Yesterday was a lot of work…and little play!
But it was productive in every sense of the word and left us feeling very accomplished by the time we crashed on the couch at 9pm.
My original plan was to go through the office and purge/donate unnecessary items. And boy, did I ever! We parted with probably 75-80% of our books and DVDs that have just been collecting dust. The library is going to be happy to see me today!
Bye, bye psychology, statistics, and computer science books. We won’t miss you at all!
I also came across my WEDDING binder! This was the binder that held all of my wedding ideas, clippings, wedding dress pics, and collages. Too funny!
Oddly enough, our wedding ended up looking NOTHING like the clippings I pulled out. Originally, I wanted to go with a soft pink theme, but in the end we went for classic red, ivory, and black.
Clippings:
Actual:
Once I get on a organizing and purging spree, I can’t stop. It’s like some kind of high! After the office I did our bathroom and the bedrooms upstairs. There were a lot of things left in the house when we moved in, so it was great to get rid of unused furniture and odd items that were weighing us down.
Mid-afternoon, I stole Eric away from the deck work to replenish our energy stores!
Eric has been gushing about this smoothie that he had at Fresh restaurant the other week (he works near one of their locations and pops in sometimes for take out), so I took matters into my own hands and made my own version to surprise him. :)
The seasonal smoothie at Fresh is called a ‘Pink Flamingo’ and it’s made up of Watermelon, Banana, and Strawberries!
My Pink Flamingo Smoothie:
- 3 cups watermelon
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries (or fresh)
- 1 large frozen banana (not the one in the picture)
Oh man, this was good!! There was also leftover smoothie after filling the glasses and I quickly chugged it before Eric saw!
I don’t like to point fingers, but the messy smoothie leads to Eric. ;)
We worked late and opted to skip our planned picnic for a less busy night. I whipped up a maple cinnamon split pea and spelt berry salad. It was delish, but I’d like to make a few tweaks to this next time!
Served it with fresh garden kale, sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and Herbamare.
I can’t get over how quickly the kale replenishes itself. I’ve been picking a big bunch each day and it just grows back overnight. If any of you new gardeners are looking for a fool-proof veggie to grow, kale is it. Actually, I’ve heard that most garden greens grow very easily!
Enjoyed with more beer. :)
Sunset is our favourite time to be in the backyard because everything just glows as the sunlight beams through the forest.
For dessert, we shared a bowl of organic cherries. Nothing better.
It’s back to the grind for us Canucks today, but it’s a holiday for our friends South of us. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July if you are celebrating today!
I’ve been playing with adding watermelon to my smoothies lately. I love how refreshing it is, especially after a hot run in the sun.
I’m glad you and Eric had such a productive weekend. I always love the lighter feeling my place has after a really good purge. Although, I do still have some of those psychology books kicking around.
Ahahaha – that’s like mine and my boyfriend’s dishes side by side. His always has crumbs and whatnot ALL over the part of the table surrounding him! Boys ;)
I always joke about Eric’s ability to leave a trail whenever he eats…you know he was there! lol.
I am definitely making that smoothie..holy yum!
Mmm what a fresh lunch! Love this!
This sounds FABULOUS!!! Love love love the color, too!
I’m so amazed at how well your kale is growing! It’s inspired me to start growing some of my own. We have tomato and pepper plants right now that are doing pretty well and I think I’m ready to make some additions.
I am sooo going to make this smoothie! Watermelon in a smoothie sounds fabulous!
That smoothie looks AMAZING. I am definitely going to be trying the Pink Flamingo. What a fun, summery drink!!
Books are one of those things that I held on to for years and many moves. I just couldn’t part with them. Then one day I realized that I really had no intent of ever reading Canadian Political Systems again, and out they went. I got rid of 3/4 of my books and it actually felt good! Now I just keep one that are reference for my current interests, and a few that have sentimental value (like Dr. Seuss).
Cherries, watermelon…Cheers to summer!
hehe yea I know what you mean!
I love Watermelon in smoothies! I just drank a melon-banana-blueberry one that was sooo good! :)
I don’t see a recipe for that delicious looking salad did I miss it or is it secret? My kale has been super slow growing this year and sparse, it didn’t help the cat thought I made her a giant outdoor litter box!
Nope you didnt miss it, but I want to tweak it a bit more before posting it :)
What a perfect smoothie for a summer day. Just so happens that I have all the ingredients on hand right now – those type of recipes are my favorite :)
Oooh, love the color of those smoothies. Good to know about kale!! Maybe I can plant some!
Thanks for that recipe. I was just looking for something to bring to my cookout later!
Your food always looks so beautiful! Yum :)
The photos look beautiful! But, I tell you that every other time hehe. The drinks look and sound marvelous!
I never get sick of your compliments my dear! ;)
I am anxiously awaiting the split pea salad recipe…that looks delicious !!!
And good to know about kale…I will definitely be planting that ! I started my first garden in April so it was too late to grow greens.
Mmm that smoothie looks awesome! I’m going to try it, I have everything ready and waiting :D
I love the high from organizing and getting rid of things. I love how free it makes me feel, haha. I’m inspired to get some of that done myself!
Oh wow! That looks delish! It’s hot here in Vancouver today so I will definitely be making this. Thanks! I LOVE your recipes =)
Enjoy Rachel!
I’m making this smoothie this week. No ifs, ands, or butts! :-)
I’ll take some of that kale off your hands if you need some help… tee hee hee