Planting My Victory Garden

This Spring my girls and I made a few raised beds and planted bunches of pots with lettuces, kale, spinach, beets, carrots, beans, peas, tomatoes, herbs, strawberries, squash, and pumpkins. It's been so rewarding to watch everything start to sprout and grow. If we can fight off the ever-present snails and my vegetable and fruit-eating cairn terrier, it will be fun to harvest and eat them this summer.

 

Our seeds are sprouting in one of the raised beds we built.

 

Snap peas will grow up and over the trellis. Too many in the pot and will have to move a few.

It's hard to believe how big these strawberries are getting. Now if we'd get a little sunshine, they might just ripen enough to eat!

Abby the Cairn Terrier snacking on chives. She also loves strawberries, peas, and beans and will pull them right off the vine. Funny dog!

Great Shopping in Seattle's University Village

Seattle's University Village open-air shopping center is vibrant, busy, and a treat for the eyes. The hanging flower baskets, unique potted plants, artwork, tempting restaurants, and high-end retailers make this a fabulous shopping experience. It's a great place to shop for Mother's Day gifts and cards. Today I noticed the adorable frog fountain which sends shoots of water into the air to the other frogs in different timed arrangements.

 Even the construction sites are artfully disguised--reminds me of a Roger la Borde card!

My favorite candy store...How can I resist going in with such gorgeous and colorful window displays?!? I can't! 

Spring Flowers in Bloom

An early morning walk is the perfect start to my day. This morning my friend and I saw so many Spring flowers in bloom....red roses on her front porch, yellow daffodils, purple lavender, clematis on a trellis.... I love Spring!  Even our dogs, Abby and Frannie, enjoying smelling the flowers. So cute!

New iPop Giveaway!

Check out the new iPop Giveaway at http://babyelandaily.com/2010/04/27/ipopgiveaway/. These super strong magnets make great gifts--Mother's Day is coming soon. Plus, they'll add some style to your fridge or bulletin board! Available at http://www.parksidepapers.com/.

Perfect easy dinner for tonight

I subscribe to Real Simple's daily recipes and often find them to be just what I'd like to make for dinner. Today's recipe is perfect for tonight's dinner at my house. Easy, simple ingredients, one-dish dinner. Saves me more time to spend with my family on a night when I need it most. Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken and Carrots with Olives and Lemons

David Prince
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/roasted-chicken-and-carrots-with-olives-and-lemons-recipe-00000000023176/index.html?xid=dailyrecnews-04-14-2010

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 10m Total Time: 1hr 00m

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
• 2 pounds carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (halved lengthwise if thick)
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the chicken, carrots, olives, bay leaves, lemon, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle the chicken with the paprika.
2. Roast, tossing the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

By Sara Quessenberry,  November 2009

Beautiful Day to Be in the Garden

It's a beautiful, crisp, sunny day in Seattle and perfect weather to get out in the garden. Weeding, spreading mulch, setting up my raised vegetable beds...I'm looking forward to it all. I'll consult my Linnea Garden Journal  for ideas and jot down a few notes to keep track of what I've planted and where--a perfect day!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

After helping with my kids' St. Patrick's Day Fun Run at their school, we couldn't resist stopping to admire this gorgeous cherry-tree-lined street on Seattle's Capitol Hill. The cherry blossoms are on full display all over the city. My daughter had a blast playing with the flower petals which were so thick on the ground that they looked like snow.