got serenity?

Picture says it all....

2012-01-26T14:49:00.000-06:00

On my 2nd round of antibiotics for a nasty bacteria in my kidneys...

If I have to drink another glass of cranberry juice, I will turn into a cranberry.

Blizzard and Birds and Beef and Beans

2012-01-20T21:57:00.000-06:00

Catchy alliteration for the title!

I saw this suet log online. They wanted $20 for it. It. Is. A. Log.

A log!

$20???

My co-worker's children has the day off on Monday and I asked her if she thought they could make one.

Sure enough, Tuesday, she presented me with this wonderful log that will lure the best song birds into my yard. I created my own suet mix with beef lard, (incredibly hard to find), peanuts, dried meal worms and cracked corn and dried cherries. Surely one of those things will tempt a woodpecker or titmouse to my yard?

I sat down in front of the french doors with my camera and my cup of coffee. I sat for hours.

I asked my co-worker if she thought the kids could make a deck feeder. The next day, she arrives with this!

It is an cedar bird feeder! I love it! It is handcrafted and it is beautiful.

This is a very resourceful family, to say the least!

This is a new bird in the yard. I think this is a Tree Sparrow..

“Birds are flyin' south for winter.

Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north,

Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin',

Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth.

He says, "It's not that I like ice

Or freezin' winds and snowy ground.

It's just sometimes it's kind of nice

To be the only bird in town.”

― Shel Silverstein

Everyone in the hot tub-this is a heated bird bath!

Why can't I attract more birds??

Purple finch.

We did not get the 8" of snow that was forecasted. We got less than 5". We also got half day off. I spent mine in front of the window, watching tiny birds scurry around, gobbling up the seeds I would toss out for them.
I stopped on the way home and picked up a Rump Roast. So many cooks use Rump Roast for pot roast, but if you purchase a roast that is "choice", it will roast up so nicely.

I stab the roast with a paring knife and stick garlic cloves in the holes. I grind garlic and salt and rosemary together and rub the mixture on the top and sides of the roast and cook @ 350 for 25 minutes per pound. The salad is the Edamame with Chick Peas and Lemon and Mint, served on baby spinach. That salad is an absolute favorite. I highly recommend it!
from Kalynskitchen.com:

Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) and Edamame Salad with Lemon and Mint

(Makes about 4 lunch salads or 6 side-dish servings, recipe adapted quite a bit from one found in The South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook.)

Dressing:
zest and juice of one large lemon (at least 1 T zest and 2-3 T juice + more juice for seasoning the finished salad if desired)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 T olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Salad:
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas
1 1/2 cup shelled cooked edamame
1/4 - 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion (scallions)
1 cup finely chopped fresh mint (or less)

Drain garbanzo beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water until no more foam appears. Let beans drain well (I pat them dry with a paper towel if they still seem wet.) If using frozen edamame, microwave for about 5 minutes. (You can microwave the desired amount in a glass bowl covered with cling-wrap, or use the microwave-in-the-package kind like I did.)

Zest the lemon using a microplane grater or the finest side of a regular grater, then squeeze the lemon juice. You need at least 1 T lemon zest and 2-3 T lemon juice. In a plastic or glass bowl large enough to hold all the salad ingredients, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Add the drained chickpeas and stir so the beans are well-coated with dressing. Let beans marinate in the dressing while you prep the other ingredients.

When edamame is cooked, drain well in the same colander you used for the beans. Thinly slice green onions. Wash mint, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and finely chop enough to make 1 cup chopped mint, or less if you're not that fond of mint.

Add the edamame, sliced green onions, and chopped mint to the bowl with the chickpeas and stir until ingredients are well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired. (I added more lemon juice and a tiny bit of salt.) Serve right away or refrigerate until you're ready to eat it.

This still tasted great after it had been in the fridge overnight, but I added a little more lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

Looks like I live on the moon!

2012-01-17T16:12:00.001-06:00

Driving in the country. Nothin' peaceful about it, today...

Blue Monday?

2012-01-16T20:20:00.000-06:00

Are you good at math? Here's a formula for ya.

where weather=W, debt=d, time since Christmas=T, time since failing our new year’s resolutions=Q, low motivational levels=M and the feeling of a need to take action=N_a. 'D' is not defined in the release, nor are units.

Ok, what even does THAT mean???

Somebody, somewhere, decided that the weather and the lack of sunlight will make you depressed today.

Listen, I hope you are not depressed today, but if you are, I would like to offer something that might help lift your spirits.

My pal Rose, being the artist that she is, decided that all that snow sitting on her property should not go to waste, just melting and running away. Rose decided that snow is an artist's medium.

Can you stand it??!

How in the world do you have the gift to look out of the window, see the snow, and think,

"I can make a big bear!"???

I admire the creativity of an artist, I wish I had a big bear in my yard...!

Borrowed Lens

2012-01-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

homemade deck feeder=coffee can lid with thumb tack. Cost=$0, birds love it.

I don't get any good ones like Titmouse or Cardinal or Wren or Flicker.

But I dearly love the ones that do visit me.

Borrowed a friend's 300mm lens. Have to return it today, darn it!

AOG Friday

2012-01-13T21:14:00.000-06:00

Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us.

I am linking up to Blessing the Elements for Attitude of Gratitude Friday.

I have so much to be grateful for-

I am going to take some time to try to be positive and grateful.

Even for the winter....

Farewell, Fair Weather

2012-01-12T06:00:00.001-06:00

Spent the last 2 days working in the yard. Tonight, as the sun set on a 57* day, I sat on the steps of the deck with a cup of coffee in my hand.
I watched the sun set all the way down. I wanted to soak every bit of it in. The weather of the last 2 days is historic, I need to know I got every bit of it.
I know it is the last time I will work in the yard for months.
Months.
Months will pass and the snow and cold will prevent me from moving compost around. That thought makes me uncomfortable.
Honestly, seriously, I don't think I am a Northern person. My Southern friends call me Yankee.
Hardly.

What's it Worth to ya??

2012-01-10T20:32:00.000-06:00

Odds are, one of the first seed catalogs you received this winter was Burpee's. It was the earliest release of the catalog in the company's 136 year history. Smart move, they want to be the first in your hands, the first to get your garden mojo going. They also want to make the catalog available to southern gardeners who get their growing season going so much earlier than northern gardeners. I was surprised to get the catalog before Christmas, but I put it away until the holidays were over.

Now that the last of the lights are tossed in a box, I have 4 seconds every day to sit and look at the seed catalogs.

Some of my opinions are based on the fact that I'm a home gardener.

But I have also had a much deeper interest in what is in catalogs because I serve as a Sales Rep for a nursery. This nursery is a sizable one, I won't give the name, but with over 1,000,000 square feet devoted to greenhouse, the grower is ranked as one of the top 50 in the U.S.

I study the catalogs and prepare for the growing season by becoming familiar with the new varieties, trying to guess what the consumers will ask for. I spend a lot of time in the garden centers we serve and I take pride in answering questions, helping my customers with their problems and plant questions.

I take pride in being knowledgeable and being able to guide the customer to the "right plant in the right place", even if it means sending them across the street and losing the sale.

Many of my more senior customers come in knowing exactly what they want. My friend Lyle has been faithful to the farm and barn garden center for years. His list is old and yellowed, he keeps it in his wallet as it never changes. The tomatoes: Rutgers, Celebrity, Roma, Beefsteak, and Yellow Pear, (some how, people believe the Yellow Pear is lower in acid. Not true, but they sell. I am not a fan and find them tasteless). The peppers: California Wonder and maybe a jalapeno. Maybe a four pack of leeks or brussel sprouts and always some marigolds. Lyle is convinced that marigolds keep the rabbits away. I told Lyle that rabbits are not offended by the scent of marigolds, but he says he has never lost a single plant to rabbits and he has always planted marigolds! Lyle has a big yellow Lab named Daisy, but "she ain't never chased no rabbit", he reports....

Nearly all the shoppers know the variety they want to grow. Some have grown the same tomatoes and peppers for 50 years or more and are resistant to try something new.

When I opened the Burpee catalog, I was interested to see that they were doing something new. Not just a little new-but their new "Boost" line of veggies is radically new and different. The Boost line is advertised as being nutritionally superior. The cherry tomato, 'Cherry Punch' is a hybrid that is advertised as having 30% more Vitamin C and 40% more lycopene than the "average tomato". It is, of course, a hybrid. The lettuce mix, 'Healing Hands' is gonna fix you right up, they say.

'Healing Hands' is a mix of 4 varieties, chosen for their high nutrition: 20% more lutein and 30% more beta-carotene than the average salad mix.

This is a photo of the miraculous bucket of greens from Burpee's website.

It looks like an average bucket of spring mix, to me. It looks good, but really? It will replace my daily vitamin?

Burpee sells the nutritionally superior seeds under the "Boost" line. Burpee promises that the company neither buys nor sells Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs. Burpee says that the seeds were chosen from hybridized seed for their nutritional content.

As I turned page after page, my thoughts went to Lyle. I wonder how Lyle would react to the veggies? After all, the Rutgers tomato was specifically hybridized for Campbell's tomato soup. Now, the Rutgers Tomato is considered an heirloom and was, at one point, the most planted tomato variety in the United States.

Do you choose one food over another for high vitamin content? I do. For example, I never ever purchase or grow iceburg lettuce. It is almost all water! In contrast, the red leaf lettuce is buttery and full of fiber and vitamins. I never purchase white bread anymore. The whole grain bread is so much better and so much better for us. When choosing grains, we choose brown, not white rice or pasta.

The question still remains, would I choose to grow specific varieties for higher vitamin content? I'm unsure. The jury is still out on this one, I'm afraid. At the bottom of the Burpee page, there is the famous asterisk:

*Based on the average mix of selected varieties. Healing Hands Salad Mix is grown under our trial conditions and harvested when ready to eat. Actual harvest results may vary.

Click for source

My biggest problem with this Boost is the price!! The lettuce seed is pelleted, I'm not sure what it is pelleted with, but a packet of the Healing Hand pelleted seed is $5.95. That is a lot of money for a packet of lettuce seeds. By comparison, I can buy 600 Black Seeded Simpson Organic, Open Pollinated seeds for $2.95 with free shipping. The Cherry Punch tomato seeds are $5.95 for 20 seeds. I can buy 20 Big Cherry Open Pollinated Organic Seeds for $2.95.

The Boost line might be a breakthrough for vitamins, but it is a bust for the wallet. I do know how Lyle feels about the price of plants.

One spring, I was surprised to see Lyle return after he'd been in for his annual purchase. I asked him what brought him in and he said he'd lost his marigolds to a late killing frost, he needed another 4 pack. We went over to the marigold section and he was not shy in letting me know that $1.79 for a 4 pack of marigolds was outrageous. He even thought his dear ol' grandad was rollin' in his grave at the thought of spending that much for 4 of these stinky flowers.

Grandad would have something to say about $6.00 lettuce seeds, I'm sure!

Tell me....is it worth it to ya?

Full Moon

2012-01-08T22:42:00.000-06:00

To thine own self be true, and it must follow,

as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.
William Shakespeare

Garden Promises for 2011

2012-01-04T22:40:00.000-06:00

Many bloggers have wrapped up the year by admitting mistakes or making new resolutions and I have learned alot.
My list of mistakes would be long, I assure you, but I am going to take a different approach.
I am going to make my garden some promises.

