Menu Plan Monday

Not to be whiny, but what does a person have to do to get a coupon from the Dinner Diva .

Monday -Labor Day -- Kitchen is Closed!

Tuesday - Soccer Practice. Apricot BBQ Chicken in Crockpot

Wednesday - Under the Tuscan Sun Chicken

Thursday - The Littlest Geek has Piano, Middle Geek has Soccer Practice. Burgers on the grill.

Friday - Looking for suggestions!!

What Really Happened Last Week

Monday -Horseback Riding This was the boys last lesson.

Tuesday - Soccer Practice and Cub Scout Family Picnic - Hamburgers and Hot Dogs. It was potluck and I brought a Garbanzo Bean and Tomato Salad. I made up the recipe as I went along, one can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed. Two tomatoes from my garden, diced. One handful of fresh basil (also from my garden) cut into slivers. I added zucchini (yes from my garden, see a trend) that had been cut into matchsticks. Pour over some Red Wine Vinegar, a bit of sugar and plenty of salt. Allow it to sit as long as possible for the flavors to blend (or eat it right away, I won't tell.)

Wednesday - Summer in Vermont Chicken - This is chicken marinated in maple syrup and other spices. When you cook it on the grill it gets a wonderfully sticky coating.

Thursday - The Littlest Geek has Piano, Middle Geek has Soccer Practice, Mr Geek's Triathlon was canceled because his athlete has strep throat. (Will she be able to compete in the race on Saturday? Stay tuned.) We had Manic Meatloaf in the Crockpot. This was another freezer meal that really hit the spot. There is a tomato onion relish that is supposed to be cooked separately, but I added the relish to the crock pot during the last hour and half of cooking. It was perfect. No the children did not eat it. there's was more for me and Mr. Geek.

Friday - Red River Chicken and Chicken Wings. College Geek was home for the weekend and there was a fistfight over the chicken. (Okay maybe no fist fight, but no leftovers either.)

Saturday - Cross Rock!!! and Mr. Geek's triathlon . Stories and Pictures to follow.

Sunday - We had friends over and Steaks on the grill, Corn on the Cob, yum.

I am very sorry

I would like to apologize to the readers of this blog. I am so sorry. (I feel better already.) When I posted the list of items planted in my garden I listed: Dianthus "Neon Star" - Clavelina. Since I listed that, many, many people (seriously it is over ten) have stumbled onto my site after searching google. They are looking for wisdom such as, "Does Dianthus repel rabbits?" I am sure they are looking for more than I can give them, because they don't stick around for long.

So if you have stumbled onto this blog from google. (First-- Welcome I LOVE visitors.) This is what I know about Dianthus: They have a pretty flower AND the sign said they were perennials. I love perennials because as an engineer, I am all about saving time (I am lazy) and energy (I am cheap).

This is what the plant looked like the day I bought it.

This is what it looks like today in my garden!

Please leave me some advice before you take off.

PLEASE!

Garden Update

For those who have been following the progress of my garden since the first of spring, Here is an update.

First, here is my tomato and pepper garden. The tomato plants haven't grown much, I think I will fertilize them.

And my pepper, oh my poor poor peppers. I think the rabbits found them. But have no fear, I sent out the middle boy with his soccer ball and the rabbit are cowering again (if they're smart.)

Now take a look at the lettuce garden, it has come a long long way from March. In fact, all of this lettuce has to be harvested in the next two weeks. So if you live close by consider this an invitation to come and get some. (After the lettuce s harvested, it will be my zucchini garden. The plants are already growing, can you see them?)

And we can't forget my pride and j0y, my herb garden. My basil reseeded itself, so I have lots and lots of basil growing. And do not make fun of my gnome! Every year I ask for an angel for my garden, and every year I get one for a birthday or mother's day present. And every year I have to throw away an headless angel (a victim of a soccer ball or baseball bat accident). Mr. Geek was tired of the carnage and didn't purchase one this year (sob). The gnome survives because it is made of cast iron!!

Come and Visit My Garden

Welcome to my garden. I almost have everything planted.

Here is my lettuce, I have already had my first salad. It was yummy!

Please pay no attention to the surrounding yard (swamp). Weather forecasters say it might stop raining someday or maybe we should start building an ark.

Tuesday Ten - Ten Things I Have Planted

After a weekend of very weird weather (Saturday we wore hats and gloves to the soccer game, Sunday, we wore shorts and sandals) I finally was able to put some stuff into the ground. Here is what I have planted so far. (I added the Latin name to just in case some really smart gardener accidentally stumbles upon this site through google and would like to offer me some free advice.)



Herbs

Sweet Basil - Ocimum basilicum

Provence Lavender - lavandula intermedia

Fernleaf dill - Anethum graveolens

Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis

Chamomile - Chamaemelum nobile



Vegetables

Tomato - Beefsteak

Pepper - Sweet Bell (Red)

Squash - Burpee's hybrid zucchini I planted these as seeds within the lettuce bed. My goal is that as the lettuce crop ends, (Lettuce grown in the hot summer is yucky.) the zucchini will be mature enough to cover the garden. I just have to get the timing right. Then next September, I can pull out the zucchini and plant another crop of lettuce.



Flowers

Marigold - Happy Day Mix I love marigolds because they flower all summer long, reseed themselves, are virtually indestructible and best yet -- repel rabbits. Yippee.

Dianthus "Neon Star" - Clavelina

My Herb Garden

It looks like we may have finally gotten the last frost this week. To celebrate the ending of winter (finally) and the beginning of May, I am going to start planting my herb garden.

This is what I plan to grow.

1. Oregano - This is a hardy perennial that I don't think I could kill if I tried. (My kind of plant!)

2. Sage - This also came back this year. It doesn't always and with all the snow this winter it was a nice surprise.

3. Basil - My favorite herb of all time. Trust me once you have eaten fresh basil you will crave it in your pasta sauce, on your pizza, in a salad. yum

4. Rosemary - My second favorite herb. In the summer I love to cook a whole chicken with rosemary on the grill. MMmmm, add some grilled new potatoes and asparagus, maybe corn on the cob and .... I just need a moment....

5. Thyme - Good in the baked chicken and soups.

6. Marjoram - We have GREAT pasta sauce all summer.

7. Thai Basil - All basil is not the same. I grew this for the first time last summer and enjoyed this in curry.

8. Cilantro - A controversial herb in the Geek house. I love it, Mr Geek hates it.

9. Chamomile - Not only does this make good tea, but it have pretty white flowers

10. Lavender - Sometime I grow plants just because I like to. I have never used lavender for anything, but I like having the option.

11. Parsley - Two reason - First I love fresh parsley, but even better Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars love parsley. Each year we try to capture one of these caterpillars and watch it turn into a butterfly right in out kitchen. (I'll take pictures.)

That leaves two opening for impulse buys at the store. I will fill them in when I decide.

Any suggestion?

My Garden in April

Yippeee! I think the frost is finally gone!

Here's my garden so far. The perennials in the herb garden (oregano, sage and marjoram) are in the closest garden. You can see how big my lettuce is in the second. The third garden is still full of dead tomato plants (hangs head down in shame).

Here is a closer view of the lettuce!

Two weeks of Spring - Wordless Wednesday

How about now? Can you see my lettuce growing yet?

My garden after one week of Spring

The other two beds look the same as last week. But check out my lettuce. Can you see the slight tinge of green? mmmmm, I am so ready for a fresh salad.