Gilroy Garlic Soup

Gilroy Garlic Soup

French Garlic Soup

Ingredients

24 garlic cloves, peeled
8 fresh sage leaves
5 cups water, with 2 teaspoons salt added Pinch of saffron
4 slices day old or toasted bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Gruyere cheese


Directions
Place 22 of the garlic cloves and the sage leaves in a large sauce pan with salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove garlic and sage. Discard the sage and mash the garlic with a mortar and pestle or a fork. Return garlic to the cooking liquid, along with the saffron. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, with the lid on, until ready to serve.
Preheat broiler to high. Cut the remaining garlic cloves in half and rub each slice of bread with it. Then, sprinkle each slice with olive oil and some grated cheese, reserving some. Broil bread until cheese topping bubbles.
To serve, place a slice of bread in the bottom of each serving bowl. Pour over hot liquid and sprinkle on remaining cheese.

Plants for your Butterflies

Blooms for Butterflies

While a flower's color, shape or scent will attract butterflies to some degree, the biggest draw by far is the bloom's nectar.
Adult butterflies typically have very cosmopolitan tastes, best served with a smorgasbord of nectar-rich flowers, especially those with flower clusters or daisy-like blooms, such as purple coneflower, mums, yarrow and butterfly weed, as well as tubular or bell-shaped flowers.
Not every nectar flower is suitable as food for butterflies. The amount of nectar a flower produces can vary within the species. Sometimes more fanciful double-flowered varieties are bred to impress the eye and not the appetite. So go with species plants whenever possible, rather than cultivars.
Don't Forget the Caterpillars
In addition to attracting adult butterflies, you can transform any small area into a butterfly nursery. Just grow a few containers of host plants, such as milkweed, mallow or asters. Adult female butterflies lay their eggs on these plants, and young caterpillars feed on them after hatching. Growing caterpillar foods also will bring in more butterflies for longer periods of time. You might even catch sight of species you've never seen before.
Unlike adult butterflies, caterpillars are very picky eaters. As a result, each species seeks out a specific plant or plants for its eggs.
Monarch caterpillars, for example, feed exclusively on milkweed, while skippers mostly feed on grasses, sedges and legumes like wisteria and peas. Host plant preferences can vary within a species. Tiger swallowtails seek out trees like poplars, cherries and tulips, while black and anise swallowtail caterpillars dine on dill, fennel and parsley.
Some winning container combinations to attract several species are milkweed, fennel and grasses; and dogwood and violets with mallow.
With a little planning, you can also make your container garden do double duty. Some nectar sources, like penstemon and nasturtium, also are tasty meals for caterpillars.
Remember that a butterfly container garden isn't limited to patios, decks and entrance areas. Use potted plants to fill in bare spaces in a newly planted perennial bed or garden border. Stagger them on steps, encircle a tree or use them to line a walkway or path. Northern gardeners will need to provide protection for their overwintering plants and shrubs.
One thing is certain: A group of containers in a bright, sunny area can go a long way to providing habitat for butterflies...and a beautiful oasis for you.

Wonderful Garden Wedding Cake Stand

This cake stand was created from wooden logs by Oncewed.

They have posted a tutorial and can be found HERE

Check out there other wonderful wedding and everyday projects.

Easy to make stunning cake stand will find a place in my kiotcken year round.

Enjoy

Well after a few hours in the ER

Well after a few hours yesterday in the ER I am once again back at the boards.
I will say Redmond Hospital has one of the nicest staff I have ever run into.
So for today I found a very nice Fabric Flower Hair Clip Tutorial   HERE at Anniescupboard.
She has a great bunch of ideas worth checking out.

Happy Valentines Day

Great Trinket Bag Tutorial find HERE