The only harvest I have had is of my bok choy, which grew much more rapidly than every other plant. I’ll probably plant another one in the now vacant pot. The one I am currently pulling leaves off of has teeny little white bugs on it, but there is no damage to the plant so I figure it’s alright (but I put it in a corner away from the other plants, just in case).

My balcony garden:

• Patty Pan Squash x2
• Kale x3
• Strawberries
• Bush Early Girl tomatoes x2 (not as early as they claim, though probably due to the fault of the slow start on summer in Seattle)
• Other tomatoes that I don’t know what they are
• Butter lettuce (and a few other lettuces)
• Arugula
• Cucumber (some determinate variety)
• Lavendar
• Basil
• Mint
• Variety of peppers (banana, jalapeño, etc.)
• Spinach

I also attempted to grow teeny round carrots, which started out great but all of a sudden they all died. Bell peppers and some herbs also didn’t make it past seedlings. My chives never even sprouted, but the seeds were old so I will excuse them for being absent.

What I have learned about balcony gardening:

• Stick your finger in the soil and if it feels pretty damp and moist, it doesn’t need watered.
• Excessive wind bothers some plants, I shield mine with larger plants and it seems to please them.
• When transferring an indoor plant to an outdoor plant, “harden” it by placing it outside during the day and inside at night so it isn’t shocked by the temperature change.
• Today I learned that  tomatoes and cucumbers don’t grow well together. And I’ve had my cucumber sandwiched between two large tomato plants all this time. Looks like we’ll have to do a little switcheroo.
• Be sure that your plants are pollinated so that they will produce. I’m not sure how many bees make it to my balcony, I never see them. So I take a little make up brush and lightly go from flower to flower and pollinate them myself. I’ve also considered getting some bee attracting plants. Or just opening up a can of coke and leaving it around the plants.
• It takes 3 pitcher fulls to water my entire garden about every other day since it started getting hot out.
• If your plants look wilty but you’ve been watering them every day and it’s not scorching hot out, you are over-watering. Set the watering can down before you drown the poor things.

If you are a balcony gardener, I would love any tips you have or favorite plants that you grow.

*Please forgive my grainy photography, my little point and shoot only goes so far.

**My email subscription widget is broken and is refusing to be fixed. I will let you know when it’s back up! But you can subscribe via RSS by clicking on the orange icon in the sidebar.

Here’s a sample of some frequent repeats during my work week. At least this last few weeks, I change it up every now and again.

Don’t judge, it’s great stuff. No knockin’ till you listen.

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Most Frequently Repeated:

Always by Erasure

Jerusalem (Out of Darkness) by Matisyahu (No I’m not Jewish)

Black and Gold by Sam Sparro

Happy Ending by Mika

Opera #2 by Vitas (if you want to hear some crazy falsetto, check this guy out)

I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas

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Songs I Listen to When I Have to Concentrate:

West Coast Friendship by Owl City

The Call by Regina Spektor

Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright

Alone Tonight by Above and Beyond

Marrakech by ATB

Crane’s Crying by Vitas

Traffic by Tiesto

Globus (from their Epicon album)

Ecstasy by ATB

Down to the River to Pray by Alison Krauss (so pretty)

Sevilla by Tiziano Ferro [Ft. Amaia Montero]

Jerusalem of Gold by Ofra Haza (also really pretty, I like music in Hebrew)

Ave Maria by Vitas

Don’t Stop by ATB

Russian Trance by PPK

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Songs for the Late Afternoon Hours:

Bi Polar Bear by Silver Swans Demos

Fixed by Stars

Major Tom by David Bowie (always amuses me)

Relax, Take it Easy by Mika

Feeling Good by Nina Simone

Sink or Swim by Tyrone Wells

Happy as the Sun by Tyrone Wells (disgustingly optimistic song, I like it)

Crazy by Seal

E Rafaella E Mia by Tiziano Ferro

Rain by Mika

To Life, To Love by Andy Hunter

One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head (also amusing)

Genie by Airbase

Snakes on a Plane by Cobra Starship (only really great if you’ve seen the movie, either way it’s pumpin’)

Stop! Dimentica by Tiziano Ferro

111 by Tiziano Ferro

Xdona by Tiziano Ferro

Amish Paradise by Weird Al

Sandstorm by Darude

Moskau, Moskau by Dschinghis Khan (can’t really listen to it without watching the video though)

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*The screenshot is of the website, Stereomood.com, it’s a fun site for listening to music sorted by mood.

