Kitty Deschanel

I've been trying to be a good blogger lately and post at least once a week. Rather than continue to feel guilty about it being Tuesday with nothing new here (or, you know, actually investing the effort into creating a new blog post), here is a funny rerun from a few years ago: I went to get the mail the other afternoon, which in our neighborhood means going to the end of the street to a community mailbox. On my walk there, I passed a man who was going in and out of people's yards. He was maybe in his late 20s/early 30s and I just assumed he was checking the meters for the electric company. I thought nothing of seeing him walk up my driveway right before returning to my house, as I figured he'd walk to the meter and continue on his way. Nope. He was standing at my front door when I arrived and didn't look like he planned to leave any time soon. I'm not a social person by any stretch of the imagination, especially after a long day at my socially demanding job.

See this lovely Pinterest graphic? I'd appreciate your sharing it, partly because this Enchilada Rice recipe is amazing and partly because these Pinterest graphics don't just make themselves. Mostly because I am unable to share this recipe myself, as I seem to have locked myself out of my Pinterest account. (Oops!) I'm posting TWO Instant Pot recipes in a row? That should tell you just how yummy this Instant Pot enchilada rice recipe is. Also, both recipes contain quinoa. That should tell you just how much quinoa I bought when it was on clearance for 50 cents per pound. ( Last week's Instant Pot recipe for Cranberry Oatmeal can be found here.  It's my favorite breakfast, assuming chocolate cake is not an option. It usually isn't.) This recipe makes a big batch (6 cups), which is perfect because you're going to want to eat it for lunch and dinner, day after day. Ready to learn how to make my Creamy Enchilada Rice in your Instant Pot? I'll tell

*Do not add chia seeds - see note at the end of this recipe. In response to my popular Instant Pot Explosion blog post, I've had a few blog readers ask for my oatmeal with quinoa recipe, which is made in the Instant Pot. This seems a bit odd...you guys aren't trying to recreate that gooey mess in your own kitchens, right?  My recipe does make delicious, foolproof Instant Pot oatmeal. It's only for patient people though. Whatever you do, do not manually release the pressure valve at the end of the cooking cycle! This recipe is also great in a Crock Pot, though that method takes longer. I like to set the temperature to Low before bed. What a hearty, indulgent breakfast to wake up to!  I've been cooking up batches of my Oatmeal with Quinoa for years, long before I'd heard of the Instant Pot, and have even gifted the dry ingredients to health-conscious friends and family, who've suggested I sell this. Shark Tank, here I come! Oatmeal with Quinoa Featured

Happy nearly new year, bloggy friends! 2017 was the year we finally, finally got to move into our mountain dream home, 6 years after purchasing a 13-acre lot in foreclosure. Parts of the house are really coming together, like our hallway bathroom, kitchen, and guest bedroom. Other rooms may take another 6 years to complete. Theater? No, I'm pretty sure that giant space with the fancy ceiling and $1,000 of glass doors was always intended to be a storage space for boxes and miscellaneous junk. The plans must have been mislabeled. One of my favorite rooms in our new house so far is the small bathroom off our hallway. With a curved floor, it's a bit unusual. SN created the countertop himself out of a single piece of alligator juniper. The oversized mirror I ordered from Wayfair, called a Honey Mushroom mirror, really pulled everything together. The blue vessel sink was a $25 clearance find and the Emtek lead crystal doorknobs were marked down to even less. Plus, it happens to h