A Bit of Randomness

I've got a few days to catch up on, so here I go! After church on Sunday we went to visit several people, & in one of the front yards were plumeria trees in bloom! I had to pick just one to let Keira experience what Hawaii smells like! She loved it, & was more than happy to carry it all the way home for me! It still sits in this crystal bowl, floating on the water & transporting me back to Maui each time I catch its lovely fragrance. Mmmm. Probably the closest thing I'll get to a vacation for a long, long while! ha!

I'm not sure if Keira had a bad dream the other morning, but she woke up saying she was afraid of ghosts. I told her not all ghosts are scary, there's the Holy Ghost & even Casper, the friendly ghost! So I pulled her little Casper out of a box I keep him in; mostly, to keep him white, but also because she has plenty of toys & stuffed animals to play with. She asked me when we got him. I explained that she's had Casper since the day she got out of the hospital in SLC; a gift from the Ronald McDonald House. She's in love with her friendly ghost all over again!

In the evening, Bob called us out to see the sunset. This was the first thing we saw, the rising moon in the Eastern sky. 

Then, looking down the alleyway, the sun setting in the Western sky. My cell cam does no justice to the beauty of the sky on this particular evening.

Uncle Joe & Tia Chita surprised us with a visit yesterday, & made Keira's day by bringing their new little puppy, Chewbacca; or Chewie, for short!

Keira absolutely adored him in every way!

He is a chihuahua shihtsu mix, & is just so tiny & adorable! {Note that our grass is no longer green in the cell pics!}

I wanted to make homemade black bean chili for dinner today. We had all the necessary ingredients, except for stewed tomatoes. But we have a bounty of cherry tomatoes from our garden, so I figured I would stew my own. It took some doing but it made for some great chili! Pictured is just the stewed tomatoes. I'm trying to resist shooting any food photos until I get another camera, but I figured I might not be making stewed tomatoes again any time soon, so I made an exception! For all the trouble, it's definitely worth the $2/can at the supermarket! Recipe follows.

Italian Stewed Tomatoes

approx 75 cherry tomatoes, blanched, peeled, & diced

1/2 c onion, diced

1/2 c bell pepper, diced

1 T basil (I used fresh)

1 t oregano

1 t parsley

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t pepper

I used a large kettle to control the spatter somewhat. Put all ingredients in & place over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, cook at least 15 minutes or until desired consistency. I cooked it for an hour. Fairly straight forward recipe & quite simple, except for the tomato preparation!:-) Made approx 2 1/2 c, about the same amount as a large can.