Desperation Gardening

Today, finally, I was able to get outside, turn over one of my vegetable beds and plant peas. Just yesterday it was 24 degrees when I woke up. I've been pursuing the prAna catalog looking wistfully at their new swimsuit line, but, honestly, I was flipping through the pages wishing they'd make flannel yoga pants.

About two months ago, desperate to see something growing, I got creative. I had been on Pinterest, my favorite idea generator, and saw an indoor garden created with jars set at an angle in a wooden shelf. Anyplace I could hang a shelf in my kitchen wouldn't get enough light, so I went straight to the window. My husband drilled through some dryer vent clamps and screwed them into the window frame.

Saved pasta sauce jars were filled with potting soil and seeds. The jars were clamped into place and turned toward the window. A few weeks later I had salad greens, parsley and basil. I'm enjoying the bounty of my little indoor garden.

But, to tell the truth, I was only slightly less desperate. I am very glad for a warm day and bright sunshine. Welcome spring!

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Pinterest makes time disappear. I lose an hour here, an hour there, happily pinning clever ideas. However, like a box full of pages torn from magazines (remember those?), I tend to collect pins of recipes and crafts that I will never, ever try.

Tonight I found myself with some unexpected time. The Reiki Share I was supposed to attend was canceled because our dear Reiki Master couldn't escape the bug that's going around our area. After sending her some energy, I decided the universe was giving me time to try a couple of those pinned ideas.

The first pin, which I delegated to Tristan, was Twiggy Tree ornaments from the blog michele made me. I decided to ignore the fact that the slightly over-achieving Michele was making these in July, leaving her time in December for things such as a nativity made from egg cartons. These ornaments were easy to make and gave Tristan an opportunity to use his tools.

I left him in the workshop sawing twigs into various lengths and headed into the kitchen to tackle the second pin, Apple Cinnamon Dessert Chimichangas from Juanita's Cocina. I got the apples cooking and went to check on Tristan, who was now drilling holes in the twigs he'd cut to size.

After the apples cooked and cooled, I stuffed some small flour tortillas with the filling and fried them in oil.

While the Chimichangas were still warm they got rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Tristan, meanwhile, was threading his twig pieces onto a thin ribbon.

The Twiggy Tree is lovely. He'll be making more.

The Apple Cinnamon Chimichangas were very tasty. I just finished my second one. My only regret was not having any caramel sauce.

And, now that I've proven that I may actually do something with them, I can resume my happy pinning. Come follow me on Pinterest and see how many of your hours disappear.