First Spring Farmers Market

Hi guys! Good week so far? Yesterday was opening day of the Wednesday farmers market in town. It was a quiet grey day and the market seemed to have caught the vibe.

But I was excited and actually got there early. The market now has strange new hours, I just am baffled : 10 AM to 2 PM Then 4-7 PM, every Wednesday. What? Are the vendors gonna stay but be closed? Siesta time? Or new vendors will arrive. Or what.
I'm not fond of early in the day food shopping. I always grocery shop last thing in my errands list. Otherwise you end up with a car full of spoiled food. Or you have to rush home and get everything in the fridge?
When I lived in Brooklyn Heights, years ago, I loved it that in the summer the farmers market was still fresh and busy when I came out of the subway after work. I remember bunches of ruby red baby radishes, as if it was yesterday. Better than roses, I thought at the time.
Next week I'm going to check out the evening hours, see what that's about.

There was very little produce, but the asparagus was exceptional. I steamed this bunch and put a little butter and lemon pepper and we gobbled it up. The stalks are as thick as your thumb, that's the best tasting kind.

Some folks like the very thin shoots, but to me that tastes grassy. My dad used to tell us the thin shoots very fresh new baby shoots, but I now understand that's incorrect. There are simply two or more different hybrids, some are slender, some are chubby.
Asparagus is like pugs: chubby is best! LOL

No flowers, no herbs, no garden seedlings. Some lettuce and some greenhouse heirloom tomatoes. Mostly the vendors were selling things like honey and cheese and wine; eggs and yogurt.

I liked this guy's display with the old milk bottle carrier and red checked oilcloth.

He sold wine and cheese; all we'll need for deck time this summer.

I chose a Camembert from him.

There's also an old school bus with herbs and spices. I'll pick a few to try next time. They look tasty. I use a lot of spices in my cooking. Note the lovely pickling spice, second from the right. Gotta have for my pickles.

And way off in the corner was my old friends from Cobble Hill in Brooklyn.

I got fresh mozzarella and handmade parpardelli [egg noodles] from them.

This is a fun new vendor. She sells doggy treats and adorable little hand knit doggy sweaters. Maybe next time I'll bring Mo so he can try on a sweater. I was being cheap yesterday because I'm hoarding my spending money for the Flea. I got him yummy sweet potato bones for his busy box though.

I have a friend coming to visit in a few weeks. I'm thinking she'll enjoy a dinner picked here at the market: the wine and cheese, of course. Then artisan bread/ olive oil. And fresh pasta with spring veggies and cheese. Does that sound good? And girly? I'll make us lemon bars for dessert.

And so the season of hospitality and beach guests and ''cocktails'' at sunset begins. Finally. My winter quiet is ending, I'm a bit sad? But I'm wearing shorts! Yes right now a I type. Summer is looming, be here soon. (52* foggy. Wind from SSE at 18 mph)

What did you find at the market, or grocery store. Anything special?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.

Spring Gardening

Hi! Is everybody all sore and cranky from doing the spring yard work this weekend?  Here at the beach I don't have a garden, one thing I always regret about my beloved little home. Instead I have very large pots on my deck which I fill with flowers and herbs, even shrubs like a hydrangea now and then. But this year I think I will have no flowers at all or only one large tub [because of Mo's destructiveness.] I want to sit out and relax, not be yelling Bad dog! No! all summer.

Last week I moved all my lilies and perennials to a friend's garden. He redid his backyard , mostly now a deck, with two flower beds that we have so far planted  with grasses and tropicals like elephant ears and caladium , and my lilies and lavender.
Perfect relationship: I point, he digs!
We put sunflower seeds along his grey back fence and today we decided I'll plant tiny petunias and,

bad photo but I love these w stripey centers

...under the cherry tree, black heucherra [sp?]. [these are red, but similar.]

Last week my other friend L and I went to the garden center to check out what we might like. She has a big yard, but it is professionally landscaped, so like me she was just looking.
We love going to this garden center because they specialize in fairy gardens or miniature gardens; also terrariums.

