Soup and Dirt

Oh god it's raining, and I'm not complaining.
It's filling me up with delight!
The stars in the sky, bring tears to my eyes.
Their lighting my way, tonight...
and I haven't felt so alive in years.
The moon is shining in the sky,
reminding me of so many other nights...
but not like tonight.

Depeche Mode from my high school years- from memory, so there is no guarantee that I got the lyrics right. Yes, I still like all of that old stuff from my youth. I can't believe that I finally got my desperately coveted rain. Painful delayed gratification is so satisfying when fulfilled. It has been pouring for hours. The sound is soothing and musical. Everything outside is shining. The air is fresh. The dirt looks moist and rich. The leaves are bright and clean. Ahhhh... Lovely deep breath sigh.

Those little spots on the camera lens are rain. Kind of dark picture taken at just before dusk on this rainy evening. I finally started my garden. I am totally inspired now! Mystery man's mom helped me get dirt and compost with her truck, and wheel barrel it into the new bed that I created in a sunny part of my back yard. There was enough extra compost to put some on the old bed from last year which I turned over and prepared for planting several days ago. Also, I got two hay bales for mulch.

The tall sticking up things are last year's sunflowers. Can't believe those stalks made it through the crazy, windy winter!

Mulching is something that I failed to do last year and it seems really important for healthy soil, plants and water conservation. Also, I just found out that there is a pile of free mulch at the recycling center on Riverside St. (which is nowhere near the river, ironically). So, I can go fill garbage bags whenever I want for a super, mulchalicious garden!

Additionally, I bought peat pots, seed trays with greenhouse lids, rich organic potting soil, seeds, and the plant grow light that I know will help my starts be more successful this year than last. I would say that I am good to go. Now I just need baby to take a good, long nap on a day that is good weather for planting, and I will be in the dirt.
I love dirt.

Last night I made wonton soup. It was so much fun to shape those delicate little wonton wrappers full of delicious seitan and broccoli, spiced with dijon mustard, Sriracha sauce and more.

Here they are after I boiled them for a few minutes.
They get kind of translucent and shiny.

I got the recipe from the veganyumyum.com websight. Check it out, and you will find many fabulous recipes. I am not vegan, so I added chicken broth to my second batch of soup, and it improved the taste in my opinion. I also added to the broth, celery, carrots, mushrooms, jalapeno, black pepper, sechuan pepper and peri-peri pepper blend. We like things rich and spicy around here.
Then I tried some of the fried variety. Much easier folding, and a simple filling of cream cheese and fire roasted, chopped green chili (from New Mexico of course because noone else can grow 'em good like they can).
Oh my - I could have eaten all twelve, but I was nice and gave mystery man his half. They were all melty and crispy and amazing. Wish I had made a good sauce for them, but they were a last minute expiriment and very good all by their lonesome selves. Well, they were beside some jasmine rice, so they weren't too lonely. Plus, they didn't even have time to think about loneliness, because they were munched!

Mm...mmmm...MMM!