Gardening under the Florida sun

I Love this Weather!

2012-01-26T06:58:00.000-05:00

Can't stand being inside when the weather is this wonderful. Upper 70s mid 80s. Perfect for hanging out in my garden chair. :)

To the Beach

2012-01-14T18:33:00.011-05:00

It was a little chilly out, but still a great day to walk along the beach.

I love this Osprey pic that John got!

I was so happy to see a Killdeer!

Enjoying the Sunshine

2012-01-11T06:52:00.006-05:00

Winter Shorebirds

2012-01-08T20:17:00.011-05:00

Anyone know the ID on these? Maybe Red Knots?

January in the Garden

2012-01-03T07:26:00.004-05:00

All my broccoli and kale are bolting from the heat. :(

How are you my friends? Did you have a good Christmas and New Years?

I'm so Happy!

2011-12-21T08:48:00.000-05:00

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2011-12-15T08:35:00.001-05:00

He Luvs Me!

2011-12-06T12:21:00.004-05:00

Front Yard Garden

2011-11-30T08:41:00.006-05:00

Red Ruby Swiss Chard

Red Chidori Kale

Graffiti Cauliflower

Cheddar Cauliflower

Turkey Love

2011-11-28T06:24:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T09:23:00.010-05:00

Bananas!

Any plans for Thanksgiving my Friends? Any special dishes to prepare?

Thank You

2011-11-15T12:06:00.003-05:00

Worried

2011-11-09T08:21:00.003-05:00

My mom went in for knee replacement surgery two weeks ago, and it hasn't gone well. She now has a massive infection that they're trying real hard to get a handle on. So please if you could send some good thoughts our way. I'm very worried.

Beautiful Weather

2011-11-03T10:19:00.000-04:00

New Chicks in The House!

2011-10-25T06:58:00.000-04:00

Clara & Rosie

Clara is the white one and Rosie is the buff.

Looking Good

2011-10-18T09:03:00.005-04:00

Flutterbies

2011-10-13T05:40:00.009-04:00

~Sachem~
Larval Host Plants: various grasses including Bermuda Grass and Crabgrass
~Tropical Checkered-Skipper~
Larval Host: Various mallow family plants
~White Peacock~

Larval Host Plant: Frogfruit and Water Hyssop

~Phaon Crescent~

Larval Host Plant: Frogfruit

~Cassius Blue~
Larval Host Plants: Numerous plants including Wild Tamarind, Leadwort, and Wild Plumbago

Birthday Walk

2011-10-06T14:00:00.003-04:00

Cooler Weather

2011-10-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

To the Beach

2011-09-28T06:41:00.001-04:00

American Oystercatchers

John's Nemesis

2011-09-26T09:19:00.004-04:00

The New PoodleMobile

2011-09-19T08:41:00.002-04:00

Getting Back Outside

2011-09-16T08:52:00.005-04:00

Otherwise Known As

2011-09-12T13:14:00.001-04:00

Big Minnie Meanie Pants

Last Night

2011-09-09T08:54:00.005-04:00

Fossilized Bull Shark tooth

Seed Sowing

2011-08-31T08:48:00.045-04:00

~Cauliflower ~
Graffiti Hybrid (purple)
Cheddar (orange)

~Tomatoes~

Super Marzano

Aker's West Virginia

Black Krim

Flame Hillbilly

~Broccoli~

Romanesco Italia

Purple Peacock

~Onions~

Red Creole

Crimson Red

~Kale~

Redbor

Red Chidori

Nero Di Toscana

~ Cabbage~

Red Acre

Early Jersey Wakefield

~Parsnips~

Gladiator Hybrid

Javelin

~Florida Native Plants~

Wiregrass

Purple Love Grass

Yelloweyed Grass

Hoarhound

Rattlesnake Master

Dim Sum Sunday ~ Pie

2011-08-28T17:24:00.010-04:00

We got some Crazy Good Blueberry Pie for this weeks Dim Sum Sunday.

Went with this super easy recipe from Martha Stewart

For more Dim Sum Sunday fun head on over to The Karmic Kitchen.

Minnie Cuteness and a Banjo Tune

2011-08-22T08:11:00.012-04:00

Elizabeth turns 10

2011-08-13T07:04:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Baby!

