biologie.

Cozy :: Hot Cocoa with Homemade Marshmallows

2011-12-09T15:20:00.001-06:00

Despite all the things going on in my life right now, I'm finding time to decorate for Christmas. Last year we didn't even put up a Christmas tree which is really unusual for me because I love to turn my house into a cozy cottage for the holidays.

This year, the week after Thanksgiving, we went to get a tree. I walked into the outdoor section of our big H-E-B Plus and they had trees hanging in rows from the rafters! I picked out the very first Fraser Fir I saw and it took all of five minutes to have the store employee cut it down and put it on a cart. It wasn't too big or too small, it was just right (although a little lopsided) so we bought it, wheeled it out to the pick-up truck and put it in the bed. It was the fastest, most pleasant, easiest tree-buying experience, ever.

My advent candelabra isn't fancy, I think it's made of plastic and I found it at Goodwill but it looks very cute on the martini bar that separates the kitchen from our dining area. I always line the bar with garland and multi-colored lights. It's a good place to put my little collection of Santa's, too.

My Aunt Johnnie is our hero and miracle woman this Christmas season because she left her home and family in Kansas to spend two weeks staying at the Fisher House on Lackland AFB so the doctors could harvest her cells for my Mom's allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Mom is doing very well and has yet to have any major side effects from the transplant. We are all keeping a close eye on her and last year my mom taught me a Christmas Novena prayer which I have been reciting for her when I light my Advent candles.

Before she left to go back home, Johnnie and I spent some time together at the Fisher House and as I was leaving she sent me off with homemade marshmallows, cookies, and hot cocoa. Today I made a cup of the cocoa and plopped a marshmallow on top! Yum! While I was taking the photos of my hot chocolate, I put on "Fireplace For Your Home". It's a video of a crackling fireplace I found on Netflix. It's funny! There are two episodes, one with just a crackling fireplace and a second with the crackling fire and accompanying Christmas music. I prefer episode two.

My coffee set is handmade in Japan. I have a set of four, each with a tray, little creamer cup, twist handle spoon and mug. The set has painted butterflies, gray stoneware glaze, and is made of ceramic with a stamped seal on the bottom. I don't know what the label on the box says so if you are reading this blog post and happen to know how to read Japanese, please message me or leave a comment with a translation to English because I'd love to know what the label says about the coffee set.

Saint Andrew Christmas Novena

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Old Fashioned Romance :: Emma Rowley

2011-04-14T12:40:00.001-05:00

Emma Rowley is a singer/songwriter/actor who I stumbled across on YouTube and I love the song she wrote called "Old Fashonioned Romance". Check it out!

See EmmaRowleyMusic on YouTube for more!

Instant Mashed Potato Pancakes :: good! ::

2011-02-09T15:53:00.001-06:00

Have a box of instant potatoes and not sure what to do with them?

This morning I had a hankering for potato pancakes so I did a search for any recipes that might be brave enough to incorporate instant mashed potatoes. I found an Instant Mashed Potato Pancakes recipe at Food Wishes. Food Wishes is a foodie blog including recipes with video instructions by Chef John.

I made these Instant Mashed Potato Pancakes for breakfast and followed John's recipe, except I had to add a little more instant potatoes to mine to get the correct consistency. Next time I'll add less water. Another slight adjustment I made to the recipe is omitting the vegetable oil because I cooked these on my Grandmother's non-stick electric skillet.

They are pretty darn good all by themselves but perfect with a dollop of sour cream as suggested. I put my pancake in a bowl my dad made back in 1967. He used to throw a lot of clay around back then and our whole family has cherished pieces of his handmade pottery.

Oh Bugger :: What's Buggin' Out On Thursdays?

2010-10-21T15:00:00.003-05:00

I'm a self-proclaimed naturalist researching the "bugs" in my life. I use the term "bug" lightly and in very general terms so I include insects, spiders, and other related creatures. I try to share a new bug every Thursday (but do not always get a chance).

My camera is a Canon Powershot G7. As an amateur photographer simply pursuing what interests me, I've found that I truly enjoy taking photos of bugs and doing my best to identify them and learn more about their habitat and biology.

My Philosophy: To take photos of Texas wildlife and local insects in their environment without disturbing them or causing them harm. My goal is to capture their likeness in a photograph, identify the specimen by research using credible internet resources, and share what I've learned with others.

Have you heard? Buggin' Out On Thursdays has it's own index list including article titles, specimens, and dates published so you can find what interests you easily.

I often contribute my photos to the field guide at BugGuide.net and can be found there as biologie.

Buggin' Out On Thursdays :: I've Got Spines but no Backbone

2010-08-26T12:51:00.002-05:00

The Spiny Orb Weaver, also called the spiny backed orb weaver, is known in Texas as a beneficial spider for the garden because they eat flies and mosquitoes. A lot of people refer to these spiders as "crab spiders", however, they are actually orb weavers. They make the beautiful circular spiderwebs that catch the morning dew.

These little spiny spiders may look spooky but they are not considered dangerous. While hiking in the woods outside Austin you may come across these guys in abundance! They usually like to spin their webs in forested areas although they can be found anywhere - like on my canna lilies in my backyard where I found this one! She would spin her web between the leaves of the lilies. I visited her daily while I watered my flowerbed and missed her when she disappeared.

The spiny backed orb weavers have six pointed projections on their back, commonly referred to as "spines" and are very easily identified by this characteristic, as well as the patterned "face-shaped" coloring which can be white, yellow, orange, or red. Some of these spiders have a white pattern with red spines.

Buggin' Out On Thursdays

If you've been following my blog you may remember Peaches (a true crab spider) and my post on the Western Spotted Orb Weaver (also a true orb weaver like our little spiny backed friend).

What kinds of bugs have you seen lately?

I Saw Sawfly Larvae "Saw" :: Buggin' Out On Thursdays

2010-08-19T16:20:00.004-05:00

Alice would have a thing or two to say about these hungry munchers. It is a Caterpillar Wonderland and the wild green vine is the complimentary buffet. They may look like caterpillars but these are actually sawfly larvae.

The sawfly is a mystery to most people. The insect is part of the family of Hymenoptera and some species are considered "pests" because the larvae eat farmer's crops and damage foliage, eating the leaves outright (like mine) or eating the leaves from the inside-out.

The adult sawfly can easily be mistaken for a wasp although they do not have stingers and do no harm to humans. The female adult sawfly has a little "saw" called an ovipositor on her rear-end that she uses to cut open plant tissue and lay eggs inside.

I often use the leaves of my vine (which grows wild in my backyard near the fence-line during the spring and all throughout summer) to photograph my jewelry for sale in my Etsy shop because the leaves are a beautiful green and compliment a lot of my pieces:

Etsy
Biologie

Caterpillars and other insects love the vine and can devour large portions of it in a matter of hours. This doesn't phase me a bit because the vine grows back as thick and pretty as ever within a few days to a week!

Dr. Dave Smith, a sawfly expert, at BugGuide.net identified these "bugs" for me and also told me this vine is part of the Cissus family. This is a host vine for my sawflies, whose scientific name is Ceratulus spectabilis. Further research shows the plant is a native of Central Texas and is commonly known as Sorrel Vine (Cissus incisa). It's a great vine to grow in my area because it has a high heat tolerance and can be used in place of ornamental ivy. I love the idea of growing native plant species in my backyard as opposed to using imported exotics.

Apparently, sawfly larvae choose to ignore the rule about not crapping where you eat:


POO! © biologie-me.blogspot.com

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

Updo :: Troll Doll Hair-bun

2010-08-17T14:49:00.026-05:00

The other day I was working in the garden and it was HOT so I put my hair up in a bun with two pencils, one of which has an old Troll Doll Pencil Topper I found at Goodwill.

He's so cute! Now, that's a high-fashion updo ~

Sunshine Spotlight: Rebecca of Raige Creations

2010-08-16T13:12:00.059-05:00

Biologie's Sunshine Spotlight: an interview with artisan Rebecca of Raige Creations.

Raige Creations - where Creating is all the Raige and where you can find hand-crafted items made by the wonderful Rebecca, today's featured artisan. She makes many crocheted items of all kinds from cozies to purses, intimates, original stuffed animals and, soon, quilts. When she doesn't have her hands full juggling her family schedule she often has her hands full of yarns or fabrics.

Beck loves to create and she's good at it too! Her interests lie in friends, family and experimenting with new materials, including trying new things. She's a very talented lady with a background in Business Administration and she has two online shops where you can browse her pretty creations on Etsy or Zibbet. I'm the proud owner of this adorable crocheted stick-shift cozie (pictured above) as well as some of her Easter egg cozies!

Here's a peek at Rebecca and what goes on behind the scenes of Raige Creations:

When did you first realize you were an artist and wanted to create?
I am an artist? Really? I never considered myself one. Seriously though, I am sort of uncomfortable calling myself an artist because I have never been good at drawing or sculpting, and my Painting 101 class in college hardly makes me a painter. Though my final painting in that class was selected to be in the end of term art show, I think it was because my teacher thought I was “most improved“.

I was actually introduced to art at a very young age, and art and creation has been a large part of my life since the beginning. One of the first memories I have is sculpting a snowman out of Ivory Snow Powder.

I fully enjoy the process of creating, but I consider myself more of an artisan lately, as my current works tend to be of the more practical and crafting side.

Did you come from a large family of creative people?

Though I never considered both my father and mother artists, both sides did contribute very much to where I am today creatively. My Mother was an artist and photographer who had her own Photography business. Her father was a creator of sorts, a structural engineer (created bridges). My Father was a musician, definitely the practical thinker though not much of a visual artist. I got my urge for creating things practical from him. His mother was both practical and creative - creative by necessity. She taught piano lessons throughout her life, sewed clothes, and then quilts with the leftover fabrics. It is from her that I was inspired to try a modified version of her Tied Quilts.

My husband is an artist by trade and uses many mediums. We have always had art in our lives and exposed our own children to as much art and creativity as we could. My husband and I even opened our own internationally renowned fine art gallery overseas several years ago. That venture was cut short in 2004 by a Category 4 hurricane but still remains a great chapter in our lives, and we certainly were immersed in the art world and surrounded by creative people: which we miss dearly but never could replace, to this day.

Have your children expressed an interest in pursuing a career in art?

They have each had spurts of artistic desires, though each in very different ways. Our heavy involvement in the arts may have “cured” them of pursuing art as a career. You know they say your children strive to be the opposite of their parents. And they have seen the difficulties involved in making a living as an artist, so although they each enjoy creating they may pursue a different career. Too early to tell yet really.

Your blog has a wonderful post about colorblindness. How do you choose which colors to put together when you are making your items?

Thank you for the compliment regarding that post. Our 2 sons are colorblind, so we have always found the subject to be interesting. I am ashamed to say I am a bit selfish when I create my crocheted things. I tend to use colors that I like, and create things that I find useful, and beautiful. I find it more difficult to create when I do not totally love the color or item I am working with. However, with the quilts I have made and am trying to make now, I choose the colors based on who I am making the quilt for. I find that I love working on it because I think they will love it and appreciate it, and understand the colors and materials that I am using. With each I have made, there is a story behind the fabrics and a special meaning for each recipient. I am currently making a quilt for my son, who is colorblind, so I am choosing colors and images that he likes and using materials that he picked. He wanted a quilt of his old favorite tee shirts that he grew out of, so I know this one will be special for him.

Who/what inspires or influences you?

I think what inspires me the most is the people in my life, and the stories of life. Most of the things I have created were for those close to me, and/or in memory of those who were in my life. I also love the stories behind the creations because the item takes on an added dimension with a history behind it. If there is a great meaning or history behind the materials or items used, I am inspired to create with those things and give them a new purpose. The fabrics I use in quilts are always fabrics that were used in a different way in their ‘former life‘. I create other crafts based on the story behind them also, like the Sand and Shell Christmas Ornaments I made while living in the Caribbean. The story of the gathering of sand and shells was a big part of the final product. Those ornaments were more that just sand and shells, it included the searching, the gathering, the fun I had with my kids. And I see those things more than just the sand and shells in the ornaments each time I look at them. The history and meanings behind the creations are something I truly enjoy, so when I find that meaning, I am inspired to create something that will carry on the story.

