Woo Hoo ~ I Have Baby Broccoli! and Greens :-)

I am grateful for another gorgeous sunny day here in the desert southwest and I celebrated by going out early this afternoon to water my winter garden. Hubs has it connected to the automatic watering system, but there are times when hand watering is like meditation. I really get to take the time to enjoy what is going on with each and every plant. Yesterday when I watered, I pulled back the big green leaves of the broccoli plants to reveal what? More tiny green leaves :-) But today when I went out to water, I didn't even have to pull back the leaves, I just poked my head over the plant and Woo Hoo...a baby broccoli head. Six of my eight broccoli plants decided to produce overnight! I've not mentioned that broccoli is my favorite vegetable but I am ecstatic about these little babies :-)))

Isn't she just so sweet? :-)

And in other exciting garden news...The kale, swiss chard, and lettuces are all thriving beautifully.

Winter Kale

Swiss Chard (despite Micheal's efforts to chew it to bits :-)

Red Leaf Lettuce

My cabbage and snow peas are still alive and while I'm sure they will be producing in the next six weeks, they aren't just yet. Sadly, the tomatoes, peppers and potatoes were taken out by a couple of freezing nights. When I plant this garden next year, I'll be sure and heed the weather man's advice and cover them :-).

I absolutely love the idea of walking into the back yard and picking ingredients that will go into a beautiful fresh healthy salad.

Simple Week Night Salad

I make a salad for dinner almost every night. I figure it is a super easy way to make sure we get a couple of cups of fresh veggies every day and it only takes a few minutes to put together. I use four basic ingredients every time...romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and cheese. Depending on what mood I'm in a particular week the add ins might be shredded carrots, purple cabbage and snap peas...or perhaps walnuts and cranberries, raisins, or other dried fruit. They are absolutely delicious.

Oh,one other thing that might be of interest. About three months ago, I quit using processed bottled dressing and began experimenting with flavored vinegars and olive oil, and I haven't looked back. There's a little olive oil and vinegar shop nearby and I have become a frequent shopper. My most recent vinegars are cinnamon-pear and pomegranate. Besides the obvious health benefits, another nice perk of having a variety of vinegars is that they add a nice elegance to every meal, and you can coordinate your salad dressing with the flavor of your entreé. You can be a gourmet, without being a gourmet :-)

Have a beautiful Sunday! ~Blessings, Janet