A little decoupage.

Every year I keep a garden journal. I start it in the winter, and sketch everything from seed lists to garden art ideas. I make lists of things that need to be divided, transplanted, and purchased. I draw pictures, plan the veggie bed, make dramtic wish lists. It is all very wonderful. One of my favorite things to have at arms length.

In the middle of working yesterday I jumped up, walked over to my scrap space and threw this together. I modge podged it onto the over of my journal. The vintage label is a sticker I found a thrift store. The odd sheen is actually a thin coating of glitter.


I haven't modge podges anything in a while... and now I want to decoupage everything in sight.

Green Chile Chicken Chili

Tonight I played with a basic white chili recipe, and made the best dinner I've come up with in a long while. In fact, I'd still be eating it if I didn't have to get on the scale at Weight Watcher's in the morning. I was so excited, I had to share.

I started out by boiling 4 small (3 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts. I like to boil chicken whenever I'm making this sort of meal because it gets a nice texture, perfect for enchiladas, tacos, etc.

In a seperate large pot over medium heat I mixed up:
2 cans low sodium chicken broth
1 can great northern beans, drained
1 can baby butter beans, drained
1 can whole kernal corn, drained
2 tsp cumin
2 tbls lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbls vegetable oil
2 small sweet yellow onions
7 green chiles, finely chopped
4 tbls minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbls chopped fresh oregano
1 large red sweet pepper diced

When the chicken was fully cooked, I cut it into bite size strips, and added to the pot.


While all of that goodness stewed for about an hour over medium heat I mixed up one pre-made sweet corn bread mix and tossed it in the oven, and then chopped up one small fresh heirloom tomato for topping:

Mixed two small avocados with several squirts of lime juice, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and 1 tbls Concord Foods extra spicy guacamole seasoning.

I also pulled out the fat free sour cream, and locally made monterey jack cheese (4 ounces shredded total).
This meal was absolutely delicious!

What a delicious summer treat. Yum, yum, yum!

Edit: Approximately 300 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 11 grams of dietary fiber per chili serving (1 1/3 cups). This is my own rough estimate, and does not include all the toppings. This is listed nutritional breakdown is 6 weight watcher's points per serving. Not bad!

The Flower Factory

Yesterday, after dad got home from work, I begged Theo to take me to another one of my nurseries that opened this week. The Flower Factory is located west of Stoughton, WI, just south of Madison. They carry thousands of perennials, and only those that thrive in our area. Its a slice of heaven for me!

Last fall I went to this place, and was overwhelmed by all the greek names of plants, and no pictures on the labels. I'm an amatuer, and not trained, so my brain was fried by the time I left. This time, I was so proud of myself. I knew more than half of the plants there, without pictures. I could tell varieties that were new, and could visualize the plant at its full size. I had such a relaxing time as Theo took the boys to get milkshakes. When they got back I still had some browsing to do, so I got them out of the car and showed them the play area. The boys has so much fun running all around in the giant sandbox, and dad was able to relax on a quiet bench and listen to the nature around him.

Sidenote: on the way out there we saw a deer laying in a field, alive, but just lethargic as can be. On his way back to get milkshakes Theo pulled over; he saw a lady there in her car. I guess she had hit the deer, and she was waiting for the sheriff b/c the deer was still alive. Ben was asking questions, when Theo said the sheriff was coming to shoot the deer, Ben says, "Silly, daddy, Sheriff's dont' shoot deer, they help us!" So, we had to explain to Ben how the deer was hurt badly from being hit by the car, and the sheriff was helping the deer not hurt anymore. This sort of explaining the deeper things in life happens all the time now with Ben. He really grasps some deep concepts for 3 years old.

So here they are playing at The Flower Factory:

And here's my angel man, looking so handsome.

Oh, and I'm actually in a picture I didn't take myself!

