A Vegetable Garden to Envy

Last weekend, I went to visit my family in Sacramento, California. I was amazed at my mom’s vegetable garden, which she started this year. Her vegetables are thriving. Here are only some of the highlights of my mom's wonderful veggie garden.


Cucumbers


Peppers


Tomatoes


And cherry tomatoes


Eggplants


Leeks


Corn


Beets

And squash

Don’t all these vegetables look luscious?

I’m joining Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage. Cannot wait to see the gardens of other bloggers.

Announcement!

I’ve been gone from the blogosphere for three days (I went to visit my mom), and I’ve missed it so much. It was so nice to read all the kind comments about my crocheted doily today. They truly made my day. Thank you!

Now I am back and I have an announcement to make.

As you probably noticed, I’ve really got into crafting and handmade stuff lately. This brought me the idea of starting a weekly meme of handmade items. The name will be Handmade Monday.

Here are the guidelines:

Make a post about any handmade item(s). It could be made by you or someone else. It could be a project you are currently working on or something you made years ago. It could be a tutorial or simply a show off kind of post. The possibilities for Handmade Monday are endless – clothes, home décor (doilies, tablecloths, valances, quilts, etc.), toys, jewelry, souvenirs, cards, you name it. The idea of Handmade Monday is to share ideas and inspire each other.

If you have a wonderful handmade item in your Etsy shop, come and tell us all about it and perhaps your item will find a lucky buyer.

Joining Handmade Monday is easy. Use the permalink of your post (not the link of your blog) to link to Handmade Monday. Please, link back to my blog, so other crafters can join us for the fun.

The first Handmade Monday will take place on July 12, 2010. I am very excited and nervous about it. I do hope you ladies will come join me.

UPDATE: NOW HANDMADE MONDAY TAKES PLACE ONCE A MONTH - ON THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH.

Cream-Colored Crocheted Doily

Recently I’ve seen many round lacy tablecloths, which look very beautiful for a little tea table, so I really wanted one too. I got this project in mind to crochet one. I found several interesting patterns. Then I thought it could be a good idea to start with something smaller. Making a tablecloth is a lot of work, and I was afraid I might get bored with it. So I decided to make a doily first.



It only took me three days to crochet it, and I just loved the process. Now I know for sure I won’t get bored making the tablecloth of my dreams. I still need to shop for threads though.



I present for your judgment my cream-colored round doily.



I’m joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.

A Walk in the Woods

What can be better than starting a Sunday with a stroll through the woods? In the morning, the air is fresh and pleasantly cool. It is filled with the scent of trees and damp old leaves.



As you walk quietly down the path, you can hear the living commotion around you. The birds are singing their morning songs; squirrels and chipmunks are rustling in the leaves; a bumble-bee is buzzing around a flower.
You can smell and hear a lot of interesting things, but there are even more things to see. Plants and flowers, unusually shaped trees and big rocks, a little waterfall and a creek – the forest is filled with exciting sights.



After walking for some time, you ask yourself if it’s time to turn back. But the path is so inviting and your curiosity of where it’s leading makes you walk farther. More walking and admiring the nature around.



Finally, the trees spread out and you see a beautiful lake. A mallard duck with its ducklings make you smile, but you are a bit disappointed as they are too far to be captured with the camera.



After a little rest on the bank, you start heading back. You feel refreshed and full of energy. A morning walk in the forest is a perfect way to start Sunday and the new week.

I hope everyone had a wonderful beginning of the new week! I’m joining Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

A Few Beauties from My Garden

I have a huge Dietes Grandiflora plant in my garden. Only a few days ago I found out its name from Natasha, Stacey, and Holly’s blog: 3 Sisters, 365 (thank you, girls). Other common names for this flower are Native Iris, Wild Iris, and Fairy Iris. I just love the delicate inner purple petals of this flower.



Unfortunately, I cannot impress you with my knowledge of the scientific or even the common name of this flower. This burgundy-colored lily is a surprising guest in my garden. I have no idea where it came from. It wasn’t here last year and I don’t have such lilies anywhere in my garden. Before the blossom appeared, I thought my Wild Iris began to spread. But no! There must be a reasonable explanation of how this flower got in my garden, but I just cannot find it. In any case, I’m happy to have this beautiful lily in my garden.



This rose is called Bewitched Hybrid Tea Rose (I copied its name in my notebook from the planter, so I wouldn’t forget it). When we moved into this house two years ago, my husband planted this rose as a present for me. Wasn’t that smart? He doesn’t need to buy roses from the store anymore. I really love my beautiful present.



I am happy to join Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday.



And I am just as happy to join (for the first time) Macro Flowers Saturday.

