Tomatoes ~ Clothesline Day ~ Hot Peppers

 One of my extreme clean projects (craft binders) landed on the kitchen table, and it made me realize, I need the table for tomatoes.  Yikes.  

Tomatoes, although we are getting black rot on some, are rolling in, so I have set up a small camping table for the extras, as they are not all turning red at the same time this year. 

The sound of locusts outside, reminded me to wash our bathrobes while I still had good clothesline weather.  Plus, they were on the bathroom door, and I need that door taken down to paint anyway.  Eventually. I didn't get a photo, but that clothesline was full.  I washed all the towels, clothing and anything else to beat the rain.

Speaking of laundry, my washing machine is now acting up.  I am getting codes, and it will stop completely.  We got it running again, but it is 14 years old.  It may be the next appliance to be replaced.  

So, what would eat jalapenos?  I have one plant almost eaten completely down.  Never, ever, have a seen this activity.  I went back out and did a good look-see to check for tomato worms too.  It could have been done by the last horn worm I removed.  I didn't see any other activity out there.

It's not a great year for my hot peppers.  Plants are smaller, peppers are smaller, and I had several rotten hot banana peppers on a few plants.  My cayenne didn't make it. No habanero this year either.  Just a weird year for them I guess.  My husband said someone took jalapenos to work, from their garden, and they too, were not hot.

We got a bit of rain last night, but not enough in my opinion.  It will be another hot day today.

Garden ~ Yellow Squash Tots

 

Roses and lavender plants have been trimmed, and the garden continues to provide.  Our hot pepper plants are not as big as last year, and peppers are smaller.  Not sure why, as the rest of the garden did well, or is doing well.

I tried a new yellow squash recipe - Yellow squash Tots.  I used the colander method vs. cheesecloth to remove water.  I also found the recipe online.  It tasted good, but nothing spectacular.  I do love that they are all baked at once, vs. fried in a skillet like squash patties (which takes forever).  The greek yogurt dip is good, but you could use sour cream or eat them by themselves.  These reheat nice in an air fryer too.  I think, if I make them again, I will add a jalapeno or some red pepper flakes.  It just needs more flavor, but easy to make.

We made it to the hardware store for two more boards for the new coop.  Well, when we got home, someone realized we bought the wrong size, ha ha!  Whoops.

Saying Goodbye to Goat Supplies and Other Tidbits

 In the process of swapping out the old and new refrigerator, I found a tote with more goat supplies I was keeping.  We have already given away the milk pail.

I guess I was hanging on to all of this, just in case things got very bad in this world, and we needed to invest in dairy goats again.  We decided to let it go.   The "zebra" goat coats were sewn from old pajamas from the kids.  I made them myself actually.  The other was made from old sweatpants.  I guess you could say this is my only purge this week.  

We are still enjoying fresh cucumber salad, cucumber salsa, and I tried a new yellow squash casserole (which lacked flavor).

The green/wax bean plants were yanked.  We enjoyed some of the freshly picked ones.  It's too late to fall plant them.  We had a good harvest this year.  We got 37# this year.  I gave some to the kids, we ate some, and froze some.

After several weeks, we finally got 90% of the flower beds weeded.  I still need to weed the herb garden as well.

I don't know why I started going back to the library.  I had books due back (crochet, cookbooks) before I even had a chance to look at them.

It rained, but not a really good soak.  I took advantage of the day and became the zucchini Houdini.  I have more squash to deal with yet.  

Breakfast was Chili and Cheddar Egg dish, and some local blueberry sausages.

I boiled some eggs for snacking or light lunches.

I used some zucchini for chicken teriyaki, and some yellow squash, so I made homemade teriyaki sauce for that.  My husband was bugging me for zucchini bread, so I baked 2 loaves, and one went to work with him, and I made BBQ beans with the last of the freshly picked beans.  We have leftovers for days here.  

The sun is out today, and back to the 80's.  Yesterday, it was an oddly low 70's day.

Garden Pickings ~ New Fridge ~ Rain Moves In

 

Saturday's pickings.  I did not look at the green beans.  I will today if there is a break in the rain.  The beans are about done for the season.  The yellow squash went bananas overnight, so there will (or should be) a squash casserole on the menu.

We borrowed a trailer to go pick up a "like new" refrigerator, and when we got there, we realized we needed help.  It had to be taken down stairs (on a trailer), that came out and went sideways.  We took the trailer home, and then the boys said they needed the trailer, so no trailer, no help.

Frustrated, we then rented a trailer from TSC ($14.00 for a half day), so that was not too bad.  However, all of my husband's family were busy with a cookout, and everyone else we could think of was busy.  

We literally moved that fridge by ourselves.  It was a lot of work, but it is not a giant full size one either.  Anyway, we got that loaded and unloaded, old one moved out, by ourselves.  We were exhausted by the evening last night.  However, mowing had to be done, with the rain moving in too.

I cleaned the old fridge out using the water hose (that was a hoot) in the driveway, and put it out by the road for free scrap.  It would have been so much easier at our age, to buy new, have it delivered, and old one removed for us.  However, the price of a new one is outrageous.  Newer ones don't last as long as the older ones either.  We think our older one was older than 17 plus years, as we got it used.  Anyway, that issue as been all resolved.

