baking

Our Dog’s Sweet Tooth + Swimming + Best Way to Wake Up

Temperatures have been in the 90s here in Pittsburgh lately, so Sadie and I took a dip in our neighbor’s pool yesterday.

Toddler in life jacket by pool Mom and daughter ready to go swimming

We have been very blessed with wonderful neighbors. They help us with Malcolm when we go out of town, let us go swimming in their pool, and have become cherished friends to us over the past six years.

Swimming with Sadie totally had me missing swimming on the swim team. I swam competitively from middle school through a bit of college, was a lifeguard, and taught swim lessons. It’s funny, though, that I don’t feel like I can teach Sadie to swim and would rather sign her up for lessons?!

Have I ever mentioned that Niva has a major sweet tooth? She has consumed sticks of butter, bags of chocolate chips, dozens of cookies, and last night she had a new first…

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix

Yup, she ate a box of brownie mix in the middle of the night. That was a fun time at 2:00 am with Jimmy, cleaning up brownie mix and watching Niva have a major case of the zoomies from all the sugar.

Today will be spent mopping the floors and deep cleaning the puke off our couch. And wishing I had those brownies, because man do they look good!

Just the other day I had to laugh because we had cookies cooling in our bedroom with the door shut because we can’t cool them in our kitchen. Nowhere (including on top of the refrigerator) is safe from our Cookie Monster husky!

Cowboy cookies cooling

While I was at the grocery store buying the aforementioned brownie mix, Jimmy was home with Sadie when she woke up from a late nap. I checked on her on our baby monitor and found the scene below.

Dad in crib with baby

I think Sadie thought that was the coolest way to wake up from a nap 🙂

Do you enjoy swimming?

When Inspiration Strikes

Happy Independence Day to all my U.S. friends out there! Is anyone doing anything special today? We’re having a picnic at our house with family this afternoon and I can’t wait! 

In preparation for our little gathering, I found myself at the grocery store in search of pork ribs to barbecue. First, I had to pass the produce and inspiration struck. 

Strawberries and rhubarb

Whoever put the strawberries and rhubarb together in the produce area of the store is smart!

Jimmy has been asking me to bake a strawberry rhubarb pie for a few weeks now, and what better time to make it than when we’re having guests over to enjoy it with us 🙂

Strawberry rhubarb pie fillingStrawberry rhubarb pie

Pies are definitely a bit of work to put together, but so rewarding when they’re finished.

We’ve been having some hot, dry days here in Pittsburgh, so we’ve been keeping a close eye on our garden and watering it as needed. I don’t think we watered the garden more than twice last year, but this year it seems like we could water it twice a day.

Sadie helped me pick some zucchini and squash. We are patiently awaiting the arrival of the cucumbers. Can’t wait to make pickles

Zucchini and yellow squash from vegetable gardenToddler eating squash from garden

Sadie and Niva spent some time cuddling in the yard yesterday and it was too sweet. These two seem to be best buds and partners in crime.

Yesterday I let Sadie play with my washi tape collection so I could get some housework done and she shared it with Niva… who chewed a few rolls. I was totally okay with sacrificing some washi tape so I could get a bit done, lol. 

Toddler laying with Siberian Husky in grass

Alright, off to bake those pork ribs for our picnic! 

What are you up to today?

Do you like strawberry rhubarb pie?