Pickle Steak Stew (aka Lazy Beef Rouladen)

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Mustard pickles are a yummy treat. This recipe is quick and easy to make – and it’s oh, so, delicious.

Snapdragons or better known as Antirrhinum are an easy flower to grow and they provide lots of colour with a distinctive scent. Good F1 plants can grow more than 2′ tall and if pinched out they bush out quite well. Available in a wide range of colours I try and grow the same colours together to enhance the effect.

Alstroemeria are a herbaceous perennial with mid-green, lance-shaped leaves and terminal clusters. Petals often have distinctive markings. They originate from Peru, Brazil and mainly Chile which also earned them the name ‘Lily of the Incas’

Growing up, my father loved growing vegetables. He was proud of his produce, always sharing the harvest with friends and neighbors. He would even encourage compliments at the dinner table by saying, “those green beans are really good, aren’t they?” Of course, we quickly responded to the affirmative, lest the question would be posed again. But I must say, the beans were always good, along with the squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and many other vegetables that came out of his garden.

Most people know K.I.S.S. is an acronym for Keep It Simple Silly (or something very similar). K.I.S.S. is great because you can apply it to just about any situation in life. Horticulture is no different. Sure, some horticultural pursuits, like growing certain exotic ornamental plants, fruits and vegetables, or houseplants, are complicated. But most people can save themselves a lot of time, money, and headaches by just sticking to the basics.

While native grasses and forbs are my favorite lazy gardener plants, native shrubs rank as must-haves for an easy and attractive landscape. All native or introduced shrubs are generally carefree when they are well-chosen, thoughtfully placed, and planted correctly. Unhealthy plants have problems. Well, duh!, you might say! Any silly person could tell me that. But often, the solutions are obvious.

15 quail eggs 2 ¼ cups white vinegar (5%) 2 teaspoons chili pepper 1 teaspoon sugar in the raw ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2 ½ teaspoons sugar in the raw 3 teaspoons minced shallots ¼ teaspoon turmeric 4 thin slices of fresh jalapeno pepper

Turfgrass… Blah. Amiright!? Kidding, but I have a confession to make. Once upon a time, I got a degree in Horticulture… Turfgrass. A golf course summer internship quickly determined that maintaining the same 18 holes of turfgrass and dodging golf balls was not for me!

Few things are more delicious than fresh fruits and vegetables from a home garden. But I have a love-hate relationship with vegetable gardening. I love the results, but I hate the process.

Soon, ghosts and goblins will take to the streets to celebrate this season for the macabre. Today, Halloween is an occasion for dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating. Its origins include pagan and Christian observances commemorating seasonal harvests and the memories of loved ones who have passed away.

When I started this series of K.I.S.S. gardening advice, I hoped to inspire those who didn’t know where to begin gardening and those who may have lost joy in their gardening pursuits. After all, there are plenty of things to worry about these days, and gardening should not be one of them. Gardening should provide a respite and an escape from our screen technology culture. So let’s take the advice of Willie Nelson’s boy, Lukas, and “Turn off the news and build a garden.”