Tuesday, June 29, 2010

It's me again. Been awhile. Sorry, I haven't been feeling the best; think I got a bit too much sun a couple days ago, and it's been wreaking havoc, as you can imagine.

Once again, the sod people have stolen my hose! They did it last week; went out to water my garden, and my hose was nowhere to be found! Dale said the last time he saw it the TruGreen guys were using it to water our lawn. So the next day, I confronted them about it and guess where my hose was? Three houses down. What kind of company uses someone else's hose in the first place, then decides to take it OFF THEIR PROPERTY to another house? Am I the only person who sees a problem with this?
Ok, rant done. I think I'm going to have to make some more plum jelly...we're on our second jar, lol. That stuff is disappearing FAST. It's so delicious! I've totally decided that I love making jelly.
And I'm glad that we're getting paid tomorrow....I can get my tomatoes! And maybe a little food in the house? LOL 
Contemplating moving the home office upstairs. I want my dining room back. And since both myself and Dale are going to be starting school this summer, and we're going to be getting another computer, more room is going to be essential. I just need some inspiration. So, I've been hunting around on the interwebs, as usual, for design ideas. Here are a few I sort of like:
I thought this was pretty cool, because my "desk" is a table very similar to the one in this picture; I thought it looked cute...wish I had sloped eaves like that. I also liked these:
Totally cute. Not sure if I dare to paint a wall in here...we can, but it might be a pain in the butt to have to repaint when we leave. I do have a hutch that I thought maybe I can repaint so it looks similar to the one in the bottom picture. We'll need workspace for two desktops, so that's going to be another challenge altogether. Otherwise, I'd be happy tucking an office into a nook or corner.
Someday though, my walls will look like this:
primarily because I can't seem to stop collecting books. My kind of room. Someday I plan to have more books than the average small town library. My problem right now is bookshelves. We just can't afford big, solidly built wood or MDF ones, so we are usually stuck with the flimsy particleboard ones, which were obviously not designed or approved by any bibliophile. You put more than ten books on a shelf, and they're guaranteed to buckle. I'm guessing those were made primarily for people who want to show of the ten books they own, and a few random xbox games and knickknacks. I need sturdy, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to go all "DIY" and make some myself....which is a scary idea. Maybe I'll just have to go with the old plank and block bookshelf design....
I'll keep thinking, and when I come up with something, you can be sure I'll be letting you guys know about it! Til then...

MandaMac

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Homemade Peanut Butter



Mmm....going to try this soon...gotta find some good, bulk peanuts...not hard around here. then maybe I'll have something to go with all this jelly! LOL

MandaMac

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Ok, I'll admit, I feel like crap. I got up this morning with a horrid, throbbing headache, and a queasy tummy. I wish if I had to have a "hangover", there might have been a few good martinis the night before to cause it! So not fair. Maybe I'm just paying in advance for card night at Mary and Brian's tonight, I dunno.
So the base had sod laid in our yard a few days ago...very nice. I actually have a LAWN, instead of a lot of dirt and rocks with a little grass. Not a whole lot would grow in the yard, mostly because of the very poor drainage. We basically live on a small spit of land that used to be swamp before it was filled in. But it's still very low, especially where we are, which is maybe only 1/4 of a mile from the water, and before they built these houses last year the area between my house and the house next door was a runoff ditch...almost a small creek. They filled it in...sort of.  Every time it rains, that area fills with water from our backyard gutter, side gutter, the neighbors' gutters, and runoff from the field behind us, and it runs into the front yard, gets dammed up by the sidewalk and basically floods our front yard. Well, now they've laid sod, and it looks great. However, they didn't fix the drainage problem before they laid it...landscaping idiocy. We had a good old-fashioned thunderstorm/torrential downpour for most of the afternoon and evening last night, and guess what? Flooded sod. I can see this is going to be a problem. Not only did the "ditch area" flood, but aaalllll that water built up at the edge of the sod(because they didn't sod the entire side yard, only half) and now there's a lake. Idiots. We've told them about the drainage issues here, but they've never done anything to fix it-just yelled at us about the lawn and told us to throw out more seed(wait...I thought it was base housing's job to tend the areas of lawn outside the back fence?). Good job, AMCC. 
So payday is on Wednesday, and I'm excited to get my tomatoes. I've been hunting for good sauce recipes for canning, but  not finding much that I like. Guess I'm going to have to improvise...HOORAY! I think I'm going to can some chili starter, too, along with whole, diced, and crushed tomatoes, and plain tomato sauce.
I am secretly hoping I will have enough left in my budget to get some peaches, too. Some peach jam, and canned peaches will be great this coming winter! I'm thinking about going over to my folks' next month and picking some blackberries, too. I refuse to pay for blackberries when I know I can get them free for the picking, you know? 
Today, I'm especially glad for this blog...writing always clears my head. I think I'm starting to feel better, although I' pretty sure the Excedrin had something to do with that...