Pics from Last Week

2011-08-09T07:37:00.016-04:00

More rocks for the pond. Nice!

John built a new bigger better raised bed. Widened the walkway too.

Heirloom Green Cotton

Dani plays Banjo

2011-08-01T13:00:00.005-04:00

Done, Done, Done!

2011-07-25T10:06:00.005-04:00

Shamy & The New No Name Chick

2011-07-18T11:08:00.005-04:00

Lucy? Bella? Winnie?

More Beach Pics

2011-07-14T10:12:00.002-04:00

Evening Walk

2011-07-11T09:20:00.007-04:00

Little Bits from the Week

2011-07-08T07:41:00.009-04:00

Millennium Park

2011-07-05T07:22:00.006-04:00

White

2011-06-29T09:26:00.007-04:00

Black Swallowtails

2011-06-27T08:00:00.004-04:00

Larval Host Plant ~ Wild and cultivated members of the Carrot Family including dill, fennel and parsley

Egg ~ yellow, laid singly on host leaves

Habitat ~ old fields, roadsides, pastures, suburban gardens

Abundance ~ occasional

Happiness is....

2011-06-17T21:09:00.000-04:00

Summer Slowdown

2011-06-13T07:07:00.001-04:00

How are you my friends? Any summer plans?

Summer in the Garden

2011-06-01T07:30:00.001-04:00

Good Morning

2011-05-27T11:01:00.015-04:00

Remembering

2011-05-25T05:32:00.000-04:00

Gerald Lee Frogale
May 25, 1940 - June 18, 2002

A Pond Post

2011-05-16T06:20:00.002-04:00

Three Years

2011-05-12T08:06:00.000-04:00

Thank You my Friends for a Wonderful Three Years of Blogging!

I LOVE HIM!

2011-05-09T08:17:00.005-04:00

SummerTime

2011-05-04T09:00:00.005-04:00

Hubby ROCKS!

2011-05-02T08:29:00.006-04:00

Banjo and Blooms

2011-04-28T06:11:00.008-04:00

Pretty Things

2011-04-19T06:37:00.007-04:00

Dani Plays a Song

2011-04-14T12:23:00.009-04:00

Summer is on it's Way

2011-04-12T08:20:00.000-04:00

No Place I'd Rather Be

2011-04-05T07:31:00.007-04:00

pleasedon'tbeaboypleasedon'tbeaboypleasedon'tbeaboy

My New Toy

2011-03-29T07:46:00.008-04:00

Wonderful Weather

2011-03-23T09:06:00.006-04:00

Springtime

2011-03-17T08:18:00.001-04:00

Dim Sum Sunday ~ Pot Pies

2011-03-13T13:17:00.012-04:00

Today marks the second anniversary of Dim Sum Sundays over at The Karmic Kitchen.

SWEET!

In the very first DSS, Shamy and Java Junkie went with a pot pie theme. So in honor of that, we bring you once again yummy wonderful pot pies.

Chicken pot pie with vegetables.

1 pound package of chicken breast

1 cup frozen onions (I use fresh)

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/3 cup thinly sliced celery

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1 14 1/2 once can of chicken broth

3/4 cup of milk

1/3 cup unsifted all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

15 ounce package of refrigerated pie crust

In large saucepan saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes. And onions; saute' until chicken has cooked through and onions are slightly brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and onions to a plate and set the mixture aside.

Add the carrots and celery to the saucepan; saute' vegetables until slightly softened-about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil;reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.

Heat the oven to 425. In a two cup liquid measure, stir together milk , flour, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Slowly whisk milk mixture into the saucepan. Stir until thickened. Stir in reserved chicken and onions.

Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture into a 9 inch round baking dish or cast iron skillet. Top with pie crust and cut slits to allow steam to escape. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly- about 20-25 minutes.

For more DSS fun head on over to Shamys at The Karmic Kitchen.

Still Here

2011-03-04T09:06:00.008-05:00

Woohooo! Baby Shamy is now the Official Karmic Kitchen Mascot!

I Love a Good Weekend

2011-02-21T08:53:00.004-05:00

The Pit of Doom

2011-02-16T08:49:00.003-05:00

We Got Peeps!

2011-02-10T08:17:00.008-05:00

Kiki & Coco

Walking

2011-02-07T08:26:00.005-05:00

For Marianne

2011-02-05T07:54:00.000-05:00

NICE!

