Pig Cake or Mandarin Ambrosia?

I am a fan of The Pioneer Woman.  Love her sense of humor, recipes and photography tips.  This past week she posted a recipe for pig cake. Yes. But it looked really good and springy and Easter-y, plus it used a cake mix which was a definite draw for me considering the busy weekend. So I made it for Easter dinner at Jill and Erin's house. It was very good. Moist. Pretty. It is recommended that you keep it in the frig because of the whipped cream in the icing, which would make it a refreshing cool dessert for hot summer days. I just have a problem with the name. I mean, pig cake?  So, in discussions on the front porch while partaking of said dessert, we decided that "mandarin ambrosia cake" was a more enticing name.

You can find the recipe here.

Old Bay Shrimp and Pasta Salad

This is a really good salad, straight from the Old Bay website. It can also be found on the large size Old Bay can. I had it at a friend's house, enjoyed it and asked for the recipe. It makes a very pretty dish too, with the red and green peppers.

Please don't be too critical of the "staged" food photo.  I was hungry, and therefore more concerned with speed than art.  This makes a good one-dish lunch, containing pasta, meat (shrimp) and veggies (celery, peppers and onions). I usually eat it on a bed of lettuce and accompany it with whole grained crackers. (It happens to be non-dairy too, for those with allergies; as it uses mayonnaise...just check your brand label.)

Public Enemy #1

Hate these guys!

They scare away the cute birds, the colorful birds, the interesting birds.
They hog up all the food, twice as fast as everybody else.

I sit at the computer with the window open, banging the windowsill with my plastic cup, yelling "get out of here!" like a madwoman.  Husband just shakes his head with the look that silently says "you know that won't do any good". 
Well, yes it does....IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER.

Said weapon.

The Sweetest Green

I'm tired, hungry, cold and have dirt under my fingernails, but I'm content. Taking a break from working in my flower beds. Cleaning out the dead stuff. Exposing the few inches of new green. Is there a more gorgeous color? That fresh vibrant green...after seeing brownness for months on end? 

hosta

 

tansy

 

 the 'must have' pansies

The boldly colorful, hearty pansy...that can withstand the early cold of spring when the heart needs flowers.  

(this post was actually written wednesday, april 6, but not posted until today)

Making Headway

This week we actually had two, yes two, pretty days in a row. I spent the majority of both days in the flower beds. There's so much work to do and I'm so behind. Usually by this time we've had enough good outside days that the beds are cleaned of dead stuff and weeds. Not this year. It's been cold and rainy. Often. But as of Wednesday and Thursday about two thirds of the beds are now cleared and ready for planting.

Of course, I had all kinds of help. One of the days I had all three gk's helping.  (Note to self:  get more shovels. Everyone must have his or her own shovel.)  And after a lesson on what was and was not a weed, we did actually get some work accomplished. Although a good deal of time was spent on spotting and counting "wormies".
 
"Kids, don't hurt Grandma's wormies....they're good for the soil." 

 

I still have a ways to go. The largest one is untouched. 

 

  

Where are those helpers when I need them?