San Francisco teen loses his cool at Olympics after his men's foil loss

Alex Massialas of San Francisco does his best John McEnroe impersonation during men’s foil loss to fifth-seeded Alexey Cheremisinov of Russia
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Hicks: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart fighting over a dog

The ‘Twilight’ stars may have a looming battle over a special pet.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Olympics swimming: American Ryan Lochte fails to medal in 200 freestyle

He finished fourth and off the podium n the 200 freestyle, which France’s Yannick Agnel won by a full body length against a field with gold medalists galore.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Bay Area to Sin City? Las Vegas bullet train backers gamble on record loan

Private developers are wagering on the XpressWest Las Vegas bullet train, hoping President Barack Obama’s administration in coming weeks provides a record rail loan to kick-start construction on the $ 8 billion-plus train line that could someday connect to California’s much-debated high-speed rail line near Los Angeles.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Die, Chrysanthemum Lace Bug

It was bad last year, but this year it’s epic. Lace bugs sucking leaf juices everywhere–and they make relatively quick work of even massive sunflower leaves, so asters, coneflowers, and goldenrods are goners. I’m not going to spray, which is the advised treatment. Sunflowers are annuals, so why bother (they just look ugly as the bugs work their ; way from bottom to top), but the other plants “should” come back fine next year. Of course, will they actually grow bigger or be stunted?

Click to expand and see the micro demons

That’s the gorgeous blue leaf of Rudbeckia maxima

An aster 100% defoliated & trying to regrow

Grey-headed coneflower. Poof.

Corthucha marmorata adults can overwinter, and a female might lay hundreds of eggs. My aster count will be lower this year as a result of this insect, and couple this with genista moth larvae defoliating baptisia in days, and aster yellows forcing me to rip out most of my E. purpurea–and the freaking 100 degree heat and no rain for 5-6 weeks–this summer blows. The only satisifaction I get is walking by the sunflowers and whacking the leaves to see lace bugs f ly off like dust, only to settle back down like volcanic ash.

But I should say, the garden is handling the drought fairly well. The lawn isn’t. But I need $ 500 to replace the front lawn with buffalo grass and clumps of side oats grama for a nice shortgrass look, which isn’t happening unless the serviceberry I can’t save starts sprouting benjamins.

T h e | D e e p | M i d d l e

Riders rescued from Six Flags' Superman roller coaster in Vallejo

A dozen Six Flags patrons were stuck in a stalled Superman roller coaster car 150 feet in the air for almost two hours Sunday.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

My Top 10 Knee High Boots

I’ve picked out my top 10 knee high boots for this season….

Office Biker Wellies £30 from Office

{a brief aside, I’m aware that many of you in hotter climes will barely be able to contain your disbelief at the though of wearing welly boots in summer but here, in England, they can be year round staples, trudging through muddy fields.}

Hushpuppies Marshfield £105 from Schuh

Why are these my favourites?

Where do I start, my poppetts, where do I start?

I love boots that are well-made and beautifully styled.

The evocative smell of new leather shoes….aaaah!

And I absolutely cannot resist buckle detailing!

Kurt Geiger £109 9reduced from £220) from Kurt Geiger

Those dang buckles call to me like the sirens called to Odysseus…..

Buuuuuuuy meeeeeeeee!

Pied a Terre Perssonite £225 from House of Fraser

It was Odysseus, wasn’t it?…quick Pause for Google check..

Yes, Odysseus was the lucky man…phew!}

Red Or Dead Bounty £100 from Schuh

They add a visual flutter without being gaudy, and the buckles are firmly in the timeless camp when it comes to added extras. 

Doctor MArten Becca £75 reduced from £134.99) from Amazon

I’d bet my last Rolo that these knee highs
will look as good in ten years as they do now.

Clarks Licorice Candy £140 from Clarks

Fashionable, yet classic.

Clarks Majestic Style £130 from Clarks

Some of my day-in-day-out boots come from these shops,
so I can vouch for their quality. 

Clarks Mascapone £120 from Clarks

You can’t go wrong with black or brown knee high boots.
Is there ANYTHING that doesn’t look good with them?

Dune Blackjack £169 from Dune

If the boot fits, wear it!!

{Boom boom…}

Modern Country Style

Olympic viewing: NBC critics loud on social media

In the age of social media, NBC now has millions of television critics who make their opinions known about every aspect of Olympics coverage instantly.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Riders rescued from Six Flags' Superman roller coaster

A dozen Six Flags patrons were stuck in a stalled Superman roller coaster car 150 feet in the air for almost two hours Sunday.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Olympics: World champion Jordyn Wieber fails to advance to all-around finals in women's gymnastics

U.S. women lead team competition, but Wieber, the defending world champion and favorite in the individual all-around at these Games, was upset by her teammate, Aly Raisman, and knocked out of the all-around competition after not one major miscue but several teetering imperfections.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Olympic notebook: U.S. beach volleyball team covers up bikinis

Two-time defending gold medalists Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor of the United States wore long-sleeved shirts on top of bikini bottoms for their 21-18, 21-19 victory over Natalie Cook and Tasmin Hinchley, a match that started at 11 p.m. Saturday when the temperature was 63 degrees. The Australians wore long pants, with T-shirts under their bikini tops.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Olympics: Natalie Coughlin doesn't swim in final, but earns historic medal

Natalie Coughlin didn’t receive her 12th Olympic medal during the medal ceremony Saturday night at the Aquatics Center after the United States set an American record to earn the bronze medal in the 4X100 freestyle relay.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Santa Cruz woman dead after she falls from party bus on Highway 17 in Los Gatos

A 25-year-old Santa Cruz woman was run over and killed after she fell out of a moving party bus while fighting with another woman just before midnight Friday in Los Gatos, authorities said.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Police: San Jose double homicide suspect says he'll shoot it out before capture

Pedro Castellon Medina is suspected of shooting Pedro and Marybel Jimenez to death this week, leaving three young children orphaned.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

The Olympics Opening Ceremony!