Okay, I have some "new yard" pictures(pre-flood). 

Looks so pretty! This was the day they laid it...I actually have a nice looking front yard.
Front/side yard. Right between the houses is where the drainage problem is...this was all flooded and sopping yesterday.
Side yard. Can we say what's up with stopping the sod at the fence? That area's like a dam. It's ridiculous. Looks nice for now, though.
Anyway, that's my contribution for the day. Now it's time to try and get some real work done, job-type. Fun. I'm out.


MandaMac

Friday, June 25, 2010

So, all work has been finished for the time being, and I can devote myself to this late version of  Herb of the Week. Sorry to all of you who had to wait! At the studio, we're switching from a traditional hosted website, which is outrageously expensive, even when you design it yourself, to a blog format. So I spent a good portion of my waking hours yesterday working on graphics for the new MAC Photography blog pages...not hard, but wickedly time consuming.


So now on to the fun stuff: oregano. We're all familiar with oregano from pizza and tomato sauces and other Italian food. But it is also a common ingredient in many international cuisines, such as Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin American and Philippino. It is also an herb that no Greek cook would go without, and is an essential element in most Greek cooking.
Oregano is a perennial herb of the mint family(are we noticing a pattern here?) that is native to the Mediterranean and western and southwestern regions of Eurasia. It is often confused with marjoram, which is also native to the same area, but has a more greyish-green look to it's leaves. There are several species of oregano: O. tyttanthum, which is native to Khirgizstan, O. vulgare hirtum, which is the common Italian or Greek Oregano, O.vulgare onites, or Turkish Oregano and O.vulgare syriacum, Syrian Oregano.
The flavor in various species and strains of oregano varies widely, from the rather bland common Oregano sold in most garden stores, to the pungent and intensely spicy Syrian oreganos, with a range of strong, pungent, bitter and sweet flavors in between. It is genreally agreed that Italian oregano is the best all-purpose oregano for culinary use.

Oregano can grow up to 2 ft. tall, with woody stems, and downy leaves. The flowers vary widely in color from white to pink to violet, and grow on long spikes at the top of the plant. Leaf color can range from bright, spring green to deep green. It has been introduced to the U.S. and grows wild in dry, southern lawns, roadsides and scrub, but is still rare.
Oregano is thought to have several medicinal uses. It is particularly high in antioxidants and has demonstrated strong antimicrobial effects. The leaves and flowering stems are strongly antiseptic. In addition, oregano has been used to treat colds, influenza, mild fevers, stomach aches and painful menstrual cramps. It is a strong sedative, and should never be taken in high doses. 
Oregano is a classic in any herb garden and is highly ornamental in addition to it's culinary and medicinal uses. Like most herbs, it prefers well-drained soil and a sunny, somewhat dry location. Oregano is a welcome addition to any garden, herb or flower. Try it out in yours!

