Grandmas, Gracie and Gladiolus

Garden & Gracie

"Here's to Dogs and Digging"

Tall, swordlike green stalks with pink and burgundy flowers are gladiolus.

Before I get to the gist of this post, I need to share how I'm feeling. Pretty crappy. I'm tired, angry, just kind of blah...you've had those days, right? It's in the low 70s so I decide to go for a walk. A mindful walk, where I am slooowly walking and feeling the way my feet settle into my flip-flops...hearing the birds and wind...noticing things about the yards I have passed for ten years that I haven't noticed before. Slowly, the heat and heaviness from my head settle into the rocking motion of my movement, and I can feel my breath deepen. My muscle tension eases and the NOW becomes a bit less stressful.

I pull out the laptop and click on the Google + icon showing "1" message. I click on it, having no idea what to expect. Somehow, Google created a movie with a Christmas video (which I didn't even think was downloaded onto here). I sit, looking at the sleepy faces of my children, full of surprise, who look so different, now that they're grown...and whose sweetness has become more complex as they're maturing as teenagers. And then IT happens....my Modo - my sweet grandmother, my best friend on earth, the one person who really made my world 100 times bigger and brighter and yet 100% more intimate and cozier - appears. And THERE SHE IS...her last Christmas in physical form and she is sitting in the exact same spot where I have plopped down to write this post.

I cry. Of course. And cry some more because sometimes you don't realize how much you miss someone until you see them again.  This post is dedicated to you, Modo! ILYVM! And she would appreciate this because she loved flowers.

Okay, now to gladiolus and Gracie...

Remember how Gracie had Jay over last week. Well, the week before that my mom, aka "Gma from Alabama," was visiting. It's a long story, but my mom lived within 2 hours of us for the past 14 years, since my son was born.  And she was, in my mind and heart, as integral to our family as both my husband and I. With her here, we were a three legged stool from Ikea (that's just the image that I always associate with it, no logic) and now we are two legged and well, unless balanced very gently, a two legged stool doesn't offer much support. (You following the metaphor???)

But back to my mom. On her short, lovely visit she got some love from Gracie. Actually, Gracie got some love from my mom - called 'ssages - pronounced (sah jeez). And Gracie always appreciates them.

Gracie and Gma! This will go on as long as Gma allows for it to.

Gracie's spoiled. In fact, when Gma is here she sleeps right on the couch with her instead of spooned against my husband's calf.

Now, while Gracie is cute...gladiolus are beautiful! They are a bulb, planted in spring after all danger of frost has passed. In our zone, they typically bloom in July and last for a few weeks. Their long and slender stalks get about 3 feet tall, which is why it's important to plant the bulbs about 3 to 4 inches deep. Otherwise, you end up with stalks that droop and don't really support the flowers. Many directions will recommend spacing the bulbs, but I have always had success digging a trough-shaped hole and placing the bulbs right next to each other. It creates a fuller look. Gladiolus are common cut flowers. They do best in well-drained soil and a bright, sunny spot.

See the top photo to view stalk. These are bloom close-ups. 

I hope this inspires you to take a walk when stressed; have a cry when remembering a loved one; take photos of your cute pet, and consider adding gladiolus to your garden.

Please SHARE YOUR COMMENTS about any of this with me. Would love to hear from you! 

Here is some further information on gladiolus:  https://www.garden.org/articles/articles.php?q=show&id=2064

Until next time...

Mom's Mean Meatloaf

with roasted red-skinned potatoes and asparagus

Voila! Mom's Mean Meatloaf with Roasted Red-Skinned Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus

It is becoming meatloaf weather in Maryland, and one of the dishes that makes everyone happy is my meatloaf. Served with roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus, this makes a satisfying and healthy comfort meal.

What You Need:

1.3 lb ground beef or turkey
1 egg
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup favorite croutons, crushed
2 T parmesan cheese
1 tsp italian spices
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tsp brown sugar

Red-skinned potatoes
olive oil
garlic salt

Fresh asparagus
olive oil
salt 
pepper

How To Prepare:

Preheat oven to 350. Put ground meat, egg, garlic, cheese and spices into mixing bowl. Put croutons into blender and grind until crushed. Pour croutons into mixture. Mix together thoroughly with hands. Place into a loaf pan and press firmly. Mix ketchup and sugar in separate bowl. Pour onto meatloaf and spread. Cover meatloaf with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes. 

