Garden Progress

Thanks to some really nice friends, on Saturday morning I was able to go into an old over grown garden and dig up some really nice flowers that were being choked out by weeds.  My friends rent a home in an established neighborhood in Atlanta and the previous owner of the house was obviously very into gardening, like it was beautiful at a point in time and had signs labeling the plants and had some serious money put into it.  Now that the house is being rented, the garden isn't being kept up and some of the flowers were starting to die, which is sad, so they said I could come and get whatever I wanted.  Come Saturday morning off I went armed with trash bags to line the trunk of the car, a shovel and some gloves.  I couldn't fit everything I wanted in the car...lucky for me they said I could come back whenever I wanted.  Selfish I know, but I am saving the plants so my selfishness is for the good of mother earth right...please agree and make me feel better, thanks!  I ended up with about 4 of what I think is a tiger lily that will look like this

and a HUGE clump of lambs ear that I was able to seperate and put in multi locations across the yard as it will grow back really well.  Lambs ear looks like this, and it even feels furry just like the name says it should

As a reminder our back yard has a patio level which is where most my work this spring has been taking place.  The patio would be at the top of the long part of a capital L and the side of the house/airconditioning unit at the end of the short part of the L.  Maybe this will help you get the lay of the land...

Here is what the "short side of the L" looked like in the beginning of April, sort of a mess, pieces of some old mini wood fence, weeds everywhere, just not very pretty

Here is the same area at the beginning of May, a little cleaned up, no weeds, some flowers planted are starting to grow and we added some chairs (only one is pictured for some weird reason though)

And here is the long part of the L at the beginning of May, this is right after we built the raised beds, planted some seedlings and move the pots so they get the full sun they need

And finally here is what it looks like today!  Flowers growing, no weeds, there is some new lambs ear right in the middle, slowly but surely it is becoming beautiful!  The new tiger lilies are right in front of the air conditioner, but still a little hard to see as they were a little droopy from the move.  They should bounce back in a week or two though!

Long side, zucchini, squash, peppers and tomatoes growing in the raised beds.  Lambs ear running down the right side and herbs overflowing from the pots

and check it out the other chair finally appeared

I love those chairs!  My new favorite place to sit back, read a magazine and enjoy a cold cocktail after a day of gardening - whoever invented zero gravity chairs is a genius!  Please forgive the glare from the white thighs...

And obviously I couldn't have done it without my assistant Ralph!

As happy as I am with all the progress, it is slow going.  That is the thing about gardening, there is no "quick fix."  It takes time for things to become beautiful and colorful and lush.  I can't wait until this area is full of color and vibrant and looks like the cover of Better Homes and Gardens, but I have to remember some of those gardens are 20 years in the making and this is my first spring here.  I will just keep looking for plants that need rescuing, scouting the clearance aisle at Lowe's and working in the garden on the weekends....and maybe in a few years I will make it on that cover!

Sincerely Loving Food and Flowers,

Lainey

Chopped Challenge #1

The hubs and I enjoy watching the show Chopped on Foodnetwork, where the contestants get a basket of 3 ingredients that they have to use in creating a dish.  So we came up with the idea of a Chopped Challenge for dinner.  So he went to the grocery the other morning and when I got home I had this, each of which I had to include in our dinner that evening

A large MahiMahi filet, a head of radicchio and 2 packages of crackers (from which I could choose one), oh and my lovely assistant Ralph

So Excited!

I had an extremely fun wedding weekend.  Unfortunately this is the one picture I have of me and my true love...I hate that it is blurry & dark because I feel like otherwise it would be so cute...oh well!

On a more exciting note - The hubs went to the grocery today.  He bought one meat and two other "secret ingredients."  We are having dinner "Chopped" Style like the show on TV...I can't wait to get home and see what is in my basket.  I will let you know how it all turns out.  I hope he didn't buy cucumbers; I hate those things!
Sincerely Loving Food,
Lainey

Food Dreams

Do you ever think about dish you had while on vacation and wonder if you will ever have anything that good again?  I do.  Specifically right now this gnocchi covered in delicious alfredo sauce and walnuts!

YUM - I had this delicious dish while on Spring Break with my Mom and Sister back in April.  NYC - what's up!  As I am sitting at my desk today, nearly 2 months later, wondering where to go to lunch, I am dreaming of the light and soft potato pillows, covered with cheese sauce of the just right consistency and walnuts that give the dish the perfect salty texture.  OVER THE TOP!  Oh and a in house made cannoli for dessert wouldn't be bad either.

Granted, I got that at a different restaurant in NYC, but while I am dreaming I might as well go all out.

And now I am still wondering, where to go to lunch, my stomach is growling...

Sincerely Loving Food,
Lainey

1 year!

Yesterday was my one year wedding anniversary!  We made it!  Here we are all dressed and ready to go out, trying to get Ralph to corporate for a picture

Since it was a Monday it was a little low key, we went to our favorite restaurant with an awesome patio and had some great food and beer and enjoyed the lovely evening.

And we ate some one year old pound cake that has been taking up room in our freezer, and it was surprisingly delicious - although  not as cute as it once was.

I hope you had a lovely day!
Sincerely Loving Food,
Lainey

For a Crowd or 2: Deviled Egg Chicken Salad

A few weeks ago we were headed to a wedding at 6pm with some dear friends.  I know we would probably all have a cocktail or two while we were getting ready so I thought it would be nice to have a little snack to go along...it was just starting to get warm out and Easter had just past and I couldn't get the idea of Deviled Eggs out of my head...but I had 2 left over chicken breasts in the fridge.  So, I thought...why not mix chicken salad and deviled eggs...I have to say it turned out rather well!

Here is how I made it, but feel free to increase or decrease the proportions to your liking!
Sincerely Loving Food,
Lainey

For 2: Cumin Chopped Salad

When it gets hot out I like to eat a HUGE salad for dinner because it makes me feel like I will look good in a bikini since it is a healthy choice and it keeps the AC bill down since I don't have to turn the oven on.  If I put LOTS of toppings on it read between the lines - meat the hubs will jump on board with salad for dinner.  Here was our first salad of Summer 2012, ok I know its not quite summer yet, but it was 88 degrees...

This one had mixed baby greens, 1/2 a pint of cherry tomatoes (halved), 1/2 can of black beans (drained and rinsed), 1/2 can of kernel corn (drained and rinsed), some chopped cilantro and about 18-20 shrimp that were sauteed in butter and cumin (the pic is my half and not pictured is the hubs  half).  The dressing was the juice of 2 limes, about 4 tblsps of extra virgin olive oil, a dash of salt, pepper, cumin and paprika and about 2 tblsps of red wine vinegar put in a mason jar with the lid on, shaken, not stirred, then poured over the top - SO Easy and SO Good!  Oh and the beverage it totally goes because it is a Heineken LIGHT so the LIGHT part makes it healthy....at least that is what I told myself...

Have you made any good entree salads lately?  What was in them?  Do you like to make your own dressing or use the bottled kind?
Sincerely Loving Food,
Lainey