Beef Broccoli Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb of tenderloin beef, sliced thinly

Broccoli

2 stalks of celery

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion

1 tbsp olive oil 

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup of water

black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute garlic, onions, and beef for about 3-4 minutes.

 

2. Add in sliced (1/4 in size) celery. Stir fry for 3 minutes.

 3. Add in broccoli. You can put as many broccoli as you want. As seen in the picture, these were broccoli from my garden, some of the buds had already bloom so that you can see a hint of yellow color on the broccolis.



4. Add in soy sauce, black pepper, and 1/4 of water. Cover pan and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. Uncover and stir. If you like more sauce, feel free to add water and soy sauce to taste. Our family like sauce over our rice so I add more water as desired.


5. Serve it hot over steamed rice.
 
Enjoy!

New Zealand Impatience

New Zealand Impatience

Perennial plant, super easy to grow. It seeds itself and it provides continuous bloom from spring to early fall.

Petunia

How to care:

• 6+ hours of daily sun
• water daily
• 8-16 in tall x 9-12 in wide
• Hardy to 40 degrees F
• Blooms summer
• Best in fertile, well-drained soil

Daffodils

How to care:

• 8+ hours of daily sun
• Water once weekly
• 6-24 in tall x 4-8 in wide
• Hardy to -20 degrees F
• Remove spent blooms
• Slow release feed in spring
• When ground is frost free, can be planted outdoors. Plants in containers should have good drainage and be rotated often for equal light distribution.

Tulips

 How to care:

• 8+ hours of daily sun
• Water once weekly
• 6-24 in tall x 4-8 in wide
• Hardy to -20 degrees F
• Remove spent blooms
• Slow release feed in spring
• When ground is frost free, can be planted outdoors. Plants in containers should have good drainage and be rotated often for equal light distribution.

Hyacinth (Purple)

How to care:

• 8+ hours of daily sun
• Water once weekly
• 6-24 in tall x 4-8 in wide
• Hardy to -20 degrees F
• Remove spent blooms
• Slow release feed in spring
• When ground is frost free, can be planted outdoors. Plants in containers should have good drainage and be rotated often for equal light distribution.

Plum tree

Plum tree blossoms

Santa Rosa dwarf plum tree

Dogwood Tree

Dogwood blossoms

Eggplant

My first eggplant was the Early Long Purple type, and it was very productive (see picture). This eggplant is long, slightly bulbous, and the slender fruits are meaty and easy to slice. This year (2012) I will try and plant Black Beauty eggplant, rounder in shape and when it is ready to harvest, the color appears as black purple with shiny skin.

When to plant. Start indoors in warm, sunny location 8-10 weeks before transplanting outdoors. Wait 3 weeks after frost to transplant outside. Or, in warmer climates, sow directly in garden when night time temperature falls to around 55 F.
Note: Eggplant require full sun, and rich, fertile, and well-drained soil.

How to plant. Planting depth should be 1/4 inches, spacing about 2 1/2 feet per plant.

Harvest. All eggplant varieties should be harvested when fruit is shiny and before skin turns dull. Continual harvest will encourage more production. Harvest at about 6" long. Cut woody stem with pruners, rather than pulling and twisting it or you could end up with a broken limb or plant. If seeds inside are dark, fruit is past its prime. For black beauty variety, make sure the fruit is slightly bigger than your hand, again paying attention that it is shiny.

Health Benefits. Low in calories and high in vitamins A, C, and B group.

Recipes:

Chicken with Eggplant and taro root
Torta or Eggplant omelet (Torta is Tagalog term)

Cannelloni

INGREDIENTS:

Egg roll wraps
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pkg (10-oz or 11/4 cup)frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Sauce:
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup of water
1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

1. Crumble meat into skillet; add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove excess oil.

2. Add spinach and Italian herb seasoning; mix well. Let mixture cool.

3. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. Pour half of the tomato sauce into a 9" x 13 " baking pan.

4. For each cannelloni, spoon 1/3 cup of mixture at one end of the wrap, roll wrap around filling, and place the seam side down in pan.

5. Pour remaining sauce over top, being sure to moisten ends of each wrap.

6. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and return to oven; bake until cheese melts, about 6 minutes.