Hi Everyone :)
For those in this hemisphere, are you enjoying the spring weather? It almost feels like summer during the days here in the Laurentians, though it still hovers around freezing at night! Strawberry is the theme for Michael's Scribble Picnic today! This is my watercolour Splash of Strawberry. :)
Some folks dream of sheep, others of sugar plums...Tweety dreams of strawberries! :)
Just in time for the picnic, I received my strawberry roots this morning, along with my seed potatoes. I watched a few videos on prepping and planting the strawberry roots, I think I know what I'm doing!! Though a quick question for the strawberry savvy set...since we still have quite cold nights (though we are past the last frost)...am I better off planting these roots in my starter pots, then transplanting them when the nights aren't so cold? We're talking from 2-5 Celcius (35-40 F).
Are these pussy willows?
This plant just popped up out of nowhere along the side of the house!
ALWAYS write to companies if you have a complaint!! We have a bottle of 10-year old Glengoyne Single Malt Scotch. The last time we opened it, the cork broke so I took a chance, wrote to the company and look what I received yesterday in the mail! Not only a replacement cork, but two little bottles of Scotch!! Isn't that really cool? I wasn't expecting this! I can't wait to try the 15-year old!
Oh, by the way, it's been a year now since "Cracker-Gate"...does anyone remember that? Burnt Cheese Nips...wrote to the company...shabby response...wrote to Food Inspection Agency...they did an investigation...never heard from them again, lol...I did get coupons for more crackers...which were also burnt!
Alex recently treated himself to some nice pipe tobacco. We've both been learning a lot about the different types of tobacco. The Peterson "Gold Blend" has some Burley tobacco in it, which is mainly used in cigarettes. It wasn't too nice a smell and according to Alex, not a very good taste. "Ashtray" was the consensus. So he bought himself some Burley-free tobaccos and honestly they smell like candies and cakes...now that's how I remember my Grandfather's pipe!
The garlic I planted last fall is popping up! I have seven containers with about 3-4 bulbs in each one, I'm so happy about this! First time! :)
I think I invented the word scrumptiousness....but that's all I could use to describe this chicken burger dinner! I tried some homemade baked onion rings...they need more experimentation, the breading kept falling off but I'll keep trying! Yes...the cheese...that is quite the pile isn't it lol?
Oh the joy of homegrown lettuce! I made us our first Chicken Cesar salads the other day. I used four pots of my little lettuce leaves and it was worth it!!
Rain....that is one juicy watercolor....yum. I'll take that one to the picnic..probably would eat it before I got there.
ReplyDeleteLove that Tweetie bird dreams strawberries.
And love scrolling up and down the pictures of your life.
Happy Mothers Day
Yes, that is a pussy willow! I have a huge one growing next to my deck and the chickens sit underneath it, waiting for a breeze to loosen those fuzzy treats. That chicken burger dinner looks delicious!! I agree - I always contact a company if I am disappointed with their products - and when I am very happy with them, too. I've received coupons and freebies in response! My dad used to smoke a pipe and I loved the smell of his tobacco. Don't remember what it was - long time ago.
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh mercy, I gain weight, every time I read your blog!!!!!!!!! -grinnnnn- You make such "scrumptious" things.!
ReplyDeleteHooray for a complaint, which brings neat things, in return.
Also hooray for the home grown lettuce. It must be delicious.
Again, your art conveys the "idea" of something. The squishy deliciousness of a strawberry. :-)))))
You had me at scotch! :)
ReplyDeleteLovely art! I love strawberries when they actually have a taste to them!
That was so very nice of them to send you along some little bottles and a cork! I agree, if you are not happy with your product, let the company know. It has rewarded me for doing just that.
I love the smell of a pipe, but yes, the nice smelling tobaccos, not the cigarette ones. My friend's dad used to smoke a pipe and the smell was just wonderful.
Nice looking burger! I put the same amount of cheese as that on just about everything....
I had the same problem with my baked onion rings, but they were delicious.
ReplyDeletei love homegrown lettuce! you can dry the pussy willows and keep them in a vase. what a cool surprise from the scotch company. once you get strawberries going, it's tough to get rid of them and they spread too! that chicken burger looks scrumptious! full of scrumptiousness!
ReplyDeleteI like your strawberry watercolor splash! I have never seen strawberry roots before. How neat and interesting. What a great malt company with excellent customer service. I once wrote the M&M's company b/c the package we had bought only had 28 mini packages of candy for Valentine's day when it was supposed to have 30. My youngest had to cross out the name of one friend and put another classmate's name on it and then tell the friend she had gotten her a candy gram already. They sent me a coupon for a candy bar - boo.