What other interests do you have outside of creating?

I am very interested in losing about 10 pounds, so I have been working out with My Fitness Coach (on the Wii) almost every Monday through Friday since I got it for Christmas. I also like walking the dog as it gives me time to think, enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, and get some exercise. I do love to be outdoors, though it is difficult during the winter here. During spring-time, I want to be outside as much as possible, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. I like to plant flowers, and have tried Rhubarb and Asparagus with some success. When we get more land I would love to try a full vegetable garden.

Other than that, I have found some interest in the stock market, since the crash last year when things were quite cheap. It has been interesting to dabble in it here and there. As we all know, the interest earned on savings in banks is next to nothing, so we thought entering the market couldn’t be any worse than that, and we could have never entered into the market at it’s previous levels.

And of course, the hubby and kids, and their interests, generally take up the rest of my interests.

What are Tied Quilts and have you been working on any lately?

Tied Quilts, sometimes called mock quilts, are quilts that have its 3 layers joined by a stitch of yarn, or string. The loose ends of the yarn or string are then tied together in a square knot. The Complete Guide to Quilting (my one and only quilting book that gave me the courage to try quilting) says that tying is used when time is limited or when the fill is too thick to be quilted. True, time is always limited, and that is one of the 3 reasons I began quilting tied quilts. The main reason I started with tied quilts is my Grandmother made tied quilts and I just loved the looks of hers and wanted to create that simple, rustic look with a modern update. And the other reason I tried tied is that I was very intimidated by the thought of hand quilting an entire quilt. (I can’t hand sew very straight, and my sewing machine is not for quilting).

I have 2 quilts I am trying to work on right now. The one is for my son that I mentioned already. It will be made using tee shirts he has grown out of, and he picked each shirt to go in the quilt. I am also supplementing with his once favorite camouflage pants he grew out of. and I am also making one for my daughter. It is a surprise for her - she has no idea I am making one for her or that I have been saving fabrics for this. It will be made from a selection of materials that she loves, or loved at one time. I have saved clothes she grew out of such as embellished jeans and velvet dresses, the material we used to create our first teddy bear, and the cheetah/leopard print material we made a pillow out of for her room.

Plus I am trying quilted coasters, inspired by the Flannel Quilt I made for my husband last year.

When did you learn to create baskets from hemp?

I am a self taught hemp basket creator. I first tried to crochet with it a few months ago. It is a very durable, natural material and I love the look of it crocheted. I had attempted my first original crocheted yarn basket at the beginning of this year, not using any pattern. (I seldom use patterns, and thus there is a lot of trial and error). I loved the results of that. I find I am very drawn to baskets and love their practical function with the aesthetic beauty, and thought the hemp would really make different and attractive basket. So I gave it a try just about a month ago, the beginning of April. After starting one, ripping it out (it looked terrible) and starting over, I was off to a great start. I didn’t anticipate the need for band-aids, but not even halfway through the first try, my fingers were raw! Once I put 2 band-aids on, I was all set to finish. Though it is difficult to crochet, I actually love doing it and plan to take another stab at it soon! I also want to try to dye the hemp different colors to create colorful baskets.

What is one medium you have always wanted to work with but have not as of yet had the opportunity to do so?

It is hard to think of one I haven’t at least tried that I was interested in. I was lucky to have been able to try all kinds of mediums while growing up. I even learned stained glass and tried airbrushing (tho’ be it airbrush tattoos) a few years ago.

I do want to try mosaics next. I have this urge to break plates and china. I had this compulsion to buy china sets for cheap at auctions a few years ago and seem to have a lot of plates and dinnerware. I see plates and china now and think, “Oh, I would love to break them into little pieces!“ Then I would like piece them together in different ways to create something totally different than their original purpose.

I also would love to figure out something to do with rocks. For some reason, my family collects rocks. We have rocks everywhere, from anywhere and everywhere we have ever been. We have trekked rocks from Iowa all the way to the Caribbean and back, gathering more from the Caribbean, then Maine, North Carolina, Florida, and of course New York where we live now. How can you create something special and practical with rocks besides a wall? Oh, hey - there’s an idea!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Creating a rock wall with pieces of broken plates in it, in Asheville, NC. We do plan on moving this summer to NC where, hopefully, art and creation still will be a large part of our lives, all be it on a smaller, less formal and demanding scale.

Thank you Rebecca for letting us get to know you better and for all your inspiring and creative ways to enhance our lives in not only practical but artistic and heartfelt ways!

Beck and her family are now in the process of preparing for their move to North Carolina. She was recently appointed as a columnist at IndieSmiles.com and you can read more about her creations on her blogspot at Raige Creations or check out her Facebook page!

Chilled Gazpacho Soup Recipe :: Low Sodium Fat Blaster!

2010-08-13T17:26:00.000-05:00

Gazpacho is the taste of summer.

Chilled and served in either a mug or spooned into a bowl, this soup is similar to Vegetable Juice but in a fresh, hearty, tangy, peppery way that takes things to the next level in comparison. There are many different ways to make this soup and today I'm sharing my personal recipe. You can control the levels of flavors and spice to your preference but I like to add extra Tabasco to turn up the heat.

If summer brings you a bumper crop of vegetables, this is the perfect way to use them quick and gobble them down even faster! This is a chilled soup that everyone can appreciate because it's full of health, flavor, and refreshment. Just the thing to help take the edge off a day of hard work in the outdoors under the hot sun.

Because this is my personal recipe, it contains only a little salt, however, the use of white wine makes up for the lack of sodium and adds a delicious level of flavor!

Gazpacho Soup by biologie-me.blogspot.com

Serves 10

Ingredients:

28 ounces canned tomatoes, no salt added or low sodium
3 C low sodium tomato juice
2 1/2 C cucumbers, diced
1/2 C carrots, peeled and diced
3/4 C each green and red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 shallots (optional)
2 garlic cloves
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1/3 C fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 C each fresh oregano, basil and parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (or to taste)

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, process the tomatoes, tomato juice, cucumbers, carrots, green and red bell peppers, onion, shallots, & garlic until smooth. Transfer to a large pot. Whisk or stir in vinegar, lime juice, paprika, herbs, white pepper, and Tabasco sauce until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the soup to chill. Serve in mugs or small bowls with a hunk of fresh bread on the side.

Summer Distractions: Meet Hunter!

2010-08-12T18:30:00.000-05:00

My husband and I adopted a new puppy this summer. She's a hound dog mix and she's just ridiculously adorable. Her superpower is Broken Heart Mending. If you are feeling down, pick up and snuggle a sleepy puppy and you will know exactly what I mean!

Among other things, she's one of the reasons I've been so distracted from Blogging this summer but things are becoming a little more routine again so I'll be back to regular blog posts soon!

Have a great weekend!

Buggin' Out On Thursdays :: I'm Molting! A Metamorphosis.

2010-05-20T12:31:00.002-05:00

Today is Buggin' Out On Thursdays and this little grasshopper's outer skin is the star of the show!

Did you know grasshoppers molted and left a perfectly intact outer casing of their former self hanging around? I never really thought about it until I found this skin casing hanging upside-down from one of my flower's stem.

Not only was that interesting enough for me but I also noticed the actual baby grasshopper very close-by trying to hide from me and my camera:

After a little research I found out more than I ever wanted to know about the way these insects metamorphose into adult grasshoppers.

As insects grow and develop, they molt at intervals, changing structures and their form. This process is called metamorphosis.

A number of insects undergo gradual (simple) metamorphosis, such as grasshoppers. With this type of metamorphosis the insect that hatches looks like the adult except for its smaller size, lack of wings, fewer antennal segments, and rudimentary genitalia.

After shedding the serosal skin, the newly hatched nymph is called the first instar. After each molt the instar increases by one so that the nymph consecutively becomes a second, third, fourth, and fifth instar. When the fifth instar molts, the grasshopper becomes an adult, as called an imago.

Now you know more than you ever wanted to about those darn grasshoppers who chomp on all your plants and garden vegetables! You remember my bug butt post about those bugs stuck in the mud? Well, here's a picture of another bug butt - this time in the form of a molted skin casing.

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

Hummingbird Live Cam :: Nestling hatched on Mother's Day!

2010-05-13T14:36:00.003-05:00

This is Phoebe, a non-migratory Channel Islands Allen's Hummingbird living in Southern California where she is raising two newly hatched baby hummingbirds named Hope and Hoku. I love hummingbirds!

I'm a blog follower of TexasEagle Talks and today I ran across her post about this Live Hummingbird Nest Cam. Visit the Phoebe Allens Web Cam to see Phoebe and her two nestlings!

As soon as I laid eyes on them I instantly fell in love with Phoebe and her two new hatchlings. She's built her nest in a rose bush. The nest is made out of feathers, spiderwebs, plant fibers and lichen. When she laid her eggs the owner the of webcam, Joe, said they were about the size of a tic tac mint! His website, phoebeallens.com, has the live streaming webcam as well as facts, a chat room, and other information about how it all began when a little hummingbird kept coming back each Spring to their rosebush to make a nest.

Hope hatched on Mother's Day and Hoku just a day later. To tell the babes apart, Hope has a blue tint to her body and is a little bigger than Hoku, who is brown in color.

In addition to the Live Hummingbird Cam, I love to look in on the Sydney, BC Eagle Cam which has a nest with one baby eagle named Solo being reared by his parents.

Live Wildlife Web Cameras including channels dedicated to falcons, loons, eagles, robins and a house wren can also be found at WildEarth.TV.

Do you have any favorite live wildlife cams? If so, leave a comment and please share them with me.

Origami Hummingbird Tutorial

2010-05-10T15:43:00.001-05:00

Today I am sharing with you a video I found on YouTube.com on how to make a folded origami Colibri Hummingbird. This is my first origami hummingbird and it looks a little beat up because I had no clue what I was doing but I followed the video by Cheung Nga Chun on YouTube. He has since deleted the video so here is one that is very similar and the maker sells special printed origami paper for the design:

The colibri (hummingbird) is a sacred symbol for the Taino Indians, pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. Because the hummingbird is a pollinator and therefore disseminator of new life it is sacred to the Taino people. It symbolizes the rebirth of the Taino Indigenous Nation in the Caribbean. The bird is found on many Caribbean islands, but the most sacred species is the Guani, which 500 years ago inhabited all the islands, but today is confined to Cuba. Although the smallest of the Caribbean hummingbirds, only about the size of a penny, it is known by the mountain people as the most noble warrior of the valiant Colibris.

Buggin' Out On Thursdays Is Back! Meet Mothman

2010-05-06T15:35:00.006-05:00

Every year in May I get little earthy green and brown moths hanging out on my kitchen window. I call this one Mothman because from the underside he looks a little bit like Spiderman clinging to the outside of the window. I'm not sure what these moths are but I have an identification request in at BugGuide.net so I'm hoping to update this blog post with the exact genus and species as soon as I hear anything from the wonderful people at the website. In the meantime it's fun to speculate about this "fuzzy" looking character with the big, black eyes!

My first guess after researching a bit was that this moth is a smaller parasa called Parasa chloris. However, I've learned today that smaller parasa moths have a green thorax (what looks like the top of his fuzzy head in above photo) and my guy has a brown one so he must be a Euclea. More precisely, E. incisa or E. delphinii.

In any case, my Mothman belongs to the Family of Slug Caterpillar Moths (photo credit). The caterpillars of these moths are colorful with spiny stingers so if you see any pretty little wormie sluggers - admire but don't touch! These guys in caterpillar stage like to feed on oak, willow, and other deciduous plants. They better stay off the 1000 year old Granddaddy of all Coastal Live Oaks I recently blogged about though!

