My own outdoor coffee shop

I could really get used to this!  

Blogging, emailing, recipe hunting, and sipping on my new favorite coffee drink

Jacob has been working hard to refinish our deck and he is almost finished.  The structure supporting the deck was still sound but the boards and railings were either missing, broken, or ready to give little feet plenty of splinters.  We haven't used this space since we purchased the house and Jack gave us the extra incentive to get it done.  Jacob has spent many Saturdays replacing the boards and constructing new railings.  It looks great!  He has one more railing to finish before his work is complete.  I don't want to post pictures until it is finished, so stay tuned for that.

We ordered a table and chairs so that we could have meals outside and enjoy our new space.  The past few nights we have listened to Reds games while Jacob grilled dinner, and tonight we hope to enjoy our first outdoor meal on the new deck.

Today I am taking full advantage of the sun and warm weather.  I promise I won't spend Jack's whole nap basking in the sun and blogging.  I'll be productive and use my time wisely by folding Jack's laundry out here too. I wonder what other chores can be done outside?

I found a recipe for a frozen coffee drink that I wanted to share.  It tastes similar to McDonald's frozen mocha and has fewer calories!   Let me know what you think.  This recipe serves two.

1c double-strength brewed coffee or espresso - frozen in ice cube tray
1c low-fat milk
2T unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2-3T pure maple syrup
1/8t vanilla extract
1-2 ice cubes, if needed

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth, adding the extra ice cubes if you want it thicker.

Eating Well Magazine's Frozen Mochaccino