Still trying to fine tune my blog site!
A Blank Canvas
This is a very small section of our backyard. Our home is situated on an acre of beautiful grounds that literally make one feel as though they are in a park. The azalea bushes are mature and laden with blooms right now. Closer to the house it is very shady. The previous owner tried and tried to get grass to grow. I decided not to fight it and plan to put a series of gardens in made up of local plants that thrive in the shade. If you’re a reader and you live nearby, feel free to add anything you think might add to what I’m already planning. And, yes, there will be photographs as this all gets going! I’m ready to get my hands in the dirt!
Here’s what I’m planning: Hosta, Maiden Hair Fern (It grows like crazy here!), Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile), Begonia, Impatiens, Caladium and my favorite, Black Magic Elephant Ears.
Stay tuned as this project gets going! There will be many pictures and stories to tell. You’ll also get to follow as we place a “Zen” garden in the back part of our property for quiet times of meditation.
Loving life in Louisiana! My laptop is still a bit slow and not doing what it used to do….any suggestions on the best deal on a new one are very welcome! Happy Tuesday and thanks for following!
Today!
This is NOT a post! It’s a picture taken locally that says…”It’s a new day….ENJOY”! It’s a present….the present! What will you do with it?
Simple Sundays
The North Shore/Google
What a week it has been! Being the primary caregiver to three adults, all of us living under the same roof, can be challenging at best. I’m so grateful to be here, doing what I do I cannot complain. Writing posts again has been therapy for me, as always. My trusty laptop has gone so many places with me as I have written over the past four years. It is a gift to me that I have faithful readers who support and follow me!
Thanks to all of you who commented on my “Test” post after getting my website cleaned up and running again. I sometimes wonder if those in foreign lands who “hack” our sites don’t have anything better to do! Really! Carnival season is beginning to rev up here in Louisiana! We attended our first party last night and have lots to look forward to with trips to parades in New Orleans coming up. But for now, it’s Sunday…..sit back, relax and fill your heart and our world with peace. Lord knows we need it! I have banned watching the news…any of it…fake, real or anything else. It’s not good for my health! Cheers to a wonderful day!
Testing
My website is back up!!! Thanks to my wonderful web master! Please let me know if you see this post and I’ll be up and running again!
Floriography
Rebecca Louise LawIt’s Valentine’s Day. I often wonder about traditions. Today I’m researching flowers and why we give them to our loved ones on this special day. I found the term “floriography” on Martha Stewart’s beautiful website. It’s a tradition started in Victorian England when flowers were delivered to express a love interest to a lady fair. I found the photo I’m featuring above on a site that talks about the flower artistry of Rebecca Louise Law. Ms. Law adorns the most unusual places with flowers! Can you imagine the glorious fragrance?
PinterestI love this bouquet in a heart shape! Colorful and capable of being dried and preserved to be enjoyed for years to come. Somehow the flowers don’t seem to wasted in this form. I hate watching cut flowers wither and fade away. It’s always so sad when it is time to dispose of them. This bouquet can live on!
I also love unusual containers! Isn’t this a lovely arrangement? The more unique the combination and presentation the better! I hope you’ll enjoy and celebrate love today and everyday! We don’t have to wait for February 14th to send a message with flowers!
Ahhhhzaleas!
Growing up in Houston, Texas, I always looked forward to the “Azalea Trail” each spring. Now I have a mini azalea trail in our new backyard. Our home is situated on an acre of land the back part of which is full of huge azalea bushes, camelia and holly. That’s what we’ve uncovered thus far. I love nothing better than getting my hands in the soil and planting a garden so I’ve got lots of plans for both the back and front yard.
For now I’m enjoying the pop of fuschia as blooms add a spark of color to a gray February day. It’s peaceful….something very important in my life these days. Did I mention we’re adding a chicken coop so we can have fresh eggs? I’ll be sharing that project with you and all of the outdoor plans as things take shape. In the middle of the back part of the yard we’re putting a quiet little Zen garden for meditation and alone time. On the inside we’re still unpacking boxes. I have a goal of unpacking and organizing/storing 3-4 boxes a day. I used to have a lot more stamina than I do now so I pace myself and know I’ll be here for years to come. There is nothing to hurry for! When I realized that being in a rush about everything is a sort of fear that time is running out it made me stop and think about relaxing and letting life show me it’s plan. There is something comforting about letting go.
It’s Monday! You have a blank canvas! What will you fill it with?
Simple Sundays
I have loved being back in the proverbial blogging saddle this past week! I’m hearing from readers and friends for the first time in months. My creative spirit is coming to the fore again. Thanks to all of my readers for being patient with me! Life is coming together here in our new home. I’m looking forward to continuing my adventure and sharing it with you! In the meantime, sit back and relax….listen to this wonderful music and have a peaceful Sunday!
Cooking with Amy!
