May Mountain Moments 2020

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Today I’m sharing our May Mountain Moments. This is a recap of what happened in the month of May, in and outside, of our mountain kitchen.

HEALTHY & WELL

As I sit here and reflect on the month of May, all I can think about is how thankful I am that we are healthy and well during this pandemic. Yes, David and I get on each other’s nerves constantly, but we enjoy it.

We have really been enjoying more time at home. Before all the craziness started it felt like all we did was leave the house. While we have still been working the entire time, it feels good to be home more on the weekends.

Now that the restaurants are slowly starting to open back up for outdoor dining, we still find it more enjoyable to stay at home and eat out on our deck off of our own grill. However, we have been supporting our local breweries pretty hard. With the warmer temps, we are leaning more towards craft beer.

SPRING CLEANING

Spring has been pretty rude this year. It sprung, then turned incredibly cold giving us a late frost in Mid May!

We usually don’t like setting up the porch and deck for the summer until the pollen finishes coating everything, but two weeks ago I realized that if we didn’t clean it up we would be able to enjoy it last weekend for the three day Memorial Day Weekend.

So, one afternoon after I wrapped up my workday at home, I drug the power washer out of the barn and gave everything a bath and a nice spring cleaning. Just in time to have a few neighbors over for some grillin’ and chillin’!

A SKIN CHECK CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE!

This is a picture of me.

This is a picture of me with Melanoma skin cancer on my leg.

This picture was taken about 3 to 4 months before my life turned upside down. I had no clue that my life was in danger. I was diagnosed with Melanoma in December 2015, but I was lucky and blessed to have caught this ugly cruel disease early.

Five years later and I am happy and healthy. I know I’ve gone a little quiet about my passion and advocacy to fight skin cancer. Except for my 6-month skin checks, there is not that much for me to write about here. However, there is not a day that goes by that I forget the fear that was put in me when I was told I had cancer.

This is the season when your skin is more vulnerable than ever to the harmful UV rays of the sun. Please protect yourself and the ones you love. There is no safe tan and no it isn’t “just a sunburn”.

My story has turned out well. So many others aren’t so lucky.

Go get checked. It could save your life!

Read more about my journey HERE.

RECIPES WE’RE WORKING ON

Which of the following dishes interests you the most? Spicy Smoked Pork Shoulder, Crock-Pot Refried Beans, Reverse Seared Whole Beef Tenderloin, Air-Fried Raviolis, and Chiles Rellenos. Comment below!

TOP RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Spicy Dry Rub For Almost Everything

COMMENTS OF THE MONTH!

“These turned out amazing. Will never Buy Crackers again. Thank you”
Cristy (Comment & 5-Star rating on Homemade Saltine Crackers)

“This is a truly delicious and outstanding recipe, that I found on the Mountain Kitchen last year. This has now become a “weekend favourite” of mine; my family all love it too! Thanks for the wonderful recipe Debbie and greetings from Ireland!”
Andrew (Comment on & 5-Star rating on Easy Avocado Tuna Salad)

“Hi. I’ve been married to a Lebanese man for 30 years. I made this dish tons of times. Not sure why I never thought to roast the eggplant in the oven. Good idea. I use fresh tomatoes. Also, add pomegranate molasses (found in middle eastern stores). Adds a nice tart flavor. Thanks for your take on this recipe!”
Michele (Comment on Lebanese Maghmour – Moussaka of Lebanon)

‘TIS THE SEASON!

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs

Grilled teriyaki chicken kabobs is a fun and flavorful recipe for the grill, made with tender juicy chicken, mushrooms, pineapple, peppers, and red onion.

Bacon Wrapped Crab Stuffed Shrimp

Served as an appetizer or main course, Bacon Wrapped Crab Stuffed Shrimp are made with rich crab meat packed around jumbo shrimp, wrapped in smoky bacon.

AROUND THE MOUNTAIN!!

Don’t get me wrong, we love seeing the bears and look forward to it, but they can be such a pain in the butt sometimes. This one tore up our finch sock and bent the shepard’s hook it was hanging on down to the ground.

He then proceeded down the hill to scratch and dig his fleas and ticks.

After that, he decided to pull the cap off our drain field gauges and throw it aside. I’m not sure what he thought was in there. Perhaps he thought it was a trash can. Needless to say, we had to hike down there to recap it.