We have asparagus!!!

We have asparagus!!!   

This is their third year and them means we can eat some - not much but, I am super excited none the less!!!  
I planted 2 year roots 2 years ago in a 4 x 4 raise bed with strawberries  -  last your we just weeded, watered and watched - got all of 5 delectable little berries...
In the fall we added a few inches of mulch and a sprinkling of manure and coffee grounds.

asparagus <3

sugar snap peas  =)

Happy Gardening  =)

scavenging =)

Happy Sunday!!!

...this past week was clean up week -  it was a scavengers dream!!  let me tell ya, I am SO bummed that I do not have a pickup truck -  if I did I would be the proud owner of a huge wicker furniture set for the yard, and enough old windows to build the greenhouse of my dreams...   sign.

However,  I did manage to liberate a few useful things from the trash =)  garden fencing never been used - I totally needed this!!  some books, wreaths (with tags still on the), planters, a glass punch bowl set, train set!!!  plastic tote, and a few random dishes that will coordinate with my set =D

some of my scavenging scores!!!  

I also picked up some cool Tonka and other random trucks, casserole dishes and  more dishes which I donated to my local conservation groups local garage sale  = )   Seriously the things people throw away  =/   I know it makes me happy to find good stuff I can use - but thinking about all the stuff that does not get liberated from the trash makes me sad...  I get like 3 flyers a month requesting donations...  I can not be the only one.

Meanwhile out in the garden - the lettuce just beginning to sprout, sugar snap peas pushing thur the soil    - built a little bamboo trellis for them...    

...the cucumbers I started inside have sprouted the 3rd & 4th leaves  ..   basil and lemon looking good,  waiting for the tomatoes and eggplant to sprout  =)


anyway...  anyone else scavenge any good stuff during this spring cleaning season?

getin' the garden going....

Just starting to get the garden going  - I have BIG plans this year =)  after last years bummer (not bumper  total bummer crop  =(     part of me wanted to  was about to give up, instead, I spent a good part of the winter planning, reading, admiring others gardens, basically soaking up all things garden  =)  
Last weekend input in a few brussels sprouts - they had stater plants and  was so excited about growing  so I picked up a 4 pack and a couple 6 packs of pansy's (we got a dusting of snow last night and that are all ok - YAY!)  I also sowed a few seeds - 2 kinds of lettuce, spinach, short & sweet carrots, and sugar snow snap peas  =)  

The  3 varieties of cucumber seeding's - bush type pickle, basics vine variety, and my favorite lemon cucumbers - I started indoors a few weeks ago are looking good!!!   While the basil and lemon balm are still tiny little sprouts.  

The strawberries and rhubarb are peeking out!!!   and dandelions, hmm  salad?  wine?  anyone down with that?  I am thinking maybe, the hubby hasn't weeded and feeded  in at least a year - we should be good?  right??

Monday - the hubby's had the day off and he cut back all the thorny bushes....oh no no no, those were wild blackberries and they are delicious - so you can imagine how the birds and I have been a bit biter about that all week...    he redeemed himself by building me another 4 x 12 foot x 12 inch tall garden bed.   =)  

I picked some pretty 12x12x12 red cedar  planks for him to use - the wood and corner brackets cost $160  plus another $40 for the dirt, manure and peet to get it ready for growing this year.   Luckily we had some some galvanized pipe lying around  ( yes, I would have loved LOVED to use copper but at $80 for 10 ft piece of 2 inch pipe  <eeek>  and the hardware store only had up to one inch diameter of the UPVC  (PVC pipes can leach vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen - so you do not want to use that in the garden!)  anyway, I am going to have him cut a couple 2 foot sections to put in some deep watering holes in  - this will be my primary tomato bed - I companion plant so there will be other things in there but from what I have read tomatoes love deep watering and I love tomatoes - so there you have it.

life

as I sit here...   early morning...   sipping coffee...  watching the news...
just feeling overwhelming  out of sorts by state of our world....  
just as I realize there is far more good in the world than bad, I know this...
but all violence, bigotry, rape, intolerance, bullying, inequality, greed, guns and bombs...    
leaves me feeling so heavyhearted today...

bless you all and peace be with you.

chocolate dip and sprinkled

Sugar-coated Saturday!!!

