Update On My Veggie Garden!

The BEFORE I got the second bed going.

My beans can climb now, my bok choy and radishes are growing like crazy..as are my english and lemon cukes, tomatoes, fennel, squash, basil, savory, parsley, and peppers, and carrots. Oh boy! My heirloom tomatoes have flowers so I am hoping. Can't wait for the black tomatoes that are pink inside...and my pink tomatoes that are red inside...and my extra carotene ones that are orange.

My volunteer monster tomato plant...and this isn't all of it. Hope the fruit is good! The french breakfast radishes are supposed to be ready in a week...but they are very skinny so not sure about that. Maybe I am watering too much...or maybe I should thin them out???

Happy Anniversary Kids...it's been a wild ride, huh?

Thanks for the grandkids! Hard to believe it's only been four years! Good thing you had your honeymoon before you got married.

First Cousins Can Marry in California....but not un-related people!

http://www.cousincouples.com/?page=states

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/cousins.htm

In some states (Utah) first cousins can marry but with provisions. I guess if the first cousin is your daughter, you can't marry her.

Thanks J for the link!

To my dear, wonderful, gay friends...I am so sorry. I sincerely hope it is back on the ballot in 2010.

Making Memories on Memorial Weekend

Asparagus, MIL's deviled eggs, neon feta spaghetti salad (thank you beets). Dave and FIL putting the finishing touches on!

Corn, chicken, Lori's very own salad, watermelon ....and for dessert, MIL's baked alaska.

Dave's brine for Buccaneer Chicken

Lori...trying to avoid getting her pic taken. I saw Jenny wave so I knew she wouldn't mind posing.

Phil was a ham..even took his sunglasses off. My MIL was shy.

See how excited she was to have her photograph taken. She's NOT saying "cheese". Good people, good food, good beverages, good night....oooops, I mean afternoon.

I Love Greecie Food

Veggie and Lamb Kabobs...ru feeling da love?

Zuchinni, tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, onions, and lamb drizzled with evoo, lemon juice, S&P. I did marinate the lamb in chopped fresh mint, garlic, oregano, evoo & fresh lemon juice.

Greek Salad with real Greek Feta from Corti's.... delicious and so summery.

Kalamata olives, tomatoes, cukes, red onions, big chunks of feta, fresh lemon juice, evoo, S&P. Even though lettuce is not traditionally served in a true Greek Salad, I snuck some in anyway... and didn't get caught. shhhh

Please vote for Heather!

Go..follow the link. You'll be happy you did.
HELP HEATHER WIN A REALLY GOODE JOB

just type in your email address and they'll send you a verification link.

Chris Walken and Julian Schnabel ..a day of food

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HewYegvGu1o

Sit back and enjoy. We all know Walken. Schnabel makes movies and is an artist. The other guy is some dude named Cha Cha.

Here's the link to the restaurant they are cooking in. http://ilcortile.com/

Free Range Asian Chicken?

I had the free-range chicken from Taylor's so decided to marinate it in a sesame, soy, ginger, garlic sauce for 45 min. before baking it in a 375 oven for about 55 min. I strained and reduced the marinade for about 30 minutes and then brushed it on the chicken right before serving.

I made a lentil, brown jasmine rice, and orzo salad...with lemon zest, spring onions, and finely cut celery. I served it slightly cold. I cooked it in the "better than bouillon" chicken base. I added the veggies right before I served it. Buy it!

Have you ever had the Studebaker Cheesecake? OMG!

Just put this in cause I love Swiss Chard. I am growing some in my garden.

A Good Day Is....

Sleeping all thru the night! Not one coughing attack. I woke up feeling refreshed! Hurray for antibiotics.

Also....radishes and bok choy peeking thru the soil. It's two big long rows of it.

Raised Garden Beds make a good day. These aren't mine...I just have two. I'd like to have this many!

When your neighbor brings over a bunch of herbs. Nice. Two kinds of sage, oregano, and lemon balm. Very fragrant. I'll root and re-plant.

Seeing the tomatoes over at my folks' growing like mad! We already have 3 little tomatoes!

My DFIL is standing on the patio.

A good day is going to Taylor's Market. I stopped by today on my way back from the lab. I love that store. Picked up a copy of Edible Sacramento...worth the stop all by itself. I got some mint and lamb sausage, some parm. and herb sausage (all house made), some "barely buzzed" cheese...so delicious, some free range chicken, wild salmon (a mere 24.00 a lb), and some spanish white anchovies so I can make some ceasar dressing. I also picked up my favorite yogurt..."fage".

It's good to be back among the living. I feel a bit tired now...but I am getting better! Hurray!!

Let Them Eat Cake....and other stuff too

I have not baked in years. Dave bakes once in awhile. How many husbands hear this from their wives, "honey, do you have any chocolate chips anywhere?" He did and I used them. My husband also offered spiritual counseling during the process. I am not a baker.

Be sure not to have the mixer turned up high after you add the wet ingredients. I looked like a dalmation within seconds! Due to the aforementioned spiritual counseling, I did not lose heart.

Yes..it's from a box..but I did mix two kinds of canned frostings together and added the choc. chips...came up with vanilla/chocolate cream cheese frosting.

