Dianthus Problems

It is almost time to leave London for a week and I have just spotted that my Dianthuses ar not well. On the leaves there are some bugs. Not sure what exactly it is but I have just sprayed leaves with water mixed with vinegar. On my return to London next week I will see if that helps.

Here is how they looked a month ago:

and here is how they look now :( :

Taste like Christmas

In my preparation for the first Christmas in the new house I've attended sweets making session this Saturday. Not only I have learnt new things and spent time with a bunch of nice ladies, but I also brought some sweets home.

We have managed to do:

• Peppermint Creams
• Marzipan (finally I know how to do it :)
• Lemon Curd
• Coconut Ice

The last two are presented on the photos below, the other didn't last long enough ;)

Red radish leaves pesto

This year, I must admit, I wasn't very successful with growing red radish. Label on the seeds I got, was saying that I can still saw them in August, so I don't really know why I only got nice, big leaves. There were couple of rounded shaped roots, but that's it.

Giving up would be such a shame, after I spend so much time watering them (and lettuce) every day. I thought, I will make a use of leaves at least. This nice recipe for pesto is quick to make and very delicious. It does taste different than the pesto I got used to, but is still very good. Spreading it on the home made bread created a healthy combination.

Red radish leaves happen to have more nutritions than their roots, so actually we should be throwing away roots  :) They are great source of vitamin C, calcium, iron and phosphorus. Radish leaves have got twice as much vitamin C as lemon juice and more calcium and iron than spinach.

Red radish leaves pesto

2 large handfuls of good-looking Heirloom Garden radish leaves, stems removed
1 ounce hard cheese, such as pecorino or parmesan, grated or shaved using a vegetable peeler
1 ounce nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, or pine nuts
1 clove garlic, germ removed, cut in four
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to get the consistency you like salt, pepper, ground chili pepper


Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender or mini-chopper, and process in short pulses until smooth. You will likely have to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. This produces a thick pesto; add more oil and pulse again to get the consistency you prefer. This can also be done with a mortar and pestle. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and pack into an airtight container. Use within a few days (it will keep longer if you pour a thin layer of oil on the surface) or freeze.

Daily intake of vitamins

I am getting better and better with usage of my new juicer with Low Speed Technology System. Today my portion of juice contained: apples, pears, carrots, parsnip, pineapple, kiwi and of course wheat grass.

I will be away for the next couple of days, so see you next week. Cheers

Saying 'I love you' with a stack of pancakes

I just need to add here that the pancakes were with spinach and goat cheese, and one for a dessert filled with grilled apples, cinnamon and some strawberry syrup.

Rising your man

It is funny how me and my mum have different opinion on living in relationship. My mum and my granny both think that you need to treat man like a child and teach him everything what you expect him to do. That change in the mindset must have happened recently then. I see man and woman working together and doing things that just need to be done. It is not a rocket science to know that garbage bin needs to be emptied out sometimes, that dirty plates are not being magically transformed into the clean ones, and in order to have a clean clothes you need to use a washing machine.

I partially blame my mum for my brother's inability to figure out household duties by himself. Probably lots of men were raised in that way and this is the reason why so many women stay single nowadays. They are smart, independent, they know how to take care of themselves, why would they need a big child in the house waiting to be served a dinner?

Luckily not all men are like that :)

You don't have to buy

Because I have changed houses and flats several times over the last years, I know how much trouble packing, caring and storing books can be. Even though I love books, I have tried keeping their volume to a minimum, what became easier after I have received my last years birthday gift: Kindle.

Libraries were always my favourite places to spend an afternoon in. Surrended by books and all this knowledge, I was explorings one after another, not even knowing how quickly the time is passing and what is happening around me.

But lets cut the chase: today I have borrowed a travel guide for Tenerife from my local library. The trick was, that this book was ordered for me from other branch in Kingston. I didn't know that was possible. I have already started thinking, that I will have to buy a guide, which will later end up on the book shelf next to other travel guides that I haven't used again. I never go to the same places. I want to discover new. World is to big.

Something went wrong with my first bread

This Saturday I have tried baking my first bread. My friend has lent me a breadmaker, so it should be easier, however I think, I've messed up settings, because my bread didn't look quite as I was expecting.

I have tried baking Olive and Rosemary Bread with white flour. It is almost gone today, so it wasn't such a big disaster.

Gluten free apple pie

I have got one recipe for apple pie that I have used many times. Yesterday I have tried it with gluten free rice flour and it worked. The only thing that didn't go quite as it should, was that apparently apples didn't have enough juice in them, so the pie is rather dry. Banana ice cream fixed the problem though.

