Photography and Gardening

T-MINUS 7 Days


I've established that I love to be in the kitchen and have a decent reputation there. However there are many subjects on which my knowledge is deficient.


I know what you're thinking - mental telepathy, remember? You're thinking: "There are things you actually don't know? Wow!" The two subjects that have moved to the top of my "Must Learn More About" list are gardening and photography. "Why?" you ask. Well let me show you. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are four. So there are four thousand words I don't have to type.

                            


Now that I've saved myself four thousand words I can elaborate a touch. I have a beautiful garden. These photos don't properly convey that and I would like to add some calla lilies to my garden. I was just informed by Ben that onions and lilies are related. Who knew? Apparently he did. But he knows pretty much everything. A talking encyclopedia he is! I digress..


These flowers burst forth in less than two weeks. And since this beautiful garden was left in my inept hands, I must learn more than what I already know - which is nothing. And since I've found my voice (laaaaaaaa) and want to talk anyone's ear off about whatever strikes my fancy, I need pictures. I'd like those pictures to be better.


The first step in photography improvement is the camera. I do possess an actual camera. It's sitting collecting dust. Well it was collecting dust in Ben's truck. Then he brought it inside and I cleaned the dust off. I charged the batteries and put them in the camera where they proceeded to drain completely. They went to battery heaven. So off I go with Shiloh to Best Buy. I show my battery to the person in the camera section and he goes to check his stock of batteries. When he returns he asks, "By any chance is this an older camera?" "By every chance," I say. My camera is so old they don't carry the batteries in stock.


Back home we go so I can order a new battery. Happily the battery arrived yesterday. I played with the camera a bit today to get a feel for it. Now I need a tutorial so I know what all the little flashy things and funny pictures mean. Oddly enough I can't find the manual, since I keep manuals for EVERYTHING. I mean I have a manual for an electric griddle no longer in my possession. I really need to clean out my manual folder. My talking encyclopedia - er - Ben said he would go over everything with me. Can't wait!


And aside from all the pretty flowers I need to tend to, I would like to put together a potted herb garden for all the fabulous culinary creations that spring forth from my stove and ovens.  Ovens - plural! I have two! So happy... ANYWAY - buying fresh herbs in the grocery store is expensive plus I love the thought of actually having them on had to use at my whim. When living in Tucson my MIL, a garden whiz (gardening is not the only category in which she wears the mantle of whiz!) potted for me my very own herb garden which I wasn't able to take when we moved back. I miss it. And her. Now I'm on my own to pot an herb garden. Garden accessory catalogs that the gardening whiz who inhabited my lovely home previously still come to the house. I've seen some groovy massive planters on wheels that will be perfect for my herb garden. That way I'll be able roll them on into the mud room in fall/winter. Time to acquire some informative materials. But wait, there should be an app for it! I shall look.


Gardening - sounds like outfit time to me...




WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

When I was living the single life with no children, or the DINK life with Ben (Double Income No Kids) I got to go out to dinner a lot more than I do now. One of my favorite pasta dishes of all times was the Broccoli and Rigatoni at Casa de Lucca (Casa de Yummy to me and Ben). It was a ginormous bowl of broccoli and rigatoni (seriously!) slathered in the most delicious, garlicky sauce. I was never able to reproduce it at home. But back then I really wasn't the kitchen whiz (lots of whizzes in this one, huh?) I am now thanks to... you guessed it - Giada! Today's dinner recommendation is from Everyday Pasta - Farfalle and Broccoli. It is always a hit around here. Even Isaac scarfs it down, broccoli included, without a sigh or harrumph. I do use about six cloves of garlic instead of the recommended three. Remember my motto - no such thing as too much garlic! And if you want to throw some protein in there, frozen chicken fingers are a good option. Just throw them in the oven for the recommended time on the bag while the pasta and broccoli cook then toss them in when you mix it all together. It's dinner on a budget and when you're short on time!





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