The big brother borrowed my camera to snap a few pics of the short fat bald guy (little brother).
Monday, July 06, 2009
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Ta Da . . . La Maison et le Jardin
La Maison et le Jardin ~
Everything
Home and Garden and Friends.
I'd love if you came and took a peek and let me know what you think.
Thanks. Lylah
Simple Home Adventure: Making Cactus Jelly
My dear mother used to make prickly pear this time of year and I can still remember how wonderful that was to slather on top of an English Muffin.
Yesterday one of my grandkiddos joined me on an adventure down our street to gather the ripening fruit from some cacti
The boy seeing the game.
Onward ho.
Picking. Plucking. Picking. Whatever.
A few more please.
The boy distracted - in a good way - or a God way. (He is taking some of these pictures.)
Our prize.
His turn. The last time he spent a few moments in or around cactus ended up not being a pretty site. He'd tripped and landed in one of these. Needless to say, he was moving carefully.
Unfortunately, our photo opp ceased at this point. The boy saw a rabbit, got excited and then guess what? It happened. Again. Stink. I just might have lost my cactus fruit grabber helper.
Bathroom Project in Process
We started this project updating in our master bathroom about two weeks ago. While we wait for lights and sink fixtures, I decided that the pale pink blinds need to go and this needed to go up. He's so sweet to be my "honey-do."
My part is to re-caulk around the sinks. I've been attacking that area and realized what a poor job had been done by the builders leaving big gaping holes around the tile where the sink should be set. I'll post pictures later, but I have to say that I'm pretty proud of myself for getting such a clean look - removing all the grout.
The next project - labor - I'm going to do is remove the old grout around the tub. It's white and should have been almond. From their, I'll move on to the shower - which is - not pretty.
What projects are you working on?
My part is to re-caulk around the sinks. I've been attacking that area and realized what a poor job had been done by the builders leaving big gaping holes around the tile where the sink should be set. I'll post pictures later, but I have to say that I'm pretty proud of myself for getting such a clean look - removing all the grout.
The next project - labor - I'm going to do is remove the old grout around the tub. It's white and should have been almond. From their, I'll move on to the shower - which is - not pretty.
What projects are you working on?
Friday, July 03, 2009
Out of this World 4th of July Table Scape
Last night I visited Susan's beautiful home at Between Naps on the Porch and her lovely home and this particular Celebration Table Scape captured my little heart. To be honest, I had to work at NOT feeling guilty that I've not yet taken time to even think about the table setting let alone how we'll spend the 4th - which at this point - a quiet evening at home might be nice.
As you have time, meander through the rooms of Susan's home - be encouraged to notice little touches of her heart throughout her home - perhaps there are some ideas you might be able to "copy."
Perhaps I haven't thought about my own table yet, is because I'm spending a little time putting together my notebooks - over here at la maison et le jardin - come pay me a visit won't you and become a following friend.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Our Daughters from India Graduate from ASU
Bindu's Graduation (Masters) from ASU
Ambika's Graduation (Masters) from ASU
Garden to Kitchen to Table
It never ceases to amaze me the joy that Michael and I have that comes from the garden God helped him prepare and plant and that I get to harvest.I suppose the joy comes from the fact that neither of us city dwellers have ever really done anything like to this degree before . . . and especially in our backyard in the desert. I'm amazed that this stuff actually grows and that I head out the back door and clip herbs or lettuce or peppers or tomatoes and make salads and soup.
Just look at this bounty from this spring time.
Michael figured that each garden box cost under $50. Our organic soil was about $150 (and that was delivered to our front door) and the little potted beauties were about $100.
I get to take the Italian herbs outside from here . . . to my kitchen here . . .
. . . for my Italian sauce here.
If you need to get inspired this book might do just that!
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Pass the Chocolate Please - 6 Reasons Why Chocolate is Good for You!
I LOVE chocolate (dark is my first choice) and I don't know too many women that don't love Chocolate.
Yes to Chocolate! Health.com lists 6 Reasons Why Chocolate Is Good For You.
1. A happier heart
Scientists at the Harvard University School of Public Health recently examined 136 studies on cocoa—the foundation for chocolate—and found it does seem to boost heart health, according to an article in the European journal Nutrition and Metabolism.
“Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow, less platelet stickiness and clotting, and improved bad cholesterol,” says Mary B. Engler, PhD, a chocolate researcher and director of the Cardiovascular and Genomics Graduate Program at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing. These benefits are the result of cocoa’s antioxidant chemicals known as flavonoids, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation.
2. Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help. Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University, recently found that hypertensive people who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for 2 weeks saw their blood pressure drop significantly, according to an article in the journal Hypertension. Their bad cholesterol dropped, too. People who ate the same amount of white chocolate? Nothing. (It doesn’t have any cocoa—or flavonoids.) Word to the wise: 3.5 ounces is roughly equal to a big bar of baking chocolate, so the participants had to cut about 400 calories out of their daily diets to make room. But you probably don’t have to go to those lengths. Just a bite may do you good, Blumberg says.
3. Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout. In a small study at Indiana University, elite cyclists who drank chocolate milk between workouts scored better on fatigue and endurance tests than those who had some sports drinks. Yoo-hoo!
4. TLC for your skin
German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special extra-flavonoid-enriched cocoa every day. After 3 months, the women’s skin was moister, smoother, and less scaly and red when exposed to ultraviolet light. The researchers think the flavonoids, which absorb UV light, help protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
5. Brain gains
It sounds almost too good to be true, but preliminary research at West Virginia’s Wheeling Jesuit University suggests chocolate may boost your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving skills by increasing blood flow to the brain. Chocolate companies found comparable gains in similar research on healthy young women and on elderly people.
6. Good loving (maybe)
Italian researchers wanted to know whether chocolate truly is an aphrodisiac. In a survey of 143 women published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, those who ate chocolate every day seemed to have more sex drive, better lubrication, and an easier time reaching orgasm. Pass the Godiva, right? Not so fast. The women who ate chocolate were all younger than the ones who didn’t; it was age and not chocolate that made the difference. Still, if a double-chocolate raspberry truffle puts you in the mood, why let science get in the way?
Heirlooms From My Garden
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