To get my programming credential from Oxford :) Several years ago, I could not imagine what it'd be like or that I'd get in :) There were other career goals and children, but my back situation has made me have to be more flexible about some ideas :( I may be miffed at the time it's taking but there is no doubt that I'll walk at the Sheldonian with my dad there and my mom in spirit. [At very least, he and I already visited the Sheldonian and told the guard that I'll get to see the inside some day as a graduate!] I'd like to visit so many places. I'd like to see where my Irishman grew up, a land that was the backdrop of great Irish mythology and archeologically rich. Even if my hair frizzes so much in the drizzle ;> I'd love my garden to be all that I dream, but it is sad that there are so few people around who would spend a while and enjoy it. I'm glad to see so many dreams here [and with my classmates too] :) I'm bombarded too often with folks whose dream seems to be to complain at least half the day from here until eternity and nothing else!! Whatever floats your boat, I guess but that just seems such a grueling outlook...

Another long-time Plant Delights addict here, plus I've ordered for years from Niche Gardens, Crownsville Nursery several times, Singing Springs Nursery for tropicals/container plants for the last few years. First time last year ordered from Lazy S's Farms and very pleased with husky well-rooted shrubs, trees and perennials. Terry,I always check first at the Watchdog place before ordering, and then post my experience there ...you mentioned another possible site? Fortunately I've never had a bad experience in over 30 years with mailorder, but I used to limit my orders to those nurseries specifically mentioned by my favorite garden writers in Horticulture or in their books. Now with the internet it's a litttle harder, so a post like this really helps...thanks. josh Here is a link that might be useful: Lazy s's Farm

I can vouch for Sharon's stuffed mushrooms. They are the best. A few of my favourites. Mushrooms and Pimento in Puff Pastry The Foods and Wines of Spain 1 package puff pastry 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Tablespoon minced onion 1 clove garlic minced 2 Tablespoons minced pimiento preferably homemade 1/4 pound mushrooms, chopped fine 1/2 dried red chili crumbled or 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste 2 Teaspoons grated parmesan cheese . Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion and garlic until onion is wilted. Add the pimiento and cook for a minute, then the mushrooms, chili pepper, salt, and pepper and saute until mushrooms are softened. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese. Roll the puff pastry to 1/8 inch. You can cut Cut into 1 3/4 inch circles and place 1 teaspoon of filling on half of the circles. Moisten the edges with water, cover with the remaining pastry circles, and press with the tines of a fork to seal. I prefer to make them triangle shape,by cutting the pastry into 2 1/2 inches squares, add filling on one half and then folding over corner to form a triangle. (May be prepared ahead and refrigerated) Place on a dampened cookie sheet and bake at 425 F on the upper rack of the oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden. ( To cut down on work you could make this appetizer in a larger size and Bake for about 20 minutes.) Then cut into wedges. ---------------------------------------------------------- Blue Cheese Tartlets Source: Williams-Somona 8 ounces tart pastry dough (or frozen puff pastry) 3 ounces spinach or Swiss Chard 1 egg 2/3 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup freshly grated Emmenthaler Cheese 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Salt and pepper 3 ounces Blue Cheese (Roquefort, Gorgonzola, etc.) 2 tablespoons pine nuts . If using tart pastry, prepare the dough and refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to roll it out. If using commercial puff pastry defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Preheat an oven to 425�F. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Plunge the spinach or Swiss Chard into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Immediately drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking. Drain again, pressing against the greens to force out as much water as possible; set aside. Break the egg into a bowl. Add the cream, Emmenthaler cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste and beat with a fork until completely blended. Coarsely chop the spinach or chard and add it to the bowl; stir well. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out as thinly as possible. Sprinkle the Roquefort or other blue cheese evenly over the dough. With a fluted pastry cutter about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, cut out 18 dough rounds. Use the rounds to line 18 individual tartlet pans or wells in tartlet trays or miniature muffin pans. If using the former,arrange the lines pans on a large baking sheet. Fill each lined pan with some of the egg mixture and scatter a few pine nuts on top. Place the tarlets in the oven and bake until the filling sets and the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve Warm. ---------------------------------------------------------- If you are looking for something easy, both of these are really simple and always well received. You can buy the focaccia instead of baking your own. And the mini cocktail toasts are easy to find in most grocery stores. All you need for this is mini toasts, toasted walnut halves and soft goat cheese and a drizzle of good quality olive oil. Focaccia with Warm Goat Cheese 1 focaccia, homemade or purchases 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips and drizzled with olive oil. 1 recipe homemade Tapanade (or purchase all ready made) Chevre (Goat cheese) Cut the Focaccia into bite size squares Cut the roasted pepper into small strips Warm the Goat Cheese in the microwave to soften. Put a dollop of goat cheese on top of each square of focaccia. On half the focaccia place a few strips of pepper and on the other half place a small spoon of Tapanade.

Mexican lasagna I found this recipe on pinterest and it sounds like one I need to try. This amazing lasagna recipe with Tex-Mex flair is fantastic. The beef mixture includes refried beans and chilies. The recipe is layered with noodles and cheese and has a salsa layer before adding sour cream, cheese, green onions, olives and tomatoes for the topping. Author: Teresa Ambra inspired from Taste of Home Recipe type: Beef Main Dish/Pasta Cuisine: Tex-Mex Serves: 10 Ingredients 2 lbs. 93% lean ground beef 16-oz. can refried beans 4-oz. can chopped green chilies 1 pkg. taco seasoning or Homemade Taco Seasoning 2 8-oz. bags shredded Colby-Jack cheese, divided 16-oz. uncooked lasagna noodles 24-oz. jar Pace mild or medium chunky salsa, divided use 2 cups water (see note below) 16-oz. sour cream 2 ¼-oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained 3 green onions, chopped 3 small roma tomatoes, chopped Instructions In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the beans, chilies, taco seasoning and 2 heaping tablespoonfuls salsa; mix well. Heat through over medium heat about 5 minutes. In a well greased 9x13” baking dish, spread at least a cup of the meat mixture on the bottom to prevent noodles from sticking. Layer a row of four noodles and spread with one-third of the remaining beef mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers twice. Combine remaining salsa and water; pour over top. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour and a half, or until noodles test fork tender. Uncover; top with sour cream, then cheese, then olives, then onions, and finally tomatoes. Bake 5-15 minutes longer—until cheese melts. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting. Notes When pouring salsa/water mixture over top it is imperative that you cover the noodles as much as possible so they don’t get dried out while baking. You must spread at least a cup of beef mixture on the bottom of the baking dish or the noodles will stick to the bottom of the pan. You can use enchilada sauce with the salsa to pour over top, if desired. Since the noodles aren't pre-cooked you cannot add additional layers or there is not enough moisture in the casserole to bake them through sufficiently. Baking time is approximate. Your oven may take 1 hour or 2 hours depending on if it runs fast or slow. Check for doneness by pricking noodles with a fork. If the noodles are tender, the casserole is cooked enough. If you wish to precook your lasagna noodles, cook only to al dente. Then spread the salsa over top of the casserole WITHOUT mixing it with water. Bake about 30-40 minutes or until casserole is bubbly. Then spread with sour cream, add cheese, green onions, olives and tomatoes. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts. Recipe by Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen at http://cantstayoutofthekitchen.com/2012/06/28/mexican-lasagna/