If it’s March,
February 28, 2022
then it’s time for Daffodils. There is no better way to pull us through to Spring than with a bunch or two of the most perfect yellow ever. Their familiar cheerful faces and gentle fragrance just can’t help to lift us up, especially now. Rising prices, foreign invasions, the continuing pandemic and the near end of a brutal Winter have us in need of a little something something. A bunch or two of daffodils are just the ticket even if the price is double what is was last year. While you’re at it, it would be a lovely gesture to pick up a few extra bunches and pass the sunshine around. The rewards are sure to come back to you ten fold. If you’d like to use the Daffodil as inspiration, you might try a few from the selections below from the simplequietmodern archives.
Bunches of cut Daffs. If it’s March that means that January and February are in the rear view mirror.
This particular Knoll pattern features three colors familiar to March… the yellow, gray and white.
Even lunch and dinner can feature a little sunshine. This pickled blend of cauliflower, onions and yellow bell peppers will certainly liven things up with very little effort.
Maybe a permanent swath of yellow twig dogwood to enjoy from every window, especially when rising from a blanket of snow.
Bright second fiddle, a bunch or two of forced Forsythia branches, sourced locally, online or free from a neighbors yard.

Bright ceramic field tile will have you waking up to sunshine every day, no matter what.
daffodil photo: gp
Quite the Pickle
June 16, 2014
Let’s see. Some cauliflower and some cabbage, onions and yellow peppers. A little spice and a quick pickle and you’ve got Chow Chow. A relish of southern origin, I somehow remember it from my childhood in the Midwest, but with no Southern roots in sight. I tried to capture what my taste memory was holding on to but every recipe I saw looked like a miss even from the list of ingredients. Settling on this recipe, which started as my crock pickle brine with the addition of some sugar and turmeric, I think I hit a homer. And, it’s good for you… with the cruciferous vegetables providing vitamins, fiber and disease fighting phytochemicals, the natural fermentation promoting increased cardiovascular, digestive and immune health and the turmeric with its anti-inflamatory properties. Enjoy it on a sandwich, alongside some grilled meat or all by itself instead of a salad or coleslaw.























