LOWE'S made me happy today.

Quick update on my poor little vegetable garden. I wrote an email to Lowe's customer service regarding the poor condition of my garden, and I just got a phone call from the manager of the garden center in Burbank. She couldn't have been nicer - and she's setting me up with all new stuff!! She said that the product I bought is meant to be mixed in with existing soil, and is too strong to use exclusively. All I have to do is come in and pick out my new plants! They're even going to deliver it for me! How cool is that. Can you add a hashtag to a blog? #greatcustomerservice #Lowes #happy
Thank you Lowe's! Muah!

HOT CHICKS XXX

The last few days have been a doozy - Santa Ana winds brought the mercury up to about 100 degrees, and it's stayed in the 90's for the past couple of days. My chickens are HOT! They have a Chicken Fountain that I mistakenly mounted in direct sunlight, and the water was boiling! So I moved it inside the coop where it'll never get sun. I also filled a one-gallon plastic waterer with fresh, cold water and a tablespoon of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (organic with the mother) and placed it on my back porch in the shade. I recently read a blog (I should link it but I can't remember which one it was...) that said we chicken keepers should keep fresh water in different places throughout the free range areas. I always figured they'd come n' get it in the coop if they wanted it, but they aren't that smart. And natch, as soon as I put that new water out, they all came and hung out on the porch like it was happy hour! I love my chickies.

Update on my raised garden - At the recommendation of a Lowe's employee, I used Kellogg Organic Garden Soil  which was a BIG mistake. This stuff is NOT very good. It's compact, so the drainage is poor, and there's something unbalanced about the pH that's making every plant turn yellow and die. All my beautiful tomatoes, zucchini and herbs are stunted, barely the size they were when I bought them, and all yellow with dried up bits. My beloved zucchini blossoms! They came up, lots of them, but are only growing to about 2 inches long before opening and drying up to dust. I might have to go back to Lowe's and ask them to make it right somehow. Oh - one thing is doing just fine in the garden - the freakin mushrooms that are coming up now! How hard can this be?

I'll leave you with a recipe for one of my favorite summer dishes, that couldn't be easier to prepare. It's one of the things I'm looking forward to having in abundance, if I can ever get that dang garden going. It's a dish called Spaghetti Alla Checca and I used to eat it all the time when I lived in Italy. Here ya go!

SPAGHETTI ALLA CHECCA

Ingredients
ripe tomatoes
basil
good olive oil
salt
spaghetti

Chop up tomatoes (as many as you think you'll need for 3-4 servings) into bite-size pieces and put in a bowl. Tear fresh basil leaves (I use probably 5 or 6 or 7) and stir into the tomatoes. Drizzle heavily with olive oil - this is your sauce, you'll need about a half cup or more. Sprinkle with salt to taste - don't be shy with the salt! This part can be made several hours in advance (it actually gets better) and left at room temp, covered; it also makes a delicious salad.

Cook pasta in lots of boiling, salted water. Again, don't be shy with the salt here - I use a couple of tablespoons (I fill my palm with kosher salt) and dump it in. Don't worry, you're not *eating* all that salt. It's important for the flavor of the pasta! Cook according to package instructions, drain, and toss it in your tomato mixture. Then DIG IN! Perfect summer dish.

bye bye!

p.s... Chicken Chicks Unite!

DIY: Building a raised garden from an old picnic table!

Well helleeeeeewwwwww!!!!!!!

Have you ever wanted to build something but were too intimidated to do it yourself? I've been wanting a raised garden to plant tomatoes and other food, but I don't like starting new projects. They often end in disaster - first problem, if I don't finish the day I start, I lose interest and have unfinished crap in my yard for weeks afterward, a visual reminder that I'm a looo-surrr. Second problem, I don't have very many tools, so it ends up being way harder than I thought, which frustrates me and I end up swearing like a sailor. That said, I built myself a VICTORY GARDEN! Okay, no war rationing, but building anything to completion is a victory for me.

I didn't want to spend money, if possible. And, I had an old, piece-a-crap picnic table in my yard that I was planning on tossing. It's splintery and wobbly and icky, and if you rub up against it, it leaves a spray of tiny, soft slivers in your skin that are impossible to get out. Who wants to sit on THAT this summer? It occurred to me that the height of the picnic table was exactly what I wanted - I need to keep the chickens out! And the benches are the same length of the table, which means I already have two sides built. Me likey.

