I’ve been watching this egg for weeks and missed the main event. Hatched and ran. I didn’t even get the chance to say welcome to the world or wrap him her in swaddling clothes.  Geckos these days…so inconsiderate. 

And yes. That is my good pastry tip. And No. I don’t think that’s gross. I had no other household object that eggcentuated it so beautifully. I think it looks good.

Farewell tiny gecko. I’ll see you on my window screen someday…

Megan picked a peck of pickled peppers.  Well actually… I just pickled the peck our roofer gave us.  He moonlights as a pepper farmer and gave me peppers ranging from sweet to ay chihuahua .  So this is what I did:

Pickled Peppers

Pickling liquid  

3 C. water

½ C. pickling vinegar

½ C. white vinegar

¼ C. canning salt

3 T. dry minced onion

2 T. dry minced garlic

3 T. sugar

~ bring to a boil

Hot or sweet peppers

Stem all peppers. Seed hot peppers according to your heat tolerance. Seed all sweet peppers. Slice or chop peppers to desired size.  Small peppers can be left whole. Pack peppers tightlyinto prepared pint jars. Sweet and hot peppers can be packed together if desired. Add boiling pickling liquid to jars. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool away from drafts for 12-24 hours.  Check seal. Store in a cool dark place. 

 Allow peppers to cure at least 4 weeks before opening.

I really hate to be a complainer.  But. The Universe really has not been giving me a fair shake lately.

OR

Maybe it’s trying to tell me something. Do I need to slow down? Be more careful? Allow myself to be fully present in the moment?

Probably. Definitely.

When everything is going wrong I stop and listen.  What is the Universe, God, Allah, Buddha, Krishna trying to say?   

This morning, while en route to Dallas, I got a nail in my tire then a well deserved speeding ticket. 

So I listened. I slowed down. I was more careful. I was present. And now I’m alive and well in Dallas. It turned out to be a pretty good day! 

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.”

And I agree.

Let’s have a drink to celebrate lessons learned.

The Perfect Gin & Tonic

¡Salud!

This is no yolk people…my world is all cracked up.

Blog looking a bit wonky. The result of a little change turning into a BIG endeavor. Should be better than ever soon…I think…I hope!

I also woke up to a boxer with diarrhea. It gets worse…I’ll spare you the details…

But will share this little gem. Boxer dogs can spit Pepto Bismol like lamas. And guess what? Pepto Bismol stains! 

Your good waves are much appreciated.

If anyone needs me I’ll be under my bed…please knock!

I wandered into Fairyland

home of tiny fairy men

I met her on an August night

the summer moon beaming bright

for she was the Fairy Queen

in Fairyland she reigned supreme

she wore a glittering diamond cloak

queen of all the fairy folk

though the night was bright as day

in the woods l lost my way

so I sat by a tree

the Fairy Queen

she came to me

I gazed upon this fairy small

she stood scarcely two foot tall

tiny shoes covered her feet

she extended her hand in a fairy greet

her tiny face showed no sign of woe

hair as white as fallen snow

her eyes were sparkling

quite the show

then she smiled and did say

you’re in Fairyland you’ve lost your way

sorry to disturb your rest

come with me and be my guest

she took me to the fairy ball

in a tiny fairy hall

all the fairy folk were there

fairy music filled the air

when we stepped inside the door

a hushed silence filled the floor

fairies all so scarce in size

looked at me with fearful eyes

the queen then spoke and she said

the gentle giant you need not dread

I met her in the oak tree shade

into Fairyland she strayed

the fairy band began to play

little fairies in bright array

happy folk who laugh and play

the buzzer sounded and I awoke

my spell of fantasy then was broke

I awoke to a world of reality

from a land of fantasy

Fairy House Cookies

3 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 C. superfine sugar (food processed regular sugar)

1/2 t pure vanilla extract

Garnish:

cherries

sprinkles

nuts

cocoa powder

~Your imagination is the limit. Fairies love creative humans!

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

In a mixer whip egg whites until frothy.  Add cream of tartar.  Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Add sugar (while continuing to whip) 1 T at a time. Add vanilla. 

Spoon meringue into a pastry bag. Using the “star tip” pipe meringue onto parchment paper.  Add  garnish of your choice. Bake for 90 minutes.

 ~cookies can also be spooned onto parchment paper. No pastry bag needed!

Healthy hearty inexpensive simple & easy.  Just the way I like it…

Lentil Soup

2 C. dry lentils, picked over and rinsed

1 bay leaf

2 cloves minced garlic

1 large onion chopped

½ C. white wine

1 can (14.5oz) medium heat Rotel

1 T. oregano

2 t. comino

5 cups water or stock

Sour cream for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Pressure cooker method:

Add lentils, bay leaf, garlic, onion, wine, and water/stock to pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and lime for garnish.

 Dutch oven method:

Over medium/low heat bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and lime for garnish.

 Crockpot method:

Combine all ingredients. Cook on low 8 hours.

¡Disfrutar!

I’ve been repeating this project nearly all my life.  If all went well I may possibly be an avocado farmer farmstress by now. The operative word being “went”… It’s a vicious continuum I tell you. I start a seed. It becomes a beautiful potted plant. I kill it. Generally I freeze them to death. I once became too “prune happy” and caused one to lose photosynthesis capabilities. But not this time. This time it will prevail, flourish, and thrive. I’m going to treat it like my first born and report back to you every step of the way.  

