Project Black, Take Two

Oh my goodness, I just love the center of this poppy out in my garden - the color, the contrast, the amazing geometry of it all.
I'm getting ready for a party so this post is really brief, I'm hoping to pop on over to check out the posts of all of you cool commenters this Saturday. I'll definitely be wanting to do some sittin' down and relaxing by then.
Poppy (he he) on over to Anna's blog to check out more groovy Project Black photos.

Project Black

"It's not that I don't like those other girls...but sometimes all of their mooing and chewing just gets on my nerves...ya know?"

Oh my, Anna Carson started another project - and I really want to play along. I'm just a teensy bit busy but I simply can't resist a photo challenge. Like the title says it's Project Black...if you're interested in playing along or would like to check out the other participants just pop on over to Anna's blog.
I've been tagged by Diane Mandy over at Martini's for Two, I'm planning to play along with that one too - hopefully tomorrow I'll have a little sit-down time. Hope hope.

Oh, Sweet Pea

I'm a pretty good gardener, except for the fact that I have too much garden for one woman who has a lot of other interests. What I'm lousy at is harvesting. I don't pick my flowers, I want to...I just don't get out there and do it. It's that whole but first mentality. I'm going to go pick a bouquet but first I'll throw in a load of laundry, make a couple of phone calls, take out the trash, when I take out the trash I'll quick set the sprinkler in the patio garden, oh dang - I forgot to put those new perennials in pots on the front porch, is that the phone ringing? And so it goes.

My peonies were gorgeous this year, didn't pick 'em, same with the first flush of roses...didn't pick those either. Now my sweet peas are so pretty...and fragrant! A bouquet of sweet peas would be lovely in the bathroom next to my sink, today I'm going to pick a bouquet...for sure...but first I'll quick clean the bathroom counter, oh...and look at that dirty floor - I should give it a quick vacuum and wipe it down with a cloth.
See how it goes around here?

Foodie Frenzy

Ok...it's crunch time. This coming Friday night is "Garden Party". It's the seventh year that we've done a progressive dinner/ garden party with two other couples. The first year we all nearly killed ourselves making our gardens beautiful...we set pretty tables in our gardens and made delicious food. The next year we declared it was going to be "all about the food".

It's possible to do it all, the garden, the table settings, the pressed linens, the flowers...and of course the food! But in order to do it all this middle aged woman needs a whole bottle of ibuprophen (or vicodin) and a week to recover. Martha Stewart has staff, I don't...nor do my friends. Hence the unanimous decision that Garden Parties would be all about the food. I'm still working on the garden but not in a frenzy, the frenzy is in the kitchen!

One couple does cocktails and appetizers, another does main course and then it's dessert at the last garden, every year we rotate - last year I did dessert and this year I'm back to appetizers...woohooo...my favorite! The menu is always a secret so I can't post about what I'm making until after the event. Speaking of menus, the photo is a menu from a dinner party I did last year for moms birthday, I love making menus...it's fun for the guests and it's a great way to keep track of what I made over the years. Last year I made a dessert menu but the font was really fine so a photo wasn't possible. Here's what I served to my guests.

GARDEN PARTY

Dessert Menu

July 14, 2007

Raspberry Bellinis

Roasted Peach Sorbet

served on

Pistachio Waves

with

Fresh Okanogan Peach Slices

Dark Chocolate Lime Souffle

with

Whipped Lime Cream, Raspberry Coulis

and

Fresh Local Berries

Banyuls Rimage, France 2003

Espresso

Frennch Roast

Okay folks, I'm off to the kitchen...it's time to do some prep cooking!

* bloggers note* why won't blogger let me put spaces in my menu so it's easier to read? grrrr

I'm done sharing

I worked really hard this spring transplanting my raspberry canes. I amended the soil, dug up the old canes, planted them, mulched heavily and then watered really well so they wouldn't suffer transplant shock. The plants were looking great, they blossomed, set berries, those berries started to ripen as I watched in anticipation - ice cream in the freezer and ready to scoop. Well...somebody else was watching too - birds, big mean raspberry eating birds. I finally got a berry yesterday, the birds must have gone on a little 4th of July holiday.

I'm trying to be kind and share, but I've had it. The berries are going to the birds. And the bunnies....oh those dirty rotten bunnies. They have been dining on arugula, beets, sweet peas, sugar peas - all of this is organic mind you, those must be really healthy bunnies.
Oh yeah, they also have a fondness for carex, echinacea, geranium, pennisetum rubrum...just to name a few.

I don't eat bunny, but if anybody out there does...come on over, help yourself...I have a good crop, I hear it tastes like chicken.
I know, that was kinda creepy - but I'm cranky.

What's a farm girl to do?

Happy Fourth of July!

A little bouquet of red, white and blue

From This Old Farm

to you.

Have a great holiday!

A little piece of quiet

I'm working on a construction project that is three and a half hours away from the farm. We're building an off-grid cabin....well, we're not really building it, we're making an existing structure livable. I try to go and work for a couple of days every week in the summer, sometimes it doesn't work out and I don't get there for a few weeks in a row. While I was driving home night before last I stopped and took this shot. I often see cars pulled over in this spot, folks are out of their cars taking pictures. That night there wasn't a car in view, I loved it that I had the road to myself. In the nearly three years I've been making the drive I've never stopped here, never stood and looked at the view. I'm not that kind of girl, I want to "get there"...that's kinda dumb...I need to get over "getting there" and do more work on "being here".
Cuz really, no matter where ya go, there ya are. What's the rush?