A walk through the daffodil farm

Every spring we take a trip to the local daffodil farm here in the Willamette Valley, and this year was no exception.  We picked a bouquet big enough to bring back home and have enjoyed them all week long.

To our luck, the sheep were out in the field behind the Daffodil Farm, even the babies.

  

And our daffodil bulbs we planted last season made an appearance.

Eco-Tip:  When planting flowers and plants in your own yard look to plants and flowers that are native to your own area and region.  Native flowers and plants bring native animals to your yard as well.  And avoid invasive species at all cost.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

Down comes the big pine tree

The big pine tree in the backyard of our Hiatt house came down on Saturday morning.  We were a bit sad to see it go, but the feelings we have for the tree are a little bitter sweet.  Te pine needles were always a mess and the tree had gotten too big for the area where it was growing.  The roots pushing through the ground and the limbs hanging too close to wires and power cords that went to the house.  The neighbor was glad to see it cut down as well.  I am just glad it was cut down before Earth Day.

The limbs of tall pine was close to power and cable lines and the roof of the garage was always an issue with limbs and TONS of pine needles.

The tree cutters showed up last Saturday to take it down and it took them all of  5 hours to do.  

  

  

And the last limb comes down.

From what we can tell the tree was about 38-45 years old.......

Eco-Tip:  When cutting a tree down try to use all parts of the tree for other purposes.  Stumps and logs can be used for fire, or cut into cutting boards, stools, or even small tables.  For this and other tips visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

Quick chili

Having such a busy schedule I love making dinner when it only takes about 20-30 minutes.  One of our go-to recipes is chili and here's a recipe that's quick and easy to do in under 30 minutes. 

What you'll need:

Cooked beans, of course.  I like to use Pinto Beans because they cook up so much better, in my opinion.  You can also use kidney beans or a bag of mixed beans.  You will also need a chili kit.  Unless you want to mix the seasonings yourself, a chili kit is always great to have on hand and the best part about a kit, you can use as much or as little of the seasonings in the kit as you want.  I like to use Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit because we like it hot!  If you don't know who Carroll Shelby is you can read about him HERE!

8 oz. can of tomato sauce.

14 ounces can of diced tomatoes.  Fresh tomatoes would be even better, but they aren't in season this time of year.  2 tsp, salt is needed too.  You can omit the salt if you are watching your salt intake.

And 2 pounds of  browned ground beef.  You can also use ground turkey if you are watching your red meat consumption.

Combine all ingredients in a deep cooking pot and allow to cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes.  That's it!  Serve with grated cheese, crackers, oyster crackers, or just by itself.

Enjoy!

Eco-Tip:  Consider using garlic or brewer's yeast to combat fleas and ticks on your pets this coming summer.  Most products sold to animal owners to combat these pests have chemicals that are bad for your pet and our family.  These chemicals also have the potential to be leached into our water ways as well.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

Indulging in a bit of O' Reilly's Irish Cream

I love having togetherness with friends and family at our house and I love even more the wonderful drinks and mixes people bring with them.  One of the main ones I have started using and enjoying is O' Reilly's Irish Cream.  Similar to Bailey's Irish Cream, this Irish Cream has endless possibilities for uses and at times it tastes even good by itself.  Here are a few recipes that I just love and can be served at your next get-together or function.  FYI: Any recipe that calls for Irish cream, you can use O'Reilly's.

• TIPSY BROWNIES:

Source

What you'll need:

Brownie mix (of your choice)

1/4 cup O'Reilly's Irish Cream

Make the brownies according to the package instructions and replace the water with O'Reilly's Irish Cream. Bake as normal and enjoy!

• DRUNK CHEESECAKE:

Source

What you'll need:

15-20 graham crackers (crushed)

2 tbs. butter (melted)

4-8 ounce packages of cream cheese

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup O'Reilly's Irish Cream

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tbs. vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a glass baking dish or spring form pan.  Mix together crushed graham crackers and melted butter until combines.  Smash the graham cracker mix into the bottom of your baking dish allowing a bit of mix to come up the sides of the pan.  

Mix all remaining ingredients, except eggs and vanilla, until combined.  Add eggs one at a time and then vanilla.  Mix ingredients for one minute and pour into prepared greased pan.  Bake for 1 hour and turn oven off and allow cake to sit until cooled completely.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

• Irish Cream Cookies:

Source

What you'll need:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter (softened)

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup O'Reilly's Irish Cream

Chocolate, Cappuccino, White Chocolate Chips, or Nuts (as desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir all dry ingredients together in a bowl, and set aside.  Cream together all wet ingredients including the eggs, one at a time.  Add the dry to the wet and combine completely.  Add in your chips or nuts in this step, if using.  Bake for 10-12 minutes and remove from pan to cool on a wire rack.

You can also enjoy the Irish Cream in other drinks too.  Try it in coffee, hot chocolate, add milk to it for a cold beverage, or heat it up and enjoy it hot.  Try it over ice cream too!

Eco-Tip:  Consider mowing your lawn with a rotary mower instead of battery or gas operated one.  It will burn calories and save the planet at the same time, double win!  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.