Don't get between me and my dirt

This afternoon I was headed out the patio to grab my bag of dirt and haul it around front so I could finish planting my little herb garden. I'd opened the sliding glass door, picked up my very sad begonia to take it out on the patio on my way out there, turned my head to listen to something Allen was saying, and then proceeded to plow down the screen door on my way out. The whole thing just about flew off the tracks which I immediately proceeded to step on. Ouch. Still, moral of the story: Don't get between me and my dirt.

Incidentally I think my garden is about complete. I have five pots of herbs -basil, cilantro, oregano, thyme, and rosemary- along with several more pots full of flowers. Out on my back patio I have an old fashioned rose bush, a dwarf gardenia, and a confederate jasmine. Once my gardenia buds open all three will be in bloom. Mmmm, can't wait to smell that bouquet. I also have the requisite petunias and impatiens. I like to put my plants out on my shady back patio where I can see them from the living room, so I'm pretty limited as to variety. One day though.... When I wander through Lowe's or Home Depot or even Walmart I keep wishing I had the yard and the money to buy two or three of everything and scatter them around.

General Lee Rides Again

I have to say, I had a somewhat disappointing trip to the Pepper Place Market this Saturday. Well, I did thoroughly enjoy being out-of-doors and waddling around the stalls looking for the best produce I could find. I did come away with some summer squash and zucchini (perfect when roasted together with good olive oil and sea salt), some sad little early tomatoes (wishful thinking this early in the season) and some early Springcrest peaches. The reason for my disappointment, I have to admit, stems from the fact that I might never again get to taste a General Lee peach.

One Saturday several years ago, David and I were at the Other Farmer's Market. Do you know the one? The Alabama Truck Growers Market. I've been going there on Saturdays in the summer since I was a toddler. I dare say that most of my summertime baby food started out at the Alabama Truck Growers Market. Savvy hunters of Southern fruit know to steer clear of the shabby little huts at the rear of the market as well as the permanent-looking buildings where you can buy peppers and tomatoes and fruit—all grown in California. Cheap, yes, but most likely rejects from Publix dumped at the commercial docks on the other side of the market. My mother called these fruit-sellers "peddlers" and we never bought fruit from them.

The place to buy watermelon, tomatoes (green and red!), peppers, field-peas, okra, corn and most especially peaches is from the men in overalls sitting in lawn chairs in front of their trucks. There are even little signs hanging over the trucks stating the names of the growers and where they are from. They take pride in their little operations. And indeed, they should.

But back to the day I met General Lee. A very large man (might I even call him downright corpulent?) stood at the rear of an old Ford F250 overloaded with the largest most beautiful white-flesh peaches I've ever seen. When he found me staring mouth-agape at his bounty, he picked one from a basket, drew his pocketknife from his bib pocket and across his arm a few times and sliced one open. He handed it to me warm and most likely from some God-kissed orchard in Chilton County just a few hours earlier. I popped it in my mouth. I think I said something like "This is the most wonderful thing I've ever eaten and I would like another slice arm-hair and all." But what probably came out of my mouth was some kind of guttural and gastronomical noise of satisfaction most likely to originate in the belly of a mating moose. Needless to say, I bought two baskets. They went too fast and I never saw that man again.

Even now, as I wander around the posh stalls of the Pepper Place Market looking for early-season peaches (and waiting with baited breath for the Elbertas surely to emerge later this summer) I can't help but wonder if my experience with General Lee was only a figment of my imagination sprouted from some genetic predisposition to devour fruit and nurtured by too many Alabama summers and too much sun. I'll never know, but the farmer's market will never be the same.

cooking angst

I'm going to admit something here that just might get me banned from the blog. I don't really like cooking. (GASP!) I'm a pretty good cook, and I do it several times a week. It's just that day in day out I don't really enjoy it. First I have to clear away the dishes that I forgot to do earlier in the day to make room for all the dishes I'm going to dirty up tonight. Then I spend about an hour chopping and stirring. (Have I mentioned this is after I got distracted by my book so that supper is running desperately late?). Then my mad genius husband has a brainwave five minutes before it's ready. Taps foot. Gah! Forgot the broccoli! Another 15 minutes to get some veggies steamed. By now with one thing or another it's a quarter til nine, the kitchen is an absolute wreck, and we haven't eaten yet. It's enough to make me wish for fish sticks and mac 'n cheese. No this doesn't happen every day. There are plenty of times when Allen is the hugest help to me when I'm running behind and need an extra hand. But, you get the picture. It happens enough. Question is what to do about it. I'd say the first answer involves not making homemade potatoes au gratin and meatloaf for the same meal without a LOT of planning first -especially if bacon and fresh garlic is involved. I don't know how you make meatloaf, but in this household there's some serious veggie dicing going on when meatloaf is in the offing. Other thing -be more aggressive keeping the kitchen clean. Clean kitchen = happy cook. Finally though, I'm going to make a point of cooking more things just for fun -bean salad, muffins, homemade lemonaid- anything fun and tasty.

Dresser top nesting

Ok, this has nothing to do with dirt, but I thought I'd post some before and after pics of my dresser.

I should note that I actually did this about a month or so ago, but since pics tend to stay in my camera way too long after they've been taken....