Everything's in and ready for your hands!

Set oven to 450, remove foil and bake until some of the ketchup is caramelized. Can also use broiler.

While meatloaf is cooking, wash and dry potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and rub with garlic salt. Place on pan covered with foil. Cut off ends of asparagus. Rinse, pat dry, and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Ready for Oven.

Place potatoes and asparagus into 450 degree oven. Frequently, use a fork to separate and move asparagus around, like you would on a grill,  so bottom side doesn't burn. 

Remove asparagus when you prefer. If you like them crispier and charred, let them stay in longer. If you prefer them more "al dente" then remove earlier. Usually, I leave them in for about 30 minutes. Remove potatoes when you can insert fork all the way through. Skin should be crispy.

Plate and enjoy!!!

Other Options:
To make this gluten-free, all you have to do is use some kind of GF cracker, pretzel, or toasted bread that is already seasoned. When I don't have croutons, I'll use Cheez-Its, goldfish, cornmeal (that requires added spice because it's unflavored), etc. You can't go wrong!

Garden & Gracie

"Here's to Dogs and Digging"

Last week, you met our Jack Russell, Gracie, and learned about Russian Sage. This week, it's all about Gladiolas and Gracie's friend, Jay.

Jay is an 8 month old Goldendoodle. He belongs to our friends, the Park family. Last Thursday, they were feasting in traditional Korean style - which meant they would be seated on the ground with a table about coffee table height. This, obviously, would pose a problem if you have a rambunctious puppy who wants to get your food. So, my lovely daughter had the honor of dogsitting; which meant for 3 hours we had to figure out how to keep our 9 year old Gracie from tearing youthful Jay's sweet face off.

Meet Jay:

Jay, actually sitting still for a moment.

Now, for the first 30 minutes Gracie was peachy keen to have Jay over. She sprinted around the yard like her slender and spry former self. But then, it was this...

I'm pooped. Yes, I'll check you out one more time...sigh

And then the final 2 hours were spent with Jay pining away downstairs, while Gracie was upstairs doing this...

Finally, sleep!

Ah, the dog's life! Happy Monday everyone. Yes, we were supposed to get to Glads, but that face is just too cute not to end on. 

Until next time...

Kid Friendly, Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Scratchless Chicken Pot Pie

Y'all know my favorite place to be is NOT IN THE KITCHEN! However, I have to be, often enough, so I might as well cook something that BOTH of the kids like and is relatively healthy, easy, and budget-friendly. Scratchless Chicken Pot Pie is just that. Scatchless simply means, NOT FROM SCRATCH! However, if you have a family recipe for pie crust that you want to use, please feel free.

Here it is! Hot out of the oven. My 14 year old son has already eaten 2/3 in 10 minutes. Mom success!

What You Will Need:

How To Prepare:

Open your frozen pie crusts and separate the two, letting them thaw for about 15 minutes.
Take five of the chicken breast tenderloins and boil them for about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
Put your frozen vegetables (I used about 3/4 of the bag) in a bowl with water and microwave for about 8 minutes. Drain water.
Cut up chicken and add to bowl.
Add vegetables, cream of chicken soup, a dash of milk and stir together.
Pour the mix into one of the pie crusts and top with parmesan cheese.

Here's what you have so far:

Almost ready for the oven!

Take second pie crust and lie on top of this one. Cut off the excess. Put slits in top of crust.

Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Final Step:

Let cool and settle or feed immediately to the ravenous kids. This literally is one of the few meals my kids are waiting to eat. I feel so good about myself on these days...I feel like a productive and nurturing mom. It's a nice balance to the frequent complaints and comparisons I get to moms who "supposedly" cook better. 

Enjoy with a crisp, cool salad! Let me know how it turns out. And, of course, you can adapt this hundreds of ways...but here's a yummy place to start.

monicawrites: Garden & Gracie"Here's to Dogs and Digging"Have y...

monicawrites: Garden & Gracie"Here's to Dogs and Digging"
Have y...: Garden & Gracie "Here's to Dogs and Digging" Have you heard of the magazine, Garden and Gun  (  http//:www.gardenan...

