so that's how broccoli grows

Call me a geek or old fashioned or whatever... but I think this is seriously amazing:

And look at these beauties:


Those were supposed to be cherry tomatoes... but I think the seeds were mislabeled. Or I'm just such an awesome gardener that they grew to twice their normal size. More likely the former.

zucchini and tomatoes

cherry tomatoes, taking over the patio

my favorite corner of the garden

one step closer to a finished basement

Despite the hassle of receiving a "signature required" package from UPS when one is hardly ever home, I finally got my TV!

It doesn't work yet, of course. I need new cords for the DVD player, and an antenna to get signal in the basement.

But that's okay. The bookshelves are done, and as soon as I get a couch down there, it will be quite the cozy hideaway.

Here are a few of the couches I'm considering... any fan favorites? I'm looking for a couch that will fit down the narrow stairwell, match the white furniture and lemongrass walls, and fit at least 2-3 people (I'm thinking I'll put an armchair down there eventually, too).

Kivik sofa - IKEA

LA Convertible Sofa (bone) - Target

Karlstad sofa with chaise - IKEA

summer blooms

mint and hydrangeas from the garden

daisies from a friend

bouquet from the farmer's market

an experiment

I'm working on a new project...

inspired by the cinnamon basil (back) and lemon verbena (front) that I got from a friend's garden.

I've read about homemade infused liquors, so I tried my hand at a few different kinds...

lemon verbena + vodka

red plum + vodka

cinnamon basil + vodka

I'll know in a few weeks how they turned out... but my cousins and I tried an early taste of the lemon verbena, and it was delicious :) So far, so good.

weekends in the kitchen

Major house projects finished since I last posted to the blog: 0

Weekends spent in the kitchen and relaxing on the couch instead: 3

The big sprint to get the house in presentable shape before the party a few weekends ago left me a little wiped out... maybe I'll have more motivation in August :)

But, in the meanwhile, here's what I've occupied with lately:

More photos and recipes to come...

xoxo

LG