Mary Rose's Garden

Spice Jars Organized!

2012-01-22T22:05:00.000-08:00

This is such a good solution, I'm surprised that I haven't seen it before! I have tons of spices. My son loves to experiment with flavors and seasonings, and I'm a sucker for recipes. Spices need to be cool and dark- which is hard in the kitchen. This is just a regular photo box- I bought it at Michael's for $2. It holds 24 regular size bottles of spices. I have it on a folded wire shelf- just high enough so spills on the counter won't get it wet (I worry about stuff like that). I guess if the box gets a little messy- I can look for another one on sale some other day (I have two filled with spices- one for jars, one for T-Z and the spices and herbs in bags- and a third just in case). It is also really easy to clean around- just lift one box and 24 spices go wherever you want.

This has been working really well for about a week- which is a pretty good record for me!

A Billion Positive Moments

2012-01-22T05:48:00.000-08:00

One of the secrets of a life well-lived is this simple fact: Life is made up of millions of moments- every positive moment contributes to a life lived well. Just strive to make the moment you are living now, a positive moment- and forget about the rest.

I added it up: If I live to be 100 years old and every moment that I lived was positive, I would have 3 billion, one hundred and fifty-five million, seven hundred and sixty thousand well-lived seconds.

Of course, not every second that I've lived so far has been well-lived, but if I try to make every second from now on well-lived and I lived another 32 years, then I would have lived well for at least another one billion seconds. This is a goal we can all attempt to reach.

Maybe that's why things like 12 steps and even my own Addition Principle seem to work so well. These approaches all focus on making this moment count. We can blame ourselves for the past and we can wonder what the future holds- but all we can do is the best we can do with the moment that we are living right now. So lets go out and experience some seconds well-lived today!

Love always,
Mary Rose

P.S. As soon as I had this revelation, I went to the flowers that I needed to arrange, set up the tableau, and then took this picture for you! Hope it brightens your day!

First fruits!

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here are the first tomatoes from my patio garden this winter! It's kind of cheating because these were on the plants already when I got it from Cheyenne's in December. The little one on the left is a tiny Roma. They smell so good! Think we're going to use them on tacos for lunch today.

This is how my tabletop garden looks today. I really am enjoying the begonias- need to start some cuttings.

Under the table I am storing my poinsettas. An article from the Temple Terrace Garden club says that they need to stay fairly dry until the end of March when they should be but back about 50%. Then when the temperature gets and stays about 70 degrees day and night they should be put into the ground pots and all. In the fall, they need to come out and go somewhere where they won't get any extra light at night- then they should be in full glory by Christmas. We'll see! I haven't been able to get the poinsettas through the summer yet- but maybe if I find some ground or huge pot somewhere, that will keep them cool enough not to dry out and die.

These are my tomato plants and a side view of my table top. In the tomato and the right, I have a pepper plant. Rob harvested the first pepper from that plant last week also.

These are my three sisters. They were not happy with the frost we had a few weeks back-knew that going into starting the seeds.

Took an old iron table bottom that I am not using and arranged all the window boxes into two tiers. They all seem to be happy like this.

This is my romaine lettuce- looks delicious. Doesn't seem to be forming a head- but maybe I'll steal a few outer leaves for my tacos.

These are my newest plants: From left to right- a plant that is supposed to attact butteflies, Thai basil, ornamental pepper, and sage.

I was afraid that the two frosty nights last week were going to wreak havoc but the weather is 54 degrees right now with a high around 84 today- just perfect! That's all for today!

Love, Mary Rose

Christmas Wreath

2011-12-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, I used a lot of natural materials in my Christmas decorations. We had a six foot Frasier Fir, a 20 foot garland, two wreaths, and five poinsetta plants. This morning, I woke up and planned the natural material for next year's holidays. Here a bunch of links if you want dream a little yourself.

Wahmhoff Farms Nursery in Michigan They have beautiful trees and the price is not too bad. They also drill a hole up the middle of your trunk so you can use a special easy-to-use Christmas tree stand. Generally all your have to do is line up the hole in the trunk with the nail in the middle of the stand- and viola! Christmas tree is up. They don't have delivery information.

Christmas Farms in Michigan. They also drill the tree up the middle to use with the new stand. They are the highest price of these links, but they deliver free and have a real variety of fresh greens. It would not be too difficult to spend $500 here- but it would be a one of a kind Christmas.

Christmas Tree Farm in Minnesota. They have a variety of trees and wreaths and have a delivery fee calculator. They also have north woodsy stuff like birch decorations, maple syrup, and wild rice.

Then I decided to see what was available down south. Found Green Valley Christmas Trees- the Frasier Firs here are grown in North Carolina.

Then found out that you can get herbal wreaths at Williams Sonoma. Then watched the video about Creekside Farms and all I saw was FUN RETIREMENT! Can you imagine the joy of growing pretty fragrant things and then bunching them all up into a wreath that would last forever!

Next followed lots of links on how to make herb wreaths, the realization that I had tons of old grapevine wreaths for all occasions and herbs that needed to be cut and voila- Mary Rose's Garden Angel Wreath! Hope that this ages gracefully! More to come...

Peanut butter vegetable soup

2011-12-01T05:40:00.001-08:00

One of my new favorite web sites is Thy Hand Hath Provided. I love web sites about things that people are trying- especially people that are committed to living off the bounty of the earth in their back yards! On their menu plan for today they had a recipe for peanut butter vegetable soup. It matched a lot of the things that I had in the refrigerator that needed to be used up before my next trip to Cheyenne's tomorrow. I added a lot more to this recipe and also used fresh herbs from my garden. This is a great thing to do with all your extra bounty from the earth.

This is my adapted version:

6 mediumcarrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. butter
4 cups beef broth
2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
1 large egg plant
ground white pepper
1 large canned diced tomatoes

1 bag baby spinach

Handful offresh basil

Handful offresh parsley

Handful offresh thyme
3/4 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, cook carrots, onions, egg plant and garlicin melted butter until onions are tender. Stir in broth, sweet potatoes, andpepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or untilsweet potatoes and carrots are tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, spinach,herbs and peanut butter. Stir gently until peanut butter has completelydissolved, spinach is wilted and tomatoes are heated through. Makes about 8servings.

Carrots, egg plant and onions were diced into 1/2 inch cubes.

Sorry I can't supply pictures, lost my camera power adapter again! I'm eating it right now and it has a wonderful creamy, rich flavor. I'm thoroughly enjoying it!

Singing With The Angels

2011-11-29T05:02:00.001-08:00

Technically, everyone in every church choir is singing with the angels. After all the liturgy tells us that when we sing Holy Holy, that we are joining with the never-ending choir of angels and saints eternally praising God- that in fact the whole community is joining in the song. But when you sing with a group of people who deeply believe every word that they are singing, who try with all their might to create a choral sound, who have a church that supports the choral ministry, and an amazing director who knows how to get the most out of ordinary voices and who keeps us on our toes- it really feels like singing with angels- and in the midst of them- it sounds like we're singing with the angels.

The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a wonderful tradition where the meaning of Christmas is explored through a series of nine Bible readings beginning from the fall of Adam and Eve through the birth of Christ. Among the readings are dispersed Christmas carols and songs- sort of like a musical Jesse Tree. Christmas is a great time to review how mankind got to the birth of Jesus.

It's free- so if you can make it to St. Paul's in Tampa- and if you would enjoy this kind of event- it will well be worth your time.

Here's to a wonderful holiday season for you and yours!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-28T06:29:00.001-08:00

Did not take many pictures this weekend. Here are the 6 best:

Our mini-Thanksgiving dinner for just Rob and I.

Macy's parade (from the TV set)

Setting up the Advent wreath

Three sisters just keeps on growing! The beans look like the healthiest.

Tomatoes and cabbages

My tropical garden this morning.

The best eggnog ever

2011-11-22T04:51:00.000-08:00

The other day, my son Rob handed me one of these and told me to taste. What I tasted was Christmas- the very best, creamiest, frothiest, most perfectly balanced egg nog that I have ever experienced in my life. This recipe is definitely for adults- and definitely a once or twice per year drink.

This is the ingredient list:
3 oz pasteurized eggs
3 oz sugar
6 oz heavy cream
1 oz dark or aged Jamaican rum
1 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
1 oz cognac
freshly grated nutmeg

Here is the visual:

And here is how he measures the ounces:

We used natural pure cane sugar. If we are going to use sugar, Rob won't have anything but pure cane sugar in the house.

Besides the wonderful symmetry in the measurement of these ingredients, there are three secrets to preparing this drink. The first is to continuously whisk this mixture as you incorporate the ingredients. The second is the order in which the ingredients are added to ensure that the mixture doesn't curdle. The third secret is to 'cure' the ingredients- let them sit a few hours in the refrigerator so that the alcohol has a chance to meld and ensure that the eggs are OK. We used pasteurized eggs (you can tell them by the P on the shell) but the technique is ancient- George Washington cured the ingredients in his recipe for days.

This is for two double old-fashioned glass servings.

Start with the eggs. Previously Rob proved to himself that 3 oz of eggs was 2 eggs.

Whisk them until they are yellow and creamy looking like this.

Slowly incorporate the sugar a bit at a time, whisking as you pour.

It now looks like this. Now add the cream slowly, whisking as you go.

It looks like this. Now is the time to measure out the brandy, rum, and whiskey. Add them slowly whisking all the way like the rest. It might be slightly more important to whisk at this stage to keep the alcohol from cooking the eggs. Now grate nutmeg to taste and incorporate that too. Put the whole mixture into the refrigerator for a few hours to cure. Rob tried one without curing and declared that it was just not as good.

Just before serving, whisk it all up again (the ingredients may separate), pour into glasses and grate fresh nutmeg on top. Heavenly...

What can you do with eggplant and feta?

2011-11-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

The two things that I was most anxious to use out of all the products I bought at Cheyenne's yesterday was the fairy tale eggplant and the fresh feta cheese. It dawned on me that these were compatible ingredients so did a search on eggplant and feta recipes. The most interesting one to me was an eggplant and feta cheese dip- we had some tortilla chips left and needed a flexible meal today. Then I decided to see if Pioneer woman had a similar recipe- and she did - Baba Ghanoush- but without feta cheese. So this recipe is like both of these but distinctly my own.

Decided to try my own step-by-step pictorial recipe. Here it goes:
Start with these darling little babies:

Collect these other ingredients: green onions, bell pepper, flat leaf parsley, basil, feta cheese, garlic, lemon, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pierce the eggplant all over with a fork- otherwise they will explode and that will be a mess! Lay them out on a cookie sheet, place the pan about 6 inches below the broiler, and broil the eggplant until charred and the eggplant is soft. You need to check them every 5 minutes and turn them over several times with a pair of tongs. Recipes recommended getting them very charred but I gave up early because these little babies got very soft long before the outside was that black. Mine looked like this:

Of course, they started out with black ones, so mine might be just as charred. Cut the eggplants open and scrape all the insides out into a bowl. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 cup of olive oil. It should look like this:

Now add 1/2 cup of feta cheese

1/4 cup of green onion

1/4 of a large bell pepper- I liked the yellow one.

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

and 2 tablespoons of chopped basil.

Mix this up all together.

This made enough to put into two custard cups.
Rob and I enjoyed this with tortilla chips.
Imagine a greek salad dressing that was spreadable and creamy- that's the flavor of this dip. Might be nice with some black olives added- Rob had his with a half jalapeno pepper.

So that is what I did with fresh feta and fairy tale eggplant. Good experiment. Will do it again sometime- especially if Rob is not eating with me- he ate it but thought it was a little strange- which is OK because eggplant is a new experience in our home and this is a girlie recipe anyway.

Bounty of the Earth

2011-11-20T05:19:00.001-08:00

Went to Cheyenne's Country Thangs yesterday. It's close- about a thirty minute trip and I found a route with a pretty drive. You don't have to buy a membership but it is very reasonably priced- but if this week is any indication, I might need two at a time! This is what I brought home.

I love this place- it is exactly what I was searching for- and more. Not only is it a source of organic locally raised food, but also a great gardening resource. They do not grow all of the food themselves- they partner with a several local food growers- but all of the food that they put out was just beautiful. It was so beautiful that I just had to take a picture of my haul home.

Here are some of my prizes:

My new baby cabbages- also have a tomato plant. What do you think of a planting container with cabbages and tomatoes? Think I'll get a pepper plant next week to go with them.

And here are some fairy tale eggplants with some jalapeno peppers, an avocado, and a coconut. Looked up the fairy tale eggplant and found that these are great patio plants!

Made Rob some guacamole last night. Have no idea what I was doing but took this little avocado, added one of these huge peppers, some green onion, juice of 1/2 lime, a handful of cilantro fresh from my garden (looks like I might need a new cilantro plant soon- we're harvesting this one a lot), some freshly ground cumin seeds, a little salt and pepper. Rob thought it was just delicious but a little hot. Next time need to use 2 avocados!

And in MY garden- we have a new birth- looks like the third sister is coming forth!
Here is the planter today:

And here is the closeup of my new little one:

For good measure, we gathered up all the recycling:

And brought it to the USF recycling center:

Have a great day- enjoy your portion of the earth wherever that might be!

A Light Rain

2011-11-18T05:18:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I was able to catch a light rain. It might not look like a light rain- but this is what one looks like in Tampa- this was a 15 minute storm.

Here is the rain coming off the roof and hitting the pavement.

And here is what the backyard near my garden looked like:

The side of the building:

The river near the storm drain. The run-off from this drain feeds the pond that I have shown you on some of my walks. That pond then filters the water that feeds the Hillsborough River- so that the river stays clean.

My three sisters must have loved the rain because here is what I found today:

And here is a better view of the new leaves:

As far as my sunflower basket goes, it looked a little tired this morning, so I took every stem out- trimmed away all the dead leaves and flowers, turned over my oasis, and put everything in new again. Doesn't look like I need anything new yet.

Top of the compost looked great- getting a little heat- but the compost tea had a sulfur smell, so know that I need to do a better job of aeration. Went into my storage bin looking for containers and found a lot of pots that needed to be filled. Lots of work for the weekend...

Construction everywhere?

2011-11-17T06:05:00.001-08:00

I took this picture more to show what is not there- there used to be a shopping center visible through those two buildings- and now there is a blank canvas- interesting to see over time what goes there. That's one of the things that I like to do- even in my work- is to look at the same thing over and over again- and then note what changes and what stays the same. This is from my complex near my car.

Another thing I did yesterday was take pictures from the car while waiting at stop lights- something productive to do with the three minutes- it has to be a long light to turn on the camera, find a shot, zoom in and shoot- so it doesn't make sense to do it unless you start at the beginning of the light.

This is at the corner of Riverhills and 56th Street looking towards the river. There is construction there.

Ten minute drive away- on Bruce B. Downs at the entrance to USF across the street from the University Collection. More construction.

Nature's construction project- adding leaves.

