Recipes ~ Green pepper pesto ~ Link for Meatballs ~ Hot Banana Pepper Sauce

Green Pepper Pesto
2 green bell peppers, seeded, coarsely chopped

1. Steam blanch the peppers over boiling water for 3 minutes.  Place in food processor.

1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup grated organic Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup organic olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
2/3 cup salted/roasted pumpkin seeds, organic

Add the above ingredients to the food processor with the bell peppers, and process until smooth.

Freeze in portions or use some and freeze some.  Lasts up to 3 months in the freezer.

Homemade meatballs.  Here is the link for the recipe I use (uses oats vs. bread crumbs) - Homemade meatballs.

The other meatball recipe I make is with ground turkey and zucchini - Turkey Zucchini Meatballs.

The sauce in the above picture is a bit different.  It uses hot banana peppers, onion and garlic and other ingredients.  Here is the recipe for that sauce:

Hot Banana Pepper Tomato Sauce
In a skillet with a Tbsp. of olive oil, heat the following ingredients for 3-4 minutes:

1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup hot banana peppers, chopped

Add:
1 Tbsp. minced garlic

Heat for another 2 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients together either in the skillet to use right away, or in a crock pot.

6 oz. organic tomato paste
1 qt. home canned tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 to 2/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1-2 tsp. sugar (optional)

If using sauce right away, heat for 30 minutes.

If you don't like it "chunky" simply use an immersion blender or leave as is.   I left it as "chunky" and heated for a short while in my crock pot.  We loved this!  Spicy, but not too spicy.

Garden Goodness and Struggles with a Drought

First up, I boiled some eggs (that I had to buy, grr!).  I needed something healthy available to eat.   I haven't been eating breakfast at all, and come dinner time, I am so drained I don't feel like eating.  The egg basket has zero after today.

I froze some cucumbers for the first time ever vs. canning.  I did this for recipes I would like to make in the winter.  The remaining will be put into canning recipes - pickles, whatever.

I froze more zucchini, and this time in smaller chunks for other recipes.

Froze more green/wax beans.

I put up the last of the corn we had, as the person never came to pick it up.  

I also had jalapenos to put in the freezer.  I am thankful for what we have been harvesting, but what a year it's been.  The hot peppers are doing great.  I'm only watering the last squash plants now, the cucumbers and the greens.  We are conserving the well water until we re-fill the rain barrels.

I pulled a few turnips to thin them out, praying we get rain and the rest plump up.  I chopped them up for a side dish.  They are definitely not big yet, but we have some time on root veggies.

When I said my plants are small and slow growing, here is a photo of my swiss chard and my russian kale.  Something is eating the kale, but the chard is getting bigger, just not big enough yet.


I'm getting some recipes ready to post tomorrow.

2020 can go away....

The year has been crappy overall.   I feel like the government is keeping us from family and friends, so we may have a bonfire out here, but it depends on the heat.  It's been dry and hot.  That's not a good mix for burning.

I'm seriously concerned for our state.  A few days ago, after midnight (in the big city two of my daughters live in), there was what they called purging.  I can't make this stuff up.  People with cars without plates went around shooting at people randomly.  I read a toddler and an elderly man were shot and killed.  Purging?  The world has really gone to h-e-double hockey sticks.

Oh, and I have 2 more dead hens.  This time it was a weasel that came in the top of the fencing (which we recovered with harder wire fencing, and he said it would hold until we get the fencing up on the new coop).

Well, he felt awful, so we moved the hens last night.  Temporary fencing goes up tonight.  Then we start removing debris from the cement slab (cutting trees down etc).  I went from 8 adult hens to 2.  I have 6 newbies.  So I have 8 vs. 14.  It is the first time in 12 years I do not have a rooster crowing out there.  I miss Sparta.  He was the best rooster ever.  Anyway, I will (and I repeat) never buy straight run just to get a rooster. I still plan to get some photos of the new ones.  

We have never, ever had a problem like this in the 12 years living here.  I am pretty much sure it's due to our drought.  We have never experienced such a dry year in all the years living here.

Speaking of drought, we will rely on rain water that's in the rain barrels.  We are very worried about our well and water for winter at this point.  I may be sacrificing flower watering to save on the well. I may sacrifice my root veggies as well.  Just frustrating.

We have a few chances of rain this coming weekend, but not much.  Whatever comes down will be saved in the rain barrels.

Well, on a good note, I spent 5 hours cleaning my kitchen.  It's back in order, other than I need a storage area for my new pressure canner.  I'll worry about that later.  I think today's hot spot is the utility room.  It's a hot mess.  First, I have some zucchini to get in the freezer, and I need to count eggs to see if I can make a breakfast casserole.  Now that i have only 2 laying, it really, really stinks.  So if you are getting eggs, count your blessings.  

Update on our youngest.  She hasn't been home for 3 (going on 4 days).  She can't be around anything that reminds her of him, so we stay in contact, but her absence is weighing on us.  

I have a library movie due back, and have no way to get it back today.  My car is still up on the jack.  There has been so much mentally and physically going on, we've not had a minute to even think about the repairs.

Sorry for the long post today, hopefully the Rain Gods will bless us and I'll have some bounty to share.  I'd just be peachy keen if I start getting eggs from the newbies.  Oh, by the way, Hubby said "absolutely no way" on raising meat birds next year.  We have no secure place to raise them.  Too many other jobs to get done before building a secure building either.

Garden ~ "Local" Adventure Day ~ Storm

I brought in more green and wax beans, but boy are they not as large as they should be.  Watering has been almost daily with this drought and heat index, it's so frustrating.