**If you’re curious, I listen to most of this music through Grooveshark and StereoMood.

Know what I mean?

1. Whole Foods 365 Coarse Sea Salt

You know, the one in the really big red and blue container? And it’s cheap. It goes on everything I have. I don’t even used refined salt if I can help it. I love big grains of salt on chocolate chip cookies, air-popped popcorn, you name it. The sad part is that I’m out of it right now (have been for a week) and I only live about a mile from a Whole Foods.

2. Tillamook Cheddar Cheese

I don’t know about the rest y’all, but Tillamook (or Bandon, since it’s the same company now) is the only cheddar cheese I’ll buy. Except for super fancy stuff, but that doesn’t really happen. So my daily cheese is Tillamook. Everything else tastes off. You know how some brands of milk taste wrong? Same thing. I wonder what they’re feeding those cows.

3. Fish Sauce

Photo by Andrew Huff

Oh yeah. The smelly stuff. It’s that aroma that makes you crinkle your nose when you reach that aisle of Uwajimaya’s (or your Asian market of choice). I use it in almost all Asian dishes, primarily pad thai as it’s the husband’s favorite food in the world. Breakfast (no kidding), lunch, and dinner.

*Squid is my primary brand of choice.

4. Butter

Not margarine. Not “olive oil butter”. Just straight up butter. Not that I don’t have 10 different kinds of oils in the cabinet next to the stove.

5. Kale

Kale chips. ‘Nuff said.

6. Fresh Ground Peanut Butter

You know the machines at Fred Meyers that you can get fresh peanut butter and almond butter from? My favorite part of my grocery trip. Then going home and digging in while it’s still warm. My tastebuds thank me every time.

7. Coconut Milk

Photo by smashz

Mix it with rice. Use it in curries, smoothies, and soups. In can do no wrong.

8. Goat Cheese

Truth be told I can’t afford to always have it around, but when I do I put it on pizzas, puff pastry, salads, and anything else I can find an excuse to use it on/in/under/around.

9. Fresh and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Photo by enigmachck1

I definitely always have fresh tomatoes, mostly for salads and sandwiches. Sometimes on pizza or in stir fries. The sun-dried tomatoes are reserved for stir-fries, pasta, and pizzas. If you haven’t tried it in a stir fry, go and do. Make a brown butter sage sauce, then mix it in a fry pan with chicken. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, and bell peppers. Top it off with goat cheese. :)

10. Chocolate

Specifically dark. For all matter of uses and pleasure. Primarily to satisfy me until dinner is ready.

Honorable mention: $3 buck chuck from Trader Joe’s, good for both cooking and drinking on a budget. Good ol’ Charles Shaw.

Photo by @joefoodie

I am one of those people who would love to look through everyone’s cupboards. Please link up your own posts about what’s in your kitchen, past or present! Or just share in the comments. :)

This link-up will be up for a long time. I would like to collect these. I find that I get the greatest recommendations this way for products.

*Header image by Ex-Smith

My husband and I don’t do Valentine’s Day. We tried it, but it was a total flop. Too much hype and too many expectations. This year we might go rock climbing with some friends and order Thai take-out for dinner. Sounds amazing, right? I think so.

Well for those of you that love V-Day, here are some delicious ideas for your red-pink-heart-cupid encrusted day.

1. Blueberry Multi-grain Pancakes *Breakfast Choice

Photo by Jayne at Barefoot Kitchen Witch

2. Cherry Tomatoes and Cocktail Sauce *Easiest Appetizer

Photo by Jojo at Eye Candy.

3. Chocolate Covered Cherry Martini *Romantic Cocktail

Photo by Des at Life’s Ambrosia.

4. Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Photo from Italian Food Forever.

5. Steamed Fish with Lemongrass

Photo by Teczcape.

6. Maple Chicken Wings

Photo by Lipstick Blogger.

7. Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Photo by Memoria at Mangio da Sola.

8. Poached Pears in a Shiraz Reduction *Cheap Choice

Photo by Dhale at Culinary Musings.

9. Baby Meringues

Photo by Ann at Pig Pig’s Corner.

10. Nutella Marshmallow Mousse *Only 4 ingredients!

Photo by Rianne at Art of Dessert.

11. Oreo Truffles *Vegan Alternative

Photo by Lauren at hellofriendsehello.blogspot.com.