This is my dresser before. Pretty crowded and chaotic.





Here is my dresser after I've organized my jewelry on my pretty new rack. All my pretty little doilies (all four of them-three in that pic) are grouped on top of the dresser. The mirror is thumbtacked to the ceiling. I wanted a tiny little mirror just to check my earrings and such. I was going to put it on the wall, but since my dresser is positioned at a slight angle it worked out better to hang it from the ceiling.


And here's a close up of some of my favorite earrings hanging in their new home.

By the way, that bigger, square doily on the right I got from my great-aunt Kathy who actually is Allen's grandmother's sister, but since they don't much care if you're in by birth or marriage it's pretty much all the same. That's a place mat that her mother-in-law hemstitched from a larger piece of lace. The amber earrings Allen gave me on my first married birthday. The fan earrings my cousin Rhoda gave my Christmas one year.

The time is right

I love this time of year. I am not sure I have loved it with this sort of intensity until this year. Eating is so wonderful! Yesterday, I went to Jones Valley Urban garden after work to pick up some (more) fresh produce. I am on a special diet that mainly consists of fresh vegetables, meant, some beans and nuts to try and cure a digestive issue I have. At JVUF, I picked up 2 sorts of radishes, leeks, greens, strawberries and the spiciest arugula I have every tasted. Plus, my CSA box every week, weekly trips to Pepper Place and the things growing in my garden (although, my vegetables are having issues...). It is quite a bounty.

I have never eaten this well, or enjoyed food as much. Each day I look at the veggies and wonder what I can whip up with them for dinner. Yesterday it was stir fry. Today I am snacking on homemade tzatzi sauce with cut up radishes, beans, carrots and cucumbers. Wednesday night was baked amerjack and fried Kohlrabi leaves. It turns out Kohlrabie is amazing! The bulb is a mild, crunchy veggie, but it the leaves that really get me. They do not wilt when sauteed! instead, they turn a deep green and crisp up. I love crisp greens so much, so this has been a real treat.

Each week I am picking up a new veggie from Pepper Place and experimenting. I can't wait to see what it will tomorrow!

Oh, and check out the Botanical Gardens soon...the roses are in bloom and gorgeous.

Holy Crap!

My family and I have joined the Growing Alabama Co-op. I am beyond excited! In preparation I have become a vegetarian. No meat or eggs, er, well eggs are still debatable. Is that not meat? I don't know, bit it is fun finding alternatives to eat. My garden has grown so much it looks a bit in disarray- all the tomatoes are bowing low and the beans are taking over the greens. Poor garden. We are deciding rather to move or not so i am not as committed to it. If we move i see chickens and large raised bed gardens in sight!

I love Alabama in the Spring

My garden

I'm FREE!!

I finished my final exam last night! I am so extremely happy! I am leaving for Scotland in one month, but until then I will be relaxing - baking, gardening, knitting, reading. It is going to be wonderful.
An update on my garden: I have beautiful strawberries that are beginning to blush red. Unfortunately the birds have noticed, and I have yet to get a strawberry for myself. They decided that the little red tips are just as delicious and a completely red strawberry, so they are destroyed before they are pickable. I must build a cage.
I also have blackberries. I thought it would be a year before fruit developed, but I was happily mistaken. The birds have not found these little gems yet; I hope it stays that way.
In other news, I am having a bake sale this weekend! If anyone is interested in getting a mother's day gift, or something sweet for themselves, there will be lots of delicious goodies. I love love love baking, and most of my creations come out pretty well, so I hope none will be disappointed. I am making a blueberry gingerbread cake with mocha cream frosting that I am excited about. It sounds so strange it must be good! It's this Saturday at Lucy's Coffee and Tea near the corner of University and 20th street south from 11-2. If you're free you should stop by, and tell your friends!
Since I'm having this bake sale I won't divulge any baking recipes just yet (muahaha), but for my own homage to the wonders of grits, I will post this shrimp and grits recipe that I just made care of Cooking Light (with my own slight variations). It is VERY good (according to Jimmy)!

Cooking (slightly) Light Shrimp and Grits Casserole

2 c milk
3/4 cup chicken broth (calls for fat free less sodium, but I used regular)
***i will note here that I used more liquid because I used regular grits instead of quick grits - I used the whole can of chicken broth and maybe added some water, I can't remember exactly how much more I needed. I checked the grits bag and used how much liquid it said to use
1 c grits (I used stone ground grits, but the recipe calls for quick grits)
1/4 tsp salt (omitted because I used full salt broth)
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbs butter (I used 1 because of the full fatted chicken broth)
1 3-oz package less fat cream cheese
3 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tbs chopped fresh chives (I used green onions because that's what I had)
1 tbs lemon juice
2 large egg whites (I used one full egg)
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, coarsely chopped (I used little frozen shrimp)
cooking spray
hot pepper sauce (optional, I didn't take advantage of this option)

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine milk and broth in a medium have saucepan; bring to boil. Add grits (and salt) to pan, stirring constantly. Cook 5 min until thick, stirring constantly (or according to package directions). Remove from heat. Stir in parmesan, butter, and cream cheese. Stir in parsley and next 4 ingredients (through shrimp).
3. Spoon mixture into a 11x7-in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 until set. Serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings