Seasons are my favorite…

I do however hate looking at the weather for the week and not seeing even one little yellow sphere.

I am still turning on the heat at night. I still have to wear a hat when I take Wynn out at night.

These days are numbered. I know the warm, sun filled days are coming… They always do.

Boston Cream Pie and Apples a la something or other…

A perfect date night with my husband.

I cut all my peas way down, they were so leggy. I hope this will give them a better start.

I feel so bad when I cut anything down. I have to keep telling myself, I’m simply giving them a manicure not chopping their legs off.

I will still get another planting in the fall if these guys have a short season.

I am learning…

Don’t you think speckled eggs are wonderful….

Summer clothes/winter clothes swap. Spring cleaning is the best!

I have no idea what I’m doing with these onions, they started to sprout in my kitchen so I’m planting them.

Aren’t they beautiful! I’m am very attracted to purple right now.

I went to an outdoor food market with a friend the other day (apparently it happens every Friday and Saturday). There was tons of fruit and vegetables, seafood, cheese… It was pouring the whole time. I had a blast!

I only wish the veggies were organic, cheap, but who knows where they came from.

I still can’t wait to go back. And so very close to my house.

I only make lasagna a couple times a year, I usually make two pans and freeze most of it.

I hate that little bitch! Why!!!!! I cut myself every time I use it, the only difference is how bad…

I used the bigger disposable pans this time, they  were too big and aquard for what I needed.

I think I’m going to just buy another 9×13 pan. I’ll use it…

You will need: For one 9×13 size

• 2 cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/4 c Italian seasoning (fresh or dried (more if dried))
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1lb fresh mushrooms (sliced)
• How ever crazy you want to go with garlic, I use at least 6 to 8 cloves
• 1 lg eggplant or 3 small
• 2 lg zucchini (you don’t have to use both zucchini and eggplant, just use more of the one you want)
• Two heaping handfuls of raw spinach (1 cup cooked)
• I small carton of ricotta cheese
• 1/2 lb sliced provolone cz
• 1/2 lb sliced or shredded mozzarella cz
• 2 cup shredded parmesan cz
• 1/8 c olive oil
• 1lb Italian sausage (your choice, go vegetarian if you want)

Combine the first six ingredients in a large pot and start cooking on medium heat .

In a separate frying pan heat a little less than half your oil and throw in minced garlic cook for around a minute. Pour 3/4 garlic into cooking tomato sauce then add mushrooms to the remaining garlic, saute them until brown, then dump into the red sauce.

Use the same frying pan and brown the sausage,  add to the red sauce.

Cook spinach. In a medium bowl sir it into the ricotta cheese and set aside

I don’t know how long I cook the sauce:) It’s different every time depending how much liquid needs to be cooked out. I cook it until it gets fairly thick, like the consistency of thicker salsa. May take awhile, stir often.

While the sauce is cooking slice eggplant and zucchini. If you don’t have a mandoline slicer you may want to cut them into 1/4″ thick discs, it might be easier to keep a consistant thickness rather than trying to cut them lengthwise with a knife. If you are using a mandoline set it on the thickest setting.

When the sauce is done, turn off the heat and set aside.

Use remaining oil and lightly brown the zucchini and eggplant on each side (doesn’t take long, like 30 seconds each side)

Start layering… and preheat your oven to 375

Provolone

I put another layer of sauce on after this, depends on how much sauce you have, I had lots.

Mozzarella

Make sure your pan isn’t too full, it will boil over. If it is full put a pan under it to catch the mess.

Bake for a good 45 min to an hour.

This is why I make two. It is just as easy to make two as it is to make one. They freeze and reheat beautifully. If freezing cut the pan into two or more sections, freeze in the pan. When frozen take out of the freezer, set pan in warm water to loosen. Pop each section out (may need to re-cut a little with a knife) wrap individually with plastic wrap and put into gallon size freezer bag.

I made broth with all my scraps.

I am being over run with broth, I’m going to have to start giving it away to my Eastie friends.

This beer was heaven. It had a split second taste that reminded me of blueberry hubba bubba.

Oh my gosh they are so much better from scratch, Egg Rolls.

You need…

• Small head cabbage
• Three medium carrots
• Small yellow onion
• Three baby bok choy
• 1 medium ginger root (I am a ginger fan, you may want to use half)
• 3 celery spears
• 2-3  cloves of garlic
• 2 tblsp soy sauce
• two tblsp water or broth
• 1 tblsp garlic chili sauce (optional) makes it spicy!
• 1/2 tblsp canola or any cooking oil
• 16 oz package of sausage
• 1 package egg roll wraps

I julienned all veggies on my mandoline and then chopped them even finer with a knife. I figured smaller pieces would work better. Keep the onions, garlic and half the ginger separate.

