Janet's House

Travel By Car

 

Even though our driving time to Missoula was 9 hours each way, I can still appreciate a few things. Here is my top ten list.

Top 10 things about traveling by car:

1. You can pack extra pairs of shoes, for any weather, any occasion, or any whim.
2. You can take your own pillow, or even your blanket.
3. You don’t have to crawl across someone in the seat next to you when you have to go to the bathroom—but you do have to get the driver to make a stop.
4. You can choose music, movies, books, magazines, needlework, or a nap (when you’re the passenger).
5. You get to see lots of things you’d miss if you flew over them.
6. If in doubt about the weather you can take whatever clothes choices you want.
7. You can carry your own food with you and can eat when you want, or stop to eat when and where you want.
8. You don’t have to carry travel size everything.
9. You get some good one on one time with your spouse or kid.
10. You don’t have to go through security!!

Montana Bound

We’re off to Missoula Montana this morning. 9 hours in the car, so we’ve brought lots of music (650 songs downloaded to my iPhone) and are excited to visit the University of Montana. I love Missoula with it’s small village feel, yet as with most college towns, there’s culture all around.

I’m eager to check out my favorite fabric shop, antique shop and our favorite restaurants. I’ve only ever visited in the summer so am anxious the see Missoula in the early spring.

I’ll take lots of pictures and try for a Sunday Quote post that reflects our visit. Stay tuned!

Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes

This book is so beautiful. It’s a cookbook, gardening book and of course a coffee table book that’s great for inspiration. It’s fresh and full of practical information. The food photographs are mouth-watering and the book is full of tips and suggestions. It’s the kind of book I love just thumbing through it for ideas and inspiration of what to grow and what to cook.

The author, Jeanne Kelley lives with her landscape designer husband and their children in Southern California so of course her year round garden zone is enviable. She is able to garden and entertain outside year round and it shows. Her whole family is involved in growing organic vegetables, raising chickens and a goat.  Ms. Kelley is a writer for Bon Appetit magazine and has written and developed recipes for a variety of publications.

Jeanne Kelley takes us into her home and backyard garden. She shares the basics of what to stock in your kitchen pantry and the essential equipment necessary for a working family kitchen. The book is full of delicious sounding recipes made from fresh home grown ingredients.

I enjoy a book that shares my many passions. A backyard garden and what to cook with your harvest. Eating healthy, tasty food that you’ve grow in your own garden…what could be better than that? This might be just the book to indulge, inspire and help feed yourself and your own gardening passions.

Catching up in the Spring Garden

After a very wild weather week here in the northwest the weekend proved that spring has arrived. We were able to work in the yard and accomplished a lot of weeding and tidying. Although I claim to detest the mundane act of weeding, it always proves a time to plan, ponder and organize. Working right down there in the soil I can see what plants need, where they might be moved and awkward spaces where something needs to be planted.

This little spot in my front yard is coming along. The Heuchera in front are a bit messy after the winter but with their new lime green growth they will brighten the walk to our front door. I want to add a bit more soil to the area to hill it up just a bit and tuck in a bit of color.

Consider taking a walk around your yard. This is the perfect time to see what your garden might need in the way of anchor plants. Is there a shrub that didn’t make it through the winter? Is there a muddy area that could use a nice evergreen? The winter yard should not look like it’s just waiting for spring.

Although the perennials are mostly still hidden underground, you might be able to spy the tips of a hosta or the spears of a peony. Perhaps taking a photograph of a certain area now and then again in a couple of months will help in your planting plans. Although it often seems boring to tuck in a shrub, they can provide a wonderful backdrop for colorful summer flowering plants.

As far as the vegetable garden goes, this cool weather is the perfect time to plant broccoli and chard.

 

I added rosemary, a couple of Oregano varieties and another Thyme to my herb bed.

 

 

So even though it’s not yet the time for heavy duty gardening, there are still lots of things that can be done to plan, prep and even plant. Get out there and see what’s going on in your garden.

