A Perfect Day, Especially For January

The macaroni and cheese with leeks is wonderful! Very rich, too. I used about twice as much pasta as the recipe calls for and I chose Cabot Vermont extra sharp cheddar. The milk was 2%, not full-fat. The butter was a light version, mixed with Canola oil. I don't make baked macaroni and cheese often. When I do, it's worth taking time on it to make it good.

Leeks are sweeter than most onions. They smell like onions though, as I discovered on the drive home. Even with the window down, I had to stop in a parking lot and move them to the trunk. My apartment smelled of leeks for a day or two. (I'll take that over cigarette smoke from the downstairs apartment.) I regret that I didn't take a photo before I cleaned them. Next time!

It was one of those "perfect" days to me. I got to play in the garden, take something home from it to cook, then relax -- in this case with my guinea pigs and a book. Really, I'm not much of a cook. I am doing it because I should: it's cheaper and usually healthier than eating out, and it's a habit I have to reestablish. I generally keep it simple. A couple of books of healthy recipes I have: slow cooking and one filled with Mexican recipes. I love Mexican because of the ingredients often used: black beans, corn, corn meal rice, tomatoes, chiles; however, it can be very unhealthy without alterations.

I'll have to work on streamlining my favorite cuisine more: Italian. Ciao!

Plants In The Air

I live in an apartment. I've never smoked. I have asthma. The resident below me has ... several annoying habits. One of the worst is smoking. Smoke rises into my apartment. Short of moving into a building that won't allow smokers (do they exist?), I'm stuck -- And so are my guinea pigs -- opening windows in winter to ventilate my apartment. Apparently, this could be an excuse for more houseplants, spider plants being one of the best. It's also easy to grow in soil, water and somewhat in air ("babies" sprout on long stalks that grow from the center of the plant).

This article has some other options: Go To The Nursery

Make sure that if you have pets or little kids, the plants are safe. Here's a video with some information: Houseplants

When it comes to spider plants, buying one is enough. The "babies" transplant easily. It's even easier to start them in water before putting them in soil.

Secondhand Smoke Myths

Indian Fall?

Not much is happening. On Saturday, I visited my garden plot. About an inch of snow covered the paths and the wind was blowing. And it was cold. I wanted to dig some leeks from the ground, but the soil was hard and the tool shed was locked.

Now we're having a very warm spell (60s F). It's not Indian Summer. More like fall or spring -- late spring. So tomorrow I will take advantage of the warmth, and return to the plot with my shovel.

What will I use my leeks for? Maybe some leek and potato soup. Also, here's a baked mac & cheese recipe I intend to try, thanks to P Allen Smith.

He also has a video on providing humidity for houseplants in winter. Check it out!
humidity

Gifts from the Garden and the Heart

Not much is happening in the garden. The shovels and rakes, the buckets and hoes are nestled all snug in their sheds. Last week, I ventured out for some final clean-up and to secure my compost bin (tie it to keep the wind from pulling it apart -- I hope). Tulley and Oreo, the horses boarded in the nearby barn, were grazing. Tulley, being very friendly and always hoping for a treat, walked over to me. I don't give her a treat. Her stall door has a sign that requests visitors not do that; she already gets a good diet.

Her winter coat is so soft!! I loved stroking her. She put her nostrils right up to mine, exhaling warm breaths into my face. I've heard that horses like to "share breaths". Maybe that's what she was doing with me.

I will be potting some spring bulbs in the hopes that they will bloom into nice gifts (after the holidays for birthdays, just-because, etc.) A nice chaser of winter blues, especially for my mom and dad.

This time of year can be so beautiful and fun. And it usually is. A friend and I were discussing how to go about gift exchange so that no one in our (informal) singles group feels left out or expected to spend beyond their means. We're still brainstorming. Meanwhile, this video has a great idea for a potpourri gift that's not expensive if you collect things from your garden and the outdoors:



P Allen Smith potpourri



and holiday gifts for gardeners I've got two kneeling pads. They're great. I sit on them when I'm sorting through a harvest, such as when I cut fresh basil stems, then remove the leaves. I like to leave the stems in my compost bin.



Maybe sugar-glazed fruit would be an inexpensive gift for someone who likes to decorate. It would be quick to prepare, and would have to be done about 24 hours before giving.