Seaweed and Tofu

This soup is a combination of Polish, Spanish and Japanese recipes. I started cooking just a generic vegetable soup, but then I added chopped celery sticks, courgettes, can of tomato, seaweed and tofu.

I don't use vegetable stock cubes as there are to many chemicals in them, but what seams to be working with each soup is something my grandma told me once. You need to chop the onions and fry them on the pan with butter allowing to change the colour slightly. The more butter the better the soup will be, but you know, too much may be too much :)

Tofu was prepared separately. I have used crushed garlic, ginger powder, sesame seeds and butter to prepare it. You can first prepare the marinade and toss in the tofu pieces for 10-15min, but I was rushing (had a date yesterday :) so didn't have time for that. I have melted a bit of butter (you can also use olive oil, the one for baking and roasting, NOT extra virgin) and added garlic, ginger and sesame seeds, and tofu. Stirring is very important as this ingredients can burn very quickly. When they are brown, they are ready. 

Seaweed was sprinkled on top of the soup just before serving as it doesn't have to stay in a bowling water for long, at least the version I have got.

Healthy fast food, impossible?

Possible :)

This easy to prepare chips are not only healthy, they are very tasty too. What you need to prepare them is celery, but not the popular celery sticks, just their roots. Unfortunately they are not easy to get in the UK.

Ingredients:
1-2 celeries
sweet ground pepper
spicy ground pepper
olive oil

Peal and cut celeries into long straps. Place them in a bowl and add some olive oil and spices. Mix everything together. Spread celeries on a pan and leave in the oven for about 20-30 minuts with temperature around 180C.

I have prepared two sauces to accompany my chips: garlic and pesto.

Garlic Sauce:
Crush 2 cloves of garlic and mix it with a bit of salt. Add 3 spoons of a yoghurt (I use a goat version) and one spoon of mayo. Mix together and serve.

Mind-blowing spicy sweetness

The friend of mine recommended this delicious chilli jelly when we were out for brunch yesterday. It is so good that I have found it today in Tesco and bought 2 pots of it. I have never heard of chilli jelly before, but now I think I should try to make it myself.

Motorbike and Internet

As a modern housewife ;) I am riding a motorbike. The other day I wanted to put some more petrol in my tank but I couldn't open it. It was so embarrassing. I had to drive away from the station with red petrol light on for last 20 miles. Luckily there is internet :)

I have found this forum: http://www.riderforums.com/z1k-z750-maintenance/60556-wtf-i-cant-open-my-gas-tank-anymore.html

I have tried my dry chain lube and it worked.

How people could live without internet once????

Inventing dishes

I always find more fun cooking creatively, that is how I call it. What means that I more or less know the recipe but I make things my way.

This time I just made that dish up, having in mind ingredients my body needs and what my fridge hides.

What you can see on the plate is:

1. rice - which I spiced up with turmeric and some nutmeg. You put some butter on a pan, wait till it melts down and add rice. Then add the spices and stir  for a couple of minutes. Ready.
2. grilled vegetables: grilled onion and peppers
3. salad: lettuce, avocado, olives, chopped walnuts, cherry tomatoes, olive oil and carrot for garnish

Easy, isn't it? and has got all the proteins, carbs and vegetables you need.

Few minutes out of my day

There is that saying: 'Man does not live on bread alone' so I thought that I will tell you about two youtube videos that I have been watching over and over, specially the first one. I am watching and excising :)

Of course we all want to be fit and look slim, but I realised that my metabolism is much slower now then few years ago, what unfortunately means, that if I want to keep my dress size 8/10 I need to be active. I managed to drop 3 kgs doing the below exercises, walking and eating mostly healthy food.

So proud

For the last two days, all our salad needs were fulfilled by lettuce from our garden. It is so great to be able to just grab some scissors and cut the required amount for a garden salad. Fresh, with all shades of green, as I sowed a selection of different kinds, and very crunchy lettuce reminds me times when as I child I was going to my parents garden and choosing what I want to have for a meal. Priceless.

Radish on the other hand is still not ready. The plants that were left in their places are getting stronger and bigger, but ones that I have to move to make some room for them to grow, will probably need more time. I am still waiting patiently.

Making life easier

It is really hard to remember how to properly take care of my plants, so I came up with the idea of 'post it' notes. Life should be easier now.

Blackberries harvesting

The time for ripe and juicy blackberries has come. Me and my (almost)Huby picked a big jar each at the park behind our garden, and I manged to prepare my first blackberries jam. Now we have got something for winter to remind us those warm and sunny days.

