It’s been raining about every other day here in Cincinnati. The gardens love it (so do the weeds; my back, not so much). And the mushrooms. Mushrooms are everywhere. On grassy hills. Under huge, rain-drunk tomato plants. Clustered around the garlic. Forming collars around the sweet basil.
If only they were edible, I’d saute them up in some butter with the scapes I just picked.
Okay. Confession time: I hate beer. There, I said it. Please don’t hate me.
I also hate coffee. But — and I don’t think I’m alone on this one — I love things that are flavored with coffee. Coffee ice cream. Coffee frosting. Cappuccino brownies. Frozen cafe mochas? I’d run over pedestrians in the way of the drive-thru of my favorite local coffee shop (and no it’s not that place; it’s Luckman Coffee) for a frozen mocha.
And so it goes with beer. Beer cheese. Beer margaritas. Beer bread. Good. Better. Best.
Years ago, I came across a recipe for San Diego Fish Tacos. It was good. They sure have a way with tacos, those San Diegoans. But, I lost the recipe and have forgotten how to authentically prepare the fish. Doesn’t matter. It’s hard to screw up a fish taco.
The sauce included in the recipe, however, burned a little hole in my brain. So, so good. Forget salsa. Forget sour cream. Forget tartar sauce. You’ll never want anything on your fish tacos except this, ever again.
For you gardening lovers out there, I’ll be posting about my vegetable garden experiences both here and on my spot on A Tasteful Garden’s Blog. (I’ve ordered some lovely plants from the folks at Tasteful Garden, so while you’re checking out all the awesome the blogs, also check out their inventory. Theirs are the only live plants I’ve ordered this year that arrived in perfect condition. I’m sooo excited about the edamame!)
Hope to see you all there! Leave a comment to say “Hi!”
Spring flowers never fail to bring a smile to my face and a peaceful sensation to my heart. The first of my bulbs is in bloom: Double Rip Van Winkle Narcissus. Ruffly, puffy, cheerily yellow (click photos to view larger). Also, another of my favorite year-round flowers, Georgie, who loves to garden as much as I do. (Digging in the dirt is her favorite.)
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Spring planting is in crazy full swing. No foolin’. Zone 6 is still having some seriously mild and pleasant early Spring weather: March definitely went out like a lamb. It’s odd to see nearby states on the news buried in snow. (I’m trying very hard not to smirk, btw, lest I curse the entire zone with an April squall….)
With indoor seed sowing season in full swing, and an early Spring planting season, I’m getting behind in my blog-keeping duties. The last several weekends have been really beautiful – gardening weather, without a doubt, indoors or out. (Not weather for sitting behind a computer, no sireee.)
The rocket, radish, and lettuce seeds and garlic bulbs that I planted on March 15th are all up and about (crazy garlic – I’ve never seen garlic leaf out so quickly. I’m simultaneously intrigued and suspicious…). No photos of those babies yet, though. Like I said, I’m behind on this stuff.
Sometimes, when you’re really lucky, a long, long winter full of long, long work weeks is rewarded with weekend weather so spectacular (in March terms) that the anticipated long, long Sunday afternoon nap is forgotten in favor of stretching winter-stiff limbs out in the garden.
I’ve said it before: I can feel it in my bones — winter is over. No more snow. No more ground-freezing frost. Done. Everything in my yard is bursting out all over, from clumps of grass to tulips to crabapple trees. Ah yes. It’s time to plant the Spring garden. In mid-March. How awesome is that?
