Uncategorized – Page 72 – This Old House 2

Now that we’re beginning to see SPRING temps, I’ve got the itch to do something new in the garden. Although I want to get going on it, I think it’s still just a little early to put my flower seeds in the ground. This year I am growing them from seed directly in the soil instead of starting in pots. I’ll let you know how that goes.

I want to plant a long row of sunflowers along the stone wall that runs the length of the field behind This Old House. Anyone have any tips on successful sunflower growing? I also will attempt once again to grow some moonflower vine along the garden fence. Last year I had no luck with moonflower vine, the seeds didn’t germinate. I bought another packet and we’ll see what I come up with this year. Any suggestions are welcome.

Now for some garden inspiration….

I just love these ideas and I plan to incorporate one or two

after a visit to an vintage junk shop or two…

I just love this. If I lived in a city I would find a location to do this.

What a great way to spread some cheer.

Now where could I use teapots like this around here… hmmm….

Have a good day, all –

Stuffed Zucchini

I made this delicious zucchini recipe last night, much to the dismay of my dieting conscience.. and I gotta tell ya….. as my mother would say… Food For The Gods!! With the growing season on the near horizon, this is a great recipe, a meal in itself! .. for all that summer zucchini

Ingredients:
3 large Zucchini
1/2 large onion, chopped fine (I used onion powder instead)
1 Tbsp butter
5 – 6 slices crispy bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp curry powder (we don’t like curry, I left it out)
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves ( I used dried)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese – ( don’t be bashful)
fresh cracked black pepper

(you can also make these vegetarian and take the bacon out or use a meat sub. or replace with some olives or any other veggie)

Wash the Zucchini – Slice in half lengthwise. Leave the ends on to keep the filling in. Scoop out the flesh with a melon baller or a spoon. Leave a ledge of zucchini around the edges. Arrange the zucchini boats in a baking dish. Chop the zucchini flesh as small as you like. I put it in a blender.

Finely chop half a sweet onion (or use onion powder). Chop up some good smokey bacon. Add the curry powder (or not)… cook until desired doneness of onions and remove from heat (unless you’re using onion powder). To the zucchini flesh, add sour cream. Rough chop some fresh thyme leaves (or use dried Thyme). Mix onion and bacon with other ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the tomatoes. You don’t want the filling to be all runny, so you might want to seed the tomato (I didn’t) . Add some parmegiano to the mix… Refill the zucchini shells with the filling mixture.

Grate some good aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

( This is my variation of a recipe found on FB – origin- someone named Crafty Witch )

Back in the Saddle

I will admit right here that I am a fair weather rider. We pretty much took the winter off, Opie and I. He wasn’t complaining. The weather has taken a turn for the better, however. Even the may flies are out! Yesterday I clean him up, tacked up and went for a ride in the fields and forest. It was a beautiful thing. One of the things I love about my little horse is.. he doesn’t need to be lunged or “worked down” before I get on him, even if it’s been months. He’s a steady guy and just the right size at 15 hands. He’s not a plug either, you definitely know you have a horse in your hands.

It’s a new day, all –

you know the drill 🙂

Lucky Egg

A rather large egg was found in the hen house the other day…

Me:… which chicken do you think laid THAT egg??

Him: The one that’s walking funny.

Regarding eggs produced at home…

Notice the rich deep orange color of the yokes?

Compare them to the color of your store bought eggs.

If they are from a chicken factory, not local or organic, you will see they are pale in color.

Did you know, that in two weeks time the yolk begins to lose it’s nutritional value?

Mass produced eggs age varies. Their expiration dates tell you that they can sit

in the grocery store for weeks, and that’s after they’ve been delivered.

Also, the conditions those chickens live in is pretty horrifying.

The funny thing? My mother in law is grossed out by home raised chicken eggs.

So is another friend of ours. Both are egg eaters and health conscious.

Now, I keep a clean coop and run, and my chickens are healthy happy girls.

Who’s egg do YOU trust to eat…

theirs?….

or theirs.

Just sayin.

Little Free Library

We installed the Little Free Library yesterday! After much thought I decided it would be put to better use located on a community property where there is more traffic. Parmelee Farm gave us permission to install it next to their community garden gate. I received some very thoughtful contributions from my blog buddies and I want to thank you for enriching our little library.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my husband of almost 25 years for supporting my animal and community efforts. I couldn’t do it without him, and I will always be grateful.

To learn more about the Little Free Library movement..

click HERE

To learn more about Parmelee Farm..

click HERE

It’s supposed to reach 80 degrees in Connecticut today…

I am doing a happy dance. Have a good day, all –

– Karen

Project 12 – a Day in the Life – Kate, Maryland

Kate has posted her Project 12 on her block, which you can find here….

http://chroniclesofacountrygirl.blogspot.com/2013/04/project-12-sunday-in-maryland.html

Thanks for joining, Kate! I’m heading over now….

It’s all about the Pizza

Although we’re attempting to lose some weight here at This Old House, Mike and I had a hankering for some good New Haven pizza after a garden supply run at the nearby Agway yesterday. Having grown up in New York, I was spoiled with the abundance of rich ethnic foods like awesome pizza, chinese food, and bagels like you can’t get anywhere else. When I moved to Connecticut, I missed it dearly, I won’t lie. New Haven Pizza, however, comes close and apparently has a culture all it’s own.

“ New Haven-style pizza, locally known as apizza, is a style of Neapolitan pizza common in and around New Haven, Connecticut. It originated at the Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, in business since the 1920’s… and is now served in many other pizza restaurants in the area, most notably Sally’s Apizza, Bar Bru Room, Grand Apizza, and Modern Apizza. This geographically limited pizza style has gained considerable culinary and historical importance. What sets New Haven-style pizza apart from other styles is its unusually thin crust. Brick or occasionally high temperature gas oven cooking bakes the crust to a very crispy shell (often burnt black in spots, desirably known as “the char” but leaves the inside soft and chewy”

Frank Pepe’s is the most well known, but we are firm believers that the best pie in New Haven can be found at Modern Pizza… operating since the 1930’s!

If you come to any of these establishments during peak hours, you might wait an

hour or so for seating. The pizza is so good, there are always people willing to wait.

We usually stop in just short of peak, like 4:00 on a Saturday

afternoon, so there is no wait time.

The Veggie Bomb! (available with gluten free crust)

Traditional pepperoni and Mootz – YUM.

We always bring something home too….

Some fun pizza facts:

94 percent of Americans eat pizza regularly

93 percent of Americans have eaten pizza in the last month

The highest-grossing single-unit independent pizzeria in the nation, Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, is in Anchorage , Alaska. Its annual sales are approximately $6 million.

There are approximately 61,269 pizzerias in the United States

Pizza comes from the latin root word Picea which means the blackening of crust by fire.

Domino’s Pizza is the world leader in delivery

Pizza Deliverers claim women are better tippers

Most expensive pizza created was made by the restaurateur Domenico Crolla who created a $2,745.00 priced Valentine pizza which included toppings such as sunblush-tomato sauce, Scottish smoked salmon, medallions of venison, edible gold, lobster marinated in the finest cognac and champagne-soaked caviar

So, spill it. When was the last time you had pizza? How often do you eat pizza? What are your favorite toppings?