Updo :: Troll Doll Hair-bun

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 ~

Chilled Gazpacho Soup Recipe :: Low Sodium Fat Blaster!

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!

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!

Cherry Limonade Beverage Recipe :: Easy and Refreshing

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:

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

Enjoy!

My Veggie Garden :: Attempt Two

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

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!

Cherry Blossoms River Rock Pendant :: Inspired By Sunshine

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

Blossoming. Cherry Blossoms River Rocks and Pebbles

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

Silver and Gold

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.

A Cheerful Candle: Green Tea Goodness

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! ^-^