Roswell Adventures

Here is an update of our pre-garden yard for Spring 2016...   This picture is of the side of a small hill built up as Chuck excavated for our patio. We decided to put two bales on top and try some gardening.  This is one of the reasons I LOVE straw bale gardening. I know it is kinda tough to see, however, if you look closely you will note that the soil in the center of the photo is a bit darker. This was directly under one of the bales. So, as the bale decomposed, it added nutrients and organic matter to the soil. I know it is not a dark, rich brown like what comes out of a compost bed, but this improvement is significant in that over the course of the decades the house has been here, the soil has been severely depleted. Just one season of bale gardening had this effect...and it wasn't even a prolific bale! Bales that keep producing continue to break down and enrich the soil. We won't try gardening in this spot again, as it is west-facing, and between the brick an...

Chard is chock full of vitamins and minerals - and it is darn tasty! When I picked up my Bountiful Basket this past week, I was thrilled to see the chard! But not so thrilled to see the radishes and cucs. But thrilled to see I could trade radishes and cucs for extra chard! Yup - life is good! I tried to remember my favorite chard recipe...nothing came to mind. But then I stumbled over a few in my Pinterest, and I started scheming. Of course, I cannot leave well enough alone, so I tweaked a bit until I came up with my recipe for Skillet Chard with Onions, Garlic, Cranberries and Pecans. The inspiration for this dish can be found at http://myellowumbrella.com/2012/09/29/garlic-onion-sauteed-chard/ .  It starts with sauteing your onions and chard stalks. When that is cooked slightly soft, add in the garlic and cook briefly. Then add your greens and stir them in. Stir carefully!   Add in your dried cranberries and cook until the greens are wilted t...

Let me start by stating that if you are looking for an orange chicken recipe that involves coating and frying the chicken, this may not be the one for you.  However, if you are looking for a quick, easy versatile meal that can easily adapt to feed everyone in your family, you may have hit pay dirt! Setting the stage...we were looking for an easy way to bake up some chicken thighs. I remembered seeing a recipe of interest, so I gravitated that direction - finding at least a half-dozen that were pretty much identical. It was the leftover chicken from that meal that launched this one. I am not joking when I saw this is an easy dish. In fact, if you do some prep work ahead of time, this can be finished in the time it takes to make rice. And if your rice just needs to be heated...well, be ready to set the table when you throw the first veggies in the skillet. I start the sauce first. Not because it is difficult or takes a lot of time, but because it is quick and easy ...

You might be finding yourself with some leftover holiday ham about now. Or, if you are like me, you purposely purchased a larger-than-life ham with visions of leftovers dancing in your head. I shared my version of black eyed peas in my last blogpost . Another recipe I recently found and fell in love with is  Cream Cheese Potato Ham Soup . Amazing barely describes this soup (and I have the appropriate amount of ham tucked away in the freezer to make this again when Chuck returns from his work travels). Years ago I had devised my version of deviled ham, but it has been a while since we bought a ham, so we probably haven't had any since before I moved here. It was time to break it out, update it a bit and whip some up. This is a super-easy recipe that makes enough for a few meals. Deviled Ham 1 ½ cup ham, chopped 1/2'” thick slice of red onion roughly chopped (or 2 green onions, chopped) ¼ c mayonnaise 1 tsp mustard 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce ab...

For years I have heard about how eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day was supposed to bring luck. Thinking back, however, I couldn't remember having ever tried black eyed peas. We usually go on a just-us getaway for our New Year's celebration, so I hadn't really thought about making them. Out of the blue about a month ago, I decided to buy a bag of dried black eyed peas, not really being sure when I would use them. Then, right before we left for our Christmas trip to Tucson, we learned that bone-in hams were on sale. We rushed out to pick one up to eat...whenever. Fast forward from there to the day after Christmas, when we arrived home and prepared to face the coming blizzard - still certain we'd be leaving to catch a train on Thursday. Even when we saw this... However, as Wednesday dawned and we hard the stories about how bad the roads in town still were - and since our street hadn't been plowed and would be an icy mess at the morning hour we would ha...

With our summer program launching, I found myself putting in long hours and arriving home very worn out. How amazing was it that my Sweetie greeted me at the door with a blueberry mojito! As the week progressed, however, I gained evening responsibilities. The mojito was out of the question, but we still wanted something to sip on while we chatted and unwound a bit.  Chuck to the rescue! Yes! It was as delicious and refreshing as it looks. And since I hadn't done a wonderful job of hydrating, I kind of guzzled the first glass. But since he'd made a pitcher, I got a second glass. It definitely helped me revive and go back up for my evening duties. Interested? Here you go! Chuck's Peachy Faux-jitos (makes one pitcher) ~ 40 mint leaves 2 limes 1 peach, sliced 1/3 cup sugar 3 cups cold soda water ice Rinse the mint leaves, and place leaves (no stems) into pitcher. Slice lime into sections and add about 2/3 into the pitcher. Using a muddler (or wooden ...

After being gone for a month-long road trip, during which time some awesome friends cared for our garden, we are catching up a bit. Here's what we have... OK, had to start with the compost pile. I love composting. Keeps us from throwing all our veggie waste into the landfill - plus turns out some amazing soil. Some folks insist you have to have a certain percentage of this and that and have to turn it regularly. Well, 4 weeks of no care just shows - compost happens! Xeriscaped area exploded! Our potatoes in back are off to a great start...I guess. Never done potatoes in bales. Guess we'll find out how it does. These "Hill Bales" are having issues. It may just get too hot back there. This is a new transplant. Squash and taters - what a combination! And the fig tree is humming right along. Blackberries are off to a good start. As are the raspberries. Bales with pumpkins and acorn squash. Front tomatoes... ...