A Much Needed Restful Weekend

I decided to try out some more of Pioneer Woman's recipes last night. The first was this bacon spinach salad recipe. Mmmm bacon, spinach, I was sold! For some reason lately all I want to eat is spinach, it is so delicious. I must be deficient in something. We started with bacon...the base of this salad.

We caramelized onions in bacon grease.


We also sauteed mushrooms and made up the dressing. This dressing's base is 3 tablespoons of bacon grease. I decided not to think about it too much and just go with it.


The salad was good, I was surprised how nice the warm dressing was. I think it needed a bit more sugar though and maybe something crunchy like candied almonds. Afterward I did feel like I had eaten several tablespoons of bacon grease. Meaning, not well. I don't know that I would make this again, Aaron thought it was okay/pretty good.
We also made her version of chicken parmigiana:


This is very different from the recipe I grew up with, which is breaded chicken topped with tomato sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella. We made this with tomatoes we grew and canned this summer, which is always exciting.



I thought this was okay, mostly because it was very tomatoey from being reduced for half an hour. Aaron loved it. I don't care much for sundried tomatoes, because they are so strong, and this reminded me of that flavor, but less intense. I would make this again, but prepare the chicken how I normally do with her sauce.

Today was so nice, I got my homework done early and we went for a hike...
and a bike ride! We have been so sedentary due to school and the weather. We're both chubby and out of shape. We drove up to Fitton Green and did the upper loop.



There is one lone house at the top. I'm not sure how they got grandfathered into that land, but I'm jealous.


Despite these pictures it was a mostly sunny day. We came home, at some lunch and then went for a bike ride. Generally we make up games on our rides, like riding by every house we've lived in in Corvallis, or with some arbitrary place as a goal. Today Aaron showed me a nice neighborhood he thought we could live in some day. So we rode around and looked at the houses for sale. It's nice to get an idea of what is going for what and where.

It's week 6. I'm getting beyond anxious to be done. First board in about a month. One a week later. Then 2 more a month after that, and my last one the end of June. It will be so nice to start checking those off the list.