So back to identifications, the more I look at my moth the more I think it's Euclea delphinii. It's interesting to see what other Bug Huggers think about this one: follow the BugGuide.net discussion taking place right now.

"Mothman"

Just Hangin' Out!

The Big Tree :: Ever Wonder What A 1000+ Year Old Tree Looks Like?

2010-04-27T18:33:00.006-05:00

photo: Big'un © Biologie.

"The Big Tree" at Goose Island State Park in Texas is said to be the oldest living coastal live oak tree in the Nation. To give you an idea of it's "gorgeous oakiness of grandeur" (as I like to call it), you may use my family and other visitors on the far side of the tree as a size reference in the above photo! Wow!

The tree is a hop, skip and a jump from the coast of Aransas Bay and "he" is part of a family called Coastal Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana). These trees don't have the typical large, lobed oak leaves of the big oaks found further North. Rather, the leaves are small and ovoid.

In addition to allowing visitors to gaze happily at the wonderful mighty oak, Goose Island State Park also offers camping, birding, and fishing. You can sign up to borrow fishing gear through their "Loan A Tackle Program" if you forget your own equipment.

It's also a nice park for picnicking, nature study, wildlife observation, and photography. If you are a boater you'll be happy to note that the park even allows boats with motors! Also, there are guided nature hikes year round and guided birding tours are held from January through April. Unfortunately our visit was too short to take full advantage of all the activities offered, but we did enjoy the drive to see the handsome oak with it's gnarly branches and wonderful shade!

The Big Tree's girth is around 35 feet and it's branches make up a 90 foot canopy! Even though it's surrounded by a protective fence, you can check out the behemoth of a tree from all angles by following a circular paved pathway all the way around. When you walk up to the tree along the path you will pass it's offspring in the grove.

While my family was in Rockport for vacation my niece, Ahlyssa, picked up a list of "51 Things To Do" while we were there and that big ole beautiful tree was on the list, I'm so happy to have seen it and what a great time we all had that afternoon!

We visited The Big Tree in early April and found it surrounded by pretty Texas wildflowers of Orange Globe Mallow and Pointed Phlox. This photo (below) reflects my mood today, bright and shiny!

photo: © Biologie-me. FLICKR

In Remembrance Of. :: And, What's a Treasury on Etsy?

2010-04-24T18:40:00.008-05:00

Photo: Cherry blossoms / Sakura / 桜 by Tanaka-san

Definition of The Treasury from the Etsy Blog:

"Satisfy your inner curator — Treasury to the rescue! The Treasury is an ever-changing, member-curated shopping gallery of handpicked items. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme or just whatever they like. The Treasury is not intended for self-promotion, but instead to acknowledge and share the many cool things for sale on Etsy. Etsy’s staff (“Admin”) often choose whole or partial exceptional Treasury lists to promote to the featured, handpicked items on Etsy’s home page. Treasury lists are temporary and limited in number, so there is some competition involved in creating a list of your own."

In addition to the Treasury on Etsy, there are places to find "anti-Treasuries". An "anti-Treasury" is an off-site collection, usually posted on personal blogs, put together by members of Etsy who didn't get a chance to grab a treasury spot on the Etsy website. Anti-Treasuries are also a kind of protest to the fact that Treasury lists on Etsy are temporary and limited in number! Showing up in a Treasury or an anti-Treasury is a wonderful compliment!

To help all the starving artists at Etsy promote their wares, the hamsters have been running the wheels a lot lately to crank out a beta version of the Treasury called Treasury East and Treasury West. My Cherry Blossoms Necklace is featured in a Treasury West list curated by Linn of EarCandyArts: Quiet Cherry Orchard. For Cat.

Linn of EarCandyArts is a fellow Etsian and makes beautiful earrings that are so yummy-pretty her friend said they look like candy. That's how she got her shop name! Not only that, but her gorgeous earrings come as a pair with a spare so when you lose one (it's inevitable) it's mate won't end up a lonely earring at the bottom of the jewelry box. Also, Linn is part of a team called Etsy Project Embrace (EPE) "whose main purpose is to create awareness and support for people who have been diagnosed with Cancer, whatever kind it may be. " The Quiet Cherry Orchard Treasury is in honor and remembrance of a fellow member of the EPE Team, Cat, a photographer and jewelry designer who passed away Monday, April 19th.

May Cat be in the peaceful orchard of Heaven's Garden.

Spring Wildflowers Bringing Hope

2010-04-21T17:45:00.007-05:00

My mom has Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. We learned about the diagnosis this past weekend. All the days are running together and it has been (and still is) extremely hard news to swallow for me and my family. While the world kept turning and the wildflowers kept blooming and the sun kept shining, I found myself looking out in a haze of gray, as if seeing everything through a dark veil across my eyes.

My mom is a very strong, optimistic lady with incredible faith. She's doing okay, as a matter of fact she's doing amazing under the circumstances. She's not as much afraid for herself as she is for what this is doing to her family. Because of her, I'm starting to see the light again. I think we are all slowly coming out of our initial shock. Her doctors are starting her on an aggressive therapy to suppress her immune system so she can receive an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Our hope is that everything will go smoothly without complication so we can get her back to "normal" within the next 6 to 8 months.

Therefore, in the name of Hope and Love, I share with you these photos of the recent wildflowers I've found growing in my backyard:

The blue flower is Prairie Spiderwort and I was very surprised to see it growing along my back fence! The pretty orange-red with yellow borders is Indian Blanket, one of my favorite Texas wildflowers. Lastly is a little red flower with feathery leaves that I have yet to identify. If you know what is it, please let me know because I love to identify wildflowers, especially the ones growing spontaneously in my backyard!

Here's a list by date of the Spring 2010 wildflowers I've documented in my backyard:

Spring 2010 Backyard Wildflowers

March 2nd: Yellow Primrose with a photo on my Twitpic Page.
March 9th: Pretty Fairy Lilies and Dandelions.
March 14th: Bluebonnets! The State Flower of Texas.

Think you can read me like a book?

2010-04-15T13:20:00.007-05:00

Maybe! But you can definitely read me like a blog post at the Raige Creations blog where I'm honored to say I am a Featured Creator!

Read more: Biologie In Art - Featured Creator

Rebecca @ Raige recently awarded me with the Sunshine Award. I'm feeling the love. Everyone needs sunshine and all the blogs I follow deserve this award so I nominate them all! To see a list of the blogs I follow please see my Profile.

Rockport Sunrise On A Cloudy Day

2010-04-11T18:24:00.007-05:00

Rockport is a great little town on the Texas Gulf Coast. We took a little vacation there with family this past week. It was nice to get away for awhile and I think we needed a change of scenery! Nothing better than waking up and throwing open the curtains to a waterfront view of the sunrise over Aransas Bay!

Our trip included BBQ's and a crab boil at the picnic spot right off the water, fishing on the 1000 foot long pier, crabbing and eating the freshest seafood, including the best oysters on the half shell I've ever had plus lots of walks down the bay front road with our two dogs and family.

We also visited The Big Tree at Goose Island State Park, the Lamar Cemetery, Rockport Beach Park, and a beautiful place named Schoenstatt!

Here's a photo I took while we road the Ferry Boat to Port Aransas:

I have a lot more pictures to share plus suggestions on what to do if you ever find yourself in the charming Rockport-Fulton area. More to come!

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T10:20:00.005-05:00

My natural brown eggs don their Sunday Best!

I bought these adorable Egg Cozies from Raige Creations' shop on Etsy.

Aren't they too cute for words?

Drop by her blog and say hello, here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and Happy Easter!

1. wildflower, 2. Bunnies, 3. Easter Egg Cozies, 4. Pink Wildflower :: What is it?

Bluebonnets Tell Bees Which Flower To Pollinate :: Nature In Harmony!

2010-04-02T18:59:00.007-05:00

Last month I mentioned bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas:

The very first bluebonnet I photographed in my backyard this year was very young and none of the flowers on the spike had been pollinated yet. You can see my blog post about the "baby" bluebonnet, here.

How do I know if the blossom has been pollinated?

When the bees pollinate the bloom, the white section in the center of the little "bonnet shaped" flower turns a pinkish-red. My blogger friend, Hali, mentioned she'd like to see the color change and I promised a photograph so today it's time to deliver!

Here we go:

Why the color change?

Bees don't interpret colors the same way humans see colors. They see the world in colors of blues, greens, and ultra-violet light. They can also see oranges and yellows. They can't see the color red.

Since bees can't detect the color red the flowers of the Bluebonnet have adapted to save energy and time for both the bees and the flower. The flowers want to be pollinated so they can produce a seed and continue the cycle of life. They bloom and present a pleasing flower of blue with a white (or yellow) center to attract pollinators. The bees can see the bloom no matter what the color, however, that center of white or yellow is the key attractant. As far as the bluebonnets are concerned, they want the bees to ignore a flower that has already been fertilized and move up to a flower on the spike with a white or yellow center (colors bees are attracted to and can "see").

In a nutshell, the reason the center of the bloom changes color is to encourage the pollinators to move to a flower on the bluebonnet spike that still needs pollination.

Nature in harmony!

The way bees and flowers work together is called symbiosis. Symbiosis is a relationship between two organisms of different kinds which benefits both organisms. Yay!

Go forth and bloom! :)

Cherry Limonade Beverage Recipe :: Easy and Refreshing

2010-03-21T17:33:00.006-05:00

Parched?
Try this refreshing drink to quench your thirst.

After hiking or biking the trails there is nothing more refreshing than a Cherry Limónade. It's so easy to whip up and it's addictive!

Here's my recipe:

Cherry Limónade Drink Recipe by Biologie.
Serves 1.

Ingredients:

1 Cup ice
1/2 Cup Limeade
12 0z can of Cherry 7up or similar soda pop (diet or regular)
1 maraschino cherry
2-3 slices fresh lime

Directions:

Add one cup of ice to a 20-ounce Mason jar.
Pour limeade over the ice, add flavored soda pop and stir.
Top the drink off with a cherry and fresh lime slices.

Enjoy!

Buggin' Out On Thursdays :: Mystery of the Bug Butts

2010-03-18T16:23:00.005-05:00

Found! Bug butts sticking out of some dried mud on a fence post has me stumped! What were they doing there? Are those wasps butts? Did they nestle in from the cold and get frozen in time? How bizarre!

It's Buggin' Out On Thursdays!

Here's a close-up (below) of one of them sticking out of the mud.

What is it?

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

My Veggie Garden :: Attempt Two

2010-03-17T12:44:00.013-05:00

Photo: Raised Bed Veggie Garden © Biologie.

My raised bed vegetable garden is now a total of 36 square feet. That's still small but at least I have a little more room to work with than I did last Fall. I planted my new Spring vegetable garden on Monday and tied a soaker hose along the top of the beds. After I had it all hooked up I realized it would have made more sense to line the soaker hose along the inside of the beds so I might re-do all that before the plants really start taking off.

Last fall I planted a pesticide-free vegetable garden of mostly squash. My beautiful and healthy squash plants were devastated by squash vine borers. I even took a picture of one of the adult moths (pictured left) sitting on my squash leaf and wondered what kind of bug it was but I forgot to identify it, to my later chagrin.

The vines went from thriving and blooming big gorgeous flowers to withered and dying, practically overnight. The squash plants had been attacked from within by the larvae of the squash vine bugs and I couldn't see the damage until it was too late! The adult female lays her eggs at the base of the plant and when the larvae hatch they burrow inside the stem and begin eating the plant alive from the inside! After they are finished with the buffet, they exit the stems and work their way into the ground to pupate and emerge the next spring to start the cycle all over again.

To manage the menace of squash vine borers, the first step is to know what the adults look like and keep an eye out for them. Organic controls are outlined at the National Sustainable Agricultural Information Service: Squash Bug and Squash Vine Borer.

I'm spraying the new transplants with a home-made organic pepper spray recipe my dad uses on his garden. I'm not sure if it will keep the borers at bay but it does help keep off the bugs that like to chomp the leaves.

