Stop What You Are Doing and Take a Minute!

 

Whether you talk on your cell phone or text or tweet, I would like you to stop and think about who and what is around you. If you have kids or grandkids, stop what you are doing and spend time with them today if you can.  If you have a dog and it isn't too stormy or cold out, take it for a long walk.  If you are in the middle of a storm, get a cup of tea or coffee and curl up with a good book or your cat.   Hope you still have power!  Dust off those cobwebs and enjoy each other's company today.  Life is too short not to be together.

The Herbal Husband helped me by taking these photos.  I need to spend time reading my favorite blogs!  Will be doing that throughout the coming weeks and hope to get more in touch with all of you!  We are off to the movies in a little while to see "Crazy Heart" with Jeff Bridges.   The movie was very good and Jeff Bridges was great!  He should win the Oscar!

Let Him Eat Quiche!

The other night The Herbal Husband had a hankering for quiche.  So I made a Ricotta and Spinach Quiche from one of my favorite cookbooks, Three Rivers Cookbook II.  I only have the first two, but I think there are four in the series.

Ricotta and Spinach Quiche-Serves 8
"A quiche most everyone loves - this makes a large one."
 Original recipe by Marlene Parrish


pastry
1 bunch fresh spinach or 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach
1 cup Ricotta cheese
nutmeg, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup cream & 1 cup milk or 2 cups half & half
4 eggs, lightly beaten
salt & pepper

Line a deep 10" quiche pan with your favorite tart pastry, prick and bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Meanwhile, wash spinach and cook for a few minutes.  Squeeze out all liquid and chop: should be about 3/4 cup.  Combine spinach with Ricotta, a little nutmeg and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Spread over the bottom of pie shell.  Combine eggs with cream, milk and salt and pepper.  Pour over Ricotta-spinach mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let quiche sit 10 minutes before serving.

Here is my additions and subtractions to the recipe.  I added a chopped onion sauteed in a little butter or olive oil, cooled, 1 t. of oregano (an Italian mixture or even dill) and an 1/8 t. garlic powder to the first mixture.   I also reduced the cream/milk mixture to 1-1/2 cups and used only 3 eggs not 4.  I also did not bake the pastry ahead, but I baked the quiche for 45 to 50 minutes total.  You need to let it sit for at least 10 minutes.  The Herbal Husband could not wait to dive in and it had a lot of liquid!  So don't listen to your family!  Wait until it rests before cutting it.  Hope you enjoy it!

P.S. I would like to thank the three brave souls who participated in my poll question about lemon verbena in the dark in the winter.  I think that one person is going to try it next season and the other two had not tried it.  I have never tried it, but I do keep our lemon verbena in a southern window in the winter.  Here is an earlier post about my favorite herb, lemon verbena.

Blue Skies, Snow and Mischief!

Remember we are in our gray period, winter.  So when we get a blue sky kind of day, it is the greatest!  So you have seen by the banner photo, we had snow again last night!  It is winter here and very cold again.  We had a brief taste spring on Monday when it was in the 50's!  So you have seen the blue sky, the snow and now on to the mischief!  I took this squirrel hunting in the snow for peanuts that might have been left behind.

Then it got a little bolder and jumped up on the bird feeder.  Fortunately the good news is it didn't get any birds or food!

Then I tapped on the window and off it went.

Never a dull moment!  Hope you are have a calm peaceful day wherever you may be!

A Lamp Post for the Faeries!

As you know, I have been reading Sharon Lovejoy's new book, Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars.  You should be reading it too.  She inspired me to find items that would be good for a faeries' landscape.  When I was out in my herb garden the other day, I spotted this sunflower and it reminded me of a lamp post for faeries.  A little cold for the faeries to be outside.  Maybe when they are, they will enjoy the sunflower lamp post!

A Surprise in the Winter Garden!

There is a little snow on the ground today, but early this week, it was mild.  I was poking around and looked over this viburnum and found, 'Graham Thomas.'  My favorite rose in the summer garden.  Here it is in its glory.  I was really afraid that it was the trumpet vine!  That would have been bad.  Dreaming of a warm summer day!  Hope it is a great day wherever you are.  

Visitor in the Garden!

Look who's tracking its breakfast.  Kitty/Ginger Snap was out in the front garden keeping the mole/vole population at bay.  It was chasing squirrels the other day.  Not with great success!  Those moments I wish I had a video.

New Life/Old Faithful in the Herb Garden!

In amongst the sticks of pineapple sage and lavender plants, new life is appearing in the herb garden!  The chives are coming up.  I wish spring was a little closer!  Chives can withstand the cold better than most herbs, but I dare not cut too much.  I have some frozen for use and they work really well on baked or mashed potatoes and that Saturday omelet or in stir fries.  It is still winter here and Mother Nature does not want us to forget that fact!  We are going to have a lot of rain today!  Just glad it is warm enough to be rain and not snow!  Hope you are enjoying the day wherever you may be!

A Sunny Day in the Herb Garden!

Really enjoy the sun quick because it is supposed to rain a lot here tomorrow.  One of California storms is headed this way.  The sun will be gone shortly!  Does not last too long in the winter!  Even the squirrels are enjoying the day and the peanut caddy!  Don't tell The Herbal Husband!  Have a new feature that I hope you will participate in.  It is the poll question of the week.  A reader e-mailed me to ask among other things about lemon verbena whether you should place it in the dark.  I have never heard that theory, but please let me know whether through an e-mail to me or a comment whether you have had success putting your lemon verbena in a dark place in your house.

Lookie What Came in the Mail!

I have started reading it already!  It is just the cutest!  I don't think you have to be a grandmother to enjoy this book.  I would say Sharon's message is to get families involved with their children.  Your children just want your time and I know that many families are stretched to the limit, but spend time with your children.  They will reward you with great joy!  Can hardly wait to read the rest!  Going to see Extraordinary Measures and have dinner out.  The Herbal Husband refuses to cook tonight!  I'm cooking tomorrow.  No really, I am!  Talk to you later.