(maybe more to come -- some of my own ideas, perhaps!)

Once Upon A Midnight Dreary

It wasn't midnight, and I didn't wander, weak and weary, but it was dark and dreary.
Circumstances have not made it easy to get my garden cleaned for the winter. So much rain. Yesterday was warm and I had an early shift. So, after taking the newly instituted job proficiency test after my shift, then stopping to get hay for my guinea pigs, I went to the community garden plots. I changed from nice shoes to boots, pulled my hair up into a French twist secured with a c-curved clamp, slipped on my gardening gloves and walked to my plot.

The horses were still in the pasture. The Pinto watched me as I went to my plot. Bet she was hoping for some attention. Working in a muddy garden near dark isn't too hard when all one needs to do is pull out dead plants. Brittle dried sunflower plant stalks about 5 feet high looked so eery standing out dark against the little remaining light. Dead yellowish-white nasturtium vines webbed over about 2 feet at the end of one row.

Wow. What one sees even in the dark. Being a visually oriented person and very amateur photographer, it's interesting to see how the amount of light changes how things appear.

Broccoli plants are still producing. I pull off a handful for my guinea pigs.

Within 20 or 30 minutes, it was too dark to see. I gathered my plant supports, put the florets in my pocket, and walked to my car, wishing I could stay. It's nice to be out here.

At home in the light, I notice the broccoli florets are not too healthy. They have a lot of brown. Oh well.

I'll have to go back on the weekend. Will the broccoli still live? Will the lavender emote more fragrance from its spindly, beautiful stems topped with full purple seeds? Only time will tell.

Handtools Ready For Winter

This video provides some of my favorite information from P Allen Smith:

Caring For Handtools

Here's something else with a lot of good advice on clean up. It includes good information on cleaning tools before storing:

Fall Garden Clean up

Sleepy Time For Plants

This is autumn in rural Pennsylvania. Dried corn stalks scratching and rattling in the breeze, the sun low in the sky, colors changing.

Most of my potted herbs got a good soaking and rinsing in the shower yesterday. The smell of sage, rosemary and oregano mixed in the humid air afterward. So pleasant!

Since it is that time when many plants hibernate and garden tools are tucked away, there isn't a lot to share. Here's a thought from stand-up comedienne Rita Rudner:

I was a vegetarian until I started leaning towards sunlight.


Photo credit: Jenn Smith

Photos

Here are a few garden photos. I plan to add more as I have time. These are the horses who reside in the barn next to the garden plots.





Basil:


Dill:


Nasturtium:






One of my sunflowers, held still for the camera by my friend Mary:

Flowers For Your Birthday!

How often I have heard the phrase "hardy mums." November is almost here, with my birthday, and I just learned that mums are the flower corresponding to November birthdays. Apparently its full name (chrysanthemum) translates as "golden flower".

I never knew of birth-month flowers until today, only of birthstones. With this new knowledge, the next time I see yet another pot of mums displayed outside a store, maybe I won't mind so much. This is especially so since I've learned there are quite a few varieties beyond the ones I usually see.

A few quick facts:

-- A natural insecticide is extracted from the seeds as pyrethrins.
-- The Chinese cultivated the plants in the 15th century BC.
-- It provides food for some butterfly larva.



Too bad my mom doesn't have these photos. She loves butterflies.

What would be my family's birthday bouquet for a year? Mum's the word in my family -- couldn't resist a pun.

Mom: gladiolus.
Dad, and my brother: also mums
Nina: rose
Nancy: gladiolus or calendula?
Steph: aster
Me: mum









Want to find out your flower or the flower of someone you care about?
There's a list on flowerwower.com



Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemum


butterflies in bloom







October is nearly over and mums are everywhere.

Have A Good Weekend!

In the mid-Atlantic the leaf color seems to be reaching its climax of beauty. When it's not raining and overcast, the colors are quite gorgeous.

A widespread frost is possible Sunday overnight from Maine through the mid-Atlantic, northern North Carolina, and over to southeastern Kansas. Still, my garden plot is mostly done. I planted several types and colors of tulip bulbs, so I hope they spring from the ground next year.

My containers on my porch are still quite productive with herbs. I've been putting the containers indoors at night. I look forward to their aroma and maybe to cooking with them over the winter (dried herbs mostly).