New Job

My kid likes sushi. She also likes art. She also likes sushi not only because she likes eating it, but also because it's food art. She also likes making food. She's now beginning a new job making sushi.  😋

Very Easy Dinners

 Pork Chop, Rice and Beans

Make rice, warm up beans, fry pork chops (season with onion & garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper) and bake maduros until brown.  

 

Shrimp Poke Bowl

Make rice, make shrimp, bowl edamame, and serve with sliced avocado, mango, and cucumber, etc. 

 

 Pan Sheet Lemon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes, and Broccoli

 Put everything on a baking sheet and bake it together. 

 

 

 BLT Sandwiches

Make bacon. Put it on toast with mayo, sliced tomato, and lettuce. Serve with corn or fruit. 

 

 

Tiny Home Tours

I have been researching tiny homes as a possible solution for our future retirement needs. Hopefully, far into the future. Here are my favorite "Tiny Home Tours": 

Texas Sized: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA8P4SmqGyg

Affordable living on social security: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeOQE4hgRB0

Pairing with a greenhouse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inVVbtQ-zvI 

Natural light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzTKlAyC98M

I like the idea of maybe building one of these in our backyard and pairing it with a greenhouse garden. 

Carnitas and Black Beans Recipes

Carnitas -   

I follow this Youtube recipe but I add a bit of onion/garlic powder to the meat before frying. 

Brown 2 inch pork chunks seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder in a bit of lard in the Instant Pot in batches. When done, add all of the meat and juices in the pot with the following ingredients:

• omit milk (cause no one expects dairy to be in it)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 rosemary
• the juice of one orange
• and 1/2 orange with peel

Pressure cook the pork on high for 30 minutes and allow to sit for 10 minutes before opening the pot. Remove the carnitas from the pot and mash the meat to shred it a bit on a tray before placing in an air fryer for about 10 minutes on 400 degrees to crisp the edges. 

Cuban Black Beans - 

Add 1 bag (16oz) dried black beans to 4 cups water in an Instant Pot. Set to High Pressure Cook for 55 minutes and allow to naturally release steam. 

In a dutch oven, saute the following until tender. Then mix the beans in and serve after 20 minutes. This is a modified recipe of this one -  here.

• ½ cup of olive oil
• 1 white onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 green bell pepper chopped 
• ½ teaspoon of oregano
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon of cumin
• 4 teaspoons of salt
• ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of wine
• 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar   

Family Reunion 2026

 

 

From Nita:

From Jen:

From Cindy:

 

And Randy:

 

 

Thinking about Hedges

The kids are growing up so my focus is able to shift away from them some what and back to the house and yard. Frequent walks at the local botanical garden has given me an appreciation for various plants and trees, and I want to try and find some way to grow some of my favorites in my own yard. Here are some of my favorite native hedges. 

 

Sweetspire

 

 

 

 

Clethra

Black Chokeberry

Fothergilla

Ninebark

Canna Lily

Catalpa

CopperLeaf - my favorite favorite

Also copperleaf

Another copperleaf photo

Rusty Trips - Southwick Beach Summer 2025

 

Had some friends over

 

First Night 2025

We explored the Penn State campus (State College, PA) and visited the bookstore

A room with the view of the parade

They gave out light up hats, and lit up the three bridges

We stopped to listen to some music

Pittsburgh at night is pretty

There were various light installations all around

Video links: 

1) The parade members created their own life size puppets

2) A band testing the weight limits on a trailer

3) Crowd size