The Realization Sinks In

Fred and Ethel, the garden friendly dogs, are now fourteen weeks old and the realization of owning two big dogs is sinking in!!

On their second trip to the vet (which was only three weeks from their first visit), Fred had grown in size from about 9 lbs. to 17 lbs. while Ethel had gone from 8 lbs. to 14lbs.  The vet said he expected them to be 60 - 70 lbs. at their adult weight.  Holy cow!!! That's way bigger than their mama! They have outgrown two collars and three beds.
 

Their sweet puppy antics have turned into bad teenager shenanigans....

like digging up flower beds...

and getting into places they shouldn't be!

 There is a hole around every tree in our yard.

 

As you know, I am reading books by Cesar Milan, the dog whisperer, for guidance on raising garden friendly dogs.  He says that puppies get into trouble when they get bored so I have been diligent about changing chew toys on a rotating basis and making them more "jungle gyms" to ward off their boredom.

Since we don't want to break the bank buying chew toys, we use lots of things from around the house and they love them just as well as store bought toys.

Homemade jungle gyms are easy too.

 

The orange thing in the background is our temporary dog fence.  We will install an underground fence soon.

As far as the digging goes, any area they dig up in a flower bed is immediately forgotten by them once I recover it with pine straw.  The holes at the base of the pine trees aren't very deep so I'm just ignoring them, however they recently started on a few random holes out in the middle of the lawn, and well, that just can't be!! 

Ironically the shape of the holes they dug perfectlynmatched my emotion upon seeing them!!

Now Cesar says that you should buy a child's wading pool and fill it with sand.  Then bury a toy in the sand and let the dogs dig for it.  Next, take the same toy and bury it in an "off limits" area.  When the dogs start to dig for it, stop them and walk them back to the wading pool.  Supposedly, they will learn that there is only one place they are allowed to dig and I'm sure they would , but.....

 .......there are a few problems with this method here at Turkey Creek Garden.  First, there are no wading pools in the stores in January and by the time there are, my yard will be as pitted as the surface of the Moon.  Second, I don't really want a wading pool sitting in my yard year round. So I have decided that when the Cesar Milan method doesn't fit our needs, we are going to go with the other dog whisperer I know, my grandmother, Dovie Wiggins.

 I can actually hear Grandma Wig's voice in my mind. After a good laugh she would say, "Shelli Lynn, those are just dogs.  A swimming pool!! I have never heard of such a thing in all my days! What you need is some red pepper!! Just a little in each hole and they won't come back!"

She was right!!  I hated to do it and spent time on the Internet making sure there were no dangers. In the end I tried it out.  After a couple of sneezes and a lot of barking at the betrayal of their former fun places to dig, they haven't returned to digging in the old holes.   Every now and then I see them stick their noses into the holes, but they always walk away and as of yet, (knock on wood), no new holes have been started.

So for now, all is well with the garden friendly dogs and I have to say that I love them with all my heart!!

                                                                                   Love ya'll too, Shelli   

Collard Greens and Black-eyed Pea Soup for a Cold Winter Day

It's COLD up here in North Louisiana!!! Our low was 15 degrees yesterday and we aren't expected to have a day time temperature higher than 50 degrees for the next seven days!! That kind of weather calls for a big, hot pot of soup and since I had to harvest collard greens before the extreme low temperatures Wednesday night, I searched for a recipe that used them.

I found this recipe at www.eatingwell.com :

Collar Greens and Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Makes: 6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes          

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, (4 sliced and 1 whole), divided
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 5 cups chopped collard greens, or kale leaves (about 1 bunch), tough stems removed
• 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed
• 6 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain, cut on the diagonal
• 6 tablespoons shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
• 2 slices cooked bacon, finely chopped

 

***I used Swanson's new flavored chicken broth - the Cajun one.
      I also added one pound of bulk turkey sausage

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in collard greens (or kale), reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig. Stir in black-eyed peas; remove from the heat and cover.
2. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
3. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Rub each bread slice with the remaining garlic clove. (Discard garlic.) Turn the slices over and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the cheese toasts and bacon.

Nutrition

Per serving: 192 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 12 g protein; 5 g fiber; 518 mg sodium; 253 mg potassium

James and I didn't get to enjoy the baguette with cheese and bacon, as we are trying to slim down before Katherine's wedding.  I didn't even tell him it was a possibility :)

                                                                                                              Enjoy,
                                                                                                                   Shelli

Hurry!!!

