The Knittin' Kitten

1 Week to Go

2012-01-08T20:17:00.011-05:00

I am feeling well! I have finally been able to wear my maternity jeans for the final 3 weeks of pregnancy without them totally falling down. Though, the most expensive pair just wasn't going to work at all and went into a donation bag for Good Will complete with tags on still. I have to laugh when I pull on my so called "skinny jeans" that are actually funnel shaped to accommodate pregnancy. Non maternity tees are still working just fine.

I have still not packed my hospital bag! It will certainly be better if I do it rather than leaving it up to Jeff at the last minute--who knows what he would pack in there? I can picture it now, my bag would have the dog dishes and kibbles and the dog bag would contain my toiletries and clothes!!

I have been out shopping again. I love the little Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore rattles I found at Barnes and Noble. They have a fun sound and can hang on the car seat. And, I couldn't resist the plush Eeyore. He is looking up from the playard here.

The Chicco playard arrived and Jeff set it up in the living room and it looks like it will be really helpful and safe. It isn't at all quick to collapse and move, so we decided to get a little bassinet for next to our bed.

(bassinet photo from Babies-r-us)

When we were shopping for the bassinet, we finally got a glider and ottoman too. Everyone says we "must have one". I hope it will work out at least for Jeff. The one in the store seemed really comfortable, but what we now have set up at home seems too tall for me and the ottoman too low even though it is supposed to be exactly the same thing we tried out!

(glider/ottoman photo from Babies-r-us)

I think what I really need is a new armchair and ottoman for the living room. I like to slouch with my legs out straight. The vintage chair I've been using is getting too worn and I've already moved it's matching ottoman up to the nursery to use with the new chair in there. Ikea has an Ektorp set which would probably suit me, but we'll see about that in a couple of months or when we have some time/energy for getting that sort of thing.

Jeff's sister K sent an adorable selection of baby gear and a little board book. He's going to be one well dressed and entertained baby!

This past week, I was a bit disappointed to find out that I am not eligible to donate cord blood to the public bank because I spent more than 3 months in the UK back in 1992! I am really surprised that they would refuse a donation of otherwise eligible cord blood for such a low risk seeming reason--the possible exposure to mad cow disease. It could have been a match for someone or useful for research! Plus, I was on a student budget at the time and I hardly even ate any meat and can only specifically remember having beef one time (a gorgeous pub lunch on Ilkley Moor of beef stew in Yorkshire Pud)! For meals, I ate a lot of jacket potatoes with beans, cheese and Branston pickle sandwiches or cups of tomato soup. And, a shop directly on my way home from classes sold individual pieces of Baklava and Turkish Delights that would fortify me for my walk home in the cold and dark Scottish winter afternoons. I wish when I set up the appointment over the phone that they had asked me about my travels along with the eligibility questions they did think to ask as it would have saved me a drive. On the bright side, I can stop feeling guilty about not getting around to donating blood as they consider me ineligible for that too. I was turned down years and years ago, but really thought the restriction had been lifted since.

Fortunately, it was not a totally wasted trip as Jeff was with me and we went to Chipotle for an early dinner. I couldn't believe it when we got to the checkout and the crew of Chipotle workers told us they were "buying our dinner"! I've never had that happen before anywhere! Jeff was looking around for a hidden camera! They insisted and I can't find anything out about spontaneous free meals on the web, but they do draw business cards out of a pot for free lunches, so maybe it's just something they do sometimes? Anyway, that made us happy especially after the disappointment at the blood bank just moments before.

I am going to make an effort to rest and relax a bit more this week. One way I can do that is by knitting, of course! I am almost done knitting the 12 month sized Easy Baby Cardigan with just a couple of inches of sleeve remaining. (You can see the newborn sized one in my Christmas post.) I need to order some zippers online since I couldn't find the right type/size at JoAnn Fabric. I haven't tried machine sewing on knitting before, but I'm hoping it will be pretty easy to do. I'll try it out first on some swatches. I also have to think about what to cast on for next! If you have any good pattern recommendations for classic sorts of boy sweaters, do let me know! I'm often going to knit ahead by 1-2 years or so in the hopes that they will fit by the time I finish them.

I am also reading a Bill Bryson book called At Home: A Short History of Private Life. It's been on my list for awhile and I recently bought the paperback copy when I happened to see it at the bookstore. It's very entertaining so far.

A New Year and Only 2 Weeks to Go (Maybe!)

2012-01-01T20:47:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

It's a pretty exciting start to the year for me. Today, I am 38 weeks pregnant which means 'full term' from this point on, though the due date is calculated to 40 weeks.

This week, I'll do some final organization of the nursery and house, pack hospital bags for myself and the baby and do whatever last minute shopping I can think of. I will have the usual doctor appointment and make arrangements with the blood bank to donate/publicly store cord blood. I will also relax and do some knitting.

Lately, I have been busy cutting tags off of baby clothes and washing everything. I managed to order the Chicco playard online in our first choice of color (blue) and on sale, so I'm excited for that to arrive. It also functions as a 'gym' mat, changing table and bassinet. I think we will use it downstairs when we don't want to be going back and forth to the nursery upstairs. Although, I've been thinking about using it next to our bed too...so there are some decisions to be made still. Fortunately, it's supposed to be quite portable.

On a trip around to the stores, we got the Baby Einstein soother which is now hanging in the crib. It lights up and plays music or bubbling water sounds while the fish 'swim'. It can be operated by remote from the doorway too. It might be very handy when the baby is ready to start adapting to sleeping longer.

Also on a recent shopping trip, we got a new compact camera that also does HD video at 1080p! It's better than any other camera I've had except, being compact, it has less zoom capability than my former best camera. It was on sale too!

(shopping photos from Amazon.com)

I still need to get the video baby monitor and a humidifier soon, but a lot of other things are not urgent at this point, thankfully!

I had Jeff snap some pictures of me today to celebrate and record reaching full term. I feel way happier and less tired than these pictures seem to show! But, here I am at 38 weeks with no makeup, bloated, maternity pants trying to fall down and a dubious expression that says I'm questioning whether I really want to be recording this!

At least the baby was centered for these...at times, he really lists off to one side or the other and I look really funny. Even the doctor stepped back and squinted at my stomach at my last appointment!

Incidentally, today was so warm here that I went outside in just a t-shirt! It's hard to believe it's January 1st when it feels like it could be the first day of spring!

Christmas

2011-12-27T18:45:00.001-05:00

We had a quiet, but happy Christmas. Although we were feeling very festive, we only put up a couple of strings of lights and a jingle bell wreath on the door. I was sure if we did the usual amount of decorating, the baby would come early and there would be a new baby and decorations to take down all at the same time. I didn't want to risk having decorations up until March or something!

Jeff and I didn't do surprise gifts for each other, but I did get him a new video game (Uncharted 3) to play during his vacation and we had a few surprise presents to open from family. I got some Cascade Pacific yarn for baby knits from my mother. There were a few more things for the baby too, like a touch and feel farm animals book.

Christmas afternoon, I cast on with the new yarn for the newborn sized Easy Baby Cardigan and knit most of the body portion. Yesterday evening and today, I was able to finish up the body, complete the sleeves, seam the hood and weave in the ends. I may make ties to hold the front together as shown in the original, but first I am going to check some stores for other kinds of closures. I keep thinking snaps might be nice. It is such a good pattern that I might make the 12 month old size as well. I have plenty of the same yarn for that too. I might add buttonholes for that or possibly sew in a zipper.

Front view of the Easy Baby Cardigan.

Back view showing the cute, pointy hood.

I haven't gone out shopping the day after Christmas in years, but planned on it this year. I had a $20 coupon to spend at Williams Sonoma (from spending $100 on presents there before Christmas), so I was excited to pick something out for the kitchen. I got a fun cake pan in the shape of a tree stump. It is a different take on the yule log. It is quite adorable decorated for Christmas with meringue or marzipan mushrooms, mice or other woodland things. I think it could be fun other times of year too! At Easter, I could decorate it with chocolate bunnies and a chocolate/coconut bird's nest and jelly bean or Cadbury eggs. For kids, I could make it with some gummy worms or bugs, LOL! We also got some hot chocolate which I may wait to open until February/Valentine's Day. I can make it up in the Breville Milk Cafe I got last year. And, we got a box of Peppermint Bark. That may not make it past New Year's as it is so moreish. Everything was at least half price before the coupon was even rung in! If only one could always do that much shopping for under $20 at Williams Sonoma!

We saw lots of good sales, but the only other shopping we did was at Baby Gap and Carter's. We found 3 of the cutest onesies at Gap marked down to $2.99!! We got 9 outfits at Carter's where everything we picked was between 40 and 70% off and then we were surprised with an additional 20% taken off at the checkout.

We topped off the day with lunch out at Chipotle and later had lattes too! I think I might be back into the habit of shopping on the 26th ;)

Well, next year should be our most exciting Christmas ever, the first with our son. I can't wait to start celebrating holidays with him!

Today Was Bigger Than Christmas!

2011-12-22T14:27:00.001-05:00

As nice as it is to have some presents to open in a few days, nothing beats seeing my baby boy in an ultrasound today! It was hard waiting for the appointment day to finally arrive. It wasn't as easy to get a good picture of his face this time as he was chewing on his hands! The left one was in his mouth here and the right at the ready. He is in the head down position which is great, but can still change at this point. And, I was very relieved to hear that he is average weight, probably even a little toward the smaller end of the average range.

We've been out shopping for baby things in the midst of the Christmas rush. I don't care for the traffic, but I don't mind all the bustle of people shopping in varying states of desperation depending on how much shopping they have left to do. It can be amusing to people watch as you shop! I feel even more ready for his arrival now that we have the first diapers in the nursery and some other necessary items like that.

I am thinking we might be able to focus next on getting a few more of the big items. Maybe they will even be on sale after xmas. I am thinking about getting a Chicco play yard with the bassinet and changing table on top, video baby monitor and an HD video camera is a must!

Speaking of sales after xmas, it has occurred to me that as long as this baby arrives near his due date, birthday shopping will always be a breeze in the after xmas sales!

Little Boy Blue Hat

2011-12-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

The ribbing should make this hat work for a lot of head sizes. I'm hoping it will fit from newborn to 3 months or so. The pattern is available free: here. I used up some Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran I had left from knitting Marmalade. The color is called "frost" which seems appropriate for my January baby!

I altered the pattern slightly as I got to the top decreases. I decreased more rapidly as I wanted a rounded shape and it seemed like it was going to get rather pointy if I continued to follow the pattern. But either way would be cute. I think a pom pom could be nice on top, but it's doubtful that I have enough yarn left for it.

1 Month to Go!

2011-12-15T21:18:00.001-05:00

We have finished our classes and have a certificate to show for it, so technically we must be ready! (Though I may sign up for one more first aid class.) We've chosen a pediatrician and had a meet and greet with him. There are still things to do and things to buy, but I am excited to get to the end of this pregnancy, or more specifically, through the end of this pregnancy and be home with our new baby! I actually do feel ready. Those sound like famous last words, don't they! Maybe I should clarify by adding that I feel as ready as I'll ever be...

You might be amused to know that in the childbirth class, they demonstrated with a knitted uterus! The funniest thing we learned was that they don't allow TV remotes in the labor rooms. Apparently, they have been used as weapons!

Pregnancy is getting a bit tiresome now that I am more short of breath when I try to do things. I even let Jeff tie my shoes sometimes! On the other hand, it is endlessly fascinating to feel the baby moving around or hiccuping. He seems to react to voices and touch. Fortunately, my discomforts are minimal and I still feel well. I do continue to look forward to the day I can lay on my stomach again. And, I can't believe how far away sink faucets have gotten--and that's not just an excuse to get out of dishes! It is tiring to reach and if I accidentally lean on a counter the slightest bit, the baby kicks immediately to let me know that's no fun for him.

Although my weight was up 15 pounds a month ago, I am now only up a total of 10 pounds even though I am eating 6 meals and snacks a day and always feel so full! The doctor still says it is normal and my stomach is growing right on schedule. It seems huge to me! I have to be careful not to bump into things--I don't know where I begin or end anymore.

I'm really wondering what the use of maternity clothes is. Am I just weird?! They have not worked out for me. The pants will not stay up and the shirts I've tried have such unflattering and rather low necklines. There is not much time left for me to suddenly be able to use the five pairs of maternity jeans I bought for the third trimester! Luckily they were sale priced, but still I wish I hadn't bothered with them. I am happy in my yoga pants and basic non maternity tees though very bored with them too. It's going to be a great day when I can pull on jeans again and find old favorite tops in the closet or shop for some new ones!

I am really looking forward to an ultrasound right before Christmas. I haven't seen him since week 20 and that seems like a long time ago. They will estimate his size as well as doing other checks. A few new ultrasound pictures will be the best Christmas present!

Baby Mittens FO

2011-12-13T12:51:00.005-05:00

I didn't have a pattern that was quite right for my yarn or gave overall dimensions for different ages, so yesterday, I improvised to make these. I hope they will fit from birth in January through April. I can fold up the cuff to shorten them a bit as long as the width is ok. I didn't make thumbs as there isn't any point in them for this age range. I think they complete the set quite nicely!

Striped Baby Hat FO

2011-12-12T10:32:00.000-05:00

This pattern, like the socks I posted about yesterday, is from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Baby 2. I used up leftover yarn from the socks (and bunny, an FO from earlier this year) and altered the stripe pattern so I wouldn't run out of the brown color. I just made the stripes as I went, so maybe I would have made the first white stripe narrower if I could have anticipated exactly how it would look, but I think it's ok. The brim rolls up over it anyway.

It was a quick knit--I started and finished it yesterday! It looks cute with the socks and this outfit my parents sent.

I wonder if I can find a pattern for little tiny mittens to complete the set? I have some more of the white yarn I could use and a little of the brown I could use on the cast on edge of the cuffs...

Knitting Content!

2011-12-11T10:24:00.004-05:00

I know, it's been awhile since I've had a knitting post, but pregnancy hasn't involved nearly as much sitting and knitting as I thought it would!

These baby socks are a pattern from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Baby 2, a very sweet book. (I really love the little argyle vest pattern in it.) I made two identical pairs to try to outsmart the universal tendency for socks to separate from their mates.

