The Office - The next to last chapter

Yesterday was Uncle Dale's last night working on the office. I can't begin to thank him for all his hard work and attention to detail. Thanks Uncle Dale, love you lots!! :) We are so happy with how it turned out. As you look at the photos, obviously we still need carpet, but as far as the construction and painting goes, it's FINISHED!

We also owe a big thanks to my pop, as well as Tim's dad. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family who is always so willing to help out with anything.

It was so exciting to see this project come to life. Now that it's just about finished, I guess it's time to think about the next thing on the list. Wonder what it will be.

Now, on with the before and after show...

Here is a shot of the front of the house the day we moved in...



And after we did some yard work and landscaping...

And after the office build...

Before...

And after...

Like I said, we still need carpet, but that the easy part. I'll be sure to post pictures after it is all decorated. If you would like to see pictures from beginning to end, click here

Hooray! :)

Three for One - Cookbook Challange

I have really been slacking on my cookbook challenge. So, today I tackled not one, not two, but THREE cookbooks.

We'll start with dessert. There is nothing better than homemade whipped cream and it's so easy to make. Yes, this may be a cop out as far as the "challenge" goes, but hey, I needed a whipped topping for the pound cake I made. I promise to come back to this American classic of a cookbook (Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book) at a later date and pick another recipe. But for now, whipped cream it is. :)




I always thought I wasn't fan of pound cake. That was until I made it from scratch a few weeks ago. I made this recipe not long ago and loved it, so I thought I would try it again and share it with you. This was just a simple vanilla pound cake found in my King Arther Flour Baker's Companion cookbook. I jazzed it up with a cup of coconut and paired it with fresh berries and whipped cream. It was fabulous!






And now for dinner. Stir fry's are great and so simple to make. We seem to make stir fry's a lot in our house but never use a recipe. We normally just end up dumping everything that's in the spice cabinet in a wok with some veggies and a meat. This time I thought I would take some direction and see how it goes. I choose The Ultimate Chinese & Asian Cookbook - Spicy Chicken Stir Fry. It actually turned out pretty good. I particularly enjoyed the lime juice and honey added at the end. I'll have to remember that next time we're adding everything but the kitchen sink.





Today I remember just how much I love to cook and bake. I may not be the greatest, but I sure have fun. We have been so busy lately and I haven't had time to really make a nice meal or yummy dessert. It was so nice to be able to just hang out in the kitchen all afternoon whipping up tasty treats. I'm going to try to not let so much time pass before I'm back in the kitchen again. It's weird, I have always looked for a hobby but could never find anything I could really stick with. Some people craft, others play video games and some read books. While I enjoy all of those things, I think food is my true hobby. I love to grow food, bake and cook. And when I can cook with the foods that I have grown myself...well that's the best of all.

More to come on the LaBeaume Farm of 2010

Spring is Here!

This is one of my favorite times of year. There is just something about watching the plants and trees 'spring' to life. Here are a few photos from around the yard.