2012 Garden Promises:

I promise to learn more. I often pass up enrichment opportunities and I never have a good reason. I promise to take available classes, perhaps even go back to the Garden Club that meets in the next town over. (my schedule has suddenly cleared up, during the week!) I met the most wonderful people in that group. They meet in a beautiful retirement home about 25 miles from my home. The retirement home left such an impression on me that I begged my husband to relocate his mom there when she was ready to make that move. It is a small group of mostly older people, but I fit in well and made some friends there.
Continuing education was mandatory when I was in Master Gardener's program and I miss it. I read the periodicals of the nursery and horticulture industry, but, as they say, "when you stop learning, you stop living".
I promise to waste less. Less time and less food! Can I tell you a secret? All my efforts to SAVE MY BASIL?? Why did I even bother?? All that basil- 7 plants that came to my knees-went to the frost. I never made the ice cube trays of pesto. I didn't freeze any of it. I fussed to save it and didn't follow thru enough to harvest it. No more excuses, this year, I promise to be diligent in the follow thru and NOT allow my hard work to go to waste because I don't finish the job! More cherry tomatoes landed on the ground than on our plates. Zinnias and cosmos languished in September's dry heat because the dead heading stopped. Instead of investing a few hours in the spring pulling grass out of beds, I've turned my head and ignored the small task and soon, I've got a monster of a job on my hands. grrr....

I promise to add art to my garden. Even if I have to make it myself because I have kids in college, I am determined to add some art to my landscape! I can start small, within my limits.

this interesting!

a kinetic wind sculpture. Perfect for my yard as it sits on the deck railing. If I sat this in the middle of my yard, you wouldn't see it!
I have always wanted one of these:

you might recognize her from the book/movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The statuary, named "Bird Girl" sat in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, until the cemetery was overrun with fans of the movie trying to get a photo with her. She now sits in Telfair Museum in Savannah. I'd like to think she'd look just as good in my yard!

owls are all the rage, right now!

I will know the right piece when I see it!

I promise to visit more gardens! Starting with the Chicago Flower Show, I would also like to visit the Morton Arboretum and Cantigny Park. I haven't been in years! Visiting other gardens is so inspiring, isn't it? Getting out and seeing the plants that grow there, gives me an indication as to what would do well in my own yard. Even visiting friends' gardens is like a field trip for me. When Rose give me a tour of her landscape, it can take us hours to get thru it! Sharing ideas and marveling at the work they've put in is so motivating! The problem is, by the time we finish the huge Italian feast Rose is known for, by the time the wine is gone and the dishes are done, by the time the 2 hour drive home is done, by the time I'm back in my own garden, the motivation is gone! (See Promise #2!)

Extend the seasons and protect the plants with available tools. Like the cold frame and the garden netting. Using these resources can stretch the growing season. How can that be bad?

Finally, and this might be the biggest challenge of all, I promise to eat large red tomatoes that I've grown myself! Without the time restrictions of the Sales Rep job, I know my vegetable garden will be better than ever! For those that care to, I welcome you to come share the harvest with me!

I could list many more promises, but one reason for listing promises instead of resolutions is that I surely don't want to break a promise! If I keep my promise list reasonable, I might just keep my promises! One good thing about putting these promises out there? Accountability!

Extending my Season

2012-01-02T06:00:00.004-06:00

After reading a beautiful post on Three Dogs in a Garden, I am determined to have a cold frame. I have loads of space for one and I know the perfect place. If you're anything like me, you need clear directions, in laymen's terms, to really grasp something.
The best instructions I have found for this project came from the Dummies.com. Great. Well, I might as well own it.
The raised beds I currently have are 5x5, untreated redwood. They were really expensive to build because I didn't want the arsenic from the wood leaching into our food! Finding untreated redwood wasn't the only expense. Filling 4 of the 18" high, 5'x5' raised beds with black dirt was no bargain, either!
With all that behind me, I add layers of compost and good ol' chicken manure (THANK you, Mike, Lyn, Wyatt and Megan!!!) to the raised beds every spring, they are low maintenance.
The cold frame would be something I need to add. I don't want to use my raised beds. I also wonder about the practicality of finding a cover that is 5'x5'.
So, I will build one from scratch. I may not be able to get a nice glass top, but I can find fiberglass to fit. This will be a good winter project for me.
I found the instructions here:
Cold Frame For Dummies

I am interested in growing some cole crop and extending the growing season on both ends. Anyone use one of these?

Happy 2012!

2011-12-31T10:57:00.001-06:00

Be at war with your vices,

Friends with your neighbors,

And let every New Year find you a better ~~man~~ person…

Ben Franklin

(edit: ha ha ha! I guess my friends take me very literally!! I do not mean to look for a better man. I look to BE a better person. How's that!!?)

You Know You're An Obsessed Gardener When:

2011-12-30T09:37:00.000-06:00

No vacation is complete without visiting at least one garden.
A dead plant means an opportunity to replace it with something new.
You hang out with people who converse in Latin outside of church.
The nicest thing about December 21 is that winter sowing begins..
You frequently risk a broken axle, strained back, or perhaps incarceration to take home an irresistable rock/boulder you find at the side of the road or at construction sites.
When it rains too hard to work outdoors, you read a garden book.
When you and your plants are thirsty, THEY get a drink first.
You have more than ten species or cultivars of any one genus, and you want more.
You spend more money on your garden than on clothes.
When shopping for a house, you look at the land before the kitchen.
You have the urge to water those wilting, neglected plants in the supermarket.
For at least six months a year, a manicure would be a complete waste of money.
You take great pride in your compost pile. You even show it off to visitors.
You start gardening in the rights of way in front of, behind, or to the sides of the property you own

Saw that on a forum I read and had to share it! Some of them are so true!
I had lunch with a dear friend at a pizza place that is about halfway between our homes. I've always enjoyed the food there, but today there was a fight in the parking lot over a parking spot and it just made me think there must be a better place
Anyways, as were went into our 2nd hour of chatting about trial gardens and new cultivars and making plans for the Chicago Flower Show, it dawned on me that I don't have any other pals that spoke about plants as much as Rose does. I wish I had more gardening friends, but my most of my friends don't have any interest until something bad happens, like the beetles eating the foliage or why their lilacs won't bloom when they prune them every April....
I have to start going to the local garden club, or something. Rose lives 2 hours away!!! It doesn't stop us from getting together, but it is too far to get together as much as we'd like!

Do you have a garden pal that lives near you?

Christmas Day

2011-12-29T10:39:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve, I threw together a simple egg dish for Christmas morning.

Oven baked ham and cheese omelet with whole wheat English muffins. This was out of this world. I don't like the one with the bread or the croutons. They are more like a strata. This is more like an omelette. Delicious!

Baked Oven Omelet

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 ounces cooked ham, diced
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon dried minced onion

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8x8 inch casserole dish and set aside.
Beat together the eggs and milk. Add seasoning salt, ham, Cheddar cheese, Mozzarella cheese and minced onion. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 45 minutes.

Also served Fruit Salsa. No recipe, just chopped fruit, served with

Gingerbread shaped cinnamon sugar tortilla chips! Sooo Cute!!

hello, yummy guy!

Also served Festive Slush, Warm Parmesan Crab Dip and gluten free crackers.

Of course, we all ate too many appetizers, but were so happy to see the Prime Rib come out like this:

Garlic Prime Rib

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 (10 pound) prime rib roast
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme

Directions

Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Spread the mixture over the fatty layer of the roast, and let the roast sit out until it is at room temperature, no longer than 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
Bake the roast for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), and continue roasting for an additional 60 to 75 minutes. The internal temperature of the roast should be at 145 degrees F (53 degrees C) for medium rare.
Allow the roast to rest for 10 or 15 minutes before carving so the meat can retain its juices.

In the end, we had a great family celebration.

We used the good china and silver and crystal. It made for a lovely table. Something about the good stuff makes it a special day!

here I am with my mother-in-law!

Gracie and Cass feelin festive

Nick and Grama laughing together

here's my boy

the table looks so great, with the sun streaming on it. I wished I would've gotten a shot with the crystal on it!

Christmas in the Country

2011-12-28T08:33:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas.
Very small, but wonderful.

On Christmas Eve, we attend the evening church service. Hubs sings in the choir and plays guitar, so he goes to the evening and the Midnight service. The church we attend is 30 miles away. In the past, I've struggled to make the perfect Christmas Eve dinner, trying to set the oven/'s timer to cook a roast or a turkey so that I can rush back and finish dinner. I didn't always have good results....

This year, I made homemade bread with lasagna. I set the oven to turn on 350 at 7:30. While we were chatting with friends after the service, I caught the time on a friend's watch.

8:30!!!

We were still 45 minutes away from home! I rushed home and threw open the door and was greeted with smoke and the smell of burning food. My heart sank.

I ran to the oven and slowly opened it....

What a relief to find the lasagna had spilled over its pan and was dropping sauce on the oven floor.

Lasagna was fine.

More than fine, it was wonderful!

I normally just float my way thru the lasagna, but this time, I followed a recipe.

This was the best lasagna I've ever tasted, I promise you. But it was also so darn good looking! Normally, it falls together and slimes its way all over the plate, but this guy stood up straight and tall and proudly showed off the cheesy layers. Yum.

World's Best Lasagna Recipe

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

I also made homemade French bread, just because there wasn't enough going on!!!

It was wonderful!
French Bread Recipe
allrecipes.com

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

Directions

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.
Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

Our Christmas Eve dinner was better than ever.I would definitely do lasagna again. Although I would set the oven to go on about 8pm, next time! No mad dash home, worried about burning down the house!

It Can't Be Me, Can It???

2011-12-26T18:55:00.000-06:00

ok, ok....several weeks ago, I blogged about hating the winter, snow and all. It seems that some of my pals think that post might have put the snow kibosh on the midwest. I would be ok with temps near 50 all winter, but I realize that it might be disastrous to the plants that need a good chill, the water table that needs the 3 feet of snow and the economy of places that cater to the snow loving public.
So, in an effort to make things right:

Just don't blame me if we get hit with a blizzard for the ages!

A Touching Story

2011-12-26T15:01:00.000-06:00

This story was on several of the blogs I follow and I was touched by it, so I thought I would share it as well. I looked and looked, but I could not find a source for this story!

THE GOLD WRAPPING PAPER - An Inspiring Christmas Story
Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.
As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten the money to buy what was in the shoebox.
Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, "This is for you, Daddy!"
As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had punished her.
But when he opened the shoebox, he found it was empty and again his anger flared. "Don't you know, young lady," he said harshly, "when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside the package!"
The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: "Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full."
The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T13:56:00.000-06:00

Peace on Earth. May Peace reign in our

hearts and our minds, this Christmas and always...

Happy hummus

2011-12-23T16:20:00.001-06:00

For my birthday lunch, my family took me out to middle eastern restaurant!
Pictured are tabouleh, hummus and gyro salad.
Also picked up a new gadget from which I am sending this post!

Pest Invasion

2011-12-22T09:39:00.000-06:00

A little town on I90, Genoa Illinois, will be cutting down 11% of the city's trees. The Emerald Ash Borer has been confirmed in their town. Genoa is the 80th community to confirm the existence of the tree killer.

Some of the smaller ash trees will be removed, even before they are effected by the borer. The ash borer was first discovered in southeast Michigan and in Windsor, Canada. A tiny town east of me about 40 minutes, Lily Lake was the first confirmed place to have the Ash Borer in Illinois.