I have a very dear Facebook friend and fellow author, Amy Weaver. Amy, lovingly known as Bubs by her husband and close friends, writes a wonderful food blog, “Bub’s Kitchen”. Over the past months I haven’t felt much like cooking. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in November. Unfortunately it has settled into both of my hands and wrists….as well as other joints, but not being able to use my hands has been a huge issue! I began looking for menus that are delicious and easy and I found them from “Bub’s”! Having ideas to go to for good, healthy menus has been a God send.
So, when Amy posted about making spaghetti with a white wine, garlic and clam sauce yesterday, not only did I make it for dinner….YUM….I asked her if I could share it in my post today. Her YES was a big relief! I think you’ll love this recipe and enjoy Amy’s site as well! Here’s the link: https//.bubskitchen.com. Please let us both know when you try this delicious dish!
Spaghetti and Clams in a Garlic, Wine and Butter Sauce – Amy Weaver
Before I became a pescetarian, I hardly ever put seafood and pasta together. I always stuck with cooking, or ordering, beef bolognese, which is too bad. Seafood is a great compliment to pasta, especially shellfish.
I’ve never been a huge clam fan, but lately, I’ve given them a chance, and I’m glad I have. They’re becoming one of my favorites to work with and this recipe is in my top 5 pasta dishes.
If you’ve never cooked clams, please, don’t be intimidated. They practically do the work for you, so give them a try.
You can use any size of clam you want for this recipe, so don’t worry if you’re local seafood store only has one kind to choose from.
Let’s get started.
First, soak your clams in cold water for at least 20 minutes before cooking. Why, you ask? As clams breathe they filter water. When the fresh water is filtered, the clam pushes sand out of their shells. After 20 minutes, the clams should have released any sand in their shells.
Also, get a pot of salted water going for your pasta.
While the clams are in a happy ice bath, and water is getting to the boiling point, let’s get everything else going.
Chop one large shallot and three to four cloves of garlic.
Now, sauté the shallot and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to continuously stir, because you don’t want the garlic to burn.
Now add one cup of wine, one tablespoon of butter, red pepper flakes, and the juice of one lemon. By the way, if you don’t have a hand held lemon/lime juicer, get one. The amount of juice you get from using one is way more than squeezing it with your hand.
Let this cook on medium heat for about five minutes. You want the alcohol from the wine to cook out.
Now add one can of clams.
I bet you’re saying, “What??? CANNED clams?”
Yes. Canned clams.
They add more clam flavor to the dish. If you don’t want to add them, you don’t have to. Also add one bottle of clam juice. This is a clam pasta dish, so you want all the clam flavor you can get. Just trust me.
Stir and let it simmer for a minute or two and then taste. You’ll notice I haven’t added salt up to this point. With the canned clams and bottled can juice, you may not want or need anymore salt. If you feel it needs more, add it to your taste. If you think it’s a little tart, add more butter.
Once you have it like you want, it’s time to add the clams, but first, put your pasta in the boiling water and cook ’til al dente.
While your pasta is cooking, put the clams in the sauce, and turn the heat up to medium-high. You can cover them, if you want, but I like to keep them moving. By moving them around, you can see which ones are opening. As soon as a clam opens, take it out and put it in a bowl. The reason I do this is so they don’t overcook while the others open.
Some will take longer, so be patient, and keep them moving around. Once you get most of them out of the sauce, and you see a few still are not opening, just toss them. If they don’t open, they’re not good.
Now, add your cooked (al dente) pasta to your sauce and stir around.
Add your clams back to the pan and stir.
T
Time to eat!!
One good addition to any saucy dish is crunchy bread!
My favorite local bread is made by Elmore Mountain Bread.
Man, it doesn’t get any better than this!
(Of course, I added chopped parsley and a little grated parmesan.)
What you’ll need:
2 lbs fresh clams
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)
1 large shallot, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can of clams
1 bottle of clam juice
1 lemon, juiced
1 box of spaghetti
Salt to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
Chopped parsley (optional)
Grated parmesan (optional)
Crusty bread (optional)
Directions:
First, soak your clams for twenty minutes before cooking.
Get a pot of salted water going for your pasta.
Chop one whole shallot and three to four cloves of garlic. Sauté them in one tablespoon of olive oil on med heat for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to continuously stir, because you don’t want the garlic to burn.
Add one cup of wine, one tablespoon of butter, red pepper flakes, and the juice of one lemon. Let this cook on medium heat for about five minutes. You want the alcohol from the wine to cook out.
Add one can of clams and one bottle of clam juice.
Stir and let it simmer for a minute or two and then taste. You’ll notice I haven’t added salt up to this point. With the canned clams and bottle juice, you may not want or need anymore salt. If you feel it needs more, add it to your taste. If you think it’s a little tart, add more butter.
Put your pasta in the boiling water and cook ’til al dente.
While your pasta is cooking, put the clams in the sauce, and keep stirring them until they start opening. As soon as a clam opens, take it out and put it in a bowl. This will ensure they won’t overcook while the others begin to open. Be sure to discard the ones that do not open.
Add your cooked (al dente) pasta to your sauce and stir around. Then add your clams and stir one more time.
Enjoy!
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