The cooler temperatures haven’t bothered the garden. Things are growing beautifully.
Hosta ‘Samurai’
‘Liberty’
Peonies are beginning to bloom.
‘Festiva Maxima’
‘Flame’
The iris show is beginning. ‘Raspberry Blush’ is one of our earliest.
DH did a lot of mulching this week.
And we enjoyed our first lettuce and spinach from the garden.
Yum!
I love this time of year. Everything is fresh and lush and the temps are enjoyable. I hope you’re able to get out to putter and work in a garden.
You can visit other spring time gardens, or post your own, at Tootsie Time.
~~Rhonda
April 11, 2012 – 10:03 pm
I tried this recipe today and it is a keeper!
This is the link to the site where I found the recipe for Crock Pot Brown Sugar Chicken. Below is the recipe with the changes I made.
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and six boneless, skinless thighs
3/4 c. white sugar
1 T. unsulphered molasses
2/3 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. Sprite [Next time I will leave this out and add 1 tsp. lemon juice.]
4 minced garlic cloves [Could have used more.]
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Place the chicken in a greased crock pot. Pour the other ingredients over the chicken. No need to stir. Cook on high for four hours. It could be cooked on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice. The chicken would be delicious served on sandwiches.
If your family likes sweet peppers, I think those would be great in this.
To make the rice, I put the liquid from the crock pot (liquid measured 4 cups) in a saucepan. Added two cups of rice, covered it with a tight lid and brought it to a boil. I immediately turned it down to a bare simmer and let it simmer for 25 minutes without lifting the lid. So good with the chicken!
A green salad and some crusty bread would round out a great meal. The recipe is so easy to make and very good. DH commented several times on how much he liked it. He also mentioned it would be great to take to a church dinner, so maybe some of you will get to try it soon. 🙂 Definitely a keeper.
By the way, I don’t buy brown sugar anymore. I just add some molasses to white sugar. Same thing. Maybe I should change the name of the recipe…
~~Rhonda
I am enjoying watching the Decorah eagles. The first eaglet hatched yesterday and the second one today. One to go.
The parents are very attentive, feeding bits of fish to the babies today.
This is a wonderful opportunity to watch an amazing process up close and personal. You can view the eagle cam here.
~~Rhonda
The lilacs are perfuming the yard. Our yard has shrubs from my mom’s yard, my grandmother’s yard, and my mother-in-law’s yard. All went into the bouquet.
~~Rhonda
While enjoying the east porch Saturday afternoon, the girls discovered a line of small ants moving across the railing.
“Look at the baby ants!”
Fascinating!
Having the ant crawl over her fingers and hand didn’t bother her at all. Different story for her sister.
Had to show it to Pa.
Putting the ant back “so he can go home and find his Mommy and his Daddy.”
Long after her sister lost interest, she kept watching and playing with the ants. Her ability to focus on one thing over a long period of time always surprises me.
~~Rhonda
We spent some time on the east porch Saturday afternoon. The twins found the cat brush and they had a great time grooming Zak.
The first few strokes were a little hesitant.
Zak is so compliant and easy-going that it didn’t take the twins long to relax and enjoy brushing the kitty.
The girls also enjoyed playing with the collection of rocks we keep on the east porch.
And Saturday afternoon DQ treats were much appreciated.
Just another day at Pa and Ma’s house.
~~Ma
