Raising Beds

I took a tomato growing class at a local nursery a few weeks ago. My swc tomatoes did okay last year. The grape/roma tomatoes produced decently and we had a few slicing tomatoes.  Oh how I long for more. I want to be overrun with tomatoes like we were the first year we planted tomato plants. Of course we had a weird cool summer with lots of rain.  The tomatoes were plentiful and delicious and they tricked me into thinking that growing tomatoes in TX is so easy.  How wrong I was.

I found out at the class that the summer so long ago was the perfect summer for tomatoes. Tomato plants stop setting fruit when the average high temp is over 85 and when the average night time temp is over 75. The plants will keep putting out flowers but will stop producing fruit.  Just what I've dealt with the last 3 years. 

I decided to try two different suggestions from the class. Raised bed and starting my tomatoes early.  As in the end of February/ beginning of March early. Tomato plants aren't available until next month so I got a head start on my beds.

I don't think DH thought I would actually go through with this plan, but I did all on my own. I did ask him a couple of questions before starting and had him help me when the first couple of screws weren't digging into the second board. Once I figured out I needed to use two C clamps to hold the boards in place, I was off and drilling. J came out and helped pre-drill some holes for the screws. It took a bit of work but it really wasn't too hard.
















Sorry for the blown out pictures. I couldn't do much about the mid afternoon sun. You can see that when I made the box I had to come up with a way to use both C clamps and hold the boards up.  After piling up extra boards and the milk crate, I was still a bit off level. Luckily the bit of rope in the crate was just the lift I needed.

Now I need to deal with the bed and setting the boxes in place.  I don't know if you can see everything in the bed.  The tall sticky plant to the left is one of my Turk's cap.  I love, love, love this plant.  It attracts hummingbirds and bumblebees all summer long.  However, it also grows humongous and overruns other plants.  The spindly greens in front of the first box and in the middle of the right side are the onions I planted.  In back by the flag is garlic. The large green/brown mound is oregano growing over rocks. The tiny green mound between the onions and the stepping stones is the thyme that died last summer but grew back this winter.

I was talking to A about how I was going to maneuver the new boxes around all of this stuff.  I was contemplating digging up the Turk's cap, but the idea of it made me so sad.  I told A that maybe we needed to dig up the onions while they are in the green onion stage instead letting them get to the big onion stage.  She, the wise one, told me to dig up the onions, put the boxes where I want them and then re-plant the onions. Why didn't I think of that? I can keep my Turk's cap and my onions and put in strawberries and tomatoes too!

pasta night

DH got me a pasta roller attachment for my kitchen aid mixer for my birthday.  It has been sitting on a shelf in the kitchen for the past 4 months.  I've been contemplating making pasta for that long too.  Today was finally the day.












The roller was much easier than the hand crank kind.  The meal was delicious.  Well worth the effort.

The pasta I made using 6 eggs/3 cups of flour and served it with this sauce. 

Downton Abbey Week 3

Sunday night I joined S#5 again to watch Downton Abbey. S#5 made the big spread for the premiere episode and scones for the second episode. This week I pitched in with a recipe I found in my new Southern Living magazine, Lemon Rosemary Coffee Cake. It seemed very English tea to me.

It called for lemon curd, so I made my own. I almost messed it up but after a couple of takes and a lot of stirring, it turned out just fine. If you're going to try this, definitely cook it longer than the 8 minutes it calls for. It definitely needed more time to thicken.





The cake turned out delicious.





Everyone loved this cake. All the kids ate it and asked for more. I surprised at that. However, the rosemary that drew me to the recipe was very subtle. I would definitely add extra next time.

Downton Abbey was great. Grandmother Crowley was sharp as ever. Bates is back, Bates is back! Only 5 more days until the next episode.

Learning

B is half way through his kindergarten year. Overall it has been a great year. The part that worries me a bit is that he's afraid to try because he might get it wrong.

B loves to draw on the white board. One night last week I told him could draw until dinner was ready. So he did.





I was so excited I had to take a picture. A tried to correct his spelling and I told her to leave it alone. He sounded out the words and spelled them the way they sound. He did a terrific job!

Derby Car

J's cub scout troop/pack/den (the girl scout in me wants to call it a troop so I always end up calling it by the wrong name) had their derby car race this weekend. DH normally gets very into the derby car. This time, he didn't have as much time to spend fiddling with axles and graphite and weight. He and J went to a derby car workshop at a local hobby shop to cut it. They bought metallic silver spray paint for a sleek look. Finally on Friday night, they added the weights and wheels. There wasn't much time for tinkering.







It was ready for the big race on Saturday. My camera was not (someone put it in night mode) so pictures didn't not turn out well. J's car is in the middle track in his first race and in the right track in the second.







His car ended up in the middle of the pack. Decent but not a winner. I think J was a bit disappointed that his car didn't do better. DH has spent time this week on websites and forums, starting to plan for next year. He can't leave J disappointed.

Just like summer

The weather here has been decidedly strange. It's been warm, highs in the upper 70s. It feels almost like summer. Not the dreaded middle of July/early August summer, but the end of April/beginning of May not yet unbearable summer.

I think the warm weather has influenced the boys. They finally decided to cut their hair and are sporting their summer cuts early this year. Neither wanted their picture taken. I insisted that the blog needed it.










Of course, January has been so temperate, I'm afraid of February and terrified of August.

long weekend

We had a busy 3 day weekend. A is working on a science fair project so she spent two afternoons playing Just Dance 3 on the Wii. Somehow that is science. We had two soccer games and a basketball game. DH & J went to a derby car making session at a hobby shop. Friends came over for dinner so there was cleaning and cooking to go along with that. I watched another episode of Downton Abbey with S#5. So good!

