The [Plants] Are Always Greener...

I finally had time this weekend to work in the yard and plant our garden.  It was definitely hard not to plant a shit ton of everything, but we want to keep it simple this summer.  I went heavy on the herbs (there is nothing like opening your trunk full of herbs when you get home from the market!)  We have some returning perennials and some random weed/flowers that were growing everywhere (so I transplanted some to pots to save on buying a ton of annuals to brighten up the front porch).  As the spring and summer progress we are going to transplant prairie perennials from ditches and our friends' land.  They will be easy to care for and will make an appearance every year (can't wait to see you year after year butterfly milkweed!)

 Mmmm...Cilantro

Our false indigo came back! 

Julie Child is starting to bud and has doubled in size! 

Lavender! 

I could just wallow in lilacs. 

Marigolds in the garden to attract butterflies. 

Our mint is also back! 

These are the flowers that were growing everywhere in our yard (and I repotted).  No idea what they are. 

Oregano. 

...keep waiting, it will never drop. 

 Rosemary.

I'm very lucky to have so much room to garden, but if you aren't so lucky, don't fret, you can garden anywhere!  Here is a fantastic book to check out: Garden Anywhere by Alys Fowler.

Friends Here and There

I just read a great post by Garance Dore about what it means to be a good friend.  These are a few things that stuck out to me and made me, of course, immediately think of these beautiful gals....my absolute best friends in the world.


"Best thing to do with friends, the international renown creme de la creme friend activity: Party the night before and spend the morning after having tea (or mimosas!) and recapping all the night's events."

"Some friendships die, but it doesn't mean they weren't beautiful and true."

"Sign of a true friendship: After three minutes of no one saying anything in a conversation, no one feels embarrassed." (although I don't know how often there is silence when we're together!)

"Some profound friendships can be formed in three minutes..."

"With a true friend, you can be completely yourself."

"Sign of a true friendship: Even after not seeing each other for three years, you feel like you're picking up a conversation you didn't quite finish the day before." (Maggie!!!)

"Sign of a true friendship: after twentysome years of friendship, you still laugh like teenagers." (Sissy!!)

And for one day in my life, I had them all together in one place.

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

I think I've roasted more this winter than I ever have before: potatoes, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, kale, pork chops, chicken, salmon...you get the idea.  

For some reason, in my 31 years I had never tried Brussels sprouts, and then thanks to a small dinner party we had in January (and a request from the birthday boy whom the dinner party was in honor of) I roasted said Brussels sprouts...and consequently fell in love with them!

And thanks to another small dinner party we had a few weeks ago, and more importantly to my dear friend, Denali, I was introduced to roasted garbanzo beans.  She brought with her the roasted garbanzo beans for all of us to try before dinner and now I'm hooked.

I made some of my own today in two different flavors: Sriracha & Cilantro, and Rosemary & Sea Salt.  I need to get my roasting fix satiated for the season, as we don't use our oven when it starts to get warm outside (I also love any excuse to put sriracha on or in something!)

These little suckers would be the perfect healthy snack to make for any little people you may have roaming around your house and eating all of your food.

Happy Roasting!

Blossoming

Across the street...

       

Hello ladies...

Aw, signs of Spring....one of my top four favorite seasons.  Lilacs are beginning to bud....

And I got to ride my bike all around town today!  Tis a good day.

Chocolate Pie

Anyone who knows me, knows I have somewhat of a sweet tooth.  By 'somewhat' I mean overwhelming huge.

So it should come as no surprise that on my second day of spring break I spent a little time baking.  Oh, and bake I did, combining two of my favorite things: pie and chocolate.

I found this recipe on Design*Sponge a few months ago and when I showed it to Ike, he insisted that I make it soon.  Well, he is certainly glad I did, as he said it may just be his favorite pie ever (of course he could have just been flattering me, but I don't think so, because it is damn good!)

So here is the recipe for Old Fashioned Chocolate Chess Pie from Cheryl Day as seen on Design*Sponge

Pie Crust (for a 9-in. pie pan)
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the butter and stir with a fork until it looks moist and crumbly. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish. You can crimp the edges decoratively or leave them rustic. Chill the crust for at least 1 hour or store in the freezer for up to a month in advance.

Pie Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten 
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk

In a medium bowl, stir together both sugars, the cornmeal, nutmeg and cocoa powder, mixing until completely combined. Stir in the vanilla, butter, eggs and evaporated milk and mix until fully incorporated. When ready to bake, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the pie and cool for at least one hour. Serve with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Now, I will tell you I didn't follow it to the letter because, well, I rarely do.  I usually just work with what I have.  I used dark brown sugar instead of light because, well I was out of light.  I also am too impatient to let my eggs get to room temperature, so I went ahead and put them in almost right from the fridge.  It also says to serve with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings, which I'm sure is delicious, but we decided to eat it with vanilla ice cream.

Holy crap this is a good pie.  You should probably bake it right now.

Seriously. Right. Now.

This I Believe...

My essay.

I believe in being happy now.  That being said, one of my favorite pastimes is daydreaming;  daydreaming about anything and everything: what it will be like when I have my first solo gallery show, the emotions I will feel when I hold my first published book in my hands and the small cabin my husband and I will one day build on the prairie.  I float back to my current life in a haze of euphoria, having actually felt all of the emotions that come with the future realization of my dreams. 

I blink my eyes into focus and let them wander around my cluttered living room.  I could be cynical and dwell on all the things that irritate me in my life: the dog hair that never seems to go away, the pieces of wall that sometimes crumble off behind our sofa,  the fact that the owner of the local art gallery continually walks by my farmer’s market booth without a glance at my photos, and the notes for my book that sit neglected on my dresser ready to be molded into a best-selling book.

But this isn’t what I see.  When my eyes clear and I come back from planning my future, I rest contented knowing that my life is exactly as it should be in this very moment because I am not a cynical person.  I don’t see an endless sea of dog hair, I see my loyal dog who loves me unconditionally and is always excited to see me when I come home.  I don’t see the crumbling wall, I see a house that my husband and I are turning into a beautiful home.  I don’t see the owner of the gallery ignoring my work, I see the countless people to whom my work brings joy every Saturday.  I don’t see my book full of empty pages, I see the wondrous road trip I took that inspired the as-yet-to-be-written book.  

I’ll never stop dreaming, scheming and planning because I believe one day the things I wish for will be now.  In this knowing, I can be contented that for now I have a roof over my head, delicious food on the table, people in my life who love me and accept me just as I am, a healthy body that enables me to stay active and a mind that prompts me to seek beauty and appreciate the small things.

I believe in seeing my life through rose-colored glasses.  I believe in being happy now.

***This I Believe is an international organization engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives.  Over 100,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, are archived on their website, heard on public radio, chronicled through their books, and featured in weekly podcasts.  The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.  (from thisibelieve.org)