Garden Visit ~ Tornado Season Starts

Yesterday, I had to put my lavender heat pillow on my neck.  I'm spending many, many hours at the kitchen sink these days.  I picked another 21 lbs. of tomatoes, but left them sit on the table overnight.  I prayed that King would not be able to get to them, and tackled the other day's pickings.

Swiss chard, rosemary, comfrey, calendula, a tiny bit of fresh thyme for a tea infusion, and some wild growing dandelions.  It was all put up, dried, or blanched. 

If you give a Mom a dip to make.....

You know that poem about "if you give a Mom a muffin" and how she gets side tracked?  Well, after I did my morning routine exercise, I headed out to see what needed harvested.  The zucchini looks pretty bad, and I have ants chewing away on them now.  Cucumbers look oh-so, not good either (sad about that), and only one yellow squash to bring in.  

One daughter reminded me upon entering the kitchen, that I bought organic cream cheese to make a cracker dip we like.  So, I returned to the herb garden, where I could not even see the green onion I needed. 

I'm not sure if passing cars saw me throw my hands in the air and started talking to myself...."where do I start?"

Everything was a muddy mess from the rain, and it was hot and humid.  Very humid.

 

I ended up pulling all the "tall" stuff out.  Then I couldn't stand it, and went around and got more weeds pulled, but had to fight off an onslaught of sweat bees.  Even my homemade bug spray did not help.  I went inside about noon, and had mud all up and down my arms from swatting bees, and never even cut the green onions.  It will take a few more days to tidy up the herb garden.

Peaches ~ Plums ~ Apricots ~ Blueberries

I'm getting more peach jam put up, and for the first time, plum and apricot jam. All jams are reduced sugar.  These will go fast in my family.  I can utilize the plum and apricot with other meals, not just PB and J's.

The plum jam is delicious! 

So is the apricot!

I'm  starting to put enough fresh plums, apricots and peaches in the freezer to enjoy all winter too.  I'm freezing them until our our trees start supplying us an ample amount.

Crazy Busy, but a Good "Busy"

I don't know why I even bother to borrow books from the library during this time of year.  I pick them up, never open them, and have a horrible time finding free time to return them.   It's in a town where I cannot do any errands but get gas in my car and pick up ice.  I returned everything but one book, and decided to leave it at that. 

The 60% chance of rain we were to get on Wednesday just flew off the weather map - "poof" it was gone.  No rain.  I need more hoses and a sprinkler, and I do not have them.  I already have three long hoses put together.  I'll be taking garden notes for next season, including where not to plant my garlic.  

In the 112 bulbs I planted, only 5-6 are as large as the largest one in the photo.  The rest are dinky.  It was like digging in cement, and I ended up with bruised knees (even with a knee pad).  I'll save these (or a portion) for replanting, but will be checking farmer's markets for more garlic (and beets).  I'm not sure fall planting will be a good idea for beets just yet.  I planted beans and peas and every chance of rain they said we'd get, was changed to no rain.  The tree leaves are already turning brown.

Homestead Happenings

The title should be "what's not happening" ha ha!  Hubby is still working 12 hour shifts.  I see him for about 2 hours from when he wakes up to when he returns to work.  Yesterday, I woke up early (surprisingly) and noticed he wasn't home.

I texted that I was a bit worried.  He texted back "working till 10."  I texted, "can they do that?!"  That would be a 16 hour shift, and he has a one hour drive home.  Let's just say I was wide awake at that point.


In the meantime.

I have put 6 cups of shredded zucchini in the freezer.  It's not a lot sadly.  We need rain.  I can water with well water and some with rain barrels, but a good soaking is so very badly needed.  I put up about 2 more pounds of green beans too.

Serviceberry Jam ~ Big Purge

Most people I have talked to, do not know what a serviceberry is.  It's almost like a mini-blueberry, but starts out looking like a mini-cherry.  It has the flavor of a blueberry, and is, what I call, seedy.

All the recipes for serviceberry jam, that I could find on the internet, used a large portion of these berries.  If you've picked them, you know it takes a lot of picking to get even a few cups.

Testing the new... Tidbits

I filled my new dehydrator with organic dandelion greens.  I still want to put more in the freezer, but I will be utilizing the dried greens too.  They dried faster than in the old dehydrator too.

The dried greens will be used for dog food, to make tea, to add to any dish we eat, to make dandelion vinegar, and other herbal mixtures.  I won't have to buy dandelion tea any more now.  Oh, I can use the dandelion for poultices too.

Saturday Scraps

I'm up early although against my will.  Now that I am dog care taker number one, I have dog duty.  Most days he curls up with me, but today, he was up and begging to go out.  So up I am.

I haven't have enough coffee yet, and already deleted a comment accidentally.  I hope that isn't a sign of how my day will be today, ha ha!

