Category Archives: 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons

I love to garden. I love to eat. I love to enjoy the seasons. And home is where my heart is!

Glorious Morning

August 3, 20091 Christ is All, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 5 Songs I am Singing, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Thinkbeets, book, dwight schrute, frank viola, from eternity to here, garden, heaven fest, jesus, the office, tomatoesJeanie

“Full many a glorious morning have I seen
Flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye,
Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy…”

From William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 33

Update on Life.

It is a Monday, a glorious, beautiful Monday morning. Heaven Fest is 5 days away. Robbin and Jake’s wedding on Saturday was a delightful and joyful event, going off without a hitch. There will surely be facebook pics posted soon, somewhere?…

My friend Pearl’s dad died Friday. He had been ill for some time, but it is still never easy. I only met him once or twice, but I know him through the big, loving family he raised, through his daughter, who is a woman to be praised. He is whole now, and with the Lord, he has gained life.

The Great Outdoors.

Last week’s late afternoon or nighttime thunder showers have saturated our yard to a new level of green, it being August in the arid-Rocky-Mountain-region, and all. Dave mowed and trimmed yesterday and I have spent the morning enjoying the bird-song, the gentle breeze and my time with the Lover of my soul, pulling a weed or two, harvesting a few tomatoes (leftover quesadilla with thick, juicy slices of red goodness for breakfast) and an armful of beets (to be roasted for dinner…I will try to enjoy them). The upside-down tomato, now in its’ place for about 5 1/2 weeks is boasting 5 little spheres of future deliciousness.

Dwight Schrute on The Office: “First rule in roadside beet sales, put the most attractive beets on top. The ones that make you pull the car over and go “Wow, I need this beet right now.” Those are the money beets.”

I’m reading a provocative and poetic book.

From Eternity to Here – Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God by Frank Viola. I started before family reunion and am just entering part two (about halfway through). It is so good. I have so little time, but I am enjoying it thoroughly everytime I open it. Fresh revelation. Resonating reminders. Goooooooood stuff. Join me?

O Happy Day!

Tim Hughes sings it this way:

“O what a glorious day

What a glorious way

That You have saved me!”

Turn it up, sing along. Dance a little.

It IS a glorious morning!…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Praise Him all day long!

Happy Birthday, Guini-muggins!

July 30, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Thinkbirthday cake, birthdays, cinderella, cinderella cake, cinderella doll cake, guiniJeanie

Guin-Guin is 4 today!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

My first little granddaughter (3rd grandchild) is four. She is independence and spunk, she is quiet, but firm. She can run with crowds, but entertain herself. She is a waif in body, but strong in spirit. She is all the Disney princesses, one at a time, or overlapping as she sees fit (this year, she chose “Cinder-Lella”) and she was determined to have a cake in Cinderella’s honor using her own doll (which we almost couldn’t find). And so we did.

A Cinderella Doll Cake

I learned from my first doll cake experience to wrap the shapely doll in a paper towel and Saran Wrap so as not to cause a stir when the cake is cut away (revealing a naked bum). The birthday girl’s mommy chose my signature lemon-poppyseed with fresh lemon curd for filling. It is o-so-refreshing. I used a 9 inch layer, 2 8-inch layers and a bowl for the top of the skirt. We ate the other 8-inch layer the extra batter provided as a “taste-test.” The dress was a very simple buttercream in light and the palest-ever blues. I sprinkled it with sugar glitter (which looks like crumbs on the serving tray) and there she is: Guini’s Cinderella cake.

It was a lovely day to celebrate, a few days ago. We ate and plied Guini with gifts, but true to Aunt Tara’s prediction to save her gift for last because Guini would love it best of all, once Guinivere received the little box of make-up and lip “sauce,” she was never seen without it again. Each time I see her now, her eyes, her cheeks and her lips are all-a-glitter in the palest shades of pinks and lilacs.

Here is Guini opening the mountain of gifts, and her baby sister, Gemma, rolling about on Guini’s Happy-Birthday-ball.

Here is Guini with her jewelry/treasure box from Aunt Jovan and Uncle Rocky and Grandpa and Gavin in their geek goggles under the water in the pool.

I love you, Guinivere!

Nonna loves you, little girl. I love your smile and the twinkle in your eye and I love how you can stay focused and totally ignore what you’d rather not notice. I love that you sing your head off or don’t whisper even a sound all afternoon should the mood strike. I love that you are a good little sister and a wonderful big sister. I love that sometimes I can tell you are looking at me, right into my very soul, and you are really getting me. I love that and I love you!

XXOO…Nonna

La Verdure de la Vallee

July 30, 20091 Christ is All, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually ThinkBible, gardenJeanie

Lush, green, and verdant – that is what these afternoon or early evening thunder-showers are giving us. Usually quite dry and yellow by this time of year, except for the places we must saturate regularly, Colorado is having one of the greenest summers.

And while the mountains stand tall and strong and speak to us of victory and grandeur as we long so very often for the exhileration of the mountaintop experience, a walk across the cool, wet grass this morning, breathing in the heavy, moist air reminded me that the ” valley experience” is so good for my soul.

Song of Solomon 6.11 “I went down to the garden…to see the verdure of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded and the pomegranites has bloomed…”

or

“Je suis descendue au jardin des noyers, Pour voir la verdure de la vallée, Pour voir si la vigne pousse, Si les grenadiers fleurissent.” (Sometimes the Bible just sounds so good in a different language, thank-you www.biblegateway.com!)

I love the mountain top. But I live in the valley, where “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul” (Ps 23).

How green is my valley…J

BTW – several translations of the verse I referenced from the Song of Solomon actually say, “I went down to the garden of nuts…” And that is where I live, too, among a bunch of nuts!

Peanut – Peanut Butter!

July 28, 20092 Mi Familia, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Thinkallergies, gavin, peanutsJeanie

Gavin isn’t allergic to peanut butter anymore! Yaaaaaay!

We had to teach him before he could talk to tell people, “No peanuts for Gavin.” He’d had some bad reactions at a very young age and was tested to find he was allergic. It can be deadly for some people, so we were careful. The doctors didn’t know if he’d outgrow it or not. But after a lot of blood work and hours of testing, he has been declared non-allergic to peanuts.

O happy day!

Peanut M & Ms – the best way to enter the world of peanuts, a gift from his Nonna!

These are the Days

July 27, 20091 Christ is All, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually ThinkJeanie

These are the days.

You dream about them in February, get giddy with excitement in April, work long hours to make them happen in May and then all things come due. And breakfast? Is stir-fried carrots and peppers and baby green beans and sugar snap peas and red-red tomatoes sizzling in olive oil with garlic and just the right amount of Kosher salt with a side of cold, crisp cucumber chunks for dessert. This is when the garden pays off.

The hail aftermath.

I have waited to do much to try to see what will make it and what is just done. Two cucumber plants that basically have no leaves left have decided, in one last-ditch effort to pro-create, to flower profusely. The stem is badly damaged and the lacy, brown-edged confetti that was once the large green leaf flutters in the breeze. I don’t think I could actually get a good cuke from a leafless plant, but shouldn’t I allow it to try?

The peppers stripped of their leaves put all of their effort into maturing the fruit and I got a nice harvest this morning. Several pepper plants are going to bounce back nicely, I have a feeling. I harvested some nice big poblanos this morning. Chile rellenos, here I come!

The eggplant looked terrible on top, but below, protected, are several perfectly formed and hail-beating-free purple eggplants growing.

The cukes were damaged on the outside, but inside, protected and delish. But the zucchini and squash, so tender and beat to a pulp have rotted. Boo hoo.

Our neighbors to the north had no damage to speak of. None. How is this possible? The same lilies I have that just got devastated stand healthy and proud in their yard. Our front pot holding many of the same flowers as theirs got pummeled-the flowers strewn all over the driveway. Theirs-literally 20 yards away did not seem to lose a single bloom.

Is this what is meant by “it rains on the just and on the unjust?” That sometimes things just happen and they can happen to good people and lesser with no regard or distinction? I hope we are the good people in that scenario. I hope it “hailed fiercly on the just.”

Other garden news.

Picked the last of and pulled the sugar snnaps today. They were doing OK, but don’t produce well in the heat. I could sow another batch for fall, but probably won’t with these days being wedding and fest-driven.

Tomato sandwiches are a delight to the soul.

That’s about it…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Stop and smell the basil every day.

Just when you think you have it all together…

July 21, 20091 Christ is All, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 5 Songs I am Singing, Stuff I Actually Thinkgarden, loss, stormJeanie

Over the weekend I looked around the yard at the wildly blooming lilies and pots full of colorful flowers. I was happy to have harvested 5 more tomatoes along with lettuce, sugar snap peas and green beans. The cukes were blooming their heads off and vining with big, full leaves; the zucchini and summer squash just birthing the first, small fruit.

I was thinking: nice. Everything is in bloom and green and enjoyable with so little work from me right now. All is well. All is as it should be.

Loud tornado warning sirens and unexpected gusts of wind last night night changed all of that. Two storms blew through with hail and torrential rain from 11 pm until the early hours this morning.

Very suddenly, things have changed. Without warning there has been loss. I looked around at the wreckage early this morning and I see that some things are gone. Flowers petals were beat from their stems and litter the ground with green leaves. Shrubs are flattened, but given time will likely pull themselves back up by their bootstraps. But there is loss. Some damage is too severe. Some things will never recover.

Pictured above: the mowed-over hollyhocks, the battered elephant’s ear; I think the onions gave their lives for this volunteer marigold which is seemingly unscathed; and the pummeled lemon cucumbers. Sad.

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Hab. 3.17, 18

Some peppers plants are finished now, leafless. But they provided protection to the plants to their right. Dave’s mammoth grill gave some covering for some of the tomato plants and the herbs held up pretty well. The things that will survive will be all the more treasured now, with greater gratefulness.

Thank-You, LORD, for what remains.

It’s a Red-Tomato Day

July 16, 20094 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Thinkgarden, tomato, topsy-turveyJeanie

It has happened:

July 15, 2009, yesterday, there they were: two small, red, Oregon Spring tomatoes. I was feeding the straw bales and they just appeared.

I wasn’t expecting anything from that tomato plant because it seems to have stayed so small, stocky, but compact. However, upon re-reading the tag that came with it this morning, I see that it is quite determinate and needs no staking, but produces mature fruit within 60 days (it has been in the straw bale for about 6 weeks, so, of course). So heads up for you patio gardeners: Oregon Spring= good choice.

But anyway, my point? I have bacon in the fridge and two lovely tomatoes on my counter. It is a sign from God that I can go on.

In other tomato news:

The upside-down tomato thing/project/experiment I am trying is going ok, I think. The plant is definitely growing and seems, actually to be thriving in its’ protected locale. Pictured above: the night it was first placed and then the two-week picture from last week (today would be three weeks, no picture yet). I noticed yesterday it has a good little bunch of flowers, aka future tomatoes, on it. I just have to remember to water it. Geesh. (That is a Roma and a tomatillo residing below in straw)

Misc. Garden Updates:

Some nasty worms have descended upon and are chowing down on all my petunia buds leaving quite the trail of poo-poo behind, yet I cannot find and destroy them. Grrrrrr…..And the sugar snaps are keeping me snacking daily for the past two weeks. Not enough to share yet. ; )

Playing in dirt is good for the soul…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Check the carrots and discipline the cukes.

Roasted Red Peppers

July 11, 20094 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Thinkfood, garden, red peppersJeanie

If you love roasted red peppers, if you enjoy them on chimichangas or like to make roasted red pepper soup, if you like them in or on anything, crave the savory sweetness they add to a meal, then you will mourn with me the fact that I cannot find a local vendor for my canned red peppers anymore.

45630

I used to buy them at King Soopers for $6.99. Yes. Only $6.99 for a 5-pound 8-ounce can which held an average of 36 roasted red peppers. About a year and a half ago, during one of their ridiculous re-arrangements, they discontinued them.

I figured I’d find them somewhere, but alas, I have not.

I have checked all the major grocers as well as disounters like Big Lots. I have even ventured into Asian markets and scoured the Mexican Carnicerias. I had such hopes when Rancho Liberio started sending me their ads. But to no avail.

Sure, I can order the peppers from an online source. But it is quite a lot more expensive, and naturally, the shipping is exhorbitant.

They are a product of Spain and I miss them so. The Roland Food Company is an importer of such deliciousness. Can anyone tell me where I can get them now? Product #45630. UPC# 0 41224 45630 3

Help me…..she moans….Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Go feed garden pepper plants.

1001 Square Inches of Grilling Space

July 10, 20092 Mi Familia, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Think4th of july, dad, event grill, father's day, grillingJeanie

Seriously?

“Cooks up to 65 hamburgers or 126 hotdogs at once: offers 1001 square inches of grilling space with 2 hinged covers that open to reveal over 1000 square inches of side shelf space for food prep, storage and serving.”

Yes, folks. That’s right. The kids got Dave an event grill for Father’s Day because the top-of-the-line grills at Target and WalMart just were not big enough in his mind. No, this one is more than 7 feet long and has 8 burners, because…? They actually have online forums for the owners of these babies. Yikes!

A Late Father’s Day

Because of travel and crazy schedules, we postponed Father’s Day by a week. It was also cool because it was in the middle of our reunion so my sibs and I got to tell dad we love him and give him a framed print we’d taken at church that morning and Elise and Corbin wrote my brother Joe a poem and basically: we just honored all the dads there!

Even I was surprised that they did it, as I thought they’d decided on something else. And Dave and I had truly been shopping for a new grill before the reunion.

Let me just tell you, in case you are getting any ideas, Dave has added addditional lockage to our gate so his “cadillac of grills” doesn’t go rolling out on its nice wheeled stand. He thinks everyone will covet.

He hauled it out and built it for 4th-of-July grilling and at just the moment it was time to grill the marinated chicken tenders, steaks, burgers, all-beef hot dogs, cheese brats and chicken and pineapple kabobs (can you say overkill?), we got a major downpour. I looked through my kitchen window to see a forlorn Dave unhurling the umbrella so his grill wouldn’t get wet. Hilarious!

Everybody ate their fill and left the fridge stocked with enough cooked meats to get us through the week.

Kiddos – you blessed your dad! Bring the meat and come for dinner!…Mom

NOTE TO SELF: All meals on Dave’s grill for the rest of the summer…this is a good thing!

We are Family – I got all my sisters with me!

July 8, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 6 Looking Back // Memories!, Stuff I Actually Thinkfamily, joe and robin moslander, moslander family reunion, tami ayento, we are familyJeanie

See a more detailed report about our recent reunion here: The Moslander Family Reunion…

Me with my two younger brothers, Joe and Dan…and their amazing wives, my sisters Robin and Dawn!

We are family
I got all my sisters with me
We are family
Get up ev’rybody and sing

The Other Sister

The sister I grew up with, aka the sister born into my family (as opposed to marrying one of the brothers), aka Tamera Dawn, aka “Tami.” She is the bottle of bubbles at the party, the the whipped cream and the cherry on top of family gatherings. She is the adored Aunt Tami, my little sister, and her husband, Uncle Gerron-the great one.

Everybody can see we’re together
As we walk on by
(FLY!) and we fly just like birds of a feather
I won’t tell no lie
(ALL!) all of the people around us they say
Can they be that close
Just let me state for the record
We’re giving love in a family dose

Joe and Robin ~ married for 25 years this month!

We are family
I got all my sisters with me

We are family
Get up ev’rybody and sing

The golfers

Living life is fun and we’ve just begun
To get our share of the world’s delights
(HIGH!) high hopes we have for the future
And our goal’s in sight
(WE!) no we don’t get depressed
Here’s what we call our golden rule
Have faith in God and the things He’ll do
You won’t go wrong
This is our family truth

Yes. They are watching a bird play in a sprinkler puddle across the street.

We are family
I got all my sisters with me
We are family
Get up ev’rybody and sing

We gathered, we ate, we talked and sang and took pictures. We worshiped together as a family. We prayed for each other, we cried sometimes and laughed a lot. We ate some more. We splashed in the pool and sunned a little. We teased each other and told silly stories of affection. We ate some more. We golfed. We danced and celebrated Joe and Robin’s 25th anniversary. In short, we just hung out together~with love. It was Ross the Boss, Mrs. Moss and Jeanie, Joey, Timmy, Tami and Danny. Er, no…Tim didn’t make it… :[…sad face.

Previous posts about the Moslander family reunion:

Lyrics to We are Family, by Sister Sledge

Jeanie Rhoades // Thought Collage

Wholehearted-living somewhere in the middle of all the years.

Category Archives: 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons

Glorious Morning

Update on Life.

The Great Outdoors.

I’m reading a provocative and poetic book.

O Happy Day!

Happy Birthday, Guini-muggins!

Guin-Guin is 4 today!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

A Cinderella Doll Cake

Here is Guini opening the mountain of gifts, and her baby sister, Gemma, rolling about on Guini’s Happy-Birthday-ball.

Here is Guini with her jewelry/treasure box from Aunt Jovan and Uncle Rocky and Grandpa and Gavin in their geek goggles under the water in the pool.

I love you, Guinivere!

La Verdure de la Vallee

Peanut – Peanut Butter!

Gavin isn’t allergic to peanut butter anymore! Yaaaaaay!

These are the Days

These are the days.

The hail aftermath.

Other garden news.

Just when you think you have it all together…

It’s a Red-Tomato Day

It has happened:

In other tomato news:

Misc. Garden Updates:

Roasted Red Peppers

1001 Square Inches of Grilling Space

Seriously?

A Late Father’s Day

We are Family – I got all my sisters with me!

Me with my two younger brothers, Joe and Dan…and their amazing wives, my sisters Robin and Dawn!

The Other Sister

Joe and Robin ~ married for 25 years this month!

The golfers

Yes. They are watching a bird play in a sprinkler puddle across the street.

Previous posts about the Moslander family reunion: