Spring seems to be ... um...

... here. 
It's 72˚outside and sunny with a slight breeze and yes, this is still February. This week several other things beyond temperature have started to show that spring is certainly on its way. Here are the signs so far. Let's hope no late freeze messes this up. 

Clematis

This is a lovely purple Clematis that's been in the ground only a year (need to find the name - again).

Daylily sprouting

Most of my daylilies stay during the winter, but I have a few that die down and then come back. It will be time to be on aphid patrol soon. That seems to be a problem when they first sprout, but this does not cause any lasting damage. 

Hydrangea

Out the back door - a beautiful purple when it blooms

Hydrangea

One of two hydrangeas in pots that will be put into the garden this year.

Lady Banks Rose

First bloom and new leaves on the Lady Banks Rose. Thank goodness it has no thorns since I had to squeeze through many vines to get this photos. Lady Banks only blooms once, but for three to four weeks it's stunning. 

Rose

One of the heritage roses I have in the front garden. It's right under the Clematis. They are good friends. 

Strawberry

I have three strawberry pots and keeping the birds away from the strawberries as they mature is a total PITA, but worth it for the Boy. I don't eat them. 

Violet

This violet was here when we moved here and spreads easily in the shady parts of the garden. Some consider them weeds, but I don't. 

Camellia in bloom

Camellia: This sweet camellia was in our backyard when we bought this property. It is large, probably 13 or so feet tall and was perfectly shaped. When all the pines went down during Ivan, the camellia lost it's back half. It looked perfect from the front, but completely flat from the back. Even after all that damage, it still looks great and has filled in since the 2005 storm. Here is a beautiful bloom photo I took today. 

Dose of Cute

What could be cuter than sleeping pups? Not much. 

Recipe Wrap up - 11 February 2011

I caught up on some long neglected Food Network shows I had recorded on the DVR. More and more, excepting Nigella of course, I'm finding that Food Network shows for new idea/recipe purposes are not holding my interests. It's like the Food Network has morphed into something that seems a little LCD. My friends would say this is the Food Snob in me ... and perhaps they are right, but I'm just not finding a whole lot of satisfaction in most Food Network shows.
There are still some shows I watch because the hosts seems to be normal people, like Alex Guarnaschelli's show, Alex's Day Off. I would hang out with her on her day off. The food looks good, she seems normal, sounds like fun.
There are several "celebrity chefs"I would run the hell the other way from: Paula Deen and her weird sons, Sandra Lee, Duff Goldman, Robert Irvine, Rachael Ray, Aarti, Guy Fieri, and Marcela.*
There are some shows I watch out of interesting in the cooking, but not the host, sorry: Ina, Giada, and Claire. I find you slightly annoying, but past good recipes has kept me loyal despite that. 
Obviously, Valentine's Day, a totally made up holiday for the card, chocolate, and flower industries, has had an influence on most of the food blogs this week. Unfortunately. 

So here's what I came up with this week. First a recipe from Worst Cooks in America. It's Polenta Cakes with Quick Sausage Sauce. Sounds good and it's from Anne Burrell, so I'll give it a go. I've been looking for a recipe involving polenta lately and this looks like a good candidate. 
This next recipe goes against some of my thoughts about using packaged items to make a recipe - it's got the "semi-homemade" thing to it, but I have used Jiffy mix before and it's pretty good, especially in a pinch - Giada's Scallion and Mozzarella Cornbread. I will not be using olives in it - no matter what. blech. 
Another Giada recipe - two in one week. This one sounds like something our catering company used to do when I planned events. It's good, but it's time consuming to make (for the multitudes) and therefore expensive to get a caterer to do, but I'll happily make these at home. Walnut and Blue Cheese Grapes - three of my favorite things combined, nuts, cheese, fruit. 
Another cheesy recipe - seems to be a theme this week, this one from Ina. Penne with Five Cheeses looks pretty simple and quick, which makes it a logical choice for weeknight dinners. A salad, perhaps some bread and that's a good dinner. 
Finishing up this week with something I will be making sooner rather than later since it's going to be a fricking 25 degrees tonight (Winter, please go away!). From one of my favorite celebrity chefs Alexx Guarnaschelli, Charred Tomato Soup with Melted Mozzarella. 
* Coming up with list wasn't hard -- and that's sad, but it did set me off. See this post. 

