Saturday, July 23, 2011

Balcony Garden

My city garden is doing pretty well this year! Must be all the freakin' rain! It's good for nature in reasonable amounts as long as we're not floating away which was the case with this last wacky storm! At least it relieved the steamy weather we had this week......here's hoping everyone's power is back and running!


 love this succulent- it's actually sprouting a couple of flowers


 teeny green tomatoes


 big fan of coleus especially for shady areas


 beautiful basil


 lemon thyme


 tender rosemary


delicate succulent in a vintage planter~love the chartreuse color!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Easy and Healthy Dog Treats


My dogs love these sweet potato chips. In fact one of them adores anything in the vegetable kingdom! You name it he will try it- green beans, zuchini, carrots. I've got my very own food adventurer on four legs. If Jackson doesn't like it, then it must not be good!

 You might ask why sweet potatoes? Well, for one thing they are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are a great supplement to a grain free diet should your dog be on one.

These treats couldn't be easier- all I do is scrub a large sweet potato and slice it really thin on my mandoline. You lay them out so they are not touching, on a couple of sheet pans lined with parchment or a silpat and bake for an hour or so in a very low oven set to 225°F. Turn them about midway through. What you are doing is dehydrating them so that you can store them- mine don't last long as they are eaten pretty quickly! Just make sure to put them in an airtight container once they have cooled. If you do make these for your fur babies, I  guarantee they will become fans for life!



Enough talking...can we have our treats now?