When it gets this cold and rainy in the winter, it helps to bring your gardening inside where it is warm.  If you have a sunny window, you can grow fragrant narcissus (paper whites) and stunning amaryllis indoors. They will brighten your house and well as your mood during the coming weeks.  They also make wonderful Valentine gifts!

amaryllis picture from
www.whiteflowerfarm.com

narcissus picture from
containergardening.about.com

So hurry to Walmart where their narcissus and amaryllis bulb kits are on sale for $2.50 - $3.50.  I started some narcissus in my kitchen window yesterday.

I am privileged to be working with the Ruston Junior High Garden Club, a great group of seventh and eighth grade garden enthusiasts.  We started amaryllis bulbs Monday.

For the fun of it, here is the Greek myth about Narcissus:

A young girl named Echo fell in love with a vain youth named Narcissus.  One day when Narcissus was out hunting, Echo followed the handsome youth through the woods, longing to address him but unable to speak first. When Narcissus finally heard her footsteps he shouted "Who goes there?" Echo answered "...goes there? ...goes there?" And so it went, until finally Echo showed herself and rushed to embrace Narcissus. He pulled away and vainly told her to leave him alone. Narcissus left Echo heartbroken and she spent the rest of her life lonely and pining away for the love she never knew until only her voice remained.

Eventually Narcissus became thirsty and went to drink from a stream. As he saw his reflection, he fell in love with it, not knowing that it was him. As he bent down to kiss it, it seemed to "run away" and he was heartbroken. He grew thirstier, but wouldn't touch the water for fear of damaging his reflection. He eventually died of thirst,  staring at his own reflection.

 

 The narcissus flower is closely identified with the boy and was said to spring from the ground around the pool where Narcissus died. In the Roman version it is suggested that Narcissus is transformed into the flower.  This myth also gives birth to the idea of narcissistic behavior.

Narciso by Caravaggio hangs in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome



 

 

Metamorphosis of Narcissus by Salvador Dali hangs in the Tate Modern in London

 

Love ya'll,

                 Shelli

Drug Detector

 

OK, it's time for another OBC school story and this is one of my favorites!

Remember changing classes in junior high and high school? The bell rings and doors bust open causing previously quiet, empty hallways to erupt with student's voices laughing and teasing as they  flood the space into a sea of flowing kids.

We teachers always stood outside the doors to our classrooms to keep an eye on the students as they changed classes.  Every now and then a fight would break out and we were there to break it up, but most of the time we just visited with each other until class started again.

There are so many components that make up a good job that you love. For me it was, of course, the students, then supportive administration, but most of all fun people to work with.  For several years I taught next door to a coach/science teacher who was one of the funniest people I know.  As we stood in the hall between classes he was always telling jokes or relating funny stories about his students. He was just so quick witted that he kept us in hysterics all the time!

Well one day, we opened our doors to find the I.T. guys from the school board installing a modem on the ceiling so we could go wireless.  The modem was round and reminded me of a large Frisbee.  When it was operational, it had yellow and green blinking lights and then looked like a miniature spaceship attached right in the middle of the ceiling in the hallway outside our doors.

During the next class change, Coach Thomas and I were standing there looking at and talking about the new modem, when a student halfway down the hall from us called out, "Coach, what's that new thing up on the ceiling?"  Without missing a beat, Coach replied, "Drug detector!"

Suddenly, that flowing hallway full of students parted like the Red Sea!  Not one child dared pass under the new "drug detector"!  Instead they nonchalantly squished up against the walls as they passed, still talking to their friends but covertly cutting their eyes up to the ceiling.......

I have never laughed so hard in all my life!! Of course the rumor passed through the student body like wildfire, providing us teachers with days of entertainment.  Oh my goodness, it was epic!!

                                                                       Love ya'll, Shelli

Healthy New Year's Recipes From the Lowly Cauliflower

 

 

CAULIFLOWER “COUSCOUS”

(A tasty substitute for starchy vegetables like mashed potatoes, rice or traditional couscous-- cost effective and goes a long way)

1 regular sized head of cauliflower

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

In a food processor, process the florets from the cauliflower until they resemble small grains, or grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater (using the large-hole shredder) until the entire head of florets is grated down and you’re left with the stalk to discard.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the cauliflower, garlic, pine nuts, and parsley, and saute, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower begins to brown.

