Seattle, anyone?

The weather today reminds me so much of Seattle.....just chilly enough to require a jacket, just damp enough to make me want to stay indoors sipping a hot cup of something while reading a new book, and just gloomy enough to entice me to spend quality time in the kitchen cooking up something that tastes as good as it smells.

Yup, did all those things today.   I've had a jacket on all day today, and that rarely ever happens.   And, I'm sipping a hot cup of green tea with a slice of my dehydrated lemon and a pineapple in it.   Yum!   I've probably spent 2-3 hours total reading my newest cookbook (dear husband gave it to me for Christmas): The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum....what a great cookbook.   And now I'm preparing to go into the kitchen, don my favorite apron and make a pot of chili.  Think I'll have to make some cornbread muffins to go along with it, don't you think?

Well, I planted tomatoes, broccoli, celery, flat-leaf parsley, curley parsley, several types of lettuce and all my favorite herbs and mints.   Everybody looks happy-happy!

I just finished checking on my new plants and thought I'd show them off to you.   The last few weeks I've started my composter, bought and planted 2 earth boxes and replenished all the herbs.   Yes, I know, I've been gone from here for a few weeks.   You should know by now that when I'm not posting that means I've really gotten interested in something new.  I've been researching dehydrating foods and storing them properly so they last longer without refrigeration.   More on that later...

The poor palm trees are slowly losing all their palm fronds, but that's a good thing.  I believe they may just make it.  Woo-hoo!   Even the staghorn ferns look good....I used to think they couldn't stand temps under 45 degrees.   Well, I've been taking classes at the Florida Extension Service on Saturdays and found out from one of the master gardeners that staghorns can tolerate it down to 19 degrees!  

We even have limes on our newly planted tree!!

Hope you enjoy the pics,
Wanna join me and plant a "Victory Garden"? 
Deb