I am convinced I had the EAB, remember this post from September, 2007?

Thinning at the top of the ash tree indicates trouble inside!!

I had all the signs, every symptom. But the Extension says it was the native borer. OOOkkkkkk....but I cut it down, anyways. I guess the subdivision has some kind of rules that say every home must have 2 trees in the front yard, so a week after it went down, the maintenance guy came and planted the tree that remains there, still:

October Glory

I respect what Genoa is doing, cutting down trees even though they aren't infected by the borer yet. It stops the spread and removes food from the chain, isolating the EAB where they found it. That's why it is so important not to purchase firewood where you camp and bring it home. Nor is it wise to cut wood at home and bring it elsewhere. Even if you don't see a borer, you could be giving the hidden eggs a round trip to a vacation destination where it will be free to roam and destroy ash trees. It is now illegal to bring firewood in or out of Illinois.

Like so many of the invasive species we suffer with, the EAB is an Asian pest. Our native woodpecker loves the Emerald Ash Borer larvae, which is good and bad. The woodpeckers can do some extensive damage to the tree, going after the larvae, but if the tree is hosting the EAB larvae, it is in trouble, anyways.

Hey, I have to get up and get going. The tshirt shop is closed for a while, but that doesn't mean I can sit around and be lazy!

I've got tons to do! The church we attend is 30 miles from us. (we pass 4 other Lutheran churches to get there, don't ask me why!!) Making a nice dinner on Christmas Eve used to be such a pain that I would be so stressed out over the roast over cooking or the turkey drying out. No more. Now I'm making the big deal dinner on Christmas Day and trying to whip up something that is easy peasy for Christmas Eve.

My solution??? Lasagna! I can put the Lasagna together tomorrow, put it in the fridge and be done! I always sneak some chopped spinach into my lasagna, but the boy has has declared he no longer will eat cooked spinach, of course, I need to figure out if he will be able to tell it is in there!

One of the most important ingredients in any lasagna is the cheese. Having 2 men with chemical backgrounds in the house has helped me figure out an issue I've been dealing with in cooking.

When I make macaroni and cheese or cheese soup or even lasagna, I struggled to get a creamy texture and not a chunky, chewy, stringy thing.

Guess what? Pre-grated cheese is coated with an anti-clumping agent which prevents it from sticking into 1 giant cheese ball in the store. Ok, let me figure this out. If the shreds are coated with an anti-caking goo, how are they going to come together in my recipe?? They aren't.

If you are cooking and your recipe calls for grated cheese for melting, do yourself a favor and grate the cheese yourself. Pre-grated doesn't want to come together to make a nice meal!

Alright, I'm off for a busy day. I hope you all have a good one!

Warm Enough For Ya?

2011-12-20T06:41:00.000-06:00

Today the plains states are getting hammered with a blizzard, but here in the Midwest, we are warmer than normal! The precipitation is all rain, because the temperatures are so warm.

Many folks are complaining about the lack of snow, something you will never hear from me. I was interested to see how far behind we actually are.

Part of the reason we are low on snow are the warm temperatures. How warm? Yesterday marked the 16th day of above normal temperatures for December. To date-December 2011 is 15 degrees warmer than last year's temperatures. The experts have been keeping track of December's temperatures since 1871 and 2011 falls in the top 20% of the 141 years.

All the warmth and rain is just fine with me, but I wanted to know exactly how much snow this area normally sees this time of year. I went to the National Snow Analyses sight. (Did you know there was one???!)

Snow Depth, 2009

2010 Snow Depth

Current Snow Depth

Wow. What a difference. Yesterday, it was 50 degrees.

Wonderful, but I am not naive enough to think this balmy weather will last all winter. It will snow, sooner or later!

2011-12-19T09:15:00.000-06:00

Product Description

This Inflatable Turkey looks so delicious you can almost smell the stuffing. But keep the carving knives away, because this bird is strictly for show! Each 16" (40.6 cm) long, vinyl turkey is perfect for staging your Thanksgiving table while the real turkey is roasting, or batting around on a sunny day at the beach. Comes deflated in a 4-1/4" x 2-3/4" x 2-7/8" (10.8 cm x 7 cm x 7.3 cm) illustrated tin.

Why would anyone need an inflatable turkey-is beyond me, but some of these reviews cracked me up! On the bottom of the page, Amazon also thought I would enjoy the Yodelling Pickle or the inflatable Chicken. SHESSH!

Bit o' Honey

2011-12-18T20:20:00.000-06:00

Very little that has anything interesting about it is going on around here. The weather is fabulous, though. Today is December 18th and it was over 40! We got about an inch of snow on Friday night, but it is long gone, now. There are presents to be wrapped and cookies to be made. I have invited mother-in-law over for Christmas Day dinner, but we don't have any parties planned.

On Monday, I found a bag of bulbs my boss had purchased but not planted. So, I got the shovel and took a minute to plop them in the ground. I didn't have the luxury of time or planning, but she had purchase 8 bags at Wally for $1 per bag and they were starting to sprout! So, I dug a long trench and tossed them in. Tulip and daffs. Hopefully, they'll come up!

This summer, I hope to have Nakkid Lady Lilies! Remember those? I rescued them from a lot in Joplin, in August. I am worried that they may not be hardy enough, so I placed them next to the foundation of the house, hoping the residual warmth from the concrete will help.

The Southerners I knew called them Nakkid Lady lilies because the foliage comes up in a rain storm in June, then it dies down. Suddenly, in August, the lily stalk comes up and they bloom without foliage! Thus, Nakkid Ladies!

We did have a bit of good news! Hubs has been working the graveyard shift since taking this new job, and it is rough. He is exhausted all the time and has moved downstairs to sleep on a temporary futon bed because he cannot sleep upstairs during the day-it is just too bright. The boss told hubs that they've hired his replacement and they want to move him to days sometime in January! What a relief!

Another bright spot-my winter boss, where I make the t-shirts, does not want me to go away for the summer, so she's made this job VERY appealing. The way my job with the grower ended up, I can not go back to them, anyways. Their company is a train wreck.

This is good news for the tomato lovers in my family. You see, prime tomato planting time is also the time where I am working over 60 hours a week. This leaves very little daylight or energy to plant tomatoes. Normally, they go in around Father's Day. Working the regular job will allow more time to tend to the veggie garden. The prospects of good tomatoes are looking good!

For dinner tonite, I have made the Mexican Pork. This stuff is wonderful. It couldn't be easier, either. Cube a pork loin, toss it in the crock pot with a can of chopped green chilies, a couple chilies in adobo, and garlic. Simmer on low for 7 hours. So easy and so good! I serve it with lime and cilantro and cheese on long grain rice cooked with lime juice and cilantro.

I never know what to do with the leftovers from those little cans of chilies. They are quite spicy, so one or two per crock pot is plenty for my family. Using both the chipotle in adobo and the green chilies, I didn't use the entire can of either, otherwise it would be too spicy! So, I did this:

I sprayed the ice cube tray with non stick and dumped the remaining chilies in there. It is my hope that they come right out, and I can pop them into a ziplock! We shall see....

I have had so many folks ask about the granola. I make it every Sunday and did so again, today.

I know Cher thought this amount is extreme, but 3 of us eat this every day, sometimes I have it for lunch and breakfast. It is not an extreme amount if you are eating 3 cups per day. Either way, I truly don't think granola can be messed up. I started with whole old fashioned oats as a foundation and added from there. We are not eating white sugar, so I took that into account and made a delicious wholesome granola!

6 cups whole oats

1 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

1 cup sunflower kernels

1/2 c slivered almonds

1/2 c walnuts

1/4 cup flax meal

1/3 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup organic honey

1/2 cup real maple syrup

2/3 extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt, (important as salt amplifies sweet!)

Mix thoroughly and allow to set for a few minutes to allow the liquid to be absorbed in the dry. Spread onto lined and sprayed cookie sheets (honey sticks and burns!). I then sprinkle both trays with 1/2 packet of Truvia sweetener.

Bake @ 300 for 45 mins, stirring every 15 mins.

While warm, toss in some dried fruit if you like! I add 1/3 cup dates, cranberries, and raisins.

Granola, non fat vanilla yogurt and no sugar added frozen berries = 13 lbs GONE from Sissy!

We've decided that we will indulge a few times during the holidays, cookies, Prime Rib, and some other goodies, and go back to Phase 1 for January.

Soon, I will start to plan the whole Winter Sowing thing. I begged Sue for the trays that she uses to sow, (have you seen Sue's gardens???) and I just know it will work for me.

A box arrived from Sue and I placed it in the closet, so I didn't get it strewn all over the place and lose the trays before Winter Sowing time. I almost wrapped it as a gift, the other day!

Soon it will be time to concentrate on growing, again!

Awkward Santas

2011-12-11T18:48:00.000-06:00

These came in an email, cracked me up!

Frantically busy at work. The work is hard right now and the diet requires alot of cooking. No more calling for a pizza while I finish the chores. Fewer chores are getting done while I cook the dinner. I spend hours looking for recipes that fit inside the diet's restrictions.

I have found a neat tool, Ziplist.com. It runs in your browser, sticking a little button near the address bar. When you come across a website with a recipe you like and need to save, you click the "Ziplist Recipe Clipper". It automatically finds the recipe on the site and it saves it to your account online. From there, you can click "Add to my shopping list". Then it creates a shopping list for you. You can tell it where you shop and it moves the list around to the way your store is laid out.

It works wonders for me!

The Grand Granola Rip Off

2011-12-08T20:08:00.000-06:00

Have you priced granola at the store, lately??? SHEESH! The bulk granola at the Hy-Vee is $13.95/pound. I filled a plastic bag of it and the lady rang it up and had the nerve to look at me and say, "that'll be $14.12". She and I both spun our heads around to check the screen of her register to be sure it was correct.
"Wow," she said.
"No way," I said.
"No way. NO WAY!" she says in agreement.
So I leave. I don't have the granola, but I still have my hard earned $. And, I suspect, some respect from the cashier.
On the drive home, I did a mental checklist and granola seemed hard. That must be why it is expensive, right?
I bring the subject up to my pal Rose, when we met for lunch the other day. She straightened me out about the whole entire granola issue and set me right. Later, she emailed me a recipe which seemed simple and straight forward. Definitely my kind of recipe.

Guess what? I saved a ton of money and hubby and I are dining on the finest custom granola ever.

The worst part? I've been purchasing granola for years. I can't think of all that money down the tubes.

I have to remember to switch lenses when I take food pictures. eek.

Charlie Brown, I can relate.

2011-12-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

I saw the Midwest's Long Range Forecast for this winter.

This is how I feel.

Just like this.

Is there anyone you can sympathize with, more than our Good Ol' Charlie Brown?

I live in the Northern part of Illinois, 60 minutes directly west of Chicago, almost in the center of the Northern Illinois region. As the crops are coming up in the spring and the fields are a patchwork of color, it is stunningly beautiful. A little red tractor chugs on the horizon, a fat robin hops on the front lawn; I have lilacs. It's really a lovely place to be.

Why anyone would live here if they didn't have to, is beyond me.

I checked the Accuweather forecast for the predictions for the upcoming winter. I wanted to throw my laptop across the room.

If you are squeamish, I must warn you, the following picture might put you over the edge, like it did me.

My area says "worst".

Worst.

I cannot believe it could be worse than last year???

AccuWeather.com Long-Range Meteorologist Josh Nagelberg even went so far as to say, "People in Chicago are going to want to move after this winter."

