Pickling

Today I decided to take some jalapenos from the garden and red onions from the store and pickle them.  I used Chef Michael Symon's pickling recipe that I had clipped out of the newspaper last year.  It was really easy to do, I hope they taste as delicious as they look :) Here is a link to the recipe:


http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/michael-symon/pickled-onions-recipe/index.html

Garage Sale Finds

I went to a few garage sales in search of old frames and found quite a bit.  I also found a really cool lamp, I want to paint it a bright color!  

I also found a really large embroidery hoop for larger projects!  25 cents, can't beat that!

Garden & Nutrition Facts

The plants have grown so much!  I am actually about to plant a second crop of lettuces, kale, and broccoli to last through the first frost.  The crabgrass in my yard started to invade the garden and it has been a lot of work trying to keep up with it...

I packed this garden with tomatoes, beans, eggplant, lettuces, kale, cabbage, peppers, kohlrabi, carrots, squash and lots of herbs!

I didn't realize that I had white eggplants until they started to grow.  I thought I had bought the purple striped, but these are beautiful!

Fun fact:  Eggplant is considered a fruit, but botanically it's actually a berry...

On the left is cabbage and on the right is kale. Both of these are superstar vegetables with all sorts of great health benefits!

Fact:  Kale is a nutritional powerhouse. It ranks #1 against all vegetables.  Spinach is #2.  Kale helps fight and prevent cancers and it is loaded with vitamins!  

This is kohlrabi which is part of the cabbage family. You eat the bulb part, it can be eaten raw or cooked, the leaves are also edible!


Fact:  Kohlrabi also helps fight cancer, is a good source of Vitamin C and great source of potassium!

Garden update

So I was really sick in July and to make a long story short...I had to have my gallbladder removed.  I am recovering from the surgery at home and realized that I hadn't kept up with my blog through all this! Now that I am starting to feel better and I thought I would finally update my garden progress :)  I will have to get some more pics up here ASAP because the garden is gigantic and I am getting ready to plant my second crop of lettuces!

Week 1: Itty Bitty plants

I planted many of my herbs in pots this year.

This would be about week 2 or so.  The plants are getting much bigger :)

Just a closeup of the lettuces.  I planted romaine, mixed leaves and green leaf.  We have enjoyed many salads this summer.

Almost there!

I got all the plants in the ground last weekend and just have a few more finishing touches.  It turned out so cute!  I love it and can't wait for all the veggies to grow :)


I planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, squash, carrots, kale, kohlrabi, lots of lettuces, cabbage, green beans and many herbs!  I also planted sunflowers and marigolds along the fence.


We are still going to add a slate entrance area for me to hose off my muddy shoes and round the top of the gate :)  I am just so happy to have everything planted!  

In the trenches

With the aid of a smaller rototiller and LOTS of shoveling, we dug a trench around the whole garden so we could sink the fence 1 foot underground.  I also lined it with bricks and then covered it back up with dirt.  Hopefully this will keep the groundhogs from destroying my garden!  It is so much work right now, but it feels great :) Last night we started building a garden gate, more pics to come!

Garden 2011

We just set the posts for my new garden over the long weekend.  Last year was my trial garden and now I feel confident to build a more permanent structure.  It is now 15 ' X 30'.    Since every project I have worked on lately is confidential at work, I will try to keep updating my garden progress :)

My brother and nephew worked on setting the posts in concrete.  I was so thankful that the sky was mostly overcast because the sun would have been a little much!




















Concrete is dry, today is sunny!  Time to rototill the dirt once or twice more this week.  Wrap some fencing along the posts and build a gate.  Weather permitting, the plants should be in the ground this coming weekend :)

Art Show 2011

This is the design that I embroidered for the art show.  I am so happy that is was accepted into the Gallery Show!  It is a "Day of the Dead" skull or "Dias de los Muertos".

Paint

I wanted to share a few images off other blogs that inspire me to paint old items and give them new life.  I will be looking at lots of garage sales this season in hopes for some unique pieces to refurbish :)

Worker Bee

I have been so busy lately and neglecting my blog :(  I started uploading images to an online portfolio site.  I was working for the last 2 weeks on a hand embroidered art piece for a Fine Art Show.  It is a Day of the Dead Skull and it came out beautifully. Unfortunately I do not have any pics...but I will get some great ones next Friday at the Gallery opening because my piece was accepted into the show!!!!!


This weekend will be filled with more work as I have to make 5 ornaments for a photo shoot and they will be featured on a Christmas card at work.  So I won't be able to show any pics of those until the card is in stores! It is CONFIDENTIAL :)


The weather report looks nice for the weekend...Enjoy the fresh air and open up those windows! Let's say Goodbye to Winter!!!


I am loving life :)

Elephants are too cute!

I have been busy busy busy! I just started uploading some images to an online portfolio website.  Check it out at 


www.coroflot.com/marykmunroe

Enjoying my new iMac

I have really been into making patterns this last week.  It was that sock contest that got me started :) There are just not enough hours in the day...I just want to play play play!

Bacon Love

I learned about the sock contest so late that I didn't get to get all my ideas in on time.  I love bacon, lots of people love bacon...so what about bacon patterned socks?!  I would sport these for sure!  :)

Design a Sock Contest

So I came upon a contest yesterday that involved designing knee high socks!  I was so excited because I love funky socks!  Then I saw that they were due the next day (today), so I got busy last evening after work and cranked out 3 designs!  How cool would it be for my design to win and get produced!!!!! My fingers are crossed :)


Would you buy any of these???

delish!

I made this greek style salad a few nights ago and it was delicious!  Organic red leaf lettuce, kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onion, feta cheese and a lemony vinaigrette.

I helped design this card

cute baby deer

I know that Christmas has long gone, but I had to share this...