Poppies on a string

I love this idea... a string garden and I just love poppies. What a perfect reminder that spring is only a few months away.

{via unruly things}

Botanicals

I spent a day at Phipps Botanical Gardens this weekend. All the gardens were lovely in their own way, but my favorite was the orchid and butterfly garden. There is something just magical about little butterflies flying around everywhere. Made me feel like a little kid.

Oh, and I had another helping of peach cobbler. Twice in one week- not bad at all. I will be buying more of those fuzzy duffers at the farmers market today.

nice little friday

garden hipstamatic

(don't you just love this iphone app?!)

It's a gorgeous day here. A break from the heat and a cool breeze is a welcomed treat after the heat wave. So many of my flowers burned out last week, so I think I'll run to the nursery (yes, again) and hopefully find some other pretty petals that will last through September. I just don't think I can't stand looking at a bare patch in the garden.

I heard this beautiful song on the way to the market this morning. I can't stop listening to it.

I discovered this cute California cutting board via Cup of Jo this morning. I'll forever be a California girl despite living 2500 miles east of the golden state.

Fell in love with these lovely earrings via {wit + delight} and just had to buy them. Bonus: 20% when you use YDT20 upon checkout.

Garden Veggie Galore

I simply love all the good veggies in my community garden this week! Chard, huge zucchini, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers are in abundance. Although, I'm not sure Jon and I can keep up with the amount of cucumbers, it's just a matter of time before I start eating them for breakfast. This might be the week where I test my canning skills.

Garden Harvest

Yesterday was my last day teaching gardening at the public school nearby. We celebrated by harvesting some early spring vegetables and making a meal. We made a mixed green salad and a few other delicious snacks. Hope these recipes inspire you to grab your favorite little one and head to the garden!

{roasted carrots & turnips with herbs}

-cut one bunch of carrots into diagonal pieces

-cut up turnips into 1/2 inch pieces

-add some chopped fennel if yours is ready (ours was too little yet)

Toss ingredients with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. I fancy a little cumin powder on mine. Roast the veggies in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the vegetables start to caramelize. Remove from oven and add a mixture of chopped garden herbs (we used basil & italian parsley), fresh lemon juice & feta. Stir & enjoy!

{homemade hummus for garden veggies}

We had loads of broccoli & sugar snap peas to harvest. My goal was to get every little kiddo to enjoy their broccoli so I decided to make a dip that they can dunk their veggie into... and viola, it worked!

ingredients:

4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed

2 15-oz. cans of garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

2/3 c of roasted tahini

1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 c of water

1/4 c olive oil

salt

In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until smooth. Add salt to taste. Enjoy. Makes about 3 cups.

photo: Veer