Fresh Lettuce in October?

Just a few days ago my dear husband mentioned that he was missing our salads with garden-fresh lettuce and herbs. Today I had a surprise.

Where does this lettuce come from? asked J.P. incredulous.

Out of the garden! 

NO! YESSS!

On October 29th !

Temperatures have been dropping from week to week now but, there is still some sort of life in my garden patch.
After dinner I walked over to take a few shots. Just to prove it. :))

Some lettuce and Parsley have survived so far. I kept an old plexiglass window tilted halfway over the plants to give them a bit of protection against the chill. It paid off so far.

Look, there is even a pea growing! Hey, dude, you are LATE!

On the other side Cosmos and Pot Marigolds (calendula) are glowing in the setting sun.

Tonight will be the first night with temperatures falling under 32°F (0°C).

The pumpkin has to sleep in the house for sure. Otherwise it will get mushy.

So,what did we have for dinner?

Baked chicken breast, rice and a tossed salad, with lettuce and tomatoes from my own garden.
But I guess this will definitely be the last lettuce for this season - or?

Thanks for stopping by.

Greens, Gras, and Spiders

Summertime brings a lot of fresh produce out of my garden patch. Nothing compares to vegetables when it comes to the "real" stuff. They just taste different, better.

There is a lot of green on our plates. Luckily my dear husband agrees heartily to that.
No such gruff remarks like: "Men don't eat vegetables", or "That's rabbit fodder".

Here a two of  my variations.

1)
Baby-Iceberg lettuce
Leaf lettuce
Collard greens
Celery
Carrot (shredded)
Bell pepper, yellow, cubed
Apple, sweet, sliced
Parsley
Basil
Summer Savoy

Vinaigrette:
Salt, pepper
Sugar
Lemon juice
Vegetable Oil
Peanutbutter

2)
Baby-iceberg lettuce
Leaf-lettuce
Parsley
Old cheddar, shredded
Bread Crumbs, (croutons)

Vinaigrette:
Salt, pepper
Sugar
Lemon juice
Vegetable Oil
Coffee Cream

The other day, after a rainfull night, I saw these patches on the lawn.
My curiosity got the better of me and I went out to take some photos of it.

It were spider nets, like circus tents artfully build between and over the grass straws.

I was hard to find a spider itself because there disappear as fast as a lightning when someone approaches the trap they have build.

One photo showed a spider just about to vanish into her hiding hole.
Then I went online to find out what it was about.

Quote: "These spiders are commonly called "Grass Spiders" because they build funnel-shaped webs, which are not sticky, close to the ground.  The spider hides in the narrow end of this funnel, which is usually protected by leaves or rocks.  When an insect, spider, or other small creature crosses the wide end of the funnel, the spider feels the vibration and rushes out to grab the prey.  Funnel weaver and grass spiders are incredibly quick, and can dash from the protected part of their web to the other end at lightning speed. Funnel weaver and grass spiders are beneficial predators.  They very rarely leave their webs, so they don't often enter homes."
www.spiderzrule.com/grass08.htm

A BIG Mixed Salad for Dinner

Today I took some photos from around the Yuma Dunes while driving on the I-8 (as a passenger, of course. :-))
I never get tired of looking at the sands and mountains.

When I asked what we should have for supper J.P's answer was: A BIG MIXED SALAD.
And that it was.

Ingredients: 

a piece of all vegetables you find in your fridge.
a piece of cheddar cheese
5 pitted prunes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
parsley, basil
salt, pepper
sugar
mayonnaise
sour cream
orange juice

Mix well, enjoy!