How to grow fresh air

'How to grow fresh air' is a book which explains that many plants are not only pleasant for eyes, they can also remove chemicals from your house's air. The book was written by Dr B.C. Wolverton - scientist who worked for NASA researching a breathable environment for a lunar habitat. He discovered that houseplants are the best filters of common pollutants.

Chemicals get to our air from many things like electro-photographic printers, cosmetics, floor coverings, paints, photocopiers and wall coverings to name just a few. Even paper towel carries with itself Formaldehyde (whatever it is). They all can cause allergies, asthma, eye, nose and throat irritations, fatigue, headaches, nervous-system disorders or sinus congestion. Scary, but the solution can be very simple: houseplants.

I found out that most of the plants I have got already in my house can do the job, so Happy Breathing Everyone...

Plants for winter

Interesting leaflet was delivered to our doors this morning: Jersey Plants Direct. They offer very good deals on winter flowers. From the books I have got from my local library I knew already that Viola is a winter flower. And now I can get it.

This is how Viola looks like:

                                                                     http://www.jerseyplantsdirect.com

From Jersey Plants website I have also found out that Dianthuses I have already got, should stay with me till late autumn and should produce flowers again in spring. Great :)

Getting ready for spring :)

I know, I know... this years summer has only finished couple of days ago, but plant bulbs I saw the other day in the garden center have made me thinking of spring already.

Today I wanted to get some. Selection is tremendous. I don't know why I assumed this will be easy. First I thought I will go for Daffodils, but you can get them in different colours and shapes so I couldn't decide. Than I thought Tulips will look nice in front of our house and I started reading their label. Tulips, ladies and gentlemen, needs to grow in different place each year, meaning I would have to dig out bulbs each year and place them somewhere else. Too complicated for me. maybe when I get more advanced...

I got Crocuses. After seeing them so often in different places in London, I hope they are very easy to grow. We will see. Now they sleep gently in the soil in front of the house. I am looking forward to see them waking up brushed by first beams of spring sun.

Garden

Approximately two weeks ago I have sown some lettuce and radish in my garden. It was bit late for any other plants this year, beside this garden still needs a lot of work before it is ready for any vegetables. For now I am only using 3 big bags of compost and sowed seeds directly in them.

I remember from my childhood that we were putting more seeds in the soil than needed as not all of them produced plants. Now it looks for every single seed I sowed I am getting a plant. Pure luck or better soil?

I like to think that I am/ will be a great gardener :)

Lecso

My mum used to make Lecso quite often. I am not sure where did she learn how to make one, but hers are the best. She always makes Lecso with meat, however quick look around Internet told me that this is a vegetable dish.

Hungarian lecso (LEH-choh) is a vegetable stew that combines three of Hungary's favorite ingredients -- peppers, tomatoes and paprika. Lecso can be served variously as a vegetable side dish, appetizer or the main meal itself. Many cooks can lecso to be used in the winter months. It's similar to Serbian djuvece and Russian letcho.

My yesterday lecso was slightly different than my mum's but it was also very good.

I have made it from following ingredients added one by one to the pan with some oil:

• onion
• sausages
• mushrooms
• pepper
• gherkins
• a can of tomatoes
• tomato concentrate
• black pepper
• rosemary

I am never concern of how much of everything needs to be added, just what I feel its right :)

Dieffenbachia Camilla

Dieffenbachias consists of about 30 tropical perennials native to Costa Rica, Columbia, Brazil, Puerto Rico and the West Indies.

Dieffenbachias are easy houseplants that tolerate a wide range of conditions. These plants are popular in homes and offices for their colorful, large leaves.They have a large, white-variegated leaves carried on upright stems brighten this rather soft plant. Most dieffenbachias will grow from 3 to 6 feet (90-180 cm) tall and 1 to 3 feet (30-100 cm) wide. Individual leaves can be 18 inches (45 cm) long by 12 inches (30 cm) wide.


Dieffenbachias will grow quickly in ideal conditions or barely at all if light is low. It need indirect or bright-diffused light and low humidity.

Dieffenbachias enjoy normal warm household temperatures. Temperatures from 60 to 75 °F (16-24°C) are ideal. Always protect dieffenbachias from cold and major changes in temperature.

Maintain soil on the dry side. Drench soil thoroughly, then allow it to become moderately dry before watering again. Water regularly from spring to autumn. Sparingly in winter. Over watering and stem rot are common problems, especially at low temperatures.