These were easy to make and I carried the yarn so there weren't too many ends to weave in. They are seamed up the foot/back.

I never quite know whether to slip the first stitches in the heel purlwise or knitwise. I ended up getting crossed over stitches on one side as you can see pictured to the right (if you open the picture in a new tab to see it full sized). The pictures in the books never seem to show that side! And, when I paid for a sock class once to ask that very question I was told "either way"! Arrrgh! My toe shaping stitches are crossed over too and that part is blurred in the picture accompanying the pattern. I guess it looks ok like this and the socks are tightly constructed with no gaps anywhere, which is the important thing. However, I'm curious, what do you do???

Santa?!

2011-12-03T13:30:00.005-05:00

No, that's Jeff on the roof filling in gaps around the chimney to prevent leaks. The chimney bricks need pointing too, but that will have to wait for another day.

Mini Quiches

2011-11-30T14:36:00.003-05:00

I love these mini quiches for any meal. There are a number of recipes out there, but you really can just improvise with these and add any fillings you like. I butter a non stick muffin pan just to be sure they will be easy to remove. I spoon some fillings into each cup, in this case, sauteed turkey sausage, cooked broccoli, sauteed onion and grated cheddar cheese. Then, I ladle over the egg mixture. I find that 8 eggs beaten with 3/4 of a cup of skim milk works about right. They bake at 325 F for 35 minutes.

I enjoy mine with a few dots of Cholula hot sauce on top.

They keep well overnight in the fridge if you make them for dinner and want to reheat the leftovers for breakfast. Otherwise, you can freeze them.

Fun in the Nursery and Test Fitting a Door

2011-11-26T08:23:00.001-05:00

I keep finding the dog in different positions when I look into the nursery!

He is quite a character!

Jeff is caught up with assembling baby things...for the moment. He recently put together the stroller and the bouncer.

Yay! Looks like the picture!

Here is the first look at the new closet door cut down to size and being test fit. It is just primed, so it needs paint. I guess we have to get a new set of hinges for it as the modern door is narrower than the original one. The door frame isn't quite square, of course!, so the door will have to be planed to fit.

I need to figure out what kind of knob and/or latch to get for it.

I'm still really happy with the look of the nursery as I see it throughout the day in different lighting. Here it is mid morning with natural light filtering through shades and curtains. It will be bright when needed, but also conducive to napping too.

Follow up

2011-11-25T12:13:00.009-05:00

Just thought I'd post a picture of the garden completely tilled to follow up yesterday's post.

I love the new hoop house. Even though the main garden is put to bed for the winter, there is a little bubble of summer.

It's doing well even though I don't have the core strength or flexibility to weed and really take care of it at the moment. The camera lens fogged over in the warmth and humidity in there, but you can see some parsley, kale and dill. I think it is time to make some minestrone soup with the kale!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T19:49:00.001-05:00

We are using the holiday weekend to work on things that need doing around here. Today, we did the remaining garden cleanup which consisted of cutting eggplant and pepper plants and carrying them to the burn pile, pulling up stakes, picking up bricks and removing plastic mulch. Then, Jeff tilled the entire garden. I love seeing it all neatened up for winter and waiting for the spring planting!

The light is getting very slanted and wintry looking.

There were lots of chickadees flitting about the trees near us and V's of geese honking overhead.

It was quite a beautiful day for being outside. I hope we get a couple more good days for outside work. There are some leaves to rake, though not like other years, and I need to neaten up the patio area. Then, the burn pile needs to be torched.

Tomorrow, Jeff will work on the nursery doors and maybe that bit of trim for over the cubbies. I'll work on house projects too.

I'm just eating little meals that are healthy and full of protein, so I didn't do the Big Feast this year. We ate pretty much normally and I made some mini quiches in a muffin tin for dinner filled with turkey sausage, broccoli, onion and cheese. They were delicious. If you ever want to not overeat during the holidays, just time a pregnancy so you are in your last trimester then! I've actually lost a few pounds lately and the doctor says that often happens as you have less and less room.

We have a lot to be thankful for this year! You can imagine I am especially thankful that the nursery is finally functional!!!

Creating a Nursery

2011-11-20T16:14:00.005-05:00

Home Improvement projects have a way of snowballing in a 1920's house..."painting a nursery" evolves into a multi-week, epic job! Everything gets so much worse before it gets better and in the middle, it seems like the chaos and mess will never end.

It feels like I have been living in an episode of the "This Old House" show. That due date countdown in the corner was starting to get nerve-wracking! Just a little pressure to get things done!

I'm so glad we waited until I was pregnant (not!) to undertake this. Doesn't every pregnant woman dream of assisting with some general contracting? I stayed clear of any dust or fumes, but helped with fetching and lugging, within reason. I also had to work on the planning, shopping for tools and supplies and troubleshooting. My favorite parts were carrying sheets of drywall upstairs at 26 weeks and helping hang ceiling drywall at 27 weeks! Good thing I've had an easy pregnancy and felt fit and able to do stuff.

First, it was a job in itself to empty out the room (not to mention the adjacent closet!) intended for the nursery. We had to take down a queen sized canopy bed and an antique, slightly larger than twin, bed and move 3 bureaus, an armoire, a desk, several other pieces of furniture, rugs and lots of decorative items. There were heaps of stuff to deal with all over the house. We were tired out before we'd even begun!

Only then, could the real work actually be started...

-Wallpaper Striping: There was one layer of dingy cream/yellow striped 1920's wallpaper to remove and expose the rough, gray, horsehair plaster walls underneath.

Here is a corner showing the old plaster and some chemical stripper working on the trim, though Jeff later decided to use the heat gun or just muscle on the rest. I just "love" the way all the hardware is painted over...

-Paint Striping: Paint on top of varnish with no proper primer had to be removed from all the trim and doors. Lots of the woodwork was removed for this. Also, we bought new quarter round to replace the old, rather than trying to scrape and reuse it. We opted to put new framing around the door inside the closet, so we could use the vintage trim on some window trim that needs repair in another room (at some point!). We also replaced the closet baseboard.

The room was vented and Jeff wore a respirator. Are you my mummy? A reference to a favorite Dr. Who episode ;)

-Drywalling: We had hoped to drywall over the plaster and lath ceiling, but for a number of reasons had to resort to demolition of the plaster and lathes, then put up dry wall on most of the existing furring strips. Did you think the first pictures showed the "gets worse before it gets better" part? Nooo...here's that picture!

Yes, the entire floor looked like this! It took four hours to make this mess and about an hour to clean up.

Fortunately, things slowly got better...

And it was time to hang the drywall...

--Attic Access: Since the rafters were totally exposed, why not frame a better/larger access hole to the attic for drop down stairs. We'll need the extra storage even more with a baby...

-Closet Prep: There are some horrendous, but thankfully *not* lead, paints used in this house. In the closet, was some of the worst sort. It chips off on its own in big pieces, but then other parts adhere like they will never come off. But, try painting over it and suddenly it is crackling and coming off all over! Jeff finally used a long handled razor scraper from an auto parts store on this paint and removed it like pieces of eggshell. Very stubborn eggshell. Hooks and ugly old shelves needed to be removed as well. Eventually, we decided it needed a skim coat of plaster before painting.

-Varnish Striping: The trim needed to be washed with a solution to remove all the varnish to enable new paint to stick.
-Final treatments of the surfaces: Everything needed filling/spackling, sanding and washing and tackclothing.
-Priming: One kind of primer for the trim and plaster (oil) and another for the drywall (latex)!
-Painting: Finally, at long last!!!

--Still TO DO: We are not quite done yet...We have to trim down and hang a louvered bifold door for the closet. I'm replacing the original door because I think this one will be space saving and allow the closet to have some ventilation. The entry door is outside and needs final touches on the striping, then priming and painting. We need to cut and paint a piece of trim to go over the built in cubbies. We need a cover for some wires that are spilling out from under the changing table (phone and ethernet). The attic access still needs to be completed, but we might wait to do that when I'm able to help install the drop down ladder. The door will be framed and everything painted to match the rest of the ceiling.

Choosing paint colors was almost as hard as choosing a baby name! There are so many that I would like to try, making it hard to narrow down the choices. Also, the east facing room goes through so many light changes during a single day that constantly change the look of the paint. We wanted blue, but not too babyish a color blue. We also hoped for a somewhat Scandinavian feel to it. Hopefully, combined with changing the cloth furnishings, the color can be suitable for a long time. I was hoping to go with a card with names like 'sleepy blue', 'languid blue' and particularly 'meditative blue' for a calming influence, but the names on the shade card we finally picked from seem suggestive of northern sea voyages! We opted for a blue-gray shade called 'windy blue' for the walls in satin finish and a very, very pale blue shade called 'icicle' for the ceiling (matte) and closet (satin).
ceiling and closet
walls
For the trim, we tied the room in with the downstairs of the house using our usual 'luminous white' in semi-gloss finish.

We built open cubbies under a slope of the ceiling quite a few years ago and they were painted 'crewel tan' with 'luminous white' trim, so we had to make sure our new color choices went well with it.
shelves
All paint colors are by Sherwin Williams.

We are using some of my grandmother's vintage, maple finished dressers and a nightstand. Eventually a matching twin sized bed will go with them. The set was made in Bennington, VT, by H. T. Cushman Manufacturing Co. They are marked as "Cushman Colonial Creations" which were launched in the spring of 1933. They are an earlier version of 'shabby chic' as the edges were distressed to look like worn antiques!

For the first few years we will have a crib and changing table. Since there is no way to match the old furniture shade with modern nursery furniture, we are going for contrast with bright white.

Jeff working to assemble the crib.

All together!

I took both flash and non flash pictures to try to give a sense of the room. The flash ones portray the colors more accurately.

The off white shades were some we already had in those windows from Country Curtains, but we changed the curtains to some navy sailcloth ones we found at Target. I just need to find or improvise some tie backs for them.

I am considering getting a glider and ottoman, but if we get that it will go in the living room. We got a cute little upholstered chair from Ikea with a washable cover for the nursery. Now, I just need to sort out an ottoman for it.

The new louvered closet door will hopefully be hung soon! I will need lots of quick access to the closet though, so it will probably be open a lot with the door folded into the corner.

I like the two, blue rolly bins I got at Ikea. You can just see one on the closet floor. I may have to get a couple more!

The nightstand will be used next to the armchair for now. I think it will be handy and the shelf can hold books to read to the baby!

The color of the cubbies is not accurate in this picture.

The changing table was pretty easy to assemble.

The color of the cubbies looks right here.

The built in cubbies are good for clothes I need quick access to as well as toys and books. Ignore the books on the floor. We were using them to press down the rolled up edge of the rug. The mirror now leaning on the end of the bureau will eventually be centered on the bureau.

We got a cute Ikea ceiling light with clouds on it. It's actually white, the camera just had trouble capturing it.

We were going to use an off white rug we had in the attic, but then we found this navy one at Ikea and bought it on a whim. It may be harder to keep clean, but I think it looks a lot cuter! I would like to get a colorful playmat for the floor by the cubbies such as this one.

I would like to get a rocking horse...it's one of those things that's more for me than the baby!! Having a baby let's one indulge in buying toys you sometimes still wish you could have.

Of course, there are all the necessary helpers to fit in. We've gotten the Diaper Pail, a wastebasket, a Wipe Container/Warmer, organizational containers...so far.

It has been fun to start arranging clothes, swaddling cloths, burp cloths, etc, as well as the little toiletries.

We need to figure out what to put on the walls for some decoration. I've been thinking about navy blue letters that spell out his name and maybe some ABC or number cards or posters.

There is still some to be done, but I'm so happy with how far it's come!!!

We are really enjoying the space and I hope our boy will love it!

2 Months to Go!

2011-11-15T21:25:00.000-05:00

I am excited to be heading into the last weeks of pregnancy. So far, everything has been going smoothly. The baby is getting very strong and pokes my stomach out in funny ways and we try to guess what body part it is. One can see the kicks rather than having to feel for them. He kicks throughout the day and night! I guess those nighttime kicking sessions are preparing me for even more interrupted sleep in my future. Today, I took a nap and actually dreamed about beds and sleeping!

My only difficulty is some hip and pelvis pain as the ligaments loosen up. I am not able to go for a proper dog walk and stairs can really make me hurt too. It's not bad every day, but I really notice it is worse if I do too much on a busy day and then I have to rest. I so miss sleeping on my stomach or resting on my stomach to read a book or just to flex my back the other way! I know my hips will be grateful when I can vary my positions to include stomach or back sleeping again.

I'm still keeping busy and mowed the lawn recently and cut back the butterfly bushes too. The upper body workout was good for me and I didn't have to walk much. I have plenty more cutting to keep me busy for awhile and I doubt I will get to all of it this year, but I don't want to fall too behind.

I've gained about 15 pounds. I am still wearing my pre-pregnancy tee shirts and yoga pants. I did recently get some of the yoga pants in one size up so they would stretch better around the bump, hopefully right to my due date. I have not been able to wear maternity jeans yet as they fall rapidly (and alarmingly!) down as soon as I try to walk, but perhaps they will work in the last weeks. I don't think I should have bought 5 pairs!! I don't know if I'll have to get any maternity shirts in the last weeks or not. I am not too worried about being stylish, so as long as the tees cover me, I'll try to wear them to avoid having a lot of barely worn maternity clothes in the closet. Besides, I can cover the tees with sweaters and scarves, so no one really sees them anyway!

I am eating lots of little meals/snacks at this point. It is funny how often the baby starts to kick as soon as I start to eat, like he doesn't like losing any space! I've been making Nigella's Breakfast Bars each week for Jeff and I. They are a good snack for me with lots of protein, yet also sweet enough to satisfy cravings. I am also really loving smoothies. I make them with partially thawed strawberries and blueberries and non fat Greek yogurt. I was recently shown that Greek yogurt has a lot of protein compared with the plain kind I was using...more flavor and better for me?! Yay!!

My mother has been sending a lot of new clothing for the baby and has sent a few oldies too. This is a hat my grandmother made for me! I think it will be cute to put on my son. The ribbed part can be folded up and looks cute that way too.

