Square Foot Gardening

I have been very busy with woodwork refinishing and gardening, which explains my absence from here! I am using a method of gardening called Square Foot Gardening. We started this two years ago, and with each year it gets better and better. Paul built two more boxes this year. I am happy to say that we are enjoying the first fruits of this garden:

Radishes

Here is the garden:

Paul is going to finish laying the garden blocks down in the back.

I need to plant more seeds!

And here is a close up of the first square I planted:

In the corners: Flowers

Foreground: Carrots

Middle Front: Beets

Left side: Sugar Snap Peas

Right Side: Radishes

Back: Lettuces and Leeks

I have been methodical about writing down not only what I planted when, but I have also been calculating the projected harvest dates as well. So I have a separate page called "Harvest 2007" that has the weeks of summer and what will be ready during that particular week. I had to use a calendar and the seed packets to calculate the harvest dates. It did not take all that long, and now all I have to do is consult the Harvet Schedule each week to see what I can pick!

In the Garden!

Today I worked for a long time in the garden. No white dress however! I was in my gardening ensemble, which is clothing that does not mind getting dirty. I was trying to get a photo of an elusive cardinal who feeds from our birdfeeder. I had no luck, so instead took some photos of spring beauty in the backyard.

Lilac

Tulip

Honeysuckle

Cheddar Chive Muffins

This morning I made a recipe for breakfast that we all enjoy often. It's actually a muffin recipe, given to me by my sister, but we always make it in a cast iron skillet and cut it in wedges. It is delicious, and even more so now that we can include fresh chives from our garden that survived the cold winter.

Here's the recipe:

1 and 1/4 cup milk (or milk substitute)
3/4 cup mashed potato flakes
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 TBSP sugar (or other sweetener)
2 TBSP chives
1 TBSP parsley flakes (optional)
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp salt

Heat milk in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in potato flakes. Let stand for about 2 minutes, then whip with a fork until smooth. Let cool slightly. Turn into a medium mixing bowl. Beat in egg, oil, and cheese. Combine remaining ingredients and stir into potato mixture just until moistened (batter will be thick). Put into a greased muffin pan (or use paper muffin cups to line the muffin pan) or into a large, greased, cast-iron skillet. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Indoor Picnic

This week Paul was off work. We wanted to try and combine fun with working on home projects. We had planned to go to the Botanical Gardens last Tuesday. Julie and I were out shopping for our picnic foods and running other errands. As we went from place to place, the unpredictable Chicago weather got colder and colder - by 15 degrees! Our warm, sunny picnic and outing suddenly seemed like a chilly undertaking.

We decided to make a back-up plan: We would have our picnic indoors, and then go to the Lincoln Park Zoo, which has many indoor exhibits. So we would be outside in small increments. Before we left, we set out our picnic on the dining room table and had our lunch. It was a lot of fun.

The zoo outing was enjoyable for all, including Tyler, who was most interested in the fish! We went to the gardens on Friday, where the weather had warmed up so much, no jackets were required!

P.S. Yes, that is a Christmas tablecloth! The others were in the wash, and I needed something to throw on the table quickly!

Julie and Tyler

Spring Cleaning - Part II

Last week I was very busy getting the house ready for Easter. Somehow, it all made sense to me for the first time in my life.

Here's what I mean:

For years, I wandered through my life with doubts about God. I became a true believer in 2002 and started going to a non-denominational church, and then in 2005 joyfully returned to the Catholic Church in which I was raised. In 2006, for the first time, I went to the entire Triduum (the Masses held from Holy Thursday through Easter). This to me was just the most wonderful way to anticipate and celebrate Christ's Resurrection.

This year, during the days before the Triduum Masses, I was getting the house ready for company on Easter Sunday. With the help of the whole family, we did a thorough house cleaning. We were all so pleased with the results. As I worked, I tried not only to think about welcoming company, but also to be welcoming Christ upon His Resurrection. It was very satisfying to think of preparing not only for company, but to prepare in all ways for Christ: the cleaning, the shopping, the prayers, practicing choir music, and the Masses.

Among other things, we:
1. Shampooed the hall carpet runner, and Robert's carpet.
2. Cleaned Robert's room (a major undertaking).
3. Washed the curtains and swags in the parlor and sitting room.
4. Dusted thoroughly, including running the Swiffer around the ceiling for any cobwebs.
5. Managed to find a place for everything, and put everything in its place (although there were a couple of bags of papers that were not really put away properly, rather shoved in the storage compartment under our Captain's bed!)
6. Vacuumed, mopped.
7. Put out decorations, such as bunny candle holders with pastel tapers, an Easter Lily plant, and some baskets.

This combination of faith preparation as well as home preparation made for an entirely beautiful Easter Day. The entire house was clean, rather than cordoning off one room with massive piles of junk thrown into it, hidden from the eyes of guests. I felt so peaceful that even in the evening, after the company had left and we had our own quiet family dinner, I was not stressed as I cooked and served. It all just felt right!

Alleluia, He is Risen!

On A Box!