image-in-ing

A visit to Cedar Creek Galleries

Loocated in Creedmore NC, this place is always a delight for the eyes!

Magical.

To think that this...

could become this...

and then shortly thereafter....

YUMMY! Homemade bagels!

"Satellite Park" at the Duke Arts Annex

Duke University has a facility called the Arts Annex tucked away in a lightly traveled area of Durham. The site is free to students, who can use the space to let their "inner artist" create. We stumbled across the location and were intrigued, especially by the art work in the last photos. There you will see what the students did with some decommissioned satellite dishes. I love it!

Milkweed visitors

We planted milkweed seeds in hopes of attracting monarch butterflies, but it seems they're a hit with a wide variety of insects!

A few things blooming around the homeplace

Carolina wild petunia

Magnolia

Passion flower vine

Nandina

For some reason it seems the original InLinkz link for this week's party ended prematurely. Here's is the extended version so we can party on:

Happy Independence Day, U.S.A.

From the archives - a few shots from a visit to Washington DC.

Washington Monument

Vietnam Memorial

Martin Luther King Junior Memorial

Metro station - great way to see the sights

Korean War Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

FDR Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Now THIS is a tasty dinner!

I have to say this is one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I've found in a while. I found it on this web site, and I'm looking forward to poking around there to find other gems they may have. It was very easy to make although I did increase the amount of veggies and substituted the chicken I had on hand for the thighs specified in the recipe. (I think there's a chicken thigh shortage based on my last visit to our local grocery store.) I believe it's versatile enough that it could be varied by swapping some or all of the veggies for another. And next time I believe I'll reduce the oil a bit. But believe you me, it was tasty!

Here are before-and-after photos for your viewing pleasure.

Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced into wedges
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C). In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, Dijon mustrd, salt, and pepper.
Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and pour 2/3 of the marinade on top, then use your hands to toss the chicken in the marinade and make sure it's well coated. Marinate the chicken for 10-15 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, spread the veggies onto a baking sheet and drizzle the remaining marinade on top. Toss together to coat the vegetables.
Add the chicken thighs to the baking sheet, nestling them in amidst the veggies, and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add the olives and feta, and then place it back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or til the veggies are softened and the chicken is cooked to 165 F.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

YUMMY!