I was actually thinking about doing a little garden refresh this weekend, nothing too crazy, just cleaning up the patio and maybe moving a few of the potted herbs into better light. The rosemary has been thriving but the basil looks a little tired, so it probably just needs a bigger container. I think I might stop by the hardware place on Saturday morning and see if they have any wood planter boxes on the shelf. It would be nice to get that done before the really hot weather settles in because by July the afternoon sun makes everything on that side of the yard pretty crispy.

Someone told me about a cheap trick for keeping the soil from drying out too fast, you just line the bottom with an old cotton t-shirt, but honestly I have not tried it yet. Mostly I forget to water things until they start wilting, which is a terrible habit. The tomatoes in the raised bed are doing fine though, probably because they get enough shade in the morning. Anyway, I am looking forward to a quiet weekend with some fresh air and maybe a little bit of scrubbing on the deck.

I was talking to my neighbor about trying a new recipe for that soup we both like, the one with the white beans and kale. He said you can just throw in a few extra cloves of garlic and some roasted red peppers and it completely changes the flavor. I never thought about roasting the peppers first, but that makes so much sense because the jarred ones are always a bit too soft and tangy for me. Next time I make it I am going to use dried beans instead of canned too, just to see if the texture is worth the extra soaking time. Honestly the slow cooker makes it pretty easy either way. We were also discussing whether to add a splash of lemon juice at the end or just leave it out. I like a little brightness but my family always complains if it is too acidic, so I might keep the lemon on the side for people to squeeze themselves. That seems like the simplest solution instead of arguing about it.