Slow Cooked - Winter BBQ Chicken

This is a recipe from Southern Living with my adds and edits on it.  Its cooking right now and smells amazing!
~ Rub 1LBS Chicken Breasts (whole) w/
    2tsp. Salt
    2tsp paprika
    1/2tsp Garlic Salt
    1/2tsp Pepper
Add chicken into crock pot with 2T EVOO

Combine in small bowl:
1 C Coke
1/2 C Ketchup
1/3 C Brown Sugar
3T Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4C Bourbon
1/4C Tripple Sec

Pour Liquid mixture over chicken.
Slice 1 Orange and place 2 pieces over each breast

Cook on Low for 8H

Cornbread:
1 Box Glory Cornbread Mix
1 C Corn
2 Eggs
1/2C 2% Milk
 1/2 C Cheddar Cheese
S&P

Mix all and bake @400 for 15min.

 Ate this up with homemade Chow-Chow, Mayo, and some Hot and Sweet Peppers!

Planning my Trip...

To Mary's Greenhouse in McMinnville!

 http://www.marysgh.com/

I have been fighting the leaves all fall and winter long and am tired of raking them out of my shrubs.
I have decided that the perennial beds  that I have are the easiest to take care of, So I am turning my entire front yard into a Part Sun Perennial garden!

I am putting together my list.  Any suggestions of great plants I should include in a zone 6/7 climate in Part Sun/Part Shade garden please let me know!!!

Garlic Chilli Edamame

For Starters: Garlic Chili Edamame  (inspired by a visit (or 2) to Wild Ginger)
1 lb frozen edamame, in pods
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp Stiracha Hot Chili Sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil

Cook Edamame in boiling water as directed on bag. Drain and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and chili sauce.
Heat a large wok over high heat.  When Wok is super hot add oil.
Add edamame and stirfry for 1 minute. Add sauce, and stirring frequently, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Spicy Bean Soup

1/4C Each (Soaked in water for at least 6 hours)
Baby Lima Beans
Black Eye Peas
Chick Peas
Kidney Beans
Navy Beans
Pinto Beans
Red Beans

1 Andouille Sausage cut into 1" chunks and quartered
1 Red (or green) pepper
4 cloves Garlic
1 Large Anaheim or Pablano Pepper Finely Chopped
1 Yellow Onion - Chopped
2 Carrots -Chopped
1 T Red Pepper Flakes
4 C Vegetable Stock
1 Can (24oz) Whole Tomatoes (Hand Crushed and 1/2 Drained)
2 T Tomato Paste
2 T Balsamic Vinegar
1 T Sugar
1 T Basil & Thyme
2 Bay leaves
S&P

In large pot:
Saute Onion, Garlic, Peppers, & Carrots until onions are transucent.
Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours.

Creaping on Jesus

Crock Pot BBQ and Fried Dill Pickles

 BBQ
1 Boston Butt Roast
1/2 Jar of Marinade (I always use Hickory Marinade from Publix)
1/2 Small yellow onion
1/2 Coke
Add all to a Crock Pot and cool High for L for 8 Hours

I have been craving fried dill pickles for some time now.  Thought I would take a shot at it and come up with something with what we have in the fridge.

Dill Pickles
2 Eggs
Worcestershire sauce (1T)
Garlic Powder (couple of shakes)
Hot Sauce (couple of good shakes)
Limon Juice (1T)
Fish Fry Mix

Drain Pickles and whisk eggs Worcestershire, garlic powder, Lemon, Hot sauce and pour into jar with pickles

Let sit in fridge for a bit

Drain and dredge pickles in Fish Fry Mix.
Fry in Cast Iron Skillet until brown.  Enjoy!

First Bass on Fly caught in the Yak'

He was about 2.5lbs.  Took about 5-10 min of fighting him trying to keep him out of a fallen tree and some deep rock.  It has been so long since I have hooked a decent fish on fly!  This guy really got me excited about this fishing this year.  Granted, I only caught one other fish (redeye).  I spent a lot of time scoping out new fishing holes.  The river has changed such a great deal since the flood last year and all the rain this year.  One of my favorite fishing homes, a sand bar that split two holes, a deep stagnate pool on the left and a flowing shallow pool on the right, is no longer there.  Instead, further down stream a deep hole has become a shallow strip that soon I will have to pull the yak over to get past it.  I think all that rock used to be my sandbar!  But there are now new holes to learn and new fish to catch!

Harpeth Day 2

Matt and I hit the river early, and produced good numbers early. 

We had a few decent small's but mainly a lot more rock bass.  As the day wore on the fish stopped biting and we headed home with thoughts of the Caney on the brain...

First Harpeth Float of 11'

For the first time this year the Harpeth and weather are cooperating and allowing me to get the Yak' in the water and get my fish on!
I decided to start the year out with a bang and do what I love best and fly fish!  This was my first time fly fishing on the Harpeth and it turned out to be quit productive!

I paddled upsteam to one of my favorite holes with deep water and a nice wide bend to allow me some casting room. Do not get me wrong...I love a good roll cast as much as the next guy, but daddy wanted to let some line out!  Unfortunately, the bass were more than likely full on Cicada's and I only caught 2 small brem.

I packed up with my head down and started to long shameful trip back to the car.  As I can to an area that I usually just paddle through, something caught my eye, a rocky bottom leading to a small deep hole and CRAWFISH cruising under the yak!  I took a hard right and beached the Yak!
Fiirst cast...WAM!