Avocado Dip

1 large avocado mashed

¼ C. sour cream

1 small tomato chopped

¼ C. finely minced red onion

2 T. minced cilantro

1 T. taco seasoning

½ t. white pepper

~salt to taste

 ~ also try adding chopped black olives or pickled jalapenos or both

 Combine all ingredients. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour before serving. 

 How to grow the seed:

1. Wash the seed. Using three toothpicks, suspend it broad end down over a water-filled glass to cover about an inch of the seed.
2. Put it in a warm place out of direct sunlight and replenish water as needed. You should see roots and stem sprout in about two to six weeks.
3. When the stem is six to seven inches long, cut it back to about three inches.
4. When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in a rich humus soil in a 10-1/2″ diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed.
5. Give it frequent, light waterings with an occasional deep soak. Generally, the soil should be moist but not saturated. Yellowing leaves are a sign of over-watering; let the plant dry out for a few days.
6. The more sunlight, the better.
7. If leaves turn brown and fry at the tips, too much salt has accumulated in the soil. Let water run freely into the pot and drain for several minutes.
8. When the stem is 12 inches high, cut it back to 6 inches to encourage the growth of new shoots.
9. While it is true that you can grow a tree from an avocado seed, keep in mind that a tree grown from seed will be very different from its parent variety and may take 7-15 years to begin producing fruit. Fruit from a tree grown from seed tends to have different flavor characteristics than their parent variety. Known varieties such as Hass avocados are grafted to preserve their varietal characteristics rather than grown from a seed.

 Avocados in the Home Garden

Avocado trees are one of the most popular tropical fruit trees used in landscaping in zones 9, 10 and 11. They like soil ph of 6 to 6.5. It is a shallow rooted tree that needs good aeration and does best when mulched with coarse material such as redwood bark or other woody mulch about 2″ in diameter. Use about 1/3 cubic yard per tree, but keep it about 6 to 8 inches away from the trunk. Plant in a non-lawn area with full sun, protected from wind and frost. The ideal time to plant is March through June. During summer there is risk of sun damage since young trees can’t take up water very well.

The hole should be as deep as the root ball and just a bit wider. Gently place the root ball in the hole taking care not to disturb the delicate root system. If the ball is root-bound, carefully loosen up the soil around the edge and clip away any roots that are going in circles. Back fill the hole with soil. Do not use gravel or potting mix.

The major nutrients needed by avocado trees are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) in a balanced fertilizer with zinc. Feed young trees sparingly (1 to 2 teaspoons per tree, per year) of balanced fertilizer. Spread out over several applications if you like. 

When watering, it is best to soak the root system well, and then allow the surface to dry out somewhat before watering again. Depending on the weather, this may mean watering once a day or once every two weeks.

This information was provided by Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia, Extension Subtropical Horticulturist, Kearney Agriculture Center, Parlier, CA. and Dr. Ben Faber, Farm Advisor, Soils and Water, Avocados and Subtropicals, Ventura County, CA.

Per the request of my nephews who say a birthday flan just won’t do.

Let them eat cake!

and

Happy Birthday Mama!

Red Velvet Cake

2 cups sugar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 ounces red food coloring

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vinegar

Icing:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

¼ cup butter, softened

2 teaspoon good vanilla

1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

Bake cupcakes 18-20 minutes.

Icing:

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Blend in vanilla. Sift powdered sugar. Gradually beat together.  

I don’t have long to ramble today. It’s my Mama’s birthday and she is expecting me for lunch. But first, check out the awesome gadget she got me. It’s a shiny new electric pressure cooker. As my friend The Cosmic Cowgirl would say… ¡que fancy! And is it ever. It played an instrumental role in helping me make the best pinto beans of my life.  Here they are:

Megan’s Pinto Beans

1 lb dry pinto beans

hunk of bacon or salt pork

1 T dry onion

1 T dry garlic

1 T salt

1 T oregano

2 T ketchup

1 t chili powder

½ t comino

½ t paprika

½ t white pepper

Soak beans overnight.

Combine ingredients. Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow pressure to come down naturally.  Enjoy!

 Off to pin the tail on my Mama…

Still waters run deep.  The perfect description of Bert’s dad.  A quite man who eats one meal a day, listens when you think he’s not and can do just about anything with his hands.  A true craftsman.  My husband is quite similar except for the one meal a day part.  Like they say, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. 

My father-in-law purchased Tilly four days after my husband was born. Bert has fond family memories of gardening as a boy.  Memories which include Tilly. As Bert and his brothers grew older the necessity of a backyard garden faded.  Season after season Tilly sat quietly in the shop unhurriedly adorning rust and covered in a cozy blanket of soot.   

After years of rest, I would say beauty rest but that would be an overstatement, the revolution of Tilly began.  Bert’s dad and my favorite father-in-law gave her a complete overhaul.  Today she is looking pretty and happily lives in our garage proudly making four appearances a year in our garden. We are so grateful to have her. The ox we were considering would have eaten us out of house and home… not to mention the cleanup it would have entailed.

This bench is another example of the greatness that is my father-in-law.  A few months back, in passing, I mentioned I would like a bench for my front yard.  On our next visit he loaded this magnificent piece into Bert’s truck.  A refurbished treasure and I love it!  I couldn’t have purchased anything better or with more meaning.