Posted via web from A Chocolate Covered To-Do List

Anyway, here are the contents of my make-up bag in order that I use them:

Facial Toner: Murad Clarifying Toner

• Thoughts: I love this toner, it’s expensive for me, but Murad is great for break-out prone skin and pores that want to take over the world. It’s clean, refreshing, and makes your skin feel as tight as an over-inflated balloon.

Facial Lotion: Boscia Oil-Free Daily Hydration SPF 15 (like I need SPF in Seattle…)

• It’s very light, and it does help to control oil. Even though it’s a really light moisturizer, it gets my skin through the dry winter months just dandy.

Concealer: Aveda Inner Light Concealer in Balsa

• I dab a few dots under my eye and smooth it down with the tip of my ring finger and a make up sponge. It doesn’t hide everything, but it definitely helps. When I don’t wear it I sometimes get comments that I look tired, so I’ll stick with it.

Blush: Rimmel Blush in Pink Rose

• I’m not a huge blush fan, so I don’t wear it often. This one does the trick though, just adds a little color. I also have one from Aveda, I think it’s from the Inner Light line and the color is Lotus.

Eyeliner: Petal Essence Eye Definer in Cacao

• I really like Aveda’s eyeliners, they go on very smoothly and smudge in the way I like.

Eyeshadow: Petal Essence Eye Color Duo in Khaki Cloud

• This is my favorite eyeshadow, it has one color for the lid and one for the crease. It’s a very natural color with a very small amount of shimmer (not like Claire’s shimmer).

Mascara: Almay One Coat Nourishing Lengthening Mascara in Black/Brown

• I generally like Almay’s mascaras, but this one just gets the job done. Nothing special.

Other products I wear on occasion:

Eye Primer: Sephora Eye Primer

• Meh. It makes my eyelid more smooth, but it does this weird thing that makes my eyeshadow go on kind of strange. It’s hard to describe, it looks kind of fuzzy/clumpy? Sometimes it works but ugh, I’m just not a fan.

Under Eye Brightener: Smashbox Photo Op

• I have a problem with under eye circles. It’s not sleep-related, just hereditary I believe. I bought this to help. It’s supposed to reflect light so you don’t see the circles, and when used with concealer it does help. But I probably won’t buy it again.

Foundation: Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 in Fair/Light

• It works fine. It makes my face look somewhat more smooth, but I just don’t like to wear foundation. It feels like too much.

And there you have it! My mish-mash of make-up products. And that’s just in the bag. You should see the box under the sink. We all have one, yes, you know who you are.

To see what others have in their make up bags, visit Chic Critique!

Photo by swimparallel.

I was at my brother’s house New Years’ Eve and we played it for hours. I have to admit it is one of the most fun games. I really do like the great multi-player games the Wii has put out.

What else did I learn?

1. The Seattle Metro prices went up by 25 cents. Now it costs $4.25 to ride the bus there and back from work. A bus that is always late. And smells. And is cold and loud. As you can see, not complaining isn’t my New Year’s Resolution.

2. Dreyer’s Peppermint ice cream is delicious. Especially with dark chocolate sauce. Just don’t look at the ingredients and you’ll be fine.

3. Making a menu plan isn’t that effective for me, but I’ll keep trying.

4. How to sear scallops. Actually, how to sear anything. Apparently whatever it is has to be completely dry. You would think I could figure that out…it’s one of those really silly facts I’ve overlooked.

5. Putting plastic wrap in the freezer makes it easier to handle. Thus far it seems to be true, cool no?

To see what others learned this week, visit Musings of a Housewife!

Photo by goodrob13.

So here goes, my menu plan.

Monday: Pineapple Coconut Chicken Curry (I actually don’t follow a recipe, but this one is close. Though I don’t use cilantro, and I use a few teaspoons of machi curry powder in place of the paste.)

Tuesday: Leftover elk chili from Sunday

Wednesday: Pad Thai (We use our own recipe that varies from time to time, but the linked one is for if you’re curious.)

Thursday: Chicken White Sauce Pizza (chicken, alfredo sauce, mozzarella, bell peppers, garlic, and mushrooms on a Trader Joe’s crust)

Friday: Dinner out (or leftovers)

Saturday: Bay Scallops (seared with lemon, butter, and random seasonings of choice) and salad

Sunday: Baked Indonesian Chicken (chicken breast marinated in a sauce I received as a gift) with Hasselback Potatoes.

Right now the elk stew is simmering and will be Tuesday’s dinner too hopefully. And yes, I do eat dinner this late (9pm PST). The joys of a home without children (at least for now). I’ll let you know next week how closely I followed this plan. Not likely since I just got back from Uwajimaya’s (local Asian store) and picked up tons of ingredients for yummy curries and pad see ew.