First things first: this thing is gonna be HEAVY. I need to make sure that it won't collapse as soon as I fill it up. So I flipped it over and tightened every bolt I could, using a ratchet (thank GOD for ratchets) and, where the screw would just spin with the bolt, I used pliers to hold the screw while I tightened the bolt. Did I say that right? So the table ended up being surprisingly solid... better than I thought. Victory number 1.

Next, I had to cut the legs off the benches. All I had was a jigsaw, so I JIGSAWED AWAY. Ugh. That was a drag. I know, wrong tool for the wrong job. I didn't break my blade, that was good, but I wore out the day. And was pretty frustrated. I should have started earlier. And I should have borrowed a circular saw from someone. Day 1: Looo-suuurrrr.

OK, so I looked at my latest junk heap for a couple of days, and thought of someone I could borrow a circular saw from... my pal Lisa and her husband David, they do stuff and have stuff do to stuff with! Good ol' Lisa came through for me. I had the right tool for the right job! THANKS LIS!

When I finished chopping off the legs of the picnic benches, it was time to build the sides. Actual building time. Luckily I have a stash of old wood behind the garage that I knew would come in handy some day.

=pause=

I have to interject something. As I write this, I'm reminded over and over what a patient husband I have. He is so good to me and knows my modus operandi (and it drives him batshit crazy), but he lets me be me, and I can't help feeling SO grateful!

=play=

I put the benches on top of the table, right on the edges, and measured the space in between for the end pieces. I grabbed a bunch of short 2x4s and marked them (very roughly, as you can see), and commenced to cuttin'. Then I used my first end as a template for the other end.

 After the cuts were made for each side, I attached them with scrap wood. I didn't have any screws long enough, so I had to use some long nails I found in the garage. Lis - thanks anyway for the electric screwdriver.

The next part was a tiny bit tricky, but I can't waste time thinking about that. I just gotta dive in. Kids, don't try this at home! The ends need to be attached to the sides, so I don't over-think it, just get right after it. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!

When all four sides were together, I set them on top of the table. One little problem was a gap between the base and the sides where the table had warped. No problem! Grab a few more scraps and nail 'em in wherever there's a hole. It's going to be buried, after all. Fait accompli!

Peek-a-boo

Lovely. OK! We're all set for the next step. Oh, someone remind me to reinforce this with long screws, at some point. It'll suck if it falls apart. And stop looking at the stuff in my garage.

Next, we line the box with landscape cloth. It's this stuff that's black and sheer, traps the dirt but lets water through, and it comes in a roll. It's pretty cheap. Had to buy it. [Let me just say one thing - it was CREEPY at this point, because the table is 2 feet by 6 feet. It's a total coffin! I didn't know whether to get in or run! Especially when you're lining it with the cloth. Super creepy!] Anyhoo, throw some fabric down and tack it into place with thumbtacks. I forgot to take a picture at this stage, so just hang with me. I left the sides of the landscape cloth hanging over because, like I said, that wood is nasty. I'm going to be leaning up against it for months to come, and I didn't want to feel it, so what the heck? Next, I filled it with 24 cubic feet of organic planting soil. Not potting soil, so the internet says. It cost me about 7 bucks a bag for four bags, so that part was an expense. It weighs a ton! I hear some cities have composting programs and will give you free soil... Not Burbank. Look! It's taking shape!

And voila, the hard part is done! Now just fill it with plants and water it. I decided on tomatoes, zucchini, parsley, cilantro, and thyme. I also bought some oregano and basil for a pot. OH, and carrot seeds. And lettuce seeds, also in a pot. Hope it's not too much.

OK, so the landscape cloth looks kinda shitty.The scissors are too far away, all the way in the kitchen. I know! Decorations!

And here it is! VICTORY! And chickenproof, too! 

I hope you liked this story. I hope you found a little inspiration too, because if I can do it, you can. Paleeze. So excited about home-grown toms and zucchini flowers this summer, woo hooo!!!!! BYE!