Red Lentil Soup

I love soups. I love both to cook and to eat them. I recently tried a new recipe, which I would like to share. This Lebanese-style red lentil soup is very simple but delicious. Cumin and cayenne pepper add interesting flavors. The original recipe calls for chicken stock, but I replaced it with vegetable broth to accommodate the culinary restrictions of my family.

6 cups vegetable broth
1 pound red lentils
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (a bit less if you don’t like spicy flavors)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Bring vegetable broth and lentils to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes.
Stir onions into the lentils and season with cumin and cayenne. Continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in cilantro and lemon juice before serving.



Since it's a very easy and inexpensive recipe, I'm linking it to Penny Pinching Party at The Thrifty Home. That's the place to find lots of money saving ideas.



I'm also joining Melodie for Vegetarian Foodie Friday.

How Does the Garden Grow? June

I have a few exciting things going on in my garden.



First, one of my three arches is fully blooming and another one is starting to bloom.

These bushes were planted by our previous owners, so I don’t know their names. One of them has white flowers, and I think it is something very common as I see it around the neighborhood often. The other one has pretty red flowers, and I haven’t seen this bush anywhere else.

Here are the close-up pictures of both. Could anyone help me to identify them? Thank you!





A few months ago, I planted two raspberry bushes. I was so excited and hopeful when I saw them blooming. Now we have beautiful and yummy raspberries. Not too many, though. Only 4 -5 of them for my little pumpkin to enjoy when we check our garden every morning.



Finally, here is something else I am very hopeful about. My tomato plants are blooming nicely, but no fruits yet. Last year, I had a good tomato harvest, and I expect to have another one just as good this summer.



I am joining Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday.

Another Handmade Summer Top

We’ve been having very hot weather here in California. I love wearing white on sunny summer days. Today, I want to show another one of my handmade tops that is simply perfect for such weather.
My mom crocheted it for me a few years ago. What I like about this top is that it could be worn both dressy (with a skirt and high-heeled shoes) and casual (with jeans and flats). I also adore the delicate lacy pattern of this top.



For the first time, I’m joining Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday.



I’m also linking to My Romantic Home for Cindy's Show and Tell Friday.

San Jose Rose Garden

One of my favorite places in my city is the Rose Garden Park. No other place has such an explosion of color.
Today, my friend and I went there to enjoy the rose blossoms. The weather was very hot, but a light and refreshing breeze made our stroll through the park pleasant and relaxing.
We smelled the roses, admired their shapes and colors, and took lots of pictures. This photo mosaic shows the roses that I loved the most either because of their color or smell or both.



I’m joining Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

I Won a Giveaway

About three weeks ago, I entered a giveaway at Tracy’s Trinkets and Treasures. In case you are not familiar with Tracy’s blog, let me tell you that you can find tons of creative DIY and craft projects there.
And now let me brag about my prize, a zebra-print tote bag. The minute I saw it on Tracy’s blog, I told myself that it would be a great compliment to my zebra-print umbrella, so I really, really wanted to win it. I don’t know if it was luck or wishful thinking, but I did win it.
I’m going to use my new stylish tote for carrying books and other belongings when my son and I go to the library. And when fall arrives, I am going to use it as a purse to go along with my zebra-print umbrella.
Thank you, Tracy!

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Here is a nice and easy dish for a light summer lunch.






2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ finely chopped garlic
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup thinly sliced carrot
¼ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
¼ cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes
½ thinly sliced yellow squash
½ thinly sliced zucchini
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Add onions, carrot, and peppers. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, oregano and thyme. Cook 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise in half. Remove seeds. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 9 minutes or until spaghetti squash separates easily into strands when tested with fork.

Cut each spaghetti squash half lengthwise in half; separate strands with fork. Spoon vegetables over spaghetti squash. Top servings with cheese (if desired) and parsley before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

The recipe (with minor changes) is from the book Favorite Brand Name Vegetarian Cooking.


I'm linking to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.



I'm also joining Friday Food hosted by Mom Trends and Vegetarian Foodie Friday hosted by Melodie.

Starching Doilies

In a comment to my post about crocheted bookmarks, Pag @Bloomfield Farm asked me what kind of starch and what technique I used. So I thought I’d make a little post about it.
I use potato starch, but I believe corn starch will work just as well. The measurements are approximate. In a pan, mix together about ¼ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of starch (you will need a bit more or less depending on how stiff you want your doily). Heat it over medium-low heat stirring constantly until it thickens. Let it cool. Place doily in the starch making sure that it’s completely wet. Squeeze doily to remove access starch. Place doily on towel and straighten it out. Let doily dry.
It’s that easy!

In the picture above is the doily made by my mom. I call it “pineapple doily” as its pattern reminds me of pineapples.