under the shade tree.

Things are starting to grow! Well, really they have been for awhile but I'm just now taking note. This is the time of year when I get really excited about all the outdoor things I can now do and in a few weeks it will quickly turn to me being overwhelmed/exhausted.

One of my favorite backyard spots is under the shade tree along my fence. I purchased a super cheap - and super durable/cute - bench from a salvage place near my house a few years ago and I love the shady spot. I really never sit under there but it's nice to know I COULD if I wanted to.

This is what the area looked like last year in the end of May:

This is what it looks like now:

This was the first attempt I ever did a few years back at "landscaping" and there are definitely a few things I would change. For example, I LOVE some of the groundcover in front - the Creeping Jenny especially - but some of it is getting tall with large gaps. I do love how in the spring it's SO green under there - especially with the pots - but I am going to sprinkle in some color this year. I bought some perennial bulbs that I'm going to plant this weekend but they have to be dug up every year so I'll probably just keep them in the pots. I'm going to have morning glories grow up a lattice on the right side of the tree which I'm excited about - my first experiment with vines!

I also planted tulips around the front edge last fall and they are getting HUGE:

No flowers yet though. In the front yard there is one daffodil that has come out to the world:

This is really why I have come to enjoy gardening so much. I have always loved being outside but observing nature, watching things grow, seeing seasons change...it's all very happy and exciting to me. Probably because it's so rhythmic and yet unique every time. I'm already wondering if that daffodil will be the first one to come up next year..and what tulip is going to appear first and what color will it be.

Yep. Nerd.

(almost) spring

I did a terrible job at keeping up with this after a certain point last year but I figure it all evens out since no one reads this anyway. For the 1-2 people that may be interested, I am sorry. For myself I am the most sorry as this will be the easiest way - I think - of keeping up with all the plant chaos that surrounds me. Didn't think nature was chaotic? Try controlling it.

So much is going on and I hope to update this weekend with pictures, projects, etc.
I'm going to post a few updates on the current state of the backyard...welcome back, plants! It was a very long winter.

black beans and rice.

I had a few ingredients for nachos on hand tonight as that was a meal Mark and I wanted to eat a few weeks ago but, sadly, no onions or garlic. Making something that has good flavor without these two ingredients was pretty challenging so I was surprised how much I loved what I came up with. Sadly, Mark was at a friend's house so I didn't have anyone else to enjoy it with but I also didn't have to share so I had seconds. :)

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1 cup rice
1 can black beans, drained
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped tomato
1 chopped jalepeno pepper
2 chopped green onions
1 cup chopped cabbage
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
1 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
3 cloves garlic* (*I didn't have any so I used garlic powder to taste)

Prepare rice per directions. Saute garlic and peppers a few minutes and add tomato, black beans, salt and cumin for a few minutes until warm. Puree until blended but still a little chunky. Pour over rice. Spread diced cabbage, green onion and goat cheese crumbles over the top. Enjoy!

best.pizza.ever?

I really think that EVERY time I make a pizza. The recipe for crust I have is SO easy, doesn't require yeast and makes two portions so I can't help but make it once a week. It's a great way to throw on random ingredients.

We're getting onions and garlic at the farmer's market now, which I'm loving. In our CSA basket this week we got sunflowers (which are on the dining room table and are SO pretty - wish the ones I planted would have worked out!), patty pan squash, purple bunch onions, sungold cherry tomatoes, green and red summer crisp lettuce and zucchini.

Mark's out of town so I'm motivated to eat in as much as possible. Last week half of my lettuce went bad and I am always disappointed to see something go into the compost pile when it could have been food. Hopefully, that won't happen this week!!

Tonight I roasted beets, zucchini and carrots on the grill for 30 minutes, wrapped in foil, tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme. I had that along with the best pizza ever (this week): italian, goat, parmesan cheeses, yellow onion, purple bunch onions, garlic and sungold cherry tomatoes.

NO YEAST PIZZA DOUGH (from the cookbook "Vegetarian Times"):
2-1/2 cups of flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt

Mix together in a bowl.

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Mix the butter in (with the fingers is best) and press into the dry ingredients until it crumbles.

1 cup milk

Mix the milk slowly into the other ingredients. Sprinkle corn meal (I find this works best) or flour onto a flat surface and divide the dough into two sections. Roll the dough pretty thin and top with desired ingredients.

On the grill, cook over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes until the bottom is browned.