Organic Pepper and Garlic Spray

Ingredients:
dishsoap
several cloves of garlic
6-10 hot peppers (hotter the better!)
1 gallon water

Directions:

Place garlic, peppers and a small amount of your water in a blender/food processor and puree. NOTE: Avert your face when you take the lid off because the fumes are very strong. Strain the mixture and add the liquid to your gallon of water.

When you are ready to use the solution on your garden, fill up a spray bottle, add 2 tsp dish soap, shake and spray every few days on the tops and undersides of plants and leaves until the pests are under control.

Shake well before each use.

Here's my newly planted Spring 2010 Veggie Garden!

Wish me luck and Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

BlueBonnets :: The State Flower of Texas

2010-03-14T18:09:00.005-05:00

First Bluebonnet of Spring 2010!

The Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) is the state flower of Texas. They are just now starting to bloom in my backyard. I hope we have a ton of them this year. Last Spring we had very little rainfall so I didn't get very many.

I love these pretty blue flowers which grow in a spiked cluster, each one shaped like a little bonnet. When the individual blooms are pollinated, the white centers of the flowers turn a pinkish red.

Bluebonnets also come in colors of pink, white, and Texas A&M maroon! I've only had the blue ones growing naturally in my backyard and wouldn't consider scattering the seeds of the other colors because my favorite one is the blue.

"It's not only the state flower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to outsiders as cowboy boots and the Stetson hat. The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland." -Jack Maguire, historian

Documenting the wildflowers that are coming up in my backyard this Spring is so much fun! I can't wait to see what's next.

Here's what's been springing up so far:

Spring 2010 Backyard Wildflowers

March 2nd: Yellow Primrose with a photo on my Twitpic Page.
March 9th: I blogged about these Fairy Lilies and Dandelions the other day.
March 14th: And today, Bluebonnets!

Buggin' Out On Thursdays :: A Little Side Tour

2010-03-11T11:51:00.008-06:00

It's Buggin' Out On Thursdays!

Buggin' Out is a weekly blog post about the creepy crawlies in my life. I like bugs and love to take macro photos of the ones I find in my backyard (and occasionally a few home invaders like Peaches The Crab Spider). I try my best to identify and research the insects I photograph and share all the Bug Wonderfulness with you. It's a virtual bug collection! This house is a no squish zone and most pests are "released back into the wild", i.e., moved outdoors using the glass jar, paper magazine technique of which I am an expert at these days!

Today, I'm going off the grid a little bit. The theme is still bugs, of course, but these are made of metal. My mom and dad gave me a little basket of goodies for Valentine's Day which included a cute bee and butterfly tea light holder set plus a heavy iron FLY! I named him Frederick and he's currently my most favorite paperweight of all time. I thought it was cute that my mom picked these out for me in lieu of my new hobby and this weekly blog series.

Frederick The Iron Fly

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

Little Fairy-land Lilies :: The Wildflowers Are Waking Up!

2010-03-09T10:08:00.007-06:00

Spring Lilies

If you've been following my Twitter page you may have noticed I'm documenting all the Spring wildflowers that come up in my backyard. The second ones to come up are these adorable Lilies which turn the yard into a little fairyland! They are tiny and look like wild onion or garlic, however, I think they are "false garlic" (Nothoscordum bivalve) based off of information from my Twitter friend, USWildflowers. These cute flowers remind me of my little niece, Lily.

In other news, yesterday I spent a huge chunk of the day making a new banner for my Etsy shop. The old one looked just like the banner I have here at the top of my blog. The new one is more streamlined (I think) but I'm not sure if I'm finished tweaking it. Please let me know what you think: Pop over and have a look at my new Etsy banner

Is it too bright? Just right? Does it match my shop? Should I go back to more muted colors? I'd like to hear your thoughts!

Oh, by the way, in case you were curious - the first wildflowers to come up in my backyard were yellow primroses. You can see a picture on my Twitpic page if you'd like! In addition, I also found a perfect dandelion puff!

Buggin' Out On Thursdays :: Crabby Spider Promises She's Not Shelob's Sister

2010-03-04T11:31:00.008-06:00

Peaches The Ground Crab Spider

Xysticus species

"Don't squish me! I look wicked like Tolkien's Shelob but I'm not interested in biting you or Frodo!"

I was sweeping the kitchen floor the other day when I looked down at my little pile of dirt and spied a very creepy looking spider. A little yelp of surprise escaped from my lips and I went into fight or flight mode for a second but the spider just sat there quietly. From my vantage point I thought it might be a Mutant Giant Tick like one you'd see in an old Sci-Fi Flick! Yikes. Then I thought maybe she was Shelob's baby sister. Again, yikes.

Once I figured out the "thing" wasn't going to come skittering after me like a ravenous monster it didn't take long before I had slipped a sheet of paper under her and placed a glass jar carefully over her so I could get a closer look. The spider remained very still. Not long after that and I had removed the jar and started taking macros so I could run to BugGuide.net and see what everyone thought about my new "bug".

Mandy at BugGuide was very helpful - she's Spiderwoman! She mentioned the star of today's blog post is a spider whose species has not yet been identified in the guide. My spider and the rest of her species are a uniform peachy red (in low light she may even look brownish until you get her out in the sun). I learned the only way to truly identify a spider at the species level is to have an entomologist study the adult spiders "private parts". The appropriate term for this on a female spider is the epigynum (to learn more check out this short article at Museum Victoria). I sure wish I had taken some underbelly shots of my buddy, Peaches, so I could help identify her species for the guide. Maybe next time!

Here are four fast facts about ground crab spiders:

They are not poisonous to humans
They aren't normally found in the home and hunt outdoors
Rather than spin a web, they lay in ambush for prey to pass by
Crab spiders can walk forwards, backwards, or sideways - just like a crab!

It's Buggin' Out On Thursdays!

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

Prince The Toad

2010-03-02T17:51:00.003-06:00

Meet Prince the Toad!

He wants to be your Prince Charming. Get him here!

My mom and I went to the bead show on Sunday and I found so many beads! I could have easily gone completely crazy buying up the entire place. It's bead heaven. There were a lot of people there too, even though we arrived late.

I made this satin cord and lamp work glass bead necklace (starring the toad - Prince) on Monday and couldn't wait to get his picture taken so I could list him in my shop. You can see my dog Darcy in the background, I think she wanted to eat him because she's licking her chops!

I Can Haz Cheezburger presents: Darcy as the Slipper Ninja

2010-03-01T17:47:00.004-06:00

Darcy peeking inside to see if she can snag one of my slippers. Perfect shot of my sweet doggie for a Lolz Caption.

To make your own go to cheezburger.com: Make Cheezburgers!

Buggin' Out On Thursdays :: Egypt Isn't The Only Place For Green Metallic Scarabs!

2010-02-25T11:04:00.007-06:00

It's Buggin' Out On Thursdays!

Metallic Green by Biologie

A beautiful metallic green beetle known as the Fig-eater Beetle or June Beetle (Cotinis mutabilis) is one of the scarab beetles of Texas. Only three species of this type of beetle are found in Texas and this guy was crawling on my flagstone patio in a great hurry to get somewhere. Under those two plates of "metal" are the wings of the scarab. This beetle reminds me of a little inch long mini-tank. The above is the only photo I was able to take of him so I'm also sharing a really awesome shot of one from ThreadedThoughts on Flickr:

June Bug by ThreadedThoughts

These beetles are known by fruit farmers as pests because of their love for thin-skinned fruits like figs, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, and grapes. They don't have powerful jaws so they can't bite into any thick-skinned fruits (including your fingers). You can pick them up and hold them if you are so inclined. They are harmless to humans but due to their plump bodies they tend to fly in a haphazard manner so it's easy to have one bean you in the head if you aren't paying attention!

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

Gloomy Cold Day

2010-02-23T13:14:00.011-06:00

Blooms To Brighten The Day!

This winter seems especially gloomy and cold. To brighten the day I'm sharing this cheerful, sunny photograph I took at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens last Spring. I love to go to the gardens in April and May when all the spring flowers are in bloom.

I've been a fan of botanical gardens ever since my professor in Botany gave us an assignment to visit and write a report on our experience.

"Awake, thou wintry earth-
Fling off thy sadness.
Fair vernal flowers,
laugh forth Your ancient gladness!"
-Thomas Blackburn, Source: An Easter Hymn

Cherry Blossoms River Rock Pendant :: Inspired By Sunshine

2010-02-19T23:04:00.001-06:00

River rocks with a branch of lovely Cherry Blossoms, how divine!

This addition to my Cherry Blossoms Collection is a smooth faux river rock with shimmering swirls of silver and rose gold to catch the light. Possibilities for these little treasures are endless but I couldn't resist turning the first one into a pretty pendant.

I formed the cherry blossoms and branches for this pendant free-hand and then carefully applied them to the river rock, which I also made by hand. The cherry blossoms themselves are made on the top of a thumbtack and transferred over to the river rock on the end of a needle - so tiny! The firing process ensures this pendant is fused as one secure piece.

Spring is coming! In anticipation and celebration for my all time favorite season, I'm offering free shipping on this necklace.

Buy It! at my Etsy shop.

New to Etsy? Here's a quick guide to get you started: Buying An Item On Etsy

Buggin' Out On Thursdays :: A Green Lynx Spider Pounces Into The Virtual Bug Collection

2010-02-18T14:30:00.013-06:00

It's Buggin' Out On Thursdays and I love this pretty spider! Yes, I think he's pretty. Greens, yellows, black polka dots, and crazy wicked looking hairy bristles on the legs. Awesome.

Green lynx spiders (Peucetia viridans) are a very welcome addition to my gardens. One little green spider up close in the macro lens brings a whole new world to life! I never knew this guy had transparent yellow legs with black spikes! I found my little buddy living in the foliage of my squash plants waiting for prey. I get these spiders in my gardens every year.

Like most anybody, green lynx spiders will bite you if provoked but are generally harmless to humans. Interestingly, in addition to injecting venom into their prey with their fangs they are capable of spraying venom from them as well. They eat insects that destroy crops like moths who feed on cotton. Unfortunately they don't discriminate if a bee or other beneficial pollinator happens to come around while they are hunting.

These spiders hunt during the day and roam low foliage, herbs and shrubberies. They can "pounce" on their prey when they come across something worth eating. They don't have a web but they can spin silk and use it as leverage or as a safety line when moving from one plant to another.

The species name, viridans, is Latin for "becoming green". The spider inspired me to make these earrings entitled "Green Lynx. Love Her. A pair of Peucetia viridans earrings" and they are part of my Mother Earth Collection @ Etsy.

They'd be wonderful for St. Patty's Day, yes? Unless of course you like getting pinched!

Buy the earrings here!

Blossoming. Cherry Blossoms River Rocks and Pebbles

2010-02-17T22:16:00.004-06:00

Something pretty this way comes.

They can be anything but I'm making these into pendants for necklaces.

Available here @ The Home Of the Handmade Blossoms Collection - Biologie.etsy.com

Mosquito Game :: Be A Vector And Bite The Humans!

2010-02-15T12:41:00.005-06:00

Become Speedy Ann, an Anapheles mosquito whose flight you control past obstacles, hungry birds, and insecticides so you can bite humans, give them Malaria, and use their blood to produce new eggs.

The first time I played the Mosquito Game I had a hard time figuring out the controls and immediately got eaten by a bird. Starting again, I found a human, hovered over him (a blue or orange dot) and started trying to settle down to take my blood meal (have to press and hold the space bar to "eat") when he noticed me and smashed me dead. The game had me laughing. Try and get the High Score by being the fastest mosquito to drink enough blood to produce eggs!

Play the game at NoblePrize.org: Mosquito Game

Fast Facts:

Malaria is caused by a parasite, Plasmodium species.

Usually, people get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anapheles mosquito. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria and they must have been infected through a previous blood meal taken on an infected person.

Once a mosquito ingests malaria parasites from an infected human, the parasites must undergo development within the mosquito for about 10-21 days before they are infectious to humans.

The mosquito Anapheles gambei is the main vector of malaria.

Each year 350-500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in Africa south of the Sahara.

From the CDC website:

"Some Anopheles species are poor vectors of malaria, as the parasites do not develop well (or at all) within them. It is hoped that some day, genetically modified mosquitoes that are refractory to malaria can replace wild mosquitoes, thereby limiting or eliminating malaria transmission."

Valentine's Day Hike

2010-02-14T15:37:00.001-06:00

A hike in the natural areas, Texas State Parks, or along the Greenways is one of my favorite things. It's my time to breathe the fresh air and let all my cares flow away behind me as I wander down either rugged trails or paved paths with my two dogs and the love of my life, my husband. There is nothing better. It's a time to talk, walk, and bond in a way I can't do anywhere else in the world. It's where I am most at peace in the simple quiet of just being alive and happy.

Happy Valentine's Day!

My Home-made Kim Chi

2010-02-12T15:01:00.003-06:00

Kim to the Chi!

If you've been following my blog you know how much I've been craving homemade Korean kimchee.

I developed a taste for kim chi in high school while living in Japan. All of my close friends from that time in my life are of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese descent so I experienced a lot of delicious, authentic oriental dishes and I miss them (and my friends).

Now that I'm in Texas I can't find kim chi anywhere so I learned how to make it from scratch at Koreancuisine (Anna Kim) on YouTube! I've been eating it plain on top of steamed Kokuho Rose rice, spooning it into my Roo Hoo Rook Korean noodles, and making kim chi potato salad. I still have quite a bit left to use up so I'm constantly searching for more recipes to incorporate the kim chi!

Okay, back to my homemade recipe, the first thing you have to do after you've chopped all your veggies is soak the cabbage in salt water (brine) to pickle it, the process not only leaves a tasty amount of salt within the leaves but causes them to remain crunchy. I bought a big beverage party-bucket to soak my Napa cabbage in and it worked great! The chopped cabbage soaks for two hours then you rinse it in fresh water. It is imperative that you remember to rinse your cabbage three or four times in fresh water after it has soaked in the salt solution or it will be entirely too salty to eat. While it's soaking you get to make the "good stuff" which is a mixture of chopped green onion, daikon (Korean radish), and a sauce of apple, apple pear, garlic, ginger, and salty fish sauce (or anchovy sauce). Sounds pretty crazy, huh? It's so good!

I used my food processor to puree the sauce. It looks like applesauce when it's done but it sure doesn't smell like applesauce! I didn't have any daikon so I substituted red radishes (not the same but they will do in a pinch). Next time I make kim chi I'll be sure to have the correct type of radish, although Anna Kim did mention in her video that you can use any type of radish in the recipe. The puree, the chopped green onions, and the radish are mixed together by hand (wear rubber gloves) to complete the sauce for the kim chi.

If you suffer from heartburn while eating spicy foods you better take your antacid medicine before eating kim chi! Anna's recipe calls for 1 1/4 C of red pepper flakes! Oooo, yeah, you better believe that's hot stuff. I love it but I'm one of the lucky people who can eat spicy without detriment. Keep in mind it's a side dish and served in small portions with rice or a meal so a little goes a long way. After I rinsed my Napa cabbage and mixed the sauce into it, I spread it out in a 9x13 inch dish, covered it over with cling wrap and then put a the lid on my casserole dish to sit overnight at room temperature. This allows the fermentation process to occur. Think of it as "ripening". Store the kim chi in the refrigerator for three days before eating. You can eat it right away but it will not achieve full flavor until it's allowed to chill.

Here's the recipe by Anna Kim:

Buggin' Out on Thursdays :: The Giant Leopard Moth Does Not Say Meow

2010-02-11T14:25:00.000-06:00

I found this moth on the trail of McKinney Roughs Nature Park (outside of Austin, Texas). It's a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia), also known as an Eyed Tiger Moth. I'm not sure if he was hurt or just tuckered out but I didn't want to bother him aside from taking a quick photograph. Well, it's more like a portrait.

When I was little we used to spot a LOT of little hairy caterpillars in the herb garden or trying to cross the street (which always worried me). My family called them "woolly" caterpillars. I considered them the teddy bear of the caterpillars. Therefore, I liked them. Granted, there are a lot of fuzzy bear worms out there but if you ever see a woolly caterpillar it might just be a baby Giant Leopard Moth. Don't try to pick them up and snuggle them though because, while they look fuzzy and sweet, the bristles on the caterpillars can irritate the skin and cause a rash!

The abdomen of a giant leopard moth is orange and blue. I think of it as God's way of showing us that as soon as we think we are seeing it all "in black and white" there is often something lurking beneath. In this case, something good, and pretty, and surprisingly delightful.

To see the orange and blue enlightenment of a Giant Leopard Moth's six pack abs: click here to check out BugGuide.net!

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

No Taxon (Moths)

Superfamily Noctuoidea

Family Arctiidae (Tiger Moths)

Subfamily Arctiinae (Tiger Moths)

Tribe Arctiini

Genus Hypercompe

Species scribonia (Giant Leopard Moth - Hodges#8146)

Gathering Moss.

2010-02-10T16:58:00.006-06:00

While a rolling stone may gather no moss, these earrings reflect just the opposite using the natural beauty of moss jasper. Moss jasper is also known as serpentine stone because of the cork-like or reptilian variations within the stone. Yesterday I was bitten by the earring fairy and conjured up 5 pairs of earrings.

The Gathering Moss Earrings are available now in my Etsy shop: Biologie - Inspired By Sunshine & Science.

Within the next 5 days I'll be uploading and listing four more pair of unique earrings, all handmade by yours truly.

Cheers!

Buggin' Out on Thursdays :: Western Spotted Orbweaver Spider joins the Virtual Bug Collection

2010-02-04T13:03:00.000-06:00

Don't be scurred. I'm beneficial!

On a breezy Fall day I grit my teeth and try not to freak out while I bend, stretch, and strain to take photographs of the black spotted yellow spider bouncing on it's web in the gusts of wind.

Large spiders are pretty high on my freak-out factor but I suppose my love of life, nature and - well, bugs - transcend any major squeamishness as long as I'm just photographing. Finding a spider crawling on me is an entirely different matter and ends up in the dance otherwise known as "arachnid-induced flailing with various shouts and high pitched yelps of surprise" until it is flung off (hopefully unharmed)! That particular dance is exactly what I would have done if this spider jumped off it's web onto my camera. Luckily, these types of spiders are shy and their bite may be painful but it's non-toxic to humans. I understand that they will bite you if harassed (and in that case I don't blame them one bit)!

I found this spider making her web low to the ground in the afternoon by my honeysuckle vine. I went out to check on her a few days later and she was hiding up in the leaves of the honeysuckle. She was still attentive and attached to a new web with a little line of silk, waiting for prey. I guess she thought more bugs would get caught in her net if she hid on the side of the web rather than right smack in the middle.

With the help of the ID Request feature on BugGuide.net I found out my spider is a Western Spotted Orb-weaver, Neoscona oaxacensis, and is indeed female. Apparently males don't have such bulbous bootys. A famous female weaver of the orb is Charlotte from the book Charlotte's Web by American author E. B. White. My mom used to read this to me and it is a beloved book from my childhood. Doing a little research I found out that Charlotte is a barn orb-weaver spider known as Araneus cavaticus.

Gorgeous big round spiderwebs spun in what is commonly thought of as the classic spiderweb shape are made by orb-weavers. A fitting name! If only I had taken a picture of the pretty round spiderweb in the morning, dripping with dew.

Interestingly, some orb-weavers do not build webs at all but instead dangle a sticky globule on a strand of silk from their front legs. The glob is covered in a scent to attract male moths which come looking for a female and instead find themselves bitten and subsequently eaten. Yikes!

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

:: Favorite Things ::

2010-02-03T14:03:00.005-06:00

The amount of talent found at Esty.com is boundless.

There are just too many wonderful artists out there! I can't even scratch the surface but I wanted to shine my little bitty blog spotlight on just a few of my personal favorites, all found on Etsy.

Check it out!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
Biologie

Buggin' Out on Thursdays :: Bee Flies for the Virtual Bug Collection

2010-01-28T09:00:00.005-06:00

Eating larvae and sipping nectar is a way of life.

It's a bee? It's a fly? It's a bee fly!

It's also Buggin' Out on Thursdays.

When my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary a couple years ago, we stayed at the Lost Pines Resort and Spa outside of Austin, Texas. The resort has a small butterfly garden. Even though it was nearing the end of September there were still flowers in bloom and insect activity. I was mesmerized by a little fuzzy buzzy "bee" sipping the nectar of yellow wildflowers.

After checking out BugGuide.net (a site where naturalists post and identify bug photos) I tracked down my "strange little bee" and found out it's actually related to flies and is, in fact, a true fly which mimics a honeybee so as to ward off predators.

It has a plump, fuzzy body with stripes of (sometimes) brown and yellow. The species I captured in my photos has a long proboscis with which to reach nectar. There are different types of bee flies and the Family name for them is Bombyliidae. Their name reminds me of Tom Bombadil from J.R.R. Tolkien's writings!

They have been called the Harbingers of Spring. The early "bee fly" gets the "worm", so to speak, because these insects get busy at the very beginning of Spring to lay their eggs near the eggs of beetles, bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, or on eggs of grasshoppers. The bee fly larvae hatch first, have a chance to mature a bit, and when the host egg hatches our little buddy has something good and nutritious laying within easy reach!

If you think you spot a bee fly I hope you have your camera ready because they hover and dart. They are much faster than true bees. They remind me of hummingbirds! I had trouble following this little one around with my camera because she was so speedy. I love the way her back legs trail behind her as she zips to the flowers!

If you have a bug story, blog post, or photo you'd like to share leave a comment and add to the Virtual Bug Collection!

What kind of bugs have you seen lately?

Kim Chi Cravings

2010-01-27T20:47:00.007-06:00

I recently bought Kim Chi Ramyun noodles from my local oriental market because I was craving Korean kimchi. The noodles are good because the seasoning packet has the flavor of kim chi but haven't sated my craving for cabbage kimchi!

I can't find fresh kimchee in the grocery stores or markets so I've decided to make my own.

Searching the web, I found two great videos with different recipes:

How To Make Kimchi on YouTube.com
How to make kimchi using western cabbage on YouKu.com

I'm amazed at all the different recipes out there and these are two that sounded yummy to me. There are so many variations, it's impossible to try them all. The kind of kimchi I know and love is red-orange, spicy, flavorful, and gloriously odoriferous!

If you have a favorite home-made recipe for kimchi, please share it with me!

This craving was sparked by the blog post of Kat @ Our Adventures In Japan:
kim chee potato salad

Buggin' Out on Thursdays :: A Virtual Bug Collection

2010-01-21T16:25:00.009-06:00

Butterfly Cocoon - Lost Pines Resort Butterfly Garden

Apparently, based off all the photographs of insects and bugs and other creepy crawlies I've collected over the last few months, I like bugs! I hadn't really noticed how often I find and snap pictures of little bugs and spiders until I started sorting through all the photos stored in my camera.

I love the picture of this butterfly cocoon (above). It was taken at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa outside of Austin, Texas when my husband and I were there to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The resort is wonderful and we spent a lot of time hiking and swimming but also squeezed in time for kayaking down the river!

I'm blogging my collection of bugs starting every Thursday with photos and a few interesting tidbits about each specimen in my "virtual" bug collection. I guess I prefer collecting bugs via photos rather than to euthanize them, stick a pin through them, and mount them in a glass case!

Here is a preview of what is to come:

Teddy

2010-01-19T12:36:00.005-06:00

Meet Teddy!

He's a teeny Lhasa Apso who belongs to my Gran. He is so small, like a cat, and only eats about a 1/2 Cup of dog food a day. Quite a difference from my two dogs who seem to have bottomless pits for stomachs.

While my Gran was out of town I got to be Teddy's "dogsitter" and he ran with the big dogs for five glorious days. Such a cutie. He took a few tumbles but held his own while they were playing in the backyard. Whenever he tried to boss Darcy around, Banzai would come join the fray and break up the tussle.

1. Running with the big dogs, 2. Teddy, 3. Ted, 4. Everyone after the tug toy

From Coffee Beans To Carbon: How Big (or small) Is It?

2009-12-20T20:30:00.009-06:00

Mini Science for the scientifically challenged and science aficionado alike!

The University of Utah has a zoomy window to demonstrate the different sizes of a few everyday items like a coffee bean and a grain of salt all the way down to the picometers of a carbon atom. In case you were wondering, they even have a reference table explaining that a picometer is a trillionth of a meter. In other words, really, really, ten-to-the-negative-12th mini small.

This. Is. Awesome.

It definitely helps put things in perspective and is a great learning tool to introduce the little things in life.

See it here.

:: Dreamflower Purple. A Delicate Bracelet ::

2009-12-13T20:51:00.007-06:00

Dreamflower Purple

A delicate treasure trove of amethyst, shell, glass, silvers and Swarovski crystals. This one of a kind bracelet is designed and handmade by yours truly! The asymmetrical design breaks away from the norm in a subtle and glorious way. It's sure to please and makes a sweet stocking stuffer.

I fell in love with the look and feel of the little flower beads on this bracelet. It took me a month to find the right design and complimentary colors to go with the flowers until I came across the pretty purple glass beads and Swarovski crystal spacers.

Lovely!

Get It Here: etsy

Ooo, one more thing, don't forget my holiday special as mentioned here - free shipping and free gift-wrapping now through January 4th; anytime...anywhere!

Jasmine Green Tea

2009-12-07T14:17:00.003-06:00

"Let each man exercise the art he knows." -Aristophanes

Today I'm hanging outdoor garland intertwined with little colorful lights to frame my front door. I love Christmas. It's a gray, cloudy day but something about sipping hot Jasmine Green Tea and hanging Christmas lights makes life beautiful even on a rainy day.

Homemade Turkey & Vegetable Soup

2009-12-03T18:54:00.006-06:00

Soups On!

Decided on a recipe using my homemade turkey broth, I made up my own! I've been making vegetable soup from scratch the last few months because it's healthy, easy, and delicious. This is a new twist on my basic soup recipe:

Biologie's Flickr: Homemade Soup!

While this is simmering in the kitchen it's hard to keep from taking a taste because it smells so delectable, like Thanksgiving all over again but easier because it's one pot cooking! The beauty of this soup is the homemade broth and made-from-scratch yumminess plus the fact that the turkey meat is pre-cooked so the soup doesn't take long to heat and serve.

Homemade Turkey & Vegetable Soup
by biologie-me.blogspot.com

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil (optional)
1 onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 parsnip, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 T chopped fresh sage
1 bay leaf
2 quarts Homemade Turkey Broth
3 C roasted turkey meat, diced, skin removed
3 C mixed vegetables (peas, green beans, carrots, lima beans, corn)
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 T seasoned salt
1 cube cilantro "bouillon" or 1 T chopped fresh cilantro/parsley

In a large soup pot, heat garlic in olive oil or a small amount of broth. Add minced onion, carrot, celery, and parsnip. Saute over Med-High heat until softened. Add chopped sage, bay leaf, and the turkey broth. Bring to a simmer. Add diced turkey and mixed vegetables. Bring back up to a simmer. Add black pepper, salt, and cilantro cube (or fresh cilantro/parsley). Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes.

Serves 6

What's Cooking?

2009-12-01T14:19:00.007-06:00

I'm making homemade broth in the Crock Pot!

I've never made it from scratch before so I checked the interwebs and found out it was a very simple and easy process. My mom sent me home with the carcass of our 24 pound Thanksgiving turkey and I had a baggie of veggie scraps in the freezer just waiting to take a plunge in the slow cooker.

After completing the broth recipe I'll throw all the veggie scraps in the compost pile. I'm already planning on using the compost for my Spring Vegetable Garden. Spring planting begins as early as February 25th here in South Central Texas!

I can't wait to make a soup recipe with my homemade broth. I'll be sure to take some photos of the completed dish and share the recipe here on my blog. I plan on making something hearty and low-fat with tons of flavor. Haven't yet picked out the recipe because there are so many to choose from and I'm having trouble deciding. If you have a favorite homemade soup recipe including turkey meat and veggies, please comment below! I plan on serving the soup with a "crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside" slice of whole-grain bread.

To make the broth I freeze leftover veggie scraps in a large freezer bag until it's nearly full. Then it's time to make the broth! Because I just so happened to have a turkey carcass (skin, meat, and fatty tissue removed), I'm making homemade turkey broth today.

Homemade Turkey and Vegetable Broth

Turkey carcass (no remaining skin)
2 whole carrots, rinsed with skin on
1-2 whole onions, rinsed with skin on
1-2 celery stalks including leaves, rinsed
1 head of whole garlic, rinsed with skin on
any extra veggie scraps on hand
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
1 herb sachet (any fresh or dry herbs you have on hand)
cheesecloth to wrap all the veggies in a neat package tied with butcher string

Combine all ingredients except the herb sachet into a large slow cooker, cover with water and set the cooker on low for 12-24 hours. 20 minutes prior to completion, add the herb sachet. Strain liquid into a large bowl or stockpot. Toss used veggies into the compost. Use broth immediately in your favorite recipe and freeze the rest in 1 gal freezer bags for later.

NOTE: If you'd like to skim off any remaining fat, chill the broth in the refrigerator overnight. Skim off the layer of fat which will form at the top of the broth for a low fat stock.

What's better than free gift wrap?

2009-11-24T19:32:00.009-06:00

Free Shipping and Free Gift-wrap for the Holidays and beyond!

Shop online and support handmade goods this holiday season. Sit back, relax, and browse at Biologie.

Receive your handmade jewelry in a homemade ribbon pouch & beautifully wrapped in a hand-folded sturdy paper gift box, all shipped to you for free beginning November 24, 2009 to January 4th, 2010.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
Biologie.etsy.com

Veggie Garden

2009-10-30T12:07:00.010-05:00

In August I planted a vegetable garden. It was my first attempt at something like this and I've been meaning to blog about how things are going!

My husband built me a raised bed which I sectioned off like a square foot garden. I planted seeds of bunching onions, long thin cayenne peppers, bok choy, golden hubbard squash, bush beans, spaghetti squash, zucchini, and yellow squash. I used organic soil mixed with organic compost. The only things I transplanted were the pepper plants which I grew by seed indoors some months beforehand.

The bok choy were the first to show their cute faces to the world! They are very slow growers so I didn't expect to see them sprout first. The seed packet was a good one, practically every seed I sewed sprouted. A few days later the squash started sprouting as well as the bush beans (but I never did see a single bunching onion, the seed packet was old).

It didn't take long before the white-flies found my little garden plot. Here is an excerpt from my garden journal:

August 27, 2009
Whiteflies EVERYWHERE! It's awful. I spent pretty much an entire afternoon researching ways to kill them. I sprayed them with my soap solution recipe (it's for aphids but I read it will kill the whiteflies too). They are all over the leaves of my squashes and bush beans, plus the larvae on the underside. I hate them! I just read that the solution might be harmful to my squash plants so I may have killed them along with the flies. :(

I researched a few organic garden pest recipes. My dad used a pepper spray to protect his Tabasco and habenero peppers from being eaten alive by garden chompers. This is the recipe he used as he remembers it:

Ingredients:
dishsoap
several cloves of garlic
6-10 hot peppers (hotter the better!)
1 gallon water

Directions:
Place garlic, peppers and a small amount of your water in a blender/food processor and puree. NOTE: Avert your face when you take the lid off because the fumes are very strong. Strain the mixture and add the liquid to your gallon of water.

When you are ready to use the solution on your garden, fill up a spray bottle, add 2 tsp dishsoap, shake and spray every few days until the pests are under control.

Shake well before each use.

We had to leave for a few days in September. I left a soaker-hose attached to a timer so the seedlings would stay moist while we were gone. When we came home the garden was not only growing and alive, it was wild and the squash plants were huge! They pretty much took over the garden.

Next season I'm going to make a new bed where I can plant just squash separate from everything else! The bush beans and the peppers were still getting enough sun so I just let everything grow so I can see how things turn out. This is definitely an experiment in progress and I will have more pictures and info as the garden saga continues.

Additional photos of my Veggie Garden are found on my Flickr page.

If you are interested in building a square foot garden box like mine, check out Emily's instructions for making the garden box on her My Square Foot Garden blog: Build It!

The Case of the Disappearing Anthill

2009-09-13T17:02:00.010-05:00

Strolling in the backyard after the recent rains I found a neatly shaped anthill. I happened to have my camera with me because I'm always searching for things to take on my Macro setting (I love my Canon Powershot). Here it is for your viewing pleasure!

I wandered around and took a few shots of some rain lilies too. It was then that I heard a familiar, excited snuffling behind me. I turned around to find an anthill "Destructor" in my midst!

It is undetermined if there were any casualties, however, reports indicate they all escaped to the safety of underground tunnels. A few stalwart soldiers were seen in the area looking to take a fiery bite out of the fur-clad perpetrator. The following is the mugshot of the guilty party involved in the unscheduled demolition of what was once a beautifully shaped anthill.

If you have seen this hairy male please contact the Anthill Police immediately. It is not known if there was an accomplice although a surveillance camera did capture this image of the suspect with an unknown white female not long after the crime was committed:

Sources later confirmed the young miss to be completely innocent in The Case of the Disappearing Anthill. She was recently seen enjoying a romp in the backyard with a huge grin of utter happiness.

Rockport, Texas: Flying South for the Winter

2009-09-10T09:47:00.005-05:00

A little town on the coast of Texas, Rockport is the place to visit if you ever plan a trip to nearby Corpus Christi.

The beach I visited this summer with my mom and my nephew was clean, beautiful and the water at that time of year is calm and warm. We left at sunset and I took this picture of their little painted amphitheater.

This September 17th through 2oth, Rockport is holding it's annual Hummer/Bird Celebration. The birds begin flying South for the winter and bird-lovers from all over the country come to see them off. There are tours, seminars, artists, bird experts, and beach-goers intermingling for a wonderful September celebration at Rockport.

If you saw my recipe for Hummingbird Cake you know that the teeny "Hummers" have been on my mind lately. It's raining outside due to the tropical disturbances and they flit around in the rain like it doesn't bother them at all. I saw them this morning. I think I have about 6-8 hummers visiting my feeders each day (or it seems like that many).

Click here if you'd like to visit the Rockport-Fulton area website.

Hummingbird Cake

2009-08-25T22:28:00.008-05:00

Hummingbirds are so tiny. They are amazing little creatures. At our local zoo there is a display of various bird eggs in an indoor bird sanctuary. I always look for the tiny hummingbird egg and imagine the little nest it calls home.

I have two hummingbird feeders in my backyard. The tiny birds visit daily and I've become used to hearing them buzz near me when I'm out watering my newly planted fall garden (more on that later)! To me, the hummingbirds with their infinitely moving wings sound like miniature U.F.O.'s hovering in my airspace!

In honor of the little cuties I now present this yummy recipe:

This cake is called Hummingbird Cake because when you take your first bite you say, "Mmmmm." And then when you take your second bite you say, "Mmmm!" And eventually after doing so for several more bites you sound like a hummingbird! Or, maybe it got it's name because it's sweet and delicious. If a hummingbird could eat cake, this is the one she would choose.

The recipe is from my mom and is in our Family Favorites cookbook. My mom omits the shredded coconut garnish so I listed that particular ingredient optional. Hope you enjoy!