MandaMac

Thursday, June 24, 2010

...and I had to answer. Sorry! Herb of the Week will be posted tomorrow....today work called, and I've been busy with "work stuff" all day and into the night. I'm pooped, and the thought of a huge article to write just sounds tiring! Off to bed, 


MandaMac

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Ha! I seem to have gone mad about jams and jellies...I can't seem to stop making the stuff! Good thing my hubby like jelly on everything....or we'd permanently have jelly up to our eyeballs! Today I decided to make some lavender-lemon jelly. I had some culinary lavender hanging around, and it just seemed like the thing to do...
Ok, so I tried to be a bit more diligent in the taking of pictures today and documenting my process, but ADD me still missed a few things, so bear with me.




First I added my half a cup of dried lavender to 3 cups water, brought it to a boil, then took the pan off the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. See? Simmering lavender.
While that was going on, I got out another saucepan and started heating the lids(it softens up the gum on the underside....that brown stuff)
Then I got my tools together. Now I know that tons of canning sites all say you have to have "special tools" and blah blah blah...jar lifters and wide mouth funnels and jar racks and stuff. I guess that stuff is nice, if you want to pay for it, but I find I get along just fine with my long kitchen tongs, which I use to fish lids out of their water bath, and deposit and remove the jelly from it's water bath, my wooden spoon for stirring, my trusty ladle for ladling jelly into jars(I am 33 years old. If I can't get liquid from a ladle into a jar without making a mess, there's something wrong.), and my measuring cup. `Nuff said.
This is the infusion after steeping for 30 minutes, and before I strained it, which I meant to get a picture of, but of course, I didn't:
So in between the steeping, as I mentioned, I strained the lavender out, added the liquid back into the pot, added 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and a whole packet of pectin, and I stirred it until the pectin was dissolved. Then I brought it to a boil, removed  it from the heat briefly to add 6 cups of sugar, stirring until dissolved, then returned the pan to the stove to boil for 1 minute:
Then I removed the pan from the heat and began ladling the jelly into hot jars. I am all alone, so there wasn't anyone around to take a picture of my awesome ladling skills! And no, that isn't something in the jelly jar in the lower right corner...it's just a reflection of the ceiling light!
Here are the jars of jelly before their lids were put on:
After lightly tightening the rings on the jar, I put the jars into a water bath for 10 minutes, like so:
And VOILA! Lavender-Lemon Jelly! Each and every one of them sealed immediately. I think they're just the prettiest color; that rosy red.
And here is a jar that I set up in the kitchen window to catch the sunlight and show off it's gorgeous color:
And that was that! Dale came home for a minute just a little bit ago to grab a bite to eat before heading back into work to inspect the barracks, and he teased me about my jelly fetish. But I noticed he wasn't shy about grabbing a jar of yesterday's plum that was in the fridge and loading it up onto a couple PB&J's. He proclaimed it yummy, and made another. So I guess the plum was a success.
Next week I have a line on some organic tomatoes I came buy for cheap by the bushel from a farmer friend; I have been desperately wanting to can some tomato products, since we use them so often! And make some pickles, and can some peaches, and oh! I'm definitely going over to Mom and Dad's in October to get some apples from off the mountain so I can make and can some applesauce! And apple jelly, and pumpkin butter....has anyone ever made pear butter before?
Ok, I'm going to stop now before I get over excited on the canning thing....tomorrow is Herb of the Week, and we're going to talk about another common kitchen herb: Oregano! Hooray!
Until then, have a happy evening, and make some jelly!


MandaMac

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

I said I was going to try to make some jam, didn't I? So I gave it a try today with some plums I bought from the grocery store...trial batch. It went pretty good, and I got seven jars out of it. It's kind of a not nice process for people like me who have "sticky issues".....waaaay to much stickiness. Smells like heaven, though, and should taste just as wonderful.  
I took a few pictures of the process to share:






This is after a 60 second dunking in boiling water to loosen the skins...you can see they're popping off easily. This was fairly easy.




This is after the peels came off...and so began the first icky part of the process....because those things in that bowl are soooo slimy....ewwww!!! And the pits were hard to remove. Getting them into little pieces was easy-that sort of happened while I was trying to remove the pits!
Once I got them into pieces I put them in a stockpot with a bit of water and some white grape juice.




