Simplifying Easter Dinner

Easter dinner was made simpler this year.

As we continue to establish a new normal, day to day life with ALS can be unpredictable and, at times, exhausting.

Wanting to get the local family together to celebrate Easter and visit became the goal.  Currently Brett is most comfortable at home so it was decided to host the gathering here, just in a simpler manner.

Rather than make the traditional ham dinner, we went for everybody bringing either an appetizer or dessert.

I did make the carrot cake that has been a tradition for many, many years.

Not long before the Easter plans were drawn up, I had to call EMS after Brett fell and hit his head on the dresser.  His legs have already become so weak that he wasn't able to get up.  I was having no luck helping him up as I was trying to also hold a towel to his head as it was bleeding profusely (as head wounds do).  He took his first ambulance ride to the hospital.  Fortunately, there was no internal damage and his head wound didn't require stitches.  I must admit when I brought him home at 4 a.m. I was a nervous wreck wondering how I was supposed to get him back into the house and safely to bed.  Thankfully, our son was able to assist me.  It made me wonder how the elderly manage such things.  

This event has made me much less confident in leaving him alone for any length of time.  I feel like my 69 year old husband has aged twenty years in a matter of months.  😢

Anyhow, I share this to further explain my need for simple this Easter.

Now, back to that carrot cake . . .

Once it was done and safely under it's cake dome, I went outside to check on my azaleas.  It is their season now and all through the neighborhood they are blooming beautifully.

I found one large branch pushing against the side of the house so I did a little pruning.

Two simple bouquets.

Flowers, a few colored eggs and colorful napkins were all it took to add a bit of holiday cheer to the table.

While in the garden, I snipped a few sprigs of spearmint to add to my bowl of berries.  The ones that look like underripe strawberries are actually pineberries.  They are mostly white with a hint of pink.  After seeing them many times in the grocery store, I decided to give them a try.  Have you ever eaten them?

Life isn't always easy, but I am reminded that among the hardships there are blessings.  I want to remember that along the way.

Let me share a few with you today.

Our nephew's wife.  Despite mourning the recent loss of her uncle, she showed up with ham sliders, pasta salad, deviled eggs and her wonderful sense of humor.

Nephew & Sister-In-Law

Our nephew's sense of humor pairs well with his wife.  Despite everything, they kept us laughing which is such a welcome thing right about now.  

In the 44 years of my marriage, my sister-in-law & I have shared the ups & downs of life.  Too often lately she has become my shoulder to cry on.  Luckily she has broad shoulders. :). She showed up with the potato dish that has also been a tradition for many years & two big salads.

The oldest & youngest family members.

Brett's brother has had numerous surgeries and lives on pain meds to manage it all, yet he shows up every week to play games with his brother.  This week he is coming twice as I have an appointment for two root canals on Wednesday. :(

Their granddaughter and her boyfriend are the youngest of our group.

They add a fresh perspective to our gatherings as they talk about all of the things they are doing and planning for their future.  Oh to be young again. ; D.

And, finally, dear Brett & our oldest son.

Our son lives fairly close by.  He shows up for every appointment and comes over at least 3 times a week.  He's fabulous at researching things and is constantly coming up with new ways to keep his dad safe and figure out how to deal with things as they come along.  He has very willingly become another caregiver to his dad.  

If I could take away this terrible disease, I would do it in a millisecond.  Since I am unable to do that, I plan to do everything that I can to make this road as comfortable and meaningful for Brett.  So many people have told me that we will be carrying a heavy load with this diagnosis.  I can see that already.  I am so thankful to have others in my life to help carry that load.

Two Bags Full

Today we have been treated to an unseasonably warm February day.

73 degrees fahrenheit currently.

This called for opening the doors and a few windows.

When I opened them this morning I thought it would be for a little airing.  They've been open all day without the house getting too cold or too warm.  Delightful!

The jasmine growing on my trellis had gotten really wild looking.

It has been bugging me every time I walk by it.

The beautiful weather acted as a magnetic force pulling me out the door. 😎

Technically I am working my job from home today.

