West Indian Pumpkin Soup Recipe

West Indian Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Hayride

If I did not have little kids (again) I would have completely missed the opportunity to go for the Hayride they had at the Elementary School last week. It was so dark I could not even get a good picture of the tractor or the driver or the kids (and big kid adults like me) in the wagon. I was able to get a picture of the crescent moon, and I experimented with 3 color filters. The picture above is the original.

I liked the purple one, but the girls liked the 3rd blue one, just above. The first blue one is warmer, that must have been the yellow lens.

If I ever get that Nikkon digital I'm longing for, I'm not sure I'll have near as much fun with it as I do with this little camera I have!

Georgia Inspiration

Changes in my personal life have made it difficult to maintain this blog; yet I'm reluctant to give it up. Someday things will settle down enough for me to continue to document the creativity that drives me.

Right now I'm real lucky if I can just get my house clean, but I have had time to photograph a little. Most of these are recent, but some I have done over the last 18 months. These are the images that inspire me. Whether it's texture, color, light, or just plain natural beauty these images play in my mind and hopefully will someday translate into concrete ideas.

Some of the photos are the same but with different filters, which I find interesting in terms of contrast. I have also struggled to capture the summer steaminess that is pervasive in the early mornings.

At any rate, a natural photo journal....

Click on image for full-screen review.

10 Random Things About Living in a Cottage

*You may find a pair of shoes in the bread drawer.

*Feather dusters are only useful as an accessory with a French maid's costume. Otherwise they are just displacing dust.

*You learn to live with less.

*The outdoors and indoors are one and the same.

*There are certain times of the day when the sun casts its rays on every corner—a perfect time to sweep.

*Friends and neighbors will stop by and stay awhile.

*The kitchen stove is always being put to use.

*Castaways will find a home somewhere.

*Neighborhood pets sometimes consider your home their own.

*There are no rules for how to grow the perfect garden

-Jacqueline deMontravel of Romantic Homes-

I Heart Faces---Sepia

Self Portrait

Favorite Portrait

This week's contest is "Sepia Tones" which is one of my favorite things in photography, so I decided to enter.

A different contest every week, with some cool givaways, so if you like photography feel free to jump in! Just go to the website I ♥ Faces and all the information you'll need is right there.

Wildflower

I love Queen Anne's Lace. It's simple and complicated, all at the same time. It also makes a GREAT filler in arrangements. It's hard to find in domestic versions, although it used to be a common garden flower. It does grow along the side of the road en masse around here though.

The Official Start of Summer

Some people will argue that it's the Memorial Day Week-end, but Southerners know it's when the thistle blooms...this year we can all agree since it's all happening at once!

I Heart Faces

One of the many things I have discovered about myself over the last year or two is that I love photography. It has only been recently that I have committed to getting better at it. For some reason I felt it was beyond my scope of capability. But I have taken some pretty good pictures by accident, and so I felt I should try to improve on this. It is a passion I share with my older son. And of course blogging has given me a huge opportunity to play, practice, improve. In a way it's like beading for me: it is an art form that can yield some pretty satisfying results almost immediately, unlike alot of other creative arts which require patience, perseverance, and TIME. A big frustration I've had in the past is feeling the creative urge and trying to nurture it everyday, but running short on that time commodity. It has been important and freeing to find other art forms that allow expression and sometimes quickly. I'm not implying skill is not required. It is, and often I fail miserably there, but once in awhile I get it right. And yes, I am dying for a new camera. I've got my eye on a digital Nikkon, but can't exactly spare the $600.00 right now. Ah well. In time.

I have also become interested in other people's photography. Here is a really fun site, and they have a cool give-away going on right now from allpopart.com

Click on the icon to check it out, and scroll down to their give-away entry. They also run a photography contest every week.

Good News at Camp Osceola

Looks like the most boring picture of the bunch. But, it's really the most exciting...because those are buds on my Nikko Blue Hydrangea that I pruned in March.

THEY ARE GOING TO BLOOM THIS YEAR!!!

And now, on to the rest of what's blooming right now...

