baking

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?

Progress and Cowboy Cookies

I brought my laptop outside with Sadie and Niva so I could get some real estate work done while they played in the yard and I had to laugh when I saw:

  • Sadie sitting in our fire pit (again!) with our grill brush and a bucket of sidewalk chalk
  • Niva chewing apart Sadie’s baby doll

Sometimes it takes a dirty toddler and chewed up baby doll to get some work done. Just another day at the Zottola Zoo!

Husky and toddler laying on bed

These two keep me on my toes!

We’ve been making progress on a few things around the house! Our little back porch renovation is coming along nicely thanks to Jimmy’s welding and design skills. Here’s what it looked like in May…

Back porch with steel columns and porch swing

Here’s what it looks like now…

Back porch with black steel columns and black steel mesh railings

That back storm door is on its last leg! Jimmy accidentally broke one pane of glass because of Lola’s antics and Niva cracked the top one by jumping on it. 

The garden is also growing well. I feel like every time I look at it, something has changed and grown. One of my favorite parts of each day is walking out to the garden to see what’s new.

Yesterday I noticed we have a few strawberries coming in! 

Strawberry plant in garden with ripe strawberries

Jimmy also made some mesh panels for our tomato plants.

Mesh panels for tomato plants

I had to laugh when I thanked him for making the panels and he was like “Oh, those were no big deal! I just whipped those up in a few minutes after work.” I told him I was pretty sure I wouldn’t even know where to start with making those.

He claimed I was the real mastermind because I baked cowboy cookies. I pretty much said the same thing he did about the mesh panels… they were no big deal to whip up. 

Cowboy cookie dough with chocolate chips and cornflakes

Cowboy cookies

Our conversation got me thinking about how God makes each human being so unique. He blessed Jimmy with the ability to work with steel with ease and enjoyment and He wired me with a need to test cookie dough 😉 

Do you have interests and talents that are totally different from your family?

Have you made progress with any projects lately?