Why we have no lettuces...

These are known as Cabbage White Caterpillars.  We often enjoy their watching their pretty white mothers fluttering by.  I no longer appreciate them the same way.  What was a budding full pot of lettuces has disappeared completely thanks to these lovely butterflies.  Yes, I'm a bit grumbly about it.  

I sent "A" (our #1 entomologist and overall bug lover) over to the pot when I discovered the largest specimen this morning - thinking he was the only culprit.  Of course, "A" was careful to do a much more thorough inspection than I.  I'm delighted to hear that the chickens enjoyed this snack.

The first recipe post

Okay - I'm posting this for those of you who helped contribute in the idea-making process and for those of you who won't be enjoying it with us today and wish you were.

To use up the loads of leftover chocolate cake from the last two birthdays, I created this dessert.  It is flexible - we could certainly create many variations on this theme - and I likely will.  The key elements will be the cake, the pudding, and the topping.  Unfortunately, it only used up the remnants from one of the two birthday cakes.  Darn, I guess I'll have to make another one of these soon.

(Chocolate Banana) Leftover Cake Decadence

 chocolate cake pieces, chopped

2 packages instant banana pudding mix

3-4 bananas, sliced

3 ½ - 4 cups milk

 drizzle chocolate syrup

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

⅔ cup powdered sugar

 pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whipping cream

Lay pieces of chocolate cake in a single layer along the bottom of a 10x14 pan.

Lay sliced bananas evenly over chocolate cake pieces.

Prepare instant banana pudding with milk, as directed on package.
Pour pudding evenly over cake and bananas in pan.
Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Refrigerate while making the topping.

Beat together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat until combined. While beating on low speed, add cream in a slow steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds soft peaks when beater is lifted.

Spread over top of pudding layer in pan.

Refrigerate until served.

Since I made this for a potluck today, I don't have photos yet of what it looks like when we cut into it. I'll do my best to get a decent shot of it before it disappears.

Ever thought about where your food comes from, or what's in it?

If so, you must take an hour or so out of your time and watch this film.  It is well worth it.

The Future of Food

Thanks to blogging friend, Lylah, for first posting this important film.

photos without explanation

Seriously.

I can't stand it.

I have to have a place to post some photos of what's going on over here.

I am also trying to figure out how to use iWeb to post to this blog.  So, I created a blog entry for the beginning of our garden adventures, and intend to post more in a chronological order for you.  However, until I figure out how to upload from iWeb, you're just going to get photos.  So there.

The following will be incorporated later into a blog post with explanations to them.  Here's some taken from today:

Welcome to our garden adventures!

Here is my space-holder.

I will blog here.

I will post photos of our gardens and how they are progressing though the seasons.  I will update you with our challenges and lessons learned.

For now, let me pretty things up a bit.  :D