The winner of my March Giveaway and Happy Spring!

The lucky winner of my March Giveaway is Lisa at Two Bears Farm! Congratulations, Lisa! I will send you a message to get your address for sending you the book and puzzle. I hope you will enjoy them!

First let me say that it was 90 degrees in the shade on my front porch today and I know my outdoor days are numbered. If this is spring, I really dread summer....

In honor of the first day in Spring, I'd like to show you some photos of my container gardening progress, and the reason why I have not been blogging very much:

Sitting on my back porch are planters containing Leaf lettuce, except upper right container has Kohlrabi.

Hanging basket on back porch containing Salad blend lettuce leaves

Another hanging basket on back porch with assorted lettuce leaves

Sunflowers in Styrofoam cups (below) and more leaf lettuce as well as some sprouting tomato seeds.

Plants in both large containers to the very left are lilacs that are getting established and starting to produce some blossoms.

Leaf lettuce in all pots, except Kohlrabi in the pot on the left.

Container in back has a star jasmine plant that is doing well on the trellis.

I have started to plant some of the sunflowers in the soil between my heirloom roses (see l and r.)  I had to find a way for the small seedlings to not get trampled by the stray cat traffic.

I placed some small plastic cages around each sunflower and then surrounded it with pine cones that I collected from the nearby woods to deter cat paws from crushing the plants. I hope it will work because these sunflowers are the mammoth variety and will grow very big. They should look striking towering over the rose bushes growing along side the brick wall of the building that gets all day sun. I have smaller sunflower seeds that I still want to sow later....maybe for in between.

More leaf lettuce in hanging containers on my front porch.

Leaf lettuce doing well.

More leaf lettuce in containers and more sunflower plants that I need to stick in the ground. I will continue to move the lettuce in the standing containers inside at night, because of the stray cats and armadillos, etc.

Front yard with Violets and pink budding Azaleas

Lettuce doing well - maybe I can have salad soon

My herbs on the window ledge out front: Dill weed in front, behind that the Parsley that took the longest to sprout (I almost gave up on it) behind that is Chives and the last pot has sweet Basil. I have some more herb seeds coming in the mail that I will plant as soon as they arrive. I love fresh herbs!

I have to figure out a way to anchor these pots and my window planter boxes so that the cats won't knock them down when they jump up on the ledge...that's the problem with stray cats - they know who feeds them and they come around too much. I love cats, but they have a tendency to get lazy and hang around just waiting for meal times.

This is my first time container gardening since living here in these apartments and after adding up the money I spent on potting soil thus far, containers, seeds, fertilizer and the back breaking work due to having to drag some of the pots inside every night and back out in the morning, I may reconsider and not do this again next spring. I know if my crops of lettuce, tomatoes and Kohlrabi make it to full term, they will be delicious and nutritious, but oh, my, oh, me...I'm not as young and strong as I used to be ;-) But, I will see it through this time as I am having fun watching my seeds sprout and the plants grow. I also sowed snapdragon and bachelor button seeds  - and I still have Marigolds and Forget-me-Nots to sow, but I'm beginning to wonder: "Where am I going to put them all?" I'm waiting for some window planter boxes I ordered from Amazon.com, but after that, I'll make due with what I have.

I also have to remember to move all my edibles inside when the Astro Exterminating Services drive by with their pesticides, plus the city sends a vehicle through here periodically (unannounced) usually at night during the summer to spray outside for mosquitoes because we had so many last year...that will be difficult to predict and I'd best have some sheets for cover up on stand by when/if I hear the vehicle drive through...they always come when it's dark and once you hear them, it's often too late to do anything about it except close your windows and doors. 

That's the bad part about living here - they use a lot of chemicals because we have so many mosquitoes. I noticed a lot of dragonflies already and am so happy when I see them. I've seen swarms of gnats so thick that when you fling your arms, you can actually feel them on your hands, so I suspect the dragonflies will be fat and sassy again this year as well.

HAPPY SPRING!

Celebrate OZ

Welcome to "Celebrate Ozz" with Linda Oma's Olde Baggs n Stuft Shirts where we celebrate all things Wizard of OZ today.


I'm also having a drawing at the end of the day for some small "surprise" door prizes for a few lucky visitors who leave a comment on this post.



Here you can view and listen to Judy Garland singing Over the Rainbow:

See lyrics here:

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?


Did you know that Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum? Besides her dog, Toto (played by a Cairn Terrier in the movie) she also had several other pets, including her white/pink/purple kitten, Eureka, a cow named Imogene and a pet chicken called Billina.

I did not grow up with this movie (nor the books) because I lived in Germany with very little TV, but when I first saw the movie on television in the United States, I fell in love with it... there's a moral to this story, like many of the Fables (and Fairy Tales) I grew up with.


Life is what you make it and our imagination can take us anywhere - even way up high over the rainbow where little blue birds fly...

