Mosaic Monday ~Rainy Weekend

Spring showers have set in here it seems to stay. No end in sight for now. Luckily there is a lot of color to shine through the gray drizzle.


Things like this delphinium need staking or they will droop right to the ground


These little siberian Iris seem to be able to withstand the rain though


So does that native thimble berry that has sprouted up behind it. Must yank that out before it takes over!


Now strawberries I'll keep


This first daylily couldn't be stopped. It's my only fragrant one...Hyperion I think.


I think the rhodies are used to the rain too


The poppies keep on poppin


More iris and rhodies holding their own.


Now the peonies I do worry about. I will need to cut these and bring them in as they open or they will take a nose dive


What I definitely don't worry about are my backyard birds who seem to be thriving in this soggy weather. Finches are here in droves. Check out that one that seems to be walking on air.


I think I counted 10 on the sock at one point


The clematis is apparently loving the rain too because some of mine have gone crazy this year


If you don't have a clematis in your yard..what are you waiting for? Lots of colors to choose from.


Speaking of clematis...I think the fairies I've been expecting have finally moved in under this little clematis covered obelisk (don't you love saying that word?).


And who wouldn't want to live under this cutie


One day a cute little trellised door appeared beside the toadstool


And then a little tiny birdbath with an equally tiny visitor


And lo and behold...today I nearly interrupted a fairy tea party


Looks like a lilliputian pot of blooming tea


More to come in fairy land! And now another kind of fairy tale....my parents celebrated 56 happy years of marriage on Friday the 29th. Don't they look snuggly here? Could be that they are still so very much in love...or could be that my Mom was freezing her little tooshy off. What do you think? :-)



On a weekend like this one, when June is knocking on the door but it feels like we are clinging to winter, you need a little taste of summer. This fresh flavored salad seemed to fit the bill. I got the recipe in the newsletter included with my biweekly veggie/fruit box delivered to my door by local Terra Organics. They always include recipes to use up the produce of the week, in this case radishes, cucumber and avocados.


Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Radishes, Cucumbers, and Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
From kalynskitchen.blogspot.com via Terra Organics

1 cup quinoa (rinsed well)
2 cups water
2 avocados, peeled and diced
1 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 cup chopped radishes, diced

1 cucumber, peeled with thin green stripes remaining, seeds scraped out, and diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Dressing:
3 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. all purpose seasoning blend of your choice (I used Penzey's Murals of Flavor..a gift from my sweet friend Jayne)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 T extra virgin olive oil

Bring 2 cups water to boil in a small saucepan, stir in quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it, because it may take more or less than 15 minutes, depending on exactly how high you have the heat. Let the cooked quinoa cool for a few minutes, then place in salad bowl, fluff with a fork and cool until quinoa is room temperature. While quinoa cooks and cools, toss diced avocado with the lime juice. In a small bowl, stir together the 3 T lime juice, ground cumin, seasoning, and salt, then whisk in the olive oil. When quinoa has cooled, stir in the diced radishes, diced cucumbers, and thinly-sliced green onions. Stir in enough dressing to moisten salad to your liking. Gently stir in diced avocado, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve immediately.

Enjoy the week and may you have more sunshine than is predicted for me! Go check out all of the mosaics at Little Red House. I'm joining in with my mosaics this week.