My mama told me there'd be days like this

And man she wasn't fooling. 'Cause, Steven Tyler forgive me, I just can't believe how addicted I am to gardening.

I started out a few weeks ago with one gardenia plant, an orange mint, and a trio of incorrectly identified herbs. In my defense, I was correct about the basil and the rosemary. However, the plant pictured on the right in the post a few articles down is actually oregano.

Sadly, the oregano kicked the bucket. Thankfully, the farmer's market lady who sold me the orange mint sold me a pretty little replacement. It's hanging out quite nicely along with the real thyme I picked up from the same lady.

I'm definately losing the plant addiction as you can clearly see in the picture above. I added a spearmint plant to make friends with my orange mint and float very prettily in a pitcher of minted margaritas I'll be sharing the recipe for just as soon as I've tested it. My herbs are sitting pretty in some wire stand I picked up from Big Lots over the weekend.

I'd take this moment to brag over how big my basil is, but I liberated some for my Cumin Lime Pork. Instead, look at my pretty bell pepper plants! They're in those two pots on the bottom left. Maybe I'm on crack, but I swear they've added leaves overnight. The tall, dark leafy plant on the right is my baby tomato plant.

That grill has to go. I wonder if I could turn it into a planter. I imagine the metal would get too hot and I've have to water it like a mofo, yes?

Lest you think this is one sad, sparse excuse for a plant addiction, tomorrow I'll tell you all about the four container gardens I'm up to from the two I showed you before and we can discuss the sweet pea seeds I just started.

Tomorrow, I'm planning to dig up my front yard and sow some seeds.

Is there some kind of twelve step program for beebee gardeners who bite off more than they can chew?

stuck on you

Someday I'll own an amazing camera that will take amazing pictures and do the dishes all at the same time. Until then, this will have to do. And omg, I'm feeling like a goodyear blimp because I absolutely cannot stop picking at the pork roast. Wanna know how to make it?

Cumin Lime Roast Pork

3 cloves of minced garlic

3 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp fresh chopped oregano

1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

2 tbsp lime 

1 tsp of cumin

2 tbsp of brown sugar

Mix all of the above in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Actually, go just past to taste. It should be a little saltier than you like it, especially if you're using a really fat hunk of meat. If your roast has skin on one side, score it with a sharp knife in a diagonal grid pattern. If you're like me, you'll try every knife in your drawer and even the scissors before it occurs to your dumb ass that you own a knife sharpener. Then you'll feel like a moron and second guess you're ability to turn out this pork roast. So I'll spare you that moment and tell you ahead of time to make sure your knife is sharp as hell.

Back to the roast. Shank the crap out of all the non-pork fat sides then bathe it with the sauce/marinadeish stuff. Now it's time to get up close and personal with your roast. Rub it all over, into the slices, into the pork fat, the curves, etc. Then lay it in a foil lined pan fat side up. Pour the excess sauce over the fat and cover with more foil, sealing it up night and tight.

Drop in a 350 degree oven and cook for about 45 minutes or so. Peel off the top layer of aluminum foil and return to the oven. Cook until the fat on top is really brown and crispy. If you google it, you'll find out temp you should cook pork to but I just eyeball it. If it's a thick roast, it will take longer. If it's thinner or boneless, it will take less time.

Pull out the roast and set aside. Please don't cut that bad boy too soon. You did not spend all that time making it all tender just to slice into it fresh out of the oven and let the juices fall out every where. So let it sit at least ten minutes. Trust me, as big as that beefy, I mean porker is, it's not gonna get cold in ten minutes.

While you're doing that, pour off the drippings into a pan. Let it cook on high until reduced. I know, I know, it's making that weird bubbling thing that makes you think you might be killing it. You aren't. Let it go. When it's about half or so, pour in about a quarter cup of vermouth or you could use chicken broth if you aren't a total lush like me. Let it cook a bit more then taste. You might need to add salt or you might want to add a bit more vermouth/chicken broth.

Slice up the roast and arrange on a platter. Drizzle three to four tablespoons of the sauce over the top.

And there you go. Pork you could hold hands with as you take a long walk on the beach together.

I served it with green beans sauteed in garlic and my friend Amy's Smashed Potatoes, the latter of which my husband adored best of all. So thanks, Amy.

For dessert, pinky helped me pack up a cobbler made from fruit I bought at the farmer's market. Strawberries, blueberries, and peaches. It was just a standard cobbler recipe but I was out of cornstarch and used flour instead. I totally Sandra Lee'd it up though and used Redi-whip.

Pretty good for a Sunday dinner, if I do say so myself obviously.

Do yo really want to hurt me?

In the navy by raspberriberet featuring a studded leather handbag

Dorothy Perkins white embroidered dress
28 GBP - dorothyperkins.com

Paul Smith batwing top
135 GBP - paulsmith.co.uk

Jessica Simpson white pumps
$80 - heels.com

Balenciaga studded leather handbag
$1,795 - mytheresa.com

1928 silver plated jewelry

15 GBP - johnlewis.com

 

Not only have my posts been sparse but I didn't get a picture of mr man's homecoming. His unit handled the whole deal with a spectacular stupidity only seen in goverment work. So I rushed around like a chicken with my head cut off only to get there late, drippy from my shower and still miss the ceremony.

Oh well. I have my man. So you'll have to deal with an approximation of what I wore via polyvore.  Please note there is no possible way I own a Balenciaga bag. I don't even own Jessica Simpson shoes. Too rich for my blood, or so they say. My dress, jewelry, and cardigan came from Maurices. My white bag came from shoedazzle, I think. And my shoes were bought on sale from J.C. Penney.

Just a note, don't ever buy anything online without googling for coupon codes. It's worth the effort, trust.