WHAT???!!

Why would you say that??? How can we go on if the weather man doesn't like it here?

People talk of the snow like it's beautiful. Makes everything clean, they say. Quiets it all down.

Bull.

This is a more accurate photo of a snowfall.

Dirty. Wet. Painful.

Brutal.

I was raised in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. I learned to drive in it, spent my childhood in it.

My husband and I moved to Louisville, KY and then Memphis, TN and I promised myself I would never ever ever live in that weather again. I would watch the Weather Channel and see the storms hitting Chicago and think "why do they live there??" I remember one particular day, it was 12* in Chicago and 57* in Memphis while I planted sugar snap peas in February.

I cannot stop the snow or the cold. I cannot change the winter or my current address.

I can work on my attitude. (and my driving skills...)

I will start working on my attitude tomorrow.

Cosmetic Surgery for Houseplants

2011-12-01T20:26:00.001-06:00

Did you hear the buzz earlier this year about the "blue orchid"? Blue is the most sought after color in orchids and the breeder, Silver Vase, introduced the Phalaenopsis orchid, Blue Mystique, in January 2011. The insiders were stunned, initially. But slowly, the truth began to develop.

You can purchase Blue Mystique at Home Depot, but you better enjoy the blue hued blooms while they last. You see, the elusive blue orchid is a phony baloney. It is not a blue blooming plant.
Silver Vase CEO Andrew Bartha had this to say about his creation: “Blue Mystique is the result of a carefully protected process that infuses white orchids with a special medium.”
In layman's terms, it is dyed. Sure, the application and the dye medium itself was a pretty tough thing to perfect, but the medium is short lived and the following bloom cycle will result in white flowers.
I watched 2 women pour over this guy in the tropicals section. It did look pretty fabulous with its blue self, just sitting there, gloating. They each grabbed one and plopped down $30 for EACH of them!
For $30, that orchid better do windows, in my house. You can buy a TREE for $30. Now, I know it's all relative, what is worth $30 to you may not be worth it to me. It is a free world and you can spend your money any way you want to.
But did they know that the blue-ness was fake? After listening to the conversation, I don't think so. They were blue duped. It made me sad. Should I have told them? Would they have believed me? Would Home Depot have appreciated me blowing their sales?
In the long run, I truly believe it is not the retailer but the breeder and the consumer who need to be honest and educated. I mean, how often have we heard, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is"?
In the same light, breeders are infusing Anthuriums with dye so they bloom blue and now yellow. The Anthurium is the type of bloom that only a mother could love, if you ask me. Also called Flamingo Flower, it looks like a waxy vulgar joke.

Seriously, now.

The marketing department at RijnPlant Breeding said we needed a blue one of those. And now, a yellow one. The newest one is called Violet Heart.

Looks like a chicken liver, to me.

The Anthurium doesn't normally bloom in yellow or violet heart. (meh) Dye is added to produce these blooms. I don't have a problem with producing a short termed albeit fake color in these plants, as long as the consumer understands this is what they are getting.

Even the Cheerios box that features sliced strawberries in the picture must say "suggested serving" so that you understand there will be no such strawberries in the box. I think just such a disclaimer must come with these dye infused plants.

I'm just sayin'.

Ultimately, it is my opinon that they were good enough to begin with. Leave them alone.

I would love to hear your comments about dye infused plants.

Suggestions, Please!

2011-11-30T07:42:00.000-06:00

Soon, it will be my birthday! My Mother-in-Law wants to get me a gift certificate of my choice, and she's asked for suggestions. I don't know where to begin!

What would you ask for?

In the past I've asked for Amazon and Bluestone Perennials, I wonder if there is a good and reliable online source that you could recommend?

I appreciate your input, Blogger Pals!

**Every year I ask for a new Buick, but she never gives me one!!**

Have You Eaten? We have!

2011-11-28T20:30:00.000-06:00

This is awesome stuff, ya'll. It may look like squishy weird stuff, but it is not.

I promise. Go get the stuff to make this for your next party.

Recipe: Kalyn's Kitchen: White bean and Artichoke Puree

This is the ol' standby, Texas Caviar. Minus the corn. Corn is full of carbs, so I left it out and added tomato. I don't make the recipe with the bottled Italian dressing. The homemade version is so much better!

Recipe here: Hungry Housewife Texas Caviar

This one lacked flavor, if you ask my hubs. He only ate 2 small pieces. This is My Darling's plate, she needs the carbs in the pasta. I ate all the carbs a person should eat in a lifetime, but I did it last month!

Chicken, Spinach, and low fat mozzarella. The recipe called for frozen chopped, but I will make it again using fresh spinach. The original recipe also called for roasted peppers, but we don't like that!

Recipe here: Skinnytaste: Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Mozzarella

If you are like me, you go shopping, get what you always get and make what you've always made. On this high veggie way of eating, I've been branching out and found this:

These are incredible. They are tiny and SWEET! Not spicy at all. I fill them with hummus or the White Bean Puree or even the Laughing Cow Cheese. I sliced them and put them on the chicken, above. If you like peppers, you will absolutely adore these little guys! I find them in the produce section on the shelves.

So yummy!

New Look

2011-11-26T11:14:00.003-06:00

How do you like it?!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:40:00.000-06:00

Morevember

2011-11-22T23:53:00.002-06:00

Ready...Aim...FURIOUS...

2011-11-21T06:00:00.001-06:00

the bark is stripped

it is a terrible act of vandalism

every single tree we planted last summer has been terrorized

The cambium layer is the tree's "skin". How do you think this guy will do in the winter?

My wonderful honey locust.

it makes me sick

i could scream

When we first moved in here, I thought the wildlife was so incredibly charming! We even had a fox den in the backyard. (the momma fox moved her family when she discovered a German Shepherd moved into the neighborhood)

The deer were magical to watch! The does and their young would cautiously tip toe thru the streets and yards, the majestic bucks would parade around, commanding great respect. After fighting this herd for 5 years, I am feeling a little different about these beasts.

The deer hunting season opened Friday. I don't know how you feel about this, but I was thrilled! To think there would be fewer of these horticultural terrorists, made me sleep better. On Friday, my co-worker's son went out and got his first deer. He's 11 and shot an 11 point buck.

I've hidden a picture of Wyatt and his prize under this photo of Bambi, here:

I have asked Santa for a gun for Christmas. I could shoot deer like that from the comfort of my living room or dining room. I could shoot the European house sparrows, and the ground squirrels that have burrowed under my trees, the gophers that eat my bulbs.

Gracie tracks them, but needs someone to go in after those ground thieves, do you see the hole here? Gracie tries to go in after them, but I won't let her. Jeff put poison peanuts down the hole several weeks ago.

Several of my friends have offered to loan me BB guns, and I have tried to shoot something with a BB gun, but the BB lands softly in the middle of the yard, far short of the target. I need me a big ol gun, for shootin the animals that are tearin up my work.

I've never shot or intentionally killed anything in my life. I cannot bear to look at the squirrels or raccoons that do not make it all the way across the road. I live in mortal fear that a deer will run out in front of my car. I saw the European house sparrows killing the nestlings of the Bluebirds, but I felt powerless to help.

I feel differently, now. The animals are ruining my hard work. They feel nothing about killing the trees, after all!
The bark is the protective layer of the tree. I can't see how the trees will be able to tolerate this type of damage, but I am hoping. That's all I can do.
Untill Santa brings me a shotgun or a sling shot or something...

NO!!!

2011-11-20T18:28:00.001-06:00

I've read so many of you, decorating for Christmas, this year, already.
I think it's too early, and I have proof!

I thought I'd direct you to this website, it helps keep up on the holiday season!

Click this link to check if it's Christmas!

Pass on this one

2011-11-19T16:32:00.001-06:00

I found a clunker. This is pesto chicken, which I cannot recommend.

A pounded chicken breast rolled with pesto and sour cream mixture.

The original recipe calls for the roll to be coated in Almond Flour.

Almond Flour???

No such thing, here in the country.

This one had a weird texture and the pesto taste is washed out, not prominent.

I won't make this one, again!

Cooking Buddy

2011-11-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

Anybody else have a cooking buddy??

Nothing gets by this one. She's right on anything that might fall to the floor!!

Turned this pile of kale into a wonderful healthy

phase 1 soup!

Another winner! Italian Sausage and Bean Soup with Chard

I didn't have chard, I had kale, so I used that, but this is a great recipe, quick and filling.

Today was Day 5 of Phase 1, still no cheating. I have discovered that I miss the texture of a crunch cracker. You just don't get that in veggies. Or meat.

If your meat is crunchy like crackers, you may be doing it wrong....!

Continuing Sky Obsession & Weird Egg?

2011-11-16T06:00:00.002-06:00

You could ask anyone, I am really not a patient person. I am antsy and frustrated, most of the time, really! But there are a few things that go against those personality traits that I enjoy. I like to fish. In a boat. With my husband. I've never caught any kind of fish that one might brag about, once I caught an eerie looking drum fish. You might have thought I caught a prize winning marlin, the way I went on about it....
I also enjoy the watching the sky. Why in the world would I watch the sky??
I don't know, really. Except I catch sites like this:

And just a few minutes later:

Perhaps living in the country, where more of the horizon is visible, has got me looking up and out??

I have received such nice comments and emails from readers that want to know more about my progress on my diet adventure. Some emailed me directly, not wanting to post a comment and a few shared some stories about weight and gain and loss. I have decided to post the meals and the progress and see how it goes. I realize now I am not alone in this struggle to keep things under control, and some of you might like to hear about how it goes.

The South Beach Diet appealed to me because it is not stringent about the amount of food, however, there are very strict rules about the type of food. It encourages lots of high fiber, low carb food. I haven't had a bit of sugar or carbohydrate since Saturday night. Yesterday, I felt a little like I did when I quit smoking, those pangs of craving were lurking in my mind, but they soon passed. After all, I think I am literally addicted to candy.
I was eating candy for breakfast! I looked down at the pile of wrappers next to my coffee cup and I was shocked. I had eaten over a dozen little Butterfingers. Before 7am!!? How can that be right? How can that be good?
With that thought in my mind, I went to work on Friday and there were several boxes of assorted candy on my desk. It was every where. I knew my diet had to be tied to my lack of energy and I needed to get a handle on things before I went over 200lbs.
Sunday, Jeff and I entered Phase 1 of the South Beach, which is 2 weeks of zero carbs and sugar, meant to rid the body of the effects of a high sugar/carb diet. But you can eat as many zero carb/zero sugar snacks as you'd like! Eat till you're satisfied, but not stuffed. Sounds like a good plan for me.
Speaking of plans....

This eating plan takes a lot of planning. Much more than I am accustomed to. I plan for breakfast, lunch and dinners, along with 2 snacks a day, for both of us. No bread, no fruit, no sugar. The internet has become invaluable. So many of the South Beach followers spend their Sundays cooking quiches and egg muffins and prepping veggies. None of that interests me at all. Most weekends, we have a sporting even on one of the days, leaving me one day to do the planning and the shopping, I surely don't want to spend the remainder of the weekend doing more chores!!
Breakfasts for us used to be cereal. Everyone had their own box and we'd eat our bowls of cereals.
We can't do that, with the new plan; but I am not making quiches all day long!!
Here is what you must adhere to for the breakfast on Phase 1:

Protein: Quantity is not limited.

Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.

