Spring Adventures.

 I thought I should begin the month of April with a blog post. Each month I say I will do better but I always drop the ball. Lately the weeks fly by while Jeff and I try to squeeze in everything we want and need to do. We have enjoyed time spent outside getting our garden beds ready for vegetables and flowers. Jeff does the veggies and I manage the flowers. I have the front flower bed ready for sowing seeds. I will do the usual zinnias and this year I am adding nigella, which I have never grown before. It's supposed to give me some nice flowers for cutting, as well as some interesting pods to add to arrangements. The variety I chose is called "LOVE-IN-A-MIST". Who couldn't resist that? I had to replace my sage plant. The last one died in the Fall. It seems I can only manage to keep them for about two years. I also bought a lavender plant. I have never had good luck with them. This year I am going to plant it in my small flower bed next the the vegetable garden. I am hoping it will be happier there.

Amid all the gardening, pots are being made and fired. We have ramped up our firing schedule and are feeling like we are getting closer to being caught up with orders. We unloaded the kiln on Monday and I was finally able to fire mugs and a bowl that I made more than a month ago. 

Last week I decided to challenge myself to eat vegan/vegetarian for one week. I dug out the cookbooks and marked some new recipes to try. It's been an eating adventure this week!

Last night we had a light version of macaroni and cheese from the the Moosewood Restaurant - Low Fat- Favorites. It was delicious and was easier on my digestive system than my usual rich mac & cheese. I tweaked the recipe some by adding sautéed spinach and garlic. I roasted some Brussels sprouts to go with it. We have enjoyed a casserole with bulgur wheat and ground soybean, as well as a spaghetti pie that got it's cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast. Tonight I am making a black bean and lentil chili. A recipe that we eat quite often. Lunches have been tofu salad and pita bread, homemade hummus, and tobouleh. I love sandwich wraps made with the hummus, toubeleh, and bean sprouts. Jeff has been keeping us in beans sprouts these days. He has his sprouting method perfected now. We will take a break from the vegetarian eating on Easter Sunday... I am roasting boneless leg of lamb!

My goal is to incorporate more meatless meals in our diet. This challenge helped me discover some new ingredients and recipes.

Next on my to make list is Laurie's Tomato Rice Loaf. She shared her recipe on her blog: The Clean Green Homestead.