Jeff is still working on the nursery, but is finishing the painting phase. There is still a little more carpentry to do and small bits of painting after that, but it is getting there. I can't wait for it to be done! Then, we have furniture to move, baby furniture to assemble and accessories, clothes and toys to arrange. I am looking forward to that last part most of all!

Yummy Eating

2011-11-01T21:23:00.001-04:00

We really enjoyed the recent batch of molasses and buttermilk bread and ate it all up. I plan to make more sometime. It was especially good for egg salad or chicken salad sandwiches.

Today, I made an improvised bread with mostly rye and whole wheat and a little bit of white bread flour. I used up 2 cups of buttermilk I had in the fridge, then used water for the remaining liquid. I also added in a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of melted butter. It came out really well! We had it sliced with soup for dinner, but it will make good sandwiches too.

As the storm blew in last Saturday, I made a big pot of chili using the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution recipe. I used cilantro, peppers, tomato puree and peeled whole tomatoes from the garden.

The hoop house did a great job of protecting our plants during the storm, so we can continue picking things like the cilantro. I'm so excited the hoop house survived the first test of winter, both keeping the plants protected and withstanding the wind without any bracing. It didn't appear to budge a bit, even in the big gusts!

I also topped the chili with mixed cheddar cheeses and sour cream. It's perfect food for the cold weather. The first batch lasted for 3 dinners and I'm going to make another later this week or weekend.

Garden Construction Project: Building a Hoop House PART 3 (of 3)

2011-10-29T13:30:00.002-04:00

With *snow* in the forecast, it was high time to do the finishing touches on the hoop house! We have not had fall yet this year...the leaves are still green on the trees and we still have some flowers in bloom like this rose by the patio. It's one I got at the grocery store a few years ago as a house plant, but it's been very happy to live outside year round. There are peppers to bring in from the garden too.

So, when I left off with the construction posts, the next step was to build and hang the doors. The doors came out really well after some aggravating planing here and there. Outside, with the hinges and latch showing.

And inside, showing the diagonal supports. I need to put a hook and eyescrew on the inside so I can keep the door closed when I'm inside.

The door on the back wall is the same.

Then, we had to create the roll up ventilation with pipe, clips, crank and some anti billow cord. The entire side can be rolled up at once! It will stay up too, with the handle braced on the edge of the end wall, but I think it's a good idea to put clamps on a couple of the ribs along the length just to add a little support for the roll up part to rest on.

This picture shows the crank. We have it held off the ground with a loop of rope. I wouldn't want it to be frozen into the ground on the first warm days of spring when we need to open the house up! There is plastic at the ends of the ventilation section to prevent any major drafts getting in under the ventilation flap.

A view of the side showing the ventilation set up and the anti billow cord laced down the side. Look how tight the plastic gets when the weather gets chilly!

Inside, there are some finishing touches to do like the hooks for the doors. I need to level the ground for my potting bench, but am just too pregnant for that amount of digging right now! You can see my coat/tool rack on the potting bench. I need to hang that on the end wall.

Of course, there needs to be a lot of planting too!!! I have gotten too pregnant to do much of that or much weeding. Also, we have been dealing with the moth/caterpillar attack. At least there is some greenery in there. Most of it I planted, but a few tomatoes volunteered and I have left them growing to see how they take the cold.

Parsley.

Cilantro (some of which will go in a chili later today!) and basil.

Carrots. I'm hoping for some super sweet cold weather carrots for xmas!

Radishes.

Swiss Chard, both Fordhook Giant and Bright Lights varieties.

A view down the middle bed showing German Winter thyme in the box, Evergreen Bunching scallions, marjoram, par-cel and various herbs, Winterbor kale, dill, fennel...

My beets, spinach, broccoli and broccoli raab are trying to grow, but have suffered the most from caterpillar attack. Next year, I will use organic treatments to try to protect them better. Johnny's Seeds has suggested I use Dipel.

It has been quite the adventure to build, but we are so happy with the results. I know we are going to use it a lot. I hope it holds up well and doesn't need much more maintenance than a new 'skin' each season...I'll keep you posted, of course!

Now, it's back to house construction...working on the nursery project. I hope to have a post about that in the near future. That cutesy due date countdown ticker in the corner of the page is becoming a little stressful with all the work that needs doing. Let's hope he's not an early baby!!

Molasses and Buttermilk Bread

2011-10-26T21:14:00.002-04:00

We have not turned the heat on yet this year and it was a challenge to make bread in a cool house today. It took such a long time to rise! I wasn't sure it was going to come out, but I find that bread is pretty forgiving.

It has great flavor from rye flour as well as the molasses and buttermilk.

This is another recipe from Sweet and Savory Swedish Baking by Leila Lindholm.

Chicken Korma

2011-10-23T18:31:00.000-04:00

This is one I've cooked and blogged before, but it's so good I have to share again! The recipe is from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I so enjoy the process of cooking a curry--it is a real sensory experience! It's visually pretty, smells amazing and sometimes I like getting immersed in methodical slicing or dicing.

I picked the green chile and cilantro from the garden. The chilies are going by in the colder weather, but the cilantro is thriving in the hoop house.

Although the recipe calls for green chilies, I just had to use this red mariachi from the garden too! It was perfect!

Chicken Korma simmering on the stove top.

I also picked a few radishes from the hoop house for a crunchy, tasty garnish.

It is exciting when dinner time finally arrives and all the toppings are arrayed in preparation.

All ready to eat! Yum!!!

Breakfast Bars

2011-10-22T19:04:00.012-04:00

It's not on purpose, but I've baked another item beginning with the letter B--seems to be an accidental theme for October, so far!

This treat is from Nigella Express, but is also posted on her website. The bars are truly "express" to make, though they do spend an hour in the oven. They are a little sticky to prepare, but you'll enjoy the smell of the coconut and other ingredients while you evenly distribute and then press them into the pan. You could substitute any of your favorite nuts and seeds.

They are a little tricky to cut. I found it easiest to use the point of my large kitchen knife rather than trying to slice down with the whole blade.

In linking to the recipe, I saw that Nigella has a new book coming out in 2012! I'm already looking forward to it, not that I've even come close to running out of recipes to try from her other books =)

Brownies

2011-10-14T22:35:00.005-04:00

The nursery is still under destruction...umm, I mean, construction...so fuel is needed for the weekend ahead! What could be better than about 10,000 calories of brownies?!

This weekend's project will be drywalling a ceiling. Just what every pregnant woman wants to be helping with at about 27 weeks, LOL!

This was another new to me recipe from One More Slice by Leila Lindholm. (I love when a cookbook makes me want to try all the recipes in it.) I skipped the frosting as we need to have energy, not a sugar coma.

It is very rich and chocolaty. I used Bensdorp cocoa powder in it which has been a favorite of mine for awhile now. Of course, we cut into it while it was still warm from the oven.

I'll have to freeze most of it!

The baguettes, from my last post, have been so good. I had slices topped with cream cheese today. Jeff took one loaf to work where it was eaten up! I still have two halves in the freezer to thaw and warm over the next few days.

I'm wondering, does anyone know the best way to store french bread overnight to preserve the crunchiness of the crust? I usually just bag it and let the crust go chewy which is nice too, but I'm wondering if wrapping it in a tea towel is a better option? Or some other idea...?

The baking gods must be smiling on me lately as I've been having wonderful success in the kitchen with some new recipes. Also, I entered a King Arthur Flour Company drawing on Facebook and won a coupon for a free 5 pound bag of their All Purpose Flour!

Baguettes

2011-10-13T17:49:00.000-04:00

This was a first for me! I'd never tried making baguettes before, though I kept meaning to.

I started with a pre-ferment stage which made a bubbly blob! I'm not sure whether this is a Biga or a Poolish, as I read definitions for each and this one is sort of a combination...drier like the Biga, but fermented for the shorter time of the Poolish. The recipe book just calls it a starter dough, so maybe I'll just go with that! This is what a bit of yeast, water and bread flour looked like after about 4 hours.

I then made a second dough incorporating the starter into it and let it rise before turning it out on a floured board to divide and shape.

I shaped the dough and arranged it on a sheet pan. I would like to get a proper baguette pan soon. I clearly need some practice with shaping! I think the shaped pan will help too, as I'll know just what size I'm aiming for. Also, I was worried they would rise and stick together arranged like this, in fact, I moved two to a second pan just after the photo as they were getting too close. I think the actual baguette pans are longer, so your loaves are longer and thinner too.

Just before putting them in the oven, I brushed them with water and sprinkled two with everything topping and two with sesame seeds.

I followed a recipe from One More Slice by Leila Lindholm. You can see a clip of her making chocolate baguettes here. That recipe calls for the same starter dough, so you can see how it's used.

So yummy!!!

Blueberry Buckle

2011-10-11T17:14:00.012-04:00

I've really been in the mood for blueberries! Could it be a pregnancy craving? Or perhaps I'm just craving the butter, sugar and cinnamon so often accompanying blueberries! Today, I made Blueberry Buckle from the The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. It has lots of sweet streusel topping.

I had a piece still hot from the oven and it was so lovely. I broke it apart to cool a little before greedily eating! It was a perfect tea-time pick me up to tide me over to a late dinner.

It is going to be great with coffee in the morning too. Jeff's already planning to take a rather large amount to work.

Blueberry Muffins

2011-10-02T12:49:00.007-04:00

The lemon poppy seed cake didn't quite make it to Sunday, so I made blueberry muffins. Jeff is doing a lot of work on the nursery that I can't help with, so I'm keeping him well fed!

These are made following a recipe in Sweet and Savory Swedish Baking by Leila Lindholm, though I substituted vanilla paste for vanilla sugar and confused the temperature/cooking time for the size muffin tin I had. I wasn't quite awake enough to follow directions yet, but it all worked out anyway!

Edited to add: Here is the video of Leila Lindholm making the muffins.

Madeira Cake

2011-09-30T17:12:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite, fast coffee or tea cakes is Madeira Cake by Nigella Lawson. This one has the optional poppy seeds which go so well with the lemon.

I've baked it on a Friday afternoon with the hopes it will be around long enough to be enjoyed with coffee for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday!

Fall Growing

2011-09-25T20:28:00.001-04:00

My hoop house growing has had a set back. I've never had trouble with cutworms and caterpillars before, but now I seem to have a plague of them. I am wondering if they arrived with some composted cow manure I bought and added to the soil, only to discover it wasn't very nice at all.

Jeff and I have been looking for pests and squishing all we find. I'm hoping our friendly toads will eat some of them! The toads have made themselves at home in the hoop house and there are little 'toad wallows' here and there where they dig in a little for coolness and moisture. They amuse me, but they also startle me sometimes when I am planting or weeding and they shrug up out of the soil!

The pests have been attacking my parsley, basil, cilantro and broccoli. They have demolished the beets and spinach. They even got inside collars when I tried to protect the seedlings...boy, was I mad then!

So far, the collards, radishes and carrots are doing ok, but I'm a little afraid to say this in case I am jinxed! Some little radish seedlings:

I know things will get better, but it is frustrating at the moment to plant and watch it get eaten. However, I LOVE the hoop house! I am looking forward to writing up my last construction post to show you the roll up side and the doors on hinges.

Fresh Baked Bread

2011-09-22T19:46:00.001-04:00

I am in the mood for baking and am hoping the weather turns fall-like soon, so it's enjoyable to have the oven on. Between the summery temps and my 'incubating' condition, the heat has been too much for me to contemplate turning the oven on very often. But, I have made some pizzas and mac and cheese in the past couple of weeks.

Today, I made yummy 'white toast bread' from Sweet and Savory Swedish Baking by Leila Lindholm. I love the taste and texture from poppy seeds on the sides and bottom and the Malden salt flakes on the top!

I ate 3 hot slices with softened butter right out of the oven. I can do that as I'm eating for two! Well...not all the time ;)

I am such a fan of Leila Lindholm. I hope to see her latest book published in English sometime soon. It's called Hello Cupcake and, if you click that link, you'll see that the preview pictures are gorgeous. In the meantime, however, I still have a lot of cooking to do from her two books that I already have!

Shopping for Baby!

2011-09-21T19:57:00.003-04:00

I've been a little quiet on here lately, mainly because I had a cold. I didn't want to take anything for it, so I just suffered through with lots of sleep and general lazing around and watching episodes of Midsomer Murders.

As soon as I felt better, we began shopping for the baby! Last weekend, we spent a lot of Saturday and Sunday at various stores and now, there is baby stuff all over the house. It is one more step that makes this feel very real and exciting. I've been unboxing and trying to get all the cardboard out of the house. Jeff has a lot of bits to assemble now.

We got some of the major items, like a 'travel system' that includes a stroller and attachable, newborn car seat. Hurrah! We have a way to bring him home from the hospital!

We got a 'bouncer' for a safe place to set him down and hopefully amuse him with the motion it makes. We got the Baby Bjorn carrier that everyone seems to get, a whale shaped bath tub with toys included, a pelican water jug for rinsing, some little toys and blankets...

Oh, we have the crib too! But I have to order the matching changing table from the web as it's not sold in stores. But no real rush as the nursery is still in a state of complete upheaval that has spread to a couple of other rooms too! Much furniture is getting shifted around or stored. Painting will be commenced within the next week or so. I am hoping to hit an upcoming sale on the paint that a store clerk told me about when I was picking out paint samples.

I have lots more ideas about what to get and need to make lists for our next shopping trips for the feeding and changing items. Fortunately, my mom and dad have been sending lots of clothes, so I haven't even had to think about that!

The doggies think everything is for them and I suspect they are going to think the bouncer is an exciting new kind of dog bed when Jeff gets it assembled...

(photos from Babiesrus website)

Pizza Night!

2011-09-14T18:12:00.000-04:00

I recently got a lovely new cookbook by Leila Lindholm called One More Slice and reading it gave me such a craving for pizza! Tonight, I tried her basic crust and it came out beautifully. It is my favorite sort of pizza crust--with some durum wheat mixed in.

I made the tomato sauce from our garden puree and topped it with mozzarella and parm. Yes, I do like rather a lot of fresh, black pepper too ;)

The only trouble was the heat! It is still too hot here to comfortably run a 500 F oven. I am looking forward to some fall weather.