Fruit, Starch, Milk: None

Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

So, many of the webcooks fix quiches, fritattas and egg muffins on their weekends and cut them up for the work days. Not me. I've figured out a way to follow the rules in 2 minutes.

Here's my breakfast. 2 eggs, scrambled with 1/2 cup of spinach and a squirt of water and 1 ounce of low fat cheese. It is really good! My kids think it is strange, but hubby and I have found time in the morning to enjoy this together!

I spray the coffee mug with non stick spray. Crack 2 or 3 eggs into mug. Add 1/2 cup fresh spinach, torn, 1 oz shredded low fat cheese and a splash of water. I mix this right in the cup, toss it in the microwave and after 90 seconds, we have what (kinda) resembles a souffle!

My breakfast is Jeff's dinner, at least until the first of the year, when he goes back to days. When he gets home, I can serve these eggs in a cup with a glass of V-8 and we share this time together.

Sure, the eggs are a little tougher than they might be in a pan, but this is just too easy. It is what works for me!!

Tomorrow, I will weigh myself. I think the last time I did that was May...

Fresh or Forget It!

2011-11-14T12:13:00.000-06:00

Vegetables from my childhood came in metal dispensers. They were opened at the same time the meat went in the oven, the simmered on the back burner with too much salt and too much stale black pepper until the meat was finished cooking. Sometimes, water would need to be added, because the hours ticked by before they were "cooked". They came to the dinner table worn out and mushy. Any nutrients had been cooked out of them.

They always appeared in this funny casserole dish. Always!

I haven't seen these in 30 years, maybe it was just my mom that had them??

Blech.

Now that I do the cooking, I do not have the metal dispensers of vegetables. I cannot tolerate them. I purchase fresh and if that can't be done, frozen. I don't even have a can of corn in my pantry.
My preferred method is steaming, but I've been roasting quite a few veggies and roasting might be overtaking steam. It's quick and easy and the caramelized brown bits really add to the texture and flavor.

We had these green beans with another recipe from Kayln's Kitchen, Baked Tilapia with Olives, Onions, Peppers and Feta. Only mine is Cod. Because that is what looked good. Entering our 3rd day of this No carb diet.

It was delicious. I modified the recipe and left off the mayo. Loved it!

The basketball season starts tonite. My bullbs still aren't planted, but I have hope. I feel like the decision to give up so much of the crap I was eating is helping. Very little sleep last night, but I am not feeling that badly!

I had terrible cravings for some candy, yesterday, but nothing I couldn't handle. It's the increase in the water that drives me nuts!!

Another meal without carbs:

Thai Beef Skillet

This looks like Hamburger Helper, but has a sophisticated Thai taste. Very quick, very easy, from another low carb site: Linda's Low Carb Menus and Recipes.

Today has dawned sunny and cold, with 100s of bulbs to plant, I really don't want to leave for work. I can plant them well into winter, as long as the shovel can get in the ground. My neighbor brought down something that might help...more on that, later!

Did You See This??

2011-11-13T18:54:00.002-06:00

Lately I have been fascinated by the sunsets. As I was out taking pictures last night, I was treated to Venus!

Can you see her??

You can really see the planet!

I never noticed the sky before I got my camera. At least, I don't remember noticing it.

Now, I am fascinated!!

Nothing Endures except Change

2011-11-13T18:52:00.001-06:00

As a grow older, I grow fatter!! Yikes!! This is not a good thing! I see my reflection and think, I cannot figure out how this is happening...
I have such little energy that all I do after work is the chiropractor and then I get home and very little gets done. My energy is gone, my belly is big, and my knees are killing me. My veggie garden hasn't been touched since October. I have bags of bulbs that need to be planted, something I usually love to do...
After loading the pics off the camera card, I got a clue as to what has happened.

Chicken Tetrazzini. Loaded with cream, cheese, and pasta. Delicious.

Sour cream pancakes and applewood smoked bacon. (noticing a trend here??)
It's no wonder I can't get my butt out and get my chores done! Too many carbs, too much fat. I need to make a change.

This morning, Hubby and I started the South Beach Diet. No carbs. No sugar. No fruit. It is called Phase 1 and it lasts 2 weeks. Then you enter Phase 2 which is less restrictive. We haven't even had dinner yet and I'm stuffed. This is a lot of work and I spent a lot of money at the grocery store, getting the necessary supplies for the food I will make. Lots of preparation, lots of planning. Hopefully, it will pay off and we will be healthy and thinner, very soon. This diet concentrates on low-glycemic foods.

This is lunch. I found this recipe on a fantastic site for healthy recipes. Kalyn's Kitchen. I altered it a bit by adding more olive brine to the mayo, so mine is a little watery than her recipe would be, but I tasted it without the other 1/3 c of mayo and was happy with it.
Her website also has a feature that allows you to save the recipes and add them to a shopping list. I know it sounds basic for some of you that are so incredibly organized, but I need all the help I can get!

In Houghton, Michigan last week. I kept thinking the hotel was not using this area to its full advantage!!

This is the view out of the rear of the hotel. If I were the manager, there would be a brick patio with chairs and tables and those portable heaters. The only thing out there was a cheap plastic chair with an ashtray for the employees that smoke. The restaurant faces this gorgeous view.

A pensive walk on the pier. This city is 7 hours away from where we live.

The irony of her walking away from me was way too obvious.

This pier jutted out onto the Keewanaw Waterway. It was cold but sunny in Houghton on this day, but we got out of there just in time. Two days later, they got 5 inches of snow. They are scheduled to get over 240" more. The 3rd snowiest city in the country.

How can this child be MINE???

Not a Fan...

2011-11-09T22:22:00.001-06:00

Today was the first snowfall.

I know some women who cry at the sight of the year's first snow.

I guess they are overwhelmed with the beginning of such an incredible season.

If I did cry, it would be for the end of the growing season. I don't consider the snow to be a blanket of white, although without it, a lot of plants would surely die from the brutal cold.

If I did cry, it would be in response to the silence that this white death brings.

The driving becomes difficult, the sun sets too early.

Worse than the snow is the cold.

Relentless cold.

Really, I am not a good spokesperson for this season and I don't pretend to be.

I've Won Something!!

2011-11-08T17:17:00.000-06:00

A photo contest!

The local grocery chain ran a contest, looking for the best ways to use their produce in your meal planning and my fruit tart won! They let me know that if I'd followed the instructions fully, I probably would've won the top prize of $5,000. I didn't understand that you were supposed to list the ingredients that were in the dish...

But, I won $50! Almost like $5,000.

I mean, they look alike.

November Roses

2011-11-06T15:09:00.000-06:00

Even into November, the roses are doing well. As a matter of fact, I think they look better now, after the Japanese Beetle damage from this summer has been pruned away.

The cold temperatures seem to affect the color saturation, making the blooms appear more vivid. This rose seems to glow from within! Still, I wanted red, not pink, but I don't know another shrub that will do this in front of the foundation planting of boxwood/yew evergreens.
Even with the negatives of thorns, Japanese beetles, and the trend of being overplanted, I will keep the KnockOuts.

I have so many of them, they form a nice color swath in front of the house!
Even in November, when little else is flowering...

Happy Hallo-queen

2011-10-31T22:14:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!

(couldn't resist! Sorry!)

What a Crock!

2011-10-30T06:00:00.002-05:00

From this:

To This:

in a little over an hour!
Aren't those little crocks so cute??

I inherited them from Mother-in-law! I can imagine her creating wonderful soups and chili and baking homemade bread for her family along with homemade desserts.
She was also a career woman and sewed many of the curtains and throw pillows around their home.
I do not sew. My cakes, if any, come out of a box. I don't own a single curtain.
My mother-in-law is a little over 5 feet tall with dark hair and her make up bag consists of a tube of lipstick and some "rouge", (her words, not mine!)
I am almost 6 feet tall and my make up bag is the size of a lawn and leaf bag.
But we get along so well and she has taught me so much. I give her credit for giving me the gardening bug.

We both love to cook for the family and one memorable Thanksgiving, early on, she was sharing with me a salad recipe that I have never made, but she made for years. After it was sliced an set on the gorgeous china, I said, "it needs some garnish!"
She thought she had exactly what it needed, out in the garden. I looked outside on Thanksgiving in Chicagoland, a drizzly and dusky evening, everything was brown. What the heck could this lady pull out of her garden??
We put our shoes on and walked to a corner of the yard. I didn't have a garden at this point in my life. I was a city girl, just been married and starting a family. I had no clue about plants and I don't ever remember noticing them, at this point.
We came to a little border in her landscape and when we approached, bunnies scattered everywhere. We bent down near a shrub and she pulled on a lanky piece of still green plant I hadn't even noticed. She held it up to me and said, "what do you think about this?"
It smelled like gum.
MINT! Mint?? Here??
She cut a few sprigs and we took it in the house. We placed it on the plates and my mouth hung open in disbelief. How could mint be growing in the yard?? In WINTER for cryin' out loud!?

IT was that moment that I caught the gardening bug.
Do you remember when you caught it? Was it nurtured from childhood? I love to read about folks and their introduction to plants, I wish more bloggers would share their inspiration.
I do have to say that Mother-in-law is still a dear friend, but I have to be careful with what she inspires me to do! Since I've known her, she's sported a pixie hair cut, I've never seen a hair out of place. Even while boating, it falls right back into a perfect pixie.
So, I marched out and got a "pixie". oooohhhh.
Not a good look for a naturally curly haired person. AT ALL.

Took me about a year to get rid of that mess.

as the growing season slows, I hope to read more inspiration posts from my blogging buds!

Chemicals and a Plug for the Program

2011-10-29T10:32:00.001-05:00

The first frosty morning of the season, frost collects in a fog over the retention pond in the neighborhood.

Looks like smoke, almost.

As the sun rose higher, the frost concentrated over the pond. It looked amazing!

Not hard to see why it's called October Glory, this variety of Maple is heavily planted in our rural subdivision.

At the end of summer, as the days grow shorter, the shortness of day signals the Chlorophyll involved in the tree's food making process slows. With the decrease in the chlorophyll, anthocyanidins pigments are produced, causing the purple/red pigments. These anthocyanidin pigments fluctuate with the pH level in the leaf. The pH in blueberry leaves are high, giving the blueberry shrub a purple/blue tone. If the pH is lower, the anthocyanidin casts a redder tone. We can see by looking at the October Glory above, the pH is near the more neutral or lower end. Anthocyanidin pigments give grapes and cranberries their distinct colors, along with cherries, strawberries, plums and red apples! Did you know...

the blueberry bush is the #1 planted ornamental shrub??

If you have blueberry bushes, you have seen the color in autumn and you know why. As we were visiting colleges, I noticed this trend, especially in Michigan.

Here, the October Glory sits in all its glory while the birch in the background displays its beauty. The anthocyanidins in the birch are not as strong as another chemical, carotenoid. The difference between carotenoid and anthocyanidins, is that carotenoids are available in most plants. Carotenoids become visible when chlorophyll lowers the green of the leaf. So, whether it is the beauty in fall or even the disease of a rose leaf, when foliage turns yellow, it is the carotenoid becoming unmasked. Often, the yellowing of the leaves is the first sign that something is wrong. In this case, it is becoming unmasked because the food making process in the birch has slowed and coming to a stop while the birch enters dormancy.

Carotenoid also colors carrots, corn, daffodils, and the aspen.

One tree that I do not think has glorious fall color is the Norway Maple.