Clematis


Iris

(mine do not usually bloom, and this one never has!)

Knock-Out Roses

They were in 1 gallon pots last year when I planted them, can you believe it?

Sorry I have been away so long. If you follow my other blog, you know my daughters finally came home from Haiti after an almost 2 year adoption process.

Finding time to blog is difficult, but we are starting to get in our groove.

God is Good!

Hallelujah!

Propagating Nikko Blue

It so happens I love hydrangea, and here in the Southeast it does very well. Of course, as always it depends on your species. This mop head classic "Nikko Blue" is one you are going to see in alot of yards. It's the granddaddy of mop head hydrangea, the graft of all those fantastic newcomers like "Endless Summer" , "Blushing Bride", and possibly even "Dooley".

I have two established in my front border, that have done very well except for last year. The plant did OK, but did not bloom. And it is generally a prolific bloomer. I cut it back too hard, I think, and I have no idea what is going to happen this year. We'll see. However, I have been propagating them for several years and my off-shoots DID bloom! I had put one in another border, and the others were still in their containers.

I get so many off the mother shrubs, I end up giving them away. Sometimes around these parts, people will set up a table and sell plants, and I may do that someday, I've got plenty!

So, in case you don't know, here is how I do it. This method works best on mature plants.

Here is a nice healthy specimen that I layered last fall. If you look to the left you will see a light colored branch coming off the mother shrub and going into the dirt, resulting in a new plant! Sometimes I can hit branch with a spade and it cuts cleanly, but yesterday I had to get the pruners. The roots are growing straight down into the soil and supporting the new growth. The plant is tough enough to take all the manhandling (or womenhandling in this case) and after I cut the "cord" and dig up the new growth I divided it into two plants. Hydrangea is dependent on moisture, so I don't leave them laying around for two long with out the support of some nice damp soil in a container. I have several of these that I rooted last fall, and by the time it's all said and done I got 7 new plants, and 6 of them are very healthy. Only time will tellabout the weakling, but I will give it a shot and see how it goes.

But, I'm not done. If you look at the picture you will see several long branches grazing the ground. A few weeks ago when I was pruning these back, I left those long low branches there on purpose. I knew they were going to be my new "propagants".

I take these branches and lay them flat as possible and cover them with dirt except where there is already new growth, particularly at the tip. I have to use bricks on some of them to get them to stay down, and I don't have to bury them too deeply. Just enough soil for those new roots to grab on and go! The bricks will soon be hidden by all the new growth on the mother shrub. Nikko Blue are prolific and they will take over this bed by mid-summer. At some point I will have to trim them from the top so they don't take over my house.

The new offshoots, for the most part will also be covered, which is good, that will serve as a protection from the hot summer sun.

There they are, plus the ones left over from last fall. I usually do this twice a year, spring and early fall. I'm contemplating a "hydrangea garden", so that may be another place to put them.

And then, nothing to do with hydrangea, but I noticed these things while I was ratting around out there....

My clematis is getting ready to bloom.

I love the way new growth on a fern presents! One of nature's fascinations.

Funny Spring

We're having a cool, wet spring here in the Southeast, in fact, they are talking about snow tomorrow night! A couple of clear days, and yesterday was almost hot, which was making these tulips want to melt. They are supposed to be pink, marketed from the pink ribbon people, but as you can see, they are red~lol, That's what I get for buying my bulbs from Wally World!

Tulips are annuals in this region, BTW. And I need to weed.

DIY

I spent Sunday afternoon putting this computer desk together, out of a box. Next step is to move the computer, but I thought I would take a photo while it was still uncluttered and pretty!

Just one more step in the master plan of my next big house project....

Professional Recipe Writing---And Stuff

Things have been very busy at work and it has kind of taken over my life. And this will continue to be the case for the next few months. I do have another big project in the works for the house and hopefully it will be completed within the next few weeks and I will be able to post it.