1st Day with the Cover

2011-09-06T20:41:00.001-04:00

We timed the skinning just right! Yesterday, we had a hot day for attaching it, which meant the plastic was flexible and stretchy. Today, the temperature was quite cool (60's F) and the plastic tightened just right and really looks good!

Here is the north side.

Here is the south side with the ventilation needing parts/finishing.

It is cozy and fun inside! I can't wait to get the doors on!

Ignore the 2x4 bracing--that is leftover from our preparations for Irene. We will only use them as a precaution in the most severe weather as the house is quite solid.

The rain from the remains of Hurricane Lee is a good test of the covering. We have one small drip along the hip board that we will have to locate and cover with some repair tape I have ready for just such times. Also, water has not pooled anywhere on the plastic, which is really nice to see! I won't need to worry about going out in storms to dump water off it.

Garden Construction Project: Building a Hoop House PART 2

2011-09-05T17:10:00.000-04:00

After the exhausting long weekend of preparing for, getting through and recovering from Irene, it was nice to get back to normal and have a holiday weekend to continue work on the hoop house.

The next step was to affix the hip board to the south side of the house. This is to help with the roll up ventilation. Hopefully, water and snow won't pool above it too much.

It was fastened to the hoops with c shaped pipe straps. Even though it is a metal to metal contact, it is a tight fit and doesn't slip! (Our back up plan, if they had slipped, was going to be cutting bits of old bike inner tubes to squeeze between the contact points.)

The hip board was attached to the end hoops with a self tapping screw. There are two rows of wiggle wire track on the hip board as we need to have eyelet screws in between for lacing the anti billow cord over the roll up ventilation section.

Here is how the wiggle wire track looks on one of the end walls.

All potentially sharp or rough edges were covered with felt tape.

The plastic was cut to length (we have a roll that will cover it twice). Then, we started pulling the plastic over the hoops and temporarily secured it with clamps and 'tacked' it down with the wiggle wire in places until it was pretty well aligned and tight. Then, all the wiggle wire was snapped into place.

Progress shot. The rolled up part will become a proper roll up side for ventilation. We need to assemble some pipes and attach a handle/crank. It will be further secured with anti billow rope laced between the hip and side boards. A couple of narrow strips of plastic will be attached at each end, between the hip and side boards. Having this double layer at the ends will help keep out the wind.

Inside the 'bubble'!

So, still remaining to do is the roll up ventilation, neatening up the ends of the plastic on the end walls, cutting the doors to size and mounting them on hinges and deciding what latches to use. I think after that, all I have to do is get planting!

It's a...

2011-09-02T09:40:00.002-04:00

...BOY!!!

I'm so happy we can stop calling the baby 'it' now!

Yesterday, I had my exciting 20 week ultrasound, giving us a glimpse of a healthy and active looking baby. We counted limbs, fingers and toes! Here is baby's web debut:

I started to really feel pregnant in week 19 and grew out of my jeans. Yoga style pants with a stretchy waist are good right now. I'm not ready for the huge belly band pants yet! I still feel very well, just less flexible in the middle and there are some brief aches now and then. Also, I started to really feel the baby moving around and being especially active at times, like when I try to go to bed! I guess I have to get used to that...kids never want to go to bed.

It's time to work on the nursery and sign up for classes. This week, I got info about first baby pictures that can be taken in the hospital and a form to send back right away! That makes it feel like time is flying. We are so excited, but haven't really started to prepare yet! I don't think buying stuffed toys counts...

Habanero Hot Sauce

2011-08-31T20:17:00.001-04:00

Today, I tried making Bob's Habanero Hot Sauce, a seemingly very popular online recipe. I went ahead and made it pretty much as written with the full amount of peppers since reviewers seemed to think that worked well. The only changes I made were to strain the liquid off the peaches to avoid making the sauce too runny, I reduced the mustard to 2 tablespoons, I reduced the black pepper to a half tablespoon as I used some pretty strong, fresh grounds and I reduced the salt to just 1 teaspoon.

It is VERY, VERY hot! Really too hot for anyone pregnant, like me! It does seem tasty as far as I could tell before my tongue felt no sensation other than burning. So, I'm going to try this again using just a couple of peppers and see if I can make something I can enjoy even while pregnant and use in greater quantity in general.

It seems like it will be a good 'jerk' style marinade for chicken.

Jeff will use some of this batch in tiny amounts and he'll take some to work for the hot pepper lovers there!

Irene

2011-08-30T11:04:00.001-04:00

We were very lucky! The wind was tropical storm rather than hurricane strength and the rain was minimal, I'd say less than 2 inches. Still, I did not enjoy the wind we did get! It is unnerving to see spruce trees blowing about like palm trees!

Before the storm, we were especially concerned about the new hoop house under construction. We really did not want it tested so soon! We braced it in each corner with 2x4s and the neighbor loaned us some ground anchors too. It did just fine--didn't budge at all!

Every time I go to a hardware store, I look at the generators and think we should have one. Well, Friday morning, we decided we had to have one immediately and, of course, they were all sold out. We went on a bit of a road trip to one of two stores I was able to find with some in stock. They would not take orders over the phone, so we had to drive there, fully expecting them to be sold out by the time we got there. Luckily, there were still a few to choose from, though they were selling fast! The store had them right by the door, already on trolleys, with a gas can and heavy duty electrical cord. And, they had a couple of strong employees to lift it into the truck for us.

When we got home, Jeff set it up to run in the back of the truck, which is probably a 'don't' in the instructions, but we needed it close to the house and not in the elements. Jeff organized a good set up with the shop light for night time, the fan to help keep the motor cool and a wattage meter. Next time, we will wire it into the house, so we don't have electrical cords running all over the place!

The road trip paid off as we did lose the power from about 9:50 am Sunday to about 11:50 am Monday and we were able to save all our garden food that is squirreled in the deep freezer. We were also able to run the fridge and check the TV for news updates.

We had computers on battery throughout the storm, but the internet was down!

The garden got such a beating! The larger, more fragile leafed plants like cukes and zukes got torn to shreds. The peppers and eggplants looked like they were getting broken. I took some pictures toward the tail end of the storm when the winds had weakened and I dared go outside. Here are the peppers and the flattened sunflowers in the background.

More peppers.

A detail of the green bells.

A detail of the Holy Moles.

The eggplants really looked doomed!

Most of the tomatillos were flattened, except for some that grew up through cages.

As evening came, we were able to open the house windows a little to let in some cooling breezes to clear out the hot, humid, tropical storm air. We had some candles for light in between running the generator. I wished I'd bought more than one of these cute Ikea lanterns! Maybe I will look for them again the next time we are there.

Monday, work was closed due to the lack of power, so Jeff and I cleaned up sticks in the yard. We didn't have that many. The neighbor to the south lost most of a tree and some fence and the neighbor to the north lost some tree limbs, but nothing like it could have been. Some of the trees don't have many leaves left.

We worked at staking the peppers and today, they are looking perkier!

This hab was flat on the ground after Irene, but we gently lifted it and tied it up.

Likewise, a Holy Mole.

The eggplants are really surprisingly sturdy plants.

Quite a few peppers fell off the plants and most of them are under-ripe, so they are a loss, but we will still have plenty. The eggplants are probably ok, though perhaps a little bruised. All the fruit fell off the apple trees and the grape vines. It smells like a winery under the trees!!

I just hope everyone else in the path of the storm can get back to normal soon too!!!

Garden Construction Project: Building a Hoop House PART 1

2011-08-23T20:07:00.002-04:00

Awhile back, I mentioned we were getting ready for some winter gardening...ta DA...I can finally reveal how we will do that! We are building a hoop house!!! We have slowly been working on it over the spring and summer. I am super excited about it!

A hoop house (also called a high tunnel or poly tunnel) is a passively heated structure--from sun radiation alone. It stays just warm enough that you can grow/harvest cold weather crops all winter long. You can extend the season for warm weather crops. (You could heat it on the coldest days, if you needed to.) I can't wait to experiment and see just how much longer we can make the season and what we can overwinter.

It will replace my tent style cold frames, which I cannot find for sale anymore. (I am down to one and it was pretty wobbly this year.) I will be able to start the summer seedlings I started in that in the new hoop house. It will be more convenient than the little cold frames in so many ways, like being able to stand inside it to work!

Our hoop house is about 14' wide x 28' long and nearly 7' high (at the ridge line) and the Quonset style. The 1:2 ratio is supposed to be ideal for retaining warmth. The ribs and ridgepole are made from chain link fence top rails and line posts and the ends are framed in lumber. The plastic covering is greenhouse suited (UV protected) 6 mil held in place with wiggle wire.

We used the "Quick Hoops" method of building which involved buying a special pipe bender, ground post driver and some specialized cross-connectors.

The first part of the bend is the easiest to make.

It gets harder toward the end and Jeff put all his weight into it!

It seemed so straightforward...however, there was a hiccup. Our hoops ended up being wider from end to end than the suggested 13' to 15' for the 12' wide house that we had instructions for that came with the bender. They were mostly around 16' 5". You do need it to have some outward tension for stability, but this was too hard to compress to size and caused the top of the arch to bend at the connection point. Jeff called customer service at Johnny's Seeds and they said other people were getting similar widths, or even larger. It seems to depend on the lot of metal you get. Anyway, we were told we could try to force it to fit as long as someone was holding down on the middle of the arch at the same time to keep it from bending sharply at the stress point, or just drive the ground posts a little further apart and make a slightly wider hoop house. The middle still bent under the strain, so we experimented with width and settled on 14'. We couldn't insert the hoops as far into the ground posts as indicated in the instructions. We went with what the curve would allow, which was 5 inches. It still required Jeff to swing like a monkey from the bars, wrestling them into place! And, a little WD-40 on the pipe ends helped too.

This picture shows the line posts getting cut in half to make the ground posts for the hoops. A saws all made short work of it.

It was exciting to drive the first post and have construction really underway! Despite having so much slate in the ground here, it was pretty easy to drive posts. Only one was a bother and that's because we hit some hard fill that we speculate must have been under one of the sheds that used to be here. We'd previously dug out some large slates from the same area that may have been under the sills, but who knows!

Fortunately, our site is nearly level with only about 2.5" of variation. This shot shows most of the posts in place.

With all the posts other than the problem one driven in, Jeff started working on the hoops again. He connected the two pieces that form a hoop, drilled a hole at the ridge line and used a hex bolt to fasten them together. At this point, with the wider, less bent hoops, he put them back in the bender and put a little more bend in the ridge line area. This trick really helped a lot!

Here is a progress picture showing just one more hoop remaining and the problem ground post in the left foreground. We ended up having to use a little concrete in that one.

Jeff drilled holes through the ground post, hoop and baseboard for the carriage bolts.

We used tie plates to connect the sections of baseboard (same for the hip board too).

Here is the end wall framing in progress. There weren't directions for end walls, so we just improvised.

Here is a detail of the cross connectors that hold the ridgepole and the galvanized strapping we used to secure the end wall to the hoop.

Here is the siding in progress. We clamped the sheets in place and Jeff traced the shape of the arch onto them and then he cut along the line with the jigsaw.

The siding was screwed to the frame.

This picture shows the siding in progress with the corner bits still to do.

At last all the wall pieces were in place!

And, it was time to stain the exterior. We chose a color called "Cape Cod Gray" which we are very pleased with.

Soon, I will do a "Part 2" post showing the doors, hip board, wiggle wire tracks, roll up ventilation for the south side and the 'skinning'. Well, it may be more than one post...we'll have to see!

I have a lot of learning to do, but my hope is to have fresh greens for Christmas dinner this year. I expect it will take me a few seasons to really get the hang of it though--especially with a baby keeping me busy!

Something else I'm looking forward to is having a chair in the hoop house and on a winter day, going out there, taking off my coat, hanging it on a hook and sitting in the sun and warmth, semi-outside. I can totally picture myself having my coffee there! Of course, I'll probably see all the work that needs doing and not do much sitting around, after all. That's what usually happens when I try to go sit by the summer garden!

Part 2

Part 3

all hoop house posts

Pickled Hot Pepper Rings

2011-08-22T19:41:00.008-04:00

With too much to do today, I changed my mind about which canning recipe to do next. I used a different book than yesterday called Put 'Em Up! to make a very simple batch of Pickled Chile Peppers. This recipe involves no spices and is flavored only by a sweet-sour brine.

I think they will be especially nice for adding to sandwiches, but one can use this sort of pickled pepper on salads, pizzas or Mexican style food too.

I picked a bowl of yellow Mariachi peppers from the garden thinking their fruity heat would make a nice pickle.

I stemmed and cored them and cut them into rings. This is about 10 cups, not packed tightly.

The rings were packed into hot, sterilized pint jars and covered with boiling brine. Then, they were capped and processed in a boiling water bath. 5 pints in all.

They did float a bit, but it's hard to avoid, especially with cold packing.

August 21 Garden Pics

2011-08-21T20:53:00.000-04:00

If you peek under the leaves, there are a lot of big, sweet, green peppers! (All Big Bertha variety.) Unfortunately, there are a few weeds too...

I'm watching these Holy Mole peppers. They are supposed to be a brownish color when ripe, I think. They must be getting close! I've found one recipe to try with them: Holy Mole Sauce, though they must be versatile for others, if you know what you are doing!

The eggplants are starting to get ahead of me and I think I'll be giving some away soon!

The sunflower variety is a bit smaller than last year's, but they are still pretty. The first ones are blooming now and there are bees on them all the time, though it's hard to see the bee in this shot. I have to use the zoom to get a picture since they are over my head!

Hot Pepper Relish and Sauce

2011-08-21T17:21:00.000-04:00

I'm working on some new to me recipes from a book called The Joy of Pickling 250 Flavor-Packed Recipes for Vegetables and More from Garden or Market (Revised Edition) by Linda Ziedrich.

Today, I picked our Cherry Bomb peppers to make the Southeast Asian Chile-Garlic Relish. I minced 2 heads of garlic--which is a sneeze inducing amount!

The relish is so simple, but so tasty! It keeps in the fridge for a long time and can be a condiment or added into all kinds of recipes. Later, I put it into quart jars for easier storage.