(remember, I relegated them to the compost/burn pile!) The Norway Maple turns a sickly yellow in the autumn, having a low concentrations of anthocyanidins. That, and being an all around undesirable tree, I do not regret my decision to toss them.

I need to credit the Shelby County Master Gardener Program for teaching me about the chemical process that occurs in the autumn leaves. After 40 hours of schools and 60 hours of volunteering and untold questions by friends and family, the Master Gardener Program covered so much information at a deeper level than I assumed. I have dug out my $100 binder that I lugged around for an entire winter and have been re-learning, as a matter of fact, I have begun the process of entering the program here, in my county. After Cass goes to college, I will need a focus! If you have any interest at all, I highly recommend this program. Each program is a little different, they are created by the extension agents at the State level; Tennessee did an excellent job of covering the Zone 6-8 area. Illinois has Zones 4-7, with a much different soil and heat levels and even water table. Turf that grows in Memphis will not grow in Dekalb. I sat in on several evening courses to familiarize myself when we planted our lawn. The evening sessions I sat in on in Illinois had a much older crowd than my morning classes in Tennessee, I will bet that changes from year to year, as well!

I loved my classes and I met some dear friends there. We shared plants and food every Tuesday morning for most of a year.

I'd never had a "passalong plant" before meeting all these Southern ladies. I'd never had a bacon parsley tea sandwich, either, but I'm very fond of both!

Tasty? Yes. Slimy, too!!

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

this is tomatillo, my newest discovery.

Isn't it weird looking?

They are also called Husk Tomatoes. They have a very tart flavor, nothing like the red tomato. It is related to the tomato, and if you can appreciate the differences, you are really on to something.

The first difference is the husk. The second, well, is inside the husk and kinda....

weird.

Not kinda weird. Just plain weird.

You see, there is a slimy film between the papery husk and the tomatillo. If you can get by this, you can get to Salsa Verde. If you can't, call me. That's how I got the tomatillos you see above.

My friend and her husband didn't see past the slime, couldn't appreciate the tart beauty inside.

The slime is easily washed off, once the husk is removed, so I don't see the big deal, but I have things I feel strongly about, so I will just have to take my free and wonderful tomatillos and suffer.

Tomatillos + serrano peppers = AWESOMENESS!!

I fooled around with lots of recipes, but this one is the best:

Tomatillo Salsa Verde
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 pound tomatillos, husked
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 serrano chile peppers, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 cup water

Directions

Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chile pepper into a saucepan. Season with cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt; pour in water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Using a blender, carefully puree the tomatillos and water in batches until smooth.

I don't know if you see a theme here, lately, but I like simple recipes with as few steps as possible. I did try some salsa verde recipes that called for roasting tomatillos, but that took longer and was not as incredible as the recipe above. The original recipe called for 2 cups of water, but that made a very loose salsa. It also called for only 1 serrano, but you couldn't taste the spice at all! As listed above, this salsa packs a lot of flavor, but no discernible heat. honest.
The tomatillo plants were very easy to grow and if you can find them at the Farm Fixture Store in rural Midwest, you surely can find them anywhere....!

Braggin'

2011-10-27T05:32:00.000-05:00

So, we have these two kids. Both seniors, 1 in college, 1 in high school. I've posted about her and her volleyball plenty, here in this blog, but the Mister, well, I haven't really posted much about him. He's kind of difficult kid to describe.

He's a senior, finishing with a degree in Chemical Engineering, a major that requires mind bending courses. One of his classes has to do with designing a chemical plant or an energy plant. Or something. This is a guy that will wear the Little Owl, I Wanna Sing-a shirts.

Always a happy kid. Always.

This boy is in California right now. He's been flying all over our country, interviewing with prespective employers. In my heart, I know he will be successful in his life.

Heck, he already is!

Go Get 'em, Son....

Soup and Stuff

2011-10-26T16:32:00.000-05:00

Look at this soup!!! This soup was so easy and filling and delicious, I cannot think of anything better! I have been told by some of you that I need to include the recipe for the things I make. Very little of what I make is original, I am always ripping the recipes from somewhere, but I will share them with you, gladly!
Delicious Ham and Potato Soup
from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Directions

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

(I like this site because it has reviews. Over 5,000 cooks gave this a perfect rating. So did I!)
I serve soup with bread and cheese. My father-in-law got me started doing that a long time ago and it just seems right.

I made that soup a couple weeks ago, but it would be perfect for today. It is a cloudy and raw day, with a brisk wind and temps in the 50's. I wish I had a big pot of this on the stove because I have no clue what to make for tonite's dinner and it's 4:13.
If you do a google for "what's for dinner", it turns out there are all sorts of enterprising folks who have started businesses in the business of your dinner. You can pay them for the menus and the shopping lists. They don't, however; do the actual hard part of loading up and unloading. Sometimes, on days like today, even getting to the store seems like an achievement!
After working all day, the last thing I want to do is fight the fight at the grocery store! I do the shopping early on Sunday mornings, but by the time I fill the cart with toilet paper, paper towels, milk, juice, and the 10 boxes of cereal, it's pert near full and I have room for some fruit and chips.
Grocery shopping has to be one of the worst chores. That, and vacuuming!!

Sunny and warm with possibility of happiness

2011-10-24T12:05:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a gorgeous day, here in Northern Illinois. The sun shone gloriously, the winds died down, the weather was absolutely perfect.
I was inside the entire day. It's the end of My Darling's volleyball season, her senior year. We were at a tournament at a local high school. My Darling did such a wonderful job that she drew the attention of other coaches there. They named her to the All Tournament Team and gave her a medal.

It was worth it. I missed a beautiful day with many hours of warm sunshine, but look at her. She's come so far from the asthmatic and shy toddler. At 6'2", she has a few college offers to play volleyball. If I think about it too long, I will cry.
Like I did on Saturday when they called her name.
I have to ask the question...how did it go this fast??

Big Bulbs Baby!

2011-10-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

Looking at my landscape beds last spring, I realised something.... All the bulbs that I've planted aren't making a dent. Too much room to fill, I must keep planting!
So, I started looking for a bigger bang for my bulb. I did some research and purchased the following:

Tulip, Fosteriana, Candela boasts the biggest bloom of the genus. Big and yellow. And, hopefully, seen from the street!!

King Alfred Daffodils are truly the giant among daffodils. They have stems reaching 20 inches, and flowers
with a span of four inches or more. Big impact is what I am going for!

Allium Purple Sensation baseball sized flowers on 2 to 3 FOOT stems! Allium are among my favorites.

I don't know if my plan will work, but sooner or later, I will have enough bulbs to create an impact! (I will also have the blisters to prove it!)

Frost and Food

2011-10-20T19:00:00.000-05:00

Taking a page from Zoey @ Perennial Passion, I am moving my containers in before the frost tonite. Well, Hubby has brought them in, and he's only gotten them as far as the garage, AND I don't really know what I am going to do with them, but, I have started! I have geraniums out there that I want to save, but the Mandevilla and the canna are in the garage, for now. And that's farther than they've ever gotten before!

This lovely creation is Braciole. It is yummy and it doesn't appear often enough at our table. It is round steak covering pork steak with salami, egg, green onion and mozzarella cheese stuffed inside. It is a gift my boss gives me a few times a year. It is as fabulous as it looks, but I would venture that it is a frustrating thing to make, so I will let her make it for us!

Mini fruit pizzas I made for Jeff to take to work. He is still working graveyard and the employees bring treats to share. I am sorry, but I've let him skip more than one turn, I think. I will have to make up for it when volleyball season ends.

Picked a Peck

2011-10-19T19:34:00.000-05:00

I've read so many of your end of year summaries and it's one of my favorite parts. You break down what you grew and what worked and which varieties did well in your garden.
So many of you state that your peppers did not do well, but your tomatoes did. Can I tell you a secret?
I cannot grow a good tomato to save my life.
There. I've said it. I don't care who knows it. Better to be out with it than to harbor such a secret, don't you think?
It doesn't matter, anyways. Because I can grow peppers!

How many peppers in a peck? I harvested 12 peppers from 2 plants, on October 9, just last week. A long Italian stuffing pepper and a green pepper, 'California Wonder'. These pepper plants are in the same raised bed as 2 tomato plants, so I don't think it is the soil to blame. It must be me, I had the same trouble in Memphis.

This is my Garlic Prime Rib. Bone in rib eye (Choice) went on sale for $5.50/lb, days before Nick came home for a visit. This recipe is so easy and fool-proof. We were happy diners, that nite!!

How Far Will I Go for Compost?

2011-10-12T17:10:00.001-05:00

Do you know anyone else that schleps around buckets of manure?? Honestly! I put this in my car, (we traded in the pick up), and my car is kinda nice!
I have no other way to get poop to the Impervious Pile of Grass!
My girlfriend brings horse/cattle/chicken poop, depending on who is getting cleaned out that day. I put it in the back of my crossover, (no trunk!), and take it home.
I don't mind the smell, so much, but the flies are awful!

Truly, I think this certifies me as over the edge in trying to get rid of the Impervious Pile of Grass!

Homecoming, 2011

2011-10-10T17:20:00.000-05:00

Photos before the Homecoming Dance

Nolan and Cassidy.
below is Cassidy's wristlet. Her date's mom actually MADE this! It is attached to a gorgeous crystal bracelet!

I learned a very hard lesson this day.

We showed up for pictures and Nolan's stepdad had a huge camera and lens. He was really running the show, directing kids where to stand. Took a lot of pictures on a tractor, but hey, we live in farm country! I put my camera away, he assured me he would send copies of his photos. I was fine with that and ran around meeting other parents and talking. I later noticed he was shooting directly into the sunlight, which is an absolute no-no. I then noticed he had his flash on, even with Nolan wearing glasses and shooting into the sunset. ugh

Lesson learned: a big fancy camera doesn't mean the photographer knows what he's doing. Take your own photos.

Here's a shot of my Little darling, reaching for the ball. This is part of what is taking up all my time!

ABC's of got serenity...

2011-10-10T06:00:00.012-05:00

The ABCs of Me

from Grace @ Gardening with Grace

Age: 46
Bed size: King, we are big and tall people.
Chore I dislike the most: Vacuuming
Dogs: Always welcome. Right now, only Gracie lives here, my Yorkie.
Essential start to my day: Strong coffee (Gardening with Grace didn't specify strong, but it must be, for me!)
Favorite color: Green. (same as Gardening with Grace!)
Gold or silver: Yes, please.
Height: 5' 11" at my tallest. Working to gain some of that back again!
Instrument I've played: none. I tried teaching myself piano, but other folks in the house went nuts. My son plays the piano, hubby plays guitar and trumpet and harmonica. Daughter plays sports!
Job title: Sales rep, customer service, bartender, waitress,
Kids: Son, 21 Daughter, 17
Live in: our house, population of which is slowly dwindling. sadly.
Most wanted: family dinners at home
Nickname: Sissy, but is it a nickname if everyone calls me that??
Oprah, yes or no: Who??
Pet peeves: Cheaters, phonies

Quote from a movie: You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death.

When their souls got to the entrance to heaven,
the guards asked two questions.
Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not.
‘Have you found joy in your life?’
'Has your life brought joy to others?’
-The Bucket ListRight or left: Right, mostly

Shopping: Clothes, plants, and the dreaded grocery shopping. ugh
TV show: Hate regular tv. I only watch Bears, Cubs and Bulls and some college volleyball.
Underwear: The last time I purchased them too big. nothing worse.
Vegetables I hate: Eggplant, avocado, and zucchini
What makes you late: over sleeping and trying to find something to wear. Nobody believes me. I have nothing to wear!!!
X-ray: revealed a very crooked back!
Yummy food I make: oh gosh, when I take the time to cook, I am generally pretty successful.
Zoo animal: Brings out sympathy in me. They look so bored... I remember the polar bears in the Brookfield Zoo had worn a path, doing the same walk over and over, shaking his head back and forth. I don't think he wanted to, but found comfort in the same behavior in his boredom.

Twist and Shout!

2011-10-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

It was my boss's birthday in May. She buys herself anything she wants, all year long, so she's difficult to buy for, for celebrations.
So, I planted her a garden. Rosa colored annual vinca, Victoria Blue Salvia and Twist and Shout Hydrangeas. I planted these so she passes it on the way in and out of the house to the business shop where we work. She can also see it from her desk...
I also added some Red Fountain Grass, but didn't get a photo of it. Almost every day, she mentions it, telling me it is one of the best presents she's ever received!

Twist and Shout, close up

Getting "Back"

2011-10-08T19:21:00.000-05:00

Just a short thank you. To all of you who sent well wishes and concerned emails. I think it is getting better. The Dr tells me to keep moving, which is the exact opposite of what feels good, of course!
Lots of volleyball games and the college search is keeping me very busy, no time for a walk in the yard with the camera, but the season is coming to an end, so posts will become more regular!

Oh, My Achin....

2011-10-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

After several years of feeling discomfort, I found myself in incredible pain 2 weeks ago. My neck was killing me. I found that I could barely stand up straight and sitting was almost impossible. I got an appointment at the chiropractor.
He did xrays and some neurological testing and asked me to come back the following week. He told me heating pad might help in the meantime.
When I showed up for my results, the chiropractor had xrays up in his office. The spine in the picture came out of the pelvis in such a sharp angle, I thought surely this person had been in an accident.
Then he told me those were my xrays and he was surprised I could walk at all. He explained why I had such pain in my neck; the bones were fusing together.
In the end, I am at this guy's office almost every day for one thing or another, massage or correction, and even some dietary consult...I cannot tell if it is helping, today I am in terrible pain.
So that's where I've been and that's where I am today. I don't know what else I can do, I surely do not want surgery and cannot live my life on pills.
My beds are full of weeds and the tomatoes are rotting on the vine....

I sure would appreciate any input from anyone with any experience with any of this....

Bulbs-the new Got Milk?

2011-09-24T09:40:00.000-05:00

Have you met these ladies? They are a new concept ad campaign for the bulb industry. The bulb industry is worried that, since these ladies portray us so well, (which one are you??), we have no time or understanding of how a bulb might work. Its called the Dig.Drop.Done™ Educational Campaign and it is hitting the magazines and the BlogHer (not me, I am not paid to blog), and other ad driven blogs you might read, it is hitting them, soon.
Why? Well, "To introduce flowering bulbs to a new generation of potential gardeners and
demystify the bulb-growing process, while reminding avid gardeners of the lowmaintenance, returning beauty of bulbs." from Digdropdone.com
These ladies are Marcy, Juliana, and Evelyn and they are excited, (can't you tell!) to share their knwledge in an easy, engaging and entertaining way.
I know these ladies will say things like cauuuute! (cute), I so heart that (I like that alot), and other Valley girl phrases that let you know they are very hip. But they desire to know more and learn more about the complexity of the spring bulb. I guess.
Marcy is a "super mom". Juliana is the "fashionista". Evelyn is the "empty nester". Apparently Evelyn likes to have a little drinky, but couldn't bring herself to part with her velcro curlers.
I am insulted by this campaign.
"Most of the information out there about bulbs is intimidating for the first-time or occasional planter," said Henk Westerhof, a 26-year veteran of the bulb industry and spokesman for the Dig.Drop.Done Foundation,
What??? Really? Am I being obtuse? Isn't target marketing outdated? I don't fit into anyone of those demographics, I don't wear aprons, silk robes or wrap bracelets.
Most insulting is the wrap on my industry magazine that smacks me right in the face.
"Then get ready for a bulb planting frenzy as we excite women with the surprisingly simple beauty of bulbs!"
Feel frenzied, yet? Aren't you inspired to run out with your margarita, (daiquiri?) and start a planting frenzy??

Don't get me wrong, I love my spring bulbs. I have hundreds of them in the ground and on my desk in the kitchen. I order more every year! I am offended by the schtick and schmaltz of The Ladies. They are over the top and none of these ladies look like any of my gardening friends.
My gardening friends are intelligent and witty people, with big hearts and lots of knowledge. Is that so different from your group of friends?
Perhaps I am way off on this one. Perhaps this is what you and your buddies look like and I couldn't be more wrong...
In that case, I am sorry. I have one question-
how do you plant bulbs in a silk robe?

Couple of Classics

2011-09-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

A Bluish Mophead Hydrangea

A perfect hot pink (supposed to be red!) rose.

Not red, not really....

The raindrops looked like tiny diamonds in the web

Crash hot potatoes. Absoltuely incredible!
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. . Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.) Add sour cream and chives and bacon to your heart's content

Thank me later!

Window to my 9-5 World

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

When we first moved to this area, I thought I was cursed. I live in such a rural area now, such a change from anything I've ever known, it seemed so foreign. I thought it was all alot of nothing.

Gracie comes to work with me, every day. This is exactly what I see out my work window. It faces west.

Here is the view out the east window.

The color of the sky out here is like nothing I have ever seen. This photo has not be edited. Straight from my memory card to you.

There's a lot of work going on around here. Farmers have their combines out, their grain wagons ready.

Ribs and Bugs

2011-09-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, we met with several thousand of our friends to throw a party.

sliders, jalapeno popper dip, melon, ranch dip and chips

Spoils to the victors!

this is a new cut of meat to me, perhaps you make it?

country ribs are worth trying, I promise.

Where have they been all my life!?

ASU 14, ILLINI 17

A beneficial pal!

Ok, so they say he's beneficial, I think the jury's still out on this one, but it is too creepy looking for me to get very close!

Manits facts: The head rotates and swivels, so it can look over its shoulder. Most insects do not have this ability. Thank goodness.

The mantis changes color to suit its environment, waits for potential prey to come to it, then grabs it with serrated forelegs that work like a vice.

The mantis then bites the head off its victim. Sheesh.

Most folks think this guy is a great guy to have around. The problem with this guy is...he eats everybody. Good and bad. Sure, he'll eat aphids and caterpillars, but he also eats ladybugs and spiders. So, he is a giver and a taker. This guy is here for the grasshoppers, I suspect, so he can stay!

Click the photo for the recipe!

Food Network Magazine's

Chinese Chicken and Rice Soup

After being gone all day yesterday, we have a sleepy Bears Sunday in store.

After going all out yesterday for the tailgate, I might make a soup or stew, today.

I hope your Sunday is spent the way you want it and of course,

GO BEARS!!

Life Gives You Parsley....

2011-09-14T19:50:00.000-05:00

Not much happening in the garden. I picked a huge handful of parsley and made
Chicken Piccata.

Overwintering questions

2011-09-11T10:15:00.002-05:00

This is the hybrid geranium, Caliope with a yellow snapdragon that doesn't know it isn't April any longer.

I also stuck a piece of Autumn Joy in there because it broke off and, what the heck, I have seen sedum do some weird things, so you never know, it might grow!

I often hear gardeners say they over winter plants. For years, I overwintered the Angel Trumpets and tropical hibiscus, when I lived in zone 8. I simply brought the entire pot in and they sat in the rarely used dining room with almost zero sunlight and I may have watered them once a month, if that!? In February, I would drag the pots out and it would start all over again.

I tried that the first winter we were here. I filled the porch with my houseplants and they loved being outside. A week before the first frost, I brought them back in and everything was fine, until the heater kicked on inside the house. Suddenly we were plagued with every kind of bug and nasty that laid its egg in the pot all summer long. For day I ran around killing Japanese Beetles and June bugs and lightning bugs. I put the plants back outside and let the cold take them. I have never tried it again.

But I see bloggers write about the geraniums and such all the time! Am I doing something wrong? Do you dig them out of the landscape and replant in pots for the house?

Is there anything I should know before I attempt this again?

Zoey always has a throng of pots that she and her husband drag in and out. She leaves the bulbs and corms and perennials in their pots and things work out wonderful for her. I do not have a crawlspace and the garage gets too cold and the basement is too warm, I think, at 68*.

Do you overwinter plants? Do you have tips?

Random garden photo, white allium and brown eyed susan. I am digging this out by the shovel full. It is threatening to take over, so it's got to go...

Before I go, I wanted to share something very touching. We all know the significance of today, the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
On Balisha's blog today, I read a poignant post that I think everyone I know would appreciate.
Please check out her post Meet Me In the Stairwell
Very well said, Balisha. Thank you.

Lots of Orange Today...

2011-09-09T06:00:00.002-05:00

Paprika OsO Rose

They tell us these clouds are the remnants of Hurricane Lee, throwing its weight around.

This is SUPPOSED to be Picasso Canna.
No way. It's not even 2 feet tall.
That's what you get when you purchase your bulbs at the Wally, I guess!

The Goose Doesn't Lie

2011-09-08T20:02:00.002-05:00

Dear Gardener Friends,
I cannot believe what I read on your blogs, about the end of summer. I refuse to think that our warm days are coming to an end. Soon we will be covered in a blanket of white death? No!
I will continue to look for signs to fight the close of summer.
These guys? Flying NORTH! And they would know, right???
Right???!!!

late august | john bohrn

let me enjoy
this late-summer day of my heart
while the leaves are still green
and I won’t look so close
as to see that first tint
of pale yellow slowly creep in.
I will cease endless running
and then look to the sky
ask the sun to embrace me
and then hope she won’t tell
of tomorrows less long than today.
let me spend just this time
in the slow-cooling glow
of warm afternoon light
and I’d think
I will still have the strength
for just one more
last fling of my heart.

Aging Gracefully

2011-09-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

In a dark corner of the landscape

I wish I aged as well as this lady does...

The view from my kitchen window, Limelight, Anenome Robitissimo, Endless Summer

Deer Bed Update

2011-09-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

I went out to check on my deer bed. Remember, these perennials were half dead and anything I got would've been gravy considering what they've been thru.
The first thing that I noticed was the entire bed is full of weeds. Weed seeds from thousands of years waited for us to rototill and expose them to the sunlight, so they might germinate and make me angry. I got out the hoe, of all things, and scraped and chopped. I am hoping it will be enough. I need to get some mulch out there.
I yanked 2 red twigged dogwoods out of the mixed border. They are not good neighbors and were shading everything out. I also discovered the ground squirrels have eaten away at my peonies. Sick, sick, sick.
After hoeing for an hour and a half, my right arm fell off so I took a break and got my camera. These perennials are so grateful to be in the ground, they decided to flower!

Autumn Joy, almost in flower!

Purple Rain Salvia

Vera Jamieson Sedum seems especially happy here in deer land.

I did see deer tracks. I couldn't tell if they'd eaten anything, though.

I see bloggers' zinnias and I love them! My girlfriend, RoseM has fabulous tall ones that are lush and colorful. This is an anemic variety, Purple Prince.

I am just not feeling this guy. I made the decision to grow it because it is an heirloom, so I thought it would be a big showy one. I will keep trying with zinnias. I just see so many pretty ones.

I ordered pansy seed from Jung's. I stuck them in the fridge and will throw them on the ground and see what happens!

I also ordered 'Double Click Cranberry' Cosmos. It sounds good enough to eat!

Jung's says "amazing flower production". Maybe they mean for me, too!

RoseM has a bed with Cosmic Yellow cosmos with tall verbena and I fell in love with it.

I think I would like to add a cutting border. I don't want to work too hard on this, I will just scalp the lawn in late October in a long narrow path. As the first snow flies, I will throw some poppy seeds, larkspur and tall cornflower. In the spring, I will throw Cut and Come Again Zinnias, the Cosmic Cosmos, the Cranberry Double Click, and the verbena. The combination sounds awesome to me. We'll have to see how sowing in situ goes for me.

They look all the world like cippolini onions, but they are tomatillos. I roasted them with some garlic today, ready to make salsa verde.

I cannot tell you how fabulous the house smells right now....

Champaign is good, even when warm.

2011-09-05T09:34:00.000-05:00

I visited Nick for a birthday lunch. It was a hot and steamy day, but the city of Champaign has not let that stop the commitment to the hayracks.

Osteo and purple petunias

Canna, coleus, zinnias, sedge, ipomea, and verbena.

A senior at Illinois, Nick's new apartment has a fantastic view. I found myself just staring out at the city.

Strange Sights at work

2011-09-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

When not working for the grower, I work for a friend who runs an embroidery and screen printing shop in her backyard. I do graphic design and production and have basically taken over the sales department recently. She lives on a farm with a couple thousand acres, we are basically surrounded by corn.
The other day, I heard the strangest noise and took my camera out to investigate.

A helicopter was cropdusting! I had never in my life seen this before and if you weren't expecting it, it will be quite unnerving. He was still at it when I was driving home and many cars were pulled over, with folks taking shots with their cameras.

I have been crazy busy at work, which has forced me to get up early.

I know many of you are up waaayyy before the sun, (sometimes you comment at 4am!), but not me.

This day, I even caught the sun doing it's thing real early.

well, kinda early, anyways!

Gift from Joplin

2011-08-31T22:52:00.000-05:00

The work in Joplin is getting very specific, so they have a desperate need for skilled tradesmen, ie: electricians, carpenters, roofers, and drywall installers.
I have to say, in my experience, during my week down there, most of the work was being done by faith based groups.
The local government had a problem with the US government coming in and giving the rebuilding jobs to outside sources, while local contractors were unable to get work. Many of the tornado victims we spoke to, had unfavorable things to say about the federal government, but they were proud that the mayor had stepped in to speak for the Joplin people.

On a 100° day, we were approached by our coordinator. She told us she had some projects that other groups had declined. One involved getting an 8' ladder on a roof by using a 20' ladder and painting some trim.

The school had this part of the roof replaced and the trim needed painting. The hardest part? There are three air conditioner units up there and on such a hot day, they ran constantly, blowing hot air on the paint brushes, making the paint thick and difficult to work with.

trim painted!

Another task that needed doing was a more rewarding one, for me. A group of men were working on the inside of the school, repairing the damaged classrooms and restrooms. One of these men was a local guy, waiting to hear from his insurance company, hoping they would call his home a total loss, so they could rebuild.

While his wife waited at home in a fifth wheel camper, this guy worked on the school, giving of his time until he could begin rebuilding his own life. Soon, bulldozers would arrive at his damaged home and tear down the remnants of his life and he could start over. Until then, he is donating his time to get the school back up and running. While the permits were waiting for approval, there were a few things that he would love to get done. There were heirloom iris on his property, left over from when his was the only home on 40 acres. They ran the length of the chain link fence, which also should come down, he told me.

It was a hot day. I mean, after being on that roof, the last thing I wanted to do was yard work. But we decided to drive over and survey the situation so we could gather the necessary tools. That was the day we drove thru the hardest hit area.

The tornado struck an area of town that was suffering in a poor economy, so many of the homeowners are still struggling to get things back together, or some of them have given up, simply driving away from twisted remains of their lives.

We drove up to the home where we were to work and found a long, long iris bed. They were in decline, not having been divided in a long time, suffering from drought as well. A terrible irony: Joplin is in the grips of a terrible drought. No significant rain has fallen since the storm that brought the tornado.

the bed was choked with Bermuda grass and weeds had gone unchecked. We also found shot gun shell, a lot of roofing shingles and glass. Cass even found a headlight to a Lincoln. We found the Lincoln on the next block, with a lot more than headlights missing....

The grass was brittle from lack of rain. Huge holes in the yard indicated to me that this area was once in full shade. Our friends told us that they found a headboard in their kitchen and they would like the owners to know that they can come get it, anytime. Anyone missing a Mickey Mouse headboard?

We had to find a way for them to store the iris until their home was rebuilt. We found bread trays in the dumpster and I realized they would be perfect! Here is BarbG. Not a gardener. BarbG is a quilter, but today, she was a servant and she said, tell me how to do it and I will. For hours, BarbG trimmed corms and foliage and checked for mushiness.

I told her they looked like mail order iris! She did such a fantastic job, never mind the heat nor the fact she'd never done this before!

in the end, we got 4 bread trays full for our friends. I really hope they can replant them, but judging by the looks of things and the snail's pace they work, I am certain they will never see the earth again.

ugh. you can just see the heat hanging in the air!

I dug corms from 8 sections of the iris border, hoping to get them every color they thought was in there.

Incredibly, they sent us home with a gift.

They wanted us to have some of their iris.

In my own border, I now have what I am calling 'Joplin Iris'. As a matter of fact, I had to dig up my red twigged dog wood to get them in here, but it didn't matter to me.

I planted them so I could see them from my deck, but the annuals would grow up around the declining foliage in the summer's heat.

In the spring, the zinnia and coreopsis will not be this tall, letting my Joplin Iris show thru. Our Joplin friends thought these were blue and small. They also had some yellow ones, which I planted in the middle of this bed. I cannot wait till spring.

Another find was some of the bulbs of the plant Southerners call "nekkid lady lilies". These are rain lily, or magic lily or Resurrection lily, depending on where you are from!

These are not considered hardy, here. I am going to plant them next to my foundation on the south side, behind the junipers. South side because it is warmer, receiving 10 hours of sun per day, and next to my foundation NOT because I think it would be best for design, but because the cement might be warm enough to help these guys overwinter. If they do make it, I will divide them up again and surprise my Joplin travel mates with them. I did not want to give them bulbs and have them not make it and then my friends would feel at fault.

In the end, Joplin has left a deep impression on me. I hope I will be able to visit sometime in the healed future. To find rebuilt neighborhoods and lives.

a limb from a 40 year old black walnut

iron cross from St. Mary's parish. it alone, remains from their campus

the ruins of a community

progress is evident, even in the middle of ruins

believe it or not, Joplin is at the end of this rainbow.

In Joplin...

2011-08-27T09:59:00.000-05:00

When we signed up for the Joplin mission, we were given some instructions, one of the most important one--be considerate about taking photos. Although the destruction is incredible, these are peoples' homes and lives. We tried to be as discreet as possible when photographing. I did not take my Nikon, we brought a point and shoot. Most of these were taken from inside my car, so the colors may be off.

St. John's hospital, from the North. The lady we worked with said they found a dead deer on the 3rd floor, blown in by the tornado. This entire building was moved 3" off its foundation. The medical personnel tell stories of throwing their bodies across patients on the operating table, trying to keep them from being sucked out the window by the storm.

This tree has no bark on the west side, the side the tornado hit. It is refoliating, incredible!

A building to the east of the high school. As long as we looked, we couldn't figure out what this was.

Joplin High School. A total disaster. It will be 3-4 years before the kids there have a high school of their own again. They are scrambling to find places for teams to play and practice, something that struck my kid because she plays volleyball and basketball.

I cropped and blew up the sign so you can see.

It used to say "JOPLIN"

The J, L, I, N were torn off in the storm.

Someone came by and sprayed the H and E.

It is now HOPE High School.

One of our dinner tents. There are a couple places in town that serve meals to volunteers. These folks are volunteers, as well. By the 3rd day, Cass didn't want to eat in these anymore. Though they do their best, flies congregate here, biting constantly. Some residents come here, we met an older couple that were eating lunch one hot afternoon. As we began our grace, they asked if we would ask for a blessing for them. The Bible belt is properly named. Folks are more stoic about their faith in the Midwest.

It is eerie, you can see for miles. There isn't a tree standing for miles upon miles.

Medical clinic. Here you can see the stand of trees that are refoliating.

written: Thank you, volunteers

We luv u

You are our heroes!

written: We will be back.

God Bless America,

The Fosters

Lee, ~~Julie,~~ Missy

(I guess Julie decided she would not be back???)

East side of the high school

Some parts of town were starting to come back and even some homes were almost finished. But they were the exception. Some families left, there was nothing to stay for. Some remain in campers in their back yards. There are holes in the ground where homes used to sit, there are partial walls everywhere. At the point where tornado touched down, for 13 miles, there is not a tree. Nothing to block the view of the destruction. It is there, for the residents to be in and around, all day, every day. By Thursday, I was ready to get out of there. It was overwhelming, I cannot imagine how the residents who live in it every day, keep such a positive attitude. I have to believe the residents here are traumatized in some way. We didn't speak to anyone that didn't lose someone! Whether a neighbor or a family member, loss is everywhere.

There is even a smell in the air, that isn't right. I don't know that they even smell it...

I am so glad to be home. I thank God for my home, my family. I thank God for this opportunity.

I am proud of my daughter, she responded so well. She worked hard, did what she was asked and tried to be compassionate to the people we were helping. She worked in the heat, tried to eat the food, and rarely complained. The others with us complimented me about her, saying she was far more mature than 17 years.

Believe it or not, we did a fair amount of yard work while in Joplin.

More about that, tomorrow. In the meantime, there are weeds sprouting in my new Deer Bed. I have to get out there with a hoe and hope it works.

Checking in....

2011-08-26T14:20:00.000-05:00

We had a time, in Joplin, trying to deal with the heat! I am back home, now, trying to catch up on rest and laundry.

Some of what we saw really shook us up. People are remarkable, but these guys need your best thoughts and prayers. We were warned not to stand around, taking photos of people's ruined homes, it was considered offensive, so most of the photos we took were from Cassidy's android. Today, I am grateful for my air conditioned home, my bed's mattress, and TV news.

Every morning, I would sit by the window with my transistor radio, trying to get a radio station.

I had never heard of the Rick and Bubba show, before...

Leaving a Legacy

2011-08-19T23:54:00.000-05:00

I am frantic, trying to get packed for our mission trip to Joplin, MO. Busiest time all year in my job, I am staying late every day, trying to get my boss caught up.
We've not yet learned what we'll be doing in Joplin...Cass and I are going with a family friend from church and a strange guy who took the Emergency Response Training course and is the leader for the trip. We only know we will be sleeping in a church on twin mattresses. On the floor.
We have a 10 hour drive, when I think about all the fun places I can get to in 10 hours, I think, "I must've been crazy to sign up for this. I don't have time for this! Why me? What about the missed work, the money we won't see? What about this GUY?? What if he's a stiff? What if he's boring and terrible and hard to work with? What about my dog?? She'll miss me so much! Why did I DO this??"

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world
I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You
enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
"Legacy" byNichole Nordeman