Wise Ax

July 4th - The More You Know....

July 4th : BBQ, Beer, and the Pursuit of Celebration

End of June Garden Update

Our girls garden is growing so fast! I went over on Saturday to do some weeding and couldn't believe how much the plants had grown.

This is the same place I took the picture that I posted on my blog a few weeks ago. The tomatoes on the left are getting big and the squash on the far right has flowers and few zucchini on it already.

We planted two varieties of corn which should mature approximately two weeks apart. The other night at the farmer's market I had roasted corn slathered in mayo, parmesean cheese, lime, and chili powder. It sounds a little weird but it was really tasty! I'm definitely going to be experimenting with recipes for it at home once fresh corn is available.

Susan has these beautiful hollyhocks growing at the back of the garden. I think they are so pretty!

June's New Moon Fire

What's a New Moon Fire you ask? Each month on the new moon you get the opportunity to write down a wish and burn it in the fire to release your wish to the universe. Tuesday night was my first time participating in the New Moon Fire but my friend Darryl has been hosting these fires for the last year at his cabin in Midway. The setting is spectacular and the people involved are lovely. You should come check it out sometime.

Weeding Day at the Garden

Last weekend, we had our first 'weeding party' at the big garden. Fortunately, it wasn't too hot and we got a relatively early start. It's so exciting to see the seedlings sprout and the plants start to grow!

Our Girls Garden 2012

I'm so excited about gardening this year. A few friends and I are doing a community garden on a friend's property. The garden is huge! I know this because we tilled it last weekend. Working the tiller was a bit like wrestling a beast especially when trying to turn it around at the end of a row. But, we got it done and felt like a million bucks afterward, albeit, a filthy, sweaty million bucks.

After tilling, we planted seeds for corn, summer squash, soybeans, cucumbers, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, green beans, peas, and pumpkins. The peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos go in this weekend. I can't wait to see the seedlings sprout!

Viva Las Vegas aka Lauren is 25 (!)

Last week my Mom, Sis, and I flew to Las Vegas to meet up with Lauren to celebrate her 25th birthday. She was going to Vegas for the annual Viva Las Vegas rockabilly festival.

We all met up at the airport and made our way to the Luxor hotel. Have you stayed there? It's weird inside. They don't have elevators instead you ride up on inclinators and believe me, you can tell you are traveling up and sideways.

First, we went to Mandalay Bay to visit the Shark Reef Aquarium. I love aquariums and have been to many around the country. This one was pretty good. I saw this guy and it made me hungry for sushi. My sister thinks I'm evil. It's okay though, I know he would taste delicious.

We spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool. The weather was perfect although the water in the pool was freezing!

On Wednesday, (happy birthday Lauren!) we visited the Neon Sign Boneyard. This is a non-profit that seeks to preserve Las Vegas's unique art form. I really enjoyed the tour and think anyone who has visited Las Vegas for a long time would get a kick out of seeing those old signs that they probably remember.

And to top off a great trip, my Sister cleaned up on the slots and blackjack table! I think she's still home in bed rolling around in all the money she won. Here's a shot taken right after my Mom pulled a $400 spin on a dollar slot machine. Good times!

Wine Social Dinner Club

Last month a group of us attended the Meditrina wine social. We had a great time and inspired by the fun event, we decided to host our own monthly wine socials. My friend, Liz, hosted the first one at her home last Sunday.

I'll post the menu and pictures and try to get links to the recipes to include in the posts. We divided into teams and each team was responsible for a course and wine pairing.

Appetizer (Whitney & Cooper)

Mushroom, Onion, & Gruyère Pull-Apart w/ Pinot Noir