Last of the sun

Today was our last extraordinarily nice day. About 60 degrees and clear blue skies. I wish every February was like this. A full week of sun was just what I needed. I spent some time prepping my garden, though I still need to clear out more trash from last year. It looks much better, though. I'm going to focus on growing shade loving plants, like herbs and lettuce, trying to stick with what did best last year.

It is pretty sparse, but I think it is impressively green for February.

My theme is "things I didn't kill"-- lavender, peppermint, strawberries, lemon balm, chocolate mint. I'll plant more things later on in the spring.

Peas I planted last fall, then forgot about, but looks like they are actually doing well.

I also made baked pickle chips. Pickle chips are a truly wonderful snack, but like most fried foods, make you feel a little sick afterwards. These baked ones are a nice change of pace. I think of them as the best quirky bar food. I followed the directions on this link: http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/175869/Oven-baked-pickles. My only difference is I upped the amount of spicy red pepper. Mmm, so good.

I guess they were more pickle fries than chips.

I managed to ride and hike a lot this last week, taking advantage of the sun. Tonight I'm hitting up a comedy club for open mic night, which can be hit or miss. But hey, it is free. Better run and go prep for it though.