pretty flowers

So. I tried growing broccoli. Only one plant survived my "garden without a fence." {Apparently gardens don't work on the same principles as "Doctors without borders." Gardens, it seems, need borders.}

Then a crown appeared. It was little. I decided to wait and see if it would get bigger.

It bloomed.



Broccoli flowers are pretty.



Yellow, four leaves, really cute..



but not tasty.



On another note, I made awesome soup the other day:
Sautee some shitake mushrooms from your friendly mushroom lady.

Meanwhile, sautee some onions.

Make a white sauce with delicious soy milk.

Reduce it a bit, and add leftover roasted potatoes and asparagus.

Add your sauteed mushrooms, and ladle into a bowl.

Add some grated parmesan.

enjoy!! Delicious!

Planning and "puff"ing...

Last evening we met with the catering director at our top choice for wedding venue. I don't want to spill the beans until we have a definite date (and deposit on the venue), but let's just say it's a venue with more than one layer of environmental awareness to it.

Anyway, we chatted for an hour on preliminary stuff with the director, and really fell in love with the idea of this particular venue. On our way to the car, a sign:If you can't see it, they're 2 ducks, sitting next to each other peacefully:

Now that's a sign from above, don't you think?


After we got home, my sister called to tell me about a recipe she had found in a cookbook that we both own (Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Special Edition-it's pink and supports the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation) The recipe is called "Nun's Puffs" and they are amazing!



She loved them because they resemble the delicious Yorkshire pudding our Grandma makes (that we can't duplicate yet), but they're made completely differently; instead of a batter, they're made with Pate-a-choux and cooked in muffin tins. Delicious.

Get the recipe here we had ours with honey, not cream, but either (or both!) would be amazing!

Solutions

Some of my co-workers call me McGuyver. This is because I often come up with a creative solution to a problem using items found in my environment, or cheap materials that are easily obtainable. I have been known to fix a slippery mic stand at a rehearsal with only a hair band. Need garden fence posts that don't break the bank? How about quarter inch dowels? Old wine bottles clogging up your kitchen counter? Use them to dry washed-out plastic bags to reuse or recycle. I needed a "tee" for a putting green set at work. Solution: A foam O stuck to the green with double-sided tape. Get the picture? Most of the time the solutions are one-hit wonders, but there's one that I use all the time that I thought might actually help people out:

We've all got those cute shirts with wide necklines and short sleeves that constantly fall off the hangers in the closet, right?




How about using clothespins to keep the shirt on? No need to actually clip the shirt, just hang the shirt clip the pins to the hanger on either end, outside the sleeves (the sleeves will be bunchy, but not as bunchy as the shirt would get on the closet floor)

Anyone else out there have any other neat solutions to any pesky problems?

Busy as a....

I know, it's been over a week. It's just been so BUSY!! Also, with last week's exciting event (see below!) my head has been kind of, you know, fuzzy. SO...

Last week we decided to try and have a September 2010 wedding date. We'd like to have the ceremony outdoors. We hope to have an organic and/or local food-based caterer.

Those are our plans so far, more to come as we make definite plans.

Mike's birthday was this weekend, we had a barbecue with friends and family on Sunday:



And we went to dinner last night at Mike's favorite Steakhouse:

More later!!

Last Evening...

Yesterday was the last in a 6-day work stretch. After work, church with Mom. When I got home, I had planned to cook dinner but was too exhausted, so Mike and I ordered pizza.

After dinner (with wine of course), we were relaxing on the couch when Mike came in with both arms behind his back. This means I am to pick one because he's got lottery tickets in each hand. I picked an arm, and, instead of a lottery ticket.....








He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!!!! Of course, I said yes!!!!!
He picked it out himself....he has such good taste!


Huzzah!!!!!!!

Links

What does she do all that time she spends on the computer?

I frequent Myspace, Facebook, and, of course, all the blogs listed to your right. --->

I also often spend time meandering around, collecting links as I go, either for regular visits or future reference. I've compiled a list of some of my favorite/most interesting links:

Blackle: Energy Saving Search Engine

The Vinegar Institute: Need I say more?

Menstrual Cup Support: If you don't know, please investigate!

Pick Your Own: To find U-Pick places near you

Pheasant Ridge Vineyards: A friend from H.S's father's vineyard-lovely wine!!!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: This book changed the way I think about food, and, consequently, changed my life.

Syracuse Peace Council: A very active activist organization locally

Eat Wild: Finding safe, healthy, natural and nutritious grass-fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork, dairy and other wild edibles.

Burritt's Cafe: A local cafe that sources local, organic (when possible) ingredients, as well as selling natural health, beauty and cleaning products, among other things

New York Farmers' Market Federation: Just found this while looking for something else....

Keyna Hora Klezmer Band: My Tuesday evening commitment.

What sites do you visit often or bookmark for future reference?




Photo Thought: There's nothing like a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies

The Simple Woman's Daybook, June 1st Edition

For Today...Monday, June 1st, 2009
Outside my window... Green and Gray and chilly!

I am thinking... about the future

I am thankful for... good friends, close family

From the kitchen... Homemade granola bars, rhubarb squares.

I am wearing... brown twill pants, t-shirt, no shoes

I am reading... "Pomegranate Soup" by Marsha Mehran

I am hoping... that summer warmth comes back soon!

I am praying... that everything works out for the best

I am creating ... a necklace for a co-worker's wedding

Around the house... open windows, cooler with beverages, laundry drying.

One of my favorite things... new beads to work with

A few plans for the rest of the week...work, work, more work. Boo!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...


Find this and other daybooks at ~The Simple Woman's Daybook~