Green Spaces

I must need a vacation from writing. I keep putting off getting this column done each week lately and so I miss the actual deadline. Luckily, the editor/manager at the Courier has been putting up with my tardiness.

I am taking next week off. If someone else would like to sub in for me, I think the paper would appreciate it, maybe. And maybe you’ll have a new gig. I’d be okay with being replaced… We’re heading off to near Chicago where our youngest lives. We’re driving (well, Dennis is), so we’re very hopeful the weather will behave and that road conditions will remain fair.

The seed catalogs are still trickling in through the regular mail. My email account likewise sees many plant and seed companies vying for my attention and money. Last week I saw that seed carousels are set up and stocked at both Reynolds and at Markle’s hardware downtown. I didn’t look for any at Albertsons as I only rushed in for a couple things.

The Opheim FFA is currently selling seed groupings, too. I did purchase 2 different packets from them last Sunday. One is for salads, and I’ve already forgotten what the other was, but both have scarlet Nantes carrot seeds. Last year I bought the edible flowers collection, and those did really well. I did save seeds from many of those flowers as well as from my marigolds.

One of my many amaryllis bulbs is again confused. It is shooting up a flower stalk now, weeks after Christmas, which is the traditional time for them to bloom. I think the timing stinks, since we won’t be here to enjoy the beauty.

The Hoya vine cutting I stuck in water to root will be going with us on our trip. It has a great start on roots already. I expect our girl will like it. She’s also going to receive a couple plant-hanger baskets I’ve crocheted. I plan to throw a few baby starts from my Mother of 1,000 Babies into a ziploc for her. Those babies are remarkably hardy, and will survive a couple weeks in a ziploc with a bit of water.

I’ll wait until we return before I start cuttings from my other vining plants. I know I talked about doing that either last week or the week before, but you should remember what a world-class procrastinator I am. I mention it often enough.

Last week I know I mentioned making red beans and rice (because I cooked extra rice for fried rice). But I didn’t share that recipe. I’ll correct that omission now, and then I’ll go back to crocheting and watching the olympics.

Red Beans and Rice

with Meatballs

1 1/2 # ground beef

1/2 C chopped onion

1/3 C bread crumbs

1 egg

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 C water

1 Tbl chopped parsley

1/2 tsp thyme

2 cans red beans

2 C cooked rice

Combine the first eight ingredients well. Shape into 24 meatballs. Brown; drain fat. Add the next 4 ingredients. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in beans and rice. Cook until heated through. Steve’s 6

I usually only use 1# hamburger because that’s the size of packaging I do. And sometimes I just brown the beef, skipping the bread crumbs and egg. I think 2 cans of beans is too much for just us two, so I’ll use one. The rice is also cut to 1 cup. I leave the rest of the ingredients as listed. But obviously, you get to decide how you’ll modify this recipe. Enjoy it.