There’s nothing more entertaining than a grown man wearing a pair of Crocs,
a coordinating Mastercraft tool belt,
while using power tools.
He’s a keeper, for sure. :) heh
We’ve been plugging away at the deck each night this week. By the time I pick up Eric from the train station and we have dinner it’s already 7:30-8pm, so we don’t have much time to work during the week. Thank goodness for the long daylight hours in the summer though!
We can work til just past 9pm right now which is great. After we finish up, we often go for a nightly walk around the neighbourhood. I love spending so much time outdoors.
Eric built this ‘bistro’ table-top that overlooks one side of the yard. We want to find some outdoor bistro chairs for this spot, but we’re having a hard time finding any in our price range. It may have to be a stand-up bistro for now!
The table top overlooks our future volleyball/badminton net!
We bought a volleyball set back in May, but we haven’t had a chance to set it up yet. It’s going to be fun for get togethers this summer. Friends can watch the game with their beer and food on the bistro table!
We also decided not to put glass in the two sections of the deck for three reasons:
- Expense- It was going to be about 10 times the price of the regular black rods!
- 2.5 weeks wait time for delivery
- Lots of upkeep/cleaning
It was a nice idea, but not very practical for us. This weekend we’re going to continue with the black rods and finish it up. Finally, the 3 sets of stairs are left! Eric says the stairs are going to be the biggest learning curve of the entire deck.
My veggies continue to thrive despite my best efforts to sabotage them… ;)
I’m not sure what’s going on with the yellowish leaves at the bottom of my kale and spinach…?
I feel like a new mother of sextuplets worrying about her newborn babies! Ok, ok not even close but you know what I mean. Eric always laughs because I check on the plants all the time to look for new growth or ‘danger signs’.
Our conversation goes a little something like this:
Me: ‘WHOA! Look how much the kale/spinach/pepper plants have grown! They are so much bigger today.’
Eric: ‘I don’t think they are any different than yesterday…’
Men!
By the way, here is my rough garden plan if anyone is interested (click to enlarge)
I’ll let you know how it goes at the end of the summer… ;)
Dill, anyone?
Wussy dill plant can’t handle my wrath!
The rest of the herbs are doing well in their new spacious pots. I also planted some basil seeds in the 5th pot. Nothing beats fresh basil!
Oh and the squirrels continue to break into my compost bin! I’m going to have to put some chicken wire around it this weekend I think…
For breakfast this morning, Eric and I enjoyed Blueberry Banana Pie Vegan Overnight Oats! I made a big batch last night, mixed it together, and breakfast was waiting for us when we came downstairs. Eric is hooked on vegan overnight oats lately. It took him a while to get over the strange texture, but now he’s cool with it. Adding crunchy granola and nuts really helps with the texture for him.
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Blueberry Banana Pie Vegan Overnight Oats
Inspired by Super Natural Every Day’s Baked Oatmeal.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups non-dairy milk
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 small bananas, peeled & chopped
- 1-1.5 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Homemade Granola sprinkled on top before serving
Directions: Mix in a casserole dish and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, give it a stir and enjoy cold with a sprinkle of granola on top. Keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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This is so insanely delicious! It reminded me a bit like Blueberry Pie. Eric demolished about half of this casserole dish. :)
I have a lot of bakery orders to catch up on today, so I best get cracking. Canada Post also went on strike this week so I have a few shipping issues to sort out. Doh! The weather is cloudy and cool today (clearing in the late afternoon), so best to spend it inside getting things done.
Thankfully we have a fun BBQ gathering to look forward to tonight, so the day isn’t a complete wash.
As for Sunday, I’ll be waiting for the sun and 25C weather forecast.
My hat is ready.
The deck and garden are looking great! I tried to convince my husband to build ours… but he lost his man-card and admitted he couldn’t do it! its hard work! you guys rock!
Have a great weekend! <3
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
The garden and deck are coming along so well! Please hold that sunny 25C for my arrival. I can’t wait to see you both :)
that deck of yours is quite impressive! you’ve got yourself a SERIOUS handyman! i love the bistro area that he built, and i imagine that it will be great for your blog food photography too.
I’m eating pretty much the exact same thing as I read your blog! Mine isn’t vegan though. Definitely a good breakfast!
The deck is looking better and better every day! I am so impressed with Eric’s deck-making abilities! He is definitely a handy man :D
Those overnight oats looks amazing. Bananas + blueberries = bliss. I first learned about them on your blog and tried them once and loved them! I’m definitely going to be eating them a lot more now that Toronto weather is getting warmer! I can swap my hot oats for cold oats now!
I’m not surprised Eric polished off half- I probably would’ve eaten all of it cos it looks so yummy! :D
And I LOVE your garden plan!! I want to grow veggies too!! Hehe that conversation between you and Eric is TOO FUNNY! Men! :P
I love your progress reports on the garden– makes me miss having a yard where I can grow things!
FYI- Yellow Leaves usually means either too much or not enough water
that’s what I was afraid of! eek!
Try letting it dry out between waterings and then watering it until the water comes out the bottom of the pot. That usually does the trick.
I love reading about your garden exploits. You are embracing the best part of gardening: laughing and learning from your mistakes and having a let go attitude about it! The little yellow leaves at the bottom of your kale is quite normal, I notice it all the time with my kale and they turn out just wonderfully!
Thanks for the tip!
Beautiful garden and oats!
Sweet crocks. I can’t believe how quickly the deck is coming together. You are lucky to have such a handy husband. I like the black rods, they give the deck nice character. Enjoy your gardening/ deck building/ BBQing weekend!
I read your blog everyday and love it! Love your ‘backyard saga’ installments. And of course, your recipes <3 I am planning to make the Chocolate Torte for hubby since it is gluten free. Have a lovely summer.
Such I pretty dish! I really like the idea of making it in a larger portion. I do a single version just like it but without the syrup and with a scoop of protein. It’s a great post-workour breakfast! :)
One thing you should get him for more entertainment: a utilikilt. Men in skirts: priceless.
WOW! So impressed with the deck!
Check out overstock.com for affordable outdoor furniture. I’ve had success with them before and their shipping can’t be beat.
Thanks!
The deck looks great so far!! What a great idea to make overnight oats in casserole form. I love the combo of blueberries and banana.
The deck is looking so good and so are the garden plans! I can’t wait to get a yard of my own so that I can do fun things like this! I would love a garden. Also those oats are making me really hungry!
The deck looks beautiful! Too bad about the glass though.
My brother in law redid his deck last year and I remember the stairs was the hardest part — good luck to Eric!
Your garden looks fantastic; my new plants are just starting to sprout after my dogs destroyed the first ones….animals seem to find their way into anything!
I do really love the ‘bistro’ countertop. The deck looks very nice too. At least Eric’s crocs are subtle neutral ones instead of the bright coloured orange or blue ones (or pink, but I don’t think he’d willingly get those). Now, those are just plain ugly and don’t match with anything.
that’s such a good idea to make a big batch of VOO!
I gotta tell you.. be careful for the yellow leaves.. I think that means they’re gonna die! My tomatoes were vibrant green, then a few days later I got some yellow leaves, and soon after that they died. :( So keep a close eye on those babies of yours!
I have been keeping a close eye on my new veggie garden, too. We had to build an enclosed garden with cedar poles and chicken wire to keep the animals out. Coincidentally, the only plant that isn’t thriving is my dill! So its not just you ;)