And here is the mint and the sage rebuilding themselves- think they like the compost tea!

Doesn't seem to be any more construction here- but wait until I start to get my Christmas things out this weekend!

And those are the pictures for today from Mary Rose's Garden! Enjoy your day!

The last of my power

2011-11-16T04:40:00.001-08:00

Until a few minutes ago, had not been able to find the battery charger on my camera for several days now. These were some of the photos I took yesterday anyway.

My neighbors garden:

Just love to look at this. Maybe I should be thinking of an ornamental. On the other hand, I don't have such a lovely rail to support it.

This is a simple compost system I am trying- just an old trash can with a drainage hole- trying to save what drains to use as compost tea. Watering it, turning the top 6 inches, and adding ground vegetable matter every day- seems to be working. A tree toad choose this for his home- so there is a friendly little habitat in here- try to catch him in a later photo.


Three sisters 11-16-11

Hall table 11-16-11

A little refreshing...

2011-11-15T05:38:00.001-08:00

Monday is the day that I teach faith formation. Didn't take my camera with me so light on the away photos. Dropped off my Blue Box (Pirates of the Caribbean) and picked up a mini-floral package at the store to refresh my flowers.

This morning I replanted my new thyme plant.

And was pleased to see the progress that my three sisters made. Planted a few more corn seeds- hoping that this is the missing sister. Also hope they come up!

Getting late. Hope to turn one of my pumpkins into pumpkin bread tonight- that is if the TV doesn't capture me first!

Need to remember to title my posts each day. Do you like the format of the last few days? Want more information, or stories, or botched recipes? I'm sort of enjoying taking my camera around my day and see what catches my eye...

Finding the Beauty in Everything

2011-11-14T03:36:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Sunday. Just about every Sunday from September until the end of May, I sing in the choir at St. Paul's. One of the things I love best about this church is the fact that part of the worship experience is allowing the greatness of God to permeate the worship space. This is a view from the window on the side of the choir loft. If you look on the bottom, you can even see a mic.

This is a view out the window in the back of the church. This is one of my views from the choir loft.

This is the same garden from the outside.

We not only get to see beauty outside- but the beauty brought inside. These were the floral arrangements on the choir side of the altar.

My home floral is losing some of it's beauty. Decided that until I ear this pie pumpkin, it would add a little bit of fall to the background.

This week, Rob bought himself a gift box. I think the recipe might be nice- if we freshen it up a bit- which is why I set up the still life- to capture the recipe without saving the box.

Last but not least- this is how my three sisters looked this morning. Still only two sisters.

Peaceful Saturday

2011-11-13T04:50:00.001-08:00

Peaceful Saturday. Found some of my Thanksgiving things- put them on my entryway table.

Broke out my Thanksgiving ornaments 11-12-11

Bought a new thyme plant at Whole Foods- forgot my camera.

Bought Thyme at Fresh Market 11-12-11

Thinned out my mint plants and found some sage struggling for life- so now I have parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme!

Found some sage! 11-12-11

Parsley 11-13-11


Rosemary

Wondering if I want a rosemary tree for Christmas- and if I do- will it survive inside long enough to make it into the garden.

Dill and Cilantro 11-13-11

Dill and cilantro seem happy. Used a lot of cilantro this week in my fresh salsa (Large tomato, fresh lime juice, fresh cut cilantro, salt, pepper, freshly ground cumin seed, onion and garlic powder- yummy!). We enjoyed the salsa instead of diced tomatoes in our tacos.

Last night Rob went to the Taylor Swift concert. Got to enjoy an evening on my own- not as fun as I remembered! Getting a late start this morning!

Veteran's Day 2011

2011-11-12T04:14:00.001-08:00

Fresh flowers 11-11-11

Started out the day roasting a pumpkin (400 degrees for 45 minutes) with a cinnamon stick, 8 cloves, and about a teaspoon of grated ginger.

Also roasted the pumpkin seeds for 15 minutes at the same time. This time used a cookie sheet and parchment paper. The seeds were crunchy and buttery yet the kernel inside was still moist- yummy!

Loved the gingersnap crust: Crush 25 gingersnaps in the food processor, add 4 tbsp melted butter, add 2 tbsp sugar- line pie plate and refrigerate about 15 minutes- bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Find another filling- mine did not set- but looked pretty!

Top photo:
Loved this bouquet that I picked up at Publix (grocery store). Amazing how talented you can be with a nice basket and a little oasis. I used just a 4" cubic block in a dish inserted into a nice basket from a yard sale. Makes the front door entrance look so seasonal!

Three sisters pot 11-11-11

Very exciting! Thinned out the first sister and found a second type of plant popping through! So now there are two sisters! Here is a better view of the second sister.

Three sisters pot 11-12-11

That's all for this morning! See you tomorrow!

Pumpkin Cream Pie

2011-11-11T08:40:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I was inspired by Martha Stewart's slide show on Thanksgiving Pies. Thought it might be fun to re-work the recipes using more fresh ingredients- then post one per day.

I started out with the first recipe: Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Cream Pie. Instead of canned pumpkin, I cooked this darling little thing- a small pie pumpkin.

Didn't want to use stale ground spices, so decided to try baking the pumpkin with whole spices and see what happened. You can see a cinnamon stick (think in future I would break it up and insert it into the pumpkin for more flavor), 8 cloves, and some fresh grated ginger. I grated the nutmeg into the milk per directions. These were cooked in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes and were perfect. Plunged the halves down into my handy dandy food mill and almost nothing was left except for bare skin, the cinnamon stick and some cloves. This worked very well as Rob decreed that they smelled like pumpkin when they came out of the oven. Here is what I got from this little pie pumpkin:

Pumpkin in a one-cup measuring cup

Followed the rest of the recipe pretty much as in the link, except had to substitute arrowroot for corn starch (which I think was better). Also cooked the custard until it was thickened and this took longer than 2 minutes. Wanted to stop when it was just barely thickened but this custard went from runny to thick in about 10 seconds- adding the pumpkin and the butter helped cool it down and smooth it out a lot. Right now, the pie is resting in the refrigerator.

Here is a picture of the pumpkin pie I made last week- as soon as I was able to snap a picture. Went fairly well. Turning pumpkin into puree from last week.

Knife inserted goes through nicely

Passing through the food mill

Best part of food milling the pumpkin is that you don't need to peel it or anything- and almost all the goodness goes through.

Tasted the pie we made today at each step, Felt the need to add more cinnamon. Other than that, this looks like it's going to be a delicious pie day!

Might make some meringue cookies soon- have 4 egg whites!

5PM- pie never set- crust was amazing might try it with real pumpkin pie but the filling is disappointing...

Three sisters- probably not- lima beans Ahoy!

2011-11-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

Three sisters 11-06-11

Saturday- saw the first sign that the seeds were going anywhere. This was on day 7 of a 5-10 day sprouting time for all three seeds.

Three sisters 11-07-11

Three sisters 11-08-11

Three sisters 11-09-11


Three sisters 11-10-11

So far, I only see one kind of seed- and that kinds looks like the lima bean leaf on the package- so I think we have a chance of some lima beans in a few weeks! Guess it is time to thin. Anyone have a favorite?
Do you think we should just stick with the lima beans or try again with the corn and pumpkin seeds?

Following up on Finding Fresh Food in Tampa

2011-11-09T05:24:00.000-08:00

Tampa Bay Farmer's Market looks intriguing. However, if you look at their list of products, not a lot are grown in Florida and even if they ARE grown in Florida, you don't know how local the food is. Still it looks like a good place to go and visit.
Amy's Fresh Delivery does have fresh locally grown produce but she does not deliver to the northern part of Tampa at this time.
Cheyennes Country Thangs has a very confusing web site. Think that the only way you can join is to email the owner. No guarantee that their food is locally grown and some of their items probably are not Florida grown. Looks like they have a very eclectic mix of things and also looks like you can get a grow box full of vegetables already started for $65. Not sure that I will be able to purchase food without a membership but may go up this Saturday and see what I can see.

Getting off to a late start this morning. Tomorrow will show you Days 2-5 of my three sisters pot.

Finding Fresh Food in Tampa

2011-11-08T04:18:00.000-08:00

Finding fresh food in Tampa is not an easy task. People selling fresh produce in many of the local farmer's markets typically buy their produce from the same vendors as the grocery stores and set up shop in the markets. First thing in the morning on Saturday, it may be fresher than what you might find in the grocery stores but basically it is the same thing.

Tampa does have it's own CSA.
Sweetwater Organic Community Farm sells half-memberships starting at $479 a year- payable up front- if you can get a membership- this year's are sold out. Even if you could come up with hundreds of dollars for a share- to me the variety doesn't seem to be all that great. You also have to come to pick up your food in a 4 hour window on Sunday afternoon. Volunteering is a requirement but one that I would enjoy.

Then there is the Urban Oasis Hydroponic Farm. This is a farm built on a parking lot. It is all hydroponic and vertical- which is about the only way to go with the cost of land in Tampa. They are more of a commercial operation. They sell both year round and three 8-week seasonal memberships, so getting started is easier. They also sell a hydroponic system for $500- can grow 90 plants in a 1' by 20' area. Of course my back porch is 8 by 14- but you have to be able to open and close two doors- so have two 3 by 8 growing areas- so the volume is possible but not the configuration. Have thought about buying a short membership to try it out but the romance of a garden is a little lacking if the whole garden is covered in concrete!

Just found a new link on the CSA site- not there when I started writing this post- Cheyennes Country Things. They sell $70 memberships for 4 weeks-more my speed. They also have a variety of growing systems and help people start their own gardens. Will check this out and do a better post later. This is technically not in Tampa- but this is closer to me than some of the other places- and it has a delivery service.

Ironically, I found a very exciting farmer's market by doing a search for Christmas Tree Farms. Somehow or other found myself at the Tampa Bay Farmer's Market. I am planning to visit this place ASAP. It is open 7 days a week during the day (close enough and open early enough that I can go without Rob on the weekends. They have a spreadsheet that tells you where the food is grown- but a lot of food is not grown locally. They also have a very interesting vendors list. The vendors list is a post in itself. Found that there is not one but two local coffee roasters: Ybor City Gold and El Molino Coffee. Amy's Fresh Delivery is also something that I would like to check out. One of the hard things about buying local is that the best places are an hour away and times available are inconvenient. Bringing them all together both online and in the store is a really good idea for someone trying to get her feet wet.

That's all for now!

Three sisters: Sprouting Day 1

2011-11-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

Mary Rose's Garden Three Sisters 11-6-11

This is the photo that I took this morning of my three sisters mound. Do not know what this is yet- think it may be the lima beans.

The rest of my garden:

Mary Rose's Garden Basil 11-6-11


Mary Rose's Garden Chives 11-6-11

Mary Rose's Garden Mint 11-6-11

Mary Rose's Garden Parsley 11-6-11

Mary Rose's Garden Dill 11-6-11

Mary Rose's Garden Cilantro 11-6-11

Mary Rose's Garden Rosemary

Everything looks a little faded- in the summer, things were getting watered themselves- so it might just be that they need a little water and a little time- or it might be that they are at the end of their season- the oregano, mint, rosemary and basil been growing since the spring.

Pumpkin seeds

2011-11-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that I sacrificed my Halloween pumpkin for pumpkin pie.

If I was connected to the land, I would first plant seeds (planted them a week ago- no sprouts yet- hope for pumpkins in the spring!).

Then the plants would grow and blossom.


Pumpkin growing: link to photo information

Here is a close-up of a plant growing in the field (photo found here):

A field of pumpkins near harvest:


Pumpkin field in Oregon

And here is where mine ended up before the sacrifice! Doesn't it look like a preparation for a sacrifice!

The preparation:

The cutting:

The scooped goods before cleaning:

After cleaning and draining:

Melt a little butter

Throw in the seeds

Add a little salt and stir until well coated with butter- don't need to brown:

Remove from pan, and spread out on a baking sheet. Don't use a grill pan like me. Envisioned these great grill marks on the seeds- instead just had a pain removing them from the pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes-unless you are using a cast iron baking sheet- then you need 15 minutes to heat up the grill pan. They look like this when done:

This is the finished product draining on paper towels:

While I am doing this, I am also baking the pumpkin for pies later- but that is a story for another day...

After this stage, I let them sit on the counter until the pumpkin was done cooking- by that time they were soggy. Put them back in the oven and promptly forgot about them for another 15 minutes when they looked like this:

They are not burnt, they are plenty crispy, but to me they are overdone. You may want to check yours every 5 minutes until they are crispy again but still have some life in them! This blog at this stage will then not be an expert's blog but an experimenter's blog- someone who was once close to nature but moved away about 45 years ago and is just rediscovering it.

Maybe this is a more interesting approach than being an expert! However, when I like a recipe, I'll make a printable version!

Happy Saturday!

History of Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

Both Mom and Dad's family's traditional Thanksgiving menus and recipes were virtually identical. Ancestors of both families came to Barnstable on Cape Cod in the early 17th century, both familes ended up in Salem MA by the time of the witch trials. The brother of one of Mom's ancestors was arrested on witch craft charges but escaped in the middle of the night being last seen heading out of town on the Boston Post Road. The next record is Mom's ancestor in the Oxford, New Haven CT region. Dad's ancestors also went to Salem where one was arrested, tried, and convicted of witch craft. That part of the family then went into the wilds of Massachusetts where the revolutionary war veterans were given land as payment for their service until the lands were annexed by New Hampshire. So I suppose that the reason that the recipes were so similar was because they came from those Barnstable roots- but it evolved with food so that while holding true to customs and tastes, the ingredients went with the times.

Pumpkin pie for us growing up was the recipe on the back of the Libby's can. That recipe originated in 1950 and it is not that connected to the land. One year for a thanksgiving dinner, I made a pumpkin pie with real pumpkin. From that point on, it is a rare thanksgiving that I will use the canned pumpkin. As I am starting on this journey to get connected, I was curious to see the origins of pumpkin pie.

The Pilgrims did not make pumpkin pie- they didn't have ovens that would make the crust. However, they did have a dish where the pumpkin was added to a pot and slow cooked all day long until it was stew-like and doctored to taste like baked apples. From that point, there was a lot of experimentation until we got to a pie somewhat like the current pie in about 1796.

Here are some links to 19th century recipes used in America:
Favorite Dishes 1893
New England Economical Housekeeper 1845
White House Cookbook 1847
Complete Cookbook 1864 and the second page here.

All these recipes used ground spices although some used freshly grated nutmeg. This year, I have been experimenting with whole spices in teas, so think that I will create a recipe that considers history and simmers the pumpkin in whole spices until the flavor is imparted to the pumpkin. I'll use cream instead of evaporated milk and try to stay true to the flavor of the Libby's and see what I get.

Here is the beginning. To make pumkin pie, start with a pumpkin.

Although the truth is that all pumpkins start from seeds.

