Friday!

Cinco De Mayo

I made this little pinata donkey dishtowel for a friend a few weeks ago. Cinco de Mayo also happens to be her son's birthday. I think this towel works well for Cinco de Mayo and birthdays... so hopefully she will be able to whip it out on a couple other days of the year! The towel has another holiday on the back, which I will show you later!

I was really tempted to write "Hit me baby, one more time" on it.... but it was an afterthought and there wasn't enough space at the bottom. :-(

Garden Update

It's official, I've picked my first tomato. I just couldn't wait any longer!

May 4th

As for the beans, man... they grow so fast!

April 26th

April 30th

May 4th

I'm not sure if the beans will make it into any kind of meal because I love them raw and I didn't plant a whole lot... but we will see...

Buds have appeared on the eggplant(pictured below) and the pepper plant(too small to get a picture of)

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Last weekend I added a sun shade over the plants. It was 95f/35c today and we were swimmin' in the pool!

 

Arizona sun is just a tad to harsh for these plants. They get straight sun only in the eventing, like pictured above, but the cover does allow enough sun to come though the rest of the day.

Z is for Zero

Zero, zilch, zip. That's what I cam up for "Z". What a crappy way to end the A-Z challenge. Next year I'll have to visit the Zoo to see a Zebra or something!

It was a fun challenge. I do think I will do it next year... but I'm glad it is OVER!

Y is for YUM!

Since Y is for YUM, I will share my most recent and favorite recipe:

Roasted Cauliflower

This roasted cauliflower is a great way to enjoy fresh cauliflower. The cauliflower is tossed with a savory mixture of garlic and Parmesan cheese then roasted to perfection. Serve this easy roasted cauliflower as a side dish to an everyday meal or a holiday dinner.

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:
• 1 small to medium head cauliflower, cut into florets, about 6 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Line a large baking pan with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray. Heat oven to 425°.
In a large bowl or food storage bag toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, garlic, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese.
Spread the cauliflower out on the prepared baking pan.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned.

Erika's Tips:

If you have a salad spinner, use the inside colander bowel to wash/drain cauliflower florets, and then give them a spin in the spinner to get all the excess water out.

I interpret crushed garlic as two finely chopped cloves.

Combine garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper into a large bowl. MIX. Add half the cauliflower and mix again.... add the rest of the coliflower and then mix again.... THEN add the Parmesan cheese and mix. I use a spatula to mix with, and it is more folding process than mixing.

This recipe comes from my mom... she got it online somewhere?

X is for Xavier

I have nothing for X, so I will direct you to these TWO wonderful posts I've previously writtend ;-)