ReplyDeleteYour food always looks so scrumptious! Your strawberry pieces are lovely too. Happy Scribble Picnic! Strawberries spread in the way that mint does I think, just a warning.
ReplyDeleteFree booze? SCORE!
ReplyDeleteLOVE that exploding strawberry!
ReplyDeleteRain, I've made myself a cup of tea and grabbed a few fig newtons knowing that you were next on my list as your entries always leave me craving something very scrumptious indeed. Yum. Scrumptiousness is a word I suspect may of us use but it may well not be an actual word like you said. Hmmm... :)
ReplyDeleteJuicy strawberry as Wanda noted is exactly what I thought when seeing it "splash" up on my IG on my phone this morning. Lovely. And anything with Tweetie Bird gets me every time.
Wow, talk about a good deal. Enjoy that whisky! I'm sure its fab and you are so right to take the time to write to companies when things like that happen. I do, btw, vaguely remember that saga--a link would have helped though. :) Whilst I don't really drink and never have smoked anything, I would say that that classic pipe tobacco smell is actually quite pleasant and I suspect it would be good to enjoy with a shot of vintage gold. :)
Thanks so much, as always, Rain.
that burger looks yummy btw--glad I have my cookies here.
P.S. It looks like pussy willow to me. Hmmm...
That's a smashing strawberry! Seriously, looks delicious. As do your other culinary endeavors. I agree with contacting companies about problems with their products. I complained about a wad of oil in a bag of potato chips when my kids were very small. They send a representative to my house with a case of every kind of chip they made and I had a stack of coupons for 25 cents off we used for about a decade. And, having grown up in the apartment over my grandparents, I can still recall the smell of stogies that my grandfather smoked. Not as acrid as cigar smoke, or dry as cigarettes, but not as pleasant as some pipe tobacco is.
ReplyDeleteHi Rain! We've had good luck transplanting strawberries after they've grown a bit in pots but as always will depend on your soil and care. Perhaps split them up and do some directly and some via pots and transplanting. And my breading on my onion rings sticks better if I dip them in the breading and then drop in very hot coconut oil. Still, who cares what they look like, fried onion rings are always fab!
ReplyDeleteSpring. Yes–finally!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of dreaming of strawberries like Tweety is doing.
Your question about planting the roots directly in the ground while still cold is a good one. I'd suggest a quick search on the internet for the answer!
I only tried strawberries once and my effort was not successful. Instead, we go to a local farmer’s “pick your own” plot and help the local economy. We are past frost, but this year I am cautious about trusting Mother Nature completely.
ReplyDeleteStrawberries are pretty cold hardy, if you can work the ground where you want to plant them go ahead and plant them there.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a pussy willow to me, but if its like the one growing on my south line they can get pretty big, not sure its something I'd want growing right next to the house.
It is strawberry time of the yr. Love the drawing. I am not a strawberry eating person, unless it is dipped in choc! haha....
ReplyDeletethe 6th word is book!
ReplyDeleteBook is by the man's eyeglasses Rain!
ReplyDeleteHi Rain, I remember when my mate wrote an extremely funny and sarcastic letter to a company. They must have thought it was hilarious because they promised to fill the boot of his car with whatever ii was they were selling I can’t remember what it was.now. It was so funny.
ReplyDeleteThat is one juicy strawberry. It looks like someone threw it against the wall. Makes a beautiful picture, but would be decidedly hard to eat. Oh my your cooking makes me insanely jealous. My Mother used to cook like you and even I did before kids. I find life can be broken down into two periods ... Before kids and After kids, Ha! By the time my kids were grown, my interests had wondered to other things so now, as my poor husband will tell you, my meals are quick and easy ... but mostly healthy. He wouldn't mind the quick and easy, but he misses the not so healthy treats that we only have on occasion now. As for your little volunteer plant, I have no idea. It is not a Pussy Willow, at least not like any I have seen. It almost looks like a decorator grass, but it has a woody stem. I hope you will tell us what it is if someone identifies it for you. So I am off to other business ... we are moving in a few weeks and I am so not ready ... oh my, where to begin. Hope you have a wonderful week, Rain ...
