I planted them last June 23 in small pots and in about a few days I already noticed some sprouts and It really pleased me.

Zinnia Plant 3 Days Old

Zinnia Plant 11 Days Old

Do you noticed on the photo where the leaves are starting to spout from the seedling? This first leaves of a seedling in a Zinnia plant is called the cotyledon. In greek it means “seed leaf”. is a significant part of the  embryo within the seed of a plant. What a wonderful sight to experience isn’t it? The birth of new life in a Zinnia plant.

After my first attempt to plant shallots failed, it was a joy to see my Zinnia’s spring to life.

The Zinnia’s were placed in a shaded portion of the garden underneath a tree. But I noticed after a few days, the stems were bending towards the suns direction as you can see in this photo. So I moved them away from the tree, having no shade placing them under direct sunlight. A few days later the stems started to straighten upwards reaching out to the sun.

Zinnia Plant 14 Days Old

Zinnia Plant 20 Days Old

During the days that it would rain, the stems would be fallen. And when the soil was damp, I did not water for fear of drowning them at this stage.

It’s the 20′th day in a life of a Zinnia plant. Do you notice how the stems though delicate are growing fast and long? The leaves are young looking but strong too.

Yehey, progress!!!

Zinnia Plant 31 Days Old

Zinnia Plant 81 Days Old

After the potting stage, I decided to transplant the Zinnia’s direct to the soil. Though there were some infestations and disease on the leaves at this stage, a neighbor suggested I transfer them directly to the ground to help improve the Zinnia’s conditions. After a while I noticed it did them good because the stem and leaf improved.

Like I said, in between these dates my Zinnia’s had some plant disease and been attacked by pests. Some died due to weakening of the stems and roting, while some stems got trampled by heavy rains which were too much for the small stemmed Zinnia’s to handle.

However, I am staying positive and still monitoring the progress of my Zinnia’s until they become full blown plants and mature enough to have flowers.

I have learned to be patient… to not expect, and instead be more understanding and accepting of what would turn out from day to day of my Zinnia progress.

In the morning or afternoons, I go around the garden to check on my Zinnia’s. I am just glad there are no dogs or cats that wander around that might harm my baby Zinnia’s.

To see these small plants bloom into beautiful colorful flowers that they ought to be… that would be truly a colorful flowerfull day for me !

Rating: *****

Ingredients:

2/3 cup bottled clam juice or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon minced garlic, divided

3 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

4 cups broccoli florets

2/3 cup water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and parsley

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Combine clam juice ( or broth), cornstarch and half the garlic in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Set aside.

2. Heat 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and crushed red pepper to taste; cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds.

Add shrimp and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Saute until the shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add broccoli and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add water, cover and cook until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the shrimp.

4. Add the reserved clam juice mixture to the pan and cook, stirring over medium-high heat, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in basil (or parsley) and season with lemon juice and pepper. Add the shrimp and broccoli; heat through. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges.

recipe adopted from: Eating Well, Health in a Hurry

If you are a bargain lover and a flea market fanatic like me you will for sure live the Miami antique flea market in South Beach.

The Outdoor Antique & Collectibles Market which happens every October – December and early January to May is one of my favorites and best finds.

The items on sale are quality high end stuff. These are not the kind you often see in regular flea markets. It is the time of the year when home owners and antique collectors show off their precious items for sale at a really low price. Kinda too good to be true.

If you have not been in this bazaar before, I warn you to bring enough cash or your plastic (some sellers accept Debit Card) but mostly cash, otherwise you will leave regretting not having done so.

It is a free outdoor event that takes place on Sundays 9am till 5pm on 800, 900 and 1000 blocks of  the famous The Lincoln Road Mall in Miami Beach. The Lincoln Rd Mall streets have some high end boutiques and good restaurants so you get to be walking along a classy neighborhood. I say bring a bottle of water because you are sure to get thirsty. There are also plenty of sidewalk food stalls or resto whichever you prefer.

The streets are filled up with booths and tents on both sides, and pretty much by the time you have reached the other end you must have hoarded enough to go back to an ATM machine to get some more cash.

There are also quite a number selling authentic branded items like Gucci, Prada, Coach, Loui Vuitton and many more. From pots and pans to jacket and jeans to electric guitars and paintings. You can find almost anything and everything in here under the sun. I remember there was also a vendor selling pure Honey Bees and Royal Jelly.