During a slow moment this morning I snuck out with my pruners and a garbage bag.  Here a snip, there a snip.

This isn't the easiest thing to prune as I can't reach the top and the ground slopes toward the 4 ft. drop off so getting on a step stool is out of the question at my age.

I took my light weight rake and pulled down as much as I could from the top, then got on my tip toes and snipped some more.

I spent the day going from my desk to the trellis and after a few hours ended up with two bags full of clippings from the jasmine.

Also managed to finish my day's office work.

While I was out there I checked in on a few of my herb plants.

The oregano is showing signs of new growth  and, while the chives are looking a bit bedraggled, they are also showing some new growth.  There were a few weeds popping up in there.  They are now relocated to the garbage bag.

The pansies that were covered in ice in my last post have begun putting out a few new flowers.  I gave them a weak dose of fertilizer to help them along.

Our high temperature tomorrow will be 20 degrees lower than today.

Looking at the weather forecast for next week I see two days featuring snowflakes.  That could all change by then so for today I am just enjoying this delightful day breathing in the fresh air and tending my little garden with thoughts of the pretty flowers that will soon begin blooming.

⚘⚘⚘

From the Herb Garden to the Autumn Kitchen

Happy Fall Y'all

As the heat and humidity of a southern summer has loosened it's grip, we welcome cooler temperatures and sweet, fresh air making it's way into the house through open windows.

That cooler air seems to give me a burst of energy that was in shorter supply over the summer.

Last week I used one of those bursts of energy to empty out my herbs and spice drawer.  The drawer got wiped out and each jar was gone through to see what needed to be replaced or tossed out.  Once that was done I organized it in a more logical fashion.  It felt good to have that accomplished in time for all of the cooking and baking that will be taking place in the coming months.

For the first time, I decided to dry chives from my herb garden.

After washing and drying them, I snipped them up and set them in shallow bowls on the kitchen counter.  In a few days they were dry and ready to make a tasty addition to scrambled eggs, potatoes, soups or just about anything that could use a hint of mild onion flavoring.

I recently learned about drying herbs in a paper bag.

With this method I washed and dried the herbs and then put them into a paper bag leaving plenty of breathing room around them.

From there they went into a dark closet.  Every few days I would give the bag a couple shakes.  In a week or two they were dried beautifully.  No oven or dehydrator required.

I successfully dried oregano, parsley and lemon balm using that method.  The next thing I will be doing is mint.  Sometimes the mint seems like a nuisance as it is taking over and growing rampant.  But then something makes me remember how delicious it is.  In this case, it was the other evening after having a rather late and heavy meal for dinner.  I prepared a cup of mint tea and enjoyed it on the patio.  Darkness had set in, the autumn air so refreshing, solar lights adding color to the darkness and the nocturnal animals heard, but not seen.  We rarely sit outside in the dark.  This turned out to be an enjoyable after dinner ritual, particularly now that the patio is screened and the mosquitoes left Brett alone.  The tea was better than an after dinner mint and seemed to work wonders in helping to settle that heavy meal.

My dried herbs have also been making their way into new uses.

Sprinkles.

Something I learned about from this book:

Combinations of herbs and spices that can be mixed together and sprinkled onto our food to add beneficial health benefits.  

I have learned so much from this book.

It has made me want to appreciate and use the herbs I grow to the fullest.  I have also become familiar with herbs and spices that I had never heard of.  Her knowledge and presentation (like the thoughts above) really resonate with me.  A fairly simple way to work at keeping myself and my family healthy.

Hello Summer

On this first day of summer I am taking a moment to appreciate the gifts my small garden has to offer.

~ Flowers for cutting

~ Fresh blueberries 

~ A wide variety of herbs

I am learning that you don't have to a have a huge garden to still enjoy a steady stream of bouquets for the house.  I think it's more about making careful selections with what you plant.

While it would be lovely to have enough blueberries to add some to the freezer, I am content to be picking a handful here and there to add to my breakfast cereal and overnight oats.  Perhaps as the years go by, the harvest will increase.

