Quinoa Summer Salad

Living in Texas summers are hot, hot, hot. The last thing I feel like doing is starting up the oven and cooking a big meal. So meals for summer tend to be simpler. I recently found a recipe for a quinoa salad and adapted it to my liking. I switch up the ingredients from time to time, sometimes adding more fruit, sometimes adding more heat. I love how simple this dish is to make and yet it's very filling...and healthy! Here is what I used to make my Quinoa Summer Salad:

one cup quinoa

one large mango

one medium avocado

one garlic clove, crushed

1/2 carton of grape tomatoes

1/2 of a jalapeno (from our garden and they are HOT)

1/8 cup of white onion (I prefer red onion, but none looked decent)

juice of two limes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking the quinoa according to package directions. In a large bowl combine the mango, avocado, garlic, grape tomatoes, jalapeno and onion. In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, lime juice and cumin, set aside. Once quinoa is cooked combine with the mango mix and pour dressing on top, enjoy! 

Note, this dish can be served warm or cold, I prefer it cold. I chill my cooked quinoa before combining all the ingredients.

Trust me, it is delish!

~Kristie

So fresh and so clean

In my last post I had mentioned how I have been painting other areas in my house with a fresh coat of bright white paint. After painting the laundry room doors, trim and baseboards I immediately took my can of paint and said What can I paint next? It was between the fireplace mantle and the floor to ceiling built in bookshelf. Since the built in would take a LOT more time, I decided on the fireplace mantle. Here are some pictures to enjoy!

Can you see a difference in whites between the mantle and trim color? 

 Progress.

The mantle is next to the built in, so now I have two noticeably different colors!

I love how something so simple can have such an effect on a room. I really am enjoying how the white pops against the grey color on the walls. I haven't decided if I should paint the trim or built in next. What do you think?

~Kristie

Vacation photos

We recently took a vacation to visit all our family in Ohio. It was great to spend time with family and friends, but now its back to reality. Also a BIG congrats to my sister and her now fiance! Love you guys!

I took too many pictures, over 400, but I wanted to get some good nature photos to add to my wall art gallery. Sadly, looking back I wish I would have ventured outside the farm to take more pictures. But life with a toddler doesn't always go as planned.

Do you have a favorite? Mine is a toss up of the black and white watering can photo and the red barn photo.

~Kristie

Happy Fathers Day

To the best father a son could ask for.

~Kristie

My one and only

Today my husband and I celebrate our third wedding anniversary. We have been together now for eight years and have grown and experienced more than either of us could have ever imagined. From the good, the bad and the ugly it has only made us grow stronger and closer.

I was able to find some pictures of our wedding day. Enjoy!

~Kristie