Where Coffee Comes From

2011-11-03T05:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I used coffee as an example of how we can become more connected with our food. That set me on quest to see how my morning cups of coffee are made. An excellent link with pictures is here at indiancoffees.com. Until the 1970's, coffee grew in tropical forests under the shade of larger trees. The beans grow on the trees until they form a bright red berry. Then the beans were hand-picked, placed in water until they are plump, the pulp is rubbed off the reveal the green bean which is then dried, packed, and shipped. If beans are decaffeinated, the decaffeination is done at this stage. The traditional methods are very labor intensive. Coffee in it's natural state is part of a habitat rich in wildlife.

In the 1970's, strains of coffee were developed which did not need to grow in the shade. When this happened, forests were cut down, plantations were built, and much of the traditional work was done by machines.

There are several labels or certifications applied to coffee.
Bird-friendly coffee is coffee that is grown in the forests or under shade trees.
Organic is coffee that is produced without chemicals and artificial fertilizers.
Fair trade coffee is coffee that ensures that the growers that produce the coffee are paid a living wage for their beans.
There are also certifications that indicate how large the carbon footprint of the coffee is.
According to their website, Grounds For Change is the first carbon-free coffee which means that all the steps combined in producing the final roasted coffee have a net carbon footprint of 0. Grounds for change roasts the coffee when it is ordered.

People can also buy green beans for coffee over the internet (be sure to look for fair trade, organic, and bird-friendly). Coffee can be roasted in expensive home roasters that mechanize everything or can be roasted in a frying pan over the stove. Think that the whole process of home roasting may be an adventure that we will explore someday in later posts.

Have a great day!

The Mary Rose's Garden Brand

2011-11-02T05:40:00.000-07:00

I'm reading Trump and Kiyosaki's Midas Touch, which is not as much about making money as it is about succeeding in life. I realized that no matter how hard I am pressured to do anything else, that I need to blog everyday to build a brand and to establish my identity- more for myself than for anyone else. In thinking about my brand, I realize that many of the things that I abandoned from my childhood are things that are being rediscovered and revalued. Food that goes from the land and the sea to your mouth in less than a day or a week tastes better than food that is picked unripe and then sits in cold storage for a month or more. That the discipline of self-esteem is not simply being the way God made you to be, but recognizing the value in the way that God made everything and the value in the simple, the natural, and the organic. Spices need to be freshly ground. Herbs need to come straight from the garden. Milk needs to come from a cow- and preferably a cow that you know. Beer is better if it is brewed in the same place where you drink it. Floral is better if you arrange it yourself- the more natural the construction methods the better. Furniture is better if it is hand-crafted by a person with pride in their work. Plastic is toxic. Silk is to wear. Natural fibers are better.

Craftmanship is important (blogger made me do a spell check on craftmanship- not because it was spelled wrong- maybe because it is a low use word). It is important to know who made your clothes and your shoes- who made your furniture- who created that recipe- who brewed your beer- who is the vintner for your wine- who grew the food you are eating. It is important to know them, their character, and their methods for making. growing, and preparing the things that you use and that you consume. It is important to use things that are locally made, locally grown, locally prepared- things that are organic- things that have inherent quality.

Overcoming is important. It is important that every person finds their unique gift to the world and that are allowed to express that gift in the fullest sense possible. No one should ever settle with life for a penny. That means that people that work for you should feel that their job is an expression of a gift that they have- that they are paid sufficiently to enjoy their life and to enjoy time with their family and friends.

Connection is important. We live in a world where it is possible for coffee to be grown thousands of miles away- and for you to encounter that farmer on-line- see their picture- and read their story. It is possible to see who picked it- who roasted it- who brewed it- in an instant no matter where you are in the world. Maybe the world would be a better place if all those people involved in our lives, all those people playing a role in the garden of our lives, were people who were known and who are real to us.

In writing this, I am discovering this- a truly amazing process.

Decorating with Nature

2011-11-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

Every year, we close off the front hallway and create a Halloween scene. It is VERY scary. This year, I did exactly the same thing with the same decorations and it was not scary at all. My son pointed out that everything in the scene was friendly and had happy smiles. What is the difference? We did not have a Jack-o-lantern- we bought our pumpkin too early, it rotted out, and I just did not feel like getting another. This has really hit home on how much every season is enhanced when we bring nature into the home.

When I was twelve, we visited Liebler Farms in Glastonbury during the Christmas season. This was run by my uncles and grandfather. I'll always remember it. Ever since that visit, I've always wanted a Christmas store. I used to think of that store in terms of the decorations I could buy to stick in it, but today I'm realizing that the real value of the Liebler Farms Christmas store was in all the natural materials- because it wasn't just a Christmas store, it was a Christmas tree store too- and they also ran a Christmas decoration business. I remember my uncle showing me how to make Christmas wreaths and garlands- they never used a wire form- they used the very simple things- living material, cotton or velvet ribbon, florist wire, and wooden picks. He lovingly wrapped the wire around each piece- building a vision with each inch of wire unwrapped and incorporated. I was surprised that when my uncle Frank died, the thing that he was remembered for the most was his beautiful Christmas wreaths. It would be nice to have a legacy like that.

I decorate a lot for Christmas and even use natural and living materials- but think that this year- we're going to remember the value of bringing the natural into the home.

Ginger Beer

2011-10-31T03:40:00.000-07:00

Ginger beer is not part of the inherited recipes past down to me by my family, but it is a traditional New England brew according to Gaspee.Com. We tried using the easy Food Network recipe but even double strength, it was not strong enough for Rob. He has been tasting some Caribeean ginger beers and he wants that bite. Maybe the next time, we'll try the New England recipe! It will be a lot less messy- even though I would prefer using fresh ginger!

Three sisters on the porch

2011-10-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up in Medway MA, everyone in our neighborhood had 1/2 acre lots. In the old days, it seemed, everyone had their own vegetable gardens, but by the 1960's most families used this extra space to play baseball.

Our Dad, though was a farmer who had gone to college hoping one day to bring modern agricultural methods to his family farm in Glastonbury CT, but found that it was hard to raise five children on the $50/week his parents paid him as a laborer on their tobacco farm. My Mom wanted to live in a nice house with modern furniture and have the latest conveniences, so Dad left the farm to go work at Pratt and Whitney until the steel strikes in the late 1950's.

In March 1960, he nearly lost his leg. He was very proud of his strength and could lift small tractors onto trucks- so when he encountered someone with a car stuck in a snow bank during a freak spring storm, he stopped and tried to help lift it out. Instead he slipped and the car landed on his leg. They thought that they would have to cut off his leg but when it was learned that he had five children under 7 years of age, Dr. Nathanson, an obstetrician at the hospital, decided to do his best to save the leg. He not only saved the leg but became my Mom's OB and delivered my two youngest sisters. But Dad couldn't operate a screw machine any more. But he did have his college education, so Dad became a teacher at the Norfolk Country Agricultural High School (the Norfolk Aggie).

Ironically, it was in college that my father discovered that the old ways taught by the American Indians to the pilgrims and then by the pilgrims to his Barnstable ancestors was the best way to preserve and protect the land. He was an environmentalist in 1950, and an organic farmer in the 1960's. He took the lot on the side of the house that we rented, and turning it into an organic vegetable plot. The food that he raised was magnificent! By the time we left Temple Street in 1968, there were nine hungry people in our family and we never had to buy vegetables. Every spring, he had a truck full of manure land on our little side lot. Then a tractor came spread it, then a few days later another tractor came to plow it under the soil and the land was ready for planting. All of the plants were placed in such a way that one plant nourished, supported, and protected the other- so there was no need for pesticides or chemical fertilizer- all was in balance.