2011-02-01T07:21:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Jiggy!

2011-01-25T06:08:00.002-05:00

Red Admiral

2011-01-24T07:54:00.005-05:00

Dim Sum Sunday ~ Veggies

2011-01-23T17:30:00.008-05:00

It's all about veggies for this weeks Dim Sum Sunday.

I decided to go with a soup using the beautiful Redbor and Tuscan Kale from the garden.

Tossed in some other veggies and added some stock. Little ditalini pastas too.

It's was a perfect meal for a chilly Sunday at home with a sick kid. :)

For More Dim Sum Sunday fun head on over to The Karmic Kitchen.

Rainy Day

2011-01-21T12:54:00.006-05:00

Enjoying the Garden

2011-01-19T08:29:00.000-05:00

Really?!?!?!?

2011-01-10T09:27:00.001-05:00

Outside

2011-01-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

A Gift Most Wonderful

2010-12-29T07:52:00.004-05:00

A very rare 1880 trade token from my great, great, great grandfather Charles Frederick Hudlin's tavern.

Christmas Pups

2010-12-21T07:38:00.006-05:00

Enjoying the Winter Garden

2010-12-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

Bundled Up

2010-12-07T08:43:00.007-05:00

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-12-01T09:10:00.003-05:00

A Good Day

2010-11-26T10:26:00.000-05:00

It Feels Wonderful Outside!

2010-11-18T11:34:00.004-05:00

Looking Good

2010-11-12T07:38:00.015-05:00

We got bananas!

Week from Hell

2010-11-11T07:34:00.003-05:00

It's been a rough week for our poor Kitty and her diabetes. On Monday she bottomed out, and started having seizures from the low blood sugar. It was touch and go there for awhile, but she's home now and resting comfortably. She doesn't like having the iv line still in, but if all goes well, they will take it out tomorrow.

In other sad news, we lost Silky girl to a predator attack last week. *sigh* We miss her fluffy self terribly.

Gonna go out to the garden now and get some chores done. Later on today I'll try and get some veggie pics up.

Growing

2010-11-02T07:42:00.016-04:00

My Turkey Chariot

2010-10-27T07:42:00.002-04:00

Thanks Shamy!!

Dim Sum Sunday ~ Healthy Eating

2010-10-24T10:32:00.012-04:00

Grouper Veracruz

4 (6-ounce) grouper fillets (3/4 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (10- once) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Place fish in a 13x9- inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute 3 minutes. Add cumin and garlic; saute 1 1/2 minutes. Add water and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes or until slighty thick. Pour tomato mixture over fish.

4) Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

There you have it, wonderful and healthy Grouper Veracruz. For more good eats head over to The Karmic Kitchen.

Saucepan Sabotage

2010-10-22T08:37:00.005-04:00

Shamy is hosting Dim Sum Sunday this weekend with a healthy eating theme.

Come join us over at The Karmic Kitchen for some great cooking fun.

The Fall Garden

2010-10-19T08:49:00.005-04:00

Pretty Things

2010-10-11T08:36:00.004-04:00

It's My Birthday!

2010-10-06T06:21:00.000-04:00

Good Times

Celebrating a wonderful 34 years today.

Hmmmm....

2010-10-05T08:29:00.002-04:00

What's wrong with this picture?

Hubby Rocks!

2010-09-27T08:39:00.004-04:00

NICE!!!!!

I now have a fenced in garden that the girlz and puppies can't get into!

WOOHOOO!!!

Dim Sum Sunday ~ Bread

2010-09-26T14:42:00.007-04:00

After a bit of a break, Dim Sum Sunday is back this weekend with bread.

With thousands of recipes and ideas out there, we decided on making yummy homemade bagels.

There is never a shortage of help in our kitchen. ;)

Mix, mix, mix!

For more Dim Sum Sunday fun, head on over to The Karmic Kitchen.

7 Things

2010-09-21T08:47:00.005-04:00

My girlfriend Melissa tagged me for a Seven Things about Me meme.

Thanks Melissa! :)

1) I was born with a severe form of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. It's a horrible disease that I inherited from my dad. There is no cure and no medicine to keep the disease from progressing.

2) I don't wear jewelry of any kind, not even my wedding band.

