If you haven’t checked out the Pioneer Woman’s blog yet, you need to right away.  She writes beautifully and has a variety of content that is unique and definately her own.  Why am I talking about someone elses blog?  My answer; to give credit where credit is due.  One section of her website is about cooking where she shares recipes I believe she mostly creates herself.  She is in the process of writing a cookbook, one I will definately be adding to my bookshelf!  Awhile back she posted a recipe for Pico de Gallo and Guacamole.   The Pico de Gallo recipe especially that I’m addicted to this summer.  So much so I feel I need to share with you all.  If you want to see her original posting, feel free to check it out here.  

Since this is quickly turning into my signature dish for this summer (I believe I have made it no less than 10 times already and it’s only the end of June) I’ve decided to repost it here.  Depending on the “audience” of this dish I will alter the way I chop the jalapeno’s and the quantity.  Personally I love spicy, hot dishes.  I love leaving all the seeds in the peppers.  However, I have noticed a few more people shy away from it when I use all the seeds.  So, to be “people friendly” I make adjustments accordingly. 

This recipe is so much more than salsa to be used with chips.  I’ve put it on top of grilled chicken breasts.  On top of grilled steaks.  On fajitas and tacos.  Tonight we are having baked potatoes with “goodies” on top.  I’ve got yummy meat, cheese, sour cream and yep I’m adding Pico de Gallo!  It’s a simple recipe to make and is cool and light.  Give it a try and please give Pioneer woman’s blog the credit (alright, you can mention mine too!).

As added benefit I’m including the Guacamole recipe as well.  It’s all one in the same.  Not many of my family members like’s quacamole.  Personally I love it so this makes me so happy.  I get to eat it all!

PICO DE GALLO INGREDIENTS:

5 Plum (Roma) Tomatoes
1/2 large or 1 small onion
3 jalapeno peppers
Cilantro
Lime Juice
Salt
Quantities are appropriateDIRECTIONS:

Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice.  (Leave seeds in your jalapenios for a hotter pico.  Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature).  Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of clilantro.  Just remove and discard the long leaf less stems before chopping.  No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely.  Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl.  Add salt to taste and stir again.

GUACAMOLE INGREDIENTS:

3 Avocados
Pico de Gallo
Lime Juice
Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Start with buttery-soft avocados.  Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits.  Next, with a spoon scrape the “meat” out onto a large plate.  Next, with the bottom of a clean cup (or with a fork) mash the avocados, making sure to leave it relatively chunky.  Add just a couple of shakes of salt to taste.  Next, add a generous helping of Pico de Gallo.  Fold together.  Lastly squeeze the juice of half of a lime over the top.  Give it one last stir.

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The last few weekends we’ve been doing landscaping.  Personally, I’ve never been a fan of landscaping because of the clay we have here in Missouri.  It’s such a pain to dig in!  However, we had a few plants in the front yard that had taken over the area and dh kindly uprooted them and moved them to the back.  Since he asked where they should go it forced me to make a global landscaping plan and on this plan I found the need for a trellis.  

Over the years I have been intriqued by climbing vines and have looked at iron trellises.  Man can they be expensive!  I also found a lot of them are way too short.  It bothers me to see a beautiful flowering vine hanging off the top of a short trellis.  All the work that little vine went thru getting itself to grow up there and then it had no where else to go.  Poor thing!  Another thing I don’t like about the mass market trellises is they look like everyone elses and this is something I try my best to avoid if at all possible.  I knew this meant I was going to have to build something.  I needed to take into consideration the type of material I felt I could work with and come up with a design.  To help give some inspiration I went to my archive of design ideas and found this photo: 

I was immediately drawn to the fact that it was attached to the wall and not stuck in the ground.  This meant I could make it to fill the space.  This would add architectural interest and best of all it was unique.  But since I haven’t taken a welding class yet (and yes I really do want to take one!) I knew I wasn’t going to be building one.  I had more research to do.  Next I did a quick Google search on DIY Trellis designs and I found these lovely designs from Black & Decker website of all places (along with building instructions):    

Here I was immediately drawn to the combination of wire and wood.  I had originally wanted to use wire horizontelly on our deck as the railing but code wouldn’t allow us to do it.  So here could be my chance to use it and these were materials I most certainly could work with.  I also liked the geometric pattern(s) that could be created and the ivy trailing along the wires to emphasize the shape.  This added even more depth and interest to the piece.  What if I made something like this but attached it to the wall?  I knew I had it.  I quickly measured the space, grabbed some graph paper and began working out the design.   