Yesterday I put up the last of the dandelion greens into the freezer.  I was afraid they would go bad before my dehydrator arrived.  And like all things you try to plan, my dehydrator arrived after I froze the last of the greens.

A day in photographs. . .a barter

 Well, some of my day anyway.....morning starts with coffee.

Folded Saturday's towels I forgot about.  My "linen" closet is a vintage laundry basket.

Sage Honey ~ Tidbits

I started two jars of sage honey.  This year was a good year for my sage, so I'm drying more for tea and cooking as well.

I filled each jar about half way with snipped, fresh sage.  Then filled the jars with honey.  You can use a spoon to move the sage around to release air bubbles, but I let mine sit a few minutes, and the bubbles released on their own.  The honey level lowered of course, so I then added more honey.

Wicked Weather

I spent the day doing some more stocking up, and got homemade condensed mushroom soup in the freezer.  I need several more made, so each trip to town, I pick up shallots and mushrooms.  I managed to get three article drafts done too, which was a huge relief to get back into my writing.

Hot chocolate is finally restocked for this cold spell were are currently in.  The weather is very fall-like, with a mix of storm-i-ness.  The wind is wicked due to the coastal storms.  I hope everyone is hunkered down and safe.

Random Tidbits ~ Camper Everything ~ More Cleaning

Yesterday's chores were still getting worked on when the kids got home from school.  I had to get everything washed and on the line as rain (storms) are expected today.  

I got all the rugs washed and dried too.  Speaking of rugs, our 18 year-old daughter took the peach colored (crocheted in cotton yarn) rug for her dorm.  I just read somewhere that they cannot have rubber backed rugs, so that worked out nicely.  So, if you kiddo is heading to college, a handmade crocheted rug would come in handy for her/him.  The ones you see on my clothesline are from old sheets, old jeans, and scrap cotton yarn.  They all wash up nicely too.

 

I forgot to dump my ice trays and bag it, so I could freeze all the organic collards I had yesterday.  I managed to get half of them froze.  I have more to freeze today.

Extreme Clean ~ Stocking Up

Who knew what could be lurking in my desk drawer?  Ha ha!  Remember these?  Go ahead.  I dare you to clean out one drawer today, ha ha!

Cleaning has been prosperous.

Tiger in a Pot ~ Random Tidbits ~ Sore Throat Pops

In between running here and there, I have brought in more onions.  I am so glad we planted over 300, or we would have had zero.   

Tiger, can smell certain foods a mile away.  I caught Tiger trying to get in a pot that I had used to bring in some onions.  Hilarious!   There was nothing in the pot a few scant onion tops.  He loves squash, watermelon, corn cob husks, and onion tops.   The pot was on the floor, because I made too many dirty dishes that day.  Don't worry, the pot was sanitized.

More "Feel Good" Moments

I have been busy in the kitchen again, dehydrating heirloom cherry tomatoes.

Busy Sunday ~ Beet-Cabbage Relish ~ Corn Relish ~ Bubbles and Squeak Cakes

Sunday's work list was changed once again.  While Hubby continued to work on the truck, I went straight out to water flowers.

Watering with a rain barrel takes patience.  The water doesn't just spray out like a hose hooked to the house.  We have drained one barrel, and almost a second one, leaving me two more to water with.  I don't like to completely drain them, or a good swift wind will take them sailing, and I'll be replacing water spigots again.

A Day with the "Queen"

I couldn't hold myself back any longer.   I mean why not?  Hubby is still fixing his truck, so the tree(s) still stands.

I found this recipe by purchasing a discarded library book at a library book sale. You never know what you'll find at one.

And a note:  I do not go looking for recipes like this one, they seem to find me.  And I really enjoy making them, and trying them.  I've been making this one for four years now.

Puttin' Up Peas

I keep forgetting to share this new front door rug.  It's already getting a bit dirty.   I get to see it every time I have porch time.

Thursday I waited for the sun and wind to dry out the garden before I attempted to enter it.  It's a fight with thistle this year.  It's everywhere.  I have blisters, even though I used gloves.

Canning Season Starts ~ Strawberries ~ Random Tidbits

Ideally, if we don't get any of one vegetable or fruit, we just do without.   However, we picked up 12 quarts of strawberries.  I took care of six quarts yesterday, but only canned jam once.  Many went into the freezer.

Cooking from Storage ~ Pasta e Fagioli

Oldest Daughter was pretty sick, and is still sick.  I whipped up a batch of homemade ginger ale for her, and that is the only thing she could keep down. Thankfully, I had all the ingredients, aside from lime juice, to make it.

I offered her elixir, but she said no.  Her fever continued all day.  She was the only one who had a flu shot too.  She's miserable.  

I'm sanitizing just in case.  Not that I don't, but just being extra careful.