I wouldn’t make a good baker…

As someone who likes order and structure in my life and things around me I wouldn’t make a good baker. Baking needs precise measurements to get things right. I am more of “a little of this, a little of that” type of cook.

The day after Christmas here in the States and it’s chilly and wet outside. No yard work today! When I arrived back in Raleigh yesterday afternoon from the coast the sky was blue and the sun was shining. The temperature was a little chilly but it still was a good day to walk around the arboretum.

The prunus Mumes and witch-hazels were beginning to bud out. I need to add a few to my garden!

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The mahonias, too, were blooming.

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The winter flowering irises where beautiful and always a nice surprise!

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For some unknown reason I wanted potatoes and onions this morning which brings me back to the point of this post. I had no recipe in mind. I sautéed onions and garlic in some oil. Added a few cut up potatoes and some spices such as cumin, turmeric, a few drops of tobasco, and red ground pepper and half-an-hour later my tummy was full!

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Thank goodness for the spice rack!

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Back to the garden. Winter is the best time to do the hardcore maintenance. I will be working soon on the brick boarders and stepping stones. It is also the time to look at the basic structure and layout of the garden. It may be time to tweak the positions of those plants which grew larger than expected!
Xxx

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Winter has settled in …

Temperatures are regularly reaching the low 30s now but there still is plenty of color and life in the garden.

Some creature was hungry and was able to remove one of the side covers from the kitchen compost bin . I will have to shore it up with some bricks or rocks.

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The nandinas, which line the fence and house, are loaded with berries.

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The Oakleaf hydrangeas are still holding on to a few red leaves.

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“Jacob” hellebore is loaded with buds.

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This clump of galanthus has been blooming for a month!

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Many plants which look dead still provide some structure and architectural detail to the Winter garden:

Basjoo banana

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And hydrangeas

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Also, the Boylan Heights Neighborhood ArtWalk was last Sunday. Lots of people and some interesting art.

http://artwalk.boylanheights.org/

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Paper Flowers from Flower Thyme   https://www.etsy.com/shop/flowerthyme

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And the chickens in the community garden were busy checking out all the activity!

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XX

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Penne rigate with homemade cheese bechamel sauce

Nothing is better than a fresh made bechamel sauce. It is called the mother sauce for good reason. It’s the beginning of so many good sauces.

I strongly believe one of the issues that is wrong with the American diet, besides eating too much, is not consuming a varied diet. In previous times people ate a changing diet based on fresh seasonal food. Today most of us eat the same thing almost on a daily basis. It’s unhealthy and doesn’t allow our body to rid itself of unhealthy elements, as well as a chance to absorb all the various nutrients it needs.

But I digress! Picture it. Sicily, a young hungry peasant girl buys a large bag of penne rigate…

Penne Rigate with homemade cheese bechamel and roasted Brussel sprouts in olive oil and lemon juice

2 3/4 cups dry pasta
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and pepper

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1) boil the pasta in four cups of water until al dente – about 9 minutes

2) meanwhile, in a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter

3) add salt, pepper, dry mustard, and flour and cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly

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4) add the milk and stir constantly until thickened. After about four minutes the bechemel will thicken.

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5) add the shredded cheese and stir constantly until smooth.

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6) when the cheese has been incorporated, lightly butter a 2 quart casserole dish and pour in the drained pasta.

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7) pour the cheese sauce over the pasta evenly and mix it in. I sprinkled fresh pepper on top.

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8) bake at 350f for 25 minutes.

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Roasted Brussel sprouts with lemon and olive oil

1) remove stems from sprouts and cut in half

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2) place sprouts in a bowl and coat with the juice of one lemon and about a quarter cup of olive oil.

3) spread the sprouts evenly on a pan and roast for about half an hour at 400f or until the edges become crispy.

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Enjoy! I am posting this from my IPhone- please excuse the sloppy editing. I will have to clean it up later! 🙂
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