 They have many items and ideas for...beach fairies. Beer! Sandcastles, Teeny tiny fairy flipflops.

The items are very expensive. 9.99 for a beach chair! 11.99 for a seagull on post! Whoa. Definitely just looking.

And so adorable.

I'm not sure I want a fairy scene. I am envisioning more of a tiny scrap of woodland recreated in my glass terrarium case. I have a mushroom I made, and I treated myself to a set of red polka dot fairy mushrooms like these.

I think I'll have space for my Wardian case / terrarium in my new craft area. The room gets northern light all day but no sun. [no sun is good for terrariums].
L made one of the glass bubble hanging fairy gardens! It came out sooo perfectly.

Look at the tiny berries and cups. The little blue marble gazing ball.

Her theme is ''Come into my garden for tea." I think it's wonderful. She is now in charge of planting my terrarium, I hope.

I got myself a pot of geraniums for my back steps. Put them in the old pink butter crock. They're so cheery and hopeful on a cold spring day.

So far Mo has ignored the geraniums. But he got my egg collection on the dining room table. I found him there, oh so proud. His own Mount Everest, conquered at last.

A quilt note: The Flags quilt is back from the quilter! She did a beeee-u-tiful job. I don't mind sewing the binding but I'm not looking forward to sewing all those dozens of buttons / stars. [shudder]. How is you Flags quilt coming? All done?  [if indeed you made one...lol.] I put it in the closet for next fall.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach

Ornery or Mo's Nemesis [es]

Hi! Mo the Pug is 13! Months, that is. He's still a puppy in many ways---the main ''way" being trouble. He finds trouble and trouble finds him.

Since we no longer go to the koi pond on our longest walk, we have searched out a different route that Mo enjoys very much.
I take him to visit the geese. Not the herd of Canada geese near the main road even though Mo likes them too. Nope we go to see the big white plastic c 1970s ducks on these people's front porch.

Aren't they hilarious! Their outfits change for the seasons,lol, lol. Mo finds them very--interesting? threatening? Yap-yap-yap! I suppose someone is soon gonna tell me to get my yappy dog off their block?

I have no ides what Mo thinks the geese are, but he does see them. Note the rabbit, too. They're actually kind of cute? In a bizarre sort of way? [Think of their person, getting out their little Easter suits and dressing them! So sweet. Hmmmm.]

Inside the house Mo has set his sights on my computer chair. This chair once was reupholstered , with extra cushions and a lovely white linen slipcover made by me. Since Mo is not allowed on the bed I gave him permission to be a big boy and get up on the chair. He liked that a lot.
So he ate the chair.

This is for all my Janet Evanovich / Plum friends! You know how Bob the Dog eats Morelli's couch all the time? Probably we all thought, Typical JE hyperbole.

Not!
I estimate that by July this chair will be in teeny tiny pieces if anything remains at all.  And Mo broke the mechanism that raises and lowers the seat so I now sit about 6 " off the floor, with my chin near the keyboard.

Mo also likes large plastic water cups. He dumps out the water and chases the cups.

Once a cup held a giant Starbucks coffee. Oops. Had to rotate the rug!
Of course he's funny and his antics, even the most exasperating, make me laugh. And he can be so cute and sweet, the little sneak!

Waiting for dinner.
(Or contemplating conquering the dining room table, a last frontier.)

Helping air the humans' beds.

Sewing.

Snoozing, his BEST trick.

My friend got Mo this cool busy box.

The treats go under the cups [not all!] and the dog has to sniff the treats out then flip the yellow cup.

Mo was intrigued! He found a treat, then two! Oh boy!
It took him maybe 10 minutes to figure out that he could flip over the whole flipping thing and dump the cups and treats in one big plop. Whoever said pugs are stupid never met a pug.
Of course the yellow cups are DELISH!

More soon! Have a great weekend!

PS Has anyone else tried these baby kale sprouts? They're kinda like fancy brussels sprouts---and very delicious! Yum. Oven roasted / olive oil & garlic / pepper, 15 minutes.

love

lizzy

 gone to the beach......