Bountiful, Beautiful Berries

Today is Double Ad Wednesday at Sprouts Farmers' Market. I got last week's special, blackberries, for 88 cents a box and this week's special, strawberries, for 99 cents. Here they are waiting to be washed.



Showered strawberries...


and bathed blackberries.


Blackberries dusted with organic sugar.


Lightly crushed and served in their own syrup.


The perfect ending to a pizza party!

A Carpet of Violets

By the north fence.


Click to enlarge photo and see detail.

Local Collards

Texas collards cleaned and ready to cook.


Texas collards cooked and ready to eat.

If You Eat Food, Watch This Movie!

"In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment."

To read more and saw a trailer of the movie, visit the official movie web site.

Saddle and Tack

New Dining Area Decor

John has a job cleaning and oiling a couple of saddles and a bin of tack for his riding instructor. He's worked hard, been very focused, and paid attention to detail.


Bridles and other assorted tack.



A $2000 Lipizzaner-style saddle.



Western saddle.

Spring Garden 2010

This frame is planted with Dragon's Egg cucumbers, okra, and green beans.



I've added nasturtiums in the corners of the bluebonnet frame.



Candytuft in the front landscaping. This has come back from last year.



A pleasing pot of pretty pansies.



Coleus waiting to be planted...



Detail of one coleus plant.



The coleus is in this bed, along the south fence. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Perfect Pickles

These pickles are the best! They are imported from Israel and are all natural, with NO yellow dye. They're made from the longer, thinner little Persian cucumbers and taste oh-so-good.

"Cook-In" From Gold Mountain Home-Style Chinese Restaurant

Last night's dinner was a stir-steam of tender-crisp asparagus, red bell peppers and scallions.


Just before serving (over brown jasmine rice) it was glazed with an Asian-inspired mix of hoisin sauce, black bean sauce, and mirin. Very yumm-o! Also on the table were chunks of bright orange Adolfo mango and chilled TX red grapefruit segments. It was a tasty McDougall meal.

What I'm Reading (and why I'm reading it)...

Larry McMurtry (of Lonesome Dove fame) portrays life on a cattle ranch in post-World War II Texas. I like the imagery and detail of his writing and the way he puts his words together. I do not like the characters or the story. Judy and I are reading this for our exclusive bi-coastal book club. When we're finished we'll watch Hud (with Paul Newman), which was inspired by this short novel.

I'm reading Horseman, Pass By because Texas Monthly told me to. This book is #37 on their March Bucket List -- 63 Things All Texans Should Do Before They Die. And I'm truly Texan so I did!

Parsley, Oregano, Basil, and Thyme

The basil is in the pot. I just replanted it yesterday. The tiny sprouts of my first sowing were done in by last weekend's cold snap.

Pretty Blushing Grapefruit

Texas Rio Star red grapefruit. I love the rosy cheeks!

I am joining the Friday Inspired By party at The Inspired Room today. Go visit and follow the links for lots more pretty pictures!

We're True-Blue Greenies!

We just got home from a trip to Sprouts. John is being goofy with the mesh bag that held four avocados (99 cents!). See the re-usable bag in the background?


A big bowl of fresh spinach.


The radish seedlings are getting their true leaves.


A little lone violet in the bluebonnets.


Violets against the house foundation. The backyard is carpeted with tiny violets.

My First Mosaic Monday

After enjoying other bloggers' mosaics for months, I am finally participating in my first Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House. Here is my tribute to Texas pecans! Hop on over to the Linky Party at the Little Red House to see a whole lot of marvelous mosaics!

What a Coincidence

Recently, in our US history reading, John and I learned of Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, a map maker, surveyor, farmer, writer, soldier, and government official in Colonial America.

This past week I read The Lake of Dead Languages, which included a character named India Crevecoeur, the elderly matriarch of a wealthy mill town family.

Yesterday I picked up a color chart of Martha Stewart's new Home Depot line of paints and there, with the darker green-y neutrals, is a beautiful browned olive called Crevecoeur.

I wonder where it will pop up next?



Crevecoeur walls.
Photo: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/neutral-rooms#slide_34

Oh No! More Snow!

Yesterday's dreary day turned into a snowstorm by early afternoon.  Where's spring?  Even a Maple-Pecan waffle can't help this.