I have tomato sprouts!!

Let's start off with saying, I made dinner tonight. Polish Lasagna and buttered bread with flaked sea salt. You'll see those pictures below in the slide show.

So, I'm one of those hovering people when they start their seeds. I'm fascinated by watching them start off, and this year since I'm doing a "test" of different mixes of Peat Moss and Vermiculite, its even more important that I at least pay attention. So far, the 50/50 mix is doing the best, but, it is also full of nothing but pole beans. If you don't know, beans have to be one of the easiest things to start.

1. Hole - Dig
2. Put bean in hole
3. Cover with a little dirt
4. Dampen Soil
5. Watch grow

It is really is that easy. It does need a little bit of light, but they really aren't hard to grow. Love em to grow, not fond of them to eat. Odd isn't it?

I took pictures of my babies that I saw today. I about did the excited girl squeal when I saw them. I think the big thing that helped is that I got my heating mat today for my table. There were no sprouts today in the tomato/pepper tray, and at about 12:30 am this morning, as I was getting ready to put a little bit of Vermiculite in that particular tray, I saw em. So pretty and precious. They're ones that I haven't started from seed before so that is why I was super excited.

I also took pictures of my giant calico bean, and when they say giant, they mean giant. I'll have to start those next year right away in their own bigger pot and hope they don't get transplant shock, or just wait and direct sow them. If the soil is at least somewhat warm, they'll sprout. Maybe I'll make that a test for next year. I'll grow beans side by side in two squares and compare direct sown with transplants. I'll be doing a similar thing with carrots this year. You can read that -+-here-+-. I ordered my carrots and hopefully I can get the French seeds.

Check it out! I'm really wanting to set up a time lapse camera to truly watch everything. My mac daddy camera isn't set up to do that though and I don't think my wee little one is either. I'll have to do a little bit of research on that. I'll have to choose just one seed flat to start with and have that be my "go to" for that year. My research project if you will. It would be a nice goal, but I think everyone who is a hobby gardener if you will, knows that keeping notes gets old.

Well, I'm getting tired. I'm going to call it a night.

Green Grape Tomato

Black Pear Tomato

Plum Lemon Tomato - Not pictured (over excited)

Chocolate Cherry Tomato

再見！

A Dinner Delight (Yesterday)

Well my pictures posted backwards so we'll start with desert first. People say you should anyways. This is my concoction of chocolate ice cream, chocolate syrup, and some chocolate cereal with marshmallows. It is SO good. I don't eat it all the time, but when I do I scarf it down.

Who can go wrong with bread warmed in the oven? No one I say. I felt obligated to add some bread to the meal since the hubby usually makes fun of me for not doing it. I'm not from the south, I'm from the north, bread wasn't a staple on the table with meals. I tell him he knows where the bread is. This meal though, I delivered.

This is the pretzel bread crumbs I made to top my roasted garlic. We had one of those huge plastic things with pretzels that were way to salty for either of us. I didn't just want to throw them out, so I grab a few, pounded them a lot, threw them in a pot with a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of olive oil and browned them away. I have to say, I might be doing more pretzel bread crumbs, it was sooooo good.

Ahh, the roasted cauliflower that I ate the heck out of. I partially boiled it in some water (unsalted because I forgot), once it was about half way done, I drained it, threw it on a baking pan sprayed with corn oil spray with a sprinkling of salt. I threw the cauliflower on the pan, gave it a toss and roasted for about 10 minutes. It didn't have to cook long, just enough to get the water off and get a little brown. It was very good. I almost liked it more than the main meal.

Tada! The main course. Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole. I scaled it down to 6 servings, mixed swiss and mild while cheddar, didn't use the mushrooms, and used 3 chicken thighs that I boiled in a water, white wine, and red onion liquid. It still needed something, and what I think it needs is a garlic crouton bottom and some grated onion mixed in with the sour cream and and cream of chicken mix. It just seemed to lack a few things and I think those changes would help. I was worried that it wasn't all going to fit in the pan but there was plenty of room.

Tonight for dinner was frozen pizza, so no pictures, nothing special. I'll have to check what I want to make tomorrow for dinner, if anything. I might just go and get something since the hubby has to work tomorrow night. Lame.

Ciao!

Ohmagosh, I have pictures!

Upper left, cauliflower cheese soup. It was good but thicker than I wanted. I will be using this recipe again.

Upper right, bratwurst boiling away in water and beer. I do this so they can be cooked mostly through and then get their color on the grill without burning them.

Lower left, hubby's steak burger. It's about an inch and a half thick and truly tastes like a steak when it's cooked. It's really good.

Lower middle, the cooked brats and burger with the addition of turkey dogs at hubby's request.

Lower right, ore-ida french fries. There are just something that I wont skimp on and french fries are one of them, these just always turn out the best.

That's all you get! Ciao!