About work: let me just say that I love being able to work at things I really like to do. There is a big difference though in creating menus and writing & testing recipes on a professional level and doing it at home. (More fun at home...) Below is a photo montage of some early construction phases, recipe/menu testing, and work and student life in the existing location. For an overview of the entire project, go here and here. There actually is one other concept going into this project that is not mentioned, but has required much labor. Not to mention gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair:)

Best view: double-click image, go to slide-show.

You may start to notice at the end of the montage that we are reaching the phase where the equipment is arriving and being installed. Coming soon: final photos. Look for that around June 1.

Rapid Risotto

I realize I used to do these recipes every Friday, and I would love to go back to that schedule, but for now I'm lucky to get them posted over the week-end, so until I can get back on that Friday schedule, if you are looking for recipes, know that they are sure to appear between Friday and Sunday!

For now I'm sticking to lo-cal good food. BTW I made that bean and shrimp dish again last week after I posted, and it was to die for! I got a pound of frozen large shrimp at Sam's Club for about $14.00. Yes, that is more than I usually like to spend for food, but I still have 1/2 a bag in the freezer, and wow it was GOOD as well as good for me!

Now, about Risotto:

"Risotto is a rich and creamy, traditional Italian rice dish. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy." (Wikipedia)

We are cheating just a bit using the microwave. Alternatively you can stand over the stove top constantly stirring for 45 minutes to get this dish, but it is hard for me to come up with that kind of time, especially when I'm using this for a side dish.

Microwave Risotto serves 8

1 & 3/4 cup of vegetable broth

1 cup uncooked Aborio rice

1/2 cup of dry white wine

1/2 cup of frozen chopped onion

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup of finely chopped plum (Roma) tomato

1/2 cup of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper

1/8 tsp salt

2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley

Combine first 5 ingredients in a 1 & 1/2 qt. microwave safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap and vent. Microwave at HIGH 12-15 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed. Remove from microwave, carefully removing plastic wrap. Add tomato and next 3 ingredients, stirring well. Cover and let stand until ready to serve. Stir in parsley just before serving.

(Calories: 153 per 1/2 cup, Fiber 1.5 grams)

Notes: You can substitute veggie broth if you do not want to use wine. DO NOT substitute the rice. Also, you can serve risotto as a main dish. In this case I would stir in a sprinkling of pine-nuts for protein, texture and taste, and serve with some baguette-parmesan cheese toasts. YUM!

A New Look For An Old Chest

I'd been wanting to do this for along time, and finally got it this past week-end. This little dresser had been living in my linen closet.


It was quite a mess in there and I am not brave enough to show you the before picture. I will say this little chest has served me well. My friend's mother bought it for me at a yard sale for $5.00 when I was living in a walk-up apartment in San Francisco, and it was small enough and light enough to get up the stairs and thru a narrow long hallway. It had funky retro skinny 8 inch legs on it, and the drawers were painted orange. I know that's cool these days, but it did not go with my 1908 Victorian, so I painted the whole thing white and put little ball feet on it.



See the orange? And you can tell I set a few coffee cups on this thing, LOL

Here is my baker's rack. I like it, but it never looks this un-cluttered. I decided to do something different with this little nook. The baker's rack is the next project. I'm going to paint it white and pink for the girl's room.


I'm liking the black on this chest.



It looks really rich!

Does not take up as much room as the baker's rack. Also does not hide the all-important surge protector, so I will have to fine a way to deal with that. I loved that mirror and just had to have it! The drawers are full of photos, scrap booking supplies, linens, china (!) and the top drawer is for the girls coloring books, puzzles and other table activities, since this chest is right next to the table. As soon as I get it all put back together I will take another shot of that end of the room for the total effect.

Total cost

Paint: $7.00

New Pulls: 8 @ 1.17 e

Mirror: $35.00

Not bad for a new look!

Friday's Fave Foods***Shrimp and White Beans

Create a rustic Italian-style meal by serving this hearty dish with ciabatta and a glass of wine. This is right up my alley!

Shrimp and White Beans

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 15 oz cam cannelini beans, rinsed and drained.

1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved

6 oz of fresh baby spinach

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1.) Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high hear. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp and set aside. Keep warm.

