SPRING INTO SOME RECIPES AND TABLESCAPES

Spring is here, yay!  The last time I posted it was February, cold and miserable.  Then again its the same way today.  Keeps us on our toes, I guess. My grocery store has a really nice, large area with fresh flowers and plants.  There's something for every one's wallet.  I personally like the 3 for $12 deals.  I can make vases for every room in the house.  And that fragrance...I was really tempted to get a pot of the purple/blue mums, aren't they gorgeous?  Sun or rain, my home feels light and happy.  And that colorful background?  That's boxes of cereal.  

I have little sprouts of daffodils poking up outside, as well as day lilies.  I think they got a little confused when we had some temps in the 50's a few weeks ago.  Otherwise, it's quite bare in the backyard.  I have a lawn service, and they were here recently to do a spring clean-up.  They raked up all of the old grass and dead leaves, and aerated the lawn.  So now its just about waiting for May to roll around, and then we can really start to get our hands dirty.  I'm going to be really careful this year to not overdo the pots of flowers.  It was hard to keep everything watered and healthy while running back and forth from here to the lakehouse.  I think if I keep a nice clean color scheme that flows around the patio and garden beds, I'll be okay.  I'm so excited.

These are the yellow and white tulips I chose from that menagerie of beautiful flowers at the store.  Some fresh flowers, and a handful of my spring decor is all I'm going to have to spruce up the house.   I still feeling like a minimalist.  I've been avoiding my usual haunts; TJ Maxx, Marshall's, HomeGoods.  I keep telling myself that I don't need anything.  My mom always said, if you want to save money, stay out of the stores.  The truth is, these particular stores are so affordable, and it's hard to say no to something we find and fall in love with.  I have to laugh now though, at some of the things I've come home with over the years.  Endless dishes, you know...have to keep up with those tablescapes.  And don't forget napkins in every color and pattern.  Signs...a sign for every room with every sentiment possible.  Kitchen gadgets.  Crates and baskets of all kind.  

Okay, I'm not shaming anyone.  There have been times I've needed something, and I knew just where to go.  A certain size casserole dish.  Bath rugs and a few extra quality towels.  Toss pillows.  Wine glasses.  Olive oil.  Candles.  Yes!  Candles for sure.  Can you share anything you've found at one of these stores that makes it worth walking in and out with a smile?

Some things are just too hard to pass up.  I'm thinking I may move on to lambs.  Just kidding.

All of us here in Chicago have a lot to shout about with Loyola making the Final Four.  Hooray for March Madness!  I'm not much of a college basketball person, but I do like winners.  Incidentally, My niece is a junior at Villanova, and a cheerleader.  There she is above, the cute little redhead.  You rock it, Lizzie!

It's always fun to have family over for a weeknight dinner without a lot of planning.  I had picked up some shrimp and scallops on sale, and knew it all was too much for The Husband and I.  I invited Emily, Mike and Madelyn, and then started searching for something delicious but easy on Pinterest.

The main dish was pasta and sea scallops in a white sauce.  It was simple, easy, and really tasty.  The salad I chose however, was to absolutely die for.  It was a recipe for an entree, but I modified it for a starter salad.  

I changed the recipe tremendously based on what I thought would yield much more flavor, and to eliminate some unnecessary steps.  This is my version.

Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon and Spinach

2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled.

1 T reserved bacon drippings

2 large shallots, diced small

2 cloves garlic, diced small

1/2 lb. fresh scallops, coarsely chopped

1 12 oz. package of fresh baby spinach

Juice of 1 lemon half

1 T olive oil combined with 1/4 t balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet heat the reserved bacon drippings.  Sauté the shallots for about 2 minutes over low heat. Do not cook until they are wilted, you want a little crunch.  Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.  Add the scallops and stir until cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Remove mixture from pan and keep covered and warm.  Add 1/2 of the spinach to the pan and add the lemon juice.  Toss until barely wilted.  Add the remaining spinach and the balsamic mixture.  Toss gently until heated through but not wilted---again you want a slight crunch.  Remove the spinach to 4 salad plates.  Top with the warm bacon bits, shallots, and scallops.  Garnish with a lemon wedge if desired.  

Serves 4

I think this makes for a nice spring salad, light for lunch, or doable for dinner.  I had a loaf of good artisan bread, and we used globs of butter instead of the traditional Italian olive oil and parmesan mixture for dipping.  A contrast to the two recipes.  

I was going through some of my dishes for Easter dinner and came across these cute plates.  I found them at Pier 1 years ago ((I want to mention that on Instagram, I incorrectly wrote that I bought them at Williams Sonoma).  Why I only bought four...Anyway, I used them with my everyday dishes, my trusty tulips, tea lights candles, and napkin rings, also from Pier 1.  I've had the same Magnolia Heart And Home runner on my table for awhile, so I just added black place mats.  I'm lazy like that.  It was fun to do though.  Spur of the moment and no fussing.  It's about time I used all that stuff I've bought over the years.  ;-D

Playing with my dishes

When the little grandkidlets are old enough to eat off something other than plastic, maybe they will come to love these dishes in the spring.  

Sooooooo Big

Emily and Mike need a night out once in awhile, and I am more than happy to have Madelyn.  So here we were on Saturday night.  She had dinner with The Husband and I, then ice cream for dessert.  I got her ready for bed, and then she picked out some toys to play with in the den.  She has been gravitating to these oversized crayons.  She had a coloring book, but when I gave her this blank notebook, she really went to town.  We watched a little Sesame Street, and she soon fell asleep in my arms.  The happy couple had a great night out, and I was loving every minute with her.  

I'm looking forward to Easter.  Making a ham is a no brainer.  Emily is making her famous Mac and Cheese, and I'm delegating the canned corn to Abby.  It will be great to see the extended family that we last saw at Christmas.

I'm still on a reading frenzy.  I followed up The Woman in The Window with The Flight Attendant.  Another Murder/Suspense novel.  They are hard to put down.  And I ordered The Light We Lost after a few Instagram ladies recommended it.  It's supposed to be a tear jerker.  Its about time after all this nightmarish, bloody stuff.  

And I have bad news.  We can talk more about it later.  I'm have back surgery near the end of April.  There is no way around it after not having a result from the epidural.  All of my discs in my lower back have collapsed and I have bone rubbing on bone, as well as nerve issues.  The vertebrae levels will be fused together and held with screws. 

 To say I'm afraid is to put it mildly.  I'm mostly worried about recovering.  If I want to have any semblance of normalcy, I have to put in the work.  My doctor said if I keep moving, I may be able to drive in ten days.  If I do the physical therapy, I may be able to walk a mile after six weeks. Anyway, this is just the way its going to be.  I'm really praying I'll be out of this pain quickly.  I hope I'm not whining, but I'm in serious pain 24 hours a day.  The hardest things to do are to sit in an upright chair, like in my kitchen, or at the doctor or vet or something.  I absolutely go, "Ouch, ouch, ouch," when I have to roll over in bed.  The Husband has learned to sleep through this, thankfully.  It's like my upper body can roll, but the lower half refuses to without a sad fight.  Ha!  I'm a tosser and turner, so that doesn't help.  I do not like to take the pain pills.  They give me a headache.  But a lot of days, about 4:00 when I've just had it, I take one, lie down on my bed with a heating pad and the dogs, and for about four hours I'm drifting on a cloud.  My body, not my head!

Okay.  Please let's talk about the books you are reading, what you like to buy at those addictive shops like Marshall's, what your Easter plans are.  Oh---I just got Netflix.  Can you recommend a good series?

Take care and Easter Blessings!

Jane x