyler was with Greg, there were 2 reported stabbings and a naked lady running through the streets. I'm glad that's not my job! I think Tyler's favorite part was getting to go 120 mph in Greg's charger. What a rush! 

Once the boys got back, we took a drive out to the coast. We stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory (one of my favorites places to visit on the coast!) and got some of their tasty ice cream. I got my favorite, chocolate peanut butter! We then drove to Mo's in Depot Bay and had some of their famous clam chowder. Afterwards the sun came out long enough for us to spend some time on the beach. We drove up to this look-out area on a cliff above the ocean and watched huge waves crash in on the rocks just as the sun was setting. One of my favorite things about the Oregon Coast is the land terrain. You get the beautiful mountains and pine trees right up next to the ocean. It's such a stunning sight. We made sure to get lots of beautiful pictures. When we made it back home, Tyler's brother, Nathan, came over to visit. They were up till 6am talking and catching up! Poor Nathan had a prom date the next day so he was running on no sleep but I think it was worth it. :)

Our final, full day on vacation was a sunny one! Yay! We spent the day on the four wheelers driving all throughout the woods by the house. It was a blast! Everything was so green from the recent rain storms and we were covered in mud! Greg also smoked some AMAZING ribs for dinner and I was in heaven. I don't think I've ever had anything so delicious. The evening was spent visiting and watching Family Feud. What a great ending to such a fabulous trip!

Tyler and I were so sad to leave the next morning. One of the worst parts of a vacation is knowing it will end and that you have to go back to reality. We were so thankful we had a little break to spend time with family in such a beautiful place. Tyler is now back in school and preparing for the GRE and I'm back at work. Needless to say, we can't wait for our next vacation and are excited for all the time we will get to spend with our families this summer who live so far away. 

*Warning, picture over-load below. :)

At the gardens

There weren't any rose bushes in bloom yet but the bushes and plants sure were pretty!

Gotta love a man in uniform ;)

The view from the cliff look-out

Nathan, Tyler, and Greg 

On the quads!

Like I said, so green!

So muddy!