Roses From The Garden

The roses in the garden have been blooming beautifly and today I went around the garden and snap some pictures to share with you.

Such a lovely display of color.

Martha.

Mini is OK!

As I mentioned on my previous post, Mini and Mona visited their vet's office last Saturday; they were due for their shots. Also I discovered a few days back a lump on Mini's neck.  Although, Mini never complained or showed signs that she was in any pain, my husband and I wanted to have it checked out  as soon as possible. Their doctor, Doctor C., gently examined the lump and advised us that a biopsy was recommended... when I heard those words a million thoughts rushed in to my head. What if there is something wrong with my baby?  My husband and I immediately agreed to the procedure; as sacred as we were we needed to know to better care for Mini. The procedure only took a few minutes and Mini was very brave and stayed still the whole time. The hardest part was waiting for the results... Dr. C. was kind enough to give us the results as soon as the tests were completed and were were very excited to learn that Mini is OK! The lump turned out to be a benign tumor made out of fatty tissue. It is such a relief! Mini already has a heart murmur for which she needs to have constant medical care. I just don't want her to be sick.

We thank God our baby is OK!

Martha.

Roasted Corn Salad

So Memorial Day weekend is over... I spent the weekend at home with my husband trying to relax and not doing much. Although, on Saturday we took Mini and Mona to the vet and it was a bit crazy, but I will tell you about it on a later post. For now I want to tell you about this amazing roasted corn salad I made yesterday. I was not planning on grilling anything this weekend, but what is Memorial Day without outdoor cooking? Of course, the most important thing is to remember the men and women who had died serving our country. But, on a lighter note,  it also marks the start of summer and  outdoor parties. 

Roasted Corn Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 cups grilled corn (from about 2 ears)
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 spring onions (scallions) finely chopped
1 medium avocado diced
2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
1 Serrano or jalapeno pepper finely chopped (optional)*
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
Salt

Method:
In a medium bowl mix together corn, tomatoes, onions, avocado, cilantro and pepper (if using). Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt to taste.

*Remove seeds from pepper for a milder flavor.

Enjoy!

Martha.

Garden Update

After having such nice weather the past few weeks, yesterday the weather changed dramatically; the temperatures dropped and the sky turned gray. There was even was a thunder storm and rain last evening. It was a little nuts! Today we got a little more sun, but still was quite chilly. My husband and I went out to the garden all bundled up to pick some vegetables. Right now what is ready to be picked are peas, carrots and spring onions.

The snap peas are very sweet and tender and the shelling peas are amazing. Mini and Mona agree, I cooked some for them and they really liked them.

The carrots are very crunchy and full of flavor. I haven't decided if I'm going to put them on a salad or roast them with other vegetables...

I was surprised at how large the onions grew. Last year they didn't grow as big as this. Maybe we are finally getting the hang of things with this gardening stuff.

Speaking of getting the hang of things about gardening we still have to see how the red cabbage and broccoli grows. I'm afraid we are not having as much luck, but we still have to wait and see.

Martha.

Quilted Pot Holder

Saturday morning I got up with a terrible cold. I was feeling miserable. I hate being sick! After resting for a while and taking some cold medicine by the afternoon I was feeling much better. So I decided to do a little sewing. I've been crazy about these dollhouse pot holders ever since Aneela Hoey talked about them on her blog and I just couldn't wait anymore to try to make one. The tutorial is from Freda's Hive and you can find it here.

It was so much fun picking out the fabrics for each piece of the block.

Here is a pic of the finished block.  The tutorial mentions using Insul-Fleece, but I didn't have any so I used two layers of cotton batting instead. I think this is going to be first of many pot holders I make. They are just too cute!

Martha.

Carrot-Zucchini Muffins

Wednesday was farmer's market day in town. The market runs from May through September and it is a great place to buy local organic foods and  produce. Every time I go I want to buy everything; this time I bought asparagus, kale, red onions, fresh garlic, broccoli, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots and zucchini. I steamed some carrots and broccoli for Mini and Mona and they loved it! I also made carrot-zucchini muffins. This is a great recipe, very versatile; I had made the muffins using only carrots or only zucchini with very good results, but my favorite is using half and half. They are not very sweet, so they are excellent for breakfast or to eat any time of the day.

Carrot-Zucchini Muffins

Slightly adapted from Whole Living Magazine, April 2011

Makes 12

*You can substitute the buttermilk for yogurt or milk with a few drops of lemon juice.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons wheat germ

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup buttermilk*

2 eggs

3/4 brown sugar

1 cup finely grated carrots

1 cup finely grated zucchini

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Remove excess water from the zucchini by placing it on a colander or between two paper towels and squeeze it.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together dry ingredients (flours, wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powders, baking soda and salt), and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together wet ingredients and sugar (oil, butter milk, eggs, sugar, carrots and zucchini). Incorporate flour mixture into wet using a spatula mix until just combined without overmixing.

4. Pour batter into baking cups and bake for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Remove from the oven and let muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan. Transfer to a wire rack finish cooling.

Enjoy!

Martha.

Pretty in Pink

I snapped this picture the other day outside my local post office. I had gone to mail some things and before I went into the building I noticed this beautiful tree laden with pink pompom like blossoms; luckily I had my camera with me so I took a picture to share with you. I don't know what kind of tree this is, but it sure is beautiful.

Life is beautiful!

Martha.