Hummingbird Cake

Cake Batter Ingredients & Recipe:

3 Cups flour
2 Cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
¾ Cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapples with juice
1 Cup chopped pecans
3 medium bananas, mashed

Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Fold in eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, pineapples with juice, pecans, and bananas. Blend well and divide into 3 nine-inch cake pans. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. Cool cakes completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients & Recipe:

½ Cup butter, softened
8 ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
16 ounces powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons chopped pecans
1 Cup shredded coconut (optional)

Fold together butter and cream cheese. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Add vanilla and lemon juice and stir well. Apply to the top of all 3 cake layers. Stack layers. Apply remaining frosting to the sides of the cake. Garnish with pecans and coconut.

Mmmm. Mmmm. Hum..mmm. Num..mmm.

Note: For a lower fat version, you might prefer the following recipe from MyRecipes.com: Lightened Hummingbird Cake

Cherry Blossoms

2009-08-04T19:54:00.003-05:00

Yes indeed.

The design I was telling you all about in a previous blog post is now complete!

In high school my photography teacher told us to take black and white photos. He handed me some film and off I went! I took a lot of pictures with my parents camera. There's something mysterious and magical about taking your own photos: blindly loading your film onto a reel in complete darkness, heading into the darkroom to develop the film, making a contact sheet, and finally, perfecting the enlargements. I didn't know at the time how special the subject of my photos would be until later.

One of the pictures I took for my assignment happened to be of the blossoms on a tree near my house. They were cherry blossoms. When I developed my film in the photo lab and presented my work to my instructor I didn't include my blossom photos. There was not enough contrast between the black and white (just shades of gray) for that particular photo. Even so, it was my favorite picture out of the whole roll.

Now I have a new way to show my love and appreciation for these beautiful flowers:

Please view my Handcrafted Cherry Blossom necklaces on sale at an introductory price to celebrate the launch of my new line at www.biologie.etsy.com.

Silver and Gold

2009-07-31T15:01:00.005-05:00

We've been praying for rain because we've been in a drought for a long, long time. Still in the drought but we did get some rain yesterday! I noticed the clouds rolling in and took advantage of the overcast day to play soccer with my doggies in the backyard. They love to chase the ball and it gives me a reason to run around chasing after them. It makes me laugh aloud to see them bounding after a bouncing ball.

After we settled down it started to sprinkle. Here are my two dogs getting wet in the rain while they stare at me taking their picture. I imagine they are wondering why I stopped playing soccer and am now squatting in the rain with my camera.

I find it very interesting that when the flash goes off, my white dog's eyes reflect a silver blue color while my brindle's eyes reflect gold amber! For a closer look, please click on each picture to be directed to my Flickr photostream.
I love their sturdy stance and alert, steady gaze.

Hurray for Crochet

2009-07-20T00:42:00.023-05:00

...and Embroidery too!

I graduated from college with a bachelors of science degree in clinical laboratory science. Many people are curious to know exactly what the job entails. Here are just a few of the responsibilities:

Identifying abnormal blood cells
Identifying toxic agents, such as anthrax
Detecting a cancerous tumor with DNA techniques
Performing cultures and identifying bacteria and viruses
Assuring safe transfusion of blood products
Correlating test results with patient condition
Selecting and evaluating laboratory equipment and new test methodologies
Monitoring the quality of testing
Supervising support staff
Managing laboratory operations

In a nutshell, Clinical Laboratory Scientists juggle a lot of body fluids, bacteria, DNA, microscopes, paperwork, phone calls, data-entry, machines, hospital staff, and more!

If the mitochondria is the power-house of the cell then the CLS is the power-house of the hospital.

So the body fluid part, what is that all about? Well, it sounds unpleasant and really is occasionally stinky but also very important to analyze for our health. It includes urine, feces, amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, serous fluids, and seminal fluids.

Yep, sounds pretty crazy but, not to worry, the tests are done in a sterile, professional environment requiring an extremely small amount of fluid.

SO...when I saw Tillie Ellie's Giveaway for a crocheted sperm cell (defined as the haploid cell that is the male gamete) and matching embroidery, it didn't phase me at all. As a matter of fact, I wanted to win! I signed up right away. I thought to myself, "Heck! Maybe if I win it will be a sign that we will conceive a baby!"

While I know it isn't up to me, or "luck", I was hoping and praying to be the grand prize winner. As soon as the giveaway ended I received notice from Tillie that I won!

By the way, you will all be the first to know (after my family) if we happen to conceive a bambino sometime soon.

In the meantime, here's my little Tillie-made, crocheted haploid cell (sperm) nestled in the pages of my "Fundamentals of Urine and Body Fluid Analysis" text book [author: Nancy A. Brunzel], cute as a tadpole with a little smile on his face.

Tillie also offers great crochet patterns as well as "mature" embroidery and adorable Jelly Babies. My favorite is the Cherry Jelly Baby, you can see it here.

Mushroom, Ricotta, and Olive Pizza

2009-06-29T11:34:00.010-05:00

Pizza!

Got your attention, yes?

This recipe is from The Complete Low Fat Cookbook but despite that fact (which some people might take as bad news) this pizza is really quite yummy.

It makes me hungry just looking at the picture. I tried my best to make it look like the one in the recipe book!

Mushroom Riccota and Olive Pizza

4 Roma Tomatoes, quartered
3/4 teaspoon caster (aka, superfine) sugar
7 g (1/4 ounce) dry yeast or 15 g (1/2 ounce) fresh yeast
1/2 cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) skim milk
1 3/4 cups (220 g/7 oz) plain flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, thinly sliced
750 g (1 1/2 pounds) mushrooms, sliced
1 cup (250 g/8 oz) low-fat ricotta
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
small fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 210° C (415° F/Gas 6-7). Put tomato on a baking tray covered with baking paper, sprinkle with salt, cracked black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sugar and bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are starting to darken.

Stir yeast and remaining sugar with 3 tablespoons warm water until the yeast dissolves. Cover and leave in a warm place until foamy. Warm the milk. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the yeast and milk. Mix to a soft dough, then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Leave, covered, in a lightly oiled bowl in a warm place for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic and onion until soft. Add the mushrooms and stir until they are soft and the liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Roll out to a 36 cm (15 inch) circle and transfer to a lightly greased oven or pizza tray. Spread with the ricotta, leaving a border to turn over the filling. Top with the mushrooms, leaving a circle in the center, and arrange the tomato and olives in the circle. Fold the dough edge over onto the mushrooms and dust the edge with flour. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Garnish with basil.

Serves 6

Nutrition Info: Protein 15g; Fat 7.5g; Carbs 30g; Dietary Fiber 6g; Cholesterol 20mg; 1100 kJ (265 calories)

Cherry Blossoms

2009-06-12T15:02:00.018-05:00

I love cherry blossoms.

I recently learned several polymer clay techniques and I immediately fell in love with doing "appliqué" to make a miniature work of art on a bead. First and foremost, pink cherry blossoms!

Here, I share with you my sketches and a few of my new designs in the making. I love the look and style of Chinese disc beads. The soft, flat circles are pleasing to the eye and feel good to the touch. Add a chocolate brown branch of beautiful pink cherry blossoms and I'm hooked!

By definition, appliqué is a decoration or ornament, as in needlework, made by cutting pieces of one material and applying them to the surface of another. In my case, I've made a stone-effect disc bead and instead of cutting out a branch or flowers I hand-sculpted a branch of miniature cherry blossoms and applied it to the bead.

I make the pendants out of white or gray polymer clay with inclusions of art sand to mimic a stone disc bead. I began the design using a gray stone-effect, however, subsequent experiments lead me to prefer white because I think it's a better background to show off the pinks and browns.

I had no idea of the time and tedious effort it took to use an applique technique on polymer clay but I'm in love with the results. I certainly have a higher respect for sculptors and other artists who work in fine detail than I ever have before in my life! In addition to working with this new medium, I am now learning the art of Chinese knots so I can showcase my precious pendants from a pretty satin cord.

Next up, dogwood?

Grillin' and Chillin'

2009-06-08T15:24:00.012-05:00

I love to grill!

A few weekends ago we grilled some turkey dogs, steak medallions wrapped in turkey bacon, and Cajun boudin. I added some soaked oak chips to the coals just before I laid the meat on the grill. Smoking the meat and veggies with oak, mesquite or pecan chips is a must in my opinon.

Everything looked so good I had to take pictures! The summer we bought our first grill I went to Half Price Books and bought the book How To Grill by Stephen Raichlen. It's a very useful book for newbie grillers. I highly recommend it!

We immediately fell in love with grilling and literally grilled every single weekend for about two months straight. Every time I grill my husband raids the fridge looking for every single piece of meat and vegetable that is even remotely grill-worthy to add to the grill. It got so crowded on our grill, we eventually ended up buying two grills: one for veggies and one for meat!

I've never tried a gas grill because I love grilling with charcoal. Currently, we use plain old briquettes but I'd like to try natural wood lump charcoal because I hear it's the best choice. As you can see from the pictures, we make enough food to feed an army even though there are only two of us. We grill it all up and refrigerate the meats and veggies so we can eat them throughout the week.

My favorite things to grill: portabella mushrooms, button mushrooms, peppers, onions, salmon, and last but not least, marinated steak!

My favorite thing to do while grilling: sitting on the patio in the shade listening to the radio while drinking a beer and chatting with my husband.

The Lanai Above

2009-06-05T13:15:00.014-05:00

Free yet unsure.

It's late and my parents and brothers are asleep in their beds. I slowly slide open the door and step out on to the lanai. I breathe in the fresh air and wonder at the twilight. My nightdress flutters softly in a warm, comforting breeze. I step up to the rail -- taking in the view.

Lights twinkle.

I see the dark, hard silhouette of a Diamond in the distance. The black expanse of the ocean opens up before her. I recall this afternoon's cheerful waves running up the beach to chase coconut-scented friends playing in the surf. I can still taste the salt on my lips and feel the bright, sunny sand beneath my feet.

Tonight the sea is a new creature. I can see it. Black as ink and far beyond my reach it broods quiet and mysterious in the darkness. Intriguing. She pretends to be peaceful but I see her edge of danger glinting in the distance.

Beautiful.

The breeze touches my face, reminding me. I'm high above the streets that bustle in the morning rush. The night noises of a sleepy city below me are faint.

I drink in my surroundings.

Uninvited memories come fluttering. A distant ache returns, back to haunt as if they never left. I grimace in a spasm of pain and disappointment. They are a part of me. They make me understand. I'd rather not have known them. I'd rather not anyone know them.

What a bittersweet reunion.

I can see the stars above me twinkling a hello. They remember me! I look for my friend, the Moon. He is always there for me. He smiles softly.

I smile back.

Such a sweet, dreamy inhale. I lean over the rail and peer down into the streets below. It's a miniature scene of tiny streetlights and trees lining the roads. I hear a whisper of the night-calls drifting up.

I see you.

Complete oblivion. You are on the lanai just below. You are covered in a thin blanket, stretched out and relaxed in slumber. You stir and turn on your side, sleeping high above paradise.

Big Huge Labs

2009-06-04T17:09:00.015-05:00

Not big huge, adorable Labradors or big huge, smelly Lab Rats...

Biologie's Flickr

I've been playing with Flickr and it's 3rd party applications. Big Huge Labs is a site featuring "fd's Flickr Toys". I'm liking the Mosiac Maker. It allows you to make a mosaic from a photoset, favorites, tags, or individual digital photographs/images ~ including ways to customize colors and layouts ~ !

The only drawback to this tool is you must have a public photostream. If you have pictures listed specifically for friends, family, or private photos on your photostream you won't want to use the Mosaic Maker because the application accesses all your Flickr photos.

It's great fun and an excellent tool for bloggers!

Pictured here:
Black & White Doggie
Blue Planet Clusters
Crystal Sky Clusters
The Sentry

A Cheerful Candle: Green Tea Goodness

2009-06-03T16:16:00.016-05:00

It was a dreary rainy day until I went to check my mail. I recently placed my very first Etsy order for a soy candle handmade by Buzzabee. The package arrived today!

Buzzabee is a fellow Etsian and blogger who makes yummy soy candles and awesome bookmarks.