See more menus for Menu Plan Monday @ The Organizing Junkie!

Photo by star5112

Anyway, it’s quiet here at the moment. My sister-in-law (who’s pregnant!) and my nephew are at the store, Husband and brother and talking politics, and I’m catching up on bills and blogs. I also started to reflect on the events of this past year, my first full year of marriage. Here’s what I came up with:

Events of 2009

1. Graduated from the University of Washington.
2. Moved to Spokane for 4 months.
3. Worked at Purposeful Africa.
4. Celebrated our 1^st wedding anniversary at Palouse Falls.
5. Visited Silverwood for the first time.
6. Suffered strep throat for 2 weeks.
7. Became an intern at Foodista.
8. Started A Chocolate Covered To-Do List.
9. Welcomed a baby llama into the world.
10. Husband started his master’s program.

The best parts of 2009? Graduating from UW, my husband starting his masters degree, and moving into a great apartment in a neighborhood we’ve been wanting to live in for a long time.

What were the best parts of 2009 for you?

Photo by ahisgett.

My husband is driving very well, the road is wet and there is a light snow falling. I’m particularly enjoying all the frozen waterfalls.

The trees sure are pretty too. I hope there’s more snow along the way, it would make the next 217 miles much more pleasant.

Christmas was truly a wonderful time. My mother gave me a much coveted food processor, commercial baking pans, a mandolin, the 8^th season of Little House on the Prairie, and a book about lists. Seriously.

Side note, we just hydroplaned. That always makes me nervous. Eek!

My parents gave my husband a bottle of peach beer, which I we opened a couple of nights ago. Now I don’t particularly like beer, but this Belgian Peche beer was delicioso.

Photo by Chris.Corwin

I would love to elaborate on all the events of our holiday season, but you and I both know I am going to make a list.

Christmas 2009

1. I made 2 types of fudge, 3 batches of cookies and 1 pineapple upside down cake.
2. My husband lost his wedding ring on the beach at my Opa’s house. (At least it was a romantic place.)
3. Didn’t buy a single Christmas present at the mall. I’m quite proud of that.
4. Traveled approximately 700 miles total, at least by the end of this current trip.
5. Listened to O Come Emmanuel countless times, it’s my favorite Christmas song.
6. Only used one roll of wrapping paper, and one bag of bows for all presents.
7. Burned myself on the back of my wrist on the oven. I may even get a scar out of the deal.
8. Played one game of Munchkins, the board game, with my cousins and husband.
9. Watched Christmas in Connecticut.

Just entered Cle Elum and we’re descending the mountain now. Coming soon: a long, long road through a desolate land we call Eastern Washington. Seriously, it’s like driving through Kansas. No offense to those from Kansas, it’s a lovely place. I saw camels, so it must be pretty cool.

So, how many batches of cookies did you bake this holiday season?

Snoqualmie Pass photo by romulusnr.

Hmmm, how about I celebrate with chocolate covered ants (you can actually buy such things here)! Ha….ha…..no. I’m a selective eater, not an adventurous one. Though on my travels I have never turned down food, no matter how skeptical I was. But as far as my day to day eating habits, I’m a teensy bit picky. I’m at least not as picky as our roomie who doesn’t even like chocolate. I can never accept that.

This is also a day to celebrate with fondue, since everything you dip in it is then chocolate covered. It’s just a great excuse to dig out that fondue pot that someone gave you for Christmas and you never use. But you should. Today.

Here are a few of my favorite chocolate covered things (in list form, what else?):

Chocolate Covered List (Not a to-do list, but it’ll do)

Chocolate Covered Porsche (Whaaaaaat? It’s a real porsche? I don’t know, you’ll have to click!)

Chocolate Covered Spoons (I used to love these as a kid)

Chocolate Covered Bacon (That’s AMERICAN! Except not.)

Candy Cane Chocolate Coverd Pretzels

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans (I am in love with these, so in love. So very, very in love.)

Chocolate Covered Cherries (Mmmm, Chukar Cherries is a blessing on Washington.)

Chocolate Covered Dreidels

Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

Chocolate Covered Garlic (I’d sooner try the bacon, you?)

Chocolate Covered Mints (below)

Photo by ericskiff

You should note, all chocolate covered things should be covered in dark chocolate. Is there any other?

Top photo by enviziondotnet.