Now it is nearly 50 years since my Dad tried to teach me his methods, and I am stuck trying to raise whatever fresh food that I can on the porch of my apartment. I live in Florida, so the seasons that my ancestors have followed for thousands of years mean nothing. We plant in the fall and harvest mid-winter. Plant in January and harvest in April. I find myself writing about succotash and taking a 5 gallon drum full of soil and trying to plant a single mound with the three sisters (corn, lima beans, and pumpkin) to see what will happen. We should have some growth and we'll see if we get any food. Luckily, unlike my ancestors, I will not starve, so it is OK to fail.

I am also learning exciting things like worm composting and the like- will update you as we go along.

Succotash

2011-10-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

For me, succotash is a dish that speaks of heritage. Our family is descended from the very early settlers that came to Barnstable, MA in 1639, so they coexisted side by side with the pilgrims who lived only a few miles away. One of my earliest memories was my father showing me the earth in the vegetable garden- smelling the richness of the black soil with all the life teaming inside. He taught me about the three sisters- corn, beans, and squash- how they grow together- each complimenting the other- each providing what the other needed to grow.

Another early memory was my grandfather's dairy herd. First thing in the morning, the cows would go out to the meadows, they would graze all day in the sunshine, and at sunset they would come in to give the most wonderful milk I have ever tasted. Some fields would be allowed to grow wild all summer and those would be cut down in late August to make hay. There is nothing like the smell of hay drying in the sun- it's like summer in a bundle. That hay was the food for the cows in the winter. Although the Lieblers had a pasteurizer for the milk that they sold, the milk that the family drank was always raw milk. I never had an ounce of pasteurized milk until we moved to Medway when I was 7 years old. It took several weeks to get used to the taste- hard to say what the difference was- guess it was just more dead. Even that milk though was more alive than homogenized milk. Milk that is low-temp pasteurized has this wonderful cream that comes to the top- and to this day, I will pay a lot more for milk if it is not homogenized.

To make my grandma's succotash in the fall, you need to go out to the fields in early spring, spread a layer of fresh manure, till it under the ground and plant corn, lima beans, and pumpkins in a mound- let them grow until the corn is tall with full ears, and the lima bean plant has full green pods. Then you take 3 or 4 ears off the corn plant, and fill a colander with lima beans. Get into a rocking chair on the porch with a good view of the woods and start to open the lima bean pods and remove the beans. I could never shuck lima beans without eating about 1/4 of the raw beans, so when I shuck the beans, I had to pick extra. When the beans were done, you shuck the corn. Time to make the succotash!

Succotash is very easy- you take corn, lima beans, butter, salt, pepper, and cream. You take a great big cast iron skillet, and bring it to temperature with an inch stick of a stick of butter. When the butter melts, the pan is hot. Cut the kernels off the cob and be sure to scrape the cob to get as much of the milk as possible. Then add the lima beans and let them come up to heat. My mom cooked them just like that- parboiling the lima beans first- seasoning with salt and pepper to taste (lots of pepper- good succotah has a rich peppery taste) but my grandma did something extra special- she took the top cream off the raw milk in the pitcher and just let those beans swim in the cream- soaking up all the goodness- and if needed she added some more. In the end, it is thick and rich and creamy.

I don't know how to get lima beans- except the frozen kind- but that takes all the fun out of it. Maybe I need to take a 5 gallon pot- fill it with fertile soil- get a few worms for luck- and plant the three sisters for myself!

Good day for recovery

2010-05-24T03:15:00.000-07:00

Been stalled for a while. Too much time on the Internet- not enough time on meal plans and de-cluttering. Yesterday, started the rug for my future log cabin. That set off a chain of satisfaction. Positive things done yesterday:
1) Created a new daily planner page that works with my current tracking needs.
2) Caught up on my dishes.
3) Got most of my clothes on hangers and organized into outfits.

Used to think that having a craft project interfered with ongoing chores. But now it makes it easier to stay on track. Following Flylady's plan, I set the timer for 15 minutes and do three rounds of chores in three different rooms- then I set the timer for a rest and a reward (which you need by that time). If the reward is the internet- I never get off the computer. If the reward is the TV- we get stuck in the 'next commericial' syndrome. But if the reward is crafts- and you don't pay attention to the timer- your progress is a clue that you've spent too long- plus you are eager to get back and make more progress- so you are more likely to stay on task. At least that was the story yesterday.

15 minutes are up! See you next time!

Trump takes reins of Central Park Carousel - NYPOST.com

2010-03-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Trump takes reins of Central Park Carousel - NYPOST.com

I like this. My favorite thing is the whole world is the carousel, so if I get to NY City in the next six months- it will still be there!
Thanks Donald!

We're All Genies

2010-02-25T02:41:00.000-08:00

The Flylady sent me this link today. We're all a little short on our New Year's resolutions- so this is just the pick-me-up we all need. Here's to your wishes!

Link to the Boomer Alley post:
We have the power to make out wishes come true!

Interesting Group of Thoughts in My Mind

2010-02-17T05:27:00.000-08:00

Can a person move from needing this: Flylady.com and this: Weight Watchers
to having this: Early Retirement Extreme
and becoming something like this: Trump with the money you save?

Unforgettable Rendition of the Lord's Prayer

2010-02-04T03:00:00.001-08:00

Prayer for Haiti

2010-01-14T02:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord, look out for all your children in Haiti. Bring those who have died safely back to your home. Help the living to live- let the rescue efforts succeed beyond our wildest dreams. Bring the help that they need- do not let disease and pestilence cause any further loss of life. May the aid that comes their way lead to a rebuilding of a healthier and more sustainable country- bringing light into the darkness. We ask this is Jesus' name. Amen.

Garden in Process

2010-01-13T02:52:00.000-08:00

I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of doing a video blog- and of fitting one more thing into a life too full already. Will not make any promises about when we can get going again. I love writing this blog- think I will love the video or multi-media blog too- but do not want to put something out that is not worthy of my time and your attention. Hope to be back soon!

Day 2: Flying Today

2010-01-06T05:47:00.000-08:00

Had a hard time taking care of myself this AM- and did not do my after-work routine at all. However, I am programming my brain to get up in the morning and get to work. Have all the music for my choir practice organized (and all the music lying around is in the proper place). Also decided that we needed a semi-nutritious snack for my son to eat when he didn't feel like cooking- so made a loaf of peanut butter bread. Off to pack up my lunch and do a load of dishes!

First Day Back on Track- Seeing Progress

2010-01-05T05:44:00.000-08:00

Followed my routine yesterday- had a productive day at work and when I got home made my son a nice supper and conquered most of the dishes- more than I had accomplished in an entire day during my vacation. This morning, after exercising made my bed, after my bath swished and swiped the tub, did two loads of laundry- put them away- started to tackle my first box of Christmas ornament storage- the chores were my 15 minutes of exercise (more like 45). Was inspired to use the Daily Prayer at Creighton University as my morning prayer/inspiration time and still got here to the blog. Did not do as well at taking care of myself in the evening- watched the Bachelor and fell asleep until after midnight- so tonight will deal with that aspect of self-care. Now have got to go and make my bean relish mix for my salads for the week. More tomorrow!

