Stress Relief

I'm so tired. I've been supporting everyone this week and I've been feeling really alone.

A son is a son until he takes a wife, a daughter's a daughter for the rest of her life.

That old saying couldn't be more true in my case.

We're going out of town next weekend and I'm counting the hours minutes seconds. In the meantime, I'm escaping today into my flowers. Weeding and gardening helps clear my mind.

Green Dreams

The seed catalogs are arriving in stacks. I've got the planning bug that comes every year at this time. I know that God intended this season of planning as a last ditch effort to get cabin fevered gardeners like me through the last weeks of winter.

Planning a garden is like planning a trip; it's half the fun. Every year, I pour over seed catalogs, draw my garden plan. Re-draw and re-plan and re-read and re-justabouteverything. At this time of year, one doesn't think of weeds or that aching back that comes only from the destruction of said weeds. One thinks of the abundant harvest that the pictures in the catalog promises. (And we all know that those pictures are a lie, especially the world's biggest pumpkin seeds that I ordered with my meager allowance when I was nine and which resulted in one tiny green pumpkin that never grew past the softball size stage.)

I dream of heirloom tomatoes, fresh from the vine, this time of year. Their ridged, imperfect, ugliness is a thing of beauty to me. Marbled tones of green and red promise a unique flavor that only a rescued seed can fruit. It tastes of sunshine and bears the history of all the gardeners who worked so hard to save these precious plants.

In the last couple of years, I've tried a few things with my garden. Last year, I tried to plant the cheapest garden possible. I bought seeds at ten for a buck. I got seedlings at garage sales and at the close out sales at the garden centers. I wasn't fussy and I had great yields. Several years back, I started ordering from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I heard about them from Farmgirl (a fantastic blog about life on the farm in Missouri written by a foodie and photographic genius). My garden two years ago was entirely from Baker Creek. Sadly, I was in a kind of dark place in my life then. Having just sold my business, I was exhausted and a bit heartbroken, so I didn't put my all into the garden. My zucchini wouldn't even produce, which is a sure sign of sadness, cause who the heck can't grow zucchini? Warning, the following statement is rated R: My zucchini weren't getting pollinated, so I determinedly "molested" them with a Q-tip and even THAT didn't produce little zucchini babies. My garden guru up the street informed me that I probably had plants of the same sex. Um, great. My poor gay plants, like their human counterparts, couldn't reproduce. Fortunately, like their human counterparts, my gay zucchini plants were able to foster and eventually adopt offspring, so I still enjoyed an abundant harvest. (Moral of this story, never tell anyone you want zucchini. They will show up by the bushel on your front porch, dropped off in the cover of night by masked gardeners.)

Anyway, long story short, in the nine years that I've planted my little 10x20 foot urban vegetable garden, I've always experimented a little. This year, I'm planning to join a CSA (community supported agriculture) again. I was introduced to CSAs by a friend and I enjoyed a summer of beautiful produce of which I had no part of except to write the check that helped purchase the seeds. If you're not familiar with CSAs, this is the time of year to hurry and get your name on a list!

Let me tell you a little bit about them. Community Supported Agriculture is a relationship between grower and consumer. You, as the consumer, provide, pun intended, seed money. You gamble, with the grower, that you're investment is going to turn into a bountiful harvest. Each week, you'll receive a goodie box of fresh produce that's in season. Most CSAs are organic. Many offer organic meats, flowers, eggs, and bakery items. Now, remember, you're gambling against Mother Nature, and more times than not, you will have made a great investment. We all know, though, that Mother can be unpredictable, so if she sends hail, late frosts, tornadoes, drought or flood, you may not get as much for your money.

I had a wonderful experience with Community Homestead, which was the first CSA that I had experience with, so I'm signing up with them again. Please take a moment to read about their work. Community Homestead provides a wonderful life and rewarding vocation for adults with mental disabilities, so I feel like this is a good place for my money to go. I researched several other CSAs and this one was also the cheapest, which, for this cheapskate, is a good fit. They also deliver directly to my neighborhood, which is another great fit for me. As well, they offer meats, eggs, bakery items, flowers, and crafts that can be added to my delivery box, if I wish.

