Don't think I need to water today

So the garden/yard/stray kitties got a great soaking today. Good thing the garden is elevated. I love the rain.

Beets

So I love beets. I know, kinda weird, but they taste so good to me. While purging the garden the other day I pulled all the beets. Lesson learned: planting them way to close together means they didn't get very big. The leaves got big and tasted amazing.

just pulled from the garden 

only one was a decent size (and that's stretching it)

Leaves all cleaned up and soaking 

Didn't have time to take cooking pictures but what I did was roast the beets in the oven for a little over an hour and then peel and cut up. Then I cooked the beet greens by sauteing up some onions and garlic and tossing them in. Added some salt and pepper and let them wilt down. I then tossed the beets with some balsamic vinegar and put it on a plate. Went perfect with a glass of Arbor Mist Blackberry Merlot. 

Solo Thanksgiving

So this year I had to celebrate the holiday by myself (boo), and I was just going to make some "Best Ramen Ever" but decided since I wasn't doing a heck of a lot I might as well make a mini feast to feed me for the next week or so. Tried out some new recipes and the results were better than expected. 

Spiced pecans - I doubled the recommended amount of spices and it turned out good, the heat really builds up after a few.

Couscous Tabbouleh - light, cool, and lemony

homemade pie crust - had a hell of a time keeping it from puffing up while I baked it. Ended up using some parchment paper and glass beads to hold it down. I didn't have any dry beans laying around.

Sour Cream Lemon Pie - fun to make but I had to whisk constantly for about ten minutes.

Sweet potato pie from scratch - I baked the taters in the oven and forgot to take a picture. I couldn't help myself from eating some as I pealed them - sooo good.

Turned out so pretty 

Growing up I hated, and I mean HATED, stuffing. Last year we decided to give it a whirl and were so amazed by the results. This year I changed it up a bit by using dried cranberries, pears, and pecans to the usual onions, celery, and spices.

cubed up some homemade bread and toasted it in the oven

mixed it together with some eggs and baked

This picture doesn't really do it justice, but it turned out great!

Boneless turkey breast with dark meat sitting in some chicken broth, and marinated/injected with Italian salad dressing.

cooked - I think by broiling it for a couple of minutes at the end it turned a nice color but I may have caused it to dry out a bit. Still good, but not up to Paul's standards.

Rolls - maybe made a bit too many. Note to self: cut the recipe in half (maybe quarters) 

So good - could have used a couple more minutes but I don't mind.

Spicy deviled eggs

Dinner

Dessert

Glad I decided to take the plunge and made an amazing Thanksgiving Mini Feast. Hope to never have to celebrate alone again but if the time comes I think I'll nail it again. Hope everyone had a Thanksgiving at least as good as mine!

Garden just keeps growing

So the garden was looking a bit shabby so I decided to give it a little makeover. I didn't take any before pictures but here are some afters.

egg plant, Thai pepper, and cherry tomato

herbs, flowers, pineapple, and strawberry plant

sad little green beans - I don't know if they are going to make it :(

Looks a lot neater - going to find some "winter" crops to plant - mostly just need shade tolerant.

Best Ramen Ever!

Two hot sauces, lime juice and soy sauce - that's how to make the best ramen ever (in addition to the normal season packet). I love ramen. Kinda thought I would grow out of it, but I still haven't. The price here is just outrageous - $0.21 each! I know, highway robbery. I try not to eat more than a couple a week because they aren't exactly good for me :)