Playing Hooky

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Ohio, in the low 70’s and sunny. It was the perfect day to spend all day in the garden, so what did I do?

I played hooky. Mr Chiot’s and I went motoring in our MINI. We did do something garden related though, we stopped at the local greenhouse and bought some blueberry plants to put in our front flower bed. As much as I love to garden, there are days when it’s nice to just leave the gloves at home and play hooky.

Do you ever have those days when you “should” be working in the garden but you choose to do something more fun instead?

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Spring Flowers

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.

~Gertrude S. Wister

Forsythia hedge at Stan Hywet in Akron, OH (4.17.09)

Yellow tulip in front flowerbed (4.18.09)

Star Magnolia at Stan Hywet in Akron, OH (4.17.09)

Narcissus in front flowerbed (4.18.09)

There’s just something so special about things that bloom this time of year. I think it’s because they’re the first colorful things after the long white winters here in Ohio. If I had to pick a favorite spring flower I think it would be the tulip, there’s just something about them that’s so cheery. I really love that they come in all colors, shapes and sizes!

What’s your favorite spring flower?

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Lovin’ Life at Chiot’s Run

Lucy is lovin’ life right now. She’s finally doing well enough that we don’t have to watch her like a hawk every minute of the day. (if you weren’t around when she got injured read this and this).

We’re having beautiful weather here in Ohio at the moment (mid 60’s and sunny). Lucy is really enjoying it because we’ve been chaining her to a tree in the yard. She’s still not able to run free as she used to, but she’s enjoying laying in the grass basking in the sun. The garden’s namesake can finally enjoy the gardens again.

She’s still doing therapy, which consists of many short walks around the yard increasing in distance every few days. But the nice weather makes these therapy sessions much more enjoyable both for her and us.

I’m enjoying this weather as well, the sun on my back, my fingers not being numb while working outside; I could get used to this.

What about you, are you having perfect gardening or basking in the sun weather?

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Breakfast of Champions

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, at least that’s what they say. I must admit, I do love a good breakfast. We don’t do the usual cereal and milk like most people, we like a heartier breakfast of oatmeal & nuts. Since Nourishing Gourmet was having a breakfast carnival today, I thought I’d join and share what a typical breakfast at Chiot’s Run is like.

We don’t eat the normal oat flakes, we prefer oat groats, which are whole oat berries. I soak them overnight with a bit of apple cider vinegar to soften them up, then I cook them the next morning. Usually I cook up a big batch on Sunday night and we warm up enough for breakfast each morning, this makes for a quick healthy hearty breakfast each day.

We like to top our oatmeal with various toppings each morning including: crystalized ginger, pecans, walnuts, ground flax seeds, raisins, cranberries, dried pears, and cinnamon.

We finish it off with a drizzle of maple syrup and then we enjoy our healthy breakfast. Hopefully I can find a source for local oats and then our morning meals will be local. (I am planting a few raisin grape vines to make our own raisins and I’m trying to grow some ginger of my own).

What’s your breakfast of champions?

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Me, Old? It’s Official!

The other day I was looking out my kitchen window and I saw the bat house that Mr Chiot’s hung up on our garage.

Then I thought about all of the birdhouses that he made and we hung up on the back of the garage for the wrens. Then I laughed because I thought about a vacation we have planned for later this spring to Washington D.C. and I thought to myself, “We’re OLD!!!” Now Mr Chiot’s and I are still in our early 30’s, but I think that when you plan a vacation to a historical site and are excited about it, you’re officially OLD! Not that I mind, or that there’s anything wrong with being old, I kind of like getting older.

The reason for mentioning our upcoming vacation, I was hoping some of you would have some great tips for places to go, things to see and delicious places to eat. We’re particularly looking for neat little places that only belong to D.C. (so not chain eateries, unless it’s a D.C. chain).

So any advice from all my well-traveled (I won’t say old) readers that have been to D.C.?

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