One CSA that I wanted to plug is owned by one of my dad's former clients. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm. Not only do I think their farm name is absolutely brilliant, but they offer lamb for sale and I know I've just got to get me some of that! Robin and her partner (whom I don't know, but hope to) do not deliver to my neighborhood yet and are a little more expensive. Someday I may join up with them. If you live in my area and they still have room, I know you'll get garden goodness from Robin (her time with Melon Vine Farm provided our family with tons of delicious produce growing up).

Why am I joining a CSA again? Mostly because my 10x20 plot is more than enough for me to take care of and I've decided that I'd like to put things in my garden this year that take up more space. I'm thinking pumpkins, potatoes and maybe filling half of it with raspberries, which is a permanent leap that I'm not entirely sure I'm ready for. Also, I looked back over my spending last summer and I spent at least $40 a week at our neighborhood farmers' market. The CSA will cost me approximately $20 a week and I'll get a wider variety of produce. I will still hit the farmers' market occasionally and I know that I will still want large quantities of veggies for freezing and canning. The one thing that I'm completely sold on is the delivery to my neighborhood. It just doesn't get any easier than this!

When I participated last time, each week was like getting a box of surprises. The veggies were gorgeous and I tried a few things that I never would have before. I tried fresh fennel for the first time and grilled it on our outdoor grill. I roasted beets and gobbled them up with fresh bleu cheese from Southern Minnesota. (I come from a long line of Scandinavians. We didn't roast beets, but pickled them in sugary syrup spiked with cloves.) I'm thinking that this summer, I will take a picture of my box and then detail what I did with all the goodies contained within. (Now, don't hold me to this, I'm sure this summer will be just as busy as all the others, but again, this is the time of year for planning, so I can dream big!)

Before my dad died, we took a trip to visit Community Homestead to see where our food was coming from. It was a very hot day, but we wandered the fields with glee. Which row of corn would be ours? We took a wagon ride and enjoyed a pig roast. We visited with the residents, some disabled, some just filled with the love and peace that comes from living in a place filled with happiness. They all worked very hard and their dedication and love were the secret ingredients of such deliciousness.

They had a small pond filled with tadpoles that Young One was absolutely fascinated with. We wondered why they would have them. Were the frogs a natural pest eaters? Did they also eat frog legs? (I know, that one is pretty funny.) We asked someone on the farm why and they answered simply that it was for the fun of it. They were there for the people that lived there to watch that magical metamorphosis from swimming little black squiggle to bright green frog and wonder at the miracle of creation. Now, that's cool.

Stay tuned. I'm sending in my registration and payment now. I'm still happily planning.

Now, it's your turn. What are your garden plans? Have you checked out CSAs in your area? Don't miss out on this fantastic way to get inexpensive organic produce!

My Favorite Day (well, hour)--A Little Holiday Cheer

I took an hour to myself yesterday and it was so much fun!














I love to decorate my front porch, especially during the holiday season. There's something about the scent of pine boughs, spruce tops, and juniper that just gets me happy. Snipping dried branches and flowers, rose hips, and berries from my yard (and purchasing just a few) and placing them in my porch containers is really very easy. Just give them a trim and stick them in! The secret up here in the frozen North, is to thaw out your containers of potting soil with hot water before adding the greenery. I always give them a good soaking after I put the greenery in. It helps to freeze the branches in place.

I feel almost Martha Stewart-ish over this.

Merry Christmas! Happy Winter Solstice! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanza!

Who am I forgetting? Whatever your religious leanings, whatever you celebrate (or don't) this time of year, I wish you all good things!

Peace.

Cinderella Pumpkins

I think Fall is my favorite season. I love the first chill in the air and bringing home a few pumpkins and funky looking gourds to decorate with is a definite thrill for me.

