Cannon Beach East: February 2015

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Three Things Thursday :: The Girl on The Train, British Magazines and Americanos

It's been a while since I've posted about what I'm loving right now so here they are!

I start this book on February 6th and I'm already halfway through it. Dang those free Kindle samples from Amazon! I saw a review about it in my Entertainment Weekly and it sounded like a good read, especially since it was about a girl who rides the train into London and watches the goings on of people in the houses that have gardens against the tracks. I could immediately see those houses in my mind because I enjoyed looking into those same gardens on our rides on the train when we were there. I admit that I have crytoscopophilia (cry-toe-sco-po-feel-e-ah), as do many people. Crytoscopophilia is a word brought to me by the Yarn Harlot from her book All Wound Up and it is the urge to look into people's windows as you pass. As she says, this doesn't make you a stalker because the "as you pass" part is what separates you. Ultimately it is the enjoyment of getting a snapshot of someone's life, as you would from a picture. People making dinner, watching TV, playing with their kids or even knitting, drinking coffee on a patio or hanging laundry out to dry. When we were in England I loved seeing the little garden room additions or the laundry strung from one side of the garden to the other. I liked seeing the uniquely British part of their lives and the other things that were common to us all. So this book intrigued me deeply and in the first few chapters I was sucked in and bought it. It is also a thriller as one day she see's a woman that she watches kissing a man who isn't her husband. A woman who ultimately goes missing. Where is she? If she's dead who killed her? Who knows what's going on and who doesn't? I like that the author displays life with all it's intricacies; where we look at someone else's life from the outside and see it as perfect but then we get to see the inside and real goings on. The main character is a very fractured person and rather than identifying with her I feel almost protective of her. While everyone's life in the novel isn't perfect why has she been dealt the worst hand? I want her to find victory and happiness, to overcome her drinking and bad choices and be able to pull her life together. But I don't know yet if she's involved somehow...

Country Living UK and Country Homes and Interiors

Oh my British magazines how I love thee! Luckily enough I have found that our local bookstore, Inklings, carries these and I frequent it monthly for my editions. I tried to have it delivered to our house, but it was only available in a tablet edition and there is just something about having a real magazine that makes it better. I'm sure you've seen these in my pictures recently as I've been obsessed for a while. I love reading them bit by bit and seeing what sorts of British style I can incorporate into my house. You are all aware of my love of tea and the Anglophile that I've become, so none of this should be a surprise. But really you should grab one! They are so quaint!

Americano

At Christmas time I was drinking Cinnamon Lattes but then I found a drink that was the best tasting low calorie espresso around...the Americano! Now I will admit that I am not fluent in the language of espresso drinks and I didn't know what exactly the difference was between them. An Americano is shots of coffee in hot water rather than milk. How is this different from brewed coffee you ask? Well it is much more smooth and can be stronger than brewed coffee based on the number of shots you get in it. I like to add one more shot than they usually put in whatever size I order and I add Splenda and a splash of cream. And I'll admit the best Americanos I get are at work. I typically only get a tall but with two shots. They use Lincoln Ave Espresso coffee and it is soooooo gooooooood. My current weakness for sure. So much so that I've been researching small home espresso makers but I keep chickening out. I think I'll let the experts handle this and just keep forking over the $2.50. ;)

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Recipe Tuesday :: Cheesy Broccoli and Hot Dog Skillet

Looking at the title of this post you wouldn't think it was a balanced meal but it is! The original recipe I found used chicken and you could easily substitute a chicken breast instead of the hot dogs if you like. But I think with the cheesy noodles your inner child really calls out for some hot dogs in it! This is a 30 minute meal including all the cutting and measuring of the ingredients and will only dirty a pot and a skillet. Win-win if you ask me. ;)

Cheesy Broccoli Hot Dog Skillet

4 Hebrew National 97% fat free hot dogs
2 cups of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
6 ounces Barilla Pasta Plus penne or rotini
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup 2% milk
4 ounces 2% cheddar or cheddar blend cheese, shredded
1 ounce parmesan cheese, shredded

Boil water for the pasta. While the water is boiling, cook the hot dogs how you like (microwave or grill) and chop into bite size pieces. When the water boils toss in the pasta and cook 5 minutes. Add in the broccoli to the pasta and cook both 2 minutes more. Drain and set aside. In a skillet melt the butter. Add in the onion and sauté about a minute or until the onions are translucent. Add in the flour and stir until dissolved. Stir in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheeses, stirring until melted and smooth. Add the pasta and broccoli to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Add in the hot dogs and stir again and it's ready to serve! Serves about 3 to 4 people.

