Category Archives: General Gardening

May 4, 2016 · 5:42 AM

Iris season and a trip to the coast.

April’s shower brings May’s flowers…so the saying goes. The end of April saw the garden full of German irises and the yellow water iris.


My birthday is May 1st so a trip to the coast was on order. About an hour East of Raleigh is Greenville. It’s a small city where East Carolina University is located. It is a great small town and I enjoyed living there while I attended ECU.

We stopped in Greeville at a Mongolian Grill Resturant. You fill a bowl with veggies and such from a buffet. Hand it to the cook and he cooks it on a flat grill while you wait. Served with a flat bread of which I would like to make some day.

I felt as if someone was watching us as we ate!


 Another hour and a half drive East and you are on the central coast of North Carolina. I grew up in Morehead City and spent many summers in Salter Path which is on Bogue Banks, one of the string of islands that separate the mainland from the Atlantic Ocean.

A house on Bogue Banks in Atlantic Beach


The Morehead City waterfront


We also visited Beaufort, North Carolina


And drove over the bridge to Bogue Banks to the Civil War era Fort Macon


And ate seafood!

Fried bluefish, hush puppies, collards, and potato salad 

A shrimp burger 

I love the names of these rental bikes!


And then it was time to go back home to Raleigh!

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April 26, 2016 · 7:47 PM

Triangle Bonsai Expo. 

Triangle Bonsai Expo. Hosted by the Triangle Bonsai Society in Cooperation with the JC Raulston Arboretum …A few pictures!





Triangle Bonsai Expo was this past weekend and was hosted by the Triangle Bonsai Society in Cooperation with the JC Raulston Arboretum. 

http://trianglebonsai.com

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April 16, 2016 · 4:18 AM

A recipe and update on Gus’ cancer 

Spring has been in full swing for sometime. Along the front walk my thirteen years of gardening has filled every space!


Gus is well. For a dog with lung cancer it doesn’t slow him down! He will have a second chemo treat Thursday to slow the growth. No estimated lifespan. A few weeks after the treatment they will take radiographs to see if it helps. He goes every week for blood test to check his liver function to make sure the NSAIDs are not damaging its function.


I have been cooking at home most weekends as Gus’ treatments are expensive. It is the perfect season as asparagus and other Spring vegetables are fresh here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. I will try to post a few recipes!

A staple in the winter is some type of curried vegetables. They are flavorful and warm. The recipe can vary but this is what I cooked up last night.

Curried vegetables with grilled tofu


Ingredients–

A quarter of a block of firm tofu

A small package of frozen vegetables

1 cup vegetable stock

Curry powder, turmeric powder, crushed red pepper powder

1/2 inch of fresh ginger root

2 garlic cloves

Instructions: 

1) heat about a tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat and preheat the grill on high

2) grate the ginger with the small holes on a box grader, dice the garlic, and add them to the pan and stir until heat through- about three minutes

3) add the bag of frozen vegetables and stir to mix with the ginger and garlic – mix well for a minute or so to coat well with the oil and garlic/ginger. Add a teaspoon of tumeric, a tablespoon of curry powder, and 1/8 (or to taste) teaspoon ground red pepper, add the stock and mix well and cover with a lid

4) while the vegetables are cooking cut the tofu into bite size pieces. Grill until heated through and turning it- about five minutes

5) mix the grilled tofu with the curried vegetables and serve with your choice of bread. A naan or flat bread would be perfect.


Gus on guard!

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