I fell in love with fairytale pumpkins a couple of years ago. Their deep orange and red colors are gorgeous and they look just like the pumpkin that Cinderella's Fairy Godmother turned into her coach.

My mom used to sing this song with me when I was a kid. Brings back fond memories!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo

Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi bobbidi boo

Put 'em together and what have you got

Bibbidi bobbidi boo!

Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi bobbidi boo

It'll do magic believe it or not

Bibbidi bobbidi boo

Salagadoola means mechicka booleroo

But the thinga mabob that does the job is

Bibbidi bobbidi boo

Salagadoola menchicka boola bibbidi bobbidi boo

Put 'em together and what have you got

bibbidi bobbidi bibbidi bobbidi bibbidi bobbidi boo!

Once again, I'm having formatting difficulties. I've attempted to get the spacing right in my posts, but lately Blogger just won't cooperate. I'll try to see if I can get this figured out. In the meantime, realize my Type A personality is having a major fit right now.

Falling for Mums

I read somewhere once that aside from your bathroom, your front door and it's surrounding area is the only place that guests really get the time to really look around without you knowing it. I think I read this when we were newlyweds and only had an old plastic trick or treat pumpkin from my childhood for fall decorations. Oh the shame of it. Looking back on it, I bet the neighbors thought we were really cute, with our shabby pumpkin and our sad attempts at landscaping in, what was for us, foreign territory (Oklahoma--where I was able to keep alive Tumbleweeds, a Trumpet Vine, and a Ficus tree that I still have.)

It is true, though. You've got nothing else to do once you've knocked or rung the doorbell. It gives you time to notice a lot. It also is the first feeling that you get from a home, that first impression, and whether or not it's a welcoming place.

We're front porch people. We love to hang out on the front porch and chat with the neighbors while Young One rides his bike or plays with the other kids. We're so fortunate to have such wonderful neighbors. They're like having really great extended family members that live close by. I like to hang out on the front porch. If it's nice out, I'll take a book or a magazine, but more than anything, I just like to sit on the rocker and watch the world. It's a great place to pause a little and just enjoy some sunshine.

I love to decorate my front porch. Nothing major, just some seasonal flowers and maybe a few doo dads. Sometimes I'll feature a quilt or a something decorative, but for the most part it's flowers (well, in the winter it's greens and winterberries!). This Spring I adored my Pansies. This summer, the Petunias were a bit lacking. Sorry, Petunia fans, but I've never been a real lover of them. They were an impulse buy at the garden center clearance event and were really sad and decrepit by the end of July.

Thankfully, the mums arrived in early September and as soon as school was back in session, I dashed to our garden center and wandered the aisles, kid free and enjoying some really fantastic alone time. The kales and ornamental cabbages were gorgeous and reminded me of the winter flower beds of Oklahoma. I was there for the mums, though. I usually buy a big bushel basket filled with mums, but this year, I decided I wanted to plant my own early enough to enjoy their growth (and to get rid of the sad Petunias). The four inch pots were just packed with buds, so for much less than my usual bushel basket, I was able to fill my window box and my two old washtubs that I keep on the front porch.

I think they're really beautiful this year. And because my baskets and other pots are still nice, they just add to what was already a great place to hang out.

You deserve a warm welcome home too. What are you doing with your front porch, front door, or entry way to make everyone welcome?

The First Garden Tomatoes

You've Come a Long Way Baby!

It wasn't too long ago that I told you I was waiting anxiously for the tomatoes to get ripe. Well, it is that time and I'm loving it. I think there's something about seeing those red jewels glistening through the bright green foliage that just makes my heart race. And my feet race too--right in through the garden gate to get to pickin'.

The cherry tomatoes are ripening sporadically, but they never make it to the house. The heirloom tomatoes, however, are savored. I served the first ones thickly sliced with a drizzle of healthy olive oil, fresh Hawaiian sea salt, and cracked black pepper. The Weight Watchers oil requirement is always difficult for me to remember, but I guess as long as there are ripe tomatoes in the garden, I won't have a problem.

