Recharging the batteries

It has been a much needed and deserved weekend at the frog ranch house. Cooking has been sporadic lately due to a lack of time and energy. I managed to pull it together and make a kick ass dinner on Saturday night. We started with some chips and guacamole, using this recipe- which is oh-my-god yummy. I added red onions to the recipe, because you can never have have enough onions.



Seriously, is this food porn or what?



We worked our way up to a nice slow cooked dinner of baby back ribs slathered in barbeque sauce. Ribs were served with smashed potatoes, boiled then roasted and topped with salt, pepper and rosemary. Grilled corn coated in a compound butter of chili pepper and lime completed the dish. Recipes here, here and here.







Sunday, we spent the afternoon strolling around the Long Beach Flea Market. I am thrilled to see that it has grown larger in the past 6 months, and that there are so many people walking up and down the aisles. I managed to pick up a few things, including a black depression glass bowl for my Halloween collection, and a few pretty silver-plate platters. It is never too early to get ready for Halloween!!



We lunched at beachwood bbq. If you have not been here yet, go. Now. Seriously, right now.

The weekend ended with a very sweet and beautiful gift from my mother: a lovely set of the glassware- the same kind that is served at the Ritz Carlton. We went to the Ritz for mother's day tea, and I completely fell in love with their stemware. If I hadn't been carrying a clutch...



Luckily, now I have my own to cherish and enjoy! Thanks again mom, these are amazing.

All work and no play makes jack a dull frog

My posts have been infrequent recently, thanks to some insane work deadlines and a general feeling of exhaustion. I had a few posts started and never published, but I've decided to go ahead anyway and just finish them. I'll try and make up for lost time and post some lovely things I have seen and done recently.



The community garden is in full swing. In addition to all the wonderful corn, tomatoes, peppers and basil that is growing, there is an abundance of lovely flowers in bloom including sunflowers, dahlias, and zinnias.



Unfortunately there was a plague that swept through the garden and gave every one's squash a nasty disease. I came out to my plot to find a bright red flier attached to one of my tomato cages. The scarlet letter indicated that I had to rip out all my squash plants immediately, in order to ensure that the soil does not become diseased. I am learning that the community garden is the plant equivalent of a brothel. If there is something icky going around, everybody is most likely going to get it!



So no zucchini, no pumpkins and no spaghetti squash for now. I might replant some pumpkins, but I'm going to wait a few weeks to make sure this virus is gone for good. Luckily the tomatoes are healthy and looking good, as well as the rest of the garden crops. I am fascinated by the tomatillo plants. They look like little paper lanterns while they are growing:



In other news, work has recently taken me to San Luis Obispo. Had a wonderful solo meal at this lovely restaurant. On the way home, I stopped off a rest area just north of Santa Barbara and snapped a few photo with my Nikon:







It has been a busy few months, but I cannot complain.

How I am feeling...

Like busting out into Indian song and dance. Seriously- if there was a Bollywood dance class at my gym, I would be 95 pounds right now.



And have a lovely Friday.

i heart this song

isnt zooey deschanel just scrumptious?

Have a lovely weekend.

weekend musings.

1. been thinking about becoming a vegetarian again. I quit the veg scene when I was about 23- but now at 31, I understand nutrition better and the whole industrial agriculture machine sickens me. The health payoff is definitely worth it, and it makes sense. i guess i'm going to have to add juicer and food dehydrator to the list of culinary tools i need to buy.
   


2. been on an ebay shopping spree lately. picked up a few little pots to plant succulents in, and a nice milk glass platter. it is time to start filling this house up with useless, decorative, crap.

3. this beer is dangerous.

4. Bailey had her first trip to the dog park. How did she do? Awesome.

5. This almost made me barf.

I Hope you are having a great weekend too.

The plot thickens

My summer garden is just about fully planted now. I am pretty sure with 9 tomato plants, I am just about pushing my limit at the community plot. I have basil (from seed) interplanted between the tomato plants and I also planted some zinnia and sunflower seeds along the edges of the outer beds. I also directly sowed some pumpkin, lettuce, beet and carrot seeds. Someone told me that Long Beach gets too hot in the summer to grow carrots, but all my garden books are telling me to go for it, so I am.

Zukes and peppers are starting to do their thing:





I planted a tomatillo plant, and it is doing really well. I am sure I have probably eaten one in salsa before, but I am still somewhat mystified by this tomato cousin. It will be interesting to see what this plant yields.



I keep pulling beautiful large carrots out from the patch. I still can't get over the fact that a fresh-pulled carrot smells so fragrant. They have an almost perfume quality to them! I have to say, so far all my purchases from Baker Creek Seeds have brought the biggest payoff. The rocky top lettuce blend has performed very well, and it is a lovely salad blend. The carrots are the chantenay red core and tonda di parigi heirloom varieties. And the herbs! they are just beautiful. The cilantro is out of control. I am collecting new recipes this week. How does cucumber and cilantro salad sound?



Yes, this basil smells as good as it looks. I have to keep slapping my own hands to stop from picking it while it is still small:



I can't wait to start having tomato basil salads!!!