As I continue to learn about the many health benefits herbs have to offer, I am making a better effort to use them daily.  Above is one of two jars of dried oregano.  In the early spring, it was apparent that the plant was out of control.  Rather than toss the excess, I dried most of it.  I gifted my sister-in-law with the other jar.  She has been enjoying it in her spaghetti sauce and homemade pizzas.

~ Spring Oregano Harvest ~

~  Deviled Eggs with Herbs ~

The deviled eggs we had for Easter tasted so good with dill and chives sprinkled on top.

As I'm finishing this post, Brett has just come in with 3 more tomatoes.  That makes 7 so far.  Not bad for two plants on the patio and plenty for the two of us.

Is there anything thriving in your garden on this first day of summer?

🌞🌞🌞

  
 

It Snowed

That snow I was talking about in my last post came to fruition.

Sunday morning we woke up to a beautiful blanket of snowy white.

Looking out the back windows, it appeared that the wildlife were busy making tracks in the early morning hours.

Even the birdies were leaving their tracks in the snow.

So cute!

As the day progressed the snow gave way to sleet.

Clearly we were not leaving the house so I did something that I haven't done in many years.  Stayed in my pj's all day and read.  I've been working my way through Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles mystery series.  If you've not read this series, each book finds ex-lawyer turned herb shop owner, China Bayles, solving a mystery while also tossing in a lot of facts and sometimes recipes about various herbs.

Having just finished Rosemary Remembered, I came across this sweet potato recipe that I had torn from a Cooking Light magazine.
It is basically mashed sweet potatoes with salt, pepper and minced fresh rosemary added.  The topping was an interesting mix of finely sliced shallots caramelized with a bit of brown sugar.  It added a nice pop of flavor to them and the shallots got slightly crispy which was an added bonus.

I tend to tear recipes out of magazines with good intentions for trying them.  Once I try them they either get tossed or earn a place of honor in my recipe binder.  This one is now in the binder along with a few other sweet potato recipes.

We eat sweet potatoes often and it's nice to have a few different methods to prepare them.

Now, on Thursday, there is still some snow lingering and rain is falling.  The weatherman is tossing around the snow word again.  If we get it, I don't think it will amount to anything.

In the garden my chives are partially buried in snow.  No doubt wondering what the heck is going on.  Tonight I've got potato soup on the menu.  Not sure if it's worth stomping through the soggy snow to clip a few to garnish the soup.

Holly Jolly

While I was getting my outside morning light today, I collected some greenery from the garden.  Rosemary and two types of holly. Back when I chose the plants for my garden space, I put a lot of thought into favorite plants that would serve more than one purpose. In other words, they needed to be not only pretty, but also be something that could provide bouquets, be edible, provide shade, encourage beneficial insects, be food for the birdies...  Well, you get the idea. With such a small garden, it was an exercise in restraint.

Hollies that provided beautiful berries made it onto the list.

We grew many different hollies in our last garden.  They do well in our naturally acidic soil.  Even though there were several varieties, I was usually hard pressed to find berries to use at Christmastime.  Sometimes the birds beat me to them and sometimes the plants didn't produce.  Therefore, I researched a size suitable for this garden and learned they were best planted with a male and female plant in close proximity.  When they were planted last summer they looked a bit scraggly.  But, it seems they did whatever they had to do to produce some beautiful red berries.  I was able to clip enough sprigs for an arrangement and there are still plenty for the birds.

🐦🐦🐦

Just the pop of red I was looking for and the rosemary is adding a nice pop of fragrance.

How are your holiday decorating plans progressing?

                                                     

Appreciating The Gifts of Nature

The great outdoors has been providing gifts to make our stay-at-home days prettier, tastier and slightly more interesting.

Currently in bloom is the Annabelle hydrangea.  I love that it only takes a few to make an arrangement for the dining table.  I really love them in an aqua Ball jar and if it's a vintage jar, even better.

Speaking of vintage...

I couldn't resist finding a flower in the garden for this wee Ball jar.