We believe we would benefit with owning a trailer.  It is on the wish list now, but we'll continue to check local sales first.

Oh, I have to share this.  On Friday, I was out picking green beans, and had just finished.  I went to stand up, and a deer flew out of the woods, running directly at where I was in the garden.  Never in all the years living here, has that happened.  I, of course, screamed in shock, and it took off in another direction.  

The sky here is dark, and stormy, so I am betting we'll get more rain.  We literally have no back up plan for today.  I guess we were hoping it would not last all day, and get some work done outside.  Our plan for today, was to weed the front flower bed, and start on the new coop.  If it rains all day long, that is not going to happen.

I don't lack garden work inside today.  I have some green beans to trim and clean, some zucchini to freeze or cook, and of course the yellow squash.  I have some red tomatoes, so I will make more of the Greek cucumber salsa as well.

Chit Chat

 As usual, it's been chaotic, busy and full of surprises here lately.

Green peppers are looking good.  I just may get some stuffed ones in the freezer this year.  If I do get stuffed ones frozen, it will be a different recipe, and one without rice or cauliflower rice).  

Speaking of freezer, our "garage" fridge/freezer stopped working a few days ago.  I spent a good amount of my day cleaning it out.  

Zucchini gave me a break for a day.  We are typically getting something daily.  My husband has taking extras to work, and I took some to the library staff.  I gave up on anyone coming to our homestead to pick it up for free.  No one ever picks it up.

Blackberries are starting to turn color for picking.  No red raspberries for some reason this year.

Green/wax yellow beans are still producing, but look like they are about to let up.

I found myself a cleaning caddy.  Although I have not had a chance to get my cleaning stuff put in it, it was only $4.58!  I got a 15% discount, because I was with a daughter who had a store membership.  Big Lots of all places.  It is large enough to hold a box of borax, cleaning gloves and all the items I use here.

I finally found a pattern for a "hippie" beanie.  The one on the right.  I have had very little time to go to the library, but thankfully this book had one for fall projects (if tomatoes don't carry out too late this year).

Projects in limbo, and he keeps starting new ones:

-build raised beds, have half of the supplies

-install a window and AC, have half of the supplies

-build new coop, have half of the supplies

-home gym, still need gym flooring and new equipment

-dog fence (off the list until next year now)

Oh there are more in limbo than I can mention, ha ha!  Life happens.  Garden goodies happen.  Work happens.  

Zucchini Tortillas ~ Breakfast just got healthier

 

Yes, you can make foldable tortillas from zucchini!  It took me 3 times to get one right, although a bit toasty.  I followed a recipe I found online.  By the way, not all online recipes are accurate. The one above, although crisp around the side, still folded for a breakfast tortilla.

Here is what recipe I followed:

Zucchini Tortillas (Gluten-Free, Baked), by Alexandracooks

I used the exact ingredients.  You really do want your shredded zucchini very dry for these.

To make these 6-7 inches, I could only fit two on the parchment paper.  Recipe instructions state to use parchment paper.  Do NOT use parchment paper.  These stick to parchment and I was lucky to get this one off the paper to try.  By the way very delicious, and a great way to make a breakfast tortilla healthier.

Bake time on these?  12-15 minutes at 450°F.  You can see the parchment paper turned brown.  Anyway, the first two trays stuck (recipe says it makes 5).  Oh, and with my experimenting, I think I will try at 13 minutes with my oven.  The one that I made in the first photo was 15 minutes, the others were 12 and 13 minutes.

I then realized I own a silicone baking mat, and have never used it.  These tortillas come right off of a silicone baking mat!  Yay!  Now that I figured that out, I have another mat on order.  You can freeze these, according to the recipe.  I think I would layer something between them before freezing, like waxed paper maybe.

So there you have it.  My crazy brain finding more ways to eat zucchini before the season ends.  I used this recipe, to avoid white flour.  I think there is one with rice flour online, but these were good.  Due to crazy cooler weather here, my plants have shot up another foot.  I cannot believe how big they are this year.

Yanked the Pickling Cucumber Plants

 My summer days have been long, long, and long.  The heat left, and boy is it chilly outside this morning.  I could not believe it, after all these hot days.  It also makes me sad we have not gone camping one time this year, and it's already August.

Back to the thought of this post...

Did you know that when your cucumbers (or even squash) starts out looking nice, but then you see one end rotting and smaller, means that the bees did not pollinate it?  Interesting information for you today.  

I pulled all of my pickling cucumber plants, and sent all the remaining cucumbers with my husband to work.  We are done, done, done with those cucumbers.  I still have my other plants out there, and we have been making a greek cucumber salsa daily here.  

I am so stinkin' busy, and all I want is a day off.  Well, the zucchini gave me a day off.  I did not have one to pick, and we've been picking them every single day since the beginning of harvest.

I'm okay with that.  Between freezing corn, and the garden, and trying to keep the sink free of dirty dishes, I am overly stressed with garden goods.

I have a new cookbook, thanks to the wonderful harvest of green/wax beans this year.  I am sharing with a resident rodent, so who knows how much more we'll get.  I'm not sure if it's the work of a chipmunk or small rabbit, that is not setting off my motion sensors.

We have a slight chance of rain this morning.  I hope we get something.  The tomatoes look parched.