Another recipe in the book uses some of the relish and some of that minced garlic to make an amazing stir-fry type sauce called Sweet Chile-Garlic Sauce. It is prettier in real life with the light streaming through it. I wish you could have a taste! I really enjoyed licking out the pot after bottling it. Again, this keeps in the fridge for a long time without need for canning. (However, I wish there were directions for canning it as I would love to share it with family and friends!)

I have to get some chicken or pork and make up a stir-fry soon with some of our sweet peppers too.

I highly recommend both of these recipes. Over the next few days, I'm going to try a couple more recipes from the book and will let you know how they work for me.

Enjoying Summer's Bounty

2011-08-16T19:41:00.001-04:00

Today, after the Red Hot Sauce that was leftover from canning yesterday had had a chance to cool down in the fridge, I tried it on some chips. It's not quite what I was after, but it's interesting and tasty. I don't eat shrimp, but I keep thinking it might be a nice cocktail sauce for shrimp. I sent the remaining leftover sauce to work with Jeff and it was eaten right up!

Because I had tomatoes all washed and taking up space on the counter, I skinned some and bagged them for the freezer. I did 8 bags of just plums, about 5 tomatoes per bag.

Then, I did some mix bags with yellow, orange and red varieties.

I just froze them in small amounts as I anticipate adding them into dishes that need a little tomato texture. They will be good in my chicken chasseur and vindaloo, for example. I don't really mind some seeds, so I left them in.

The end is in sight for the tomato harvest. I'm going to start pulling out some plants. I may do a few more small batches of sauce or skinned tomatoes, but mostly we will just eat the cherry tomatoes and a few others.

We don't seem to tire of Eggplant Parm! I made another batch for dinner tonight. Each time it is a little different.

Lately, my tomato sauce has a lot of sweet bell peppers, both green and yellow.

All ready for eating!

Red Hot Sauce

2011-08-15T19:20:00.011-04:00

We had some cool, rainy weather today, so what did I do? Canned--and heated the house right back up again!

In torrential rain, I picked plum tomatoes and Cherry Bomb peppers.

I washed and chopped them and started cooking them in vinegar until softened.

Then, I ran them through the food mill, added salt, sugar, spices and boiled them some more. After about a half hour, I added more vinegar before boiling it for the last half hour until it was the right consistency. The vapors really cleared my head, LOL!

At last, I filled jars and put them in the boiling water bath. The recipe made 4 half pints plus a little leftover to put in the fridge to use right away.

This recipe is from the Ball Blue Book (1999 edition) and it was the first time I'd tried making it. It's kind of like a spicy ketchup, though not as thick as a ketchup. It would shake out of a typical hot sauce bottle very nicely, but I can't can in those. It should be very good on eggs! Next time, I might reduce the amount of salt a bit.

Still Picking Tomatoes!

2011-08-12T21:13:00.007-04:00

Many of the determinate tomato plants look so spent now, but fruits are still ripening on what's left of the vines. Here are the two wash trays with today's harvest. Plus, I had 8 or so large tomatoes like Brandy Boys and Rutgers in the wash bowl in the sink as they wouldn't fit on the trays without being in danger of rolling off.

There are mostly plums on this tray.

Even though this harvest was smaller than others, we still got one of the highest yields of puree--12 bags for the freezer. That's due to all the plums that require little cooking to make a thick puree.

A Big Announcement!

2011-08-10T19:35:00.003-04:00

Our lives are changing in a very exciting way! I am pregnant and our baby is due in January!

So far, I am feeling quite well and have had no morning sickness at all. I've certainly needed some naps though!

Fall will be a very busy time with classes and shopping and getting the house ready. Hopefully, we'll get everything done so I can more or less relax for the last month or so.

I won't know gender until early in September and then I will be able to knit some more things in the appropriate colors. So far, I've knit in green as blogged about (the stuffed bunny and the matinee jacket). I'm working on a yellow kimono jacket. And, I have two pairs of little striped white and tan socks to seam up.

Big Harvests

2011-08-09T20:11:00.003-04:00

There is so much to pick and preserve this time of year, I should try to do a little bit every day!

The recent rain and wind was quite rough on the garden. It is hard to get storms at harvest time when ripe fruits are only just holding onto the plants and can be easily knocked off. Also, plants like the tomatoes are dying back and all that withered material drapes across the wet fruits and then dries on after the sun comes out, making it take longer to wash unless you get to it before it's baked on.

The peppers had the hardest time. I was sad to see so many plants toppled and had to quickly work to drive in more stakes and tie them all back up again before the blazing sun scalded the exposed peppers. Even the ones that were already staked, suffered some too. A number of branches, heavily laden with peppers, broke right off, but we will still have plenty.

I did have to pick a bunch of green bells to save them, but luckily they are ripe enough although they might have changed color if allowed to hang on the plants longer.

Fortunately, considering our hot and humid weather, peppers do not need blanching or any heating to prepare for the freezer. I washed a bunch of the bells and a variety of hots. Then, I removed the stems and seeds, halved or quartered them, froze them separately on cookie sheets and later put them in gallon freezer bags. When I am ready, I can take out what I want for a specific recipe. Frozen peppers won't be as crisp as fresh, but that is just fine for cooking into a curry, pasta or pizza sauce or chopping into enchilada or burrito fillings.

Some of the Big Bertha sweet bells.

A selection of hots, in a double layer separated by paper and ready to freeze.

For dinner, I sauteed some green and yellow bells with onion and chicken. At the end, I added in the pineapple chunks and some spoonfuls of cranberry pepper jelly (we have a little left from last year's preserving) and then served it on some Kasmati rice.

The tomato plants look quite pounded, but the fruits hung on pretty well and I picked them today and even got the washing done. I filled two of my melamine wash trays and most of a bowl!

I don't believe I've photographed the Italian Ice tomatoes yet. They are so called 'white' tomatoes, but they are really a very pale yellow. This is the first year I've grown them and I am impressed by their wonderful flavor! They do seem to take longer than other cherries to ripen though. There are 3 shown in the foreground of this picture. They are a little more pale in real life.

And, more cherries and pears. Sometimes I think of the pears as 'light bulbs'! They are certainly cute little tomatoes.

While I've been picking peppers and tomatoes, some of the eggplants have been getting too big. I'll have to throw a few in the compost and then catch up on picking the rest tomorrow while I have the tomatoes simmering on the stove!

Even More Tomatoes!

2011-08-07T11:20:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, I picked the most tomatoes yet, 2 trugs worth, and froze 13 bags!

This pic is just to demonstrate how I bag the tomato puree/sauce for freezing. I arrange the bags upright in a box, so they all end up about the same shape and can be handled and thawed easily when the time comes. After they freeze, I simply empty the box for the next batch.

We are finally getting a little rain which I hope will revive the lawn and trees. Everything's been looking a little brown and the sunniest parts of the lawn have gotten so dry that it sounds a bit crunchy when you walk over it.

Roasted Tomatillo and Tomato Salsas

2011-08-06T07:30:00.008-04:00

Friday, I made the first batches of salsa this summer.

Here are the ingredients, minus the onion, garlic, lime and salt. I used a lot of Fooled You Jalapenos for pepper flavor and added the Garden Salsas in for heat (and flavor too!). Mine are hotter than expected this year! I think it's because the weather has been so hot and dry.

I had to roast things in three batches so they would fit on the pan ok. Here are the tomatoes, garlic cloves in their papers and the 3 early tomatillos.

The peppers, halved, with stems and seeds removed, ready to roast until a little blackened and very soft.

The onions having their turn. (I had guesstimated too many and set aside about 4 wedges for something else.)

In the food processor, I pulsed together the tomatillos, 1/4 of a Garden Salsa pepper and 1/2 a Jalapeno and a small clove of garlic. Isn't that easy? It is tasty and quite hot!

Then, I switched over to making the tomato salsa. I pulsed the tomatoes in two batches and added them to a big mixing bowl. Then, I pulsed the garlic and onions and added those to the tomatoes. Then, I pulsed all the Jalapenos and added them to the mix. Finally, I pulsed all the Garden Salsa peppers, but only added some to taste. I reserved the rest in a separate bowl, so we can add more after it's sat for awhile and blended--if we want more heat. At the very end, I stirred in a little salt and the juice of one lime. Cilantro would be a perfect addition to add in at the end too. Unfortunately, I got the timing wrong and my early Cilantro went to seed and my next crop is not far enough along! Ack!!!

This will be great for snacking on all weekend!

Peppers

2011-08-05T10:06:00.002-04:00

More pepper varieties are ripening now. As you've no doubt noticed, we have already been picking Mariachi, Fooled You Jalapeno, Garden Salsa and Cherry Bomb.

Now, I have tested a Big Bertha green bell and found it quite ripe. I think the biggest ones can be picked at this point as there is no bitterness, though if I leave some on the plants they will probably develop more sweetness and, I might get some to turn red.

Thankfully, it is easy to see when the Yellow Minis are ripe. They are wonderful, prolific sweet peppers. It is my first year growing them, but I will plant them again!

I have one Cayenne plant this year and I picked some a little before they went completely red. I always have a problem with Cayenne. As soon as they start to get really ripe, the ends go soft and then dry in a yucky way that you can see on one pepper in the picture. I don't know what causes this and have figured it is due to our damp, coastal climate. I suppose it could be blossom end rot, but it's strange that I so rarely see it on any other peppers. If anyone has ideas about this, please let me know!

Just a close up to show off those pretty yellow peppers!

For dinner, I sauteed the peppers with some Asian eggplant.

And then combined them with some pasta tossed with my mascarpone cheese sauce. I forgot to take a picture until I'd already served a bunch! We were just so eager to start eating it. It was delicious and the sweetness of the peppers really worked well.

More Tomatoes

2011-08-04T08:33:00.010-04:00

I have to make some more sauce for the freezer! I love using all the varieties for flavor, but there were a bunch of plum types underneath the others to help thicken the sauce. Can you find the smallest tomato? It is a Yellow Mini, but unusually small compared with the others from that plant. It's in the foreground, next to the biggest, a Brandy Boy tomato.

Here is a closeup showing some Yellow Pears, a Red Lightning and a Purple Plum.

I didn't have enough room on the tray for all the Cherry tomatoes, so here are even more!

1st of the Season

2011-08-03T16:24:00.003-04:00

We have some ripe tomatillos! I wasn't even looking for any, but saw something out of the corner of my eye as I was walking past and had a closer look. It really was what I thought it was! I found a couple more and will have a harder look later in case there are more and then make a little bowl of salsa.

My Birthday!

2011-08-02T22:24:00.004-04:00

Today, I had a very nice birthday and my presents will provide you with a major hint about my latest gardening project! I got the two Eliot Coleman books about year round gardening. And, I placed an order from Johnny's for fall/winter seeds. Pretty soon, I will reveal more about how we're getting ready for fall, winter and early spring gardening.

But for now, there is still a lot to report about the summer garden! I picked some gorgeous eggplants and used 3 of them to make Eggplant Parm for dinner. I froze half of the breaded, baked eggplant rounds to use at a later time. I've read that this is a good way to preserve eggplant. I think I can just thaw the rounds in a hot oven on a baking sheet and then assemble them as usual into the casserole dish for Eggplant Parm. I froze them flat on a baking sheet so they would be separate and I will bag them when they are solid and won't stick together. When I am ready to use them, I will take out just how many I need.

This was my big serving of birthday Eggplant Parm! I love it!

After dinner, Jeff helped me process all the tomatoes I'd picked earlier in the day to make more sauce for the freezer. This batch has at least one of every tomato variety in the garden! You can see a piece of Green Zebra on top. That is an amazing tomato--almost like a grape!

Today's Pickings

2011-07-28T15:45:00.004-04:00

I'm planning to make a small batch of tomato sauce for the freezer--the first of 2011!

I'll use the eggplants and zukes for tonight's dinner of Eggplant Parm.

Last night, I spied the first ripe Yellow Mini Sweet Pepper and Jeff and I ate it right there in the garden. Those are going to be great to slice for salads or cook with! I have to start picking more peppers like the Mariachi and Garden Salsa. I have to use some Orient Express Eggplants too--some of them are on the cusp of getting ahead of me!

Bacon-Tomato Sandwich

2011-07-27T19:52:00.002-04:00

I don't eat bacon very often, but when the first juicy, slicing tomatoes begin ripening, I just have to make a bacon-tomato sandwich! It is such a mouth watering combination. I made them for Jeff and I for dinner and it was hard to wait all day for them!

I sliced up a couple of Orange Blossom and 4th of July tomatoes and stacked them with the bacon and a little light mayo on toasted, whole grain English muffins.

Chicken and Jalapeno Kebabs

2011-07-27T07:37:00.002-04:00

This is a recipe from Everyday Food magazine. I forgot to take a prettier picture of everything still on the skewers! I'd already put the chicken and peppers in a serving bowl.

It was very tasty and something we will probably make again!

Eggplant Parm

2011-07-26T07:05:00.007-04:00

I used some of our Burpee Hybrid eggplants for this batch. First, they are sliced, dipped in egg and coated in breadcrumbs.

While the eggplants roasted, I made a sauce with onions, garlic, zukes, tomato sauce from last year and two chicken sausages I needed to use up. I seasoned it with some salt, black pepper and oregano.

I assembled the rounds of eggplant with sauce, mozzarella and parm and baked until the cheeses were nicely melty.

And, I served it on a little nest of fettuccine rigate.

It was delicious and very filling! I *roughly* followed the Martha Stewart recipe.

Today's Garden Pics

2011-07-25T18:17:00.001-04:00

The Casa Blanca lilies are beginning to bloom.

Tomatoes are slowly vine ripening, like this 4th of July variety.

There are so many green ones.

The recent spell of hot weather was rough on some of the tomatoes and resulted in some pretty bad sun scald. I am also noticing some blossom end rot. It has been hard to evenly water as we've had quite a stretch of dryness.

The peppers continue to do well. These are Ancho.

And these are Garden Salsa.

This Barbarella eggplant is basically ready for picking!

Baked Pepper Poppers

2011-07-24T07:32:00.002-04:00

We followed this online recipe: Baked Jalapeno Poppers and used lighter cream cheese and panko breadcrumbs.