I've been picking a few blueberries every day.

So good on our cereal or oats in the morning.

One afternoon I stepped out on the patio and was greeted with this.

I probably would have missed it altogether had I not gone out there for something.

After the rain, it was a beautiful sight.  One I didn't want to miss.  So, I dashed in to fetch a beverage.

A refreshing glass of iced tea.

I sat and sipped and enjoyed nature's beautiful gift.

🌈🌈🌈

The tea was made earlier with the mint that is currently flourishing in the garden.

I popped a sprig in with one of these green tea tea bags.

A tasty, healthy way to wet your whistle.

While I'm not advertising the Luzianne brand of tea, I do think it's my favorite.  I also love it in the regular (non-green) form.  

Are you an iced tea drinker and, if so, do you have a favorite?

A side note on the new Blogger format:

After reading about the changes I decided to bite the bullet and try this post using the new format.  I'm in the group who resists change, especially with regards to computer related topics.  I have to say it wasn't too different.  The one thing I couldn't figure out at first was how to enlarge photos.  Thankfully I was able to figure it out after exploring a bit further.

I guess the true test will be when the publish button is hit.

Ready... Set... Go!

(wish me luck :)

From the Herb Garden ~ Dehydrating Rosemary

I've been growing rosemary in my garden for years.

Usually when I want to use some in cooking, I clip a few sprigs, mince it up and add it to the food. That works fine for the most part, but sometimes if the weather is stormy or I'm in my pj's and don't feel like trotting out to the garden, it loses it's appeal

This morning I decided to take measures to insure that there would be rosemary at the ready despite the circumstances.

Here the rosemary grows in the ground year round and, if I'm not careful, it will soon be a rather large shrub.  So it is a good idea to prune it a bit every now and then.  

After a light pruning I washed and lightly dried the trimmings.

Then I laid them out on the dehydrator rack that came with my counter top oven.

I've had this oven over a year now and just realized it had a dehydrate feature.  :)

I guess it's time to put it to the test.  

The door stays ajar while the dehydrating takes place inside.

The scent of drying rosemary is a bit like Christmas.

 Once dried, I removed the needles from the stems

and ran them through my coffee grinder.  Actually, I no longer grind coffee beans at home so it has been repurposed into an herb grinder.  

I chose to grind it up pretty fine as sometimes despite how finely I chop it, rosemary is a bit woody.  I think this will be just the texture I'm looking for when I use it on the potatoes I'll be roasting for dinner tonight.  

If you are a fan of rosemary, what are your favorite ways to use it?

From the Herb Garden ~ Chive Blossom Vinegar

 In all the years I've been growing chives, I've never once made vinegar with the blossoms.  I have seen the pretty pink-hued final product in some of my herbal books and thought maybe someday I'd try it.  Well, I guess that day has finally come.

At the start of our stay home orders, it occurred to me that if I used my time wisely a lot could be accomplished by the time this was over.  I considered making a list of projects to keep us busy and then decided that wasn't really necessary.  Since we both work from home, we are normally home a lot and tend to stay on top of most things around here during the week.

For us it is more a matter of finding some variety to add to our days to keep from going stir crazy.  Part of that for me has been trying some of the simple things that I never seem to get to.

In this instance, snipping those blossoms off my chives before it's too late and they have dropped their seeds all over the garden.

After a very thorough washing, into the jar they went.

The vinegar was added and now they will rest in the dark pantry for a few weeks.  Every couple of days I will give them a little shake.

It sure is a pretty looking concoction so far. 

Outside the kitchen door the lettuce I planted in pots is growing well.  I see a salad dressed with chive vinaigrette in my future.

🥗🥗🥗

How are you all doing?

Are you finding ways to add variety to your days?

Anything planned for the weekend?

I'm craving chocolate and the supplies in that department are a bit sparse around here.  With a birthday coming up on Sunday I'll be rooting around in the pantry to see if I can at least whip up a batch of brownies.  

That old saying about variety being the spice of life is so true, isn't it?

Take Good Care!!