2) Heat remaining 1 tsp olive oil in pan. Add garlic and onion and saute 2 minutes. Add beans and wine; bring to a simmer and add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in spinach, and cook 1 minute or just until spinach wilts.

3.) Add reserved shrimp and any extra juices, black pepper, red pepper, and salt, stirring to combine.

Yield: 4 servings @ 1 and 3/4 cups

Calories 260

Fat 4.3 g

Fiber 6 g

Designer Pillow Project

First attempt at file conversion. By Zamzar

It inverted the photo...oh well!

This is a pillow project by Linda Lee, that was published in the current issue of "Sew News". I like it alot because it utilizes fabrics by designers that I love. In fact most of them and stores that you can buy their fabric at are listed in the side bar. I hope I have time to make it soon :) Or someday!!!

I had quite a technical time with this post. I could not download the instructions directly from the magazine, so I scanned the picture and the diagram/directions and put them in a pdf file. Blogger will not accept pdf so I spent alot of time trying to figure out how to get this on here. I found this site Scribd which converted the file (for free) so that I could embed it as a post. I hope the technology holds! But I will say that I really found Scribd to be helpful and professional and something that I will continue to use.

I also just recieved Amy Butler's "Midwest Modern" from Amazon, and all I can say is OMG! Eye Candy! Her fabrics, as well as several others listed in this project are available at fabric.com Every once in awhile, I find a book that becomes an instant classic and stays on my book shelf and within my reach forever after. This is one of those. I will see something new every time I look at it.

Happy Sewing!

DC_2509136










If you click on the 'DC' link below, it will go to the site and pull the file so that you can better read it...

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Art Illustrations designer pillow

DC_2509137

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Diagrams Illustrations designer Fabric

Spicy Pork Chops with Scallion Rice

All righty, enough of those fattening lovey-dovey recipes, we are back to our attempts at livin' healthy! And yes, that is MEAT. Meat can be healthy in moderation. Even pork.

Spicy Pork Chops with Scallion Rice

1 cup of ready to cook brown rice

1 tsp ground Aleppo pepper or 1/8 tsp cayenne

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp of coarsely ground black pepper

4 1/4lb boneless pork loin chops, about 1/2 thick

2 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil

grated zest of one lemon

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, microwave the rice according to the package directions and keep warm.

Mix the Aleppo pepper, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and 1/2 tsp of the black pepper in a small bowl. Rub the pepper mixture on both sides of the pork.

Add the pork to the skillet and cook until an instant-read thermometer into the side of a chop registers, 160 degrees F, 2-3 minutes each side.

Stir in scallions, basil, lemon zest, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper into the rice. Serve at once with the pork.

1 pork chop with 1/2 cup of rice = 255 calories, 9 G fat, 3 G fiber

Notes: YUM! This recipe does not call for any oil, the idea is to sear the pork chop, but I found that adding a little cooking spray to the cast iron keeps it from sticking:)

A Romantic Dinner At Home

Having worked in the food business for 35 years, I must confess that going to restaurants is not a favorite ongoing activity anymore. I realize this is my personal bias. But for those of you that like to do something awesome at home, this menu might be for you. So get a bottle of champagne (or two..one to cook with, and one for you and your sweetie) snuggle in and enjoy!

Scallops with Leeks in Champagne Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 large leeks, white parts only, well washed and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup dry champagne
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
16 sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat. Add shallots, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add leeks and champagne; season with salt and pepper. Cook until leeks are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add scallops to skillet in a single layer, and cook until just golden brown on both sides. Remove scallops; set aside. Divide leek mixture between 2 plates. Top with scallops, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

NOTES: Scallops are long rumoured to be aphrodisiacs. So this is a plus. However, it you've got a real manly-man on your hands (my favorite kind of man!) he may be bewildered by this fancy dish and think it's only an appetizer. My advice: treat it as such and have a back-up favorite steak of his choice on the sidelines!


