A Good Day in the Kitchen

We had two warm days in a row and now the weather has turned cold again until the weekend. I have just been dying for a good pot roast with carrots and potatoes. Something else that I have been craving is Peanut Butter Cookies and another loaf of that wonderful bread I made last week. I know, all of these goodies are not going to help with the winter fat issue at hand.

Well, I found myself a good local chuck roast. Salt & peppered both sides, seared it on all sides and browned some onions and garlic, de-glazed the pot with some red wine and then let it cook for hours until it fell apart. Then I added some potatoes, carrots & celery, let them cook and made a wonderful gravy.

While the roast was cooking, I thought I would try to find a new Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. I found the most outrageous recipe here at Smitten Kitchen. I have to admit that although I have her site in my reader, this is the first recipe of hers that I have made. The only change that I made to the recipe is that I used organic peanut butter.

They are absolutely to die for!!! After they are gone....NO more baking for a while...since I can barely fit in to my jeans!!!

The first little sprouts

The first babies of the season have shown up. Of course, the Basil was the first to show it's little face just two days after sowing. The second to sprout was the Summer Savory.

Basil with first set of true leaves.

Two of the three varieties of lettuce are sprouting. They are the oldest lettuce seeds that I have. I will ditch the other variety if it doesn't sprout in another week. The spinach is also starting to come up.

The Rosemary is germinating!! I also have Winter Savory peaking through the soil. No signs of the parsley & mint yet.



Little Garden Helper's Birthday

My "Little Garden Helper" is growing up so fast! Yesterday was his 3rd Birthday. My niece takes him to CC (you know the place with the big mouse) and that is where he wanted to have his Birthday party. I'm not going to post the 100+ pictures that I took...just a couple.

He had a great time playing lots of games, riding rides, climbing around and he had me jumping through an entire song!! That was a good work out ...to get ready for all that upcoming garden work!

And then there was some Birthday Cake....not as good as Nana's...but, it was chocolate!

Bay Laurel Tree

I finally gave the Bay Laurel Tree a much needed trim! I have been putting it off for about a year now. I bought the tree in the spring of 2005. She was a tiny little thing measuring about 4-5" tall at the most. This morning I measured her and she was 42" high.

I did some research on how to propagate a cutting. You are supposed to trim about a 6" piece to root. The easiest way to try to propagate a piece is by using root hormone. I really hate that stuff and hide it so my "Little Garden Helper" or the cats won't get in to it. Have you ever read the label on it?? It's deadly and it really scares me to use it.

Due to the fact that I had really let her go so long without a trim, I had to cut longer pieces then you are supposed to for propagation.

Here she is before the trimming.

Here she is after her long over due haircut.

Now she is 27" tall. I am hoping that she will branch out quite a bit.

Now we have two baby Bay Laurel Trees in pots.

They are supposed to take a few months to develop roots...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Now all they need are names....all 3 of them!!

Happy Groundhog Day!!

Punxsutawney Phil just announced the news

He did NOT see his shadow!!!

We are going to have an early Spring!!