By Monday I was ready for some quiet down time. Instead I spent the day making helping John make a banner for his Cub Scout Parvuli Dei project.

After an hour or so of moaning about not knowing what to put on it, we he came up with this.




A spent her Monday making a painting for her friend who likes horses. When she saw me taking pictures of the banner, she insisted that her efforts make the blog too.




Brian didn't get to make anything but he did go to soccer camp and had a blast.
 

Ouch!

I stubbed my toe on J's bottom drawer.  It hurts!




I have no idea why it isn't gushing blood.  It feels like it should be.

Downton Abbey

All last spring I heard my mom & S#5 talking about Downton Abbey.  When the next episode was going to be on, no I can't talk to you right now, I'm watching Downton Abbey, oh, no, I've got to get home and watch Downton Abbey.  I was curious but busy.  Three kids and Sunday nights don't mix well with television.  I'm normally trying to find something to feed them without having to cook and clean the kitchen or buy take out food, finding and washing all uniforms, and convincing children to take a shower and go to bed.

Over the summer I finally found the time to watch Downton Abbey.  Thank you netflix & amazonplus.   I was sucked in quickly and understood what Mom & S#5 were so obsessed about.  I was lucky because I got to watch it all one episode after the other, no waiting.  Until I had to wait for season #2.

S#5 had been counting down the days until she cheated.  Someone she knows downloaded the british version of the show and she watch the whole thing before it started here in the US.  Despite that grevious sin, she was as excited as I was to watch it on Sunday night.  So excited that she threw a tea party.  I got to attend.  There was tea, cucumber sandwiches, mini scones, madeleines, quiche, and cheesy puffs.  Way too much food for 5 people.







Then we watched the show.




I tried to get a picture of "Downton Abbey" logo as it started, instead I got war & bombs but it was an exciting start.  Such a good show.  Thomas & O'Brien are still evil, Edith is still a twit, Mary is still hiding her love, the grandmother is cantankerous as ever.  Oh, and Bates, poor Bates, sacrificing his love to the blackmail of his estranged wife to save the family from scandal.  I can't wait until Sunday night.  Maybe S#5 will throw another tea party.  I don't really need the tea or the food, I'd rather just have the quiet place to watch a show without children interrupting.

2012

We actually had plans for NYE this year.  I don't remember what we did last year.  Or the year before.  Obviously they couldn't have been exciting nights.

This year friends invited us to their suite for the Stars game.  We joined 5 other couples and had a grand time.  Free food & drink & entertainment.  I was DD so I skipped on the alcohol but at least I got to taste the goodness of the dessert cart.






The Stars won the game, but honestly, I hardly watched the game.  There was lots of talking going on.  Afterward, we went to friends' house to ring in the New Year.  There was big goings on downtown at Big D NYE, but I had no desire to join in the massive crowds.  Six people sitting on the patio with the fire going was much nicer.

On New Year's Day we went to an open house in the neighborhood and grazed on leftover food for dinner. Once it got dark, DH lit a fire and we enjoyed s'mores on the last night of our vacation.








School started back on Tuesday. So far I haven't slept through the alarm and I have survived the drudgery of making lunches. Only 12 more days until MLK day and I get another break!

J's birthday

Friday was J's birthday and we celebrated.

We had the family over for homemade pizza.  He requested pizza rolls, so I made one pan of cheese & pepperoni rolls, plus a plain cheese pizza,  a bacon & caramelized onion pizza, and sausage & salami pizza.  Strange ingredients I know I decided just to use what I had in the fridge.  I thought the salami was another package of pepperoni when I decided not to go to the store, but decided to use it anyway.

He requested another lincoln log cake, like last year (no pictures) and the year before (the last picture).  We mixed things up this year and I made chocolate almond ice cream for the middle.  I still haven't talked him into using peanut butter ice cream.  Maybe next year?




This is not the prettiest cake but it is delicious!

He opened some presents and got some good stuff.  We are set for xbox games for the next century, or the next decade at least.   He also got a random gift off his amazon wishlist.  I found it on sale at B&N before Christmas.




It was a good night, full of food, family, and fun!

soup contest

S#2 & S#5 concocted a plan to use up the leftover chicken from our fajita dinner, a chicken tortilla soup contest.  They decided to hold it on Thursday afternoon during the ND bowl game.  When S#2 told me about it, I had to join in too.

I spent some time trolling the internet for recipes.  I considered this one and this one but in the end, I decided I had to use the cookbook I bought from Homesick Texan.  I've been reading the cookbook like it is a novel since it came in the mail but I still hadn't made any of the recipes.  Finally I found the perfect opportunity.

The recipe is only in the book not on her blog.  It is a smokier soup than usual, and is suppose to be made with dried pasilla peppers.  I couldn't find those and substituted with chipotle peppers.

Unfortunately the ND game wasn't worth watching but the soup competition was on!


the soups


the judges



the tasting



the winner



No, I wasn't the winner. Sort of.

Judge #1, Rachel, picked S#5 first and mine second. Judge #2, Mom, picked S#5 first and mine second. Judge #3, DH, picked mine first and S#2 second. Overall, S#5 got 2 out of three winner votes.  DH said we should use a point system. I got 2 second place (4 points) and 1 first place (3 points). S#5 got 2 first place (6 points) and 1 third place (1 point). We both had a total of 7 points, so a tie. Then a friend stopped by, tried the soups and picked my first. So I unofficially won. I know that deep down, the recipe is a winner.

And so S#2 doesn't feel left out of this post, she won the Kids Choice award. They all liked hers best. J wants me to make that recipe instead.