One of my favorite things to do with tomatoes, is to make Farmgirl's Summer in a Bowl. This is from her In My Kitchen Garden Blog. I've been a huge fan and blog follower for years now. She gives a great glimpse of country bliss. I've reprinted her recipe here. I loosely follow it, depending on what I have, just as I'm sure she does!

Farmgirl's Basis Of Summer In A Bowl

Note: Any ingredient aside from the tomatoes can be omitted.

Vine-Ripened Tomatoes

Onions or Scallions

Fresh basil

Fresh oregano

Olive Oil

Vinegar

Fresh Garlic or Good Garlic Powder

Salt & Pepper to taste

My instructions: Chop and combine herbs and vegetables and let stand as long as you can stand it! I do not enjoy refrigerated tomatoes, they get too mushy, so I only make what we can eat. I've added any number of other fresh, chopped veggies. Peppers and pea pods are especially good. Fresh broccoli or cauliflower, thinly sliced carrots are also delicious. It's almost like a summer soup. Delicious!

I love it straight from the mixing bowl, served as a topping for tacos or burritos, as a salad side, or alone on freshly made pita bread (or freshly defrosted, made a couple of weeks ago pita bread!). If you haven't made pita bread before, Farmgirl has a great recipe with great pictures. It's so easy and so good, you must try it! I always make at least a double batch and freeze the extras.

Anticipation or A Watched Tomato Never Ripens

I've been staring down a few tomatoes in the garden for the last couple of weeks. The blossoms were lovely, the little baby tomatoes miraculous. And as they grew, so did my appetite. Those first tomatoes from the garden are the best of the season. Dreamed about all winter, they started with seed catalogues in January, seedlings in March, transplanted to the garden in May, and then the REAL waiting begins.

We're at that stage in my Minnesota garden where it's a waiting game. The potato plants are flowering in a burst of purple and gold. The Swiss Chard and broccoli, having survived the demon bunny attacks are coming back nicely (maybe I'll even get a harvest from them, I hope with fingers crossed--which is really difficult while typing, but I digress.). Zucchini flowers are in full, glorious bloom and I know it won't be long before they explode into producing more than even my neighborhood can eat. I thinned the radishes again and have a few out there that are going to be just lovely in a few days. The rutabagas, well, you might as well just plant them and forget them til fall!

But, it's the tomatoes that call to me. Those first few tomatoes, as I mentioned, are the best. I remember the first year of my garden, I mistakenly planted 12 tomato plants, not realizing that two adults (one who doesn't even like tomatoes) and a toddler would never consume the abundant harvest they produced. I shared with the neighbors, my family, the mail carrier. Pretty much anyone who crossed my yard, got a few tomatoes. I ate them fresh, I canned them, I froze them, I roasted them and sun dried them. I cooked with them all winter. But, nothing can compare to that sweet, juice on your chin enjoyment of the first harvest.

I think I'll go check on them again.

In the Garden of Eatin' or In the Garden of Weedin'

Those are my two pet names for my garden. Since, that's pretty much what I've been doing in it lately. Weedin' and Eatin'.

Since the Demon Bunny has been relocated and it seems none of his siblings, parents, or any other hungry relatives have taken up their munching in my little plot, I've been really enjoying it out there. But, I have to let you in on a little secret. I don't often share everything in that garden with my family. And I've found, that some of the best meals, can be had while leaning against the garden gate.

This year, in a fit of inspiration found from a library book on container plantings, I planted a hanging basket of June and Ever-bearing strawberry plants. It was a cold, damp Spring, so it took a while for these beauties to get going, but now, I get a handful of strawberries almost every time I head out to my little garden. With all good intentions of sharing them, they usually don't make it to the house. There's something about a sun warmed strawberry, just plucked from the plant. It's like sugar sweetened sunshine, I suppose. Well, anyway, I have shared a few, but for the most part, that container has been like a snack machine for me. Hey, I do all the planting and weeding. I guess it's a just reward!