After many trips to the hardware store (trying to figure out the brackets for hanging it) and a little bit of time building it, it was complete.  Check out the finished product:

Although the photo makes the paint job a little less than to be desired, the real deal looks much better.  I’m really pleased with how it turned out!  For the space it was designed for the large diamonds will be a perfect balance with the green ivy and the brick wall.  I”m considering building several more with more complex geometric shapes for the back of the house.  I’m even considering mounting them horizontal and stacking them above each other where a beautiful flowering vine would look perfect.    

Instructions for how I built the one shown here is below.  The finished size was approximately 7′x2′ (measurements for the inside rectangle).  If you decide to build one, send me pictures of the finished product.  I’d love to see it!

Note:  The picture above does not show it mounted to the wall yet.  Once we complete this last step I will post an updated photo. 

INGREDIENTS

• (3) 8′ 2×4′s
• Kreg Jig with included drillbits
• Kreg Jig clamp
• (8) Kreg Jig screws – #8 Coarse
• Miter Saw
• Sand-block
• Spray Primer
• Black Spray Paint – semi-gloss
• (12) Hooks
• Drillbit, sized to the hooks
• 3/32 plastic cover wire (50′ length)
• plastic cover wire end piece thingy (officially called a Ferrule)
• String of any type (nothing good!)
• Saw Horses (or what ever you have)
• (8) L brackets [sized to give you the clearance you want]
• (16) bolts & nuts
• Drillbit (specialized for brick)
• (16) wood screws
• (16) brick screws

Optional

• Screw driver (any type)
• Spray Gun nozzle
• Black, permanent marker

DIRECTIONS

1. Use graph paper to plot out the design of the wire pattern.  I made each square  on the graph paper equal to one foot.  You need to determine the location of the hooks and how the wire will feed through.  Surprisingly it’s not that easy to have the design turn out even and flowing.   Just keep playing around with the number of hooks and the spacing between them until you get the design you like.  Keep in mind how many times you will have to start and stop the wire.  I only wanted one, two at the most, starting points.  My final design only had one.   
    
2. It’s 2×4 time.  Now, here is where my fellow neighborly men (and my dh) tell me I should be using pressure treated 2×4′s instead of the plain old 2×4′s I found at Lowe’s.  Or used Cedar to match the deck.  But, I didn’t.  My 2×4′s cost me $1.78 each.  I may regret it later but I’m hoping to compensate for this maybe oversight during the priming and painting phase of this project.  Cut (2) 74″ pieces and (2) 2′ long pieces.  Since I’m doing a miter cut I used a 45° angle cut on each end.  (Note:  These are the internal rectangle measurements, not the outside.  So, make sure you are measuring what will be the inside of the board).  
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3. Time to attach the pieces.  I use a Kreg Jig for joining all my wood pieces.  This was a lovely Christmas gift from my husband (and yes it was on my Christmas list).  I simply pop the wood into the jig, clamped it down and drill the holes (two in each end of the smaller pieces of wood).  

        

4. Then lay the wood out on the table with the holes you just drilled facing up.  Using your drill (and special Kreg Jig screws) screw the pieces of wood together.  You can use the clamp to help hold the pieces of wood together.  A DH set of hands or kiddo sets of hands work well to help make sure everything is lined up works good here too.  Now you have your rectangle built.  Congrats!
   
