herbal beauty

Of course herbs lend so much to the kitchen, but sometimes I forget just how beautiful they are in the garden or a flower arrangement too. I snapped a few photos in my herb garden - aren't they just lovely?

thyme

background - rosemary
foreground - sage

purple basil

right to left -
oregano, tarragon, chives 

left to right -
mint and parsley 

left to right -
lavender, thyme, dill

bloom and grow

My vegetable garden is coming along quite nicely. We've had a stretch of hot days which we needed since this spring was so cool for so long. While I eagerly await juicy tomatoes, crunchy bell peppers, and tender eggplants I'm making do with enjoying the cute blossoms of so many of my vegetables. Seeing these little flowers is so encouraging - where there are blooms there will soon be veggies! It's nice to see all of these plants blooming and growing a little more every day.  

serrano chilis: delicate white flowers

cherry tomatoes: yellow blossoms

bell pepper: a star-like bloom

a fuzzy bee hard at work
in a blossom of an eggplant plant

"fairy" eggplant:
it has beautiful purple flowers
and the eggplant is so tender

watermelon: a pale yellow bloom

summer pasta

In the summer, I try not to do much in the kitchen that will heat the house up unnecessarily. That usually means we grill out a lot, but there is one pasta dish that I make inside because it is so simple and easy to fix, oh, and it's delicious! The only "cooking" it requires is boiling water - all of the other ingredients are used raw. 

I combine halved grape tomatoes, diced garlic, lots of chopped basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, and I let that sit while the water bowls and when the pasta cooks.  

the simplest of ingredients

I like using either farfalle or rigatoni in this dish. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, I drain it, toss it in the same bowl with the tomato mixture, and combine it until the pasta is fully coated in tasty deliciousness. Topped with a little parmesan cheese and voila, you'll have the easiest yet fresh and savory pasta dish ever!

the finished product -
here we tossed in some
leftover spicy Italian sausage...yum!

life is just a bowl of cherries

To our absolute delight, the cherry tree we planted last August on our 1 year wedding anniversary has fruit! We weren't expecting it to bear any fruit yet, so this has been such a sweet surprise. I can't wait for the precious little cherries to ripen so we can enjoy (almost) a full bowl.

aren't they cute?

for miles and miles

One of my favorite parts about living in Madison are the miles of bike paths throughout town. It's wonderful to see people of all ages out and about enjoying a lovely summer day, not to mention to take in some beautiful scenery.

2 for the road

Madison in the summer...
perfection!

light and reflections

What could be better than sunlight dancing down through a canopy of leaves?  It's summertime perfection!

rays of light

flowerful Friday

I inherited my love of gardening from women on both sides of my family; however, I've spent so much time side by side with my mom in her garden that her influence can't be understated. So much of what I know about gardening I learned from my mom. 

I was at my parents' home a few weeks ago and my mom's garden was gorgeously lush - I couldn't help but take a few pictures to share!

paper thin poppy petals

water clinging to an iris

top heavy peonies, perhaps
my mom's favorite

trumpet vine - hummingbirds
love this!

Happy Friday!

a something in a summer's day

This poem by Emily Dickinson does justice to this beautiful summer day...

A something in a summer's Day

As slow her flambeaux burn away

Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer's noon -

A depth - an Azure - a perfume - 

Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer's night

A something so transporting bright

I clap my hands to see - 

Then veil my too inspecting face

Lets such a subtle - shimmering grace

Flutter too far for me - 

The wizard fingers never rest - 

The purple brook within the breast

Still chafes its narrow bed - 

Still rears the East her amber Flag - 

Guides still the sun along the Crag 

His Caravan of Red - 

So looking on - the night - the morn

Conclude the wonder gay - 

And I meet, coming thro' the dews

Another summer's Day!

sprouted

On a recent trip to my favorite garden nursery in town, I looked at the seed section and came across a sprouts, sandwich mix. I decided I'd give growing sprouts a try, and little did I know how easy it is to grow your own sprouts, right on the kitchen countertop. With little more than a seeds, water, a glass bowl/jar, a rubber band and some cheese cloth sprouts emerged from the little seeds. It takes just a few days and the results are peppery, crisp, delicious sprouts. 

the seed package -
note the price
I used maybe 1/5 of the
seeds at a time

doesn't look like much, right?

a day or so into the sprouting process

these sprouts are almost ready -
they just need some sunlight to green up

the finished product!

beautifully green

To me if summer were a color it would be green - a lush, deep, rich green. Emerald colored leaves and grass can be seen everywhere. Looking closer, smaller scale green beauties can be spotted too. Here are a few shots of "summertime" from my backyard. I don't think any of us have to go far to see the beauty that surrounds us in these warm weather months.

spiraling Morning Glory
vines and buds

a view from above

like little jewels

nature's fireworks

To me, flowers are like nature's little fireworks - bursts of color that dot landscapes and yards. 

Happy Independence Day!

sitting, waiting, watching

Walking into the living room a few days ago, I was greeted by my orange tabby cat, Nino, sitting, waiting and watching atop of the piano. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped away. I've never known a cat that seems to love to pose and have his photo taken like Nino. 

Nino

light and reflections

I happen to be quite partial to almost all things that sparkle...

flowerful Friday

The lilies in my garden have started to bloom - summer is here!

Happy Friday!