Randomness Just Seems to Happen

You think your life is full of random moments? You're not alone. Come along and watch the fun.

There is a seasonal stream running through ours and our neighbor's yards. I know this because I happen to have a copy of an old geological survey of our county. The funny thing is that the deer use this depression as their trail into the neighborhood.

On a lark I planted some green beans in a pot on my deck. This is my first harvest. I'm so proud. I'd like to thank the academy, all the little people, my family and all the people I have ruthlessly stepped on over the years. Oops, wrong speech.

Moving right along...



I rather like this sunset. I should tell you that we had some violent storms by the next morning.

Minx likes shoes. Here he is investigating the Foodie Daughter's boyfriend's shoes.

These shoes are almost as big as Minx.

Recently my husband and I were traveling to Indianapolis for a picnic when I spotted this unusual sight. I urged my husband to drive faster so I could get a better picture of the truck.

Hm, a mattress and some other items apparently couldn't fit in this moving trailer. Remind me to never call this company.

I walked out in my garage the other day and got a surprise. Surprise! Get it? Surprise lilies? We had dug these up back in June before the construction crew came to put in the new deck, but have never gotten around to putting them back in the ground. I guess that didn't stop them from blooming though.

Admit it, you're surprised.

A red admiral butterfly landed on my storm door the other day, but I was unable to get a picture of it with its wings spread. But no matter; you can go here to see some nice pictures of this pretty butterfly.



We have had a very nice July here in Southern Indiana, with unseasonably cool weather and lots of rain. Unfortunately what we like, the tropical tomato plants hate.

They're not looking good.

Nope, not good at all. I ended up losing one tomato plant, but the Roma tomato plant might actually recover.

One of my parsley plants has really gone to town. Apparently, cool and wet weather makes Italian parsley very happy.

My rosemary plant has also recovered very nicely from its winter ordeal. I promise to try to remember to water it more often this next winter.

Isn't it a bit early for a harvest moon?

Well, I warned you this would be random.

Oh, and one last non-random thought...

Happy 26th Birthday to the Foodie Son!

Herbes de Provence, Part Deux



My dear friend Rosie Hawthorne of Kitchens Are Monkey Business blog fame has requested that I blog the process of making a batch of Herbes de Provence.



Despite what you may have heard, there is no one recipe for making this herb blend. Traditionally, each homeowner in the Provence region of France would simply add the herbs that they had growing in their gardens at that particular time.



For this particular batch, I had basil, dill weed, flat-leaf (or Italian) parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. Cut your herbs early in the day before the essential oils have dissipated in the heat of the day. Use twine or rubber bands to secure the bunches. Hang upside down to dry in a cool, airy location that does not receive direct sunlight.

I cut fresh herbs yesterday morning for another batch of Herbes de Provence. Here I have (left to right) thyme, flat-leaf parsley, sage, oregano, basil and rosemary. I really need to make a dedicated herb drying rack. But until then, this works for me.

Other herbs that are traditionally used in Herbes de Provence include lavender buds, marjoram, bay leaves, chervil, tarragon, summer savory, and even mint. Now, some people insist that lavender must be added for it to be an authentic Herbes de Provence. But, as this is my house and my lavender plants all died, this batch is lavender-free.

Allow to dry for several weeks until thoroughly dry.

Once dry, strip the leaves from the stems and pulse in a mini food processor until finely chopped. Alternately, the herbs can be chopped using a knife. I will warn you that dry rosemary can be a bit difficult to chop with a knife as it is very stiff and it will tend to jump around on the cutting board.

Store in an air-tight container for up to a year. Keep in a cool, dry, dark place.

Herbes de Provence works nicely in egg dishes, as well as with potatoes and meat. Experiment with your own blend to find your new favorites.

Sorry, Rosie, but this herb blend was gerbil-free.* Every time I tried to plant the gerbils, they kept digging themselves out and running off.

*Just an inside joke for those of us who love to make fun of Sandra Lee and her mispronunciations on Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee.