Blueberry Scones?

They look (and taste) more like a biscuit to me. What did I do wrong? They definitely don't taste BAD, they just don't taste too great either.

Did I not have enough blueberries? Is it because I don't have a mixer and had to mix the dough by hand? Help me bakers of the world!


My butter was cold - right out of the fridge I swear.


Maybe I didn't cut the butter into the flour enough?

I folded in the blueberries and some more flour.

Here is my dough ball. It was very sticky. The kitchen got a lot messier than this.

They sure look pretty though.

Caladesi Seashells

Here are the shells I found this weekend on Caladesi Island.
Lots and lots of Florida Fighting Conchs along with some scallops, worm shells and lots of these little white ones that I believe are Spiny Periwinkles. Let me know if I am wrong shell fans...






I think I have enough of these for now ;)

We'll see how long Husband lets me keep them here.

Kayaking Caladesi

Saturday we went back to beautiful Caladesi Island.
We didn't arrive until about noon but it was low tide and gorgeous. I would be there every day if I could, but I feel incredibly blessed just to live so close to paradise.
There are so many beautiful places in Florida; I can't wait to explore more of them.

This is what it looked like when we kayaked across the channel. The tide was so low, I had Husband drop me off right in the middle of it so I could explore for a while.

These guys were hanging out on the other side of the island.


I found some amazing shells here - which I will show you all as soon as I get them clean of course ;)



Sunday evening Husband and I decided to ride our bikes to a secret spot for a picnic. This is what it looked like when we departed.




And then it looked a bit better so we thought we could relax a bit.




We found a great spot to watch sunsets and we were really enjoying ourselves for about 5 whole minutes before the rain came. But I have to admit, it was actually kinda fun getting caught in the rain. I guess that's what happens to folks who are as stubborn as we are :)


Have a great Monday everyone.

Shrimp Linguini

So, I did make some strawberry muffins but they did not come out well. I don't know exactly why but there definitely needed to be more sugar involved.

Therefore I am not sharing that recipe with you all...however, last nights dinner was great!

I made Giada's Linguini with Shrimp and Lemon Oil. It was very tasty and light.


I got all my ingredients together (wine is a very important ingredient in cooking)

And I started on the shrimps


I have learned that I need to have everything chopped and ready to go before I start cooking ;)

The shrimp loved the garlic and shallots

And here is the final product. I served it with garlic bread because I LOVE garlic bread!

Overall it was a great recipe. There are not too many ingredients involved and Husband said he would eat it again. A sucess if you ask me!

Enjoy the weekend - I am off to Caladesi to fish and explore for shells.

Fun with Photography and Cats

Some people don't like cats but I do. Maybe it's is because I have 2 of them, who knows. Anyway, I am constantly trying to work on my photography skills which means that you all have to see these really cute pictures of my cats, even if you don't like them!

Fee likes to play with silly bands - who doesn't really?


And Princess likes to watch.


How cute is this??!

OK I am off to make some strawberry and blueberry muffins. I will let you all know how they turn out.

Fourth of July & Last Nights Supper

Hey guys, I am back from NC. I am happy and sad about that but I know there will always be another trip.

Here is a small recap of our Fourth of July weekend.

On Saturday we drove over the Sunshine Skyway bridge to meet our friends the Yonfa's over in Longboat Key. I hate driving over this bridge but taking pictures was a good distraction.


It was a little rainy but the sky did clear up eventually. Bride made us some delicious treats to eat while we are there. Of course I have no pictures of them...
And my sister Teresa came to visit for the weekend!



This is where we played in the water. It was absolutely beautiful. Thanks again Yonfa's!


On Sunday, our friend Matt brought his gal Sarah over for some food and fireworks.
Of course it rained all day but we still managed to have fun.

And husband still got to do what he enjoys most - blowing things up ;)



And finally - Last nights supper. I know you all are just dying to make this ha ha. I was trying to make something without having to go out and get anything and it worked out. I had leftover chorizo from the Fourth and I found a good recipe on the Food Network site.

It is basically just chorizo, veggies and rice.

First you cook the chorizo in some oil. Add 1 medium chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic.

When that is tender, add 3/4 Cups white rice, 1 1/3 Cup Chicken broth and 1/2 cup salsa (I used diced tomatoes because that is what I had).

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add 1/2 Cup of frozen peas. If you don't like peas, I don't see the harm in leaving them out.

Cook for 5 more minutes on low and wha la! Dinner is served.

Very easy and very quick. I hope everyone's Fourth was wonderful. Have a great week!!

Fresh Mountain Air

Hey guys, I hope everybody had an awesome 4th of July. We had a wonderful weekend with friends, lots of food and fireworks of course!

Monday morning I hopped a flight to North Carolina to surprise my niece and nephew. I will be spending the week with them in the mountains. It is so beautiful here. Below is one of the many butterflies around us that have recently made their way into the world.

Also, I forgot my camera and it is driving me crazy! Posts will be slow, I am sorry. However, my little sister will have more pictures on her blog, Dilley Dalley.