 

Here are a few photos of our late snowfall. What a difference a few days can make!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      The daffodils and primrose hang on during the snow.

 

         

Again, only 5 days apart. I admit, the snow picture looks better. Hydrangeas that need to be deadheaded look much nicer when covered in a blanket of snow.

Sunday Quote

Fresh Berry Nut Bars

 

My son and I have been toying with this recipe for a week or two, each time adjusting and refining until it was healthier and tastier than before. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com via another blog but have since changed it so much I’m pretty sure I can call it my own.

The original calls for 1 cup of flour, but we kept reducing the amount of flour and replacing it with almond meal (I’ll tell you how), until we no longer felt the need for any flour at all. The original also called for 3/4 cup of seedless raspberry jam but after several different fillings that all tasted too sugary we opted for smashed fresh strawberries. We cut them up and combined them with a squirt of lemon juice and a scant teaspoon of sugar to draw out their juices. We tried frozen but they made the bars too damp and a little gooey. Still good but not the best presentation. If frozen berries are your only option, I’d suggest draining them before using. We also opted to add the teaspoon of organic vanilla.  I think when our own berries are ripe this recipe won’t need any added sweeteners. Yum! I’m also anxious to try other fruits as they come in season; think figs, pears or raspberries!

In our quest for a more healthy dessert we were able to leave out the carbs of the flour while adding in the almonds. We couldn’t quite get away from the butter. We tried coconut oil in one of our trials and it was good but after researching found it has more saturated fat than butter. These are really a nice little bar that as far as my family is concerned ‘hits the spot.’ In some ways it’s less of a bar because its center is soft and the outside crumbly. It’s best eaten with a fork rather than fingers. More like dessert than a grab and go bar. Let me how you like them.

 

Here is our recipe:

1 cup rolled oats + 1/4 cup reserved

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, cut into small pieces)

1 cup fresh strawberries chopped small-combined with 1 teaspoon of sugar or 1/2 packet Truvia

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/2 cup ground almonds for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 X 8 inch square pan with cooking spray (sides and bottom)

 

Place oats, almond meal, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla into food processor and process for about 10 seconds to blend.

Add butter while processor is running and continue until mixture is well combined. The dough will be crumbly and dense.

 

 

 

Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in pan. Press. Set 1 cup aside. Place this cup of crumb mixture back in food processor and add reserved cup of oats. Pulse briefly to combine. This will make the topping a bit more crumbly.

Spread the berries over the dough to within about 1/4” of the edge. Press. Spread remaining crumb mixture over the top and lightly press it into the berries. Sprinkle ground almonds on top and press again.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

 

Notes:

• To make almond meal: Place 1 cup of raw almonds in food processor and pulse until a soft meal is formed.
• For ground almond topping simply do the same as above but for a shorter time. When the almonds are chopped coarsely they are ready.

 

                       Can’t wait till summer! Enjoy!

Ciao Dominica asks Janet a few Questions

Sunday Taylor is a blogger from Southern California who has a beautiful blog that I encourage you to take a look at. It’s aptly named Ciao Dominica, as Dominica, which was her great grandmothers name,  is Italian for Sunday. Her blog is full of gorgeous photographs, many from her travels to the gardens of Europe. Sunday's passion and knowledge of English Literature is shared with favorite books and quotes.

Sunday asked me to answer a few questions the other day as a fun way to get to know more about the person behind Janet’s House. Rather that answer them all at once I think I will answer a few each week. I’m taking my time to answer thoughtfully and making the difficult attempt to not (typically for me) overthink each question. Here are the first few questions and answers. I hope you enjoy them.

 

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE WRITER AND IF SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK BY THAT WRITER?

I love different authors at different times in my life but the book I always go back to is Harper Lees’ To Kill A Mockingbird. I have always been saddened that she only gave the world one book, but to me it is the perfect book. Though the story is told through the eyes of a child, Harper Lee was able to convey emotions on every level. We saw hatred, envy, fear and of course pure, deep love.