Mostly its the rich of South Beach getting rid of their collections. But take note that the crowd that comes here are also of affluent class who are either  just curious, passersby and bargain lovers themselves.

I was not expecting it to be that fabulous but I was overwhelmed by the collection these vendors have. For $200 you could already have a good pair of shoes, jeans, shirt and a ring maybe.

I was able to get my moneys worth in this bazaar for the price that I would have normally spent for just a pair of ordinary shoes, jeans or shirt. I was able to get  a Coach shoes for only $10. A pair of two long tunic shirt for only $30. A ring for $25. A nice leather belt for $15.

So if you want to spend your moneys worth or get something for yourself… something not often found in the malls, this is the place to go.

As their ads say whether you’re a Post Impressionist, Deconstructivist, Edwardian, Bauhaus, Beidermier, Art Deco, Gothic or an Atomic 50′s junckie, you’ll love this Sunday Social Event in Lincoln Road Mall at Miami Beach. That I can attest.

Admission is free so watch out for the next one soon which will be on Oct. 9 & 23rd, Nov. 6 & 20th, Dec. 4 & 18th.

Next years 2012 schedules are also available as early as Jan 8. Block your calendars and hope you share with me your good finds.

You can check their website at www.antiquecollectiblemarket.com

Sunday Antique & Collectible Flea Market in Miami Beach

Lincoln Rd. Mall, Miami Beach

Tempura-battered chicken breast in a sweet and sour sauce served on white rice with tasty sides of broccoli and peach crisp serves up 14 grams of protein.

Just pop them in the microwave count your toes and fingers (twice)  and its done.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

The packaging says heat for about four minutes and then let stand for another  minute to avoid tongue burn. However, I don’t usually wait, I prefer them hot hot hot.

Finish product fresh from the micro

The brocolli was okey although a bit wet from the defrost, the cereal was okey too although I did not eat it.

However, the rice was still hard a little and not a lot. The Chicken and pineapple was okey. I’d say for a ready to go meal it’s a 6, because it did’nt taste so bad and the sweet and sour flavor was evident.

But, if you are not a light eater or say a bit hungrier than usual the portion of this serving would not satisfy you.

I still don’t know which button I accidentally press, if its the Shift or the Control + whatever letter, but it happens to me all the time.

Worry no more. Here is a keyboard shortcut very handy if this happens again.

Just UNDO your last action by pressing Crtl key and press Z down. That would undo the last accidental erase. To REDO just press the Crtl key and press Y.

Hope this helps!

Wattana Restaurant

A simple Thai Restaurant along Dixie Highway, WATTANA. If you drive a bit fast you might not notice it but it is just beside Don Ramon Restaurant, a spanish resto serving Cuban food, then across the street is another latin restaurant called Peruvian I believe.

So I was craving for rice, plain white rice – yes I prefer them plain and white. But we got there just 5 minutes before closing time,  they close at 10pm so we were no longer be accommodated. The next day we come back much earlier and take our seat.

It is a bit cozier than I expected although not fancy. The waitress asks whether you prefer a table or a bar, I choose the last bar at the far end. Ofcourse, first things first we order for our drinks and I ask for my all time favorite “Thai Iced Tea”. My companion prefers lemonade… okey – Im thinking wait till you taste the ice tea.. haha.

Lemonade                                                                                      Thai Iced Tea

VS

After my companion made a sip, he also orders for another glass of…. Thai Iced tea ofcourse!

For our starter course we had Gyoza Soup. It was okey, not so hot though. I prefer sipping my soup hot.. well ofcourse!!! does’nt anyone?!?! I give this soup a 5 point out of 10. If it was hot I would have given it a 6 maybe.

Gyoza Soup

For our main meal I order Beef in Basil Sauce and their Specialty Shrimp and Chicken.

I anticipate so much for the Beef in Basil hoping it is almost the same as the one we had a month ago at another thai restaurant. That one was so delicious it had an after taste and we could not stop talking about it after a few days.

Beef in Basil Sauce

Beef, onion, bell pepper, carrots, brocolli

I must say I am a bit disappointed with this one, although it is not bad tasting, it was not as hot ( in temperature) and as tasty as I expected it to be. Maybe I set my expectations high on this one due to the initial experience we had at another restaurant.