Garden & Gracie

"Here's to Dogs and Digging"

Have you heard of the magazine, Garden and Gun ( http//:www.gardenandgun.com) ? It's a niche publication highlighting the best of the south. A friend, with a popular blog, has "Meow Mondays" and it's a hit. I don't have cats and don't really like them - however, I do have a dog and I love playing in the dirt. (However, I don't like when my dog plays in the dirt.) So why not have a series on this blog featuring my family's lovely Jack Russell, Gracie, and the many plants, flowers and trees in my garden....and all things garden-related.

Here's to smart gardening and cute dogs!

Russian Sage

Russian Sage (Persovskia atriplicifolia) is a wonderful plant to have in your garden for many reasons. First, it's drought tolerant, which means it's hardy. Plant in full sun and if it's in the ground, versus a pot, you most likely will never have to water it....I have never watered mine. Secondly, it's a perennial, which means it will continue to bloom each year from spring into autumn and you don't have to do a thing but get excited when the beautiful purplish-blue blooms emerge annually. Third, it attracts bumblebees, butterflies and other beautiful creatures to your yard. And finally, it's long and slender stalk and silvery green leaves accent other flowers, shrubs and plants in your garden.

Yes, there it is in all its glory. I've had to tie mine to the fence so pedestrians can use the sidewalk. But you see what a nice, flowing effect it has.

Fall is the perfect time to plant. You can easily get a gallon size of this plant for around $15. Place it in the soil, water and let it delight you for years to come. 

And yes, now for Gracie. She delights....sometimes. Most of the time, since I tend to be the one primarily home, she's begging for me to throw the ball. But when she sleeps, she's awfully cute. Enjoy!

Why yes, why not use a pillow when I can?

My favorite toy which really annoys mommy.....ha ha ha ha ha!

Thanks for joining me. Enjoy your day. Hope something in here either inspires you or makes you smile or at least distract you for a moment! Please share with friends....Gracie is NOT MODEST.

Apple Smothers

You like my the fancy name? Well, let me tell you how I pulled this one of of my...AIR! (Mind out of gutters, people) 

It's September 11. It's Friday. I've had a cold for over a week. I have to get my son up at 5:50am to get ready for school. I had been awake since 3am. I went back to sleep from 7:30am to 1pm. Yes, I'm lucky I can do that. Then I realized I needed to eat. Don't always like to eat...too much work (kinda like doing this blog, sometimes) Being the only Gluten-Free eater in the house and a penny pincher, I often eat the same things. Today, was really sick of the thought of the same thing. So.....EUREKA! A thought ran like tumbleweed into the next and into the next and the pantry cooperated and Voila.....I bring to you, Apple Smothers (another way of saying apple with whatever toppings you have) Yes, genius, I know.

Gluten-Free, Kid-Friendly and Healthy Go-To Snack
APPLE SMOTHERS

So, what's in this bodacious recipe? There are tons of variations and had my family not eaten my Nestle white chocolate chips they would be on here...ugh. But seriously, whatever you have in your pantry, smother it on an apple and there you go....have it for lunch or breakfast, between meals, pack in your child's lunchbox, or for a healthy dessert. 

This is what I used today:

Yes, that is my left foot. Please just focus on food. Not that great at photos, yet.

Ingredients:

Kind granola bar

Honey nut chex mix

Chopped walnuts, roasted

Jif peanut butter

Raisins

Gala apple

What to do:

Wash apple, whatever kind you prefer. Slice it. Smother, hence the  name, with peanut butter, almond or whatever other nut butter you like. Crumble granola bar and sprinkle on top. Pick out the corn chex mix pieces, smash, and sprinkle on top. Add walnuts, pecans, almonds. Add raisins, coconut, chocolate chips, white chocolate. 

Eat and Enjoy!

Recommended with a cold glass of milk!

Let me know how you enjoy and what variations you create. Enjoy your weekend.

monicawrites: Bita Bullet

monicawrites: Bita Bullet: An Ongoing Tribute to Her Rex Barrington, aka Modo, around the age of  81. That poster behind her is the press release for her novel...

Bita Bullet

An Ongoing Tribute to Her

Rex Barrington, aka Modo, around the age of  81. That poster behind her is the press release for her novel,
"One Good Man."