Just Do It Doesn't Work Without Flying Today

2010-01-04T04:55:00.000-08:00

One of the basic underpinnings of the Discipline of Self-Esteem is that unless you have the discipline to take care of yourself, you won't have the discipline to take care of any other responsibilities properly. It will always be robbing Peter to pay Paul and resenting every second of the work that you do. I was off work all last week, telling myself constantly that I was going to start doing all the house work that needs to be done any second- then didn't. Donald Trump tells us to "Just Do It"- but when I told myself to just do it- I resented it. You need to start with taking care of yourself first. I often don't start with me first. I have this great list of things to do every day and I just don't do them- and when I just don't do them, everything else becomes harder. But when I found myself thnking that I needed to just do this list- it felt good! No resentment. This morning I decided to start out with my Flying Today list. It is now 2.5 hours later and I wonder where all the time went- but I do know that I feel better. Right now I am writing this instead of reading something inspirational for 5 minutes, so the process is almost done. Will let you know if this helped tomorrow.

Sand Castles

2010-01-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, back in the late 1950's, we occasionally went to the beach at Hammonasset. The last time that we were there, I met a young boy who changed my life. He was part of a large family and they made the largest, most elaborate sand castle that I ever saw in my life! It had towers and turrets and moats filled with water and even a drawbridge. I saw it and immediately I wanted to build one just like it, so I took my bucket, filled it up and dumped it out on the sand- and it just collapsed. I did it over and over again- tried again and again- and every time that I tried- it still just collapsed. Finally, one of the boys in the family came over and showed me how to get the sand to mound- all that it took was a little water. He stayed with me and we eventually got a fairly nice but small castle built with a little moat and a bridge before he had to go. I don't know who he was but I remember that he came from New York City- from a part on Long Island. If you recognize yourself here, just always know that I never forgot how to make sand stick together and I taught almost everyone that I ever played with. Thank you. You never know how something little that you do will affect someone, but I've always been grateful to that little boy who showed me how to build sand castles.

Here is a picture of me and my family on the beach at Hammonasset. Might have even been the same day! No point to this point- just following an inspiration...

Prayers for the World on the Eve of 2010

2009-12-31T03:45:00.000-08:00

My prayer for the world on the eve of 2010 was that there would be an end to terrorism- not because they were all dead, but because they found that nothing they could do was effective.

Thought this was a silly prayer, but then on New Year's Day saw a news item on anti-terror building materials for hotels that so many are not using because they think it can't happen to them. It's another one of those things where God has given us all we need- we just have to use all that he provides.

So even if it is a little late, my prayer for the world for this year is that terrorism will end because there simply is nothing that they can do that is effective- because we have used all the gifts that God has given to us to ensure that nothing that they do will have any consequences.

May the New Year find you safe and happy. May your year be violence-free for you and all those that you love. We ask this in Jesus' name.

Happy New Year!

Celebrate New Years Around the World

2009-12-28T02:49:00.000-08:00

When Rob was 5, Sesame Street had a great special- Sesame Street Stays Up Late. In it they had puppet guests from the different countries who showed all New Year's customs in each of their home lands. We thought it would be a cool idea to get a little something from each of the celebrations in each country and use it in our New Year's Eve celebration. Be careful! We got a huge sugar high. We had apples dipped in honey from the Jewish New Year, sparkling apple cider from the French, donuts from the German, fireworks from the Chinese, and of course noise makers and hats from the US.

Here are some resources you might see in your library:
The book Sesame Street Stays Up Late
The DVD Sesame Street Celebrates the New Year
Kids Around the World Celebrate

Here is a very inclusive web site at FathersTime.net

At the transition from 1999-2000, ABC News had a New Year's Eve celebration that started at 5AM EST on Dec 31st and lasted 5AM on New Year's Day. It was fun to go to all of these places around the world and see their celebrations- at the time that they were celebrating the New Year.

Here is a resource to do that: Table Showing When Places Around the World Will Celebrate the New Year. To read the table in your time, simply go to the line that has a city in your time zone and click the use this TZ link. Think it might be fun to link up customs to the time midnight arrives in each time zone. It would even be cooler to have links to a local news station in each time zone to see the celebrations.

Time passes. This year, my son is 21. Last night we watched Three Sheets New Years celebrations which showed the travelers bar hopping in NY and pub crawling in London- each to show how each country celebrates the New Years in alcohol. Nice to watch but I am NOT going out and buying alcohol from each country to celebrate New Years' Around the World. Luckily, we're having a much more mild celebration in mind- he wants to bake a Guinness Chocolate Cake.

Failure is Feedback

2009-12-27T02:45:00.000-08:00

Before my son was born, I could eat anything I wanted in the whole world and never gain an ounce. In fact, my whole pregnancy, my weight was exactly the same- did not gain an ounce. Was hoping that when he was born, I would discover that I lost some weight but the day after he was born, I stepped on the scale and was exactly the same!

Five years later, my legs started to bother me- and was astounded to learn that I had gained more than 30 pounds! Was able to go on the cabbage soup diet and in a year had lost 40 pounds and kept it off. Looked great that October- gave a talk in St. Pete beach and wore this tiny little blue suit- had my hair done at ManTrap and my pastor was telling me that he was sure that I'd get married again.

Then Christmas came. People told me that I made the best Christmas cookies in the world and I repaid everyone all those little favors they did every year by making them a big basket of Christmas cookies. Loved them myself too. My absolute favorites are almond crescents- rich and buttery- and to my amazement, by the end of December, had gained 15 pounds (although I might not have gained the weight if I had realized that each and every cookie had 100 calories and 8 grams of fat!). I felt very discouraged and soon it all came back- and my problems with my legs got worse and worse. In another 5 years, it became hard to walk at all- and since I did not have a car- this was a problem!

Eight years ago, I discovered Weight Watchers. The first year there, I lost 30 pounds and then went on a plateau. When I couldn't lose any more, I quit for a while- was looking good, getting positive attention and feeling better- but it wasn't lifetime. To get to lifetime, I would have had to lose any 40 pounds. For a few years, I maintained the weight then heard about the Maker's Diet and started consuming butter and eggs and all those good things we heard were good for us as children and learned were poison as adults. Quickly gained all my weight back- to be fair to the diet, I did not cleanse my body or take those weekly fast days- just added all that fat and cholesterol!

Three years ago, went back to Weight Watchers because I learned that if I didn't, I would gain at an alarming rate. Last year, I gained 14 pounds on Weight Watchers. To be fair to Weight Watchers, I didn't track my points on the weekends- which is deadly! Then in September, quit Weight Watchers to try Desired Image where I lost 14 pounds in 3 months but the loss became more gradual when I discovered that every medicine they were giving me, I was allergic to- even the B-12! However, I did find that their 900 calorie a day diet worked well and helped me to lose a pound a week- and still allowed me to eat all I wanted on weekends! Now I'm back on Weight Watchers trying to use what I learned at Desired Image- incorporate that into the plan- and see if I can maintain the progress.

Another thing that helps a lot is walking. Over the past 6 months, have worked up to about 3 miles a day. It still takes about an hour but find that is improving over time- if I don't keep injuring my feet. Still recovering from dropping a one quart casserole dish full of food on my big toe!

Often, when I have failed on my journey, I have become discouraged- and then have a long hard slide back on the weight loss journey. Last week, Chris Hubbard, my weight watchers leader- told me that failure is feedback. It was a revolutionary concept to me.

This year, my son told me that we were not going to have another diet Christmas- that he wanted goodies and he wanted me to make them! Maybe I should have told him to make them himself- and keep them in his bedroom! But I wanted some goodies myself- and we made a gingerbread cake house (see Dec 25th post). The cake prepared out of the box has 200 calories and 5 grams of fat- but if I have one or two pieces per day- and make them a little smaller than full size- it is not so bad. Failure is feedback. Christmas celebrations can kill your weight loss plan. Depriving yourself may lead to over-indulgence and that will kill your plan too. But a little bit of cake- once or twice a day- with 900 calories that contain all the good food guidelines (whole grain foods, 8 oz lean protein, 2 fruits, 3 vegetables- 2 of them 0 points, and 3 dairy exchanges per day)- lots of water and good exercise- and last week I lost 0.6 pounds (with my Christmas goodies!).