Be sure and write a comment if you want to be included in my door prize drawings!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Saint Patrick was a Gentleman

by Henry Bennet

Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
and he came from decent people,
In Dublin town he built a church,
and on it put a steeple;
His father was a Gallagher,
his mother was a Brady,
His aunt was an O'Shaugnessy,
and his uncle was a Grady.

Then success to bold Saint Patrick's fist,
He was a saint so clever,
He gave the snakes and toads a twist,
and banished them forever!

The Great Sunflower Project

As some of you may know, I subscribe to the The Buzz, a newsletter from The Great Sunflower Project, giving ideas as to making our world more bee friendly. I wanted to share this article for those of you interested in having a bee friendly garden this year.

The BUZZ: Creating a Bee-Friendly World

Creating an environment that provides shelter and food for pollinators is one of the most rewarding of garden activities. You can do it anywhere – city rooftops, school gardens, a sidewalk strip or your own back yard. For very little effort, you can create beautiful and critical habitat for native bees and abundant forage for honey bees.

Not only will your fruits and vegetables benefit by increase pollination efficiency, but you will be creating a great opportunity for observing bees and other pollinators. Some of my most memorable times in nature have been spent lazily observing bees and butterflies visiting my favorite plants.

You can enhance your existing garden or start something new this year. I invite you to take the “add a yard to your yard” challenge in 2011. Here’s how:

• Select one square yard, (36” x 36” ) to transform into a pollinator garden. Make sure that the site gets ample sunlight and a source of water is nearby.
• Choose plants to fill your square yard that will bloom continuously throughout the season. Diversity is key. Think about three to five plant varieties in bloom at all times. Make sure to include ‘Lemon Queen’ Sunflowers to anchor your planting and observe and report your bee observations
• 
  
• • Some other good choices might be California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) ‘Tropical Sunset’, Echinacea (E. purpurea), Bee Balm (Monarda ‘Bergamo Bouquet’), along with cosmos and alyssum. (Here’s photo of last year’s effort in a local community garden, including cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) and a big beautiful clump of a white form of borage. 
  • 
  • We let the carrots and radishes go to seed, too, for extra pollen and nectar. )
  • Like our white borage, most pollinators are attracted to obvious clusters of blooms, so plan to group similar plants together for maximum effect.
  Low-cost and beautiful seeds can be found at Renee’s Garden Seeds. Check out their site, and don’t forget to enter the Coupon Code FR225A, so that the Great Sunflower Project will receive a portion of the proceeds to continue our work.
  To find out much more information on planting for pollinators, check out the new Xerces Society Guide to “Attracting Native Pollinators.” You can order your copy through our web site at a discounted price.
  Once your pollinator garden is in full swing, share your success stories and pics with us!
  Here’s to making a difference by creating a more bee-friendly world,
  
  (Image: courtesy of Google Image Search)
  
  
• .

Time for more honey recipes...

As most of you know, I subscribe to the National Honey Board and get monthly Newsletters with delicious recipes that I like to share with my blogging friend, so here we go:

Indulge in the Cupcake Craze!
March, 2011

Everywhere you look there seems to be another cupcake flavor, TV show or cookbook. These delectable portion-controlled beauties are all the rage and have been growing in popularity during the past couple of years. There are even curbside cupcake vans in multiple cities throughout the U.S. that dispense the sweet, fluffy goodness anytime you’d like to fulfill your sweet craving. Talk about convenience!

Cupcakes used to be a very “vanilla” dessert, but bakers and chefs have taken a spin on old recipes with inventive, creative ingredients and brand new flavors. Join everyone else in this cupcake craze with these delicious, hand-held wonders. From fruity to nutty, these cupcakes will top your list as divine desserts. Enjoy!

Honey Mango Margarita Cupcakes with Sea Salt
(makes 12-14 cupcakes)

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup ripe mango, puréed
• Zest and juice (1/4 cup) of one lime
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Wildflower honey
• 2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350° F. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt; set aside. In a small bowl, combine mango purée, lime zest and juice, and buttermilk; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add honey; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time. Add half of the reserved dry ingredients to the butter mixture; mix on low until just combined. With mixer running on low, slowly add the mango mixture. Add remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove to wire rack; cool. Frost with Mango Lime Buttercream frosting (below) and sprinkle with additional sea salt and nonpareils, if desired. *Any mild-fl
avored honey such as Clover may be used.
Mango Lime Buttercream Frosting (12-14 servings)

• 1/2 cup Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup ripe mango, puréed
• Zest and juice (1/4 cup) of one lime
• 2 Tablespoons Wildflower honey
• 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add mango purée, lime zest and juice, and honey; mix well. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired spreading consistency. *Any mild-flavored honey such as Clover may be used.

