Peepsicle

In our house we used to dye eggs for Easter, but its really a lot of work for something that we almost immediately smash to make deviled eggs, or egg salad, or something yummy.  Don't get me wrong, I like food that looks good, but if you can't eat it what good is it.  So instead of decorating eggs, now we decorate peeps.  Yes, peeps.

So first the peeps have to be prepared for decorating.  They are squirmy little critters, so we give them handles.  

 Then we freeze them, in this case for a couple of days.  Once they are frozen they are ready for decorating.  So we gather up as much stuff as we can find to decorate them with.

But before we can decorate them we have to prepare the peeps so that the decorations will stick.

Chocolate works nicely.  

And then we get...

 Far better than colored eggs any day!

  

Frack you

So have you ever heard of fracking?

Hydraulic fracturing or fracking for short is a process in which fracking fluid is pumped underground to increase the pressure underground.  This pressure causes cracking which allows natural gas to be released and pumped out of a well.  This process actually allows for horizontal drilling as opposed to the traditional vertical drilling.

In eastern Ohio much of the geologic formation is Marcellus Shale which contains natural gas.  As we look to reduce our dependence on foreign oil supplies, fracking to release the natural gas from formations such as the Marcellus Shale is becoming more common.

The safety of fracking is debated and quite controversial, but regardless the activity is spreading as fast as it can get permitted through eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.  There is a potential for many individuals to profit significantly from this oil extraction.  Think a Texas style oil industry here at home.  Before I tell you what I think, look it up.  Try google, google knows all.

Maybe it takes more than a wife

All in all, it was a pretty cruddy week.  Is it ever going to be spring in northeast Ohio?  I think I would feel better if the sun would shine and we could open the windows.  Today is raining and miserable, so I don't really see much point in getting off of the couch.  The laundry is getting done (no thanks to me) and that's enough for today.
And, the hot water heater is still leaking.  So right before the hot water heater started leaking we replaced the guts of the toilet tank because it was not working properly.  Apparently by fixing the toilet, we have taken away any place for the hot water to expand to as it heats so pressure is building up and causing the water to come out of the relief valve.  Well at least that's my new theory, google knows all.  I guess we need to install some sort of expansion tank, or remember to empty the bucket everyday.  Maybe it takes more than a wife.

Sometimes it takes a wife

So last week our hot water heater broke.  It still made hot water just fine, it just made a rather large puddle on the laundry room floor in the process.  I was out of town last weekend and I got the phone call from home, "Um... there's water on the floor."
The pressure relief valve on our hot water heater went bad and was allowing the hot water to leak out of the drain pipe whenever it was trying to make hot water.  We decided to replace the valve ourselves, how hard could it be?
We went to our local home improvement store and bought a replacement, one-size fits all valve.  The problem then became getting the old valve off.  Well not so much the valve, but the drain pipe.  The hot water heater is so close to the wall that the valve couldn't be removed without first taking off the drain pipe, that took a couple of days.  Gotta be smarter than the pipe wrench!
Well guess what, our one-size fits all replacement valve, yeah it didn't fit.  So after a trip to the plumbing store, my husband was able to replace the valve.  Unfortunately, it didn't go so well.

That little hole in the side, it's not supposed to be there.  So after another trip to the hardware store, I replaced the valve.  The husband says, "Third times a charm,"  me I say "Sometimes it takes a wife."

Tree Hugging

So, most of the time I would consider myself an environmentalist, not an activist but an environmentalist and there is definitely a difference.  In my mind activists are the folks that lay down in front of bull dozers and chain themselves to trees.  Not really my style, but today, for a brief second I considered hugging a tree.  It wasn't a special tree, I just felt bad.  The road that I work on is lined with trees, well it was until today.  Apparently the trees are damaging the sidewalk, so they have decided to cut them all down.  I walk that sidewalk almost everyday, it doesn't seem to be in bad shape, its not really cracked or anything, so I have to question why are they really cutting down the trees? Firewood?

I thought Crepes were for Fruit

Another fabulous meal at home, again thanks to the Food Network Magazine and this one even on a weeknight.  I am always looking for yummy, healthy, and quick food to make during the week.  (I have rules about eating healthy during the week so that I don't have to on the weekend, but more about that some other time).

I associate crepes with my childhood, only we didn't call them crepes, we called them rolled-up pancakes.  My dad used to make us rolled-up pancakes for Sunday brunch.  We slathered them  in maple syrup, cut them into rings, and make a sticky mess.  When I got a bit older rolled-up pancakes became blintzes filled with sweet cheese and covered with fruit.

Now for a new take on an old favorite, chicken.  Tonight we made crepes stuffed with shredded chicken, cottage cheese (as a substitute for ricotta because I didn't feel like going to Big Bird), and basil from last year's garden.  This was all topped with asparagus and shallots.

Melt - The Home Edition

So in our house we cook.  Sometimes it's simple sometimes not so simple; sometimes its healthy, sometimes not so much.  Today's choice definitely not healthy.

Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite foods.  Really anything in which cheese is a main ingredient has my seal of approval.  So when we saw this recipe, we had to try it.

Grilled Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork - Pretty much a grilled cheese sandwich that also includes pulled pork, caramelized onions  and macaroni and cheese.

Starting out

So I have wanted to start a blog for a long time now.  I always have a lot to say, not sure anyone wants to listen, but I guess we will find out.  This is going to be a learning process for me, so bear with me as I learn as I go.