My first rose of the season – Cinco de Mayo
Cemetary Iris
Columbine
One of four different color salvias currently blooming
Bulbine
Grape Blossoms
Cactus Flower already blooming
Archive for March, 2013
Bloom Day 3/15
Posted in bloom day on March 16, 2013| 2 Comments »
Leg of Lamb
Posted in eats, recipes on March 5, 2013| 4 Comments »
We took Aspen’s FFA lamb to be slaughtered (or “processed” if you are going for PC) a few weeks ago. We went to Dutchman’s Meat Market in Fredericksburg and they did an excellent job and were more than reasonable on price.
Since then I have made lamb chops and lamb burgers and then last weekend I decided to make Leg of Lamb. This was pretty scary. We only got one leg, the other was pieced out, and I didn’t want to mess it up. Plus, when you know where your meat came from and the work that your daughter put in, you want to give it the respect that it deserves.
I looked at two different cookbooks, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School and Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food. (Both great cookbooks) The first called for inserting garlic and herbs while the second was simple salt and pepper. With the quality of the meat, I knew that Alice Waters method was the way to go. Not that extra aromatics wouldn’t be delicious, but I wanted the flavor of the meat to be the star.
I finished off the meal with roasted veggies, carrots and golden beets from the garden, and fingerling potatoes from the store.
I also made a greek salad with home-grown lettuce and two different sauces, one a greek yogurt with fresh parsley (from the garden of course) and garlic, the other olive oil with lemon, thyme, parsley, garlic, s&p.
For dessert I tried Baklava. I used Alton Brown’s recipe, which should have worked, but he didn’t dummy it down enough for a non-baker like me. I managed to defrost the phyllo dough, create the filling and correctly cook and layer everything. Where the issue came in was making the honey sauce. It called for bringing the honey, sugar, and water to a boil and boiling for 10 minutes. What I did not know is that all boiling is not the same when it comes to sugar. I guess I made candy. The baklava wasn’t inedible, but it made a better topping for ice cream than a standalone dessert.
Seedlings Ready to Go
Posted in seedlings on March 2, 2013| 2 Comments »
My spring veggies seedlings are ready to get outside. It looks like the forecast is telling me Sunday afternoon. There are two nights in the low 40s in the forecast for next week, but I’ll keep the tomatoes well covered. The only seeds I still need to start inside are the Okra. These don’t usually go in the ground until earliest April 1, so I’m not too late.
Tomatoes
Bell and Hot Peppers
Squash
Melons and Luffa
I also found this really cool seed cabinet at “Antiques and Things” a few weeks ago. It may not have been its original intended purpose, but it is a perfect fit. Plus, it slides right into the corner in my sunroom.
Seed Cabinet
willsfamilyacres 