I ended up catching 30 of these and 1 small mouth in 20 min of fishing.  I could not get them off the line fast enough.  As soon as the line hit the water, BAM rockbass!  I took a photo of a jet black one, he looked like he had been dipped in oil, but once again, the phone did not save the photo...

So, the first trip was successful!  No large fish to speak of, but the quantity made it a worthwhile trip (especially on fly!)  I did see 2 snakes.  1 that i am about 99% positive was a copperhead in the water and 1 small Eastern Water Snake in a tree.
I have a 6:30 date with the Harpeth in the morning, so hopefully another post is coming soon!

Wordless Wednesday

 Should have saved this photo for a monday...

Should have saved this one for a friday...

So much going on!

This photo proved Peonies are a gift from heaven...

 Who said Inkberry had an "inconspicuous bloom" is a moron!  I think its beautiful!

Carl Fosters Grass....Just another reason I need more grasses in my garden!

 Hydrangea are about to be beautiful!

Oh yea...I got a Sand Cherry!  It is doing great and very happy in its new home!

Purple Flowering Clematis?  Not very good with my vines...

Blueberry's are going to be very yummy this year!

If you think I am bad with vines then wait till you see my perannual knowledge...Anybody know what this is?

Little River Fly Fishing Trip

We took a trip up to Knoxville last weekend to visit our friends.  Ryan and I planned a trip into the mountains to fish the Little River.  After a quick stop at Little River Outfitters we headed up into the park.  We fished a couple of holes but the water was low and the fish we not rising and spooking very easily.  Ryan caught a Rainbow and a brown and I caught a brown on my last cast of the day.  Unfortunately the few pics I took did not save to my phone, but Ryan took a few of me casting.

After the Storm...

We have had a bunch of rain and strong winds the last 2 weeks.  One day we were even watching the weather channel during a bad storm and they called out the intersection where we live for rotation.  It was about 3am that night that I heard a CRACK and ran outside to find a tree down across the drive way.  Side-note...I find it amusing and somewhat aggravating that the weather will interrupt any show on tv between the hours of 5 and 10 to show you it is raining 90 miles away, but where there is a huge storm happening at 3am, there is no weather forecast to be found....Just sayin...

One tree crascked and fell on 2 other trees.  The main trunk is stuck in a tree and I can not get it out.  I will have to tie it up and pull it out when I can borrow a truck so I can cut it up.

Bird update:

They have hatched!  Ellison is loving going out and seeing the progress everyday!  The fern they are in is a goner, but the lesson Ellison is getting is worth so much more!

The Calm Before the Storm

Every year we put Boston Ferns on the front porch.  This year, within 1 hour of putting them up, a bird had made a nest and within 2 days she laid eggs.  This should be a ton of fun for Ellison!

Over the weekend I got the garden planted.  Just in time for some free water!

In the garden:

Corn, Beefmaster, Early Girl, Better Boy, and Beefsteak Tomatoes, Peas, Crooked Neck Squash, Zukini, Banana Peppers, and Bell Peppers

I moved the garden from its previous location to get more sun.  I hope it does better than last year!

 I call this on "Phlox on the Rocks"

 Lambs Ear (don't you just want to rub your face in it!)

 Wine and Roses Weigela and Korean Spice Viburnum

"I am all alone here,
there is no one here beside me,
all my problems they are gone,
there is no one to deride me"

(sorry to much Shrek with the 3 year old)

Ahh...That's better :)

So last night we had another round of Tornadoes or Naders to the locals and since I do live by a creck (or creek as you may know it) we had some nice activity (but luckily there are no trailer parks near by so we did not have any Naders)  Well, needless to say, the shade garden I have been working on is now a part sun garden...Stay tuned...

Oh yea...is this a weed?  Its in a group of perennials that I planted last year after a friend divided them.  I think this is just a week, but it could be something AWESOME so I do not want to just rip it out...
I know the back plant is a Butterfly bush

Bearded Iris

Last night when I was tilling the perannial bed, I was thinking about how the Iris's always leaf out but I have not seen them bloom since the first year we were in the house.  Low and Behold, I get in my car this morning and what do I see?  Iris blooms!  Well just one, but there are 3 others (out of about 100) about to bloom!

Please do not look below the Iris...this is one of the beds that I have neglected...until this morning when I took this photo then promptly started pulling weeds causing myself to be 15 min late to work!

White Clematis

I have 3 of these on my fence, this is the only one that has grown over 3' tall.  It also has 20 or so blooms on it!  Weird!

Spring just keeps on coming!

Jane Magnolia in all its glory!  

Winter came back for a few nights and shut her down to early this year!

Eastern Red Bud doing its thing.  

I have one other ERB, but it is not doing well this year.

 

Good Morning Tulips!

I picked up about 50 bulbs last off season and planted them around the yard.  So far about half seem to have survived the mole attacks

 

Beautiful combination of Phlox, Creeping Jenny, Dwarf Mondo.  

I brought the Phlox and Creeping Jenny with me from the old house.  It is finally establishing.  Jenny is now spreading all in this bed like I was hoping she would!

 

 

Lilac?

Korean Spice Viburnum.  

I absolutely LOVE the smell.  I use them in all my designs

Hello last remaining Azalea!

I had at least 10 when we moved in.  This is the only one that has made it.  The others just up and died on me one night...it was very strange

One of the 2 transplanted Dogwoods that I dug up at my moms house.

One of the 15-20 I have planted around the yard!

Peaonies!  

If only ants did not love you as much as I do!

Service Berry

Some say they do not do well here, 

NEH!  I say!  They do great and are a true asset to any yard!

Just some cool pics from the zoo!