Starting My Garden Early

Last year when I started this blog , the growing season had pretty much ended ... So I was not able to delve into the growing side of Good Food .   Now that spring is here , I can :))  Our last frost date here is the 3rd week in May ,   most years I usually try and push that date by a couple of weeks , with mixed results. This year , I'm trying to get smart about it all, Ive FINALLY started a garden journal , instead of just scribbling things on a calendar ! I started planted seeds March 28th ,  more than a month earlier than I have before.   With  the help of a little mini greenhouse I built on the bottom shelf in my kitchen , and a few cold frames.. I'm hoping for this to be my most successful year ever :))  I also got a real jump start on things by planting 3 rows of garlic , and a couple of onions last fall :)) Things are looking good !!

I turned the bottom third of a kitchen shelf into a propagator/grow room .

This was the 1st green thing in my garden ,  The garlic I planted last October :))  I used the leaves I raked up as a mulch to help them thru our winters.  

On the warm days Ive been bring them outside to start hardening them off.  

I tried a row of Romaine , directly sowed on 3/28 ..  took a bit but it came up , the pot to the right was started the same day ( but inside ) a cold frame is covering this lettuce patch . 

Planting the lettuce ,  I like to soak the soil 1st to make it easier to separate these tiny plants 

Things are growing well,  everything has sprouted ,  Ill have lots of tomatoes this year , maybe even enough to do my canning with :)) 

I never planted enough Basil ,  but that will not be the case this year , 60 or so have been started so far , with at least that many being started today  as well.  

Peas sure do sprout quickly .. 5 days and they have already broken ground.  

Red Peppers are a different story , these took about 3 weeks to pop up  

Mystery seeds , I'm thinking Squash or Cucumber . 

My Garden in the early morning light ,  I free-cycled most everything in my garden ,  the cold frames are old packing crates , and cupboard doors  :))

 My Good Food Revolution is changing for the better , look for more gardening , and farming posts , as well as recipes, food porn , and kitchen tips & tricks :)
 Since its Earth Day today , its time to move away from the PC , and go plant something .   Happy Gardening !!

Handicapping 2012

... would seem to be a fool's errand. Consider these facts:

• We're running $1.5T deficits - far higher than anything we've ever done before.


• The Fed is printing $600B a year of unbacked dollars to cover these deficits, something they've never done before.


• Gold and oil are hitting new highs with regularity.


• The EU is facing an existential crisis because of debt and it looks now like both Greece and Portugal will have to restucture their debts, wiping out tens of billions of dollars of bonds held by private, European banks.


• The full effects of the Japanese earthquake have yet to be felt as the Japanese are borrowing like never before in an environment where their total debt is higher than ever before.

If there are large, ahistoric forces at work in the world and large, important parts of the world are unstable, why would you think that historical analyses of presidential races would apply?

It's a better bet that at least one major event will occur in the next 12 months that will have a dramatic affect on our lives than it is that some pundit can use statistics from a relatively stable previous few decades to predict the next presidential election.

Friday Finds

I was doing some internet browsing this morning and I wanted to share with you some awesome deals I found.

I recently joined zulily.com and while browsing through their site, I found a shop by Laura Ashley.  They are currently having a sale up to 55% off! They specialize in organization, and my most favorite, baskets!

I saw these adorable green lined baskets there.

Photo Credit: Laura Ashley - Zulily 

They are currently on sale for $29.99! You can also get a 3-piece set for $19.99 and a 4 piece set for $24.99. They also have black baskets with a black design lining, and white baskets with a red design lining. 

I also found a store on zulily called Whim. They make very cute aprons and kitchen towels. Here are a couple of my favorites. 

This one is for women is on sale for $10.99

This is one of the kids aprons they sell, on sale for $9.99 

Happy Shopping! 

Pass this on (Barcelona Bloggers' meeting)

A couple of weeks ago, Laia and I attended to a blogger meeting here at Barcelona. We had a lovely brunch at Marmalade, a restaurant that we both love!

(Pictures here)

 

 

 

 

Laia and I shared our brunch: pancakes and eggs benedict! So delicious!

During the brunch will be raffled different things. Laia won a Kukuxumuxu shirt, very funny; and I won a Smash! dress! I'm turning it into a skirt, 'cause I would not use it as a dress; but I really love it!

Belén, from Fashion Shoes, won another lovely shirt by Kukuxumuxu!

 

 

 

It was a great morning, and we had lots of fun. After the bruch, Laia and I walked together around Barcelona and took some pictures of ourselves. 

  

 Dress - Primark

Hat - H&M

Shoes - Blanco

Socks - from when I was a child

We met some gorgeous people, as Belén, or Gemma from Blessed Vanity ... pure love!

Btw, in two weeks Laia and I, with some other friends, would be at Murcia!! We're attending to SOS Festival, I cannot believe I'm seeing Suede, The Bloody Beetroots and MGMT! And Editors for the third time!!

It's raining at Barcelona, and I'm so happy about that...!

Tea Leaf Eggs 茶叶蛋

Remember my dozen eggs? The best way to use up old eggs, is to make a batch of hardboiled eggs, because they not only peel easier, but can keep in the fridge for about a week or so and serves as my emergency real-food protein snack when I feel a bit peckish. Since Easter was coming up, I thought it'd be a great time to create some naturally patterned and coloured tea leaf eggs.

Tea leaf eggs are a favourite traditional chinese street snack. Apparently, in Taiwan, tea leaf eggs are common in their convenience stores, and my taiwanese friend just loves them. It's commonly sold as street food, especially in pasar malams (makeshift markets) in Singapore too. The key ingredient here is the star anise, which, along with the other spices and the fragrant tea, perfumes your kitchen with tempting aromas.

Tea Leaf Eggs 茶叶蛋

Ingredients

4-8 eggs, however much you can fit in the saucepan/ can eat

2 black tea leaf bags, or 2 tbsp loose leaves (if you have chinese tea e.g. my favourite oolong, or pu-erh, or tie guan yin, or assam tea, it'd be even better!)

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2-3 cloves

1 tsp five spice powder

1 tsp sugar (unrefined cane sugar)

4 tbsp soy sauce (naturally brewed, I use tamari, which is wheat-free and more intense)

2 cups water

Method

1. Make the best hard-boiled eggs i.e. 15 min.

2. Crack the eggshells with a spoon.

3. Return the eggs to the saucepan with all the ingredients added, bring to a boil, and let simmer for 2h. If you can, let it marinade overnight for better flavour and colour. (Or even longer. I like them more 2 days later. And even more 3 days later.)

4. Serve with a little of the broth/brew.

By cracking the eggshell, you get a beautiful marbled appearance, and the flavour and aroma of the spices seep into the cracks and infuse the egg. It's not just style ok, this egg has substance.

This is part of Fightback Friday, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesday Night Supper Club.