....   so as I begin to make chocolate dipped Easter treats - my hubby strolls into the kitchen and asks me "are you going to dip those sugar bunnies in sugar and sprinkle sugar on them.?"
I'm like duh, yeah!!!  I smile and he just shakes his hear and walks way...  sometimes it think he is just weird  8)

thanks to http://www.lovefromtheoven.com for the delicious idea!  PEEPS - dip them in chocolate and cover them in sprinkles

I made white chocolate (Baker's)  AND semi-sweet (Ghirardelli baking) - and I'm like this chocolate will not firm up...  I'm like what the?!??

chocolate dipped peeps =)

Hubby says to me, you have to but the tray on ice...  huh?  <whips around> huh? i'm like oh duh - yeah thta totally makes sense...   he's all like yeah, my mom used to dip stuff in chocolate all the time ...  

ok, so he has earned his keep for another day & I made in some chocolate dipped candied ginger - this is going to be amazing!!!

nom nom nom 

...and then there were 3, they jumped into the vodka - yaaayyy this has to be a good thing  =D

peep infused vodka 

Happy Easter y'all ~ Peace be with you.

clearly I need a schedule...

well...   it has been 12 days...  clearly I need a schedule... I need work on that - any thoughts? 

I am kind of stuck - my life is like SO random.  Random Tuesday, What I ate Wednesday, Thursday...   Friday....  Back yard Saturdays... Scrumptious Sunday...  

Mondays will be  "Thrifty Monday"  thrift shops, rummage sales, garage sales oh my = me blah blah blahing about about some of my most wondrous finds =D

like this past monday!! 

 - -  I scored a Vera Bradley clutch wallet for $2.99 found it stashed in the bins at goodwill - ya, you can't hide pretty little things from me =D

double kisslock in Paprika / Winter 2009

....  and a second Jack LaLanne Power juicer deluxe -  only $6.99  barely used!

sweet!!!  now we can have fresh juice at either home.  =) 

apple, orange, pink grapefruit and carrot - YUM!!   GO CUBS!!!   

ok, back to pondering the scheduled ....   

....  and Easter preparations http://wingsinthevoid.blogspot.com/2013/01/eggcellent-eggsact-made-in-usa.html

Peace be with you =D

... how I spent my St Pat's weekend!

Spent the weekend with the hubby and my BEST GIRL!!!

She arrive kinda late on Saturday - we had a yummy dinner of left over BBQ beef, smoked bratwurst, macaroni and cheese,  sauteed asparagus & mushrooms, and cesar salad - she ate it all up except the  mac & cheese.  (weirdo)

Eating ice cream ~ with green sprinkles ~  of course  =D 

We cleaned out the crabitat and set it back up all new fun and exciting - the are so happy with their new digs! round all crawled night and most of the day and looks like they are up for another all nighter! 

happy crabby land

We stayed up WAAAAYYYY  to late ~ like midnight!!!   but thanks to the mantle clock in the living room that is stuck on 4:50 & the light blocking thermal drapes the little monster ~ eeerrr, darling was fooled and let us all sleep till 9:00 am!!!

 ZZZzzzzzzzz......  =D   

We had a delicious breakfast - bacon, fried apples with cinnamon and candied ginger YUM!   with scramble eggs and ice cream =)  yup, I am the cool aunt - we eat ice cream for breakfast AND after dinner... we might have, on occasion had ice cream with lunch as well... perhaps.  8)

round 2 - note to self she is a 2 egg kinda girl 

With full bellies we started on a little sewing lesson ~  made a super cute Barbie  outfit.  Ok, I made the skirt last weekend & we worked on the tank top together.  I have not sewn in a looonnng time and she she has done on a little for girl scouts and once in kindergarten (with real needles she tells me - I  do not believe it!?)  We used fabric scraps from well loved, beyond repairable clothing. 

I was so excited when I found Miss B. Couture - she is AWESOME!  thorough, simple directions - very cute outfits - we want to make them all!!! 

just getting started ~ thanks to http://www.missbcouture.com 

almost done ~ just needs some velcro fastener sew on the back 

Sew cute - right?

While we worked on our sewing she helped me make this amazing crock pot beef stew ~  we totally cheated used one of those McCormick beef stew packs, 3 lbs of chuck roast beef chunks (browned in a bit of olive oil)  1 1/2 cups water...   cooked for a hour on high.

Then we added 5 cups of these pretty little assortedbaby  potatoes & some fresh/frozen rosemary (Mmmmm  smells like summer).