Did you see the Olympics opening ceremony last night?

It was awesome.

Yes, fantastically British with a capital B.

Definitely worth watching!!

Huge images were projected onto the Houses of Parliament.

The combination of such vibrant MODERN images with a building steeped in centuries of our COUNTRY’S history had me riveted. Compared to the rest of the show, this was definitely low-key but…

….it’s in moments like these that I feel oh-so-proud to be British. 

No one does pomp quite like we do.

Go Team GB!!

Modern Country Style

Oakland Raiders: Steve Wisniewski resigns from assistant coaching job

Former Raiders star resigns from assistant offensive line post for personal reasons, team release states.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Chick-fil-A a political battleground with days for appreciation, same-sex kisses

Chick-fil-A sparks tempest over gay marriage stance
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Man killed in downtown San Jose stabbing

A man who was stabbed to death at the corner of Second and St. John streets in the downtown area Wednesday night was the city’s 23rd homicide victim of the year.
San Jose Mercury News Most Viewed

Cottage Garden Journal

 A Garden Stroll 

and

Favorite Color Combinations

Gardening has been a challenge this summer for many of us. With the extreme 

heat, heavy rains or no rain at all, we face weeds, insects and disease.  The La Marne

 rose is beginning another flush of flowers – they bloom nicely throughout the spring, 

summer, and fall.

Sadly, some of my plants have succumbed to one or more of the above. Happily, 

there are some that are thriving. I am very happy to see the Coneflowers, Blackeye 

Susans and the Daisies.

The Morning Glory is doing nicely, the bees are still enjoying its pollen.

Earlier in the spring I planted annuals in the planters at the front of the house - 

I chose leaf and flower colors that I thought would complement the house colors. 

I was hoping we’d have our awnings painted -a  burgundy-red – by now, but other

 things have taken priority.

The plants I put in the planters were: Rambling Burgundy Chrome Petunia; Iresine ‘Purple Lady’; and Sidekick Sweet Potato. There are hibiscus already there – they grew back from the root and have yet to bloom. When they do, they should be red. My husband is very pleased with this plant color combination.

The Dahlias that I received last summer as a gift from our home church  are

 beginning to bloom – I love their bright, big sunny blooms.

This sweet little rose is still blooming – I am so very happy to see its full, fragrant and 

very tiny blossoms. It is a very delicate rose and one whose identity is a mystery to me. 

I planted these pink petunias in a pot I spray painted blue, along with the table that is

 next to the old rocker. The rocker’s seat has been long gone, so I decided to plant the 

flowers in the seat. I love whimsical touches.

The statue’s painted, white exterior is holding up very nicely.

 I used a water-repelling masonry paint last summer.

Some of my new favorites are the colochia or million bells flowers  - in a lovely array 

of colors they’re like little prolific petunias cascading over the pots. I hope your garden

 is faring well this summer, I am beginning to wish for the cooler  days of the fall weather.

 There’s so much to enjoy with each season.

I will be sharing this post with these Delightsome blog parties:

Cottage Flora Thursday @ Fishtail Cottage

Bloom Day @ May Dreams Gardens

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Inspiration Friday @ The Picket Fence

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

 

Follow me on Pinterest!

A Delightsome Life

Grilled Pizza

I have mentioned before that I don’t like to heat up the oven during the summer in order to keep the house cool. But usually I make an exception for homemade pizza. Recently one of my friends has been brining grilled pizza to get togethers and so I thought I would give it a try.  I found several recipes on the internet that described the technique, but I used my usual dough recipe from “The Simple Art of Eating Well Cookbook”.  Honestly this pizza was better than usual and I don’t think I will go back to cooking it in the oven, even in the winter (depending on how cold it is!).

Here is the recipe:

Dough (you can use pre made dough if you like): 

3/4 cup lukewarm water

1 package active dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Toppings (you really can use whatever you want, this is just what I used):

6 oz pizza sauce

6 oz canadian bacon

1/2 medium yellow squash, sliced thin

1 small onion, diced

3 banana peppers, diced

6 olives, sliced

1 handful baby spinach, chopped

6 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced

Stir water, yeast and sugar together in large bowl. Let sit for about 5 minutes until yeast is frothy. Stir in both flours and salt. I like to use my hands to mix it until the dough comes together.

Place onto lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic- about 5-10 minutes.  Place dough in well oiled bowl, cover with clean kitchen towel and set in a warm place to let it rise. Let it rise about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.

Prepare all toppings. I sauteed the onions, peppers and squash to make sure they were cooked through.

When the dough has risen roll it out on a lightly floured work space. Turn the grill on high heat and clean off burner. Spray grill with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Prepare a bowl of olive oil and a basting brush. Brush one side of the rolled pizza dough with olive oil and place on prepared grill surface, oil side down. Dough will start cooking quickly.  When the bottom of the dough has browned flip it over using 2 spatulas. 

Working quickly apply a thin coat of olive oil to the top of the dough, put on sauce, toppings and cheese.  I made sure and had all of my ingredients laid out on a cookie sheet beside the grill. Once all toppings are on close lid of grill and let cook until cheese is melted. Check periodically to make sure bottom isn’t burning.

Enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Scout’s Stitches