Then I brought them to a boil, then turned down the heat and let them simmer for about 45 minutes. At that point, I meant to take another picture for you to see what they looked like...but my girl Ashley was over here, so I got distracted. 
After they were simmered down to the point there were no chunks, I brought it to a boil again and added the pectin, stirring until it was dissolved. Again, I was distracted, so I forgot to take a picture. Once the pectin was added(with a tiny bit of butter to reduce the foam), I added the sugar, stirred until it dissolved, then brought the whole mess to a full rolling boil for 1 minute. Then I turned off the burner, and ladled it into jars, and covered the filled jars with hot lids. Again....no picture.(Hey, there was important girl convo going on...it couldn't be helped.)
I then screwed on the screwy thingies....rims? Then I immersed all of them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes before removing them.
And here is the final result:



Pretty! Five of them sealed immediately...I know sometimes it can take awhile for them to seal, so I'll wait for tomorrow to check seals again. Cross your fingers....I'm crossing mine!





Such a pretty color with the light behind it!


So that was my first attempt at fruit jelly. We'll see how it turns out, and I'll let all of you know! 


MandaMac

Monday, June 21, 2010

Pitchers Galore!

So, it's been a long stormy weekend here! This is my favorite time of year-I love storms!
Some of you may know, but not everyone-that I also LOVE pitchers.  I have some sort of weird fascination with them. So I was online today, looking for a new one to add to my collection. There are some pretty awesome pitchers out there; it's so hard to choose! I don't really like some of the really delicate porcelain or thin ceramic ones, although there are some pretty ones I wouldn't mind having. What I really adore are pottery, heavy ceramic, stoneware or hand-blown ones(I also have a passion for old pottery and earthenware mixing bowls, but that's a whole other post for another day.). Here are three of my favorites that I use every day:


MY favorite to date: my mom got it for me for Christmas five years ago.


this one was a hand-me-down from mom. Still love it, still use it almost daily.

My pretty yard-sale depression glass pitcher. If anyone knows what pattern this is, I'd love to know, too....never been able to find it.

I have several more, but they're all put up, and I didn't feel like getting the ladder out to get on top of the cabinets to photograph them tonight, hahaha.

Anyway, like I said, I've been on the hunt to add to my collection. I've found several pretty awesome ones I'd like to have, so I guess I need to start saving, huh? Here are a few of the neater ones:

I'm not a huge fan of Sangria, but if it gets poured out of THIS pitcher by KegWorks, I'm sure I'd love it!





And then there is almost ANYTHING from Origin Crafts....I haven't seen a pitcher of there's yet that I haven't wanted. Here are a few of theirs:






BUT, while shopping, I have to say that this pitcher from DinnerPlates.com takes the cake as the coolest and most unique pitcher I've found yet, and I think I have to have it!

Totally awesome, IMHO. I'd feel so deliciously...something. Neolithic, maybe. But cool, hip Neolithic, if they had an equivalent of a SoHo loft.

So my question to you, my readers is, what do you collect? Drop me a line and tell me about it. Maybe we have a few things in common!

MandaMac



Thursday, June 17, 2010


Hello! It's that time of the week again! This week's herb is also a well-known one, although it is mainly known for its scent, it is one of the most versatile herbs in the world: Lavender.


Lavender is, like basil, a member of the mint family. It's native range extends from the Mediterranean region south to northern Africa and west and south as far as India. It comes in many forms, from herb to shrub, from annual to biannual to perennial. there are approximately 39 species of lavender, and, since they cross-pollinate so regularly, literally hundreds of hybrids and variations. The two most common lavenders are "English Lavender" or 'true lavender", Lavandula angustifolia, and "Spanish Lavender", or L. stoechas. English lavender produces the lavender essential oil that is so valued. Spanish lavender is mainly used as an ornamental shrub in landscaping.


