Amuse Bouche

When asked to choose my favorite course of a meal, I would have a hard time choosing between the hors d'oeuvres and the dessert. There is nothing like goat cheese crostini or caprese bites, and who doesn't like saying 'Would you like some amuse bouche and vino?'. However, there is definitely something to be said for a rich glorious Bernard Callebaut mousse. So... when planning my husband's thirty-first birthday party it was critical that I come up with something great for the beginning and end of our meal. I started with  a dish of caprese bites, sun-dried tomato kalamata olives, and cheese, and ended with Dairy Queen Oreo ice cream cake. It was all delicious. Take a peek...

Jungle or Garden?

The garden has turned into a jungle! The perfect combination of sunny and rainy weather has created an absolutely huge tangled mess of green where my perfectly neat rows used to be. I tried to string up the two rows of peas with stakes and string, but the weight of the vines and baby peas proved to be too much. I also tried to hill the potatoes, but they have grown so high that they have overtaken the beans and spinach real estate. The spinach has already gone to seed, and the tomatoes have grown larger than their cages. A little chaotic. I need to try to tidy it up a bit, but already the yield has been great! We have had several spinach, butter lettuce, and romaine lettuce salads. My favorite is spinach from the garden, raspberries and cranberry raspberry vinaigrette from the farmer's market and roasted pecans. Mmmm. 

HOORAY!

Hooray! The garden is actually growing! I was so nervous not one seed would grow and poke through the soil, but every row is up. Unfortunately my veggies aren't the only things growing...WEEDS are everywhere. Thousands of teeny little weeds have sprouted and are covering the surface of every bed. I set out on a mission this morning to stop their invasion. A few blisters later, I won... For now. The garden looks great.

Green thumb?

After a long back breaking weekend, we have a fully planted garden. It was good for me I am sure, since my muscles were so sore I could barely walk the following Monday... We put in all the absolute necessities; peas, carrots, beans, potatoes, onions, beats, lettuce, leeks, spinach, tomatoes, hot peppers, and strawberries. I started with a trip to Holes Greenhouse and Canadian Tire, and with seeds, potting soil, and tools in hand I was ready to start. Feeling like a rookie, I brought Lois' book outside with me to reference if necessary. I created stakes from the branches of the fallen fruit tree that lie in the back corner of the yard, and tied string between them to ensure I ended up with straight rows. Once everything was in the soil, I marked the rows with my new favorite rock markers. We have had two days of pouring rain, so with a little sun we should have sprouting veggie plants soon.

Love this!

Since I have garden on the brain... I found this cute idea for marking rows in the garden.

Garden Garden Garden

Ready for spring? Yes Maam! This year will be the first year that I attempt to grow my own vegetable garden, and I am exited! My Mom and Grandmother both have incredibly green thumbs, and I am hoping that I have inherited some of their skill. We have built a raised bed for our veggies and have filled it with garden soil rich with mushroom manure (whatever that is). Once the garden bed was ready to be planted, I took a trip to Holes Greenhouse for some inspiration and advice. I picked up seeds of the staples; carrots, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, peas, beans, and onions. And of course Lois Holes book on vegetables. She is the ultimate goddess of the garden. Her book is filled with tips and tricks of the trade that I hope will maximize my veggie yield. I will blog along my growing journey. Stay tuned...

G is for Gilding

Alright I know I skipped a few letters here, but I could not help but skip past Clay and Decoupage for this one. What girl doesn't like a little gold and silver. I first saw gilding done while watching Debbie Travis. She coated the underside of a gorgeous claw foot bathtub in silver, it was stunning, and I was an instant fan. Our bathroom renovation was lacking a little shine, and I thought the mirror frame was the perfect spot to try gilding.  I admit, I was a bit intimidated by the incredibly thin sheets of silver, but with Martha's instructions made it quite simple to work with. Thrilled with how it turned out, I am on the look out for other rooms that are in need of a little glamour.