Finally,1 1/2 cups halved baby onions, 2 cups halved baby portabella mushrooms, and a 1/2 cups baby carrots  ....  generooouuuusssss pour of cabernet sauvignon - because as I told my young assistant - wine makes almost everything taste better.   We let that cook on low for a few more hours...  =D

We went off to meet up with mom, dad and the little brother - to return her and do some thrift shopping!!!  They got all the good finds...  and yes another Barbie (with blond & pink hair) I think she is addicted - but it makes me happy to see a 10 yr old acting like a 10 year old - yup, enjoy being a kid!

Back to my Home Sweet Home and OMG - pretty sure this is the BEST beef stew ever!  YUM!  =D

....  this girl ready for bed  - NOT ready for Monday  =/

Toms Ticket to Give ...

My niece Rebecca entered 2013 Ticket to Give  ~ a couple years ago she went on a mission trip to Haiti and  she had such an amazing time and has since been longing so go back.    So, when she  heard about Toms contest to win a giving trip with TOMS Shoes, to join them and their giving partners to help distribute shoes in communities they serve.  Yes, she is an amazingly kind and bright young lady! 

 Please click here and VOTE for her  ~  Thank you!!

I am kinda really liking  these wrap boots 

and ...  of course the  crochet classic  

                                                             
                                                       the  glitters are rather cute to ... =)

... in search of a Shower Curtain

I LOVED my old shower curtain…   pretty right!?

sigh...   but alas she meet her demise what the hubby slipped and grabbed onto it thinking it would save him?  Eh?    The man has no grace on the ground, but send up a story or a hundred  and he magically develops catlike reflexes and balance.

Anyway, I stopped in to look at the selection in a few stores – such a  hideous selection I mean..  uh-ly!  or eh?  I don't want eh... or ok or even good...   I want to love love love it =)  So I went off to the www where  I found a sites that custom make them in the USA –  but all they show is a little swatch – no reference to the scale – oh, but I could have ordered swatches.. .ya,  I  don’t have time for that! ... and then I stumbled upon Café Press with like thousands and thousands of designs to choose – seriously... thousands and thousands!

LOL!

Pretty

Fun

So serene

Wish I was here



and this one  =)

Always be yourself, unless you can be a unicorn, then be a unicorn because unicorns are awesome! 

yup - it was mind-boggling and an hour later I was just overwhelmed and  headed over to facebook to see what’s happenin' and there it was -  yes!!!!  posted by ReUse Connection  -  The patchwork scarf shower curtain!!!!
   

How awesome is that!?   Yes, I think we will be having basic liner until I finished this project
... or maybe the unicorn  =D 

do you love love love you shower curtain or is it just eh?





Namby-Pamby Gumbo

...  evidently the King Cake gave my hubby a taste for New Orleans cookin' which I thought was odd, but I figured why  not ~I love Gumbo, the big man can not handle the spicy food, has only had a little taste here and there....  So naturally, I had to tone to down the spicy & to make it gluten free (for me) I have to say my first attempt was quite a success. =D

I think the smoked sausage really made it, along with all the fresh ingredients, especially the okra - it ain't gumbo it it ain't got okra!-  Lots of chopping but totally  worth it!   You can spice it up if you like with your favorite hot sauce. 

2 - tablespoons butter 

1 - tablespoon - flour

Enjoy =D

 6 - clovess of garlic 

2 - small onions diced 

1 - celery stalk diced 

2 cups - of light chicken broth  

1 - medium red bell pepper diced 

3 - carrots sliced 

1/2 cup - (heaping) frozen corn kernels 

1/2 lb - okra sliced 

2 lbs - tomatoes chopped 

1 cup - hot water

1 teaspoon  -parsley 

1 - bay leaf

salt & pepper to taste 

3 - smoked beef sausages, sliced 

1 lb - raw shrimp, de-veined peeled, tails removed

Melt butter in soup pot over med heat add flour  (I used rice flour - gluten free) stir continuously about making a light roux .
Add onion, garlic and celery - cook about 5 min.
Add broth (I used Herb-Ox Instant Sodium Free Bouillon Packets - they are also gluten free), vegggies, and smoked sausage, parsley, salt& pepper - cook over low for about 1 hour.
Bring  to simmer, remove bay leaf - return to low - add shrimp, cook until shrimp are done.
server over hot cooked rice - makes about 8 servings.
I hear it freezes well.

 leftover are even better...  =)