Now if I want to make goal this year, I need to lose 1.5 lbs per week- that is going to be some hard work. But I am planning to go to New York in October,see Trump Tower, and maybe see Donald Trump. For that I want to be down 55 pounds from my current weight- but if I want to make lifetime this year, I would have to be at goal weight which is 75 lbs down from here. Never ever give up- failure is feedback- onward and upward- wagons ho!

Off to get ready for my walk! See you next week!

The Worst Enemy You'll Ever Face Is Your Own Negative Thoughts

2009-12-26T02:15:00.000-08:00

The best advice that I got this week was from Chris Hubbard, my Weight Watchers Temple Terrace local leader. The topic was perseverance. This is a topic that I need to learn over and over again. But somehow, in the discussion, negative self-talk came up. This is stinkin' thinkin' again but it IS my worst enemy. We all want perfection- but perfection is like the weather in New England- wait 10 minutes and your perception of perfection will be different. That is because perfection is such an elusive goal that we cannot even begin to imagine it- never mind achieve it- all we can see is one side of it- like the blind men and the elephant.

The story goes that three blind men try to describe an elephant. One perfectly described the trunk, one the tail, and one the middle- but no description caught the essence of the elephant. That's how we are with perfection. We can grasp one facet of it- but not the totality. So whenever we strive for perfection, we will disappoint ourselves.

The idea is to focus on one piece at a time and do your best. Look at what you have achieved, rather than what you have not. A clear, calm, and persistent focus will conquer any problem- no matter how big- just keep walking around that elephant!

The image of persistence that Chris brought up was these two women at the Temple Terrace Saturday meeting who have been lifetime for over 20 years. Each and every Staurday morning, they are at the door at 6:30 for the 7AM meeting. They sit in the same two seats every week. There is something magical about the three TT Saturday meetings- they have been winning local awards for years for most people reaching goal, most people losing weight etc. Whoever the leader, they have as the image that keeps them going each and every week= these same two ladies. I have made it my goal this week to be the third- to get there at 6:30- to sit right next to them- and to be there twenty years from now as the lifetimer that comes every week- to listen to the encouragement, to listen to the inspiration, and to be a blessing. Leaving in 45 minutes- will see you tommorow! Topic will be my fitness journey!

Gingerbread Cake House

2009-12-25T06:03:00.000-08:00

When I was little, my Mom made us a gingerbread house that was supposed to last forever- but it was ruined in the attic- and I know about 6 or 7 children that helped to ruin it. From that day to this, I have vowed to never make a gingerbread house that was not intended to be eaten. As a teenager, I made several gingerbread cake castles out of applesauce cake- they were coated with cream cheese frosting and intended to last for several weeks. I made it the week before Christmas, we cut the first slice shortly after Christmas dinner and it was long gone before New Years. That is how I like to see my creations go!

All the years, that I have been alone with my son, it was very sad that we never had the people to eat a whole gingerbread castle- and in Florida, it would be covered with bugs in a week. This year, I found the answer to having the delight of the gingerbread house that anyone can make easily, can be stored in the refrigerator, and eaten by a couple of people before it goes bad. What's more because there is not a lot of labor, you don't care that it is not on display for a long time. Here are the steps.

I started thinking of small gingerbread houses- no bigger than a cake. How to get the shape? Then I saw the Wilton giant cupcake pan and it was an inspiration. A giant cupcake is silly- but turn the bottom part upside down- put the top on it- and you have a great gingerbread person house! It looks a little like a mushroom house- so would also work for a gnome or even a smurf! I made my gingerbread out of a mix. It was not as good as I would like- so am in search of a great gingerbread cake recipe! I discovered that the top bakes faster than the bottom. I carefully removed the top portion of the cake with two table knives(very lucky it didn't break!) but you might want to bake the top and the bottom in two batches- or put the mix in the bottom, bake for about 10 minutes and then fill the top. Wish these were detached...

Was inspired to make a batch of my peppermint candies:
These came in very handy and used it like fondant for the doors, the windows, and the blobs on the bottom to keep the snowmen and trees in place.

Was very lucky at the Dollar Tree with the candy. Have absolutely no idea where the gumdrops came from because there were none in any store and I couldn't find a second at the Dollar Tree. Also found jelly beans, Chocolate gingerbread men, very miniature candy canes. Took a regular plate covered it in foil, then in colored plastic wrap- it came out very festive did it not? Used regular cream cheese frosting out of a can. Years when I am ambitious I plan to make marshmallows and gumdrops myself in little shapes to decorate- but this year is good to show how easy it can be. The house was decorated in an hour after the cakes cooled.

Here is the front of my finished gingerbread house:

And here is the back:

Think I'll make one every year! Try it at your house. This is so easy, you don't have to wait until Christmas. If the pan is too much- try looking around for 1 lb coffee cans and a bowl. Have fun!

Mary Rose
(Will be playing around with the camera a little more before this goes video- but will do my best to do a post a day and stay on topic. Friday's post will be the most useful thing I've learned this week- and for me this wonderful house is a new holiday tradition in my family!)

Launch of video blog delayed

2009-12-18T04:47:00.000-08:00

Setting a hopeful new launch date of Dec 25th.

In the meantime, this web site is a great way to spend some time having fun with your family. Loads of cookie recipes!

The North Pole

Find a Way or Make One

2009-12-11T01:57:00.000-08:00

My inspiration this week comes a quote attributed to Hannibal: "Aut viam inveniam aut faciam." or "I will find a way or make one."

Found this quote on a co-worker's wall.

It is especially germane in this season of Advent when we hear that classic hymn- "Make Straight the Way".

I remember vividly the time when I felt that I was called to be a priest. One passage from the Bible came to me as though it were a sign. That passage was "Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley."

I clearly saw the crooked roads being made straight- the mountains being leveled- and a clear road ahead. My mistake was in thinking that God was doing the clearing. If you read this passage in context, God is asking us to make a road. God is asking us to find our voice and to cry out.

It took years to realize that God had no intention for me to become a priest. God's plan was for me to find my voice and the cry out. There are many things that I need to say, many things that I need to do in this world. There is no clear path. But no matter what lies in the way- there is always a way to make the path straight. But the most important thing is to make sure that the path that you are creating is the path that God meant for you from the moment of your creation.

Lord help us all to find the way that you have intended for us- help us to make the path straight!

Finding that one path that God intended for us from the very beginning is the first step on the way to building the Discipline of Self-Esteem.

Blog Launch Coming Soon!

2009-12-09T02:53:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a video blog of my life as I attempt to live the Discipline of Self-Esteem.
I'm setting a launch date for this video blog on December 18th.

Here is my schedule of topics for every day in the week:

Sunday AM: Fitness journey
Monday AM: Fun things to do with your family- sometimes movie reviews
Tuesday AM: Weekly meditation
Wednesday AM: Life in Temple Terrace
Thursday AM: Prayers for the World
Friday AM: Most inspiring advice this week
Saturday AM: Most exciting thing learned this week

However, as this is around Christmas, and Christmas is a time when I do a lot of things- most of this will revolve around Christmas in the beginning.

For a preview of some of the things you might see- go to my companion blog:
Mary Rose's Garden Too

See you soon!