GardenSpotlight

So our Mango Roasted Chicken last night was delicious!  There was not enough left over for another full meal, so I took the rest and decided to make chicken salad and chicken stock.  I'm not sure what it is with me lately, but I've been concocting and trying out new recipes.  Maybe it's because I can't wait for the growing season here on the farm to start.  We've had such a mild winter and that 80 degree weather on and off between March and April...who knew?  Then the other night there were hard freeze warnings!  My poor hydrangeas are very confused.  I know Mother Nature is going to make us pay for our very mild winter!  Hopefully it will not be by the way of hail after the crops are planted and sprouting.  Last year's rain after the hurricane was bad enough.  We lost our crop of cauliflower and a field of beans and cucumbers too!  It's very scary at times living on the farm, but it's our way of life.  Tough at times for this Long Island gal who marr

1 Fresh Roasting Chicken 3 Cloves Garlic, minced 2 TBSP Butter 1 TBSP Olive Oil 2 - 3 TBSP Mango Butter 1 Lemon, sliced, seeds removed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste, or about 1-2 tsp Dried or Fresh Rosemary, to taste, or about 1-1/2 to 2 tsp Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel.  Set in roasting pan with a little olive oil.  Spread butter all over chicken, then do the same with the mango butter.  You can spread some of the butter and mango butter under the skin of the chicken as well.  Scatter a few slices of lemon on top of the chicken and sprinkle the chicken with the minced garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes.  I also like to put some of the herbs and butters into the cavity along with one or two slices of lemon. Bake covered at 350 degrees F until done, calculating at 20 minutes per pound, basting about half-way through.  Serve with your favorite selection of roasted or steamed vegetables and either cooked rice, potato or noodles. Tip:  When using dried rosemary

Good landscaping can increase the value of your home by upwards of 8%-15%.   A well maintained outdoor space gives the impression that the home is well cared for and maintained not only on the outside, but on the inside as well.   Realtors all over the country are suggesting that their clients improve the look of their landscaping. Even if your home is perfect on the inside, a bad view from the outside can literally turn people away. An amazing "82% of surveyed agents have had potential buyers decline to look at the interior of a house due to its exterior appearance," according to the survey Real Estate Agent Community Trends (REACT).   http://www.myhomechannel.org/article_landscaping_home_value.php Even if you are not planning on moving in the near future, you should invest in landscaping as plants and trees take time to mature.   Plan with the end result in mind; design your landscaping as a whole so it looks coherent when completed, even if you can only do a little at a

I spent part of today baking as I had bananas that were becoming over-ripe.  I made muffins and they turned out so yummy that I had to share the recipe with you! 1/3 Cup melted butter 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1 egg, beaten 3/4 Cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1-1/2 TBSP Brewed,French Vanilla coffee or any strong coffee 1 tsp baking soda 1-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour 1/4 Cup powdered baking cocoa Pinch of salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 12 muffin cups or prepare with paper liners.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in melted butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Add in the sugar, coffee, vanilla and egg and mix well.  Add in the baking soda and the pinch of salt and mix together into the banana mixture.  Add the flour and baking cocoa and mix until just incorporated.  Scoop into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20 - 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean.  Cool on rack.  Recipe makes 12 regular sized muffins or 9 larger

Spring is here and it’s about time to prepare the soil bed for your gardens.    Remember, you don’t have to have a garden so big that you cannot take care of it all.   You can actually be more productive in a smaller, more manageable sized garden.   Begin first by planning out your space.   Select a spot in the garden that gets a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight if you are planning a vegetable garden.   If you are planning for flowers, know the amounts of sunlight your gardens will be receiving, as well as soil type and drainage and choose the types of plants accordingly.    Next, mark out your perimeter and then begin turning the soil over.   Dig down at least 12 inches.   Using a roto-tiller is best as it will break up the soil more thoroughly and deeply.   If you don’t own one, you can usually rent one at a local hardware store.    If one is not available, you can use a shovel and rake.   As you are preparing the beds, work in dried compost and organic matter to enrich yo