We also have a few raspberry plants that are leftover from a time in my life that I thought I could control raspberry plants. Yes, I learned the hard way that those beasts just can't be contained in a small area of my garden, so I got rid of the bulk of them, but thanks to their prolific runners, we have a few that angle in over the back fence. They should be ready in a few weeks and I can't wait! Maybe, there will be enough to share!

I've included a shot of my little garden plot and some potato blossoms. They're quite pretty flowers, aren't they? I don't remember what type I planted. There weren't many seed potatoes left at the nursery when I picked them up, so I took what was left. It's probably about time to see if there are some new potatoes hiding under those beautiful blossoms!

We Caught the Bunny

Two nights ago, we caught the little demon bunny that had been terrorizing the garden. I was beginning to give up hope or maybe actually hoping that he had moved on to more fertile fields. He did knock back our Swiss Chard as his last supper, but I consider it my parting gift to the little fella.

In all it's cuteness and furry innocence, hopping about the live trap borrowed from a savvy neighbor, I debated momentarily about keeping him. But, then reason stepped in, along with the thought that I would be denying him his right to frolic in the county open space fields that we had chosen for his new location.

So, off he went, on to new bunny adventures. And I went out to weed the garden. My plan is to replace my now absent peas with some pepper plants purchased at 50% off at the garden center. And to hope that the broccoli, kohlrabi, and chard that demon bunny polished off will rebound before the first frost!

Happy Gardening!

The Cute Fluffy Rabbit Demon from Hell

Who doesn't love a baby rabbit? I mean, even their name is cute: bunny. We have one of the little critters roaming our yard. He's cute, fluffy, and adorable with his twitching nose and perky ears. He's about 6 inches long, just old enough to be on his own. And, no worries mother rabbit, he's doing well.

As I watched him hop near the edge of our fence, I enjoyed his little travels. Baby animals seem to cause even the sturdiest of characters to melt in their presence. I was right in the middle of one of these melting moments when I came slamming back into focus. This little guy could probably get through the rabbit obstacles (picket fence, chicken wire) we've put around the veggie patch. CHECK THE GARDEN!

And so, with trepidation and suspenseful, Psycho shower scene music playing in my mind, I approached our vegetable garden. I froze in my tracks. Yep, he ate my broccoli, chard, kohlrabi, and a few bean and pea sprouts and I think he's working his way towards the radishes and lettuce. This. Means. War.

Now, I know, I can't write a celebration of our Wild Kingdom (see below) and then plan to blast this rascally character into oblivion, right? Although, initially, that was my thought. Since I don't own or know how to operate a gun, and the fact that in the suburbs, gunshots might not be very welcome, I let this go. I'm really a peaceable person. After the steam stopped shooting out of my ears, I sat in front of my laptop and started looking at better solutions.

Many websites waxed poetic on the use of human hair scattered throughout your garden. Apparently the human scent drives them away. They suggested asking at your salon for bags of hair. After gagging several times and envisioning other people's hair on my precious veggies, I took a pass on this one.

Others mentioned scattering cut up garden hose or fake snakes throughout your garden. I nixed this one as I didn't have any garden hose to cut up or any fake snakes and thought that perhaps my own surprise when coming upon said "snakes" in my own garden might freak me out too much.

Next was soap. Shred or shave strong smelling soap and scatter it through your garden. This option appealed to me. Soap? Check. Shredded? Done in a snap. Scattered? Yep. And I looked upon my ravaged veggie patch with new optimism.

And then it rained. And the soap melted. Some of the scent still remained, but I'm not sure it's going to last for long. I haven't seen any noticeable bunny damage, although I did see him last night frolicking in the yard. I think I may try hanging a few whole bars around as the shredding just seems to need more replacing than I want to do.

I'll keep you updated on my battle. And despite all of this, I still do like the little critter, just not in my garden.

Old Fashioned Flowers

I took a trip down memory lane yesterday while browsing at our neighborhood garden center. It's funny how as a kid, you don't realize that you're learning and filing away facts that will pop out at random times in your adulthood.

