Pickled Eggs

I’ve always loved pickled eggs, but until now have really only made/eaten the ones made in pickled beet juice. A week or so ago, we finished off a jar of Dutch Lunch Spears (recipe from The Joy of Pickling). The empty jar was sitting on the counter and I’ve been fishing out the onions to eat on my salads. I was regretting giving the brine to the chickens, as I always buy organic white wine vinegar for my pickling.

Then I noticed the glut of eggs on the counter and decided to pickle them in the leftover pickle brine. This brine is quite perfect for eggs, because it’s neither too sweet nor too sour. It gives the eggs the taste of egg salad. This week they’ve become one of my favorite afternoon snacks.

Are you a fan of pickled eggs?

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Quote of the Day: Patsy Washington

“I think you’re avoiding me, Mrs. Randloph,” William said, bareheaded, shielding his eyes against the sun.

“I think I’m harvesting the garden, Mr Short,” I said from beneath the shadow of my straw hat, fretting that he should come up on me in my housedress, my hands covered in dirt. A Virginia gentleman would’ve pretended not to see the lady of the house hard at work–even if the garden was her sweet escape from the demands of everyone inside the house; a Virginia gentleman would’ve passed by without a word and waiting to address me in polite company.

from America’s First Daughter: A Novel

I started this book last week and am absolutely loving it. It’s especially interesting to me since I’ve read a lot about Thomas Jefferson and have visited Monticello. The book is written from his oldest daughter’s perspective and give a fascinating view, not only about the revolution, but about life in general in those times from a women’s perspective.

Since I visited Monticello, as I read, I can see the different rooms, furniture, and the gardens as they are mentioned.

Have you read any good books lately?

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Hello Spring Color

I’ve been a huge fan of witch hazels for a long time. In Ohio, we had a few native ones in the garden, they were always blooming when we were out collecting maple sap. A few years ago, toured the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens when they were in full bloom. Last fall, I planted a lovely specimen in my garden. I went out to look at mine last week and discovered in was blooming.

The variety is ‘Amethyst’ hamamelis and it’s quite stunning. The burgundy flowers pop this time of year. I can’t wait until this beauty grows taller, it’s planted right outside the living room window so we’ll be able to enjoy it fully this time of year.

What sorts of things do you have in the garden to provide some much needed interest in winter?

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Overrun with Lady Beetles

These warmer, sunny spring days are bringing out those pesky Asian lady beetles en masse. We always have some inside the house, this year it has reached infestation levels.


I’m not sure why there are so many of them this year and at this time, but it’s a bit crazy. I vacuum them up about 10 times a day, trying to keep the population under control. As soon as I put away the vacuum, there are just as many as I cleaned up. I’m guessing I suck up about 300-400 a day. We also have lots of stink bugs and wasps coming into the house. Those get sucked up as well.

What are you biggest indoor pests?

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Digging Out

Tuesday into Wednesday another big nor’easter hit us here in Maine. In fact, this one was classified as a blizzard. It’s still snowing outside the window as I write this post, but so far we’ve gotten about two feet of snow. We have a metal roof, which sheds the snow. Unfortunately, the vents for the dryer and gas water heater are about a foot off the ground on that side (we’re still trying to figure out why they were put there instead of by a roof that doesn’t shed snow).


The snow pile in front of the house has grown to be about tall as it’s ever been.

Before the two storms this week, we had pretty much no snow left on the ground. It was warming up and felt like spring outside. This is no longer the case, but I guess spring isn’t officially here until next Tuesday. I think it won’t be here in Maine for a few more weeks.

What’s your garden looking like this week?

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