In one frying pan cook sausage, when the pink is gone add garlic and ginger, continue to cook until brown.

In another larger pan warm oil and add onions, when the onions have cooked for about two minutes stir in the rest of the veggies, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce and water. Add sausage mixture. Stir for another two minutes or so. Depends on how small you diced your vegetables. Take off heat, continue to stir for another minute until mixture cools a bit and stops cooking.

I used an empanada maker this time, easy, but I think it wasted too much wrapper. I decided on the first one I tried to roll up like an egg roll, that was never going to work.  Next time I will just fold them in half, simple is good.

I baked them in the oven on 400 for about 8 to ten minutes, watch the time, flip half way through if needed. I cook mine in the toaster oven so I’m sot 100 percent sure about the big oven.

This batch will make like 20 egg rolls. If you want to freeze the rest, lay a sheet of wax paper on a tray and lay the uncooked rolls on top (make sure they are not touching, they will stick together like glue). Put them in the freezer until frozen. Take them off the tray, put them in a freezer bag and put them back in the freezer.

My little yellow princess is growing like crazy. My other yellow tomatoes hate life. I think I fed them too soon.

I don’t know why this one is doing so good and the rest look like they spent too much time in the 60’s.

Oh, I am going to do sooooo many things different next year…

Broccoli

Peppers

My salad mix is sprouting!

I can’t wait for my spinach!

I have one tulip that didn’t rot. I hope I can keep it alive. Growing bulbs in containers is hard…

Tune in next week to learn how to shave a shih tzu…

Raspberries remind me of my dad…

My veggies are kinda boring right now. They have no desire to grow.

My basil needed a little attention, I am growing a ton! I can’t wait.

I’m done!

Spinach and beans were the last things to be planted.

We went downtown on Monday to watch the marathon spectacle.

It was a beautiful day to walk around…

Pink trees = spring…

Three years ago today I was in St. Louis meeting Mr. Dejo for the first time… sigh:) He is so dreamy…

The Bloody Mary’s at this place were divine… Enough to make you want a layover in Denver.

I forgot about this picture, that duck makes me laugh out loud… He’s haulin ass!

They were so sweet…

I love love love St. Louis! I would go back anytime.

That shirt looks so new! And no tattoo… weird.

What a lucky girl I am…

 

Looks like we will be in our little house for another year. I am glad a move is not in our upcoming future, but a huge spring cleaning/reorganizing most certainly is. May my fathers mad organizational skills come out of me next weekend…. I don’t need more than a 1000 square foot house, I don’t need more than a 1000 square foot house, I don’t need more than a 1000 square foot house…

Lord give me the strength to keep from choking the neighbor dog til her vocal cords pop out of her throat…. Thanks!

So, my first sewing project since 1991 was a success, I re-hemmed J’s pants. They were tailored too short (not by me of course). My man does not wear floods well, I don’t suppose anyone with size 12 feet does.

White trash winter… I am happy to say it does not look like that anymore, all nice and tidy.

I made the kiddies play outside while I cleaned the house. I can’t wait till they turn 18 and are living in the back yard. Mommy loves you but you are making me claustrophobic.

Wynn and I had our first “picnic” of the season. Beef veggie soup, Yum! Actually I had veggie soup and Wynn had the beef.

I fell in love with Kinder Eggs in Italy.  I have yet to find them in the states,  maybe that’s why I like them so much. Because my husband loves me, he brings me one back every once in a while.  They are milk chocolate on the outside and white chocolate on the inside and there is a surprise when you open them. Good to keep in the fridge, but let them come back to room temperature before trying to open them or they will shatter into a million pieces. Maybe the Easter Bunny will leave one in each of my favorite kid’s Easter basket…

I don’t know who you are my around the corner neighbor, but I like ya!

Seaweed is my favorite.

OK mother, here is my guacamole recipe…

Per one avocado…

• Around one tblsp of purple onion (I have tried with other colored onions and I don’t like it as well) I grate it on the small side of the grater so I get kind of a puree.
• juice from a quarter lime
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• half of a small tomato cut very small (I like lots of tomato)
• 1 tblsp  salsa
• sometimes it needs a little vinegar, I usually use tabasco but if you don’t want spice use about a tsp of white vinegar

If you keep the seed and put it in when it’s done, it keeps it from turning brown. The lime helps with that also.

