Mom Expects Frost

so, we just spent the last two hours covering all of the new plants in the garden. It looks like some sort of tent city along the fence...with the sheets and extra fence posts making cover for the row of corn. And, extra plastic bags and newspaper make cover for the okra, tomatoes, beans, squash, and cucumber plants.Every year...it seems...we do this. It's almost become a family tradition!

 Here are the roses in bloom...

thought you might like to see them too. 

 Aidan's garden needs some work...so I'm not showing the bottom...but she in out of school next week, so Nana has plans! Ssshhh...she doesn't know about that yet.

And so it begins...

 I love spring...but the pollen is clogging up my throat! 

Thankfully, it usually only lasts a couple of weeks. With the pollen comes lovely flowers in the beds too...

And then...my Mother gets her annual drive started...

to open up some earth...

So, my brother comes and makes her happy. See the tomato plants? 

 They will be going into that patch of newly turned ground soon enough...before Wednesday for sure! It is supposed to rain on Wednesday...So...here's a toast to all the Mom's...and keeping them happy!

Today is Glorious!

First, because I woke up and my back was no longer hurting! Yea!...it's been really bothering me for a few days now, and making it really hard to get anything done.But, look what was in the front flower bed this morning!

Of course, the two above didn't last long...Aidan just can't resist picking flowers. At least, she no longer just pulls the heads off!

More getting ready to bloom...so you know that Mr. Winter is on his way OUT...and Ms. Spring is just around the corner!

Garden is Kaput...and so are we!

Mom and I both agree...we feel like we've played football for hours! Why so sore? Because we cleared the garden on Saturday...and are still getting over that Herculean effort! Here is what we faced...not very pretty after the morning glories and ZERO rain for weeks!

This little pepper palnt was full of red Jalepeno peppers...which I saved to send to Tracy's mom.

The tomatoes fed the birds for a little while, as you can see by this tasty treat!

 And the okra went to seed...after many pickings!

After pulling a truck load of plants up...

the rest were mowed down!

So, goodbye dear garden...until next year!

More Tomatoes!

Eight more quarts of tomatoes! I am done canning these for the season! Perhaps a few more pints of apples...and that's it! Aidan helped with this batch of tomatoes...she "squished" them...and added the salt to each jar. And I tested her...and she can explain the entire process we followed to can them! I'm sure she'll forget most of it...but she's turning into a great little helper. I'm planting seeds for tomorrow...and I'm not talking tomato seeds!

I love a productive day!!

And, yesterday...I had one! I got through about half of the apples (thought I could do them all...but I'm getting old!!). I peeled, cored, and sliced the green ones...covered them with white sugar and cinnamon...and they went into the oven to bake. Was thinking about a pie..but really, just needed to get them "processing" so I could move on to the red apples...which were to be my apple butter! 

 To my surprise...when I went back in about 40 minutes (in 350F oven) and started to "turn" the apples...they broke up...not mushy, but into small pieces just the same! Oh..goody...fried pies! So, I have a nice bowl of apple chunky-mush to make pies with tonight! Yum!And...discovered a good way to "start" my apples for the apple butter...really sped up the process! So, after peeling, coring, and slicing about half the red apples...then went into the oven. Then, went into the crock-pot (slow cooker) on high for about 5 hours...stirring occassionally...then more often the last hour. Spooned the apple butter into jars...and then a 10-minute boiling water bath! Voila...3 lovely pints of apple butter! (Also have half of the red to do today...and "found" another bag of green apples too!) So the job is about half done!

Another success...was this sprouting mint! It is ready to plant. These little springs came from my special drink at Olive Garden Restaurant a couple of weeks ago...when I had a shopping trip with my sister. How cool is that! Now, I will have a little pot of lovely mint growing in my kitchen this winter!

Lastly, while the apples were cooking (and the mint was growing)...I've been beading cabochons...since Saturday! Several are done and many more are prepped. 

 Let's not talk about the 3 trays of cabochons in the bead closet that aren't glued to a fabric/leather backing yet! Today, we're only talking about productive things!

Tomatoes Anyone?

Pickle Relish...Kinda

There has been so much squash and cucumbers in the garden this year, that we can't eat it fast enough. There are usually at least 2-3 of each on the vine that is too large to be good for dinner. So, I decided to do some pickle relish. 

 I cored the large cucumbers, and peeled most of them. I cut out any brown spots on the squash as well as cut off both ends. Then, I cut the prepared cucumbers, squash, and a large sweet onion up into on inch pieces. Lastly, I put all of them into the food chopper and they came out nice and "relish" size. These were added to a boiling pot of 5 cups sugar, 5 cups vinegar, and 1 package of bread-n-butter pickle spice mix. After about 5 minutes of boiling I spooned the mixture into the jars, using a slotted spoon so I didn't get too much liquid. Cleaned the top of the jars off, and put on the lids and rings. 

 They are a gorgeous color with the yellow squash! And taste just like pickles! I'm sure the relish will be great on hotdogs and as a side to dry beans and roast!

Bad, Bad, Bad....but oh so GOOD!

The garden had done pretty well...and we have been eating boiled corn and tons of steamed squash. But last night....we were BAD, BAD, BAD...but man was it so good!!!

Fried squash and Vidalia onions with grated cheddar cheese.

Fried corn fresh off the cob with real butter.

Fried green tomatoes (2 skillets, can you tell I like these!)

Fried okra. TONS of calories...but pure joy to eat!

  Also have some cucumbers and Vidalia onions in vinegar.

 And a bowl full of jalipeno peppers all washed and ready to make pepper sauce!Yum! Yum! Wish ya'll were here!!!

 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Very well, thank you. The corn is up taller than the fence now! The cucumbers are running...and the tomatoes are hanging full! Just waiting for the tomatoes to ripen to a nice red color! Squash is coming in every other day, and the green beans have been picked twice already! The lima beans are loaded down, but not filled out enough to pick yet. The jalapeno peppers are abundant and have been picked once. The peas and okra are blooming and just beginning to produce.

Woo Hoo! It's Raining and we have squash!

We got a nice little shower this afternoon! And the garden really needed it. I also picked my first few summer squash afterwards too!

Can't wait to get this cooked up! Yummy!