Yesterday was the first really lovely foretaste of spring. DH and I spent the afternoon working in the yard. Picking up sticks and branches. Picking up winter trash. Enjoying the flowers. Planting a few things in the garden.
The little 6″ ‘Tete-a-Tete’ daffodils were the first to bloom last year (on March 17) and the first to bloom this year on March 7. Ten days earlier this year. Does that mean everything else will be earlier, too??
The tiny blue flowers of Persian Speedwell are all over the yard.
The crocus are scattered just outside the back door.
We found a few snowdrops under the apple tree. Didn’t know we had any. I want to plant more this fall. I love these little flowers that are often the first to bloom each year. We had some where we lived prior to this home and they often bloomed the first week of February.
Zak enjoyed the warm sunlight, too.
We planted spinach, chard, radishes, and mustard in the raised garden bed.
Several bunnies were spotted in the yard.
I am so ready for full-blown spring.
~~Rhonda
The big picture in the back yard still looks a little bleak.
But if you look down and look close…
The daffodils are pushing aside the leaf litter and will be blooming soon.
Can’t hold back spring now.
~~Rhonda
We are planning a trip to visit DS#1 and his family soon. Until then, here are a couple of pictures of the grandtwins.
Sleepy girl
Sweet face
I love this picture taken at the playground, with mommy in the background.
~~Rhonda
Today I tried making toasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for the first time. I’ll say up front that I am the kind of person who likes to eat the old maids when we make popcorn…you know those unpopped and partly popped kernels of corn? I save all the old maids and repop them. Second time around they are crunchy good. Love ’em. So it’s no surprise I liked these chickpeas. They remind me a little of those old maid kernels.
I used:
1 16-oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 T. olive oil
garlic powder
ground red pepper
paprika
freshly ground sea salt
After draining and rinsing the chickpeas, put them in a bowl lined with a paper towel and swirl them around to dry them a bit more.
After discarding the paper towel, drizzle the chickpeas with olive oil, then sprinkle them with the spices, mixing to coat the chickpeas well. The amount of spice depends on personal taste. I used a light hand, as I’ve never had these before. Next time, I may up the spice a bit.
Spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350* for an hour, shaking the pan every 15 minutes to stir the chickpeas. The last 15 minutes, check them every 5 minutes. I’ve read they turn quickly from perfect to burned.
Mine turned out great.
They are delicious, crunchy and spicy. I’ll make them again, but may cook dry chickpeas to use next time. Starting with a bag of dried beans would be cheaper and may be tastier than canned.
~~Rhonda
Last night, Pippin passed away. He was an old cat. An outdoor cat. A stray that adopted us in September of 2006. He became DD#1’s cat. When he came to us he looked terrible. His hair was falling out, he was very thin and weak, he had a bad limp. As time went by, his health improved a great deal. During cold weather, his limp would return, but overall he was doing well. He could always be found on the back porch. Usually on the railing, looking through the back door, hoping someone would come out. The past few weeks he didn’t seem to be himself. He lost weight, was lethargic, his hair was coming off in tufts. I told DD I thought he was dying. She wanted to put him in the basement a few nights ago because he looked worse and it was chilly out. She made a bed for him and went down to visit him. Last night she and DH went down and she said goodbye. She petted him and he purred. DH said Pippin didn’t seem to be in any pain. They buried him this morning, down by the willow tree.
February 28, 2009 – 2:41 pm
I made the Bisquick Chicken Fingers recipe this week. Everyone liked it well enough, but it wasn’t a rave. Not something I will make again. There are just too many other chicken recipes we like better. And new ones to try. But the Oven Fried Potato Wedges…those will remain on the list of menu options.
Supper consisted of the chicken fingers, potato wedges, rosemary bread, and carrots and celery.
Here is the recipe as given, with the changes I made in bold.
Oven Fried Potato Wedges
- 6 – 8 med. potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
- 1/2 c. oil [I used 2 T. olive oil]
- 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese [I used freshly grated Parmesan.]
- 1 tsp. garlic salt [By the way, don’t buy garlic salt. You are paying premium prices for salt with very little garlic powder. Buy garlic powder. I used 1/4 tsp. garlic powder.]
- 1/2 tsp. paprika [I used about 1/4 tsp. paprika.]
- salt and pepper to taste [I used freshly grated sea salt and freshly grated black pepper.]
Preheat oven to 375*.
Wash the potatoes, cut them into wedges and put them in a mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil over them and mix to coat completely.
Lay the potato wedges on a foil-lined cookie sheet. If it’s regular foil, spray it with veggie spray. I like to use no-stick foil or parchment paper, if I have it on hand. I turned all the potatoes so they were skin-side down. That way, the white sides were able to brown and crisp. Pour any remaining oil over the wedges.
Sprinkle with cheese and spices. The measurement of ingredients doesn’t have to be exact. I just sprinkled them on without measuring. The potatoes could be seasoned with rosemary and parsley, if you prefer.
Bake at 375* for 45 minutes.
They were delicious. Crispy and yummy.
DD even thought they were good cold the next day when she ate some of the leftovers for a snack.
~~Rhonda
February 28, 2009 – 10:37 am
After seeing this onion recycling tutorial online, we decided to give it a try. When DD made tomato soup, she saved the root end of the onions and we planted them in a little pot. They have started to grow. I’ll have plenty for a salad, sandwich or garnish when they are larger. DH doesn’t eat onions, so a bag of them often isn’t used completely before they go bad. I’ve added a few more since this picture was taken.
It has been fun to watch them grow, especially this time of year when my eyes are begging for green vegetation. DD checks the pot almost every day to see how much they’ve grown.
~~Rhonda
February 27, 2009 – 5:23 pm
I tried a delicious new bread called Jo’s Rosemary Bread. It is written for a bread machine. No bread machine here, so I kneaded it in the KitchenAid and baked it in the oven.
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning [I used 1/4 tsp. dried oregano and 1/4 tsp. dried basil.]
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary [I used 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary.]
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
The recipe calls for dry rosemary, but I used a teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary, which was plenty for our taste.
I decided to forgo the pan and formed the loaf, transferring it to rise on a cookie sheet lined with no-stick foil. Out of parchment paper.
It baked at 375* for about 50 minutes.
DD thought it tasted just like the bread we get at the Macaroni Grill. We even put olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper on saucers for dipping our bread. 🙂
The recipe is definitely a keeper. ~~Rhonda
February 25, 2009 – 9:39 pm
Buttercup, waiting patiently for spring. Me…not so patient.