I guess I should have seen this coming, but Grandma Anita yesterday complained that I need to take more pictured of Ben. Yes, grandma! I take pictures of Ben, they just come out funny, with his mouth open talking or his eyes closed. He moves around so much he won't hold still long enough for a clear shot. In fact, even when he holds still he rarely takes his eyes off the toys he's playing with. As you can see here, its work getting him to take a good picture. I love a good candid shot, though.

A random funny things Ben has done lately: he into playing fireman. He's the announcer though. He found out one of my star decorations echoes, so he shouts into the star, " There's a fire in the house people, get out! Crawl low! Call the fire department! If the fire's in the living room, just play with your toys in the kitchen and dining room, because there's a fire." Okay, so he has some logic to work on, but he gets the idea. LOL. He picked this up from the Barney at the Fire House video, just FYI.

And, of course, I still got a few pictures of Hunter. The light was so good, and he was posing with his giant goofy grin. He's so irrestible at this size, I could eat him up I swear. When he saw where mom was carrying him he shouted, "Bah-Box!" (sandbox). He has such a good time running this dump truck back and forth, picking up some serious speed on the hills. He would run toward the peonies, and turn around, and run back. I told Theo, "Be careful when he's over there, some of those plants are $100.00." I think he thought I was kidding! Yes, they had a $100.00 peony there!

When we rounded up to go the boys were pretty spent. It was almost 7pm, and their bed time. So cute to watch dad gather them. I love my boys so much.

Want to see more picture of this place and its plants, including what I cam home with, check my garden blog at: http://ilovemywisconsingarden.blogspot.com/

New Garden-Focused Blog

Hey there everyone. It's only April 2nd and every sunny window in my house is flooded with plants of seemingly a million different sorts, so this garden season is going to be an exciting one for me. I've decided to create a seperate garden blog, so if seedlings, dirt, & animal turds tickle your fancy, or you just want to see what insane idea I'm up to my knees in outside, you can visit my garden blog. I really needed a place where I can write every monotonous, though thrilling to me, garden detail down. So stop by and enjoy.

http://ilovemywisconsingarden.blogspot.com/

Random: Theo's 2nd Tatoo, tomorrow, plants, animal love, and more...

Warning, this post is way random.

The boys are both really into my scrapbooks lately. Here, they are enoying the Sea World album. Hunter was so thrilled to find a page with daddy, grandma, and uncle Jason.

I decided I should document the chaos that is my dining room right now. I have a crap ton, perhaps more than a ton, of seeds and bulbs and tubers, and corms and whatever else grows something all piled in the dining room right now. There's even more upstairs in our bedroom windows. I have two full size roses on this chairs here, a new angel's trumpet on the bench, some hostas I picked up at Walmart last night (4 for $5, and there was accidently 5 in one pack, BONUS!). I have been buying Peonies in the bag and starting them in the dining room, 3 different varieties now. I even have several strawberry plants growing here. If ever there was a person that needed a green house, it's me. I wish I could make one magically appear. I have such an intense passion for plants. I'm addicting to caring for them. I run the humidifier for them, fertilize with various kinds of foods, compost, dream about gardening. When I lie in bed at night and I can't sleep, even in deep midwinter, I plan gardens in my head. Yesterday, we went to the nursery to seek out a fountain for my birthday and I got lost in talking about plants with one of the sweet ladies who works there. I knew more than her. A lot more. She started showing me their order books, and by looking at lists I had a visual for every plant I saw there, even the different varieties. I told Theo last night, as I potted things over a piece of newspaper on the living room floor, that I'm not anywhere near my potential. I can't help but wonder if my potential lies somewhere in plants. Somehow. Anyway, here's my dining room. Good thing we have a kitchen table to eat on.

Yesterday, when the snow started, the cardinals were eating side my side, husband and wife. This other bird flew up, a sparrow maybe, and I cracked up at how the female cardinal looks as if she's saying, "Who invited this guy?"

