Sweet Cherry Jam and the Strawberry Saga

First, I have to tell you about the strawberries.  We have one plant that survived last year's monsoon, so we have zero strawberries.  Some years it's just how it goes.  We planted everybearing, and we did not like them anyway (small harvest, small berries, and never enough to can jam).

There is a place about 25 minutes or so from our house which sells very good strawberries.  This place is known for their strawberries.  They are huge and tasty.

I called, and found out that they were selling for only for one more day, and were picking that morning, and were to start selling at 9am.

Peas and Cauliflower for Breakfast ~ Mixing up Herbs ~ Timmy

Shell peas are slowly coming on, so I decided to take the first picked bit, and toss it into a breakfast frittata.  I did not have enough for a meal for all of us, nor enough to freeze.

This time I used cauliflower, potatoes (sliced), and peas. 

I had one green bell pepper ready to pick, and one hot banana pepper.  I tossed all of that into my cast iron skillet (cooking all the vegetables first), and did not add any other spice/herb.  I just added salt and pepper and it was delicious.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Frittata

Last Sunday, I decided to make us a healthier version of a frittata.  Hubby was complaining about "too many white potatoes" in his frittata, so I went in search of a recipe that used sweet potatoes - Sweet Potato Black Bean Frittata.

I found several online, and this was amazing - sweet potatoes, a red bell pepper, onion, garlic, a jalapeno pepper, spices, fresh cilantro, and black beans.  You bake it right in the skillet you cook your vegetables in, and only need one bowl to whisk eggs.   

Although packed with flavor, I could not even get my 17 year-old vegetarian to even taste it.  Her loss.  I put a piece away for me and two for Hubby's breakfast.

Here's where I got the recipe:  Sweet Potato Black Bean Frittata

It's Cooling Down!

My future goal is to have enough space for a good supply of sweet potatoes in a root cellar.  We are finding ways to swap out white for sweet potatoes more often, but I still like my red potatoes.  

Although a lack of rain is getting me a bit worried, I am keeping things watered.  The green onions looked terrible, but I found enough to whip up another sweet potato salad to go with our dinner (or be the dinner since the temperature was 91 degrees out).

Homemade Peppermint Extract

I decided to make peppermint extract.   We loved the lemon in the homemade frosting last week, so I wanted to make peppermint.  

I picked enough fresh peppermint to fill about a 1/2 cup.

Random Tidbits ~ Homestead Happenings

We have nothing but thistle growing in one tomato patch.  We put down a heavy layer of straw this year to prevent weeds and grass, but the thistle is up everywhere. 

I, like the dummy I am, walked through to check on my butternut squash mounds, and to weed them out.  My feet were in flip flops of all things.  

Yes, the thistle gave me a rash, somewhat like the itchy burning rash you get from fire ants (only the blisters are filled with clear liquid).  Oh, did it itch.  To get rid of it I used what we typically use for poison ivy.  Our milkweed is not up or visible yet. 

Mullein Tincture

I finally made it to the store to get vodka to make a mullein tincture.

I used fresh mullein.  I've read that you do not want to cut more than 40% of your plant, but I am typically careful not to over harvest mine.