Honey Roasted Pineapple Cupcakes
(makes 12-14 cupcakes)

• 1/2 fresh pineapple
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup Wildflower honey, divided
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove rind from pineapple, slice and cut into wedges. Put 2 tablespoons butter in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan and place in oven 2 to 3 minutes, until melted. Remove from oven and add 1/4 cup honey; stir. Place pineapple wedges in a single layer; return pan to oven. Roast for 10 minutes, turn wedges over and roast an additional 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven to a cooling rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Remove 14 wedges from pan; set aside. Measure 2 tablespoons of pineapple syrup from pan; set aside. Place remaining pineapple and syrup in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Place 3/4 cup of pineapple mixture in a liquid measuring cup. Add ginger and buttermilk; set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter until fluffy; scraping sides of bowl, as necessary. Add 1/4 cup honey; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Add half of the reserved dry ingredients to the butter mixture; mix on low until just combined. With mixer running on low, slowly add the buttermilk mixture. Add remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove to wire rack; cool. Frost with Honey Pineapple Whipped Cream, if desired.
Honey Pineapple Whipped Cream (makes about 1 cup)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon Wildflower honey
• 2 Tablespoons pineapple syrup
• 14 pineapple wedges

In a mixing bowl, combinipping cream, honey and syrup. Beat until peaks form. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish with pineapple wedges.

Lavender Pink Grapefruit Cupcakes

(makes 12-14 cupcakes)

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lavender flowers, (no stems)
• 1/2 cup pink grapefruit juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup Clover honey
• 2 large eggs

Combine all ingredients except fruit. Serve with fruit. Makes 10 servings.

Pink Grapefruit Buttercream Frosting (12-14 servings)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup grapefruit juice
• 2 Tablespoons Clover honey
• 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 drops red food color, optional

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add grapefruit juice and honey; mix well. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired spreading consistency. For a darker pink color, add food coloring, if desired.

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes
(makes 12-16 cupcakes)

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon zest and 1/4 cup juice from Key limes, may substitute regular limes
• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup Clover honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a liquid measure, combine Key lime zest and juice, and coconut milk; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy; scraping sides of bowl, as necessary. Add honey; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Add half of the reserved dry ingredients to the butter mixture; mix on low until just combined. With mixer running on low, slowly add the lime mixture. Add remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in coconut and macadamia nuts. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove to wire rack; cool. Frost with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting, if desired.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (12-16 servings)

• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons Clover honey
• 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut

In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add lime juice and honey; mix well. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes and top with coconut.

Hope you'll try some and enjoy these with your family!

March is National Crochet Month

I have these cute Shamrocks growing against my apartment in the back and every time the guys from Astro Extermination Service spray against the buildings outside, it kills these delicate pretty greens. Next time, I'm going to save some in a pot for myself before they kill them all - again!

In March we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but March is also National Crochet month according to the Crochet Guild of America.

Allow me to share an interesting article from the "Talking Crochet" newsletter concerning the history of a very old crochet technique:

There is a little bit of Irish in each and every one of us crocheters! "How so?" ... you may say if your origins are quite different. Irish crochet or cottage lace is famous for its intricate designs that were developed from simple patterns. Our Irish foremothers, whose skills were honed over lifetimes, learned from their ancestors without patterns. Great patience was required in order for them to crochet the finest of threads, up to and including size 100!

In tribute, crocheters are proud of those Irish skills as they strive to achieve that degree of expertise, inspired by their ancestors' sacrifice and by the instructions they left behind for us. From 1845 to 1851, the potato famine devastated Ireland. The Ursuline nuns were familiar with Venetian lace from France, and they knew the Irish women, who had produced rough cloth for their families for generations, had crochet skills. The nuns realized that these skills presented an opportunity to create cottage industries and save the population from famine.

Fine crochet, called Irish crochet, replaced potatoes as the source of income that prevented starvation. Unique designs were developed by families, and the motifs were kept top secret. Some ancestral motif instructions were lost when family members died or fled to other countries.

The crochet schools of the 1850s and 1860s began to disappear as fashions changed. With demand for lace declining, the cottage industries died out as well. In the 1880s, a brief revival of cottage lace produced samples that today are family heirlooms and museum pieces.

Examples of Irish Crochet, Cottage Lace or Irish Lace:

Happy crocheting!

Nice sunset - bad pancake!

We've been having some magnificent sunsets lately and this is what I saw when I stepped out my front door two nights ago:

The next one's a bit out of focus, but to me it looks like some sort of abstract painting:

This is what the sky looked like out my back door:

Here's a tip for you all to not go on facebook while your pancake is cooking or else:

Look, Gizzy, mommy made you a Frisbee!

(he's looking worried wondering if I'm going to make him eat it)

Ok, the rain has stopped and Gizzy and I are off for our daily walk - and I'm bringing my raincoat just in case!

Have a wonderful day y'all!