SPRING ROLLS // RECIPE

Yes, I know, this post will probably bore most of you. But I had homemade spring rolls for lunch and they were damn good. Plus, I just read somewhere on the world wide web that you should be yourself on your blog and so here I am, boring ole Dee eating amazing spring rolls. Ta-Da. Enjoy these pictures, cause it’s really hard to eat and take pictures of yourself at the same time.

Spring Roll Recipe

Spring Roll Wraps

Asian Noodles (the super thin, clearish ones)

Iceburg Lettuce, a few pieces

Cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

Carrots, sliced thin

Cilantro

Shrimp, steamed (also optional)

Mint (optional)

Dipping Sauce (I used sweet pepper cause it was in my fridge)

Prepare wraps and noodles as directed on package. Place a mix of ingredients on spring roll and wrap. Eat and enjoy, don’t worry about taking spring roll eating pics of yourself, but if you do feel free to share! J  

P.S. This is my new haircut. More pics to come soon.

THINGS THAT ARE GROWING

 Pumpkins butted up against each other.

And tangled in the tomatoes.

 Cucks hanging from the vine on a homemade trellis.

Pick a peck of pickled pepper nasturtiums.

 And the ever blooming beach flower.

Even these guys are growing fuzz and munching the neighbors cactus for water.

There are things that are growing here.

THE LONG WINDING ROAD TO ROO // TRAVELS

Adam and I will be attending our first ever Bonnaroo this weekend and in fact, this is the first ever music festival the two of us have attended together. We've been to aplenty concerts but this is our first festival. But I assure you we will be hand in hand the majority of the time lips smacking or kissing, missing our sweet Lowsey.

Here's a quick packing list for all you other first timers:

A tent big enough for you and your mate
Airbed and pump, accompanied by some satiny pillow cases and light, airy floral printed sheets
Cotton clothes, sundresses, skirts and a backup bathing suit for showering in the Roo fountain
Chaco's and a chaco strap tan
Sunscreen, sun glasses and a hat to protect your skin from sunburn
Food and Water and Lots of it! Bring extra for bartering.
Some light essentials like a toothbrush or Colgate Swiffs, wet wipes, makeup remover and contact solution
Lastly, a cooler to keep your duds cool

See you on the farm!

SUMMER GARDEN VEGGIES

Last year, Adam and I used containers for our small garden veggies. And though these giant plastic containers worked fabulously, we started dreaming bigger this year with an in ground raised bed.

One day this March when the weather had warmed enough for Adam to wear shorts and a tshirt (I was still adorned in long pants and a sweatshirt) we started working on our raised bed garden. Together we cut lumber, drilled holes, set nails, and made a box for our summer bounty. Next, we tilled the land, an unconventional task on this island.  (An island that sits out in the middle of the Atlantic like a sitting duck. The farthest east you can go in the United States. Go any further and your likely to run into the Bermuda Triangle and be spit out the other side with tales of sea monsters and gods.)We dug many feet of sand out of the earth, lined the box, sorted the sand, rid it of rocks, artifacts, and trash only to return the newly sorted sand in the last few hours of daylight. I added some compost, kitchen scraps mostly, and an old rotten pumpkin that had overwintered on my front stoop. It landed in a splat, seeds spraying everywhere. We covered the box with a tarp and went inside to rest.

The next few weeks were cold and windy. When it finally warmed again we uncovered the box to find a pumpkin patch (which reminded me of this pumpkin from last year that didn’t make it through the heat). Surprised as we were we dug up two little plants to save and then topped our garden off with a foot of black cow compost and rich soil. We replanted the pumpkins saved and other indoor and seeded plants: tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, watermelon, kale, squash and sunflowers! Watered thoroughly and watched them grow.

And my they grew and grew and grew.

Even the pumpkins covered under a foot of heavy wet soil grew up toward the sun and in between the tomatoes and converted the box into a pumpkin patch garden. As it stands today the pumpkins have outgrown the box, spilling over the sides into a new world.  Flowers and even veggies have started to form on the plants as Adam and I wait for our first bite of summer, wondering what it will be. Squash I suppose or maybe a sweet green tomato.