Unseasonable weather

Yesterday the high reached 70 degrees, or at least came very close. It's the middle of January; I was led to believe that normal weather for January is cold (see: 30s) and rainy. Well, we have gotten rain, but we also have seen sun and a lot of warm weather. It's been great! Addison has enjoyed the fact that warm sunny weather means more time at the playground.

Yes, we live spitting distance from a park with a playground. So far the slide is a big hit with Addison, but the swings don't go over so well. In fact, she holds her breath and then turns purple and screams bloody murder when we sit her in the baby swing. And when she watches other people on the swings, she gets a nervous giggle going on. So it might be a while before we enjoy the swings... Oh well. For now the slides keep everyone happy. And thankfully this playground has 3 different slides. Yay!

Now even though it's still January, the weather has fooled the flowers. I can see the daffodils starting pop up among the rocks in the front yard, which means that my winter reprieve from having to tackle the yard is coming to an end. I thought I had more time to get the house put together before the yard started to wake up. But I guess I need to begin thinking about planting and landscaping. Goodbye monkey grass and hello marigolds!

So I'll wrap up this somewhat boring post with a fresh veggie recipe in honor of the warm weather. Now I am not a big fan of Brussels sprouts, but I try to keep an open mind since they are one of Derek's favorite vegetables. So after reading good reviews of this recipe in Better Homes & Gardens, I decided to give it a try. It was good! And that is coming from a non Brussels sprouts fan, so if you're willing to try it, I think you'll like it. Enjoy!


Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Brussel Sprouts
2 tbsp water
A few tbsp olive oil
Lemon juice

First, clean and slice the Brussel sprouts lengthwise. Drizzle some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Lay the sprouts cut-side down in the pan. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the sprouts and cover. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the water and recover for 2 more minutes. Then uncover and turn heat up to caramelize the cut side of the sprouts. Once they begin to caramelize, turn heat off and toss with a sprinkle of lemon juice. Enjoy!