When my children were assigned to read the book for school they were at first less than interested; some old book their mother liked; Ugh! I sat with them, determined to get them started, so we began reading it together. It was like pushing them on a swing until they learned to pump for themselves. Before I knew it they were talking to me about the book and we were sharing favorite parts.  I think it was their first grown up book that dealt with grown up issues. They both loved the book and still refer to it as a favorite. We even had a cat named Scout and my daughters young pup is named Harper.

 

IF THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE FROM ANY TIME PERIOD YOU COULD INVITE TO DINNER WHO WOULD THEY BE?

    

My dinner party dream is to enjoy laughter and stories told at my table.  Although there are hundreds of amazing people in history from whom to choose, I wouldn’t want the intimidation some of them might bring to my table. I want to relax, enjoy myself and my guests and I think laughing is the best way to go. I wouldn’t want all funny people or it could become competitive, so here is my guest list:

Jimmy Stewart would be my first choice. Of course I don’t know any real things about him, but I like to think that he would have a similar persona to the characters he played that we all grew to love. As a matter of fact when my Uncle served in the Air Force during World War II Jimmy Stewart was his captain.  I remember hearing good things about him and I think it would initially give us something to talk about.  I’m sure if he was anything like my uncle he would prove to be great fun.

The second person I’d invite would be Jerry Seinfeld. I think he’s the perfect blend of maturity and immaturity that I always enjoy. I’m sure he’d be respectful of my other guests, yet confident enough to entertain us and draw out the fun in everyone. I think he’d like Jimmy Stewart and they’d be good guests to seat next to one another. I know they could get the party rolling.

Katharine Hepburn would be an intriguing guest and I hope we could get her to laugh with us. I think we’d be able to loosen her up and get her to tell us the stories of her life. She never seemed to take herself or her career too seriously and I’m pretty sure she and I would have fun together. She managed to live a fairly normal life even while being a major movie star and carrying on with married Spencer Tracy. I wonder if she’d share any secrets.

John Kennedy would be another favorite. I’m sure we’d all want to sit next to him and ask loads of questions but I hope he’d share some of the fun things we’d want to know about him. I figure with his well known charisma he most likely would enjoy a good laugh and probably have a few stories that would keep the rest of us highly entertained.

I can visualize my guests staying long into the evening and all going home having had a wonderful time. I’d go to bed with questions answered, a big smile, new respect for my guests and completely exhausted.

 

DO YOU LIKE TO COOK?  DO YOU LIKE TO ENTERTAIN AT HOME?  IF THE ANSWER IS YES, WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT AND COOKBOOK AUTHORS?

Yes, I do like to cook and especially enjoy playing around with favorite foods and coming up with something new. Entertaining can feel intimidating but as soon as my guests arrive it’s all about having fun. The trick is to only invite people you enjoy that enjoy each other. Everyone is there for fun and they’ll appreciate your efforts. 

I love the casual yet delicious recipes of Giada DeLaurentiis, Ina Garten, Nigella Lawson and Martha Stewart.  Martha sometimes gets a bad rap but I still love her. She became popular at the same time I became a wife and mother. I’m forever grateful to her for making it acceptable to keep a beautiful home, yet be a strong, modern, independent woman. We were no longer housewives. She taught us how to cook, sew, craft, garden and entertain all with the fearless abandon that I love and admire.

ARE YOU IN A BOOK CLUB?  WHAT IS THE BEST BOOK YOU HAVE READ RECENTLY?

I’m actually in two book clubs and love both. It’s fun getting together for great food, great wine, great company and more often than not a great discussion of our book. Two recent favorites are The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. The Crying Tree spans 20 years of a family's unthinkable loss and pain yet shows the ultimate power of forgiveness. Unbroken is the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who became a lieutenant in the Army Air Force in the Pacific during World War II. This might seem an unlikely book choice for a bunch of women, but we all loved it. The absolute story of survival after being lost at sea then as a prisoner of war was more gripping than anything one could read in a fictional account.