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From the Sol
That is not a pussy willow, Rain, although it looks similar. It is a catkin, but what plant it belongs to I don't know. Pussy willows in North America are the species Salix discolor. They have red stems and silver grey catkins that look like little cats. However, people sometimes call the catkins of other willows "pussy willows." https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/saldis/all.html I didn't realize until this year when I was in Honolulu's Chinatown during the Chinese New Year that the Chinese know and love pussy willows. Pussy willows were everywhere to be given as gifts or to decorate offerings or just on display. It was so cool! I enjoyed your vibrant strawberry drawings and loved that delicious looking food. Take care!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Rain...love your strawberry pieces!
ReplyDeleteI see it's already been pointed out in the comments but I was going to say that it didn't look like any Pussy-Willow I've ever seen.
Yes, it pays to complain if you aren't happy with a product. They usually do send extra treats to compensate for the inconvenience and my, that is some treat! Enjoy!
YAY on the garlic popping up! I love seeing new growth.
Have a lovely week! :)
Love your strawberry drawings! Never plant anything outside, till after May 24 weekend! That is Canadian law! LOL! We are getting frost tonight! I don't know if that is a pussy willow, but it's a funky plant! Free booze?? Good going girl! Rain, you could open a restaurant with the food you make!!! Seriously! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice gesture with the replacement and the bottles! It does pay to complain :) I once complained to a company about finding a bug in their coffee beans (gross, right?) and they not only sent me a cheque to buy a replacement but also a box full of a whole bunch of their products including things like peanut butter and baking ingredients and side dishes and jam and nuts and cookies...and on and on. I wasn't expecting all that and it was such a lovely surprise! I realize it was hush money but that's okay...LOL
ReplyDeleteTweety bird image is adorable! I tried drawing that little bird one time and screwed it all up. I'll have to give it another go. It's a lot of fun drawing these characters.
You are going to have an amazing garden! So many goodies to look forward to. I don't think I'm going to get my garden where I want it this year. There is a lot of prep work that needs to get done and the actually enjoyable part of gardening will be limited. But that's okay. We have to start somewhere!
I know it's much healthier, but I'm a little iffy on the chicken burger Rain. (lol) I do adore Tweety Bird and strawberries all day long. I sure hope your weekend is as special as you are, wonderful Rain! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got some satisfaction from some companies at least. I love your strawberry drawings. I think it would be okay to plant the strawberries as it is above freezing and they are a perennial but you could Google it to be sure. I cannot believe what a green thumb you have! You're so good at growing things. I bought some cilantro to plant and it died before I could even get it in the ground! I give up! I'm going with seeds from now on. Your dinners look so good but I ate before I read your post but I am going food shopping today. It is already getting too hot here....close to 90 F....very early to be this warm here.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your great weather!
Lucky you to have that homegrown lettuce. I don't have any yet and can't wait! Yummy burger. I didn't know you could grow garlic in pots. Dogs shouldn't eat it so the only way I could grow it would be to put it up high so Coco could not reach. Nancy
ReplyDeleteI loved the strawberry dear Rain ,uniquely delicious and mouthwatering :)
ReplyDeleteawesome dream and cute tweety !
This is amazing of you to write complain because mostly people don't do it here as they think it won't work yet i think we should do this as it is our duty to point out the mistake in manufacturing so they can avoid it next time
great surprise for you to have positive response
i liked the tiny whisper of love spoken by your house in the form of lovely plant!
Oh dear your meals are always so INVITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope your day is filled with joy, wonder, peace, and even more strawberries! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteAs usual, reading your blog makes me hungry, LOL. I thought I had lost all my strawberry plants during the blazing drought of 2016. Turns out a few hardy ones survived and the other day I got enough strawberries to make Dan and I each a strawberry shortcake! It was especially good with homegrown whipped cream. Precious favorites.
ReplyDeleteHey girlfriend, your sweet visits always warm my heart. I'm drooling at the food in this post. I'm sure you have an upcoming post and will tell us all about the departure of your canine guests.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love my earrings. I love the details that were put into them. Yes, it's nice to have electricity. I haven't been able to dry my hair in the bathrooms for months, probably at least a year. The electrician says these particular breaker boxes or whatever are mandatory in the city but old houses are really sensitive. When I would dry my hair in the bedroom, my husband would have to stop watching whatever on his laptop b/c of the noise, LOL.
Checking on you...hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteNow that is great customer service Glengoyne! Especially with everything being online, it is easy to share great and also not so great dealings with companies.
ReplyDeleteMy strawberries are popping up 🍓🍓🍓
ReplyDeleteI feel like i want chicken burger and free whiskey in the mail now !!!