The Dreaded Mums Are Back !

Life near the Piney Woods of east Texas can be full of discoveries and every Fall a strange ritual takes place. Homecoming ! For foreigners or people new to the area it is a puzzling sight. What the heck are those silk mums with ribbons and streamers hanging down doing in the floral department of the local grocery stores? Little did we know then that this was just the beginning of a long quest for many mothers, especially those who have boys, and like me are completely clueless about what to do with the darn things.

So please, let me enlighten you....

First you start with the canvas, i.e the plain mum with ribbons which, depending on the size, one flower to three flowers will cost you between $45 and $100. Then you have to add stuff to it, a lot of of stuff! The more the better and trust me you can never have enough: teddy bears, trinkets, bells, whistles, lights, mini games, candy, more ribbons, glitter..... So, with blood pressure rising, you start driving around town to find those priceless gems: Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, CVS and nearly have a heart attack when you get to the cash register, realizing that your credit card is about to catch on fire. But wait! That's not over.  Your son's girlfriend is a cheerleader ? Well, you have to find some cheerleading related trinkets. She plays volleyball ? You have to find the perfect mini plastic volleyball to glue to the ribbons. If you have a swimmer to decorate for, keep on looking for the picking is slim. Maybe a pair or swim goggles, but it has to be painted to match the school colors. Then you have to spell their names in glittering letters and add something witty.
 Luckily there are stores that open just during homecoming season where you can find those priceless gems . 

O.K, so you have all that you need a week before the date. You feel good, empowered, your glue gun is ready and you have purchased enough glue sticks to fix the roof. Your dining room table is covered with junk, the dog is not allowed to get near it, and your husband is wondering what's for dinner. But hey, things are going smoothly. You are an educated woman, you went through the rigors of college and you know you can do this. So you create this masterpiece and show it proudly to your child who has one thing to say :
 " mom it needs more crap on it ! "

 That's when you have a choice of options :
a ) You totally lose it and start yelling.
 b ) You break down crying.
 c ) You calmly walk to the kitchen, open the refrigerator and hope that bottle of wine is still there.

 But regardless, you know you'll be driving around town the next day to add more stuff to it.

The day of the mum exchange is upon you and, after having taken many pictures documenting your achievement,  your child proudly sets off to bring your masterpiece to his date. You sit down,  proud, happy, relieved it's Mission Accomplished. Then reality sets in and you realize what this strange rite has financially set you back. 

But wait, it's not over ! 

This is Thursday and the mum is only worn at school and during the game on Friday. The best is yet to come..... The dance, the limo rental, the dress or suit, the dinner at some fancy restaurant, the professional photos, the after dance party at someone's house .....

 Years later, with the kids out on their own, you go grocery shopping one day in September, and there they are.
 But this time you smile and know that  you won't have to deal with them .

Yep, the dreaded mums are back !!!

Cooking Blogs Mania

For the las three years I have been addicted to a variety of cooking blogs. This interest started with a simple Google search ( Top 10 Cooking Blogs ) and low and behold I was instantly hooked !

There I was, on a quiet Saturday afternoon, with this world of culinary wisdom just a click of the mouse away. So, what's a girl to do with all this knowledge ? Subscribe to as many blogs as you can and wait for a wealth of recipes to arrive in your inbox without leaving your seat !

American food ? Sure ! How about : Put a Lid on It  , The Picky Palate, Pots and Plots, The Edible Perspective,  (Mangos-Chili and Z, Matt Bites, Teas and Cookies, Bake at 350 ( from the Woodlands ), Mark Bittman, Michael Ruhlman, Two Peas and their Pod, Soup Chick ?

Interested in raw / vegan food ? Well, there's : Choosing Raw, City Life Eats , Fat Free Vegan kitchen , Love Veggies and Yoga  Veggie Girl, Raw Food Passion ...

French food ? Piment Oiseau, Ma P'tite Cuisine, Tartelette in English, David Lebovitz ( in English ), A Boire et à Manger, Chez Pim , L'Oreille Culinaire, La Tartine Gourmande etc....

Asian food ? Check out Wandering Chopsticks , Loving Pho, Adventures in Bento Making, ShowMe the Curry, Viet World Kitchen, La Fuji Mama, Chinese Soul Food , Hapa Bento, DashiDashi ....

