They're here...

 

While my Big Girl and I were playing outside the other day,

a long awaited package got delivered...

my tomato and pepper plants from Seed Savers!

 

This year I am planting some new varieties

 in addition to the tried and true.

 

After gathering my essentials,

my garden layout, seeds and plants,

helping hands, and my Vegetable gardener's bible,

I was ready.

We mixed up our compost and bone meal and

went to work on the plants.

I'm hoping my layout this year is more conducive to raised bed planting...

I'm looking for bigger/better yields than last year.

My onions had already been planted two weeks ago,

but I saved space for my tomatoes.

 

Here is my little orchard starting to blossom,

which is wonderful because last year the frost got to them

and they didn't yield any fruit.

I was a little worried, but this year they look great.

Last year we got multiple dwarf cherry trees

and they seem to be doing wonderfully this year. 

See the difference in blossoms with this tree.

Well, two of our cherry trees I got a steal on last year,

turned out not being dwarf trees....oops:) 

 They blossom differently as well- more in clumps rather than spread out.

The kiddos and I planted some sunflowers this year

by my garden shed and compost pile.

My eldest was very anxious to lend a hand tilling and planting

along with my Big Girl planting.

 

My little princess had planted the sunflowers she started at school.

She's hoping hers will be the tallest because they have a head start.

Only time will tell...

 

 

Oh the spring weather...

brings out the Greek in me.

Freshly prepared dishes with spinach and olives and feta cheese...yes, please!

My mouth is watering already.

Here is a recipe for Spanakopita that the whole family adores:

 

1 tube of Athens Fillo Dough(in the frozen dessert section)

1 stick melted butter

 

For Filling:

2 pounds of fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped

8 green onions, chopped

4 tbl. chopped dill

12 oz. feta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 tbl. olive oil

 

To Prepare Filling:

Blanch spinach in boiling water, drain thoroughly, and move to a plate to cool.

 

 

 

Mix onions, dill, eggs, and half of the cheese in a bowl.

 

 When the spinach is cool, add the spinach to the mix.

Preheat oven to 350F.

 

 Meanwhile prepare your thawed fillo dough by spraying a 9 X 13 pan with olive oil.

Put down your first sheet of dough(make sure to cover with a damp towel or the dough will break)

Brush on the melted butter between sheets.

Put about 1/3of the sheets on the bottom of the pan.

 

Then add 1/2 of the filling mixture on the fillo sheets.

Crumble more feta cheese on top of the filling.

Put down another 1/3 fillo sheets on top of filling making sure to brush butter between each addition.

Top with other half of filling and then the remaining 1/3 of fillo dough.

Sprinkle a little water on top fillo sheet to prevent browning.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot or cold (we prefer hot)

Enjoy!

 



Mother's Day

Being a mom for me is something I feel I'm been called to do.

This in no means that I'm anything close to perfect.

Everyday I'm tested and don't always choose correctly

or I let the frustrations get the better of me.

All I can do is try my best.
I don't think children realize this until they too become parents.
 

Thinking of this makes me smile recalling my childhood:

-Thinking it's so embarrassing when your mother sings along to the radio

and now my children are the ones complaining of MY singing:)

-Feeling it was so unfair that I didn't get a baby book that had anything written in it

and now I'm rushing to complete my Big Girl's scrapbook of her first two years

(she's turning 4 this summer):) 

-My mother being able to make me roll my eyes because of how she said something

and now I catch myself talking or acting just like my mother. 

-When I threw a gum wrapper out the window and

my mom pulled the car over so I could pick it up and dispose of it properly...

yesterday, we picked up a piece of trash that just mysteriously "flew out the window"

The list could go on and on...

 

Thank you mom for everything you have done for me:

-loving my father

-changing diapers

-spending time with me(instead of filling baby books) 

-teaching me kindness and love

-sending me to the schools you did

-always showing your support of me

-loving me

-doing your best

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Garden of love and friends...

The best thing about my flower gardens

is when I look over them and be reminded of all  

people who gave me the plants and flowers.

It makes me so happy to think some of the plants traveled

from Tampa, Irma, French Island,

Washington Island, and Sparta.

I'm usually not a annual flowers type of person.

I tend to get the no fuss perennials

to keep down extra work that could be given to my vegetables.

But how can you resist two pairs of eyes looking up at you,

"Please mom, can we plant some pretty flowers?"

"Of course" was the answer.

But I think the girls were right.

And there is a smile every time we look at them.

Because I'm frugal,

I decided to pot my own hanging basket.

It turned out great and I only spent $5 on the flowers.

 

The kids were loving the pollinating that they got to see up close.

Here is a picture of the some of my flowers that are up...

daffodils (from Irma) and tulips.

My wonderful sister-in-law brought me a present yesterday. 

Becky brought me four rhubarb plants! 

The special part of this for me is she was the first one to 

get me started planting rhubarb...she bought me 2 rhubarb roots for my birthday

a couple of years ago. 

 Besides two more plants that I got at a farmers market, 

this whole rhubarb patch is from her:)

Just above the rhubarb is some asparagus that I just started this year.

And above that is my strawberry patch,

which I am hoping gets filled in with the new strawberry roots I just planted.

We will see if they grow,

I've planted strawberry roots before, but to no avail.

Strawberry roots are touchy when it comes to the

exact right height the crown needs to be in reference to soil level. 

Plus, it's on a hill so level is kind of tricky anyway:)

 

Here are my chicks and hens that I am excited came back this year.

My goal over my lifetime is to fill in all the spaces of my retaining wall

with chicks and hens.  Thanks to Becky's Aunt Sharon,

I think this goal my be a reality before die:)

 

 

All in a Monday...

 Zach had work to do from home on Monday so

we all got to enjoy a little fishing break during the day.

 



This big girl kept asking "When can we go fishing Dad?"

Well, needless to say we were here within the hour...

how could you say no to this sweet girl?

 

Zach being the expert fisherman was determined to get

one on the line for

my Big Girl. 

Well, he did catch a nice bass,

but unfortunately it was a little too big to hand the pole over so

he had another go at catching one that wouldn't pull her in:)

 

She got to check it out though

and was very excited.

 

Finally he nabbed a little one for her to pull in...

and the smile says it all.

 

As we were walking back to the car,

we noticed this cute little turtle sitting on a log.

And then I looked over and saw these four turtles trying to share the same log.

My eldest read a story to us that night about what animals do in spring,

turtles sit on logs and soak up the sun.

It's officially spring!

 

Meet the newest addition to our family, "Betty".

That's what the family decided to call my new car. 

I had mixed emotions over turning in my truck keys for a car.

A truck has been my vehicle for nearly 10 years,

but I LOVE my Subaru.

Especially when I go to fill up my gas tank and buy milk,

butter, bananas, and orange juice and the total is $50.

Doesn't this look like the back of my vehicle?

Plants/flowers and fishing poles...what else do you need?