So there are the first of the questions answered. It’s been fun to think about and determine my answers. Next week there’ll be a few more while I work in a photograph or two to accompany them. I hope you enjoyed the fun. Be sure to visit Sunday’s blog and tell her I sent you. Thank you Sunday!

Pillows- A Spring Thing

 

            Happy Spring Everyone!!

 

Even though we’ve been waking up to cold drizzle and even scattered snow flurries the last couple of days, today is officially the first day of Spring. What better time to bring daffodils and yellow pillows into the living room.

I made these three pillow covers ever so simply to fit my pillow forms. 18” square with a zipper opening on one side makes them a quick and easy slipcover. Zippers, while more involved in the sewing process certainly make it simple to change out your pillows. I decided to follow the directions on the zipper package to see if there were any improvements for installation since my 7th grade Home Economics class. There were and I was pleased with my results. By the third zipper I had it down.

Consider making pillows to freshen up your house this season. You only need about 3/4 yard of fabric and if you’re opposed to putting in a zipper you can simply baste the opening closed. There are so many beautiful fabrics in the stores and if you just make slipcovers for your pillows you can have the pleasure of changing your room often. Stay  tuned, I know I’ll be changing them seasonally.

Sunday Quote

 

When you're alone and life is making you lonely
you can always go – Downtown

                                   -Petula Clark

Add a Little Spring to Your Terrarium

I decided it was time to add a few elements of Spring to the terrarium I planted in January. Check out my original how-to here.

I went out to the yard and found these two little grape hyacinths peeking out of the ground. Inside I found my sweet eggs. These are real from a friend who raises and rescues birds. If you don’t happen to have real bird eggs I know you can find all kinds of faux eggs, from wood to stone that would work.

I wrapped some soft twigs with thread to make the nest. I think it turned out quite nice. I love the idea of evolving my terrarium along with the season. I’m already thinking ahead to a summer theme. Perhaps a sunbather?

Sweet Potato Fries and Onion Rings

We had hamburgers the other night. The beef was from the half quarter we got this fall. Healthy, grass fed cow that I think of and thank every time I make a meal using it.

For the fries I peeled and cut up a yam. We used bagel thins for our buns and spinach for our greens. All in all a pretty healthy dinner.

For the sweet potato/yam fries I put the cut yams in a pan on the stove. I added a slight drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt. I tossed them around then set aside.

 

I did the same with the onions then brought them back together and put them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.We used the onions in the burger and ate the fries with our fingers, as usual. The whole family enjoyed the meal.

I can’t believe that after all these years my family finally likes sweet potato fries, even home made ones. Yay!

                                  Enjoy!

Sunday Quote

 

Paris is always a good idea.

-Audrey Hepburn

Lemon Tree Very Pretty and the Lemon Flower is Sweet...

I couldn’t help it the other day. The sun was out, spring was in the air and whether the garden was ready or not, I needed a plant. I was at the nursery and saw this most lovely Meyer Lemon Tree. I couldn’t resist and now I’m worrying as if it were a newborn baby.

Our northwest climate is not well suited for citrus, so of course it’s in the house until probably June. It’s full of blossoms that are beginning to open with their heady scented sweetness. The nurserywoman advised watering only once a week to avoid overwatering. Our home is much dryer than the greenhouse-like conditions of the nursery so it dries out more quickly and I’m constantly checking the soil for dampness. I placed a big bowl of water on the shelf of the table to encourage humidity.

I’m anxious for the warm weather so I can put my new favorite plant out on the deck where it belongs. It almost looks as though its gazing out the window longing for the sun and wondering what his crazy woman was thinking.  If anyone has suggestions, ideas or guidance on bringing up citrus in the northwest, please fill me in!

