Our First Pepper

Great news everyone!

Our mini garden is actually growing edible food! We had a beautiful green pepper that survived this horribly hot weather.

 

Mike volunteered to make pad thai for supper, a great way to use the pepper. The dish didn't turn out very well, but I was so excited to use our first produce. More is on the way, too! We have green peppers, tomatoes, and basil, along with a few marigolds for decoration.

 

Our little garden hangs out behind our town home on our slab of concrete, right by the wheat field (more on that later). The metal pot holder was a bridal shower gift from my mom. We originally had it in the front of the house, but the wind is much stronger there and ripped our poor plants to shreds on the first day. The back of the house is a much calmer place and allows the plants to get a little more sun. Our creepy, dirty neighbor smokes in his underwear on the back patio, so it is often awkward when watering the pots and makes my gardening experience a little less enjoyable... Anyway, for something so basic, I'm pretty pleased with what we are able to grow.

 

Stop back at My Neighbor's House later this week for another update.

Strawberry Shortcake

What is the best breakfast for a lazy Sunday morning?

Bacon, sunny-side up eggs, coffee, and strawberry shortcake, of course!

I started working on this yesterday after dinner for a yummy bedtime snack. I attempted to half cake portion of the recipe, but was off one on calculation and had to make a full batch instead... darn! After the cakes were baked, I wasn't in the mood to eat anymore and put the shortcakes in a tupperware to store overnight. This morning, while my dear husband made eggs, I brewed some coffee and finished the cakes. They turned out well! I only used the recipe for the cake and made up my own recipe for the whipped cream. Half a container of heavy whipping cream, a bit of vanilla, a tiny bit of almond extract, and a few spoons of sugar combined with a good beating creates a delicious topping when combined with sliced strawberries tossed in honey. Wait... it created a good topping combined with anything (or eaten by itself). The honey was just bought yesterday at the Brookings Arts Festival, so I was happy to try it out.

Here are a few pictures:

Bear with me as a venture into the world of blogging... Visit "My Neighbor's House" often for recipes, DIY, and some general insights on the world. Thanks for stopping and see you again soon!

Recipe adapted from the Food Network's Classic Strawberry Shortcake.