This is my "Thank You" photo for Buzzabee. The 7.5 ounce candle with the cute little bee is called Green Tea Goodness. I don't know her formula but, to my nose, the candle smells warm and comforting; green and down to earth. My husband says it smells fresh, like a "day in the hammock" or "a cool breeze". Interesting! We don't even own a hammock but the scent brought the vision of relaxing in one to his mind. It just goes to show how good it smells! Also pictured is my blue tea light votive holding a "freebee" and my celadon glazed teacup and teapot. My mom and dad gave me the teapot and set of cups for my birthday last year.

I've heard a lot of good things about the benefits of choosing soy over traditional paraffin wax candles. I'm no expert on the matter but apparently there is a lot of debate over which type of candle is best for your home. If you were to walk into my house today you would sniff out a number of different types of candles. In the past I never gave a second thought to what kind of candle I was buying, however, I've decided I prefer soy or beeswax candles for no other reason than because I like them!

I love getting packages in the mail, even if I know they are coming because I ordered them! I especially enjoyed this package because the seller sent me a note right away to let me know when to expect it to ship. The shipment came via USPS Priority Mail and the candle comes in it's own cute little box, wrapped securely. As you open the box the scent of the candle greets you. I was delighted to find the "freebee" too: a Sweet Summer Melon tea light candle from Buzzabee. What a nice surprise!

Now I'm eyeballing the Rejuvenating Mint Julep! ^-^

Sweet Potato Fries

2009-05-22T13:12:00.019-05:00

From Biologie's Kitchen With Lovin'

These guys are called Fries but in reality they are tasty Baked goodness.

I heard a rumor about Baked Sweet Potato Fries and how yummy and amazing (not to mention healthy) they were but I was a bit skeptical about the whole mess.

Plain baked sweet potato fries might be great but not exciting enough for me so I needed something more! How about adding a bit of finely grated Parmesan cheese, fresh rosemary, and a dash of garlic powder?

After pulling a batch out of the oven my first bite was taken with a moment of doubt followed by a quick "taste bud check" to evaluate the finished product. My taste buds said:

"More please!"

The recipe is simple and healthy. It's a sweet-savory treat!

Rosemary Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 5-6

4 sweet potatoes
1/4 Cup olive oil
Fine sea salt, to taste (hint: a little goes a long way)
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
1/2 Cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil

3. Peel the sweet potatoes

4. Cut sweet potatoes into strips about 1/4 inch wide

5. Place cut strips into a large bowl and add oil, salt, rosemary, and garlic powder - toss to thoroughly coat

6. Set aside 2-3 T of grated Parmesan cheese in a small container to sprinkle on after they are baked

7. Add the remaining Parmesan to the bowl of sweet potatoes; toss thoroughly to coat

8. Spread out the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer

9. Bake 10-15 minutes, then turn them over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes

10. Fries are done when browned around the edges (or until desired crispiness)

11. Sprinkle reserved Parmesan cheese on hot baked fries

12. Serve immediately

I'm telling you ~ these are Yum!

Morning Herb Gathering

2009-05-19T15:25:00.015-05:00

Singing The Praises Of Fresh Herbs:

I planted a bitty container garden of herbs this spring. The plants are doing great and I'm reaping the benefits of fresh herbs in my salads, soups, sandwiches and pretty much any thing I cook these days! I love black bean tortilla soup and I always add chopped cilantro.

This season I have the following herbs growing in my backyard: rosemary, marjoram, thyme, oregano, basil, chives, mint, Italian flat-leaf parsley, cilantro and sage. I also have holy basil but it's an ornamental.

Minted Fresh Fruit Salad is excellent and I adore making it in the summer using fresh mint. I'll be blogging about it the next time I make it so I will include the recipe. It's very simple and refreshing. I want some right now!

Something I learned in my Botany course in college that I've always found interesting about herbs: the ones in the family Lamiaceae (mints) have square stems rather than round cylindrical stems!

There are about 3500 species in the mint family including basil, rosemary, savory, thyme and sage. The family keeps growing, however, because mint can easily hybridize. Very cool.

In the morning after breakfast I go out and water my little green culinary buddies. I take a few clippings of the herbs I want to use for the day and store them on the counter top in a little jar with water. So pretty! It's just like having a little flower for your bud vase except with the little herb sprigs you can gaze at them and anticipate using them in your cooking throughout the day. My herbs add a level of bright and fresh yummy to my food that I don't get with dried herbs.

The "herbs of the day" in their cute little jar.

Special Delivery!

2009-05-14T16:22:00.011-05:00

Yesterday the door bell rang and when I opened the door there was a little square package sitting on my front porch. I was delightfully surprised! Upon opening the box, this is what I found within:

Cajun essentials from Louisiana for me and my husband were packed inside the box. The care-package was from his mom and her husband. The last time they came to visit us they told us about these great Cajun products so we are excited to give them all a try. It arrived in perfect timing for the cookout we are having to celebrate my husband's birthday this weekend.

Bon CaCa!! seasoning: A homemade seasoning blend for Cajuns by Cajuns! The makers of this product live in New Iberia, Louisiana. After years of using their special blend to season their food at cookouts and having friends and neighbors beg for more of the "good stuff" they decided to sell it in the local markets. It's a great seasoning because it's blended as "not too salty, not too hot, just the perfect blend to use on everything!" That's some Bon CaCa!

"Slap Ya Mama" Hot seasoning: No joke, this stuff is HOT. If you are a fan of fiery hot sauces and enjoy eating hot peppers straight out of the jar, you're going to love this seasoning! I took a little taste on the tip of my tongue and said, "Whoo Eeee! That's hot stuff!" Here's a quote from their website:

Wilda Marie Fontenot gave birth to the creator of the award winning "SLAP YA MAMA" seasoning blend. Every time she uses it, she receives a loving slap on the back and a kiss on the cheek thanking her for another great Cajun dish.

Tabasco Spicy Pepper Jelly: If you ever visit New Iberia, Louisiana you have to take a trip to Avery Island and tour the Tabasco pepper sauce factory. The island is surrounded by swamps and is a nature reserve for indigenous plants and animals of southern Louisiana. Their pepper jelly is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. We will be using it as a glaze for grilled chicken breasts this weekend! Yum.

Gumbo & Etouffee Mix by Louisiana Fish Fry Products: When you are pressed for time and want to whip up a quick one-pot meal, gumbo is the way to go. We enjoy seafood gumbo several times a month. When it's time to indulge, our absolute hands down favorite thing to make is crawfish etouffee. We also love shrimp etouffee! These mixes by Louisiana Fish Fry Products are staples in our house and the only store-bought brand we use for our gumbo and etouffee.

These are a few of my...

2009-05-12T18:34:00.016-05:00

Favorite things on Etsy!

The amount of talent found at Esty.com is boundless. There are just too many wonderful artists out there! I can't even scratch the surface but I wanted to shine my little bitty blog spotlight on just a few of the favorites I've found on Etsy. Check it out!

I love sandwiches.

2009-05-11T14:43:00.012-05:00

I absolutely love sandwiches. One of the simple pleasures in life.

The Sandwich.

One of my favorite masterpieces consisted of the following:

· toasted pumpernickel, very thinly sliced
· fresh guacamole
· sliced tomato
· salt and pepper to taste
· provolone cheese
· german mustard
· red onion, very thinly sliced
· cucumber, thinly sliced medallions
· smoked turkey, fat free deli sliced
· black forest ham, low-fat deli sliced
· green leaf lettuce

On the side:

· side salad
· big glass of ice water with a slice of lime

Okay, so to make the masterpiece:

Toast the bread slices and spread fresh guacamole on one slice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place tomato slices on the top of the guac. This is important! Tomatoes must snuggle up to the guac for the best flavor combination (in my humble opinion)!

Place the provolone on top of 'matoes and spread mustard on cheese. Layer the turkey and ham in folds (like how the deli does) on top of the cheese.

Lastly, add very thinly sliced onions and cucumber on top of the lunchmeat and top with the green leaf lettuce. Don’t use iceberg! That's not lettuce, that's bland water masquerading as lettuce and lacks most of the nutrients and goodness found in green leaf lettuces like romaine.

You now have a Masterful Sandwich of Yumminess!

My Wings

2009-05-08T17:47:00.010-05:00

I check in with the off-duty policeman with the mustache, show him my park badge. His blonde lady-friend who visits him and flirts isn’t there today. He says hello and tells me to have a good day.

Two little boys at the broken water fountain: spraying each other with the high-powered nozzle and trying to drink from it. Their mommies are standing and chatting; paying no attention to them. One mom stands laughing with a baby on her hip. Between squirts, the boys discuss whether they will play in the sandbox again and look at each other before heading over there, dripping wet.

I start my jog, slow and steady. Smells good, fresh. I breathe in the scent of damp shaded, cool earth under the trees. It’s one of my favorite scents in the entire world.

Chiseled-face gentleman is there, looking like an ex-military general with ball cap and sunglasses; he is Man with 2 Dogs…now down to one. I’ve never spoken to him until today but he is a regular at the park. On the jogging track, I stop and unplug myself from my music to ask where the other retriever is…she’s passed away; leaving what I learn is her sister, also an old dog. He smiles sadly as he tells me how she took it hard when her sister died. I look at him and know that he took it hard too.

Back to jogging, I look at the trees; watch the squirrels…one digs in the dirt, little paws working quickly. He’s so busy he ignores me as I run by but keeps one cute beady little eye on me all the same.

British Man with English Sheepdog is there, walking his route around the perimeter of the park. I wave as I pass by when we make eye contact. He waves back. He’s a regular too. Maybe someday I’ll ask him what his name is so I don’t have to call him British Man with English Sheepdog. He has a yellow suede cap and looks very distinguished. He wears it everyday.

There are grackle birds pecking around on the soccer field, they hop away as I get near…I swerve into the field, chasing them and grinning. The field is damp and soft beneath my feet. The flock squawks and flies away like a black cloud. I laugh, knowing they will be back as soon as I return to the trail.

A new person drives up and parks. Gets out and heads to the courts with basketball and a little lunch bag. His baldhead is shiny in the sun. He shoots a few baskets, then puts the ball down and starts walking on the trail. He won’t look at me when I jog by going the opposite direction. He stares at my feet every time I go past. He’s strange and either shy or unfriendly. The third time I pass him he looks at my face quick then down to my feet. I chuckle a little when he’s out of earshot. I don’t know why I chuckle. He makes me uncomfortable.

Another new person arrives wearing grey sweatpants tucked into his socks. That’s funny looking! I dub him Man Committing Fashion Mistake. He looks like he’s ready for PT. He stretches by the track, and then does jumping jacks for a bit, then some pushups on top of the stone picnic table. He starts walking around the track, jogging a little. He has a big belly and is very tall. He wears dark sunglasses but nods a hello when I give him a little wave as I run past him. He only goes a few times around: walk, jog, walk, jog. He checks his watch and leaves. I think to myself, “That’s it?”

Man with Black Dog arrives in his red pickup. He walks the perimeter of the park like British Man. I can’t remember his face, just his dog’s face; it’s black with cute triangle ears and a white tuft of hair on its chest. It has a fluffy tail.

I’ve gone three miles, the last stretch my favorite song comes on and I begin to sprint. The blood rushes through my veins and my heart races as I feel as if my shoes sprout wings. I fly. The song crescendos, sending me into one last burst of speed before coming to a slow jog and then a quick walk the rest of the way around the trail. I float back down to earth and grin. Give a silent goodbye to the familiar strangers in the park and ride home, looking forward to another Jog In The Park.

Biologie.etsy.com: Mini-Grand Opening!

2009-05-07T01:06:00.024-05:00

Come one, come all!

I'm pleased to announce the mini-Grand Opening of my new Etsy shop, featuring my creative adventures in handmade jewelry at biologie.etsy.com.

I love all things handmade.

My current collections are:

Clusters Series
Fishers Of Men Series
Mother Earth Series
Blossoms

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
Biologie.etsy.com

What is Esty? It's an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. As stated on the site:

Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice: Buy, Sell and Live Handmade.