A Good Week

We had a nice candlelight Italian supper at home tonight. Great ending to a good week. Lasagna, and tossed salad.

And crusty bread with "Italian butter" from the recipe I got at gardening class with Bonny yesterday. (Class was on herbs this time). It is Mmmwah .... deliziosa!

Italian Butter

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp basil

1/8 tsp rosemary (crushed)

1/8 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)

fresh ground pepper

1 dash red pepper flakes

1 large clove of garlic (crushed)

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Mix together dry spices. Add crushed garlic. Place on small saucer & pour oil over mixture.

Dip with your favorite artisan bread.

I made a larger version of this, and didn't measure anything. Also added fresh italian parsley and oregano from my kitchen garden, rather than dry. I've had bread and different dipping oils at restaurants before, but this is my favorite by far.

I didn't pig out at dinner though, because this was chilling in the fridge. (Sure glad I cleaned the fridge today, so there was room!)

MMMmmmmm, yum, I just love Tirimisu and a cup of coffee!
A sweet little reward for a bit of productivity this week.

Finally! Enough stamina to get a few things accomplished! Mixed crocus and Apricot Impression tulip bulbs got planted. It was either get them in the ground or risk my self-imposed ultimatum....Never be allowed to buy them AGAIN! My track record in the follow through on bulb planting has been sorry the past few years.

Leaves got raked (there's more where they came from, unfortunately). They were put as mulch on the blueberry bushes, currants, and marionberry and concord grape vines.

Our area has quite stringent backyard burning laws , so the burnpile gets pretty large with orchard prunings, etc. I am always so happy to hear the words "backyard burning is allowed today from ......." on the phone recording at the burn #. Particularly when I'm set to be home and working outside. Wednesday was one of those days, YAY!

Chicken House "litter" (nice word for it, don't ya think?) was wheelbarrowed to the asparagus bed. Asparagus is such a "heavy feeder", and ours was sort of anemic this year. Hopefully this will help.

After weeks at home, some time out shopping was welcomed. I was ecstatic to find some things I needed and had been having trouble finding, for a christmas gift project I'm working on. Jim was the lucky companion, who got to share in the stares, when I got absolutely giddy. "Oh, I'm so happy! SOOOO happy!" (And that's all I can say about that right now)

The main Thanksgiving menu purchases have been made. A certain little girl helping me, made sure there were plenty of mushrooms for the stuffing, and of course sparkling cider. We are so looking forward to a great week, next week. Can't wait for the chicks to migrate home to the nest.