I made the pepper boats from Fooled You Jalapenos and Mariachi peppers while Jeff mixed together the cheeses and spices. Then, I filled the peppers while he dipped them in the eggs and coated them with panko breadcrumbs. It was easy and fun having an assembly line like this.

We enjoyed them with sour cream and Cholula. We will definitely be making them again!

Bath Day

2011-07-23T12:42:00.004-04:00

The dog baths were a bit hurried by an unexpected storm that popped up with lots of thunder and lightning. It quickly got quite dark out!

But, we did get both dogs considerably cleaner. Oh, the indignity of being photographed standing in dirty bathwater!!

The best part, as far as Saffy is concerned, is the toweling off. She wriggles in delight! I never get a focused picture of this part!

Just one picture of Silas as the storm was building up. He is shedding like a wild animal you might see in a nature documentary! I'm glad all that hair is outside and not in our tub!

Baba Ghanoush

2011-07-22T12:56:00.004-04:00

Oh my. The heat is extreme today! Stepping out the door is like stepping into an oven. I had to make a few, slow trips to the garden to pick eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and zukes.

Would you believe? I decided I had to roast eggplants for making Baba Ghanoush. It's ironic that such a cool, refreshing summer snack requires preparation in a 400 degree F oven! (It felt like they could roast right in the garden!)

I used 2 Burpee Hybrid eggplants. The recipes generally call for one, but I pick them a little on the small side to avoid seediness.

All roasted and wrinkly. Roasted eggplant smells delicious! Next time, I'm going to roast the garlic cloves along with it, in their skins. Sometimes they can be a little sharp tasting and that will mellow them nicely.

Ready for dipping! I have some multigrain pita chips to dip for tonight's appetizer. I might sprinkle over some chopped parsley and/or cutting celery before serving.

I followed this recipe, basically exactly, though I didn't measure the lemon juice (I used 1 whole lemon) and I also just eyed the amount of tahini too, but I think I was pretty close. Oh, I just remembered I didn't bother to add the olive oil, but I can still drizzle it over later.

Summer Recipes

2011-07-21T08:59:00.000-04:00

All winter long, I read recipes I want to try during the summer when we have a glut of fresh veggies. Then, summer comes and my brain melts in the heat and I'm overwhelmed with harvesting and I forget all my grand recipe plans!! I end up resorting to quick, improvised recipes I make all the time. This is a picture of one example:

It is very simple to make. While the gemelli pasta boils, I sautee the zucchini and eggplant in a non stick pan with a little olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. At the same time, I warm and melt together a few tablespoons of cream with a few tablespoons of mascarpone cheese and another little grinding of fresh pepper. When the pasta is cooked, I put it in the serving bowl and pour over the cheese/cream. I sprinkle it with some parm and toss it all to combine and coat the pasta with the nice cheesy sauce. Then, I put the veggies on top of the pasta and top them with some chopped tomato for a fresh, citrusy kick.

My basic recipes like this are tasty, but I do need some more variety! So, in an effort to be better about trying new recipes this summer, I'm actually going to occasionally list some in posts that I can refer back to.

Today, I'm focused on peppers and eggplants...

-Peppers-

One of Jeff's work friends recently suggested this recipe: Bob's Habanero Hot Sauce - Liquid Fire. We have 3 Habanero pepper plants this year, so this should be a good way to use them.

I want to make *baked* poppers to avoid excessive fats. I can use lighter cheeses too. I'll adapt a recipe like this one: Baked Jalapeno Poppers or this one: Skinny Baked Jalapeno Poppers. I'll try using both Jalapenos and Mariachi peppers.

Chicken and Jalapeno Kebabs with a honey based glaze also printed in Everyday Food Magazine Issue 83, June 2011.

-Eggplants-

I'm interested in lighter versions of Eggplant parm.

Martha Stewart's Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Jamie Oliver's Aubergine Parmigiana

One of our favorite restaurants used to make a wonderful Eggplant Rollatini. (We've hardly been since they stopped serving it, years ago now!) I want to try to replicate it at home based on this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.

And, I can't wait to make some Baba Ghanoush. It is so good. I already have a jar of Tahini waiting in the pantry. I have to think of some things to serve it on other than prepared pita chips as they are kind of salty for me. Maybe I can just toast some plain pitas? I'd guess serving it like bruschetta would work too.

If you have some tried and true pepper or eggplant recipes, please share!!!

More Garden Progress Pics

2011-07-20T11:39:00.001-04:00

This is a little Barbarella eggplant starting to form. I'll have to be careful of those spikes when I pick it! The color shading is pretty.

It's time to start making some salsa! Look at all those Jalapenos we can start picking now. These are Fooled You Jalapenos with the flavor, but no heat. We can use as many as we like and then add some of the hot varieties to provide heat to taste without overwhelming the dish.

These are Cherry Bomb peppers that will start turning red soon.

The husks are not filled yet, but I am already thinking about all the Tomatillo salsa I want to make!

The flowers continue to add a lot of color to the yard. A 'fuzzy' stalk of Liatris.

Some cute Balloon flowers. I love the way they pop open!

I can't resist posting another view of some of the Coneflowers. We are waiting for the Casa Blanca lilies to bloom behind them. You can see the large buds forming.

2011 Garden Layout

2011-07-19T22:23:00.006-04:00

I decided to try to organize my garden scribblings into this schematic. It is mainly to jog my memory, but might be interesting to other gardeners too. (You should be able to just make out the writing if you click to see the enlarged view.)

I didn't note the early season lettuces that were located near the strawberries.

The bordered areas show the different sheets of plastic mulch that are approximately 10' x 25' in size. Some have holes cut in 2 rows and others with 3, so they don't line up in the chart.

Today's Pickin's

2011-07-18T14:50:00.004-04:00

Varieties shown are: Raven zucchini; Red Sun, Yellow Mini, Taxi and 4th of July tomatoes; Orient Express and Barbarella eggplants.

Edited to add: Ack! I've been going over my garden notes re what's planted where and found another labeling mistake. The round eggplants above are not the Barbarella--they are just the Burpee Hybrid. But, I do have some Barbarella's growing nicely, so I'll post a picture soon.

Garden Update

2011-07-18T11:13:00.008-04:00

Whew! It has gotten hot here! Evening is really the only tolerable time to try to get things done in the garden. Yesterday evening, Jeff and I weeded, staked some peppers and tied up some tomatoes.

The peppers flourish in the hot weather. This picture shows many of this year's pepper plants. In the upper left hand corner you can see some of the sunflowers and green beans.

Many plants are already loaded with peppers. The jalapenos and mariachi are ready for light picking. There are very heavy crops coming on the cherry bomb plants in particular. They are always good producers. Other varieties are flowering, setting fruits and coming along well too. It should be a nice, long, staggered harvest. Here are some cayenne peppers that should begin turning red soon.

We need to try to keep everything evenly watered and hope that the plants don't get sun burned too much. If we can get the green tomatoes to maturity, it will be a good crop. Here are some cute pear tomatoes we'll have in salads. I can't remember if they are going to turn yellow or red!

These are green zebra. I am never sure how to tell when they are ripe as they stay green! They are very pretty. Edited to add: Oops! This is actually Red Lightning which is next to the Green Zebra plant. Very confusing, but this variety will eventually turn a streaky yellow and red color.

Here are a lot of cherry tomatoes. The first ripe ones of the season were sooo sweet and good! Most will be red, but we have one plant that is yellow and two that are 'white'.

Here is one of the Asian eggplants.

Here are some plum tomato plants, the zucchini and tomatillos. The zucchini plants are looking a little beaten just from us reaching into them to pick every day.

The rows of sunflowers I sowed this year have quite a ways to go yet, but this was a volunteer we managed to avoid tilling in the spring. The bees are loving it.

I watched a documentary food show on Netflix streaming video this past weekend called Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution and found it quite interesting. I am already sold on organic though, so I was in agreement with the film and was happy to see what some of the French are doing about the problems. While watching the Tour de France this year, I'm looking at those vineyards they bike by in a new light since seeing the film...

1st of the Season

2011-07-14T16:25:00.001-04:00

I picked some tomatoes and cukes for our dinner tonight. We'll be having zucchini too, of course!

The tomatoes are Taxi, Tomatoberry and (I think) Red Sun.

Carrying On

2011-07-12T12:47:00.003-04:00

We still find ourselves looking for Bandit, walking down the stairs in such a way as to not step on him or closing the outside door like we have OCD to keep him safe indoors. Saffy and Silas have been confused and a bit depressed and look for him in the recycle bin where he loved to sleep and check the place his bed used to be. We've been looking through old pictures. I'm glad I took so many and only wish I'd remembered to just run the video recorder now and then. I can't believe that I have only found 2 short videos. Here are some more scans that predate the digital cameras and blog.

This was the night we brought him home from the shelter. He strolled around the house checking things out. He was snuffling loudly as he had a cold and we can still recall the amplified sound of that as he investigated under the fridge! After a brief look, he seemed to completely relax and make himself at home. He loved Jeff's soft fleece top.

Another pic from the early days.

The first of many beds. He was always appreciative of new beds and toys. The toy next to him was his favorite 'foot long mousie'.

About a month after his adoption, we brought home Saffy and they bonded straight away.

Don't they look like trouble here?!

These pictures are in a big box of prints I still have to scan and organize sometime, so perhaps I will post some more at some point. I also have a lot taken with the first digital camera that predated the blog too.

But now, I'd better do a garden update as we are in the peak of the growing season! The garden has gotten way ahead of me over the past few weeks. I've been picking, but have not properly kept up with tying tomatoes or weeding. It won't really affect the harvest, it's mainly just cosmetic and makes it harder to walk around in the garden. I also have to mow, so excuse the shaggy edges!

The peas have gone by and Jeff recently pulled out the support fences. Soon, I will mow over them with the lawn tractor and rake out the debris to add to the compost bin.

Here is a view of the very wild tomatoes. They are sprawling every which way and they are loaded with green tomatoes. I spied an almost ripe cherry tomato today.

Some of the green tomatoes.

Some of the peppers need staking after a downpour. We must have had some wind too? If you look closely you can see the jalapenos starting to grow.

This view shows eggplants in the foreground and more tomatoes in the background. We ate our first eggplant (an asian variety) with dinner last night and it was delicious! It was a very early setting one though, so it may be awhile before we get more.

We are at the height of zucchini season now and eating them for dinner most nights.

Everything has grown so vigorously that there isn't much room for walking between the rows. From left to right in this picture are plum tomatoes, zucchini and tomatillos. There are already many husks formed on the tomatillos.

I haven't been taking as many flower pics this year, but they are blooming very well. At the moment we have veronica, butterfly weed, hollyhock, ox-eye daisy, hyssop, and some more I'm forgetting at the moment! Also, there are some pretty pink hues from the flowering yarrow

and coneflowers.

There were some visitors to the neighbor's yard this morning--about 15 babies and a few adult wild turkeys! The babies are quite cute.

I just hope they stay out of the garden!!

RIP Bandit...

2011-07-03T17:45:00.006-04:00

Just a little post to let you know the sad news... Bandit's health failed quickly over the past few days and we couldn't let him suffer. Here are some scanned photos that predate the blog and my digital cameras, showing him in his prime.

He was probably about 13 years old and lived with us for 11 years. The time went too quickly and he is so loved and missed.

Garden Update

2011-06-22T13:29:00.001-04:00

We've had enough rain showers to really help the garden along this year...and the weeds and lawn! I will have to mow and weed after this next batch of rain passes. I've started picking peas. The third row from the right is not behaving very well. It has grown so wild that it has filled the pathways which will make it tricky for picking.

You can get a sense of how many pods there are to pick, shell, blanch and freeze!

The tomatoes are doing well and I should tie them up again soon.

Some of the bushy plum varieties in the foreground. I have 2 kinds of Roma, 2 kinds of San Marzano and a purple colored plum that I can't wait to see and try!

Zukes to the right of the tomatoes. There are some nearly ready for picking and lots of flowers.

Oh, there are quite a few small, green tomatoes on various plants, but these are getting really big. Wouldn't you know it, this is the one plant I'm not sure of the name for?! Ack!!

Eggplants coming along.

Peppers.

I left some tomatillos to reseed themselves and you can see they do well that way. This is a thick clump of them!

Peas for dinner!
Although the peas have white blooms, we found a couple of plants with pretty purple blooms that almost look like orchids. I don't know if they will produce pods or not and I can't keep track of which flowers they were in the wildness of the pea patch...

This is a branch of purple toadflax in the butterfly garden. I love this flower!

By the patio, the lollipop lilies have begun to bloom.

And the feverfew is pretty by the patio as well.

Now, I'd better go shell some peas!!!

Hanging Out in the Yard

2011-06-05T18:22:00.001-04:00

In between working on some projects and the garden, we relaxed a bit in the yard on Sunday.

Here is a newly sowed portion of the garden. Hopefully we can remember to keep it watered enough until things come up!

There are quite a few butterflies around, though I haven't gotten a very good picture yet. They are lingering rather high up on the shrubs and rarely stay still for long.

Silas decided some of the trees needed trimming and did his famous leaps to reach them.

Success! A branch to shred.

Saffy is so much lazier. She wanders around eating grass clippings. Fortunately, she's leaving that row of romaine lettuces alone on the edge of the garden! You can see her shaved patch from surgery is growing in.

What she loves best though, is being carried or being a lap dog. She is SO spoiled! Here she is contemplating planting a puppy kiss on Jeff.

Happy and smiley as Jeff carries her over to a lawn chair.

How many labradors get to be lap dogs?!

Oh, life is so hard!

Slowly Getting the Garden All In

2011-06-03T18:17:00.000-04:00

It was a hard spring for starting a garden, but nevertheless, it is slowly starting to come together. It was so cold and damp that plants didn't want to start growing and it was hard to move the indoor seedlings outside. Then, the weather seemed to do a 180 shift and got warm and sunny and the garden soil went quite powdery and dry! That was followed by cool, fall-like, very windy days.

Many of the peppers were planted out over the Memorial Day weekend.

The eggplants were also planted out over the weekend.

During this week, Jeff tilled again and we put down more plastic mulch for the rest of the peppers and the cucumbers. I need to do some direct sowing and hook up the drip lines asap.

