In The Garden Today...........

We found this lovely rose....

 

and wonderful swiss chard.....

 

 

 

Lots of basil and garlic chive blossoms.

 

 

Even the return of our fennel for......Hey wait a minute........Becky are you hamming it up again???

 

Cucumbers and zucchini waiting to be picked finally

 

Monarchs.....

 

and Admirals

 

Painted Ladies...

 

 

Skippers......

 

and even Hummers..

 

Flowers galore........

 

 

and smiling faces

 

.........ahhhh a perfect end to a perfect day in the garden! Hoping that you have that kind of day!

 

Workin' Hard or Hardly Workin'??????

You be the judge.....

One more tree coming down in front.....

In the meantime, my little hideout taking form finally ;o)

None of the pix are in any order...I am out of order...

Blackie continuing to express disapproval at the changes

Hi there!

Taking time to chat with a friend

Resident squirrel continuing to enjoy the new chair for him...

..........
work work work,,,,,,,dig dig dig,,,,,cut cut cut.......

Oh and in between all of the yard makeover we take a moment to talk about the new puppy coming....if we are very lucky, Becky may be traveling via private limo ;o)

How cute are the invitations to her adoption party?

Late to bed and early to rise, makes the Strawberry Mallard,sleep like a baby.........'nite all ;o)

Beets In Winter

Sounds like a Russian folk song......or a very obscure novel, something that you just have to delve into. Ha! Well it isn't ~ it's just a beet in winter.
I could have titled this:
"Can you beat (beet) this?" or
"Beats (beets) me!" or even
"Feel the beat ( beet )" ~ but I didn't........



Now I have to tell you that the last thing I expected to find in the garden in January was a beet...then another..then another. I mean, come on, I know that the soil is great, but this was more like Divine Intervention. Maybe that is just what it was.....something to keep me going on a cold,damp, dreary day.

So here I am looking for a recipe for beets ~ About.com said this:

Fall & Winter Beets
Beets are in season in temperate climates all year round, and available from storage most of the year everywhere else. And yet older fall and winter beets benefit from different cooking methods than smaller spring and summer beets. Try these simple recipes for beets in the fall and winter months.


Then I found this......Beet "Potato" Chips
Thinly cut beets are sweet, earthy, and crisp when fried like potato chips. Serve them the same day they are made, sprinkled with coarse sea salt or fleur de sel.

Note that red, striped, chiogga, or golden beets can all be used.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
•1 quart vegetable or canola oil
•3 medium beets
•Coarse sea salt or fleur de sel (optional)
Preparation:
1.In a large, wide pot heat oil to 375 degrees (oil should be about 1 inch deep).
2.Meanwhile, peel beets and slice them as thinly and evenly as possible. A kitchen mandoline is useful, but not necessary. A sharp knife and steady hand will do the trick.
3.Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet near the stove (to drain beets after cooking).
4.Slip about a third of the beet slices into oil, being careful not to crowd the pot. They should sizzle briskly when first put in the oil (if they don't, they oil isn't hot enough--remove beets and bring oil to 375), the sizzling will slow down as they cook. Fry until sizzling slows and beets are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon or tongs remove beets and drain on cooling rack. Repeat with remaining beet slices.
5.Sprinkle chips with salt, if you like. Serve at room temperature.

So tonite while we watch tv, while others are snacking on potato chips, popcorn, cheese and crackers, we will be eating healthy in this house!
What kinds of healthy snacks do YOU like to make in Winter?

Is it really Fall???REALLY????

I can't believe that it really is Fall ~ the impatiens are still looking so colorful and so very healthy! Outside in the garden the last of the cauliflower is starting to poke it's head out from the leaves, just in time for one of our favorite side dishes here ~ cauliflower with sharp cheddar cheese sauce ~ YUM!!!! I just hope that our little visitor remembers to leave us some.



And for those of you who have been wondering what the NJ coast looks like during a 3 day Nor'Easter..... "The human heart is like a ship on a stormy sea driven about by winds blowing from all four corners of heaven."
Luther, Martin