Darcy's Beet Salad

Mark took me to Darcy's last weekend and I had this fabulous beet salad.   Extra spectacular fantabulous yum--beets, pineapple, spinach, roasted red pepper, onions, candied pecans, blue cheese with a sweetened vinegarette.  It was a special for the evening, not an everyday menu item, so we'll have to look for it and hope it makes a repeat appearance.

April BK Pictures

I LoVe this picture of Bets and Gumbo!  It seems like forever since we've seen her.

I was feeling sentimental this morning and went out really early to put a card in the mail to Judson.  His 29th birthday is Tuesday, May Day.  We are missing them  something awful and  hope to see them soon.  I need a huge BK hug.

DBG Continued

Just a few more pictures from the Desert Botanical Gardens. Aren't we thankful for our kitchens with running water and electricity?

Not sure what was planted in this vegetable garden, but those are some serious cages to prevent the critters from getting to the seedlings.   These sticks have thorns--also serious--to help keep the critters out too.  My mom makes garden fences with sticks from her butterfly bushes.

And like my mama's butterfly bush fences, this one has started growing. . . Instead of hills, their seedlings are planted in a  depression, then the whole garden is watered by flooding it.  I would have no idea how to grow a garden in Arizona.

Here in Illinois, the irises are blooming.  Hard to believe our gardens are on the same planet.

Butterflies

 Butterflies at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  I want to put out some slices of oranges for the butterflies this summer.  Maybe our midwest butterflies would like them too.  The red bowls in the middle had clear marbles with a little water for the butterflies to drink.

This big man had a big beard and a bigger camera.  The butterfly perched on the back of his hat made me laugh.  Mark and I are already ready to go back to Arizona.

Rannis

 Love ranunculus.  And this bunch was  fabulous.  Every single bloom was different and perfect.  Did you hear that Dick Clark died?  I loved him.  I hope we get to see his flowers.

Denver Botanical Garden

We loved the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.  So different from our midwest and southern gardens.

I've been thinking about how to put more massing in our Canada Garden. . .  And not just three of one thing. . . Maybe one plant times 25.   Why not? Well, actually, I can tell you why not.  I have a really hard time choosing just one.

No idea what this yellow blooming tree is, but I love it, especially with all the yellow cactus blooms surrounding it.

And while we might not be able to grow these kinds of plants, I could go for one of these fountains in the back yard. 

Huge aloe plant.  Huge.

The volunteers told us it's rare for this cactus to bloom. 

And rarer to see this little dude.  You'll have to look for him.  We almost missed him.

Next I'll show you pictures of the butterfly house.  Maybe I can talk Mark into putting one of those in the back yard :)

Recipe Book

Yes, I know Pinterest has thousands of great recipes, but for Easter I wanted something from my church days.  This 1980s recipe book from Christ Methodist Church in Lexington  is falling apart and it makes me smile every time I use it. I remember my good friends Cindy and Linda and Nancy and Alan and Peggy and wonder where they are and what they are doing these days. 

 I believe there's a little piece of cake left that would make a good breakfast today.  Cake for breakfast should make for a happy Tuesday, don't you think?

Easter Menu

Cucumbers & Onions with Hendrickson's Marinade
Grilled Butterfly Pork Chops with Famous Dave's Rib Rub
Diced Sweet Potatoes with Sea Salt
Green Beans
Hawaiian Style Dinner Rolls

No deviled eggs today.  No ham.  But still, a pretty good feast.  And for desert, Texas Sheet Cake with Strawberries and Reddi Whip.  Which I have already sampled because I needed to make this picture for the blog :)

I'll share the cake recipe with you next.  Hope your Easter is hoppy and happy. 

Happy Easter!

Easter!   We have much to be thankful here on this Easter weekend.  It was a glorious Saturday--morning at the flower shop, afternoon shopping with Mark, a nap, and then tonight I baked a cake for tomorrow's dinner.

Love this little bunny vase that PJ gave to me.  The daffodils are fading in the garden with all this warm warm weather.  But the May flowers are already well in bud so there's lots to enjoy out there along with an extremely healthy looking crop of weeds.  The Easter bunny brought baskets for our Kyle and Betsy who will be coming to Springfield for a visit soon.   May your Easter be happy too :)