I put 1 1/2 cups of blackberries in the freezer too.  The green beans need cleaned and put in the freezer today.  Not sure how I'll have time for all my work today.

My 21 year-old knew that I have been having a very difficult time lately, so after diligent watering, and prepping dinner for 2 crock pots, she swooped me off to a day of fun.  However, we found several of the local shops closed on a Monday (and Tues).  That sort of put us in a depressed mood, but we located another town with a general store open and drove there for some local shopping.  Then....

We hit Adli's for some much needed adult beverages and picked up some hard root beers to try as well.

Returning home, I had to batten down the hatches for a storm rolling in.  First they said 75mph wind, then 60.  We took precautions, but all we got was a little bit of wind and a teensy bit of rain.  Urgh.  We need the rain badly here.

I'm totally done with the herb garden.  It's a hot mess of weeds.  Thyme died, parsley died, not sure if there is rosemary or any green onion in there or not....gonna dig the entire thing out and lay cardboard in, fill with dirt and completely start over.  It won't happen right now, but by fall I should have a start on it.

Flower beds are full of weeds (why they grow and nothing else is mind blowing).  Zinnias haven't bloomed but a few, gladys have died, with only one bloomed.  If there was a year I should not have planted flowers it would be this year.

As for my house cleaning.  It turned into a hurricane as fast as I had it cleaned the last time I washed 5 loads of dishes.  Don't even ask me about the dishwasher either. 

I offered a dozen ears of corn to some friends a few days ago.  The corn is still here.   Not sure what I will do with it, but that needs taken care of too.

If there was a day I wish there was 10 of me, it would be today. 

Happy Homemaker Monday

I've got a bit "to-do" list to keep me busy for sure.  First the green beans needed picked, so that's off the list as I post this.
-water everything (again)-write out a menu for a camping trip
-clean up house and kitchen mostly
-laundry
-sweep and mop
-clean out fridge
-clean and freeze green beans
-freeze blackberries
-the list goes on and on....

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  


The weather outside is . . .
Hot!  Gonna be up to 91°F and heat index will be hotter.

How I am feeling this morning. . . 
Better than yesterday, but dragging.  I hope my to-do list will help with that. 


On my mind . . . 
Geeze.  A lot.  Youngest daughter, us, her boyfriend's family, her boyfriend's best friend's family....a lot!  Looking forward to a few camping trips too.


On the breakfast plate . . .
Nothing.  It's almost 11am and all I've had is coffee.


On my reading pile . . .
My Bible, devotionals

On my TV . . .
Sons of Anarchy


On the menu . . . .
-Homemade meatballs, homemade hot banana pepper sauce (crock pot), jalapeno creamed corn (crock pot), and home grown green beans, tomato cucumber salad
-have no idea


From the camera . . .

Looking around the house . . .
It's in disarray, but hopefully I can straighten'r up today (a bit).


Chore I am not looking forward to this week . . .
Clean out the fridge.  I swear there are things growing in there and most unidentifiable.  Sigh...


Something I want to share . . .
Nothing online, just some projects on the hooks.  Will share a post later hopefully.


On my prayer list . . .
Youngest, Us, friends of ours, this country, our President, our state (the Governor is out of control!!!!).

Corn ~ Tiger ~ Cake and other ramblings

I have gotten 70 cups of corn in the freezer, and have 10 more to get done today.  After that I pass out the remaining ears of corn to my family and friends.

When I start removing the corn off the cob, Tiger comes a runnin'.  He is so funny.  I gave him an ear to chew on and when he left the kitchen I picked it up.  Later he came back and I ignored him.  He got around my leg and was back kicking me and then bit me.  Ha ha!  I gave him another.  

We have our daughter's boyfriend's family coming for dinner tonight, so I baked another zucchini cake.  I will put a glaze on this one before they arrive.

I finally got in touch with Mom.  She is so funny.  Always out and about.  I wanted to ask what she needs for her birthday, but she refuses to let me gift her anything.  If I get more zucchini, I'll be delivering her cake and something else homemade.  She loves homemade/handmade anything.

Today, we un-bury the tomato patch.  It's full of grass.  No big deal, but with the tomatoes turning red, I need the grass out so I don't get ticks on me.  I wear muck boots, but still.

I got an order for 4 of the jar grippers I make.  I need to make 2 of them to get the colors she needs, but I'm thrilled for the sale.

I'm trying to locate organic / non-gmo corn grits.  They are sold out on the site I order from, and Amazon has prices so high it's ridiculous.  If you know where I can find them, please shoot me a comment.

We are all getting through day by day.  Minute by minute.  When I am busy, I am fine, but when I stop I have anxiety and whatnot.  Daughter is having a rough time yet.  I do thank you all for your kind words, good mojo and prayers.

Green Pepper Pesto ~ Library ~ Tomatoes

I've always associated "pesto" with greens.  I was intrigued when I found a recipe using green peppers as the base.  The recipe is from a library book I borrowed - Preserving the Harvest.

I got two lovely green bell peppers from the garden, and had basil, so I gave the new recipe a whirl.

I decided to make a pasta pesto using this pasta.

End results.  Who knew that green peppers would make a great pesto.  I'll have to make this and freeze some for winter.   I am still hoping I get 16 ripe bell peppers all at once to stuff and freeze as well.

Apparently, the library kept my inter-loan requests, but put them all on hold back in March.  Items starting coming in last week, but they sent them back.  I just had so much going on with the passing of the boys.  Daughter stopped and picked up what they had.  A few crochet books and a movie.  All of the canning and herb books had been sent back.  I have no idea what they were.

Finally seeing these turn red.