5. Time to mark the location of where the hooks go refering to your graph paper plan.  I used a black permanent marker to mark my holes so I could easily see them.  [We have approximately one-million of them lying around the house so it was in arms reach].  On the short pieces of wood mark the center of the wood.  This would be 1′ from each side.  On the long pieces, the first mark is 7″ from the end.  The remaining marks are all 1′ apart.  Once the last mark is made, the measurement from this mark to the end of the board should be 7″.   
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6. Drill pilot holds in each of the marks.  Drill a good distance in to make it easier for inserting the hooks. 
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7. Now insert the hooks.  
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   TIP:  Grab yourself the optional screwdriver.  After the hook has been started, insert the screwdriver into the hook and start rotating.  It’s a fast way to screw in the hooks without hurting your fingers.  If you need to take the hooks out, simply insert the screwdriver again but rotate in the opposite direction.  You will love me for this I promise!  .
8. You’ve now got your structure built so let’s see how the design looks with the wire in there.  But, just in case the design is off we are not going to use the real wire (I wonder why I recommend this step?).  Grab the practice string and follow your plan on how to insert the string.  I started mine at the bottom, center hook.  Once you get it fed all the way thru go ahead and tie a knot in there.  This is when you will want to stand your trellis up and step back from it admiring your handy work (or be horrified that your geometric pattern is all out of wack).  If your pattern is the way you like it, move onto step 9.  If not, go back to step 1 and re-calculate.
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9. Time to prime and paint.  But first, remove the practice string and all the hooks.  (Remember that hook tip above?).  Once everthing is removed, lightly sand the frame and set-up the trellis outside to paint.  Originally I was going to stain my trellis to perfectly match our deck but I couldn’t buy the stain in quart size containers.  Buying stain at $30.00 a gallon defeats the purpose of building this DIY.  So, forgetting how much I HATE spray painting I went ahead and picked up some spray primer and spray paint.  (The primer is to compensate for the non-pressure treated lumber I purchased for step 1 above.  I’ll let you know in five years how it worked out).  Begin spraying.  Go and get your DH and kiddos to help with this process when your finger starts hurting (because it will!).  Put on as many coats as necessary and let dry.  
   
   TIP:  After painting most of the trellis with both primer and the paint I found a handy Spray Gun Trigger system for around $2.00 at the hardware store.  I recommend picking up one of these babies if you are going to spray paint.  Unfortunately it broke as we finished up our painting but the benefit we received from it for the amount of time we used it was enough for me to recommend you picking one of these up.
   
     
10. Time to reinsert the hooks.  (Remember that hook tip above?). 
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11. Bring on the real string – the plastic covered wire and insert it in the trellis.  
12. Connecting the wire.  Since with my design I was able to begin and end at the same hook this allowed me to use only one double ended connector piece called a ferrule.  Insert the wire into both sides of the ferrule and hammer it flat to lock it in place.  DH set of hands at this point helps keep the string in place.  Just don’t hit his hands!  TIP:  The ferrule because of it’s size was not easy to hammer flat.  I ended up having to get a bigger size than the wire because I forgot I needed to compensate for the plastic covering I had chosen over the wire.  This larger ferrule was not easy to smash.  I’ve been told there is a connector piece that allows you to screw the pieces together (with the wire in between).  I recommend you talk to your lovely hardware guy and find out alternatives to the ferrule if you are using the plastic cover wire.   

     

13. I chose to spray paint (using primer first) all of the L brackets to match the frame.  
14. Bolt the L brackets together so they ended up looking like U brackets.  I made numerous trips to the hardware store until I found the size of brackets that produced the clearance from the wall I was looking for.   
15. Attach the brackets and the trellis to the wall.  Since I’m attaching mine to a brick wall I had to get a special drillbit and screws for brick.  Just ask your local hardware guy what you need for your conditions.
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16. Plant your ivy, keeping a watch on it as it trails up and trim it so it stays on the wire only.  Enjoy!
       

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Turns out I need to get copies of cancelled checks from years back.  This should be a simple process, something I should be able to do from the comfort of my home office chair, right?  I proceed ahead with a positive attitude and a little bit of naivety.

I begin by calling the bank’s 1-800 number.  How great would it be if she could just view the checks and give me the information I need to confirm.  Although she was very nice she informs me it’s been too long  and that she has no access to my records.  See, I no longer do my banking with them.  Did I forget to tell you that?  That should make no difference.  After all, I do know my old account number (patting myself on the back for that one!).  She tells me I need to physically go into the branch where I originally opened the account to have them help me.  She prepares me that most likely the account (and copies of the checks) have been archived and there will be processing and mailing time.  Ugggh.  Fine (said in a unhappy tone).  I am a bit confused why she can’t pull up the records, so much for the electronic age, and wondering if she can’t how the branch could but I go with it because I’m that kind of person. 