NOTE:  For extra flavor, add pitted, chopped olives or ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese to the cauliflower while it’s cooking.

 

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 med. onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 med. cauliflower, cut into 2-inch chunks

1/4 cup raw cashews

2 T. sesame seeds or 1 T. tahini

1/4 avocado

salt and pepper to taste

1 T. chopped parsley

Heat oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute' for 5 minutes, until translucent.  Then add 4 cups water and the cauliflower, cashews, and sesame seeds or tahini.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

Let cool for 5 minutes.  Transfer to blender and blend with the avocado until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle with 1/4 t. olive oil and chopped parsley to serve.

Living Deeply

Happy New Year, again!!! I hope your holidays were fun and restful although those two rarely go hand in hand.  This morning at church I was behind a man and his wife  when someone asked how their holidays were.  The wife said they were great, but the husband added,  "I'm glad they're over! I'm sick of eating too much and having people over all the time and having the house messed up! I'm ready to get back in a routine!"

His candor was funny and I guess I never think of the holidays from a man's point of view...I'm always working on a "to do" list that seems a million miles long and never stop to reflect on much of anything leading up to Christmas.  My Sunday School ladies lamented that during the holidays they ended up going to Walmart every day for something or the other.

The holidays are a busy time, but I wouldn't trade the family time for anything.  We partied hardy this holiday season - we have lots to be thankful for.  There was our favorite Dirty Santa event followed by the children opening gifts.  We adults don't give gifts anymore - we make donations to favorite charities in honor of each other instead.  Then we had a small wedding engagement "party" with cookies and champagne in anticipation of  Katherine and Collin's April wedding. 

 

Carole taught us how to make royal icing cookies this year!  I enjoyed making these for our little party.

 

On the 28th, we had a Wonder Woman birthday party for our sister.  She loved Wonder Woman as a child and had a Wonder Woman bathing suit.  My mom's good friend, Pam, painted Jamie in that suit from a photo we took on a family outing.  The painting and the suit were the inspiration for the party and the cake; that and the fact that Jamie is our Wonder Woman.

 

What a cake!!!  Another great job by Lou Pennington!

It was all wonderful, but I must admit I agree with the man from church who missed his routine; I was ready to shift out of "busy mode" and get back to normal.  Then the pastor put what I was feeling into words when he said in Sunday's sermon that it was time for us to get back to "living deeply instead of busily".

That was it!! The time for running to Walmart every day is over and it will be great to get back to living deeply.  What does that mean to each of us?  For me it is porch/garden time, prayer/scripture time, husband/daughter/family/friends time, writing, and trying to be of some sort of service. What do you do in your daily life to give it deep meaning?  Not deep meaning to others - to you!

Having Katherine at home is a great treat! One of the things she does for us is give us private yoga lessons.  It was such fun to do yoga with my 75 year old parents and my 28 year old daughter!!! Three generations stretching and twisting and living to tell the tale; what memories! At the end of our lesson, my mom told Katherine that during that session she realized her neck was sore.  Katherine told her that her body was telling her that her next yoga session needed to focus on the neck and shoulders.  "Listen to your body; it will tell you what you need next".  She said that most people set up exercise plans they think they need such as cardio three days a week, weights two days a week, etc. rather than listening to their body and let it tell them what they really need.

Her comment stuck with me and connected with the pastor comments on living deeply.  So instead of making a list of New Year's resolutions that I think I need, I am just going to try to live deeply in 2015 listening to my heart and God tell me what that means, one day at a time. The joy is in the journey........

                                                                                       Love ya'll, Shelli

Happy New Year!!!

 

 

Happy 2015!!!

As you enjoy your black-eyed peas and cabbage, here's some food for thought:

 

 

Be at War with your Vices, at Peace with your Neighbours, and let every New-Year find you a better Man.

~Quoted in Benjamin Franklin's 1755 Poor Richard's Almanac, December 

 

The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!

~Edward Payson Powell

 

Every man should be born again on the first of January. Start with a fresh page.

 Take up one hole more in the buckle, if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but, on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take interest in the things that are and are to be, and not in the things that were and are past.

~Henry Ward Beecher, "A Completed Year," 1882 December 31st

 

 

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

We will open the book. Its pages are blank.

We are going to put words on them ourselves.

The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

 ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
 

 

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.

~Oprah Winfrey
 

 

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.
~Martin Luther

Love ya'll, Shelli