Dose of Cute

Here is my version of Dose of Cute.*

Bering's imitation of the Sphinx

Duke, sleeping.

* Credit to Farmgirl Fare

Recipe Wrap up - 4 February 2011

Yikes - this was one of those weeks where I had to filter out lots of recipes -- Sunday is the Super Bowl (Packers vs. Steelers) and the recipes for "party" food are abundant. That said, since I'm not into wings and reluctant to try too many strange dips, I may be surprisingly bereft of new items for this week. Well, Valentine's - the next food "holiday" -  is just around the corner. Let's see how we do. 
Peach Glazed Meatballs - From Coconut & Lime - These look interesting, but I might use apricot instead of peach. I like the sweet/savory aspect and as I have to make everything ahead of time (thank you crochet class), this should work well in the slow cooker (which I rarely use). 

Stuffed Jalapenos

Baked Stuffed Jalapenos - From Simply Recipes - I've never felt like making jalapeno poppers, but this recipe -- the one w/the cream cheese and jack cheese has gotten me over my hesitation and I know the MotH will like these -- perhaps the Boy will try as well. I can have them prepped and ready to bake when I get home.

Goat Cheese Mozzarella and Fresh Herb Foccacia - I've looked a foccacia after foccacia recipe, but this is the most inspiring thing I've ever seen in the bread world. I will have to get past my ridiculous fear of yeast and make this. Bakingobsession.com is wonderful.


Apple Pate de Fruit This site is so unbelievable beautiful, I'm not sure

Pate de Fruit

 what to do. I have always wanted to try to make Pate de Fruit, but ... it's rather daunting. That said, it's going on my list of things to do. Okay, beating this to death, so beautiful. 

Pork & Lemon Polpettine Meatballs - What's up w/me and meatballs? Serious Eats is a favorite site for food reading. They keep me up on the new and what's happening in the food world, but I am finding more and more often that they have astounding recipes -- like this one - can't wait.
Potato Skins - Finally a recipe that looks great. Thank you Kitchen Daily for a great idea. I may make a few adjustments - esp. since tomatoes are not ready yet, but what about sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe. I'll also make a note to make this in the summer when my own tomatoes are ready. 
So.over.wings. Bring on the game - I just want the commercials. 

First of the Month - February edition

Oak - 1 February 2011

It is a dark and stormy night, no really, it is. Photos were taken at 5:30pm and it was almost dark then  with temperature of 66 and humidity of 68% and a tornado watch until 8:00pm tonight. There is a line of thunderstorms moving through the area. This is the same storm that is dumping snow everywhere else in the US. The winds have been up as high as 64 knots with a couple gusts higher than that. By 6:30pm the rain was in torrents, sheets of rain, cascades of the last hanging on leaves oh, and thunder and lightening and an power outage. I should know - I was out in it for an afterwork meeting.  So, now -- on with the extremely wet 1st of February 2011 pictures.

Bald Cypress - 1 February 2011

River Birch #1 - 1 February 2011

River Birch #2 - 1 February 2011

Wisteria - 2 February 2011

Camellia - 2 February 2011
How did I forget you in January?

7:08pm Weather Update - Line of storms has moved through. Just rain now with occasionally lightening and thunder. Temperature is dropping now - is supposed to be colder tomorrow with more wind. Ah, winter in the Gulf Coast.
11:22pm Weather Update - 4,200 people out of power. Not surprising - though this is no fault of Gulf Power, they do an amazing job, but this was a heck of a storm.

February Challenge - get rid of stuff

I go on fits and starts when it comes to getting rid of things I don't need/want, but I think I will make a conscious effort to rid myself of one thing per day for the month of February. If I do even more, all the better, but there has to be at least one thing a day that I look at and go, um. no, not necessary or it just needs to go and perhaps it can help someone else. That said, I plan to rid myself of a few useful pots/pans, but they will go into a box for the Boy when he's ready to leave home which is going to be much sooner than I would like for certain. Countdown to start of Get rid of Crap Stuff - 1 day.