Sweet Peas and a Bloody Mary

Wow, today the temperature moved above 60 deg. How fabulous to go outside and feel the breeze gently touch one's cheek--not impale it.

Here's what I did this morning:
Note the Bloody Mary in the background: I highly recommended poking about in peat pots with a nice tall vodka-n-tomato juice at hand.

It will be awhile before these wanna-be Sweet Peas and Delphiniums land in my garden. Here's what it looks like now:

I love sweet peas but haven't been terribly successful with them in the past. I was inspired by the beautiful gardens in the March/April issue of Cottage Living, and so I'm giving them another shot. I know that spring is still far away, but on a day like today I can't help but look forward! Other plans: My youngest son is keen to try tomatoes, too this year, and I am considered buying Himalayan poppies--so gorgeous but unlikely to survive in this gardening zone. Hmm.

The directions on the Seed Starter say to put the tray, for now, in a warm place away from direct sunlight. So for now my little Sweet Peas-to-be are living under my buffet.

Before I sign out, I wanted to share a great drink I discovered in the March 2006 issue of Domino, but just tried for the first time recently--My husband and I love it. Here' how: infuse a teabag of Jasmine Green tea in a bottle of vodka for 24-48 hours (I normally drink Ketel One but for this we used a cheaper vodka, and it turned out fine). Remove teabag and chill bottle in freezer. When chilled, serve straight up in a martini glass with honey and a lemon twist. My husband drizzles the honey in a swirly design on the sides of the glass before he pours in the infused vodka; otherwise it sinks to the bottom and doesn't add much to the drink.