I AM TOTALLY NARCISTIC

I spent a rare day looking at bulbs for my Spring garden blooms. I must admit to being narcissistic because I'm partial to their longevity and cheerful color.

I bought 40 of the various ones shown below which bloom from early to mid-Spring :





I have a reputation to uphold and must be the earliest in the neighborhood so I bought a dozen ' Rijuveld ' Early Glory ' daffodil and for naturalizing ; Narcissus 'Jetfire ' also an early bloomer.

I bought three kinds of tulips , bunch flowering ( 5 flowers to one stem ) : 'Florette' a naples yellow, Praestans Fuselier, red with variegated leaves and Shakespeare, which is orange and yellow and a Kaufmanniana, a species known to live for 30 years or more :

Shakespeare Kaufmanniana Tulipa

Bunch Flowering Praestans Fuselier

Couldn't resist a Fritillaria 'Rubra maxima ' which is pricey, but worth it :




While these tulips and daffodils may not seem exciting to a lot of people I select the ones that I know to be good reliable performers in Zone 5 . Yes, tulips are perennial if you know which ones to pick -Darwin, Species Tulips and Kaufmannianas are tried and true.

And last of all, after seeing a lawn of Scilla this Spring I vowed to plant mine as well :


After the selection process I went home and planted all 268 bulbs. My weapon of choice , a serrated bulb planter that made short work of digging holes.

And they say the cobbler's son has no shoes. I am READY for Spring.

KFC -Chicken with a Twist

Back in the Spring the New York Times ran an article on the latest food fad there and in LA : Korean Fried Chicken. It seems that in Seoul, the Korean capital, every corner has a Mom and Pop cafe that cooks these crunchy, spicy concoctions.

You won't find any biscuits or grits served with the KFC - hot pickled radish ( " Kakdookee " ) is the usual side dish and Korean beer which is very good.

This is not a difficult dish to cook. Most recipes call for chicken wings separated into two pieces, ( the wing and the drumette ) or boneless chicken thighs cut into small bites.

Here's my recipe for Korean Fried Chicken :

3 lbs. boneless chicken thighs, cut into 4 pieces
( or wings and drumettes )
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
4 teaspoon toasted sesame seed
8 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon low sodium Kikkoman Soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 green onions, including tops, finely minced

Mix all dry ingredients. Add soy sauce , sesame seed, garlic and green onions to slightly beaten eggs and then to the dry mixture. Mix well and pour over chicken. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight.

Using a deep fryer bring vegetable oil to around 350 degrees. Fry for 10 minutes, remove from oil, shake vigorously in a wire strainer , or use paper towels , and allow to cool for a few minutes. Fry for 10 more minutes, drain again on paper towels. Serve chicken plain with a small dish of salt and pepper or lightly brushed with a soy-garlic glaze or a hot sauce .

I know a lot of my fellow Southerners will find this blasphemous because it is contrary to our traditional dish . While it is trendy and tasty, I don't think the Colonel has anything to worry about.

TREE LOVERS

I don't think it was an accident of nature but when I saw two trees growing side by side it inspired me to to paint AUTUMN GOLD. At the art gallery showing a viewer remarked that it was a "sensuous " art piece. That wasn't my intention as I painted it " Alla Prima " or in one session . But on closer scrutiny that does look like a butt on the right twin.

One of my close friends who saw the painting suggested that I change the name to Tree Lovers. I've never had a painting to evoke so many different views and while I am a tree lover I've never thought of them as erotic.

RABBIT IN RESIDENCE

I was taking my Mini Schnauzer JoJo for her morning walk and as we went out the front gate what should appear but a cute little bunny rabbit . Anything that jumps or runs gets Jojo's attention and she took off after it.

I searched the area where the bunny ran out and there was a nest dug under my Azalea . No doubt the Azalea, being evergreen, was to be the salad bar for the rabbit over the winter.

I love bunnies but not in my yard so begins my strategy to discourage them. After grooming Jojo I placed her fur in the rabbit den.

Jojo and I are on the bunny trail. Better check under your shrubs, especially evergreens, to see if you've got any unwelcome residents ready to make dinner out of your garden.