We have asparagus!!!

We have asparagus!!!   

This is their third year and them means we can eat some - not much but, I am super excited none the less!!!  
I planted 2 year roots 2 years ago in a 4 x 4 raise bed with strawberries  -  last your we just weeded, watered and watched - got all of 5 delectable little berries...
In the fall we added a few inches of mulch and a sprinkling of manure and coffee grounds.

asparagus <3

sugar snap peas  =)

Happy Gardening  =)

scavenging =)

Happy Sunday!!!

...this past week was clean up week -  it was a scavengers dream!!  let me tell ya, I am SO bummed that I do not have a pickup truck -  if I did I would be the proud owner of a huge wicker furniture set for the yard, and enough old windows to build the greenhouse of my dreams...   sign.

However,  I did manage to liberate a few useful things from the trash =)  garden fencing never been used - I totally needed this!!  some books, wreaths (with tags still on the), planters, a glass punch bowl set, train set!!!  plastic tote, and a few random dishes that will coordinate with my set =D

some of my scavenging scores!!!  

I also picked up some cool Tonka and other random trucks, casserole dishes and  more dishes which I donated to my local conservation groups local garage sale  = )   Seriously the things people throw away  =/   I know it makes me happy to find good stuff I can use - but thinking about all the stuff that does not get liberated from the trash makes me sad...  I get like 3 flyers a month requesting donations...  I can not be the only one.

Meanwhile out in the garden - the lettuce just beginning to sprout, sugar snap peas pushing thur the soil    - built a little bamboo trellis for them...    

...the cucumbers I started inside have sprouted the 3rd & 4th leaves  ..   basil and lemon looking good,  waiting for the tomatoes and eggplant to sprout  =)


anyway...  anyone else scavenge any good stuff during this spring cleaning season?

getin' the garden going....

Just starting to get the garden going  - I have BIG plans this year =)  after last years bummer (not bumper  total bummer crop  =(     part of me wanted to  was about to give up, instead, I spent a good part of the winter planning, reading, admiring others gardens, basically soaking up all things garden  =)  
Last weekend input in a few brussels sprouts - they had stater plants and  was so excited about growing  so I picked up a 4 pack and a couple 6 packs of pansy's (we got a dusting of snow last night and that are all ok - YAY!)  I also sowed a few seeds - 2 kinds of lettuce, spinach, short & sweet carrots, and sugar snow snap peas  =)  

The  3 varieties of cucumber seeding's - bush type pickle, basics vine variety, and my favorite lemon cucumbers - I started indoors a few weeks ago are looking good!!!   While the basil and lemon balm are still tiny little sprouts.  

The strawberries and rhubarb are peeking out!!!   and dandelions, hmm  salad?  wine?  anyone down with that?  I am thinking maybe, the hubby hasn't weeded and feeded  in at least a year - we should be good?  right??

Monday - the hubby's had the day off and he cut back all the thorny bushes....oh no no no, those were wild blackberries and they are delicious - so you can imagine how the birds and I have been a bit biter about that all week...    he redeemed himself by building me another 4 x 12 foot x 12 inch tall garden bed.   =)  

I picked some pretty 12x12x12 red cedar  planks for him to use - the wood and corner brackets cost $160  plus another $40 for the dirt, manure and peet to get it ready for growing this year.   Luckily we had some some galvanized pipe lying around  ( yes, I would have loved LOVED to use copper but at $80 for 10 ft piece of 2 inch pipe  <eeek>  and the hardware store only had up to one inch diameter of the UPVC  (PVC pipes can leach vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen - so you do not want to use that in the garden!)  anyway, I am going to have him cut a couple 2 foot sections to put in some deep watering holes in  - this will be my primary tomato bed - I companion plant so there will be other things in there but from what I have read tomatoes love deep watering and I love tomatoes - so there you have it.

tomatoes FINALLY & totally junked up necklace =D

I LOVE summer!  longs days, sunshine, warm (hot even) temperatures!   I am wishing for 6 more weeks!   who's with me!!!  keep bringing the 90's! haha!  A girl has gotta have a dream  =D  

....but seriously, the garden is just now, FINALLY, kickin', into full gear - today was the fist day I picked more tomatoes than we could reasonably eat  =D


..that and planted a second round of zucchini and green beans a week ago - no zucchini for us, the heat done her in.!!!  (Raise your hand if you love My Fair Lady - best movie EVER ) and we got a total of 9 green beans (yes, I counted, we savored each one)  I love the warm summer - the effect it had on the garden  - not so much  =/

For dinner today, I made grilled cheese (Swiss and smoked Gouda), ham and tomato on Egg Bread.  I used the "chocolate" variety I planted a cherry and Plum type chocolate tomato (the chocolates look greenish in the photo the ripen to a purplish brown and SO very delicious with them - YUM!)  I am very pleased with them.


As much as I love bare foot, flip flops and strappy sandals - I also LOVE boots!!   

like how cute are these!?
 http://www.urbanog.com 

Boots!  I can not wait to wear boots again - sure I seem people wearing them.... nope, my feet might catch fire with boots on in this kinda weather...   

