Danica Sue at Play

Downtown Mesa Farmer's Market

I love the Farmer's Market in downtown Mesa on Friday mornings (9am-Noon, on the east side of Center St just south of University Drive). The produce is great but there are many other vendors with booths to check out. Craft items, bread, tamales, tea, and beauty products were for sale today. The baby dwarf goats were on site too. . .for petting - not for sale. Aren't they are adorable?

Today I picked up organic apples and heirloom tomatoes. The heirloom tomatoes will do double duty - we will enjoy eating them and I will be saving the seeds to start plants for the veggie garden. Three of the sweet, burgundy colored cherry tomatoes yield the same amount of seeds you can purchase for $2.65-$2.99 at the garden center or online.

For more info on the Mesa Community Farmer's Market - including maps and photos - check out their webpage at Arizona Farmer's Markets. More photos here.

Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations

I was a big fan of Park Avenue Potluck: Recipes from New York's Savviest Hostesses. I ordered the book after reading about it over at May December - a fabulous blog by Melissa Morris. I was so excited to see Mel's blog post that there would be a sequel of sorts that would also benefit the Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations: Entertaining at Home with New York's Savviest Hostesses is filled with more great recipes, beautiful photos and helpful hints from New York socialites. I can't wait to try the Pomegranate Mimosas!

September Garden Update

(above) The potted chives going to seed at the end of summer

Now that the daily temperature should start dropping below 110 in the shade most days, it's time to start planning our winter vegetable gardens. Looking back on the last year it's clear that some changes need to be made. The tomatoes in the raised bed did not do well. The Big Boy and Early Girl tomatoes were the size of cherry tomatoes and the Sweet 100's were no bigger than marbles.

While we do change about half the soil in the raised bed each year, I think the nutrients are just tapped out. Tomato crops do best when rotated and we've been using the same raised bed year after year.

This coming winter we've decided to add a second raised bed for tomatoes, peppers and perhaps some squash. The older raised bed will be used for spinach, salad greens and herbs. Ben uses a lot of flat leaf parsley in his cooking and it will be nice to have a large amount of it, instead of a pot with 3 to 4 plants.

To make the new raised bed we are on the lookout for an old, inexpensive bookshelf. We'll just remove the back, tip it over, fill it with soil and voila - instant raised bed. Ben is checking out the second hand stores on 50% off days to see what we can find that will suit our needs.

I hope to pick up more large plastic pots too. The potted herbs did very well this year. The lemon balm has some toasted edges and the parsley went to seed in August, but the sage and thyme are loving all the heat.

Heart Attack Grill

Update - If you're reading this post you may want to see this one - the surgery I had just a few weeks after my last Single Bypass Burger.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We have wanted to visit the Heart Attack Grill in Chandler since we saw it on The Food Network. We finally got the chance last night and we had a blast.



First, Ben was weighed in by Naughty Nurse Alex. If you weigh over 350lbs, you eat for free. Ben qualified.


Ben takes a big bite out of his second Triple Bypass Burger. Yum!


Ben and Jeff with their burgers and Cokes. The Cokes are from Mexico and are still made with real sugar down there, not the nasty high fructose corn syrup we have here in the States.


Jeff finished his Triple Bypass Burger and was wheeled out to the car by Nurse Alex. But first. . .a quick check of the vital signs.


Saying goodbye to Nurse Alex - until next time. . . .

“A Guy’s Guide to the Good Life - Virtues for Men” by Robert P. Lockwood

(HuzBen is taking over East Valley Life today to weigh in on a men's book he just finished. Thank you Dumpling!)

“A Guy’s Guide to the Good Life - Virtues for Men” by Robert P. Lockwood

Can you name the seven virtues? If you haven’t given much thought on Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Hope, Faith and Charity, Robert P. Lockwood’s book might give you something to think about.

Lockwood breaks down the virtues into their own chapters and during the course of 140-plus pages, used a myriad of personal stories that stretch from being a boy and lessons learned from his father (he refers to as Old Man) to the mores recent experiences of being a grandfather of twins. A lot of the stories on everyday activities, such as a love for baseball and eating in diners, some traveling and many funeral stories of friends and family alike are told, illustrating how we can find lessons and a better life in the seven virtues.

Not all stories have a clear point or will touch your interest. Often, his viewpoint is sentimental and wistful for an age gone by, which a younger reader may not identify with. That’s fine, as there are many different stories devoted to each virtue and during each chapter. At least one story made me understand a new and better way of looking at each virtue, applying them to everyday life, and living better in service to God through these virtues.

The books may be best read by the Catholic who wants a refresher, to find new meaning and understanding in his faith and look to the virtues that have been around for a long time, yet can serve us in the modern day and everyday.

“A Guy’s Guide to the Good Life - Virtues for Men” by Robert P. Lockwood is available at The Catholic Company.

(Note from Leigh - this book sounds like a great gift for someone making their Confirmation or for a new Catholic entering the Church.)