I won't bore you any longer because my list of subscriptions is quite extensive ( probably 50 to 60 blogs ) and by now you have probably figured out that my " addiction " is getting serious, or as Julian would say : " Mom you need an intervention ! "

Ironically I also subscribe to the numerous daily posts from The Calorie Restriction Society which as you may have guessed, are all about weighing every ingredient you plan to put in your mouth.  I soon realized that there's not much fun in that, but who knows, one day they may come up with a stupendous  " light "recipe that I would hate to miss.

This being said it is now 7:30 PM and Phil is asking what's for dinner so I think that tonight we may have some exotic fare.

Expeditiously home delivered by Shangaï Bistro....

Is this a great country or what ?

A Gardener She Is Not... ou... Les Mésaventures d'un Jardinier Texan

As you may have heard it has been a long tough dry summer on the Texas Gulf coast and after breaking heat records we are now under extreme fire alert conditions. Even the French media has covered our plight and reported the many battles our local firefighters have been engaged in.

We are also under severe water restrictions and while some of our neighbors have been able to maintain healthy near pristine lawns, it has not been the case at #26. Phil, who is in charge of supervising the well being of our lawn accuses the heat and some unseen bugs for the dismal look of our lawn.  Responsible for the planters and the minuscule patch of dirt I am fond ( or delusional enough ) to call a " veggie patch ", I have to report that I have utterly failed for they both look pretty pathetic. I will admit I could have been a little more pro-active with the water hose ...
( Traduction française au bas de la page )

????????

This once was a healthy Meyer lemon tree....

A dear friend wisely mentioned recently " you can't kill a rosemary bush "...... Well guess what      Cindy, one of your "lunch bunch " friend sure can !

All these pots may look quite sad but being an optimist I can claim all is not completely lost.

The Italian oregano is clinging to life........

The " herb garden " is not completely gone. By the way, the thriving plant in the back is an African basil. How fitting !

And the lone Serrano chile plant (which caused a visit from the local police ... ) is doing quite well.

I will admit I have nearly killed the Mint....

... and my mom once told me : " don't plant mint in the ground, for you won't be able to get rid 

of it later . " Ha !

But I can always count on my little patch of French oregano which refuses to call it quits,  and

 if you look closely you can see some new growth here and there.

Well, that pretty much sums up the Bedaw's gardening talent. This being a long post I won't bore you with photos of the lawn, but Fall is right around the corner with cool days to come, so we all can say we have survived another tough Texas summer.

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Un été texan de plus et celui de 2011 a été long et particulièrement chaud. Les records de chaleur datant de 1900 ont été battus et les pompiers locaux essayent d'éteindre les feux qui touchent plusieurs comtés entre Austin et Houston. Le jardin familial n'a pas échappé à la sécheresse et entre la pelouse, les quelques fleurs et les fines herbes plantées au Printemps le résultat est pathétique.

Le romarin, l'origan et les citronniers ont rendu l'âme. La menthe qui, dixit Oma " est dure à cuire et quasi impossible à tuer " bat de l'aile et les quelques rescapés, le pied de basilique africain ( pas étonnant.. ) et l'estragon français ( le pied d'estragon texan soit disant natif et aimant la chaleur ayant disparu au bout d'un mois.. ) ne sont pas des plus vigoureux. Reste le pied de piment Serrano qui reprend du poil de la bête et est en fleurs.

Phillip, responsable du bien être de la pelouse ( maintenant défunte ) accuse la chaleur et les insectes. Responsable du jardin "potager - fines herbes- etc... " j'avoue que j'aurais pu arroser un peu plus souvent, mais après tout nous sommes sous restrictions d'eau et, en tant que bonne citoyenne, je suis les décrets des autorités.

Mais restons optimiste car l'automne ne saurait tarder et avec l'air frais venant du Canada la famille texanne va pouvoir retaper le jardin !

Température aujourd'hui aux Woodlands : 39.4 degrees Celsius !

Dixit la météo, la température à Tempe, Arizona : 34.4 degrés Celsius avec des nuages et quelques orages.....

C'est le monde à l'envers !!!!!