Keeping Garden Pests Out

I read an article recently by the Smiling Gardener. I think the information he provided was profound. You can read his thoughts here but I’ll share the important details.

Animals and humans like to eat healthy plants. We choose the greenest, hardiest vegetable we can find.

Insects and disease eat unhealthy plants. Most of us think that the insects and diseases are making our plants unhealthy, but actually, they are there because our plants are unhealthy (profound right!!?)

When we spray an unhealthy plant we are only getting rid of the insect, we are not providing the plant with anything, so the insect or disease will return. The spray is not helping the plant, but the chemicals we are using can further damage an already ailing plant. Keep spraying and the beneficial insects like ladybugs will not return or lay eggs. Guess what though? Yes, the bad bugs and disease will return.

Keep your soil and plants healthy by tidying the ground and providing proper nutrients to your plants. Learn everything you can about what you plant and what it requires. Find the best possible location for a particular plant, and once planted don’t ignore it’s needs. Whether you’re growing edibles or decorative plants, by keeping your plants happy and healthy you’re discouraging those bad bugs so that you’ll have a healthy garden. If you’re growing edibles, you want the food you feed your family to be the healthiest and vitamin rich it can be.

                                      Happy Gardening

Collections and Treasures

Sometimes we just need to hang onto our possessions. For whatever reason, a smile, a memory, a favorite person, the perfect vacation, just a simple reminder of something. It might make someone else ask the question “why?” But you know why and that’s all that matters. If you’re going to hang onto something, consider taking it out of the box or closet and get it out there where you and your guests can enjoy your treasures. I enjoy it when someone asks me about something in my home. My décor rarely comes from a shop or catalogue, so there’s usually a story that comes along with it.

My mothers’ paintbrushes remind me of her every time I walk past them. She spent many years painting; first in oils, then acrylics, then finally watercolors.  A big handful of brushes in this old vase is a sweet reminder of her. My favorites are the very fine ones she used to carefully sign her paintings.

I love these old knitting needles. I started this collection when I was given a few brightly colored plastic needles from my favorite aunt. Those few inspired me to search for others. The container is an old battery case.

 

This collection of shells came from Sanibel Island, where our family vacationed several years ago. The island is a shell seekers dream, and after many many walks on the beach, we loaded our suitcases and dragged them home. I love displaying them in this old trug. It’s big and sturdy and gives the whole collection the importance they deserve.

Collections are a great way to keep memories alive. Each spring when I put out our shells we all enjoy our favorite recollections of Sanibel. So much more than the t-shirts or cheesy souvenirs. For treasures to show their significance they are best displayed in groupings. When shopping on vacation I always like to look for something unique to the area.

Souvenirs, playbills, even a collection of rocks can be grouped together to help tell your story. Next week I’ll share a few more of my treasures and ideas on how to enjoy displaying them.

Rustic Roasted Cherry Tomato Bisque

I love a good bisque. I saw this recipe, of all places, in the Family Circle magazine. Soup recipes always catch my eye as I love making them almost as much as I enjoy eating them.

I decided to try this recipe because it calls for 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes. I’m anxious to grow lots of cherry tomatoes in the garden this year because if we continue to experience our cooler, shorter summers, the only tomatoes to really produce are the little ones.

If I have a good harvest I think I’ll roast the tomatoes and garlic as the recipe calls for and freeze the mixture for making the bisque throughout the winter. I usually roast a lot of the tomatoes in much the same manner but this will be for this specific recipe. By simply adding chicken broth and half-and-half, dinner will be ready.

Here’s the recipe as written in the magazine. I’ll add my notes and changes at the end.

2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved

6 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth with roasted vegetables

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

 

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, thyme and pepper. Spread onto a large rimmed baking sheet and roast at 425 for 30-35 minutes, stirring once.