Wednesday evening, we were in a tornado watch area, but we were lucky that all the storms missed us. We had a little shower of rain and some wind, but nothing bad enough to hurt the garden. I feel for all the people to the north of us with so much clean up to do. I hate to imagine all the new little gardens people just planted that got hailed on or ripped up by wind!! I was surprised the next day, when we did get a lot of wind the weather people didn't bother to mention. The garden really got beat on and a lot of leaves were torn. It was strong enough to blow the lawn furniture around and I kept getting leaves in the face when I went out to round it up! I am going to have to try to tie up some of the peas. Hopefully everything else will be ok.

Here is a view of the peas. I got 4 different varieties, which is why the heights are different. I kind of wish I'd gotten all tall ones...the low ones are kind of back-breaking to pick!

There are a lot of flowers to take pictures of now, even if they are all listing to the east.

The weigalia flowers are looking beautiful. When I leaned in to take this picture, a bunch of sparrows started to flit about inside the shrub and I wasn't sure what direction they would burst out in! I didn't get crashed into, thankfully!

They give off an amazing scent that drifts all over the yard, especially in the evenings.

These are Buxton's Blue hardy geraniums around the patio area.

Snow in summer, around the lilies that will bloom later on.

Daisies.

Lupines.

What's left of the Hesperis...it went by a little fast with some help from the wind.

Knautia, which I think look like little pompoms.

Some blue Salvia.

A detail of a poppy.

Hope you enjoyed the little garden tour!

More Planting and Some Blooms

2011-05-23T10:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we planted 9 zucchini and 63 tomatoes. Jeff helped with this big job this year. It is good to have those tomatoes in! Next up, we need to stake them and plant out the eggplants, peppers and cucumbers. There are some greens to plant out as well. I also need to direct sow some seeds for things like beans.

I have a little shade bed along the barn foundation. It is densely planted and shaded by the Japanese maple. With all the rain we've had, there are lots of bits of tree stuck all over the plants, so they don't look quite as nice as they could. There is a Jack in the Pulpit, Solomon Seal, lily of the vally, sweet woodruff, bluebells and bleeding heart.

Here is a detail of the bluebells (and pink bells) and some lily of the valley and Sweet Woodruff shows as well.

Some lupine is just beginning to bloom out in the full sun, butterfly garden.

FO: Bunny

2011-05-20T12:56:00.001-04:00

Bunny is from Baby Cashmerino 2 by Debbie Bliss. I made the little vest to match the jacket shown in my previous post.

The hard part of knitting toys is the face! I wanted something more than the little x stitches shown in the book. I used some (vintage!) crewel yarn from my grandmother's craft things and just went with the colors I had, otherwise I might have picked a softer pink for the nose. But, I do think the bright colors made it cheerful looking! Hopefully the lopsided bits will just be considered 'charm'.

FO: Garter Stitch Matinee Jacket

2011-05-19T17:07:00.001-04:00

This tiny jacket is from Baby Cashmerino 2 by Debbie Bliss.

This is the 3-6 month size and I would advise buying an extra ball of yarn as I used one more than the pattern called for.

Garden Things

2011-05-14T18:45:00.002-04:00

The weather has been so cool that I haven't done much planting or even been able to introduce indoor plants to the outdoors. We usually get a spell of chilly weather this time of year, I think it's a coastal thing.

Last week, we got an Amish built picnic table for the backyard. I think we will paint it dark green at some point. It will be nice for dinners, but also will be a good work surface for potting or whatever, close by the garden.

Also last week, I planted 100 strawberry crowns. They were a surprise gift from a neighbor as thanks for homemade pickles. They should produce a year from June. I think we'll buy some straw to mulch them with. They don't look like much in the picture, in fact, you pretty much have to take my word that they are there!

Today, I mowed the lawn while Jeff burned the brush piles.

The apple blossoms are open now and the lilacs are about to open up.

I spotted this critter (a vole) tucked into a cranny in the stone wall, eating some blades of grass. It's a garden pest, so it had better find a new home!!

Nice Dinner and Some Evening Garden Work

2011-05-09T20:41:00.004-04:00

I used some of last year's peas to make this yummy dish from Jamie's Dinners. It is Farfalle with Carbonara and Spring Peas. The recipe didn't say to, but I poured off ALL the fat after cooking the bacon. I don't think anybody would want that in the sauce! I used parsley instead of mint as I had it all washed and ready to go which was quicker than walking out to the yard to pick the mint this time.

After dinner, we worked it off with some gardening. We got 7 sheets of mulch in place. I am probably going to buy 3 more sheets. I'm still working on the layout in my head a little.

The robins were flitting along the stone wall, watching us and probably feeling disappointed to see so much soil getting covered up. They like to have an evening feeding session there. There is still a lot of dirt for them to poke around in though. And, in the summer when it gets hot, there will be rain puddles on the plastic that they will like to take baths in.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T21:07:00.001-04:00

We had a really special day which included a lunch of Pasta Peperonata that I made from Jamie Oliver's book titled Jamie's Dinners. It was so delicious! Definitely one to make again.

Jeff tilled the garden again, so it is ready to have the plastic mulch moved into place. The peas are looking good in the foreground. You can see it is already time to mow the lawn again!

This is just a pretty view of a bed with flowering lunaria/money plant. The scent is wonderful when you walk around the yard.

Saffy Videos

2011-05-03T07:25:00.002-04:00

Here is another attempt to get a video of Saffy eating up her pills! I think this one came out a bit better.

Here's what she's getting...

Saffy only has one speed setting: full speed ahead. This is not always the best option when in the cone, like trying to go through doorways!! Given that she's been wearing it for a week now, I don't think she's ever going to get more graceful in it... (There is sound, so check your volume level.)

May 2nd Garden Pics

2011-05-03T07:11:00.003-04:00

Rhododendron

Bleeding Heart

Grape Hyacinth (planted around the base of the bleeding heart, which really looks nice as they flower at the same time)

Pigsqueak (possibly my favorite name for a plant!)

Plum tree (there is a steady buzz sound near this from all the visiting bees)

Peas

A sign of springtime--tiny eggshells dropped here and there around the yard.

Saffy Eats Her Pills

2011-05-02T20:18:00.000-04:00

Saffy continues to be so enthusiastic about her pills that we don't have to hide them in treats. She just eats them plain! I wish I'd gotten a better video including a view of the large green antibiotic pill and the half of a small white one for pain relief, but she was too fast for me and I barely got any of it on the screen!

Recent Cooking

2011-05-02T06:22:00.006-04:00

I have to catch up with posting some of the meals I've made recently! The first pictures show the Real Mushroom Soup from Jamie's Dinners.

It was really tasty and a bit of sourdough boule went with it perfectly.

This next concoction is the Tupperware Mexican Chorizo from the River Cottage Everyday book. It is ground pork with various seasonings including smoked paprika and red wine. It can sit in the fridge for several days and get used as needed. The possibilities are really endless with this.

I used it in a carbonara recipe also from the River Cottage Everyday book. I added the Kalamatas and parsley since it seemed like they would go nicely. I was a little short on ingredients for the sauce, but it was still yummy. Next time, I will try to have the right amounts of things.

It was a great addition to my own recipe made with gemelli, cannellini beans, spinach, Kalamatas and our homegrown tomato sauce. Here is the sauce before I tossed in the gemelli.

For Saturday brunch, I used it in a Spanish style tortilla (or fritatta) with potatoes and spinach (my own improvised recipe).

And, shown ready to eat. (If I was a food stylist, I'd have fussed that potato back into place, but I am more interested in getting to the eating part!)

This week, there will be some repeats, but new dishes I plan to try are Farfalle with Carbonara and Spring Peas and Pasta Peperonata which are both from Jamie's Dinners. I'll probably try a new sweet recipe as well.

Outside Sprouts Update

2011-05-01T18:17:00.002-04:00

Happy May Day!

The weather is so springy this weekend and it was time for the first lawn mowing of the year yesterday. We have blooming primrose, rhododendron, bleeding heart, grape hyacinth, tulip, money plant and probably some more I'm not thinking of at the moment. Oh, one of the plum trees is in bloom!

Inside, everything is growing quickly. I potted on the rest of the peppers and the savory and some lettuce.

Outside, there are more sprouts than I can post pictures of, so this is just a sampling. There are sprouts in every jug--I love 100% success rates! They include: fennel

cilantro

dill

basil

chard

and mustard.

In the cold frame you can see the morning glories, nasturiums, cosmos, zinnias, zukes and the lettuce that has been moved out after being started under lights.

Hats!

2011-04-30T07:33:00.002-04:00

One of the best parts of the royal wedding is the hats! It makes me want to start collecting fascinators, even though I have no real opportunity to wear them. I do have a collection of vintage hats and am amazed how timeless some of them are and I've pictured a few I think could be worn to a wedding today.

This brown one is a favorite of mine. The color is very flattering.

I have never managed to wear red like this, but I do love it. The bauble is a nice touch.

This is another favorite, but is more of a headband than a hat. I love the detailed velvet leaves. I've never quite worked out how the netting is supposed to go, but I think over the hair to the back of the head...maybe.

Quite a few have feathers.

This one looks surprising well on. One just has to be careful not to drag the feather through doorways.

I'm not likely to add to my vintage hat collection at this point as they are from family and a family friend, but I am so tempted to get some new head pieces!

Royal Wedding Day

2011-04-29T19:53:00.003-04:00

Despite the recent track record for such marriages and being American, I was quite excited for the royal wedding. I treated myself to two commemorative 1 pint mugs from Emma Bridgewater as I couldn't decide which I liked best. They are the perfect size for my daily latte and having two means Jeff can use one. (Don't you like how I justify another piece of EB?!) On the big day, I had my latte in this one.

It's hard to see here, but one of my favorite touches on this one is the heart motif on the handle. They have both been getting a lot of use.

I found the old biscuit tin in my Grandmother's basement and the newspaper pages in some of my Great Aunt's stationery and I ended up tucking them away in a drawer in my house since they amused me! Now, I have two cute mug boxes to keep some treasures in.

I got up pretty early to watch the TV coverage, though I'd set the Tivo too, so I didn't have to be up at 4am and I didn't miss anything. I loved all the hats! It was fun seeing everyone arrive, like Rowan Atkinson. The horses are a favorite part for me too. Did you spot the loose one?

Hurrah for William and Catherine!

Conehead

2011-04-28T17:58:00.002-04:00

Poor Saffy! She loathes the cone. I made the mistake of taking it off her thinking it would be ok off in the living room with us watching her, but she was too interested in the stitches. Then, after we put the cone back on her, she moaned and cried so pitifully. Once she knew it could come off, she was trying to insist we remove it for her again! We had to be tough and not give in even though she was really working on our emotions. Now, it's on for the rest of the 2 weeks...

She has been crashing into door frames, furniture, Silas, Bandit and knees. She just about scoops Bandit up with it and plows him along!! She hangs her head, so it catches on the ground and the steps into the house. She has figured out how to eat with it on. She lowers it down around her food dish, all the way to the floor and eats inside it. It keeps Silas and the cat from being able to steal any of her kibbles!

We are keeping her well dosed with pain pills and we haven't seen any signs of pain other than an occasional wince when the leg gets bent all the way. She already wants to trot and canter around the yard and we are having to keep her on a tight leash. She still manages to bounce in place quite a bit.

She's loving all the extra attention and treats--she doesn't know that some of those treats have pills inside. Actually, we've found out she will just eat up the pills alone so we don't have to be sneaky like we thought we'd need to be. They are not flavored to be appealing either!

Royal Wedding Biscuits

2011-04-28T06:55:00.008-04:00

What better way to test out the Biscuiteer's book than by making some hearts and crowns in honor of the royal wedding? I used the basic biscuit recipe, but added a little more than 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla paste. I like to see the flecks of vanilla in the cookies.

The trouble with making biscuits for icing is trying not to eat them all before doing the icing...especially if you make the biscuits one day and ice them the next!

I used some sugar 'pearls' in addition to icing.

WC makes me think "water closet"!

The recipe is delicious. Next time, however, I will either make two batches of cookies...or halve the icing recipe. This time, I ended up making another batch of biscuits a day later. The icing stored in the fridge just fine.

BBQ Dinner

2011-04-27T06:47:00.002-04:00

We are finally wearing short sleeves outside, so it seemed appropriate to celebrate with a bbq dinner.

I made the sauce from the Chinese-Style Spare Rib recipe from Everyday Food magazine, issue 82. But, instead of using it on ribs, I butterflied a whole chicken, covered it with sauce, roasted it and then Jeff did the finishing touches on the grill outside. I reserved some sauce at the beginning, so he could baste it on during the grilling.

To go with that, I made potato salad using Veganaise for the first time. That is good stuff! I am a convert! Mayo is good too, but why not avoid cholesterol when possible? I am looking forward to trying the Veganaise in other recipes too, like dips.

For greens, we had a bit of arugula with balsamic, lemon juice and EVOO.

We had some of our 2010 garden pickles on the side. I also used the juice and some chopped ones in the potato salad.

Annual Vet Visit & An Operation

2011-04-26T15:45:00.002-04:00

Monday, we had the big annual vet visit for vaccinations and checkups. The vet sends photo postcards of each pet to remind us to book the appointments and I scanned the pics to post here.

Saffy was intent on the Hand That Held the Cookies.

Silas has a funny expression here. I guess it's a look of wondering if he's going to get a cookie or have a needle jabbed into him.

Bandit actually was getting treatment for an ear ache on the day of this picture, but it is still pretty cute.

We gave everyone baths the night before, even Bandit. He's a weird cat as he likes water! He purrs and arches his back as he's rubbed with shampoo and is very relaxed in the tub. He likes getting cocooned in the towels after and even lets me use the hair dryer on him.

The vet appointment came just at the right time as Bandit is having one of his scratchy spells where he digs at his neck and causes bald spots and cuts. That is apparently an allergic reaction (to what, I have no idea...maybe cat hair?!) and is treated with a shot. So he should be feeling a lot better soon.