Steamed Artichokes with Tarragon Butter

Ingredients

2 medium or large artichokes, rinsed
Coarse salt
1 fresh tarragon sprig, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Directions

Using kitchen shears, trim sharp tips of artichoke leaves. Remove any small leaves from bottoms of artichokes; trim stems. Using a serrated knife, cut off top quarter of each artichoke.
Fill a 10-inch steamer with enough water to come about 2 inches up sides. (Alternatively, use a pot with a steamer insert.) Add a pinch of salt and the tarragon sprig. Bring to a boil. Place artichokes upright in steamer. Cover, and reduce heat; simmer until bottoms of artichokes are very tender when pierced to the center with the tip of a paring knife, 35 to 50 minutes. (Add more hot water if needed to maintain level.)
Before serving, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; stir in chopped tarragon, and season with salt. Serve artichokes with lemon wedges and warm tarragon butter for dipping.

NOTES: There is nothing more romantic than finger food. Use it to your best advantage! You can substitute a caper-aoli (fancy mayonnaise) or any other dipping sauce of your choice, usually it's best if it's something fat-based.


Chocolate-Champagne Truffles in Sparkling Sugar

Ingredients

Makes about 3 dozen.
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon Champagne
1 tablespoon Cognac
Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions

Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately pour hot cream over the chocolate in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Stir in the Champagne and Cognac. Refrigerate until chocolate mixture is firm enough to roll into balls, about 1 hour.
Using a small melon baller or ice-cream scoop, form 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in coarse sanding sugar, and transfer to rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate truffles at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days before serving.

NOTES: OK you can do this in advance, which is recommended. You are going to have your hands full primping for your romantic dinner as well as doing a little cooking. Chocolate=aphrodisiac + finger food. Need I say more???

Signs Of Spring

Quince

We had a sudden welcome splurge of spring this week-end. Yesterday the temps were in the low 70's, it felt downright muggy! That's because on Thursday, the high was 19 degrees. The day before that, the same but the windchill had it feelin' like it was about +5. Y'all can laugh at us whining, but were not used to that around here! Looks like the 10 day forecast has us in the 70's again today, then in the 60's with some rain possibly here and there.

YAY!
In case you're not from around here, we have this guy as our groundhog

Georgia groundhog uses Twitter, says spring’s almost here

Gen. Beauregard Lee did not see his shadow when he emerged at Yellow River Game Ranch
By MIKE MORRIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, February 02, 2009

Call it groundhog gone high tech. Georgia’s resident weather prognosticating rodent, Gen. Beauregard Lee, on Monday sent text messages via Twitter as he prepared to exit his lair at the Yellow River Game Ranch and pronounce to the waiting crowd whether there would be six more weeks of winter.

“A crowd gathering outside my house,” Gen. Lee “twittered” at 6:45 a.m.

About 100 people gathered Monday morning outside of the ‘home’ of Georgia’s official groundhog prognosticator, Gen. Beauregard Lee.

As the time for his annual forecast drew closer, Beau twittered, “I have been eating more organically lately, but I think I smell grits!” A few minutes later, he added, “no, it’s hash browns.”

At 7:26, Beau posted on the social networking site that there were “lots of people yelling outside; must be time.”

Meanwhile, 560 miles to the north, Beau’s Yankee counterpart, Punxsutawney Phil took a moment to declare the Pittsburgh Steelers world champions, then saw his shadow and forecast six more weeks of winter.

Just moments after Phil’s forecast, Georgia’s groundhog emerged under cloudy skies, failed to see his shadow and promised that spring would be just around the corner.

*********************************

Once again, I invite my Yankee friends to move down here. We're real hospitable in case you havn't heard. Plus the weather is alot better!

The weather we are in for will invite an explosion of spring growth over the next few weeks. It has been sustainably cold as of late, but there are some signs of Spring emerging.....

The only daffodils blooming in my yard. These bloom first every year!

Hyacinth emerging

This is looking so much healthier this year...we received enough rain!

Lenten Rose up close

If your climate can handle it I encourage you to have at least one Lenten Rose in your yard. It will give you so much cheer on those dreary winter days. And they are a 'no stress' plant.It will reward you in so many ways. I will be able to divide mine again this year and will add it to another corner of my yard.