(1,624 calories, 165 gram carbs, 109 grams protein, 59 grams fat, balanced 41-27-33)

Monday, February 9, 2015

My Favorite Tools for Starting a Garden

If you are a faithful follower of the blog you will know that I am into gardening, especially growing your own fruits and veggies! January and February are the months I spend planning my summer garden and buying seeds to plant out after our last frost (mid to late May here) and others to start indoors around the middle of March. With that in mind here is a collage of my favorite tools for starting a garden!

1. Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew - I haven't used the book much, but the idea of square foot gardening is the cornerstone of my garden. I have raised beds that are 1 foot high and are 4 feet by 6 feet and I can grow 24 tomato plants in one box! Trust me that is enough tomatoes for anyone. I also have shorter beds that are longer, only 6 inches high and 4 feet by 16 feet. These are great for vining plants like pumpkins and squashes as well as corn and potatoes. I divide all my boxes up each spring and plant the maximum number of plants I can per foot. Not only does this give me plenty of produce, it reduces weeds after the plants get going because they are often out competed. If you don't want to go all out for a book the Square Foot Gardening Foundation website and the Gardeners Supply Kitchen Garden Planner can get you going just fine.

2. The Seed-Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel - This book I use EVERY year. It has a great section for troubleshooting the whats or whys of starting seeds yourself. It will also help you through getting light and heat amounts right for your seedlings and how to create a seed starting setup that doesn't cost a ton with fancy rigging and grow lights. I use regular shop lights and then buy both warm and cool fluorescent bulbs which provide the full spectrum of light needed for growing plants.

3. Gardeners Supply Company - What would I do without this website?! I have bought a multitude of items for my garden from this company...seed starting systems, germinating mixes, trellises, tub trugs, boots, watering systems, the list goes on. They have quality things at reasonably affordable prices and I've acquired quite the collection over the years. If you want to start successfully, start there. If perhaps you're not quite in the place for a full on garden they have a great variety of grow bags that can be placed on a patio and then picked up and moved when you do!

4 and 6. Germinating Mix and Deep Root Seedstarting Kit - To start seeds you'll definitely need these two items. A seed starting kit is fairly essential and this is the one I use. It has a self-watering tray underneath with a reservoir that you can fill up and not have to refill for a day or two. The lid fits on tightly to create the warm, humid environment seeds need to get started and then the deep wells allow seeds to grow long healthy roots. The germinating mix is also key as the soil is very light and airy, but it isn't terribly nutrient rich so transplanting to another pot (usually some 3 inch peat pots) with a good grow mix is essential.

5. Craftsman Carry-All - I received one of these for a Christmas present a year ago (thank you Kiersten!) and it is so handy! I used it all last year when I needed to haul my stuff out to the garden and it was super handy for seed planting. All my seeds went in along with my notebook, pencil and camera! And when it started to rain it was simple to pick it all up and head in. You can use it for all sorts of things but it sure is awesome for gardening.

7 and 8. Territorial Seed Company and Irish Eyes Seeds - These are my two favorite seed companies to buy from! Both grow a lot of their seeds locally and both are close to my location, meaning the seeds are used to the type of climate I will be growing them in. I feel that they do better and are more reliable than some of the seeds I've bought in the past. This could be the crazy talking but it also makes me feel better to buy from smaller companies. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try Burpee or Park Seed! Buy whatever you like from wherever you like, even if it's the local hardware store! All seeds are good if you know what you want.

9. Notebooks - Any kind of notebook will do, but I like the pretty ones! ;) I use them to draw out my garden and decide where I want to put what. It's important to rotate your garden beds every year so that diseases don't propagate in the soil and my notebook has all the gardens I've planted back to 2010 when I started. It's easy to flip back and see what was where and then move the beds accordingly. There are some plants that don't do well when planted near each other so the notebook helps me keep companion plants together. I also take an inventory of the seeds I have at the beginning of the year so I don't over buy on something I already have. I only keep my seeds two years and then toss them. I also have information that I've gained from websites and Master Gardener classes in it. Look up your own local gardening classes! You can get inspired and have lots of questions answered!

I hope that everyone would give gardening a try! You don't have to have a ton of plants, maybe just a tomato plant this year or a pepper plant, just something that you would eat. Maybe you love salsa? Grow some jalapeño peppers and cilantro! Do you enjoy cucumbers in salads? Grow one in a pot with a trellis behind it! Maybe your more of a cherry tomato person? Sun gold cherry tomatoes that have been home grown are a thousand times tastier than those ones in the store! Start a plant and put it on the patio, it will be your summer oasis!