Saturday, April 28, 2012

Winter Weather in the Spring and Flea Market Garden Finds


"The kiss of the sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth, One is nearer God's heart in a garden, Than anywhere else on earth".   ~Dorothy Frances Gurney, "Garden Thoughts"


Greeting Fellow Gardening Friends,

I hope your gardening endeavors are going well for you.  As you probably know, the Northeast saw a late season Nor-Easter, and for the past week our area has experienced freezing temperatures, snow, rain and high winds.  Definitely not the norm but not unexpected either for this area.  I have received calls from several acquaintances asking for advice on how to save plants from the ravages ofthe storm and how to heal damaged plants.  It has been a strange week.

To brighten up things a bit, I decided to share a favorite recipe that I found a while back (it is really good and simple) and to show you pictures of a few finds from our treasure hunting excursions for the garden.  The recipe is at the end of this post.




This large, beautiful glass vase (18" high x 14" wide) was found in a thrift store and I only paid $5.99 for it. I plan to put sunflowers or gladiolus in it later in the season.













My husband found this terra cotta Saint Francis (the Catholic patron saint of nature) statue at a resale shop.  It is almost 3-feet tall (35”) and we paid $40 for it.







We also got a 150-foot long roll of weed barrier at a thrift store for only $3.00.

Anyway...that's all for now. Happy gardening!

Angela

P.S. Farfalle with Spinach and Peas (by Kay Chun, Real Simple, MAY 2003)

 











•    12 ounces (4 cups) farfalle
•    1 tablespoon olive oil
•    2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1-inch pieces
•    1 shallot, thinly sliced
•    2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
•    1/3 cup frozen peas
•    1 5-ounce package fresh baby spinach
•    Black pepper
•    4 ounces Feta, crumbled
•    1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat while the pasta cooks. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the peas, spinach, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the cooked pasta, Feta, and reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat and fold in the cooked prosciutto.

Divide among individual bowls and top with the basil.

Amount per serving
•    Calories: 455      Calories from fat: 22%    Fat: 11g   Saturated fat: 5g    Cholesterol: 33mg
•    Sodium: 755mg    Carbohydrate: 68g  Fiber: 4g   Sugars: 3g   Protein: 19g


Enjoy!


16 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading your garden thought for the day .. and thank you for stopping by my blog: The Thrifty Garden/Home with your appreciated comment. You have a wonderful blog with such good tips and recipes.

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    1. Thanks for dropping by and your compliments! Happy gardening!

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  2. Hi, Angela
    Thank you for dropping by my blog. I can see from browsing through several posts that you are a serious and knowledgeable gardener. My grandmothers both had the knack, as did yours from your profile, and I keep hoping some of the talent with find its way to me. Maybe this year! I'm off to hit your "follow" button.
    -Karen

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    1. Hi Karen. Thank you for visiting my blog. I am positive you have the talent for gardening.

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  3. Hello Angela,
    I'm glad you commented on my blog as it brought me over to see yours. I'm now following. I love that glass vase that you are planning on using for Sunflowers or Glads..Either flower will look stunning in it! We are mostly in the same growing zone but I think our zone is a tad colder. I'm from Mass. I love your St. Francis statue. How awesome! It is nice that you have honored your blog to your late grandmother Anna..I'm sure you learned a lot from her and miss her a lot! Enjoy your evening and I will visit again soon.
    ~Shirley

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    1. Hi Shirley. Thank you for visiting my blog and for your kind words. I am pleased you liked the items featured, they are incredible.

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  4. I see your thrift stores have a considerably better yield than the ones around here. If ever you are searching for scratched records, soiled matresses, or clothing with holes in it come visit Alaska.

    On a more positive note, we haven't had a storm this week and the snow is almost melted from the yards and gardens.

    Christine B. in Alaska

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    Replies
    1. Hi Christine. Yes, we are fortunate to have pretty good shops here. How is the weather there now? Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. I didn't hear how widespread the snow ended up being. I hope you haven't sustained too much damage, and that spring comes to stay soon. I love that vase you found!

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    1. Hi Sue. The weather here is getting better thank goodness. I am glad you like the vase. It is huge and very usual. How are things going for you?

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  6. Angela, the Farfalle sounds delicious! Thanks so much for visiting my blog...xo Lidy

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    Replies
    1. Hi Lidy. Thanks for stopping by. The farfalle is so good. I think I will make some today!

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  7. I just noticed your 'Things To Do' list .. you're almost half way there :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi. Yes, we are getting there. Thank you for stopping by!

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  8. Im inspired with the exceptional and instructive contents that you provide in such short timing.
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    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you Thomas. I appreciate your compliments!

    ReplyDelete

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