Saffy has had a bump on her hind leg for awhile and it was not a problem until last Friday when she worked on it until it became a sore!! The vet said we could bring her in the next day to have it removed, if we wanted, and we were relieved it could be done so quickly. Still, it is nerve-wracking to have a pet put under for an operation. She did not like skipping breakfast in the morning! Silas did not like being left behind. She will have stitches for about 2 weeks and we have three different kinds of pills for her. She ate the first one right up--Jeff hid it in a peanut butter sandwich he made with dog cookies! The cone will take some getting used to. She doesn't know how to sleep with it on or walk through doors or hold her head up enough so it doesn't drag and catch. We are helping her get around and now we have her restng in the middle of the living room with her toys around her for comfort.

Between those two suddenly having some issues, I was just waiting for Silas to come up with something, but fortunately, he's in one piece!

Everyone is generally in good health, thankfully!

Pasta with Spinach, Mascarpone and Parm

2011-04-25T19:35:00.003-04:00

I've made something similar to this with broccoli before, but this version with spinach is from Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver. It is delicious and is done within the time it takes to boil the pasta.

I'm going to make it again with spinach, but it will also be good to use Swiss chard. You can find the recipe here.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T14:21:00.001-04:00

Easter has been pretty low key here since I've been sick, but we are still having a good day. I made more Paprika Sirloin Wraps as pictured in the previous post. For a special treat, I made the Coconut-Lime Berry Cake from Everyday Food mag, issue 82. The berries go on top of the batter and sink in as it bakes. I used frozen ones instead of fresh and it worked well. I partially thawed them first. The magazine says that wrapped and fridged it keeps 5 days--HAHAHAHA! It's not likely to be around for even 2 days!

Ready to eat!

On the way downstairs to check on my seedlings, I took a picture of Bandit. I thought you might like to see him asleep in his favorite spot--the recycle bin! He enjoyed an egg for an Easter treat. He just knows when we are about to give him an egg--it's impossible to surprise him with it!

The most recently sowed seeds are now up or at least in the process of sprouting in the case of the Cilantro and Dill.

I thought I'd show some progress shots. Eggplants and lettuce:

Tomato jungle:

Peppers:

Outside, the peas are growing well. You can now see the rows of green. The row to the left takes the longest time 'til maturity, so it is a little behind the others, but it's up more than it looks in this picture.

I hope you've had a good Easter too!

Cookbook Spree & Tonight's Dinner

2011-04-23T20:49:00.001-04:00

I told you a few posts ago that I was going to get some new cookbooks. You probably didn't think it would be this many! I didn't either! I go ages without buying any and then end up with a list of them that I really must try out. I may have gotten a little carried away, but I am so happy and I can't wait to start cooking from these. It was fun to plan for today's grocery shop for the week.

There is a home made chorizo recipe (for the taste of sausage without the preservatives and fat) in The River Cottage book that I can imagine in pasta and breakfast burritos for a start. Paprika Sirloin Steak Wrap and Real Mushroom Soup from Jamie's Dinners. Sono recipes will satisfy any sweet cravings and some savory ones too. I may start with the Soda Bread as I have Buttermilk to use up after doing the Everyday Food scone recipe. Jaffrey's book looks like it will really help me 'throw together' Indian dishes. I want to start with the Apricot Chicken. How to Cook Indian is a brand new book I bought on a whim having just learned of the author, Sanjeev Kapoor. It is huge! In my first look through, I especially liked some bean and lentil recipes and some of the vegetable curries. I know there will be more I want to make when I do more read throughs. It is a lot to take in.

I ordered a few books from AmazonUK too. I didn't want to wait until fall for Jamie's 30 Minute Meals book to be released here, for instance. The recipes from it that I've found online have been so good! And, with other cookbooks involving a lot of baking, I've decided I would really prefer metric versions. I will have to put an oven temperature conversion chart on the fridge for a quick reference though--some books don't include the F.

The Biscuiteer's Book is especially gorgeous and inspiring. (I would SO like to have their royal wedding cookies and tin!!) I can't wait to try some new ideas! I really love the dinosaur fossil cookies!

For tonight's dinner, I needed something easy and quick as it was getting pretty late and I was exhausted from today's appointments, chores and ongoing head cold. Jamie Oliver's Paprika Sirloin Steak Wraps from Jamie's Dinners were a perfect choice. The wrap has hummus, steak, tomatoes and arugula dressed with lemon and EVOO, sour cream and an extra sprinkle of paprika. So great tasting!

Spaghetti Limone Parmeggianno

2011-04-21T19:02:00.003-04:00

This is another recipe from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow, though I altered it a little. I know, I'm on my 4th recipe from her book and I am getting my monies worth!

I make something very similar to this all the time and vary it by adding peas, zucchini, spinach, or whatever veggie or herb appeals to me at the time. Sometimes, I even add in a bit of ham or some chicken sausages or lay some sliced, grilled chicken across the top. Sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives are another frequent addition to my dish.

However, my version uses some cream and since that's rather fatty, I'm happy to try Gwyneth's version using reserved pasta cooking water and a little EVOO instead of the cream. I tend to prefer the taste/texture of lighter recipes, so I did not miss the cream.

Since I couldn't find any decent looking basil, I added some dried oregano, sliced Kalamata's and chopped sun-dried tomatoes just for fun and more flavor. I look forward to also trying it with basil from the garden.

I tossed arugula with oil from the sun dried tomato jar and balsamic vinegar. I made my own garlic bread. I make a paste with a little softened butter, parm, oregano and minced garlic, spread it on bread and broil it.

This is a super fast, easy way to satisfy a pasta craving!

White Bean Soup

2011-04-20T19:32:00.018-04:00

I am under the weather with a head cold and am hoping it's only a quick one! I was happy I'd planned a healthy soup for dinner tonight.

This is another recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, My Father's Daughter. I love the use of fennel in this soup. I served some cheese toasties on the side, for dipping and crunching, using some of the Vermont Sharp White Cheddar left from last night's soup. The only change I made was using chicken stock instead of veggie as it's what I happened to have in the pantry.

Yummy!

Sowing, Sprouting and Growing On

2011-04-19T19:20:00.000-04:00

The Romaine is still inside, but not for much longer. I need the space for peppers. You have a glimpse of the tomatoes and eggplants in the background.

I started another inside tray with lettuces and herbs. I want to put more outside in jugs too, but these will have a head start.

Outside, checking the jugs, I saw that the Italian Alkanet is getting going. Two are well up and more are coming, if you look really closely. I need replacement plants for the nice clump I had as a rabbit decided to dig that up, utterly destroying it. I love the iridescent blue flowers.

The primroses are up, but you may have to take my word for it. I marked some of the tiny sprouts with black circles, which aren't very apparent either--oops!

The chives are stringy things, but they will take off soon. It's ironic that I'm starting chives as there are lots of wild ones in my yard, but I want to try this variety and have really nice plump, flavorful stems for my cooking.

UPS arrived late in the afternoon with my cell packs for the peppers, so I could get started with the potting on. I got a lot done, but there are still some more. Some of the slower varieties will stay in this tray a bit longer.

The potted on ones look happy in their new homes.

Along with the trays, cell packs, some seeds and twine, I got the small version of a garden trug to see what it would be like. I think it will be very handy and I'll be ordering the larger sizes to help me carry the produce in from the garden too.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2011-04-19T18:59:00.003-04:00

I love blended soups! They tend to be so simple, but filled with wonderful flavor. This recipe is from Gwyneth Paltrow's new book, My Father's Daughter. It was delicious for dinner tonight.

Arugula, in addition to the broccoli, adds flavor and nice darker green flecks to the soup. I used Vermont Sharp White Cheddar cheese.

Perfect Spring Days

2011-04-18T19:42:00.003-04:00

I wish this season could be twice as long, but I guess I appreciate these days all the more because they are really quite brief. I enjoyed a weekend that included a little shopping and garden/yard planning and work.

Saturday, we went out to a few stores and lunch out at Chipotle. At Target, I found a new gardening hat. It seems to be becoming a tradition for me to get new hats there each spring. I really needed it starting today to avoid sun bleaching/drying my hair and burning my nose! Maybe I will find a pretty feather in the yard sometime to tuck into the band.

Over the weekend, I cut back all the butterfly bushes and Jeff and I cut back the Rose of Sharons together, making quick work of cutting all the little sticks right back to the stumps.

Today, I got a lot of planting done for the cold frame.

I sowed:
Giant Mixed Zinnias and Cactus Mixed Zinnias
Broken Colors 4 o'clocks
Sensation Mix Cosmos
Heavenly Blue and Scarlett varieties of Morning Glories
Cherry Nasturiums
Raven Zukes
Marketmore Cukes

In between sowing, I checked the jugs and there are mustard greens up (shown in picture) and mesclun greens too.

Saffy and Silas could not stay awake. I think they tried to keep an eye on me, but it was just too dull for them and the sun was so warm and sleep inducing. They were even a little lethargic when we walked about the yard. I guess their winter coats are probably feeling heavy and too warm now. Silas has already started to really shed.

While I was outside, the mail arrived and with it another parcel from a Boden sale. A couple of things are still back ordered for a long time, but two things came today. It's another twist front top in a different color for variety and a ribbon necklace. It's hard to see in this light, but the ribbon is navy and the beads are blue, purple and silver. I really like it on me!

Chinese-Style Spare Ribs

2011-04-17T19:18:00.005-04:00

The May issue of Everyday Food magazine (issue 82) arrived in the mail last week and browsing through it I was drawn to the easy spare rib recipe.

I have never had Sambal Oelek chili sauce (which I'd like to find or make sometime!), so I substituted with Sriracha.

The glaze was sticky, sweet and spicy!

I served the ribs with a mix of whole grains (brown rice, wild rice, wheat and rye). And, peas. They are from last year's garden, of course! As we get down to the bottom of the chest freezer, we find the first things that went into it. I love finding an unexpected hoard of peas. I scattered some chopped scallions over the top.

The other recipe I bought ingredients for from this issue is the Orange-Poppy Scones, so I will let you know about those when I make them. At some point, maybe for Easter, I want to try the Coconut-Lime Berry Cake. The Berry Cornmeal Pound Cake looks good too. For me, I guess most of the stand-out recipes in this issue are dessert type foods.

My Father's Daughter...

2011-04-16T06:50:00.018-04:00

is the title of a new cookbook I bought. It is by Gwyneth Paltrow. I never used to imagine she ate much, much less cooked, until I saw the Spain...On the Road Again show on PBS. Between her life experiences and the fact that she has a lot of foodie friends, I figured her cookbook would be pretty good.

I love that she believes in doing without processed foods and making your own wholesome variations, even including a recipe for Sriracha! And, she uses a lot of veggies and talks about having a garden. The only things that aren't so great for me personally are her heavy use of seafood (I have some kind of shellfish allergy) and heavy use of duck. She does not eat or include recipes for pork or beef. I have a fairly irrational tendency to avoid consuming duck. Basically, they are too cute! I had lovely pet ducks when I was young. They, and geese too, seem awfully smart to me sometimes. But I also had chickens, turkeys, pigs and cows and they seemed smart and cute and yet I still eat them...that's why I said it's irrational!

Some ingredients will be new to me like vegenaise instead of mayo, brown rice syrup and agave syrup. I know, I'm probably the only person who hasn't been using the agave for some time now. I want to look into the supposed health benefits of these and give them a try, but they are not essential to the recipes. For instance you can use Hellman's mayo instead of the vegenaise.

It is an enjoyable book to read and the pictures are gorgeous as you'd expect. There are a lot of appealing recipes. I am always looking for salad dressing variations since I don't use store bought dressing, so I know I will try hers. For meals this week, I got groceries for her Broccoli and Cheese Soup, White Bean Soup and Blueberry Muffins. I started with the Blueberry Muffins and we had a breakfast for dinner night. They are not one of the healthy recipes, being made with a stick of butter. I like a lot of blueberries in my muffins and the ratio is good here. I did have to substitute frozen, smaller, wild berries for the fresh which made my muffins a little different, like a more blue colored batter, but the recipe still produced a very tasty result.

I'll let you know how other recipes work out. Let me know if you try any from this book too!

Sweet Potato Soup with Lemon-Herb Pesto and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

2011-04-15T06:53:00.010-04:00

I made these recipes for dinner last night. Both are from the America's Test Kitchen Spring 2011 30 Minute Suppers publication.

I substituted with yams and chicken stock (instead of sweet potatoes and veggie stock). I had a multitasking accident which resulted in me using 1 extra garlic clove and an 1/2 extra teaspoon of smoked paprika in the soup, but it was not a problem, thankfully!

The pesto was very tasty on its own when I checked it for seasoning!

The roasted chickpeas were lovely as a snack, as well as added to the soup.

The soup was a lovely color (the camera doesn't quite capture it). I served it pretty thick, but you could thin it down a little with water or more broth. I might need to do that when I reheat the leftovers. Do you like my new black Labrador bowl?

It was delicious! The pesto went very well, swirled into each bowl and the chickpeas added a little texture.

Garden Progress

2011-04-14T18:58:00.002-04:00

Today, I set up the coldframe. I need to fill pots with soil, 15 per tray, probably 6 trays. There will be 2 kinds of zinnias, 4 o'clocks, morning glories, cucumbers and zucchini. They'll be started in the cold frame.

The romaine got too big for the first tray, so I potted it into individual cells. I hope to acclimatize it to the cold frame soon, weather permitting. And, I need to start successive lettuce/greens plantings right away.

The eggplants were finally ready to pot on. I have 8 Burpee Eggplants (the large Italian type), 8 Nadia (also large Italian type), 4 Barbarella (round type) and 4 Orient Express (long and narrow).

The peppers are slowly coming along. Some of the ones I think are less hybrid or more wild types are SO slow and staggered coming up...a survival mechanism in the wild, but kind of a pain in a seed tray! I could start pricking out a lot anytime, but I am out of leak proof trays. They do get holes pretty easily and I can use the leaky ones outside, but not in.

I've ordered the trays today and some more seeds jumped into my cart too! I'd forgotten to order a few things earlier like sprouting broccoli (for fall) and broccoli raab (for entire season). I haven't grown them before but really want to try. I think they will do well here. (Regular broccoli can bolt so fast when the hot weather comes here, so I don't always bother with it.) It's always fun to be on the lookout for garden mail!