As these plants mature, lower leaves naturally drop to reveal attractive, trunklike stems. If the stems become too long and bare, you can rejuvenate the plant simply by cutting the stems back to about 6 inches tall. The plant will regrow below the cut.

If repotting is necessary, do so in early spring. Propagation is by cane cuttings, stem tip cuttings or air layering done in spring or early summer.

March through September use a house plant fertilizer.

Dieffenbachia sap causes mouth tissue to swell if chewed, which is hazardous to small children and pets.

Latin name:	Dieffenbachia camilla
Common name:	Dumb Cane, Spotted dumb cane, Gold-dieffenbachia
Plant group:	Green plants
Plant family:	Araceae
Climate:	Tropical rainforest climate
Minimal temperature:	14-16°C (57-60°F)
Optimal temperature:	24-28°C (75-82°F)
Recommended place:	bright, penumbral bright, am or pm sunlight
Soil:	humus-peat-loosely
Plant form:	upright, columnar
Height:	50 cm (19.5 in.)
Flower color:	white greenish
Repotting:	every 24 months (2 years)
Rarity:	no
Pests:	Grape Mealybug (Pseudococcus maritimus)
Diseases:	Pytium blight (Helminthosporium, Pythium, Fusarium)
Origin territory:	South America

Dragon Tree

The dragon tree is one of the best known and easiest to grow of the dracaenas. Dracaenas are generally rugged, carefree houseplants with a robust and tropical appearance. They are widely used for both home and office plantings. Many tolerate low light conditions.

Latin name:	Dracaena marginata
Common name:	Dragon Tree, Marginate Dracaena
Plant group:	Green plants
Plant family:	Agavaceae
Climate:	Tropical rainforest climate
Minimal temperature:	16-18°C (60-64°F)
Optimal temperature:	26-28°C (78-82°F)
Recommended place:	bright, am or pm sunlight mid-shade
Soil:	humus-peat-loamy
Plant form:	tree-like, arboraceous
Height:	150 cm (58.5 in.)
Flower color:	whitish
Repotting:	every 24 months (2 years)
Rarity:	no
Pests:	Schield louse (Coccoidea)
Diseases:	Pytium blight (Helminthosporium, Pythium, Fusarium)
Origin territory:	Eastern Africa Eastern Asia

Dracaena marginata can grow up to 10 feet (3 m) tall. Cut back the stems to force the plant to branch. Dracaena marginata is widely used in home, office and commercial decor because it tolerates low light. Is a favorite specimen plant in many countries. Its tall snake-like trunk branches with age and can grow up to ten feet high. The basic species has narrowed, arching leaves, which are edged with red. The green color predominates in the variety tricolor. A band of yellow separates the green and red stripes and the overall effect is greenish gold. In the modern variety Colorama the red banding is more prominent and the leaves appear distinctly reddish.

Dracaena marginata tolerant of lower light.

Allow dracaenas to dry slightly between waterings. Wait until the soil surface is dry to the touch, then water them thoroughly. Avoid watering with cold water.

Dracaenas are best grown in normal house temperatures of 60 to 75°F (16-24°C) during the day.

If the humidity in the house is below 30 to 40 percent (it probably is during winter), plants will benefit from an occasional misting of their foliage.

A standard commercial houseplant potting mix may be used. Feed dracaenas with liquid foliage plant fertilizer. Time release fertilizer pellets may be used also.

If the plant’s stems become too long and bare, cut them off at the desired height and new leaves will soon appear.

Dracaenas are easy to propagate by air layering, tip or stem cuttings, or by the removal and rooting of basal shoots in spring or late summer.

In the home, plant diseases are very rarely a problem. Too much or too little water plus insects and mites are the main problems. Root rot usually results from a soil mix that does not drain quickly or overly frequent watering. Scale insects and mites are the most common insect pests of dracaena.

Dracaena is very sensitive to fluoride. Symptoms include yellowing of the tips or margins of the leaf or dead, scorched areas. Avoid potting soils that have a high percentage of perlite and keep the soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5 to prevent fluoride from causing injury. Do not use fertilizer which contains superphosphate since it often has high levels of fluorine.

Not a very lucky day :(

Unfortunately, two unexpected things happened yesterday. First, I was about to publish a recipe for a delicious Sausage and Butternut Squash Pasta but I have accidentally deleted all photos from my camera, so I need to prepare it once again :(
The other thing, I was preparing Vegan Butternut Squash Soup ( yes, I had a big squash in my fridge :)), but I got carried away with coconut milk and it didn't taste as good as it should. It also looked a bit pale, so I saved myself time by not taking photos of it.
Today, as always on Thursday, we are going out for dinner to local restaurant, so no cooking.

