23 // Garden, harvested

My hands smell like wilderness. (Ok, they smell like basil.)

Now, to freeze or to dry? If I'm feeling ambitious tomorrow, then maybe both.

Nighty night!

22 // Harvesting the garden

It's damn chilly out, folks. Full blown jacket-boots-and-scarf cold. In fairness, I haven't whipped out my Sorels (sexy) and down-filled coat/furnace. But still. I saw my breath in the air the other night! And not because there were onions in the burrito I'd eaten for dinner.

My point -- my question, really -- is this: When's a good time to cut my herbs and veggies loose from the garden? How cold is, well, lethally cold for these little plants?

Our garden isn't winning any prizes, but we did do a nice little job. In addition to the three (three!) edible tomatoes we grew, there's a shit ton (accurate measurement) of herbs running amok. Basil, Rosemary, Pineapple Sage, some weird Mexican plant that grew like crazy and is supposedly Cilantro-related... We have some stuff!

My mom insists we have until the first frost (sounds like the title of a Nicholas Sparks book) before it's time to collect. I scoured Martha Stewart's website to substantiate my mom's advice, but no luck.

The truth is, a part of me knows garden = summer, so empty garden = summer's over (or = squirrel massacre). Also, I'm a world of lazy, so color me reluctant to go out there to do chores that can still be postponed. Anyway, this might be the week, you guys. I'll keep the world updated. 

08 // Sunday

Sunday is usually a bittersweet day for me. (Unless it's followed by a Monday off, in which case, it's my favorite day.) In my experience, the best way to postpone (if not entirely avoid) the Sunday Blues (TM) is to have a chock-filled day of go-with-the-flow fun. And, obviously, always pretend it's still Saturday.

Step 1: Santa Barbara for brunch. 

Josh's mystical ways lead us to this new (to us) restaurant near Beaubien metro. I think the cuisine is Spanish, but what do I really know, I ordered the apple/cheddar crepe. It was mucho tasty.

Truly, Santa Barbara is a delightful spot. Definitely worth the small trek, especially if you're from the city and weary of your regular chopping grounds. I wish I would've taken some pics. The back wall is painted fluo mint, as are the religious statues affixed to it. Josh and I are already wondering when we'll go back. During the week, they're open for dinner. Maybe then.

Step 2: Jean Talon market to shop for veggies (the kind you plant and the kind that's already food).

To eat tonight: cherries, strawberries, rainbow-looking carrots, and the most fragile-looking asparagus I've ever seen.

To put in the dirt: eggplant, "climbing" spinach, lettuce, chives, and a Mexican herb whose name I've forgotten but tastes like lime.

Step 3: Plant the to-be-planted veggies.

Those are the faces of tired, a tinge sweaty, and very satisfied kiddos. We're gardners! Er, junior gardners. Amateur gardners?

Step 4: Various other activities, like grocery shopping and an iced tea run.

I'm curious about other people's weekend rituals. Does everyone dread Sunday bedtime? Is the weekend a call to carry out chores? Call me immature, or fortunate, or both, but I love being schedule-free until Monday morning. It makes me feel good, better, at ease.