I am experimenting with freezing it, I’ll let you know if it works.

I make this to taste, this is just a starting recipe… Good Luck!

We headed up north to the farm and Newburyport, If I have a choice, this is where we go.

Connie’s stagecoach is our favorite little cafe, great diner type food and fast, very friendly service. win win in my book….

Newburyport is a little touristy town right on the water, I would love to move there… sigh.

I miss my mom…

Tree 2, sidewalk 0… Don’t mess with mother nature!

It’s a monkey riding a pig… need I say more?

And I’m spent…

I heart Tendercrop Farms! It’s how food is suppose to to be.

Love you all!

 

Andee and I went to the fabric store over the weekend. Color everywhere!

Next time I won’t be going on the weekend.

 

 

We never go out to the bars anymore, they are loud and full of silly half-dressed people.

This weekend because we had a friend staying with us who likes that scene, we headed out for a night on the town.

We were home by midnight…

I don’t know how those girls kept their straws straight.

We went and played pub trivia Sunday night.

A bit more “us”

In my on-going search for an above par Bloody Mary, this is one of the better ones in the city so far…

 

Back to the dentist…

I now have beautiful chip-free bottom teeth.

 

J came with me to yoga. What a great man.

 

I transplanted some of my seedlings that were ready into bigger starter pots. I cut off the bottom of lunch sacks, they seem to be perfect for holding my little adolescents .

I am looking forward to the day they can stay outside. My living room is feeling a bit  cramped.

My lone Red Tomato is doing great!

Overflow into my front entryway.

 

There aren’t too many things better than veggies and meat in a really spicy sauce.

 

Randomness from our walk…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ummmmm…

 

 

All of my seeds are officially germinated! Time to leave the ugly blue basket and into the sun…

 

The yellow tomatoes are getting so close to getting a new bigger pot of dirt.

 

The peas are a little leggy, like most everything else. I still love them.

 

My sweet, sweet Red peppers.

 

I have a basil in my cilantro.

 

I try to keep water off the leaves, buuuuuttttttt…….

 

I have about ten tulips peaking out of their containers so far…

 

Thanks to Andee, I now know how to use my sewing machine. I can’t wait to play!

 

I went to the dentist the other day… Even though they don’t take care of their plants, I still like them.

I love that you can see my nose ring…

These girls are fantastic! My dentist is like 24.

 

We headed to Quincy to have breakfast with J’s sister (and brood) the other morning, I’m glad we got to see them while they were in town.

 

This is the house J lived in until he was eight…

 

The early spring flowers are starting to bloom! Finally color.

 

One of my favorite childhood meals, Denver Sandwich (not a sandwich).

Oh ya, and it’s super healthy…

Throw everything but the eggs in a frying pan, cook bacon and onion to your prefurred  doneness. I cook it til the liquid cooks almost out.

If you serve it with toast it’s kinda a sandwich…

I have been going to a Yoga studio down town…

I am slowly starting to take advantage of this fantastic city we live in.

I hung out at the book store while waiting for Wynn to get done at the beauty parlor.

 

She hates the T but people on the T love her…

 

Until April… fool.

Wynn and I walked to the post yesterday to mail miss Jane’s care package.  I love the whole idea of a care packages. I also love that the guys in the post office sing while they work.

I’m craving spring in the worst way.

These little guys are hard to come by in eastie. It’s been far too long since I laid on my stomach in public to photograph.

 

As softball sized snowflakes drifted  to earth…

 

I’m always up for a night with the eastie ladies.

Andee came over early and helped me cook, love that girl!

We ate healthy, drank wine, laughed, debated, talked about boys….

 

One of my most prized treasures, my Grandma Natalie’s china. It just makes every dining experience that much better.

 

Living in a city definitely has it’s perks…  A six-pack of cupcakes is a beautiful thing. We cut them into sample pieces so we could try them all. Oh key lime cupcake, we will meet again…

Home from his night with my ladies other halves…  good times had by all!

 

 

 

 

The wind’s all a sudden on a move….

Those of us who know, love the yellow carry sack.

I hope to come back this weekend with a different lens. I am going to pray for warm wind and beautiful light.

I’m in love with composting…

I’m going to try to eat at least one salad a day. For today, mixed greens, feta, mandarin oranges and  home-made vinaigrette.  And a grilled cheese sandwich.. I happen to think they go with everything.