5 Steps to Happiness

What do we need to do to be happy?*

1. Connect. Form or foster relationships with friends and relatives.
2. Be active. Get outside and play or walk or move in some way.
3. Take notice. Of the seasons, of the world around us.
4. Keep learning. Study, or just be curious.
5. Give. Share what we have with those who need.

*Thanks to statistician Nic Marks and the folks at TED.

Sunday Supper of Buckwheat Pancakes

I bought buckwheat flour a while back for a recipe I was making, so I thought I'd try making buckwheat pancakes for our Sunday supper. I had always imagined that buckwheat pancakes would be heavy and somewhat bitter. But I was quite surprised! These were much better than regular pancakes, with a pleasant complexity of flavor, and not heavy at all, but rather light and fluffy. The recipe is quick and easy, and makes about eight 6-inch pancakes.

1 large egg

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Whisk the egg, buttermilk and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Whisk the flours, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until blended. Pour 1/3 cup batter onto a hot griddle sprayed with cooking oil spray, flip when the edges are dry and cook on the other side until done. Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve with butter and syrup.

Facebook Knows Where You Are. Oh, Nooo...

Some of my Facebook friends are sending messages back and forth, warning each other that Facebook Places will know where you are if you don't block them. Oh, nooo! That's terrible! Why would Facebook do that?

Well, let's see. Facebook spends lots of money to create a venue where we can all talk to each other and play games and have fun, right? And they just do that because they like us, right? Ummm, no.

Actually they want to know who you are and what things you like. And who your friends are and what they like. And where you all are. So that maybe if you are in the midwest and like football and drink Coke, they can tell the Pepsi Cola Company that maybe they should advertise on a midwest football game or something.

If you don't want Facebook to know stuff about you, don't use Facebook, Folks. You don't have to use it, life as we know it will still go on if you don't. If you use it, then deal with the fact that they will know stuff about you, probably much more than you realize that they know. That's the way it is.

July

Well, the Holiday weekend is behind us. (You did have a safe 4th, didn't you?) And vacation season is here. What are you doing that is fun this summer? If you can't afford to go anywhere (join the club) at least get your mind-set in vacation mode. Turn off your cell-phone, unplug from Facebook, and just hang out. Do whatever is relaxing for you-- whether digging in the dirt, watching movies, or hanging out at your pool. It is more important how you decompress, than where.

Dang Deer and the Daylilies

Just when I began to think this would be the best year ever for my daylilies (when will I ever learn to not think things like that?) the dang deer ate the flowers from the tops of many of them. DH sprayed them yesterday with Liquid Fence... which brings to mind the adage of the horse and the barn door... so maybe they will still have some flowers.

They have eaten brussels sprouts, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, and carrots (maybe that was a rabbit.) I am beginning to get discouraged.

Where Did May Go?

June already? Where did May go? I apologize for not posting in all that time. I'll try to do better, Folks!

We've been eating out. A Lot. Busy, busy, busy, and tired when we get home, it just seems like the better choice to go somewhere and have someone else cook something for us. That's got to change. I have vegetables in my garden going bad because I'm not eating them. And more eggs than we could ever eat-- thank goodness some of the family help us out with that.

So, once more... a fresh start.

Grow Your Own

If you are thinking about growing your own fresh veggies this year, and you are in zone 5/6, it's time to plant the cold season crops-- broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, kale-- so you have an early crop of veggies coming. Till the soil until it is loose and friable, plant with a little starter fertilizer, grab the wok and stand by. (My DH always accuses me of doing that.)

You can also seed down lettuces, radishes, carrots, beets-- short of having a share in a CSA or a direct line to a local farmer's market, it doesn't get much fresher than that.

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and such (the "warm season" crops) will need to wait until all danger of frost is past.

Do yourself and your family's health a favor this year and grow your own, even if you only have a couple of big pots on a patio or deck to grow in.