My mom wasn't much of a gardener. It wasn't that she didn't try or that she didn't want to be. I think it was just not a priority. Having three kids, working more than full time, and helping dad in the orchard took up all her time. In fact, sometimes I wonder how she ever had the energy to even think about planting a garden.

She inherited some perennials and a few flowering bushes from the previous owners of our farmhouse. She refused to trim back the lilacs and the mock orange bush, much preferring their wild abandon to manicured restraint. And wild they were. Her lilacs were almost as massive as the house and the mock orange bush exploded every summer in a riot of fragrant white blossoms.

A small perennial bed in the front yard sprouted delphiniums, some type of sedum, and my beloved peonies. Every Spring, the peonies would spring forth with red-tinged finger like branches, reaching for the sun. As they grew, massive blossoms bent the stalks nearly to breaking, sometimes trailing on the ground. They were always riddled with little black ants.

We'd cut the white blossoms and bring them into the house to sit in colored water, in the hopes of turning them unnatural shades of green or blue. Hitchhiking ants would cover our kitchen counter, much to mom's chagrin! I loved those white flowers, but it was the deep, rosy red ones that had the most special place in my heart. So beautiful were these crimson beauties, that we left them on the stems. They were much too pretty to pick.

At the garden center yesterday, I walked down the rows and down memory lane. Delphiniums just peeking from the pots, lilac bushes fragrant with unopened blossoms, and my beloved peonies. I finally purchased one for my garden. I don't know why it took so long. I have a special place for it, right in the front yard. And maybe, just maybe, I'll pick one of those big red blossoms to bring indoors.

I Dig Dirt or the Story of a Haphazard Garden

There's nothing like a few seedlings, some brightly colored seed packets, and a freshly tilled garden plot. I know, I KNOW! I live in the burbs. I couldn't possibly have a room for a garden. But, I do. And it's been both antagonizing and providing me great joy for the nine years that I've lived here.

We moved into this house in the fall which gave me some time to really settle in the house. As Spring dawned, I had had plenty of time to dream about the yard. As we had moved, nine times in seven years, I was ready to really to put down roots (pun intended)! So, I planned the garden for a good part of the winter.

D did the muscle work and even provided my garden with a picket fence and a gate that swung out on a somewhat squeaky hinge. And so began my love and sometimes hate of gardening. I planted an odd little assortment of vegetables and weeds. And I learned a few things that summer. Like the fact that raccoons know just when to harvest your corn just before it's ripe enough for human consumption. I also learned that no matter where it's grown or with how much love, a rutabaga will not be consumed by D or Young One.

That's OK. I loved my little garden. I planted herbs and flowers around it's border. It was a lot of work and as the summer went on, I tended to miss more weeds. Thankfully, the first frost came just as I was ready to throw in the towel.

And that's pretty much been the pattern of my gardening. Ask me about my veggies in the fall and I'll probably say, "I'm never doing this again." But, then winter comes and the blank, grayness of the landscape starts to get to me. And winter stretches out beyond my ability to cope. And those dang seed catalogues come. And I start thinking about... GREEN! And the cycle starts all over again.

I spent today digging in the dirt and my back is feeling it tonight! I planted zucchini, pole beans, asparagus beans, broccoli, kohlrabi, tomatoes, potatoes, leeks, onions, carrots, radishes, and rutabagas. My goal is to really tend it this year. And, hopefully, I can inspire Young One to join me. Maybe, he'll even eat some of it!

Peace.

The Mighty Zucchini

At this time of the year, I am usually overwhelmed with zucchini. In fact, I've been known to be named Mom of the Year, just by allowing the young one and his friends to take the obscenely large zucchini from the garden and demolish them as they wish. Last year, our back yard was covered with the remains of some dearly departed zucchini. And our new puppy, who will still eat anything, was sleeping on his back in the middle of the yard with a distended tummy and a contented smile on his face.