Spoon tomato mixture and any accumulated liquid into a large soup pot. Add chicken broth and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes. Transfer in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot and stir in half-and-half and balsamic vinegar. Cook 3 minutes until heated through (do not boil).

It was really good. I highly recommend making a batch!

                            Enjoy!

                           

Notes:

• I looked but couldn’t find chicken broth with roasted vegetables so used regular chicken broth.
• I didn’t have fresh thyme leaves (I will in the summer), so used dry.
• Next time I will only add 1 cup of half-and-half. The soup was very tasty and rich before adding the dairy, which cut the flavors a bit. I ended up adding some home made tomato paste I had in the freezer and a little of my smoky salt (Fumee de Sel)
• I grated a nice Asiago cheese over the top at serving.

Sunday Quote

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

— Jacqueline Kennedy

Happy Birthday Harper!

 

Today marked the first birthday of my daughters dog, Harper.  We decided to make dog biscuits to celebrate. I found this recipe on allrecipe.com.

We had all the ingredients and had just purchased these really cute dog cookie cutters. We found them at a local baking shop, Sweetwares. They’re quite small, only 1”.

I like this recipe because we were able to put in a smaller yield amount, press the calculate button and the recipe would magically adjust the ingredients needed for our batch. I calculated for 18 because we were using such small cookie cutters. We ended up with about 72 one-inch cookies.

Rather than list the recipe for you here, you might as well follow the link so you can adjust as needed. The basic ingredients are: oats, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, beef bouillon, sugar, egg, milk, cheese. We added a dollop of peanut butter because we knew Harper would like it. There are loads of recipes all over the internet so give one a try. Your dog will love you even more.

The Garden on March 1, 2012

March begins with a light snow on the ground. Beautiful but not the least bit spring-like. It’s difficult for me to not visit my favorite nurseries and cruise the aisles for new plants. In previous years my enthusiasm led me to buy too early, placing baby plants into too cool soil. The results were not good and I’ve since learned to let the experts nurture them until it really is planting time.

At the first sign of true spring weather I will pot plants for the front porch. The sheltered area is a bit kinder to new plantings and I love the way I can make the front porch more welcoming. In the meantime I may have to buy a houseplant just to feed my needs. The last frost date for our climate zone is April 15 so I’ve got plenty of time to plan.

For those of you who never saw my previous blog called “I’m in the Garden” you can click on the link to see what I’m talking about. One of the things I did each month was take a picture of my backyard vegetable garden from the same location on the first day of every month and review what had happened in the garden the previous month. I love doing this as it creates a timeline and journal for me and allows me to appreciate all the changes that are happening around the yard.  I wander with my camera and look for beauty, growth, newness and an overall sense of where my garden is.

Gardening, although mostly seasonal, is a big part of my life, from nurturing the soil and plants to canning and freezing the harvest, so I think it should be part of Janet’s House blog. Hopefully I can inspire you as I spend my spring and summer coercing and compelling seeds and starts to produce our food. I’ll share the vegetable garden progress as well as the more decorative aspects of my yard.

      Here are some of the pictures I took this morning:

         Out in the front yard the Rhododendron in full bloom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The tete-a-tete daffodil bulbs are pushing up in the pots.

 

 

 

 

 

Out back the garlic is showing signs of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The rhubarbs large, ruffled leaves are holding onto the snow.

 

I learn as I go, so I’m always reading and listening for new ideas. I work hard to take care of the earth in which I raise our food and am eager to encourage everyone to do likewise. I’ll share my favorite garden books, cookbooks and you might notice down there on the lower right column I’ve added some of my very favorite garden blogs. There are so many knowledgeable people out there who share tips, pictures, ideas, thoughts and advice daily.

So, I’ll still be in the house loving every minute of being creative but now you can join me outside too. I know it’s just barely March and the weather is still most definitely winter here in the Northwest and who knows what elsewhere, but my green thumb is getting itchy.

                                 Stay tuned!