Topsy Turvy vs Homemade Upside Down Tomato Planter Week 4

This week I am a little late in my weekly Topsy Turvy vs Homemade video series. I have been working quite a bit and been very busy with work and the family. Also trying to figure out the video mode on my new camera, so hopefully this will turn out well.

So far we are into Week 4 of comparing upside down planters along with having a tomato in a pot growing the normal way. So far my observations are this:

- I still think the weight of the dirt on top of the Topsy Turvy plant is a concern to why it is not growing like the homemade planter is. They are watered the same times with the same amount.
- They are using the same fertilizer and the homemade tomato planter and the potted tomato are just taking off. The Topsy Turvy has not grown much although it is getting new leaves... finally.
- The potted tomato and the homemade upside down planter are both getting flowers on them for some tomatoes, the Topsy Turvy is not as it barely has any new growth.

Here is the 3 plants in photos taken yesterday 5-23-09:
The Homemade Planter


The Potted Tomato:


The Topsy Turvy Planter:


I also did the video like always since I got the video part of the camera figured out (which was the main reason I took the stills because as of yesterday, I still had not figured it out) and it was videoed today just about an hour or so ago (it is 8:45 pm right now as I am posting). The difference is pretty staggering with the Topsy Turvy and the other 2 tomatoes. Still makes me wonder how many tomatoes I will actually get from the Topsy Turvy, we will see. Enjoy the show!



We will see how this is doing next Sunday, so stay tuned in my journey of experimentation on this project!

Mint Lemonade

Yesterday I made the most refreshing Mint Lemonade and it was so good! The family drank it so fast, I didn't get a chance to get some cool pictures. I will take some the next time I make it and then add pictures. It is so refreshing and the hint of mint just makes it so yummy!

Mint Lemonade

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
2-3 mint sprigs
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced

Make lemonade according to can directions. Add mint, lemon, lime, and ice cubes. Refrigerate for about 2 hours so the mint permeates the lemonade.

Notes:
- to make a wine spritzer, add sparkling wine for half of the water.

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Just want to give a shout out to my friend Anya over at Anya Cooks because she gave me an awesome recipe for Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta that I made last night for dinner. It was fantastic and not too spicy at all!

This recipe was so easy and took me less than 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish. While the pasta was cooking; I made the sauce, then whipped up a salad, and then whipped up some garlic bread also to go with it. Such an easy meal for when you come home from work and want something yummy, but don't feel like a huge ordeal of cooking. I love that it was so easy! That was definitely the best part after the eating. All I heard at the dinner table was "mmmmmmm" and more "mmmmmmm" and silence while everyone wolfed it down.

My dish probably is not as good looking as hers is (I only had tiny shrimp to work with not the good ones where you can grill them and leave grill marks.. oh well, next time) but it is as good. We also added just a bit of shredded parmesan cheese and little parsley on top and it was yummy! Otherwise we did nothing different than what she had posted on her site. We made it exactly as Anya directed.

Check out her recipe here Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta. It is definitely a recipe everyone should have in their recipe box. It will be a regular meal at our house, it was that good! Thanks Anya!

"In The Bag" Broccoli Blue Cheese Focaccia Pizza

"In The Bag" is a round-up event sponsored by Real Epicurean for the month of May 2009. Each month 2-3 ingredients are chosen and the participants have to use the ingredients in a dish of their choosing. This month the ingredients chosen are broccoli and blue cheese. The dish of my choosing for this round-up is Broccoli Blue Cheese Focaccia Pizza. Pizza is my favorite dish of all time and so I thought it only fitting that I chose pizza.

I didn't want to make just a standard crust and then it hit me... Focaccia Crust. I thought this would make a better tasting pizza since I used a Basil Garlic Focaccia as my crust. It was very easy to make and I amazed myself on how tender the bread was.

For my sauce, I decided on a parmesan white sauce which is similar to an alfredo sauce just not as thick. I found this in my Simply Delicious by Ron Kalenuik cookbook. It is a classic Mornay Sauce. Very tasty and would make a great base for other pasta or pizza sauces. The only thing I did differently is I added just a tad bit of garlic and basil to the sauce.

So, now here are the recipes and what I used to top my Broccoli Blue Cheese Focaccia Pizza. Makes a wonderful meal as we had it with green salad.

Broccoli Blue Cheese Focaccia Pizza
Focaccia Crust: (adapted from recipe #27968 on RecipeZaar I changed a couple of ingredients around and omitted a couple just so I could have the basil garlic flavor I was looking for, just click on the RecipeZaar link to see the actual recipe)

2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup warm water (between 105-115 degrees)
2 Tbsp olive oil (for brushing on before baking)

Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl. Let proof for 10 minutes (until bubbles begin to form). In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, sugar, garlic, basil, and black pepper. Add the yeast mix and 1 Tbsp olive oil to the dry ingredients and combine. When dough has pulled together, turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in warm place 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Punch down dough, place on greased baking sheet. Pat dough to 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Using your knuckle, make indentations int he dough about 1/2 inch apart , then prick down with fork. Brush with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.


Parmesan Cream Sauce (from recipe for Mornay Sauce in Simply Delicious by Ron Kalenuik)
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups half & half cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Heat the butter in the sauce pan. Add flour and cook 2 minutes over low heat. Stir in the chicken broth and cream. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in cheese, garlic, and basil. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Top the focaccia pizza crust with sauce within 1/2 inch from edges.

The Toppings:

1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 lb broccoli florets, chopped
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup black olives
1 small purple onion, sliced
6 oz cooked chicken
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese

On top of the sauced crust apply mozzarella cheese, then add chicken, then tomatoes, purple onions, and olives. Add the broccoli florets. Crumble blue cheese on top and then top with chopped basil. On center rack in oven, broil on low for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and top is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve.

Talk about yummy! The kids really ate it up, they love pizza and veggies so I figured this would be a hit with them. It is a one pan meal since it has the meat, the grain (as in bread), and lots of vegetables on top. We still had a green salad on the side as well. A successful dinner was had by all!




Thank you Scott at Real Epicurean for letting me participate for the first time ever in something like this. It was fun, I discovered some new ingredients that go great together. Always room to learn something new every day!