The Framboise Manor First Official Day of Seed Planting....and garlic too - woohoo!

there is nothing like the first day of planting seeds! it means that spring really is in the air, although we could still get belted with another snowstorm. but these seeds are planted indoors in jambaloney's crazy seed-starting thingamajig that i will show you later.

yesterday, the day was bright and beautiful and clear. we started the day with a hottub dip and then a walk around the yard.

all 3 cats came with us - here is Frankie Blue Eyes - not his best angle!

even little Noodie-Nue came out. he hasn't been out in days because he really does not like cold or snow!

here's Mobie-Moe sitting on the stone deck.

day-lillies are beginning to pop up out of the ground - that is always a good sign!

the pond is completely melted - another good sign. soon we'll be hearing "meep-meep-meep" from the spring peepers who lay their eggs in our pond. i can't wait to hear them.

here's jambaloney's seed-starting thingamajig. it's a standard greenhouse thingy with plastic wrap that you can buy anywhere for about $40. we've had ours for almost 10 yrs now. the special thing is that jambaloney built a stand that goes around it and on both sides, top to bottom, are 2 fluorescent lights.

we put it right in front of the kitchen door so that the seeds get natural light but also get the additional light from the bulbs. as well, we have found through years of practice that the seedlings don't get so leggy as they do when the light is directly above them. the seedlings tend to grow straighter and towards the window. this contraption is excellent on grey or cloudy days as the seedlings still get the light from the bulbs.

we planted 52 tomatoes and 28 peppers...more peppers coming plus we have 13 overwintered pepper plants here in the house. all of them are starting to flower and bush out and one plant even has a monet pepper fully-grown!

Frankie Blue Eyes always likes to help! as soon as we got everything set up, i put my gardening book and my Vesseys magazine on the counter and he was on it before i even blinked.

needless to say i had to take notes on a sheet of paper and then transfer the notes after Frankie finally moved (3 hrs later!).

we also planted 100 garlic bulbs - woohoo - but i didn't get a pic of that. i'll get one another day. we planted 100 garlic bulbs last fall and they are all coming up beautifully. we love our garlic!!!

the early evening sky was beautiful while we were sitting in the hottub talking about all of the things that we talk about.

supper was chicken teriyaki with veg and rice. the spinach side dish is a korean dish called sigeumchi-namul. it's basically spinach sauteed in sesame oil, then you add some soya, a ton of garlic and korean red pepper flakes. it's spicy and delicious! then some kimchi and oranges to finish out the meal.

of course i had mine blitzkreiged in the nutri-bullet. nerves of steel, i tell ya. but i want my nutrients and i want to be as healthy as can be for my first fitting.

anyway, jam is at work on-site today - that guy works so hard and he makes me very proud! he may have to go back tomorrow or the next day - we're not sure yet.

i made a curried chicken thigh casserole with spinach, corn, rice, chickpeas, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot with a ton of garlic, ginger, lemon, homemade curry spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardomom. for the base of the curry i used a pint of our homemade canned tomatoes, coconut milk and cashew milk. i was crying and sneezing the whole time! it's gonna be delicious!

next up - i need to make myself some dinner - i had my probiotic super greens cashew milk drink for breakfast and took a probiotic pill. they say that taking antibiotics completely throws your own healthy gut flora out of whack and i speak from experience. i haven't taken antibiotics in over 7 years and as we eat pretty healthy, my gut flora was doing just fine. but the antibiotics really did throw everything out of whack. so that's why i've been drinking my probiotic drink every morning, taking my pill and blitzkreiging all of my meals. my own body seems to be re-establishing my good gut flora and once i finish my green drink and pills i won't need to take them anymore.

i hope that you all are having a mighty fine day, too!