Christmas in the Garden

There is perhaps no better time to receive gardening gifts than Christmas. By December, we are no longer exhausted from our summer work, and we are looking forward to new plants and blooms in spring. This year, my family gave me and my husband some wonderful gifts for our garden, and I’m just dying to get out there and start planting!

Three of my favorite herbs!

From my sister, we received some herb seeds and these tin markers. They are going to look so cute in our herb beds!

I love gardening books!

From my mom and stepdad, we received this indispensable  gardening book. This book has just about anything I could ever need to know about gardening in general as well as detailed sections on tons of different types of flowers, vegetables, trees, and ground covers. There are also plenty of sample garden plots, which I’m always a big fan of. It is self-labeled as The Gardener’s Bible, and I intend it to be just that for me.

The grass will be no match for this monster.

From my dad and stepmom, we received this Husqvarna rototiller. Until now, we have had to rent a tiller from a local auto store, which presents all kinds of problems. Mostly it was a nightmare having to get the thing to and from our house. We were completely surprised to find this “under the tree” this year and can’t wait to get out there and break up the ground this spring. This rototiller will mean we can re-till areas as needed (without the rental hassle!) and hopefully plant and till in cover crops next year.

We also received gift cards and money, some of which will likely be spent on seeds, organic fertilizer, and other garden supplies. All the snow has been a nice treat, but I’m really ready for spring, so I can get outside and use all these new gardening tools!

Photos courtesy of their owners. The first one is mine; the others are linked to their sources, please click photo for source.

Becoming a Dirt Diva with Annie Spiegelman

I probably should have timed my comeback a little more strategically. I have done one yoga session since my last post. Yep, one. I’ve been quite busy writing some grant proposals, and have neglected most other activities non-work related. I also simultaneously started reading Ulysses. Yep, Ulysses.

I do plan to remedy this next week.

I have, however, been thinking about my garden. I’ve been reading through Talking Dirt by Annie Spiegelman. This was a stocking stuffer from the dear husband, and I’ve really enjoyed it. For you gardeners, or want-to-be gardeners, I highly recommend it. It’s concise, practical, and full of suggestions for easy-to-grow plants. And it’s all about organic ways to garden. Earns an A for its wonderful gardening advice. Earns an A+ because it’s also quite funny.

Image from Amazon

The Bloody Mary with Infused Vodka

Over the last few years, I have discovered the wonder that is the Bloody Mary.  I have made many concoctions that have been good, and some not so good as well, and I am sure that I will make many more.  Today is Valentine’s Day, though, so I shall share the one I am currently in love with: made part with an old favorite, Zing Zang, and part with a new twist, infused vodka.

I have made my own mix before, but that is for another day.

By far the best mix on the market (that I’ve found) is Zing Zang because it is so peppery.  On any given weekend, I will open up a bottle and enjoy a Bloody Mary on the deck.  I always have spicy green beans on hand, Tabasco sauce, and pickled okra (hot if I can find it).  Lemon and lime wedges are almost always there too.  These are hard and fast rules to my Bloody Mary.  When I order one at a restaurant, and they serve me nothing but an olive, I wonder, “Has this bartender ever had a good Bloody Mary?”  Because, for sure, the condiments make the Bloody Mary what it is, right?

So, today, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I am having a Bloody Mary—red Bloody Mary seems more appropriate at one o’clock in the afternoon than say pink Cosmopolitan—and am sharing this wonderful recipe with you.

Bloody Mary w/ Infused Vodka

Fill an 8 oz. glass half with ice.  Add vodka until about 1/3 glass is full.  Then add two spicy green beans, a dash of Tabasco sauce, one pickled okra, and lemon and lime wedges (one each).  And anything else you like in your Mary.  Then fill the rest of the glass with Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix.  Stir to combine.  Go sit outside if the weather is nice, and enjoy.

Infused Vodka

Fill large Mason jar with vodka of choice.  Add two pickled okra spears, one garlic clove, one pearl onion, peeled, and 2-3 tbsp. of whole, black peppercorns.  Let it sit for a couple of weeks, and there you have it.  Vodka with the perfect garlic-pepper-pickle taste for your Bloody Mary.

Note:  This vodka was a recent gift from a dear friend for whom I helped host a wedding shower.  The vodka recipe comes from my peering at the jar, counting the ingredients, and guessing at how long the mixture steeped before I received it.

Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all.

Okay, so maybe this is too many condiments.

Photo Source