 As I mentioned above, lavender is mainly known for it's strong, clean floral scent. Lavender essential oil has many, many uses. It is used in soaps and shampoos, perfumes, potpourris and sachets, home fragrance products, and cleaners.
The essential oil is also a wonderful green cleaner. It is strongly antibiotic, antiseptic, and anti-fungal. It also repels insects such as mosquitoes, roaches, silverfish and closet moths. A mixture of lavender oil and water can be used in a spray bottle much as you would use a bottle of Febreze, to freshen both fabrics and the air. It will actually kill odor causing bacteria in the air and fabrics. A little oil on a soft dishrag thrown in the dryer will soften and freshen your laundry. I regularly use a mix of lavender oil and water as an all purpose cleaner in my house. Crushed dried lavender can also be sprinkled on mattresses under the mattress pad to both impart a fresh scent to your linens and repel bedbugs.
Lavender also has an amazing number of medicinal uses as well. A cloth dipped in a lavender infusion and placed on the forehead can relieve headaches. It has also been used historically for it's calming, relaxing effects, soothing nervous tension and stress. Lavender essential oil is also an anti-inflammatory, and can be used as a wash or poultice for strains and sprains or arthritis pain. In WWI, due to it's antiseptic qualities, English hospitals used lavender infusions to disinfect the walls and floors. In addition, lavender is known to be a pain reliever, and can also help relieve respiratory problems and improve blood circulation. It can also be useful in treating urinary tract infections, stimulating urine flow and reducing the associated cramping.

Photo Credit: Jill Mead
As with many other herbs that have extensive medical properties, there are also risks associated with the use of lavender medicinally. It can be a skin irritant to some people, causing rashes. Pregnant women are advised against using lavender internally, as some of the volatile components in the oil can be toxic to a baby in-vitro. It is also recommended that persons with diabetes not use lavender medicinally.
And finally, lavender is a surprisingly useful culinary herb. It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Perhaps the most famous use of lavender for culinary purposes is in the traditional French blend called Herbes de Provence (savory, lavender, fennel, thyme flowers, rosemary and basil). However, lavender can be used in many other ways. It is becoming increasingly popular as a flavoring for sweets, and lends itself particularly well to delicate confections, such as scones, tea cookies or meringues. It also makes a particularly delicate floral jelly with a lovely rosy pink color. Lavender also pairs surprisingly well with many meats, such as chicken and beef. It can give a lovely subtle floral taste to risotto, and adds a surprising taste to spring salads. I have had French toast with lavender syrup, which was heavenly, and I have also had lavender-infused homey and sugar.
All in all, lavender is one of the most widely used herbs in history. It is my absolute favorite, and I use it for cleaning, medicinally, as a perfume, and in my cooking. Go explore this versatile herb and it's many uses for yourself.

Fun With Flowers


So I was out in the garden this evening after it rained, and I decided to snap a few pictures of my crape myrtle, which has just started blooming. Then I just decided to play around a little bit with the pictures. And because I can, I will share them with you!


So this was the first one I took, and the only one I intended to snap when I went out:


then I cropped, saturated and softened...


then tried the original crop in B&W...


then softened in sepia, which is my favorite....what do you think?


Umm...then I got snap happy, and got a nice shot peering out through the lemongrass jungle, saturated slightly, and lightened


and then it was on to having fun with the lemon balm. I super saturated this one by accident, then kept it because it looked funky


Then did the same shot in sepia, with heightened contrast


As you can see, I love to play with cameras and editing. I can't wait until July, when I start going back to college to get my BA in Photography. This is why I love working in the photography business! Portraits aren't my thing; I love landscapes and macros of plants and flowers, and vignettes. 
Sorry, this was last nights post....I fell asleep before I got it finished! I will be back later this afternoon with our  "Herb of the Week"!

MandaMac


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Ok, so today I was GOING to make some plum jam, lavender jelly and hibiscus jelly. Made sure I bought more jelly jars, pectin, fruit, everything ready to go.....except I forgot to get lemon juice. Seriously? I think all that Chinese food we ate before grocery shopping poisoned my brain. I had my day all planned around making jam, and now it's thrown my whole schedule off. And I don't know what ya'll know about us ADD people, but we don't handle sudden schedule changes very well, lol. Bah. 

