Strikes my fancy

As soon as I saw this recipe , I knew it would be a hit at our house! Ingredients:  - 2 Tbls toasted sesame oil  - 2 halves, skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced  - 2 Tbls finely chopped fresh ginger  - 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped  - 3/4 pound snow peas, trimmed  - 3 Tbl reduced -sodium soy sauce  - Juice of 1 orange  - 4 cups chopped mustard greens  - 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted I skipped the ginger and sesame seeds - didn't have them on hand.  I also subbed pineapple juice for the oj due to an allergy. In an extra-large skillet heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high; add chicken in a single layer. Cook without stirring 2 minutes or until browned. Cook and stir 2 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining sesame oil to skillet; heat over medium-high. Add ginger and garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add peas; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.

One of the funniest thing about the listing for our home was that it said something about the backyard being ready for a cocktail party.  I don't know what you envision when you think of a cocktail party, but I can tell you that no lady in heels wanted to be in our backyard...or our back deck.  I loved the size of our deck the first time I saw it...and hated the red - probably because of the brick. I'll be honest - moving in with an almost 1 year old and so many "immediate" redo needs....we didn't take care of our deck.  We aren't convinced it was built to too high of a quality standard either, but we didn't love the wood like we should have.  So fast forward to this year and it was something I both wanted and needed to work on.  We replaced a few boards and needed to stain all of them.  I should say that our long term goal for this space is to make it screened in.  The mosquitoes around here are no joke!  We love our creek and our "it rained too

For some reason, all of my pictures seem to have disappeared, but check out this site for the original recipe and her pictures! Ingredients 1/2   red onion , chopped 1   red bell pepper , chopped 2 15.5 oz cans of chickpeas ( rinsed and drained) 1/4   cup tamari or   soy sauce 2   tablespoons   balsamic vinegar   (the more syrupy, the better) 2   tablespoons maple syrup 1/2   teaspoon   garlic powder   (or 2 minced garlic cloves) 1/2   teaspoon   ground ginger   (or 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger) 1   teaspoon   red pepper flakes 1   teaspoon  toasted sesame oil 3   green onions , chopped  sesame seeds , for garnish  Cooked white rice , for serving  I skipped the onions, sesame seeds & red pepper flakes - didn't have them on hand.  You could also use 3 cups of cooked chickpeas, but for the me the cans are easier. Instructions Add the red onion, bell pepper, and chickpeas into the bowl of your slow cooker.  In a small bowl, whisk togethe