3) John buys me cameras for special occasions. I love that about him! hehehe

4) I have four tattoos.

5) I drink waaaaaaaay too much coffee.

6) John and I have been blessed with 15 beautiful years together. He is my best friend.

7) I really, really want a pet turkey!

So there yah have it friends, seven things about me. :)

Seeds Sprouting

2010-09-14T08:49:00.005-04:00

Wooohooo!

My seeds have sprouted their first true set of leaves! Won't be long now before I can put them in the ground.

As of right now, this is what I have growing in trays:

Cauliflower ~ Cheddar and Graffiti

Kale~ Redbor, Ragged Jack, Dwarf Blue Curled

Cabbage ~ Red Acre, Early Jersey Wakefield, Michihli

Spinach ~ Bloomsdale Long Standing

Eggplant ~ Rosita, Rossa Bianca

Broccoli ~ Romanesco Italia

Collards ~ Georgia Southern

Tomatoes ~ Isis Candy Cherry, Homestead, Bi - Color Cherry, Aker's West Virginia, Super Marzano Hybrid, Black Krim, Oroma, Heinz, Floradade

Pepper ~ Charleston Belle, Red Marconi Patio, Tequila Sunrise

I would like to try and grow parsnips this year. Has anyone tried these before in the garden?

Just a random dose of Jiggy cuteness before I leave. :)

Have a great day friends!

Slow Going

2010-09-07T09:26:00.010-04:00

It's slow going right now in the garden, so I'm just taking it easy. Playing with the puppies, baking, and doing a little embroidery.

Good Times. :)

Did y'all have a good three day weekend?

Fun at the Dog Park

2010-08-30T08:24:00.008-04:00

Lazy

2010-08-27T10:53:00.000-04:00

Whatcha' all doing for the weekend?

4th Grade

2010-08-24T09:00:00.003-04:00

Fall Seed Order

2010-08-20T09:03:00.001-04:00

Tomatoes:

Black Krim ~ 75 days, mahogany colored, beefsteak tomato with deep green shoulders. Heirloom from the Isle of Krim.

Carbon ~ 76 days, 10-14 ounce, beautiful purple-brown tomatoes.

Polish Pastel ~ 82 days, 10-14 ounce, bi-colored fruit with red and yellow mottling.

Marvel Stripe ~ 95 days, beefsteaks may reach over 4- inches and two pounds. Heirloom from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Aker's West Virginia ~ 70 days, 10-16 ounce, deep-red, slightly flattened tomatoes in clusters of 2. West Virginia heirloom.

Big Rainbow ~ 82 days, Moderate to large crops of 1-2 lbs. As fruits ripen they have a rainbow appearance: Greens on the shoulder, yellow, orange, gold in the middle, and red on the bottom. Good disease resistance.

Black Oxheart ~ 80 days, heart-shaped fruit are a deep purplish brown and rich in flavor.

Floradade ~ 78 days, nice-sized 5-7 ounce fruit, developed by the University of Florida.

Peppers:

Serrano Tampequino ~ 75 days, club-shaped fruit, very hot and pungent

Patio Red Marconi ~ ripe fruit are a glowing red, and sweet. Perfect for containers.

Corno di Toro Rosso ~ Traditional favorite in Italy. Long 8 inch tapered, bull-horn shaped pepper. Sweet and spicy.

Odds ~ n ~ Ends:

Ching Chang Bok Choy ~ 50 days, tender and mild.

Shanghai Green Choy ~ a delicious baby type that is extra tender and finely flavored.

Tatsoi ~ superb mild flavor, a must for stir-frying and salads.

Michihli ~ big tall heads, widely grown in the Orient, very tasty.

Siam Queen Thai Basil

Thai Sweet Basil

Hartman's Giant Amaranth

Garden Work

2010-08-16T07:31:00.008-04:00

We spent most of yesterday working on getting the raised beds in the backyard ready to cover with plastic.

Got everything pulled up and new compost added.

COMPOST ROCKS!

The Girlz were doing their share of hard work too.

We finally got the plastic down on the beds without passing out from heatstroke... nothing like summer in a subtropical climate!

*Sigh* now comes the hard part of waiting six weeks for the beds to solarize.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

2010-08-13T08:12:00.004-04:00