This her that I am referring to is my beloved grandmother, who passed away two years ago, at the wonderful age of 91. Modo is her name. And well, to put it briefly, she was my oxygen; best friend; soul mate; counsel; and the most amazing woman I've ever known. 

You'll learn A LOT about her over the course of this blog. 

One of her careers was as a writer. She published numerous cookbooks, a novel, and was proud to be a columnist for The Opelika Observer literally until the day she died.

This was her first post - which became a weekly go-to for many. I hope you enjoy!

Who is Bita Bullet?

September 16, 2011 

My pen name, Bita Bullet, was taken from a famous speech made in the 1970’s by President Gerald Ford, who at that time was very concerned about job loss, inflation, OPEC oil prices, Iran, and the many other problems associated with a recession or a depression. He was worried about the high price of gasoline which was almost $1 a gallon and rising. He asked the nation “to bite the bullet.”

Look at President Ford’s problems and just change the price of gasoline, and you have the same problems that are with us today. 

Did we not learn?

As many of my new readers at The Opelika Observer have surmised, my name does come from the bite the bullet phrase, which has a number of different meanings. For Bita, it is the meaning from President Ford’s speech: to be tough, to endure pain and sacrifice, and in an economic situation such as the present, it means to be frugal and to make the most of what you have. Bita’s columns are written on the economy, which simply means they can be on anything because you will be hard pressed to think of any situation that does not have some effect on it. Therefore, these columns will be diverse, but always with an underlying theme of trying to help us get our financial ducks in a row.

Many of the columns will be straight-out helpful hints on how to save money and the readers are invited to send in hints they have found to be helpful during this recessionary period. A bonus from these money- saving techniques is that usually they also help save the environment. Save gas, save money, save the environment.
Officially the recession is over, (Wells Fargo says it isn’t), but many people find that hard to believe in that their personal financial situation hasn’t improved and may have worsened.
Until you really have your financial ducks in a row and such things as a substantial emergency fund, sufficient retirement funds, your children’s (and your) education paid for, no mortgages or other loans, you are debt free and living well within your means and saving from every paycheck, you need to stay on your toes financially.

Our area has been spared the most drastic impacts of the recession. Our two largest employers, East Alabama Medical Center and Auburn University, give us an advantage over many cities where citizens have seen closings and massive job layoffs. This is not to say that we don’t have problems in Opelika, because we do. If you doubt this statement, just check with Miss Martha at the Food Bank.

Prior to 2007, when the possibility of a recession was beginning to be talked about and we watched the economy go from bad to worse, many Americans had never given their financial situation much thought. Then they were forced to face reality, which was that they had been living well above their means and were now in trouble. The same was true with our government.

During the World War II-Depression period, the advice was ‘Use it up, wear it out, make it do’. This has been replaced by the more modern ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’, but the advice is as good now as it was then. It is not enough now to know how to make money; you must know how to handle it and that takes discipline, which is more important than the training of how to make it. They haven’t made enough money that you can’t flitter it away. You see examples of that every day. You may be an example.

Your comments, suggestions and helpful hints will be greatly appreciated. I look forward to talking with you every week for a long time. Thanks and have a happy week.

This was written by my grandmother at the age of 89! She's got a lot of wisdom. I hope you will come back for more!

Fresh Garden Mango Black Bean Pico de Gallo

Mango Black Bean Pico de Gallo

Mango Black Bean Pico de Gallo
Perfect for the end of summer when mangoes are deliciously ripe!

This is the perfect nut, dairy, gluten, meat free recipe. This is my own creation so feel free to adapt to suit your taste!

All amounts are estimates. I like to be creative in the kitchen and hate being bound by recipes, which is probably why I don't do a lot of baking....you really can't mess this up, though. So don't be afraid all of my baker friends!

Ingredients:
canned black beans
fresh mango
onion
tomato
red pepper
cilantro
fresh lime
salt to taste

Recipe:
Drain the beans. Dice the veggies and cilantro. Squeeze in some lime juice and sprinkle salt to taste. And, of course, add the mango. Tastes better as it has time to sit.

How to Eat:
With chips; over rice; over potatoes; or as I have shown here, over chips with taco meat. A great alternative to plain taco toppings!

Over taco meat and  chips for a taco twist!

Please let me know how you liked it. I'm a new blogger and this won't always be about food. So keep checking back to see what's new at

monicawrites.blogspot.com