Tuesday, May 22, 2012

OM Goodness!!






Is anyone else having troubles on Blogger?  I have been so busy getting the patio arranged and the indoor plants out, and getting the garden started....and cooking!  Gotta use those eggs!   That I haven't been here in almost 10 days and everything seems different..it took a while to find the link to VIEW the blog itself...  It seemed as if it changed even since the last time I was here!

I am not sure what to do..stay here?   Change blogger engines???   The last time I came here, I did find it easy to change the background to something more spring-y, but still haven't changed the header..I need a block of time to sit down and do that! 


The garden is a whole other issue this year... I started some spring crops in pots..some lettuce and cauliflower, but not much else.  Nothing was growing!  This winter was such a crazy winter.  I am not seeing the flowers we usually get in the spring.  There were little of no garden violets in the lawn.  Last year we had so many we didn't know what to do with them (the leaves have more iron then SPINACH!  And are great in salad (or cooked like spinach!) and the flowers can be used in salads also.).  The plants are there.....the leaves are not as big, or plentiful, as last year but the blooms are far and few between..   Even at our local stores.  Last year I bought a flat of white Impatience..this year no one even has any...  I am beginning to think learning about foraged plants might be a good idea.  (I know a few of them,  Lambs Quarters have more iron then spinach also.  And they do have taste..as do  the violets..) And then there's Chickweed.  I have a BUMPER crop of chickweed in the garden I have to remove. The chickens work their way through it, but as far as taste?   Not so much...although it is supposed to be healthy...
But all in all, I still prefer cultivated grown garden crops, but that brings us back to the weather and the garden this year. I am growing more and more in pots so they can be controlled, but that doesn't give much space for preserving amounts.  Next weekend (or whenever it stops raining) I'll plant tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, so we'll see how they grow.  And transplant I have to the cauliflower (2 kinds-a white and a golden yellow!) into larger pots.  I will keep them out of the ground until mid June or so, for a later crop.   Meanwhile, once June is up and running, plant beans (4 kinds), summer squash and winter squash, and one of my favorites..cucumbers..I LOVE cucumbers... I'll also plant more lettuce and spinach and other spring plants in pots..to go through the summer and into the fall...
 and of course there's annuals of marigolds and zinnia and more daylily's...

Here is but a few violets I picked last year (I put some up in the last post too) out of the lawn so they wouldn't get mowed and there was plenty more where they came form!  but throughput this winter I would see blossoms here and there...



This year I dared not pick any blooms, because there wouldn't be enough to seed for this spring, although it seems like the winter took care of that....  And the leaves, as I said were tiny this spring.

My indestructible New Dawn Climbing rose is all but dead in the back corral fence.   (the one I moved several years ago from a too shaded back fence..)  I will cut back the dead but after looking yesterday there only appears to be one or two branches still with leaves (I am very sad about that)

Much died over this winter because of lack of snow and water.  Not as many daffodils came up..the chickweed, as I said thrived!!

I am still in transition.  I thought that was over..my life is changing yet again ..(through others in my circle if not directly.  Which means I really have no control over the changes, and do not have a clue where things will end up...)  These changes used to be exciting for me, but at 65 I am wanting some stability now.   At least changes within my control!   I don't mind changes within my "realm" but if they would only stay inside that!

Every time we think we have a handle on what needs to be fixed in this house, something else comes up and we need to re-organize how we are going to go about doing the fixing...

Meanwhile...cooking!!  I made some thing for my sons the other day that was out of this world! (ops no eggs in it, BUT the strawberries were calling)

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/04/roasted-strawberry-brie-chocolate-grilled-cheeeeeeeese/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+howsweeteats%2FsmSp+%28How+Sweet+It+Is%29

It is a Roasted Strawberry Chocolate (dark) Brie grilled cheese.......

We just happened to have everything on hand and I made 2 for the 3 of us, not knowing how they would be, and cut them in small pieces......OM Goodness!  I never tasted anything so good!









The roasted strawberries, the butter and toast...OMG!  The melted cheese..(if you can not find brie I am sure a mild melting cheese would work..I am thinking Muenster.. but I think even mozzarella would work too)














I hope you get a chance to go there and try this recipe...I am not sure if it is a dessert or a meal..It FELT like a meal.... delicious, gooey, chocolatey, melt-y meal.... (even with the small pieces)  A decadent MEAL!  And I wanted MORE!

Great blog..."How Sweet Eats"....

That's all for now.  Hope to be back soon. 

See ya later,

Janie

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Whew!!!!

Wow!  This has been some year so far!

I haven't yet had a chance to check out the 'new" blogger , to even see if I like it yet!  (Or change my header!)

 So much is happening at once, I don't have a chance to breath!  Do we ever get a rest?   Why am I still asking this?

My roof needs to be done..but I think before that..I need a car!  I have been sharing with my son (which is a pain although do-able so far).  But My old car is stuck in front of the garage..and the garage door just this past week broke!  (I actually knew that was coming because of a "repair' THAT  was done (I can't complain it was a favor, but the door never worked right after) and I knew from the beginning it wasn't right..anyway...I think that I need a car ( for obvious reasons) first, then the garage door, then the roof...whew!   Everything in its own time..I am not a rich person!  One thing at a time..

Anyway I am trying to put things in order..then my email gets hacked!  So I hope i didn't cause any problems for anyone.  (I have a friend in NJ who I think her email is compromised and she keeps telling me it isn't.  But every time I answer her, I end up with some sort of problem!)   Hopefully this time she is fixed..!

I have been so busy I haven't even started a garden yet!  I think this crazy winter we had (weather wise) totally threw me off..so I have lettuce and green onion (scallions) and some other spring things, started in pots...I am about to plant tomatoes, and other summer things..soon very soon...

I LOVE the new chickens.   Although certainly not our first flock, but our first from a new company (to us).  I Love the health and quality of these chickens, and you can order as few as 3!! (depending on where you are in proximity to them) in contrast to most companies that you need to order 25 at a time..  The PROBLEM is in deciding which ones to buy..I want them all!   When the boys were young and I had more personable neighbors ..(things change people move) I could use that many, but now it is just me, and the occasional extra breakfast.   And a neighbor here and there, that wants them.  I had 6 from an older flock left, and added 5 more.  Of course since then some of the older ones have passed, so I keep thinking I want more... (I love variety in egg color!)
  I am getting 6-7 eggs a day...nice...

http://www.mypetchicken.com/


 Well...I am off..my day doesn't end until way later then I hope it does!

 Here is a picture of last years garden. (with Lass still with me...) I am thinking of changing the whole garden (soon) .  Making more raised beds..and putting more in pots... My work is cut out for me... This is last years spring picture.  The beds you see here were farther over to the left (as you look at the picture). I moved one over (the one closest to the shrub on the right in the picture..it's just peeking into the pic) after my husband died..following the sun...  I am thinking of dividing the long beds into smaller shorter beds...  I don't know....I have to think about it...  I'll let you know...


See you later,

OH!  PS..In early May, my son's girl friend and her mother and me went to NYC to the taping of The Revolution....it was VERY fun.   It aired May 7th.   (technically I didn't really watch the show before, but it was fun anyway, and I watch it more now)  Then we met my two sons, and we went to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens..when I get pics loaded I will post them...  In June we are going to the Chew..one of my favorite cooking shows ever!

Janie