Thoughts and Things Thursday-#1

This new weekly post is kinda based on my Five Things Friday post that I put out on Facebook. It can be anything at all that is on my mind. Just stuff. I hope that some of the things will resonate and give you ideas, encouragement, or maybe just food for thought.

Perhaps it's none of those things, maybe just pretend that we are having coffee together and shooting the breeze.... or look at the pictures, lol.

1. Baking is one of my most favourite things to do.. Sadly, I also like eating said baked goods so I try not to do it too often! However, I have some events coming up and the weather is on the cool side so great time to turn on the oven.

My son is coming down for a week at the end of the month so I need cookies, plus it's my turn to bring nibblies to the garden club meeting, but most importantly of all, I am trying to get back on track with my goal to eat mostly only homemade, homegrown, adopt healthy habits again. I fell off the wagon when mom got sick and then kept going with the eating out and fast meals.

Plus, we just found out that hubby is diabetic. I am playing with recipes to find the best and healthiest carbs for him to eat. Apparently sourdough is good for both of us, great for diabetics and people with gastric issues. I have never been overly fond of that sour flavour but I think it is finally time to jump on that sourdough wagon... just 3 years later than the rest of the world, eh? Now to figure out the starter thing.

We had a lovely rain day the other day, over an inch of rain and then we got some more last night! Garden is watered, too wet for me to putter, so I have more time to bake.

I am of the mindset that if I have to turn on my oven, I want it to be worth my while so I try to do it all on that one day. It becomes pretty much an all day endeavour, plus kitchen clean up. Before you know it, it is 7 pm and you are too pooped to pop.

I made two cakes.... made the Sour Cream Blueberry Lemon Cake once again, which never fails to amaze, as well as this Buttermilk Blueberry Lemon Breakfast cake that I have not yet tasted. Is that weird? I made it, it looks amazing, looks just like the one in the recipe. I let it cool and then put it in the freezer for when company comes. A never tasted recipe for company, hahaha, what can possibly go wrong?

I also made some crusty artisan rolls and then something totally different and out of the norm for me, as I was trying to use up a litre of buttermilk.

I made these buttermilk dinner rolls that are a teeny bit sweet, teeny bit tangy from the buttermilk, very soft and fluffy. This is so new for me, I tend to go for the grainy breads, the ones that are crusty and chewy. So, what to say... I like them, a lot, but they are different for me. I think they would taste great made into a sandwich bun, the slightly sweet with a savoury topping would be pretty great, I think. So, if you like soft, fluffy buns, want a quick recipe, make this one hour recipe!

Today, I have more buns on the agenda, will toss them all in the freezer to pull out when it is too hot to turn on the oven again. Plus maybe some oat bread... or maybe oat muffins? I never liked oat bread when I had it in Finland as a youngster but maybe I will now, as a grown up? Plus cookies! Need two types of cookies. Thinking of icebox cookies for one of them... have never made them, not sure if I have ever eaten them, but I read a blog post about them so now want to try!

I bought these 4 lovely perennials just over a week ago, at full price... they are now on for $5. Oj vey!

2. The Front Yard - no food, just ornamental plants here. I purchased some lovely perennials at full price a week and a half ago... they are all on for $5 now. Ack, oh no, how typical! See the plants on the shed stoop in the picture above.

Lysimachia nummularia in bloom.

They are going to go somewhere in the front yard. This is how it looks now. We are not going to do a bunch to it this year as we have too many things on the go (like the shed) but adding a few perennials now gives them time to mature a bit before we tackle the rest of it.

Some may not like the Creeping Jenny but I think it is terrific. A nice ground cover that is virtually care free. The clematis has come into it's own a bit this year and if you look closely, hidden in the green part, is a small hydrangea. Why the deer ate the hydrangea but not the hostas is a very good question!

My window box flowers were an afterthought this year but are starting to look just fine : )

This dwarf weeping spruce is one of my most favourite things in the front yard.

We bought a house with a beautiful yard that had been owned by an avid gardener. The front yard is amazing, full of easy-care shrubs and dwarf evergreens (no humungous spruces here!) and a somewhat shady front garden. Deer are an issue so I need drought tolerant (I water the front maybe once a month), and deer resistant.

The goal is to have colour here 3 seasons of the year. Garden centres and box stores bring in a new shipment of plants, in bloom, every week or two, so if I pick up a few things every couple of weeks, my gardens will soon be in bloom from spring till frost.

3. Back Yard - My gardens are a bit behind this year, while I waited for soil and stuff, but things are finally starting to happen! I ate my first peas of the year and gathered the last of the scapes. The Salt Spring Extra Early and the Persian Stars (usually both early types) are 2 weeks behind the others this year! Makes no sense at all, lol. I mean, it has to be location, but still, comes as a bit of a surprise.

The lettuce in the sunny bed is ready, while the shady bed is still far from ready.

I found some room to sow some more beets! They came up lickety split! We hope to be canning enough beets to get through till new beets next summer.

Things are coming along. This bed of onions, carrots, and beets is thriving. I can probably remove the cat guard from on top very soon...

4. What on earth are these flowers planted in? This spongy stuff is not like any potting soil I have ever seen or used. Seems to be very high in peat moss or coir, perhaps? Is hard to keep the plants thriving in this so I am going to put a layer of potting soil on top.. see if that helps.

A window box from the box store, full of geraniums, begonias and cali's.

Now, don't get me wrong, the planters look fine, are blooming nicely, but they take a fair amount of water and fertiliser to keep them happy. I usually repot anything I get from a box store but these were already well established so they will be what they will be.

5. My favourite place to hang out in the evenings or enjoy a morning coffee. We have a big, long back deck with one side for sitting, the other for hubby's bbq and smoker. We face east so get the gentle morning sun. I know, no coffee table... we have 2 great big dogs that like to lie at our feet, no room for a coffee table : )

Fall seedlings!

Happy Thursday, my friends ~ Tanja