Did you know hummingbirds are the smallest of birds measuring from just under three inches to a little over 5-inches? Yet these petite birds are most fascinating and so exciting to watch as they flit to and fro each summer. One recent rainy day, a tiny hummingbird perched right outside my kitchen window for most of the morning allowing me to get this amazing video.Continue Reading
Psalm 91
Psalm 91 is one of the most encouraging passages of scripture to me. After completing the book, Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney, our community group Bible study is finished the year studying Psalm 91. It is a beautiful Psalm and I am sharing each verse with a photo of a blossom from my garden this past spring.Recipes using Garden Fresh Zucchini
Summer is a delightful time of the year for many reasons and one of them is the abundance of fresh produce. Whether from the market or your garden, this is when the best and freshest fruits and vegetables are available making it easy to add nutritious ingredients to your meals. Zucchini will soon be ready to harvest from local farmers and backyard plots. In this collection of recipes using garden fresh zucchini, you will find an appetizer, entree, side dish and even a dessert that shines the spotlight on this summer squash.Propagate Rosemary
Do you have an herb garden or grow herbs on your windowsill? Do you have a favorite herb for cooking? I have a smallish, 4-foot by 8-foot raised bed where I grow herbs and some annuals. Just the ones I use most often in the kitchen. The aromatic evergreen, rosemary, does really well needing little attention. This perennial herb is super easy to propagate from stem cuttings to make more plants. Rosemary infuses lots of flavor in cooking but it also is a lovely ingredient in this light and clean-smelling, simmering potpourri.
Experimenting with Stevia
This spring I found a stevia plant at the garden center and thought it would be an interesting addition to my herb garden. I have been experimenting with the leaves from the stevia plant to see how it would work as a sweetener.
Very Berry Muffins
We love berries and we love muffins. We love them for breakfast, mid-morning or afternoon snack, with a cold glass of milk or with a hot cup of coffee. Very berry muffins can be made with any berry you like!Continue Reading
Happy Mother’s Day!
forget-me-not
lilacs
It’s been a perfect couple of days after some very heavy rain this week.
The grass is green, the trees are blooming and it is really spring!
It is also Raider’s birthday
I think he is feeling his 11 years
a quick selfie before heading out for another full day of yard work
my boy
❤
Rosemary Wreath and Rosemary Parmesan~Crusted Pork Chop Dinner
I’ve got another wreath idea to share with you.
This one is not just decorative but also useful in the kitchen
A wreath made of Rosemary sprigs is both aromatic and handy to snip and add in meal preparation.
For the base of the wreath I looked for a small circle. I found a package of four, five-inch metal circles in the leather supply section of the craft store.You could use a heavy wire and make the circle yourself.
After cutting the rosemary into 5-6-inch pieces, I wired several of them into a bundle.
It took six bundles to go around and fill out this 5-inch wire circle.
That’s all there is to it.
It smells wonderful too!
My Rosemary was a windowsill-size gift from a friend. I kept it indoors for a year and then planted it outside in a pot. It grew and I transplanted it into a raised bed herb garden two years ago.
Rosemary is an aromatic, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. The leaves are used as a flavoring in foods such as stuffing, pork, chicken and turkey. It is native to the Mediterranean region. The name “rosemary” derives from the Latin for “dew” (ros) and “sea” (marinus), or “dew of the sea”. Rosemary is reasonably hardy in cool climates and it can withstand droughts. I live in zone 6b and my rosemary has no problem wintering over. It is easy to grow and pest-resistant and can be grown in pots. Be sure it has good drainage and a sunny location.
Parmesan & Rosemary Crusted~Pork Chops
adapted from Giada recipe
Ingredients
1 large egg
1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2-1 tsp. snipped rosemary
3 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Whisk the egg in a pie plate to blend. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and the rosemary in another plate. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip the pork chops in the egg and then into the cheese/bread crumb mixture, coating completely, patting to adhere.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Add additional oil as needed when cooking second side. (My chops browned quickly, so I covered pan with lid, leaving slightly ajar and cooked for less time until just cooked through keeping them nice and juicy). I served with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans.
sharing at
Cupcakes & Crinoline Project Inspired party
psalm 5:3
late springtime blooms
Mother’s Day Weekend
Saturday, John and I worked from 7am until 3pm in the yard weeding, trimming bushes and adding a new berm where there was a bare spot from a Japanese Maple we lost last year. We quit to shower and dress for a drive to my cousin’s son’s wedding reception. We picked up my sister on the way and headed to a lovely evening with family and friends.
Johnny and Nanea had a beautiful beach wedding a few weeks ago in Hawaii.
Cleome
Flower Berms Project Status: Completed… finally
Truckload of topsoil has been shoveled.
Mountain of mulch (that still didn’t go far enough) has been spread.
New berm created (to replace lost grass)
Walkway extended (for better footpath)
Perennials divided and relocated. (for low budget goal)
(billions) of weeds pulled
Watering system in place. (sort of)
Chicken wire installed (not soon enough for some plants)
Two (4′ x 8′) Square Foot Raised bed created (one for herbs and veggies and one as a cutting garden)
Leftover pieces of sod from daughter used to patch lawn.
Wheelbarrow and shovels returned to their place in the shed.
Knee pads and work gloves stowed.
Time required for project: grossly underestimated.
Barn Swallows
My photos are totally blurred and out of focus but still a thrill to see this pair of barn swallows swoop and swirl on the front porch early one morning.