Dracaena 'Lemon and Lime'

We have bought couple of plants from the local B&Q. Decision which plants to choose was based purely on the plant look. I haven't had a clue what they are and how to care for them. Now I am studying books and browsing Internet to find all I need to know.

Dracaena 'Lemon and Lime'

Common name: Yellow Striped Dracaena
Full name: Dracaena deremensis ‘Lemon Lime’
Water: Do not let the compost dry out, in the growing season keep moist and reduce the watering in winter. Keep the humidity up with misting.
Light: Medium – High ( 750 – > 2500 lux )
Temp: Cool – Hot ( 8 deg C – > 22 deg C )
Feeding: A week feed every month or so.
Location: Interior
Physical Description: A bold, striking plant with vivid stripy green and yellow leaves.  

Instructions:

1. Fill a 6-to-8 inch growing container equipped with drainage holes with Hawaiian lava rock growing medium. Alternately, make your own growing medium by blending equal parts peat moss, loam and perlite. Plant your Lemon Lime Dracaena at the same depth of its original growing container.
2. Position the Lemon Lime Dracaena plant 4 to 8 feet away from a window that will provide it with at least four hours of bright, indirect sunlight each day.
3. Water the plant with a watering can directed to the stem when the top inch of soil in the growing container is dry to the touch.
4. Mist the leaves of your Lemon Lime Dracaena plant with water from a spray bottle at least every other day to maintain a healthy level of humidity around the plant.
5. Fertilize your Lemon Lime Dracaena plant once a month with a balanced fertilizer like Blooms Plus, Miracle Grow or Grow More. Apply the fertilizer to your Lemon Lime Dracaena plant according to package directions. Allow your plant to rest over the winter and resume monthly fertilization in the spring.  

Quinoa Veggie Burger Recipe, Gluten Free Option

Because I am trying to cook healthy, I need to discover a totally new world. I like the idea of vegetarian diet and with vegetarian dishes I want to experiment a lot.

Yesterday I found this recipe online, I tried it straight away as I had all the required ingredients. I haven't made the gluten free option as I need to first get chickpea flour and wheat free soy sauce. I didn't even know things like this exist.

This is how my version with green salad, potato salad and corn looked like.

Here is the recipe:

Quinoa Veggie Burger Recipe, Gluten Free Option

Total Prep And Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Nutrition Data Per Serving, 42g, 1 patty: 123 cal, 18g carb, 4g fat, 196mg sodium, 3g fiber, 5g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Folate, Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 9

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
• 1/2 tsp gr cumin seed
• 1 tsp gr coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 3/4 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 4 Tbsp flour*
• 1 tsp soy sauce OR Bragg's Liquid Aminos*
• *Gluten Free Options: Use chickpea flour or other gluten free flour, and wheat free soy sauce
• 1 - 2 Tbsp tahini
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper or to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium
2. Saute veggies 5 minutes
3. Add cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic powder. Stir for 1 minute.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup quinoa and 1/2 cup chickpeas
5. Add the veggies & spice, the rest of the quinoa & chickpeas, and the flour to a food processor and pulse until combined. Process just until the mixture clumps together. Don't overmix.
6. In a separate bowl, mash the remaining quinoa and chickpeas together
7. Add the contents of the food processor, along with tahini, soy sauce, salt & pepper as needed
8. If the mixture is too dry to form patties, add a bit of water or bean cooking liquid, or more tahini
9. If you have time, chill the mixture for an hour or so before forming into patties
10. Divide burger mix into 8 equal portions and form into 3 inch patties
11. Fry in a little oil on medium heat, 5 - 10 minutes each side, until browned and firm
12. To freeze uncooked, place the patties between sheets of wax paper on a baking sheet and freeze. Wrap individually, and store in a freezer bag or plastic container. Bake or fry as needed - they don't need to thaw first

The reciepe was taken from this site:  http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-burgers.php

I love it.

Welcome

Thank you for reading this. Hopefully I will get to know you through your comments on my blog, but now a little bit about myself. Two months ago we (my partner and I) have moved in to our house. This was and still is very exciting. I wanted to have house, which would become my home for years and now it all becoming reality. I knew it will be a hard work too so it is not a surprise, however I need to learn so many things. I want to share and hopefully get some feedback my cooking and gardening experience. Maybe some more come in a time. That is it about me. Thanks