Thursday, January 13, 2011

A Cure for the Winter Blues Part V {Indoor Garden Edition}

A couple of years ago I went on a spree posting luverly peektures of gardens, to take a bit of the edge off of Winter {Container Garden Edition, Community Garden Edition, Cottage Garden Edition, and Herb Garden Edition}. Since I am pining again for the growing season, I decided to pair this measure with another one that I cling to in the heart of the deep freeze.

I hope that you all enjoy these pretties as I much as I do. Happy garden dreams! ;)

by Rachel Zack

by Kevin Dooley


by Seán A. O'Hara

by Chad K

by Avia Venefica

by David Morris

by yoppy

by rumpleteaser

by Lucy Orloski

by Judi Cox

by m00by

by Alice Carrier

by eva_ben

by ex.libris

by Megan

by Megan

by RubyGoes

by Gardening in a Minute

by bourgeoisbee

by ReeseCLloyd

by Rob n Rae Cornelius

by Mirona Iliescu

by Larry McCombs

by Sarah Sutter


Sláinte!

Laurel

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Still Looking for a New Year's Resolution?

This might be a great place to start! This little ditty is called Voluntary Simplicity:


VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY: The Poetic Alternative to Consumer Culture (24 min) from NO WAY Productions on Vimeo.

Thanks to the luverly folks at the Plant Trees, It's Self Defense blog for turning me on to this film! :)

Sláinte!

Laurel

Monday, January 10, 2011

Some Treasures from Etsy

I wanted to share the most recent Etsy pretties that we got, because I think that you all should check out these wonderful shops! :)

First up are some pretties from Stephanie Lostimolo, who is a phenomenal artist. She was also a feature on our Luverly of the Week last year.

Generations, which reminds me of The Morrigan.





Which has found its place on the Macha part of my deity altar.


Next is a pretty from Creations in Barnwood. It is a veggie storage bin made from 200 year old barn board! My hubby got for me for Yule.





The last pretty is a gift that we bought for my wonderful father-in-law from The Brewers Market. The Crossroads Brewing Kit.
{Photo by the seller}

Sláinte!

Laurel

Friday, January 7, 2011

When Grocery Stores Listen {!!!}


Since I moved to North Bay, the only garlic I have ever seen in the grocery stores is from China. It's not too much of a problem for me because I get mine off of local producers, but come this time of year, I am using the scapes sitting in my freezer because I have used up all the bulbs.

I know some folks who have been talking to the grocery stores about this. They wanted at the very least some garlic from Canada. If from Ontario even better. Organic, they would be doing back flips. Well, it looks like they finally got an answer, because lookey at what I found yesterday! :D


August’s Harvest is an Ontario family farm that also has a CSA. They have some yummy recipes on their CSA site, and their other one as well.

Now if they can stock up on regional or even local garlic, then it might just change my dread of shopping in grocery stores a little.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Recommended Reading Updates



I have added more titles to our Folklore & Spirituality and Poetry & Ballads sections of our Recommended Reading {free online e-texts}. This is what I have added:


British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Wirt Sikes

Cath Maige Tuired {The Second Battle of Mag Tuired} Translated by Elizabeth A. Gray

Cuchulain of Muirthemne by Lady Augusta Gregory

Fairy Legends and Traditions by Thomas Crofton Croker

Gods and Fighting Men by Lady Augusta Gregory

Peep at the Pixies by Anna Eliza Bray

Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales by George Douglas

Táin Bó Cúalnge {The Cattle-Raid of Cooley} by Joseph Dunn

Tales of the Dartmoor Pixies by William Crossing

The Cattle Raid of Cualnge by L. Winifred Faraday

The Destruction of Dá Derga’s Hostel Translated by Whitely Stokes

The Feuds of the Clans by Alexander MacGregor

The Phynodderre and Other Legends of the Isle of Man by Edward Callow

The Prophecies of the Brahan Seer by Alexander Mackenzie

The Voyage of Bran by Kuno Meyer

Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall Vol 2 by William Boterell

Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend by Donald Alexander Mackenzie
Poetry & Ballads

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child

The Poems of Ossian by James Macpherson

Sláinte!

Laurel

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Luverly of the Week: It's Winter by Aunt Owwee

Old barns like these make me swoon!

New Year's Nom Noms: Phyllo Vegetable Pie


I do hope that everyone has been having a wonderful holiday season! :) Mine has been full of plenty of visiting, feasting, and merriment. I had a go at a recipe for a part of our New Year's supper and I think it turned out quite well, so I will share it with you all to have a try.

I got the original recipe from Best-Ever Vegetarian by Linda Fraser. We did not have all the recommended ingredients so I just winged it and this what we ended up with.


Ain't too pretty {I blame that to my clumsy dishing, which I in turn blame on the whiskey! ;)} but I can assure you it tasted very yummy. Here is what I used:

4 ounces parsnip, chopped
8 ounces carrot, chopped
8 ounces leeks, chopped
8 ounces portobello mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
8 ounces McIntosh apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1 cup mixed nuts {cashews, walnuts, pecans}, toasted and chopped
8 ounces brie cheese
2/3 heavy cream
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper, to taste
12 ounces of frozen phyllo pastry, thawed at room temperature for 5 hours

Heat 3 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan and saute parsnips, carrots and leeks for 5 minutes. Then add mushrooms and garlic for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and put in a bowl to cool off.

Whisk cheese, eggs, and cream in a bowl. Add desired amount of salt and pepper. Pour over sauteed veggies.

Add apples and nuts to mixture.

Melt remaining butter in a pan and brush a 9 inch spring form pan or deep pie plate. Brush two-thirds of the phyllo pastry sheets with butter, one at a time, and line the bottom and the sides of the pan with them. Make sure to overlap them so that there are no gaps.

Spoon in filling and fold in the sides of the excess phyllo pastry towards the center, covering the filling.

Brush the remaining phyllo sheets with butter, and cut them into 1-inch strips {I didn't do this, I was a brute and just tore off small pieces!}. Cover the surface of the pie with the strips, arranging them in a decorative mound.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

Happy New Year & happy nomming! ;)

Sláinte!

Laurel