So here comes the other meal we ordered, Shrimp and Chicken. According to their menu it is a Wattana Thai Specialty. Did you notice the close resemblance of the “Shimp and Chicken” to the “Beef in basil”? I swear when it was laid on our table I was a bit confused which one was which until I noticed the shrimp…

Maybe somebody should tell the chef ( not me) to cut the carrots a bit different or present it in a way a bit less identical. I get disenchanted when I order two different dishes and they arrive almost looking a like. I mean, I want to make the table look at bit crowded if I may??

Shrimp and Chicken

Shrimp and Chicken sauteed with vegetables, ginger, chili paste

Although this was the least I prefered, it turned out much better than the Beef in Basil. Was is it because it was hotter in temperature, not to mention the chili paste added to the spice.

I loved the sauce of this one more too, which I used to compliment with the plain white rice we had.

Plain white rice

If you ask me, using plain white rice, instead of rice with beans or rice cooked with garlic and oil and salt, like most latins do theirs, is a much better way savor a dish. Oh oh am I get somebody mad here?

Since it is already plain or bland to be specific there is nothing that competes with the main dish flavor allowing your tongue to totally concentrate on the main meal. Whatever it may be. Not to mention that this is lesser in calories too, sans the oil, the garlic, the salt and whatever else is out there.

For desert, we tried the Green Tea ice cream. I know it sounds odd isnt it? Are we suppose to sip or lick this one?

The waitress said it was sweeter than the green tea we drink so I went ahead and tried it anyway.

Green Tea Ice Cream

And the verdict is… I don’t know exactly what to say or taste. It is sweet yes, but I can’t quite pin point the flavor, if it has a hint of mint or pandan leaves or green coloring with some sweetening, i don’t know. This ice cream just confused me that I could swear I ate it up not quite decided of I did eat it or not. How’s that?

All in all, I had three servings of white rice and two glasses of Thai iced tea. I can’t get enough of this drink.

The bill was higher than I expected, or maybe I was hoping it to be lower compared to the other fancier thai restaurant we had been to last month. But then again, this one runs its own establishment so maybe there goes your overhead cost. Wattana is a family owned and operated Thai restaurant for 22 years already. Wow!

They offer a 10% discount for take-out orders on a limited time only for their 22nd anniversary. I see a lot of people come in and pick up their called-in orders, so if you happen to be around the corner drop by and try some thai dish.

Don’t forget the ice tea.

I will attempt for the second time to plant some seedlings. This time they will be flowers unlike the first time which were herbs, Scallions and Chives to be exact. After several days of waiting and watering not one seedling sprouted into a plant. I don’t know if I planted them to deep of if there was not enough or too much watering or if it was too hot (the banana leaves nearby got burned) since I planted them in the open sun on an open raised bed. So that was my first attempt at making a raised bed herb garden.

For these Zinnia flowers, I took some premium soil mixed with those white things, according to the landscape store these “white things” help retain water in the soil for an extra of 2 -3 more days. Let’s see. I then decided to place some garden soil on top after placing the seedlings.

Zinnia seeds: State fair, giant, mixed colors (Half Hardy Annual)

Zinnia mixed color

Huge 4 to 6 inc blooms in a blend of radiant colors. Packet will plant approx 295 sq feet. according to packing in the back.

Days of germination: 5-10

Days to bloom: 6- – 75 days

Planting Dept: 1/4 in

Plant Height: 2 1/2 ft. – 4 ft

for more information about growing Zinnia’s http://www.flowers-and-garden.com/garden-flowers/zinnia-flowers.php

Step 1:   Placed premium soil on each pot

Step 2:   Open the package and ready the seedlings for planting.

Notice how mixed and varied the size and color of the seedlings are? It’s because I bought the mixed pack.

Step 3: Plant the seedlings into individual pots.

Step 4: Add some of the garden soil on top just about an inch to cover the seedlings.

Flowers & vegetables

The garden soil is use can be easily bought at home depot. I had them for only $8 pack.  I had good results with these although the ones I used for vegetables was specifically for vegetables only. My Bromiliad’s turned out just healthy and fast growing using these soil.

Step 5:  Water the pots to keep them moist.

Well i just remembered these aren’t really my second, i have planted some mixed sunflower seedlings last year and those grew fast and easily. However, since I no longer can monitor the development of those plants being that I have moved, will just consider this instead as my second attempt.

According to the site these are really easy to grow annual plants. So lets see how it turns out. Hopefully I will not forget to check on the progress daily (???).

I would be glad even if not all pots germinate but some grow. After all planting seeds is like luck. Hit and miss.

To see progress on the Zinnia’s with photos click here