This year, my garden just didn't work out. And, I'm ashamed to admit, my zucchini didn't produce any squash. How can this be possible? Zucchini can be grown by just about anyone. It's the butt of jokes, and it's ginormous yields are the stuff of legend. I tried every trick in the book to get them to polinate, but no squash was produced. And then we got hit with a horrible hail storm.

This year, I had to (gasp) get zucchini from a friend. Her relief at being able to get rid of some of her bounty was apparent, although restrained. Those of us who've raised the mighty green squash know that you can't get too excited when someone's willing to take some off your hands--you don't want to chase your recipient away from future hand outs.

I've been known to secretly deliver my zucchini bounty in the dead of night. Stealthily stalking neighbors and friends, I'll leave my green calling card on their front porch and then run for cover. Heck a friendly smile at the mailbox from a new neighbor just might insight me to rush a basket of fresh from the garden zucchini to their doorstep. Anonymous zucchini drops are commonplace around here. I even got one last year while I was out making my own deliveries!

When my harvest is plentiful, I've been known to serve the squash hidden in all three meals of the day. Shredded, it can be added to breads, muffins, sauces, and pasta bakes. But, this year, since I'm zucch-less (and yes that is a word), I'm using it as the feature flavor. These are two of my favorite zucchini recipes. I hope you enjoy!

Teriyaki Zucchini Stir Fry

Splash of canola oil
Zucchini, cut into rectangles--halve lengthwise and cut into long strips, then cut into 2 inch pieces
One large onion, sliced
Fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Teriyaki Sauce
Sesame Seeds

Prep all vegetables before heating pan. This one cooks up fast, so be prepared to be with the pan the whole time! Heat a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add a splash of oil. Drop in vegetables and, using two wooden spoons, stir fry until veggies are tender and caramelized. Remove from heat. Season with teriyaki sauce to taste, coating vegetables well. Don't use too much or it will be too salty. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serve with steamed Jasmine Rice.


Zucchini Corn Saute

A splash of olive oil
Several small zucchini cut into coins
One medium onion, diced
Canned or frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese: Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack--whatever you have around

Heat a wok or frying pan over medium high heat. Splash with olive oil. Add onion and zucchini. Cook until caramelized and tender. Add corn and cook until heated through, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and top with a small amount of shredded cheese. Enjoy!

All Hail Hail

I think my garden was doomed from the beginning. It's been a hot and dry summer. I've been determined to water and baby my plants, most of whom, I started from seed earlier in the Spring. I've done my best to weed and fertilize, although I'll admit, I'm a terrible weeder!

My garden is filled with tomatoes, radishes, lettuces, zucchini, broccoli, and rutabagas. My attempts at growing Chinese Long Beans and Baby Bush Squash had miserably failed earlier in the season. And my sweet corn was enjoyed for the fourth year in a row by a raccoon who seems to enjoy taunting me with his ability to pluck the corn from the stalk just a few days before it's at it's peak ripeness.

At this time of year, I begin losing interest in my garden. I'm often longing for the change of seasons, looking forward to cooler weather and school to begin again. The reality of my garden isn't exactly as I planned it in the Spring. I remember my planning sessions and many drafts of my garden layout fondly, knowing I'll do it again every Spring. I think people who live in areas where the seasons don't change, don't understand this need to dig in the dirt once the snow thaws! We plan, seed catalogs in hand, long before Spring has sprung.

But, I digress. There is a bit of a gambler in me. I rarely measure when I cook and I like to try new things. Gardening is the same type of gamble. Plant these little seeds and you just might get something amazing. Or, as in my case this summer, you just might battle Mother Nature and lose.

Heat and hail. There's nothing I could have done differently in my garden this year. The beautiful plants that just didn't get time to produce were knocked down and splintered by two to three inch balls of ice falling from stormy skies. It happened in just a few short minutes. And in a way, it was really ok. I was really ok. Because that's what happens when you gamble, sometimes you win and sometimes, well, you just have to surrender.