We had about 6 inches of snow yesterday. The first 2 melted, but the last 4 stuck. Stuck to everything actually. We have a Spring Wonderland here. The cardinals were back for another morning helping of the black oil sunflowers.

See, fluffy stuff everywhere.

A few days ago Laura Jane and Toby napped like this on the sunny floor of the dining room. Too cute! Last night Laura fell asleep in my arms.

Theo got his second tatoo on Wednesday. It's the fallen soldier memorial. It's on his left forearm. The lady working at the tatoo shop sketched it right on the spot, b/c the first two sketches they had done were not what Theo had in mind. Theo loved her impromptu sketch, and when his tatoo artist was complete, he was so impressed with his own handiwork he asked Theo if he could take a picture of it for the shop's website. He said something to effect, 'You know after all these years if I impress myself, it must be good!' Theo's tatoo guy has been in the business for about 45 years. Cool. Whether or not to add a touch of color to the flag in the background remains up for debate. Any one have any suggestions? I'll take a vote... color or no color?

Finally, tomorrow is my golden birthday. On March 29, at 9:09 pm I'll be 29! Yipee. Nevermind the fact that I'm almost 30, I don't care, really, I thought I'd get some real REAL shots of me right now. weel yesterday, in the big 'thinking chair' as Hunter jumped all over me. No make-up, no hair did, just raw me. Almost 29.

This is my favorite thing right now, I could bottle up the scent of little man's head. He's not yet stinky like Ben and daddy, just babyish all over. He smells like cheerios, lavendar lotion, baby breath, and a bunch of other things I can't pinpoint. Whenever he'll sit still long enough I soak up his scent. Priceless.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Sure Signs of Spring

As the boys napped yesterday I went out into the 45 degree garden and soaked up what felt like summer sun. Even with a breeze I was warm, comfy and content to search beneath the mulch to find green treasures of life. I had the baby monitor on, so I could monitor the destructive but sleeping boys upstairs. Ben woke up just as I was finishing up, and he came running outside like this. Sad to say, both of these manly boots are mine, one for hiking and one for working in the snow/rain. Isn't he cute?

A fresh, garden equivalent of a day old baby: a clematis barely pokes through the surface.

The round leaves of Hollyhock emerge ready to grow.

Sweet William survives the late summer transplant with ease. These are my mom's favorite!

I planted this Sedum Angelina just days before a frost, I am so stunned it made it through the winter. In fact, I was so afraid it wouldn't make it I divided it in 4 and brought it's siblings in the house in pots.

This Apricot tulip is stunning just pearing above the surface.

The ever-beautiful hens and chicks look dark red in the cold.

A late summer transplant 'black beauty' heuchera.

I grew German Chamomile in the herb garden last year. Late in the year I learned it reseeds itself readily. This one is popping up in the back border, where I trandsplanted something from the herb garden... I have a feeling I'll be pulling a few of these guys out to save the plants around them. Tea anyone?

This primrose is hardy to 5, and despite my being in zone 4 I found a microclimate I thought it might live in: Ta Da! It's already blooming, too. Craziness. Like this? I saw a ton of them in Home Depot yesterday. Mine lived in the kitchen window for about 2 years before I moved it outside.

Sedum Autumn Joy never disappoints. I really need to divide these in April sometime.
Just exciting to see 3 things alive in such a small space. Lamb's Ear, a tulip, and a daisy all together growing in the front bed.

Those pinks (dianthus) I grew from seed last year are already green and covering the ground. Cool!

Just some cool bulbs poking through the snow. I can't remember what I planted here for sure. I know I put in several hyacinths, allium, crocus, but possibly some tulips and daffs, too? I guess only time will tell what this is. I love the garden in that way.

Of course, Ben got his swing on, too. This time, in his boots.

Just a quick overall shot of what my garden starts out with every year. I will definately post some before and after shots once the garden gets going. This is my 4th spring with a garden int he midwest, and it's still very magical for me to watch winter melt away and spring run its course.