I marinated boneless pork chops in EVOO, rosemary, lemon juice and lemon zest...and garlic. I put them on the stovetop grill...cooked them to medium. Luscious.

Baked some cut red potatoes with the same ingredients...crispy and delicious. I added a nice, big salad...and it was dinner.

Mother

I've wanted to write this so many times..but then I'd doubt myself. I don't know how to begin.
I'm writing it anyway.

I'll have to skip a lot. It will come later.

For years, right before mother's day, I'd go thru the cards to find one I could send. None of them fit. Too mushy, a total lie, too distant. I kept saying to myself that I loved her, but I didn't like her or respect her. Now I know that I was a self-absorbed idiot. Well, I knew it back before she died...but I was at the ripe age of 45 when I finally "got it".

What I've come to learn, thru experience, is that I don't know what I'd do if I was in her shoes..back then. Back then, she was pretty much fucked as far as mental health offerings, or decent medications. She really did the very best she could. I know for sure, that she loved me. I know she tried incredibly hard to show it...even if it wasn't in the way I wanted it shown. She took us to pick fresh veggies, she built an ice-skating rink in the back yard, she took us to many picnics and camping trips...she always seemed invincible. She wasn't.

She loved my kids. One time, we were down visiting when she was knocking down walls and drilling into the ceiling. My son, Mike, was about 4 and Jer was 6 mos. old. The sound of the drill scared them and they began to cry. Mike said to his gramma, "why can't you just bake cookies like other grammas?" She changed her clothes, cleaned the kitchen of remodeling dust, and made him cookies from scratch. He was very, very happy.

I used to dread calling my mom too...the obligatory phone call on mother's day. Wish I could make the call now, and send that card.

Happy Mother's Day....

[testing..testing. is this thing on?]

Wine....the bathroom series (continued)

Click to enlarge.

I am sacrificing for this series people. I paid 24.00 bucks for this bottle, last month.

This photo pretty much sums up how I've felt in a morning fog. Thanks Mike!

http://www.ffphotog.com/

I have one more "in the bathroom series" and then I will begin anew with, Wine...the bedroom series.
Now for something totally different, please check out http://athinkingstomach.blogspot.com/ and the post she wrote called "Way Up" on April 28th. It is one of the best blog posts I've ever read....so I wanted to share. I have her on my blogroll. Read till the end. So worth it.

My Raised Bed Garden #1

We planted 5 tomato plants...3 that are heirlooms, two fennel plants, a summer squash, and herbs; savory, three kinds of basil, and two types of thyme.

In the second bed [not shown], I planted french radishes, arugala, romaine lettuce, cukes, and bok choy. I will plant snow peas tomorrow. In another area, I will plant lemon cukes. In my in-laws yard I have planted 4 more tomato plants...and we have one volunteer tomato plant we are hoping for fruit from last year. I will rotate crops all summer..and in the fall. I'll keep you posted on our harvest! I will plant corn and watermelon!

I love to can...so I'll be having some fun all summer!

Feelin' Saucy?

Mai Pham, Lemon Grass Restaurant here in Sacramento, is selling her sauces. I tried it with chicken, bok choy, carrots, onions, garlic, and some chili paste. Very good! Got it at The Nuggett.

Lemon Grass Ginger Chicken

I picked up these spicy sauces at the Oysterville Sea Farms in Washington...Willabay. A bit of the crannie chipotle with a raw oyster is so very luscious. I do believe the marionberry pepper sauce would be good drizzled over brie...on some thin crackers. www.willabay.com to order.

My son took this pic of Oysterville Sea Farm. It was about 2 pm...and I just love this photo.

www.ffphotog.com Mike Harris, photographer.

Better Pics from North Coast

This one was taken by Jenn at Rockaway Beach in Oregon.

Photo courtesy of Mike Harris, http://www.ffphotog.com/

Photo courtesy of Mike Harris, http://www.ffphotog.com/

My 3 year-old granddaughter took this pic all by herself. Not bad!!

My husband, Dave, took this pic several years ago..at Fisherman's Wharf in SF. I added it just because this is how I feel today.

Most pics courtesy of my son Mike http://www.ffphotog.com/ and my DIL, Jenn. Mike took some great landscape photos along the way..one of a waterfall that turned out fabulous. He about killed himself getting the shot, but it's a damned good one. He took some of Oysterville Sea Farm...bet they'd like to have them. I think I'll email and tell them! Below is a nice article about Oysterville Sea Farms from Seattle Magazine.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2005/0515/cover.html

I wonder if the author, Lisa Heyamoto is the same Lisa who used to work for The Sac Bee?

North Coast Trip...a few pics

Elaina was loving the beach. See how desolate it was?

The water was cold, but we couldn't resist.

My son surprised me with some oysters from Oysterville Sea Farms...and he bbq'd em! Delicious and sooooo good. Their hot sauces are the bomb too! http://www.willabay.com/

Mike made ribs....they were delicious.

Ethan just always looks cute...even with his binky.

I am not feeling well. I came home with a bad cough [thought it was asthma at first] and it has gotten worse...all in my chest, I feel cruddy. Wanted to post a few pics from my trip with the kids to Oceanpark, WA. I'll never forget "Alligator Man" in Long Beach, WA.