BUT I love boots -  oh and gloves & scarves oh my!!  but, I digress HAHA!!   Sadly I have this stupid high instep, so a zipper I required..   and then there is the reoccurring plantar fascia, hmm  round toe box and excellent arch support or room for orthodontic inserts ...  and then i have these beefy calf's, not complainin' just sayin'  ..  =D     and did I mention I prefer flats 1 inch heel a most please... yes,   the heels are SOOOOOOO  flippin' cute buy ugh!!!!! yup, so many cute boots that I can't wear ...  it is a exhausting proposition, but one of these day I will find this years pair of boots  =)  



I stopped in at Goodwill yesterday  - still searching for a lamp and roller skates! no luck with that, but I did find a Soap Making starter kit for 1.99  (Christmas presents for everyone!!), the Frugal Gourmet Cooks American (yeah, it a classic as far as I am concerned, my dad was a big fan....  seeing it made me think of dad and I HAD to have it...  yeah, getting all sentimental in my "old" age...

oh, and this totally junked up necklace.....  the lizard first caught my eye and I thought I was a tangled mess of necklaces... buy no..   IDK what I like best about it - the lizard, the butterfly, the purple pop of color..   just so freakin' cute and only cost me $1.99

hmmm, now that I am 40'something...  I think, perhaps I ought start wearing big necklaces more often  =D  

Urban Farm Handbook Challenge thingy =)

Something is not right with my Blogger right now...   anyway,  I have a few minutes (literally) so here goes - I FinaLLY stumbled upon this "Urban Farm Handbook" challenge thingy and since I need all the motivation I can get – I’m in! 

Looks like I am going from last week’s ½ gallon of fridge pickle extravaganza to small batch extravaganza (I dream of the day I will have pot large enough to process those GIGANTIC jars... sigh*) and since I was just given 4 pretty little Jalapeno peppers  (thinking peachy jalapeno jam) oh, YES!  Canning season is about to get VERY interesting...    =D   

*note to self -> add this  -> http://www.sustainableeats.com/  <- to my favorites 

pickles!!

I just finished this years first batch of pickles - ain't they pretty!?!!!

They are the refrigerator variety - Tomorrow is Ribfest at the ole ponderosa!!!

anyway, I am not one for "recipes" when making pickles -  kind wing it most of the time. Yes, I am reckless like that, but I have yet to disappoint myself  =D

so, today I began with a 1/2 gallon jar...
2 smallish-med onions thinly sliced sliced
1 yellow pepper thinly sliced
about 2 lbs of fresh pickles

I layered them as you can see -  SO pretty  - lol!

Then added 1 cup water + 1 cup cider vinegar...  and a little more water to fill...

Topped it off with about 1/3 teaspoon salt  6 pink pink peppercorns (bc/ i had em and they are prettier),   a 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (wish I had the real stuff - that.s the way to go!) and about 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice and 2 rounded teaspoons of sugar.

put on the lid - shook it up - tasted...  not to shabby I must say =)
Snapped a photo and popped it into the fridge.

garden and elephants

So, it has been WEEKS!  yup, I am a total blogger slacker...      well, the garden is looking AMAZING - beautiful orange cherry tomatoes  =)    yesterday, I  made tomato basil pizza with Gouda ... nom! nom! nom!

went to the Fair last weekend! always a good time fresh made lemonade, corn on the cob.. rides, oh and elephants!!! CUTE VIDEO BELOW - please wait for it - Cora And Shannon preforming at the Porter County Fair of Elephant Encounter they are   SooO Cute!

Butterfly's in the fire pit

I started my daily gardening watching these little ones hanging around the fire pit...  not sure that they like so much, but the spend most of the morning there - a bit odd I thought, but lovely was well  =D 

...and evidently there was a bit pf partying last night...    you gnome me - right! 

worked for a bit in the veggie garden planted zuchinni (I forgot to plant the green beans - DON'T TELL)  I will do it on Monday I PROMISE!

Anyway, I did fill the planters big planters - with geraniums and moonflowers...  found a few seed-packs leftover from last year so I  tossed a few marigold seed in one...   and forget me not and gypsophila convent garden..      of course I didn't take photos..  maybe tomorrow...  maybe when they start to come in a bit =D

I also planted a herb garden in one - placed it right outside the kitchen door - sweet basil, lemon basil, parsley, rosemary, along with my lavender - smells so sweet  =)  I have another slightly smaller planter reserved fro chives - regular and garlic..    NOM...NOM...NOM...   I think I will use them much more this year!  walking waaayyy out to the garden just doesn't seem to work for my lazy butt!


oh, and I picked up some gardening books at Goodwill - got lucky, they rarely have any, but I found a load of them one of the new stock bins  =D  quite a few good ones, but these are great -




Found a great walk-way idea  - so cool...
I'm thinking brown stepping stones with bluish pebbles set in concrete - we can't have loose rocks in the yard -  I will not get in to that...  it is the the HB's issue, I can adapt.   =P











Time to enjoy some more of the the Ghirardelli Caramel Turtle Brownies I made today - SO GOOD!

TTFN!