Exploring the simple pleasures in life.
After many years of effort, I have found that the key to true happiness comes with learning to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. It’s in the awesome feeling that you have when the garden is full of beautiful banana peppers. It comes from spending time with the people you love and sharing fantastic adventures with them. This Uncomplicated Life is my way of sharing my journey into finding and enjoying the simple pleasures.
Homemade Walnut Pesto
With my newfound kitchen confidence, I thought I would tackle making pesto from scratch. Instead of the traditional pine nuts, I experimented with walnuts.
Ponies, Big Rocks, and a Fox
We enjoyed our visit to Grayson Highlands State Park. The ponies were spectacular. I was particularly enthralled by the babies.
Sarah’s Restaurant at Fox Creek General Store Review
We went to Sarah's Restaurant at Fox Creek General Store for barbecue. It was our first dine-in experience since the pandemic started and we had a great time.
Bone Fire Smokehouse Review
After a much longer hike than we anticipated, we were hungry. We found Bone Fire Smokehouse, with award-winning ribs and bbq, nearby. They had a great salad.
A Churro Disaster
Not all of my efforts in the kitchen meet with success.
My Pasta Adventure
With my increasing confidence in the kitchen, I thought it would be nice to make fettuccini from scratch. While it wasn't perfect, I was happy with the result.
On the Loss of Our Fur Babies
For the second time in under three years, we find ourselves saying goodbye to our pet. The loss of a pet is heart-wrenching and there is no good way to do it.
Alfredo Sauce with a Twist
Alfredo sauce is hands down my favorite pasta sauce. I was intrigued when I found a recipe with an unusual twist using cream cheese.
Homemade Garlic Powder
I like to buy garlic in bulk, but unfortunately, we are not always able to use it fast enough. I found a great way to preserve garlic longer.
Jalapeno-Peach Salsa
I picked up some beautiful peaches at the farmer's market and thought I would see how my jalapeno-mango salsa recipe works with peaches instead of mango.
Back To The Bathtub
After a long hiatus from travel because of Covid, we finally had the chance to return to Devil's Bathtub. It was as if I could breathe again.
Hob-Nob Drive-In Review
Hob-Nob Drive-In seemed like the perfect place for lunch after our hike to Devil's Bathtub. It turned out to be a blast from the past.
Sweet Pickled Peppers
I found myself with an overabundance of peppers from my garden, so I decided to pickle them using a great recipe that resulted in incredible pickled peppers.
Cacio e Pepe
Recently, I watched an episode of Good Eats - Reloaded where I learned a new-to-me pasta cooking method and a new recipe, Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper).
North Carolina Lemon Pie
As a Key lime pie lover, when I saw a recipe for North Carolina Lemon Pie, I had to make it. The simple recipe takes some time, but it is worth the wait.