Oxalis regnellii, better known as the Shamrock Plant is a lovely little one that will bring bright color (and maybe good luck) into your home well past St. Patrick’s Day.
The Shamrock Plant reaches a max height of 8 inches tall. The leaves are clover-shaped and in the spring, fall, and winter, small delicate flowers appear. There are over 570 species with a rainbow range of color, from bright and dark greens to the sought-after burnt oranges and dark purple foliage. Exposure to the sun will cause these color nuances in either the green or purple varieties.
Oxalis grows from rhizomes or bulbs, which is a unique feature for a houseplant*. And it’s easy to care for because of this. For example, if you miss watering for a while the bulbs go dormant. Start watering again and the plant reappears like magic! Another little trick this plant pulls out of its hat … at night the leaves fold up and close, reopening in the morning with the sunlight.
Speaking of sunlight, Oxalis regnellii likes sunny indirect light. A southeast facing window will work best but it’s a hardy plant and can tolerate various lighting conditions. I water my plant once a week in the winter and 2 twice a week in the spring/summer. It likes moist soil. Let it dry in between waterings to prevent root rot.
The Shamrock Plant can easily be propagated by separating the rhizomes and replanting in soil.
All of us remember as kids searching through the grass to find the lucky four-leaf clover. In 11th grade, at lacrosse practice I scooped up a four-leaf clover as I was going for a ground ball, I swear! I framed it and have it somewhere in my parents’ basement.
So, what is the difference between Oxalis, Clover, four-leaf Clover and shamrocks? Here’s the breakdown.
A shamrock according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is any of several similar-appearing trifoliate plants (leaves divided into three leaflets). Plants called shamrocks include the family Oxalidaceae, or any of various plants of the pea family, including white clover, suckling clover, and black medic.
Therefore, clovers, the ground clover plant, and the house plant Oxalis are both considered shamrocks. Four-leaf clovers are a genetic mutation of the clover. They are rare to find, but not impossible with the luck of the Irish.
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*Oxalis regnellii, can also be grown outdoors in our garden zone 7. It must be dug up and brought in before the frost.
New York City has finally passed a ban on most single-use plastic bags, catching up to 300 towns and cities across the U.S. and 55 countries in Europe. According to the Dept. of Environmental Conservation, New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags annually — each for about 12 minutes — and approximately 85% of this staggering total ends up in our landfills, recycling machines, waterways, and streets. And oceans! Living so close to the ocean, I feel a responsibility to respect and protect wildlife and our coastal environment. I’m thrilled about the New York State Bag Waste Reduction Act, as I’m sure many of you are too.
Beginning this Sunday, March 1st, it is illegal for most retailers to give you a plastic bag to carry purchases in. NYC has opted for a 5-cent paper bag fee just in case you forget your reusable tote bag. The restrictions and rules can be a little confusing as we transition into this plastic-free shopping realm. Gothamist.com as an in depth article outlining everything you need to know about how the plastic bag restriction will affect individuals and business owners. I strongly recommend reading about it here.
For the past several years, I’ve gotten into the habit of bringing my tote bags food shopping and to other stores. I’ve built up a large collection. For those of you who need to purchase reusable tote bags or want to “shop in style”, I’ve compiled a list of fashionable totes sold by our favorite local business. And men, don’t you worry, “the man bag” is so trendy these days.
Cuisine by Claudette sells a sturdy tote with their iconic hand drawn logo design on it. Take it to the gym or to CVS, it’s versatile! Purchase the Cuisine by Claudette tote at either of their two locations: 143 Beach 116th Street, Rockaway Park 11694 or 190 Beach 69th Street, Arverne
Have you been to the new eatery Thank You? The food is delicious. Drop by to try it and also pick up one of these rad reusable totes! Located at 214 B 116th St, Rockaway Park.
Buy a bag of books or take this fun typographic tote anywhere you go. Visit Avoid The Day’s new brick and mortar at 9904 A Rockaway Beach Blvd, Rockaway Park, to get this fun bag and others.
The Swellife has a few reusable tote options and they’re all adorable. Perfect for the farmers market or the beach! Visit the shop located at 91-08 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Rockaway Beach.
I love this hip, leopard, hand-painted tote bag from Life Eclectic. The bag is made of natural cotton fiber. Wear it out on the town or take it to the grocery store. It’s on sale now! Visit the website Free delivery within Rockaway!
Shop local and do your part to reduce single-use waste — it’s a win-win!
by Paula D.
on February 7, 2020 10:06 am in Recipes
My husband thinks I’m silly for decorating the house for Valentine’s Day. He tolerates Christmas and Easter but he can’t help making snarky comments about this Hallmark holiday. I tell him, “But… it makes me happy!” I enjoy rearranging and switching things up in the house. Re-designing makes your living space feel fresh and It’s also an incentive to clean! Or, in Matt’s words “Yo this is corny.” Whatever.
In addition to seasonal decorating, I also love seasonal cooking. My mother-in-law Maureen dropped off a bunch of old magazines a few weeks ago. She knows I like flipping through with my morning coffee. In the Savory, May 2019 edition, I found a whole section on strawberry recipes, which would be in season at that time. It just so happens strawberries are perfect for Valentine’s Day desserts too.
The magazine had some tips worth sharing. “Pick like a pro” – look for bright, shiny strawberries, skip containers with smashed or shriveled ones. The color should be deep and even, without white or green patches and they should smell fragrant. “Wash and wait” – (This one I’m familiar with), water increases mold on strawberries (and most fruits). So leave the berries in their original packaging and rinse in cold running water just before serving or cooking. Their shelf life is short, use within 2-3 days of purchase. “Get your vitamins” – despite their sweetness, strawberries are relatively low in sugar, they provide fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C. In fact, strawberries contain more vitamin C per serving and oranges!
The recipe that caught my eye was “Easy Strawberry Almond Tart ”. I think it was the ”easy” part that appealed to me. Using a flour tortilla you can make a delicious seasonally appropriate Valentine’s Day tart. Mine came out great. I could smell the strawberries as they came out of the hot oven. The butter, sugar, and berries formed a glaze. Make sure you slice the strawberries thinly, mine could have been a little less chunky. Use a pizza cutter to slice it up, that worked well for me. It looks impressive and is a quick dessert to make that will impress guests or your significant other.
As I was preparing the dish, I realized you can make this with blueberries, raspberries or experiment with other fruits. Maybe honey or maple syrup can be a nice sugar substitute. Shaved milk chocolate?!
Ingredients:
(Serves 4, ready in: 30 min.)
8-16 oz. strawberries
4 tbsp butter, softened
2, 8-inch flour tortillas
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Hull and thinly slice the strawberries. Spread the butter onto both sides of the tortillas and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops of tortillas with the sugar. Arrange strawberries on tortillas. Bake 20–25 min., until golden and crisp.
While the tart is cooking, lightly brown the almonds in butter on med-low, in a small frying pan on the stovetop. Occasionally stir. Remove the tart from the oven. Top with the almonds. Cut into quarters and serve. Eat hot, right out of the oven!
There are a few other noteworthy strawberry dessert recipes in that edition of Savory. Find them here. If you try any of them, let me know how they turn out.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all my readers, I love ya!
by Paula D.
on February 7, 2020 10:03 am in Food
Here are some strawberry dessert recipes that look worthy. Check out my post here, where I tried the Easy Strawberry Tart recipe.
Recipes from savoryonline.com.com