This morning I walk into the bank and immediately sign-in because I know I will have to see one of the employees who sit behind a desk, you know the ones in the perfectly aligned rows.  I sit down in the waiting area, choosing to pass on the coffee and cookies, but thank you anyway.  I’m approached by one of the employees (the sign on her desk said MANAGER)  and asks if she can help me.  I explain the situation and I can tell there is a shift in her eyes.  I’m not picking up on what that means but I can tell she is not the person that will be helping me.  Was it because I’m no longer a customer of the banks or because the checks go back way too far?  Either way, no more warm fuzzies.  She tells me that the individual in the cubicle behind me is the one that can help me.  Of course she is on the phone and appears to be multi-tasking like nobodies business.  The other five desk dwellers appear to be avoiding any eye contact at all costs.  The “Manager” tells me she will let her know I’m waiting.  I sit down and watch her go to sit down at her desk and immediately begin shuffling papers.

A few minutes go by and I can see where this is going.  Unless there is some secret form of communication between the employees (maybe buttons under the desk, sign language or possibly thru email) I can tell she is not going to tell this women I am there and need help.  The women behind me is still working away but after some time I can tell there is a break in her activity level.  I finally turn around and she happens to glance up at me at that same moment and asks if I need help.  “Yes, as a matter of fact I do.  And that women over there was going to let you know that”.  I laughed and said louder than I normally would, “I guess that secret form of communication didn’t work”.  As I walk around the corner I hear the “Manager” say, “Oh, I’m sorry”. 

I sit down and explain what I needed.  She asks if I have check numbers and dollar amounts.  I happily pull out that data while she is notifying me that there will be $2.00 per check charge for the copies.  (Man that is one expensive copier cost they have there.  I should set them up with our copier guy.  He could work them a deal!).  She then asks if I have the paper bank statements.  I said for half of them I do but the other half I do not.  She sits back in her chair and says, “Well for those checks you don’t have the statements I’m going to have to order the statements and there will be an additional $6.00 charge per statement”.  I glance down at my notes and realize I’m going to need 4 statements.  This plus 9 checks means $42.00 in charges.  For cancelled checks?  I’m mad now.  I quickly explain to her, “I do not have the paper statements because during this time period I caved into their request for us to go paperless.  I switched to doing everything thru Quicken.  I downloaded the data from your bank.  Quicken doesn’t have reports of the raw data from the bank and since I’m no longer a customer of the banks I can’t access that information” (and I doubt I would be able to access it anyway if I still was a customer with the way things had been going).  I went on to say, “The rep on your 1-800 line told me you might have access to this information, could you please look to see?”  She replied “Our systems are the same so if she couldn’t access it then I won’t be able to, but I’ll give it a try”.  Thank you, I think.

She boots up her program, takes copies of my scribbles on my note pad and begins searching for the checks.  It was all I could do not to jump over the desk, move her out of the way and do it myself.  As I mentally walked her thru the steps to search for the checks my thoughts went to wondering how good of a multi-tasker she was.  I see her hit enter and what do you know, there are my checks.  Well not the copies but at least the data she needed to order the checks.  This meant the bank statement order was no longer needed.  Yeah!  I just saved myself $24.00.  Whoo Hoo!  Then I realize that it’s rideculous that I’m celebrating in my head the fact that I just saved myself money I should not have had to pay in the first place.  I then realize she is back to fumbling around re-entering the check numbers because she hit a wrong button.  Uggh!  

Against my better judgement, I ask her a couple more follow-up questions while she is re-entering the data.  Can you email or fax the checks to me?  (I can see on her system that the checks will be emailed to her).  Oh no.  They can only mail them or allow me to come pick them up.  Again, technology people!  And, the cost will be $18.00, cash or money order only.  I’ll believe it when I see it but the good news is they will be ready by tomorrow.  As I walked out of the bank I remembered why I don’t bank there anymore.

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