It's been so hot here, my garden is struggling, even with a twice a day watering. Everything looks wilted, the poor darlings. Except, of course, the lemon balm. Nothing phases that stuff...seriously.
A lot of my friends have been talking about vegetable gardening, which is a taboo here on base housing. I've been petitioning AMCC to let us have community garden space for veggies, but I've had no luck. Not sure why we're not allowed to grow them here...go figure. But I thought it might be a good time to talk about good old container gardening. 

You'd be surprised at how much you can grow in containers with a minimum of fuss. Tomatoes and peppers always grow well in containers, and in fact those upside down tomato plant growers work excellently for tomatoes, peppers and even runner beans and squash. I think they make one for strawberries, too. But there are tons of other veggies that can be grown in containers, too. Lettuces, onions, radishes and eggplant all grow well in containers, as well as squashes ad cucumbers, although they need more room because they're vines. the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office recommends the following varieties for container gardening:


Tomatoes: Patio, Pixie, Tiny Tim, Saladette, Toy Boy, Spring Giant, Tumbling Tom, Small Fry  Peppers: Yolo Wonder, Keystone Resistant Giant, Canape, (Hot) Red Cherry, Jalapeno  Eggplant: Florida Market, Black Beauty, Long Tom  Squash: Dixie, Gold Neck, Early Prolific Straightneck, (Green) Zucco, Diplomat, Senator  Leaf Lettuce: Buttercrunch, Salad Bowl, Romaine, Dark Green Boston, Ruby, Bibb  Green Onions: Beltsville Bunching, Crysal Wax, Evergreen Bunching  Green Beans: Topcrop, Greencrop, Contender, (Pole) Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder  Radishes: Cherry Belle, Scarlet Globe, (White) Icicle  Parsley: Evergreen, Moss Curled  Cucumbers: Burpless, Liberty, Early Pik, Crispy, Salty  

You can also grow carrots, blueberries, blackberries, and even some dwarf varieties of corn in containers, too. Also good for containers are cherries,  figs, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, potatoes and plums.
There are a few things to remember when container gardening. One is pot size. You must make sure that each variety of vegetable has the right amount of room for proper root development. Any container will do; I've seen people use old nursery pots(although the dark color can cause problems with root development if they get too hot.), terra cotta planters, old pottery bowls, woven baskets, and even old furniture....a gal I know used an old book case. She drilled drainage holes in the back of the bookcase, and laid it on it's back, then filled the spaces with soil. Drawers, plastic bins, galvanized tubs...the list of possible  containers is endless. 



Cucumbers


Another thing to consider is location. If you plan on growing vining plants like runner beans, squash or cucumbers, consider planting them in a window box where they can trail, or placing their containers on the edge of a retaining wall, or on an old chair.
Lastly, keep in mind that plants in containers need more frequent watering than ones in the ground. Check your containers frequently to make sure your veggies are getting plenty of food and water.  On the plus side, vegetables grown in containers take up minimal space, have fewer weeds, and are less susceptable  to pests and disease.
so get going on your container gardens, and you will have fresh veggies all summer, and maybe even into the fall!


MandaMac






Bait and Tackle Salad











  • 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 2 small zucchini, coarsely chopped
  • 2 small yellow summer squash, coarsley chopped
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
  • 5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash and cilantro. In a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. White processing, gradually add oil. Drizzle over vegetables; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
        
                            * www.allrecipes.com










*http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.htmL 
*http://containergardeningtips.com/vegetables-and-fruit-for-container-gardens/


Picture credits:
*http://www.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/vegetable-container-gardening.html
*http://containergardeningtips.com/vegetables-and-fruit-for-container-gardens/
*http://achingdebts.com/containers-for-a-vegetable-garden/
*http://goflorida.about.com/od/specialevents/ig/2008-Flower---Garden-Festival/Vegetable-Gardening-in-Pots.htm
*http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/container-vegetable-gardening-00418000067113/
*http://jimmycrackedcorn.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/potted-cucumbers/