friend in the yard

summer sunflower

in the yard

Imagine my shock to find a couple of huge cucumbers growing in my garden. It is hard to believe things can grow here in the desert. I have been home composting on a very small scale in a small bin. I have converted to only using natural fertilizer - Alaska fish emulsion and this year everything is growing crazy in my small 2 x 12' space. These are bush type cucumbers.
a drink for a little finch.

Tamales

My first attempt
Tamales are my favorite food and this weekend, I made this pretty easy recipe. I think this recipe was in a Bon Appetit magazine?

For the chicken, I thought about buying a precooked bird, but since it is a 3 day weekend, I simply roasted one in the oven the day before.

Ingredients:
Filling
2 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken
One 4 oz can diced green chiles1/2 cup purchased salsa verde (my salsa ended up being too hot, so I toned it down by adding some creamed corn)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted this item)

Dough
2-1/4 cups instant corn masa mix, for tamales
1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt
2 cups luke-warm water ( I used 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken broth)
2/3 cup lard or vegetable shortening (I used softened real organic butter, but I think I have read that you can even use olive oil)
16 dried corn husks, soaked in water 2 hours and drained.

Directions:

For filling: combine all ingredientsin a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper

For Dough: Blend first 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Gradually add water and stir until combined. Using electric mixer, beat lard or shortening until light. Gradually add masa mixture and beat until well blended.Divide dough into 16 even balls, about 1-1/2 ounces each. Using fingertips, press 1 dough ball evenly onto 1 corn husk, forming 5 inch round. Spoon heaping tablespoon of filling into dough round. Fold long sides of husk and dough over filling to covr. Fold narrow end of hustk, leaving wide end open. (I tied mine with kitchen string). Repeat with remaining tamales, open end , in steamer basket. Cover and steam over boiling water until dough is firm to the touch and separates easily from husk, about 40 min.

Number Of Servings: 16 tamales

Banana Buttermilk Muffins

Description:
by Williams Sonoma

I thought this was a great recipe and have used it several times now. I change it up by adding cinnamon, raisins, pecans, dried cranberries, or grated tangelo zest. I have mixed up the flour proportions, adding wheat germ, oat flour, soy flour, and flax seed for better nutrition and the recipe comes out great. For the bananas, I generally save my overripe ones in the freezer, then when I have a few, they work well for the recipe. These muffins freeze well, are great to toss in your bag for a take along healthy choice snack to work.

Ingredients:
1 Cup flour
3/4 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used raw pure cane sugar)
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsps baking soda
1 Cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tins (I used the liners and it was fine). In a large bowl, mix together the flours, sugar & dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk togethr the buttermilk, mashed banana, oil, egg, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients - blend. Spoon into cups, sprinkle with nuts (I actually mixed mine in). Bake 15-20 min, test with toothpick.Cool 15 in pan on rack, then turn out and cool completely.Freezes wellNumber Of Servings:12

Gila Woodpecker

When the Gila Woodpecker is not hanging out in the neighbor's saguaro cactus, it is seen in our trees pecking away. This time of year though, they are often found hanging upside down, eating seeds from pods.