Take Me Away...

...The fresh rain and thunder storms make me long for the ocean....

Peanut Sesame Noddles...

Peanut Sesame Noddles...one of my most asked for summer dishes. I don't mind making it for everyone -I love this dish too!

For peanut dressing:

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger (I always add more ginger)
• 1 medium garlic clove, chopped (I add more garlic too)
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes (does 1 tsp really sound like enough? I didn't think so either)

For noodle salad:

• 3/4 lb dried linguine fini or spaghetti
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Make dressing: Purée dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Make salad: Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.
Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, and sesame seeds to dressing, tossing to combine, and serve immediately.

So the recipe says, "The secret to this Chinese favorite is not to let the noodles sit in the sauce very long — toss them together a few seconds before serving." BUT -I think it is just as good the next day...you be the judge.

Without One's Mama...

Lance planted a tree last week at our favorite school...one of the elementary school kid's mom pasted away suddenly over spring break and this was our way of paying respects. This week I will deliver a flat of flowers for the kids to plant in honor of her life. Breaks my heart every morning when I see this 10 yr old boy. A life without one's Mama...

Starting a Hedgerow...

Hedgerow, by definition is: a line of closely spaced shrubs and tree species, planted and trained in such a way as to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area. Hedges used to separate a road from adjoining fields or one field from another, and of sufficient age to incorporate larger trees, are known as hedgerows. It is also a simple form of topiary.

We are using a hedgerow to block our west pasture from the road and, more importantly, to create habitat. We've started with 15 Siberian Pea-shrubs (Caragana arborescens). We'll continue adding more shrubs and trees as the year/s progress. 15 evenly spaced pea-shrubs barely took us half-way down the fence line!

Lost LadyBug Project...

Join us in participating in the "Lost LadyBug Project"

"Across North America ladybug species distribution is changing. Over the past twenty years several native ladybugs that were once very common have become extremely rare. During this same time ladybugs from other places have greatly increased both their numbers and range. Some ladybugs are simply found in new places. This is happening very quickly and we don’t know how, or why, or what impact it will have on ladybug diversity or the role that ladybugs play in keeping plant-feeding insect populations low. We're asking you to join us in finding out where all the ladybugs have gone so we can try to prevent more native species from becoming so rare."

Our Today is Forever

Pollinators in Action!

There were so many bees swarming in our three apricot trees that as you approached, the loud buzzing was a bit un-nerving...didn't stop me and Roxie from getting close though...pollinators are our friends!

Simple Pleasures...

Simple pleasures...an outing with my Roxie.


Roxie's turn with the camera...

Growing Fast!

These chicks (and my little girlie chics) are growing like crazy! Before I know it, we'll be sending the girls out to collect fresh eggs -oh yeah! Cheesy egg omelet anyone?

Lisa Leonard Design for Mother's Day 2010

There was a time when I said I would never take it off, but that time came this Mother's Day. I was ready to move on, this time with a necklace that represented all of my babies, including the "little bird" that I lost summer '09. I was so happy that it arrived the day before Mother's Day, complete with all my babe's initials and a little pearl for the babe I lost. I shadow-boxed the original necklace for safe keeping.

Thank you Lisa Leonard Design...

Happy Mother's Day to all the Beautiful Mamas out there!

Very Fitting...

I found this little glass bird on clearance yesterday and thought it was a very fitting find for Mother's Day.

"The Magpie foretells good luck and the arrival of a special guest + positive nesting energy"

Um, yeah -nesting for sure and expecting the arrival of a special guest. As I see it, children truly are guests -they always leave the nest! Whats the saying? -they come through you but do not belong to you?

Roxie took this photo of me yesterday, working on my 27th week of pregnancy!