Walking down for the evening check of the pigs, chickens, and garden I smelled the most intoxicating scent. My nose followed this richly alluring smell directly to my backyard beehive. The bees have been working so very hard to store away precious nectar and spent countless hours fanning it to make the most delectable honey. Tens of thousands of flushed little bodies heat the hive and the luxuriant scent of warm honey is wafted into the air.
I walked around the hive in a circle ten feet away and smelled the scent throughout. I walked downwind from the hive and for thirty of more feet could smell the richness.
I worry. Because if I can smell the lush sweetness from thirty feet away, I fear a bear may capture the scent from three thousand feet away!
I'm worried tonight.
Thursday: 5 eggs
Friday: 6 eggs
Today: 7 eggs
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Flying Time
Sometimes there's just so much going on with kids, kids' sports, housework and just all the minutiae of everyday life - but I always try to steal a few minutes or hours in the garden.
Today I planted spinach and lettuce outside the high tunnel. It's a bit of an experiment to see if I can stretch the growing season a bit. I'll also plant some inside the high tunnel once the beans and cucumbers get cleaned out - I'm going to plant peas on the cucumber trellises.
It's time for bedtime hugs and kisses. Goodnight all!
8 eggs today!
Today I planted spinach and lettuce outside the high tunnel. It's a bit of an experiment to see if I can stretch the growing season a bit. I'll also plant some inside the high tunnel once the beans and cucumbers get cleaned out - I'm going to plant peas on the cucumber trellises.
It's time for bedtime hugs and kisses. Goodnight all!
8 eggs today!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Our Daily Bread
It's been about a year or more and I haven't bought a bit of bread, other than the occasional package of Kaiser or Kimmelweck rolls!
Sometimes you're lucky enough to find a perfect bread recipe. Most people don't have time to fool around with kneading and rising times over and over and all that, so I was very happy to find "No Knead Bread" in Mother Earth News magazine awhile ago. I fooled with it and tweaked it here and there and finally made it into my own.
There is something magical about walking into the house and smelling fresh bread baking. How can you be in a bad mood? Hunks of warm, buttery, fresh-baked bread change a simple soup dinner into a divine dining experience!
Sharon's Version of "No Knead Bread"
1-1/2 Tbs. yeast
3 c. very warm water
1 c. whole wheat graham flour
4-1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1 Tbs. milled flax seed
1-1/2 Tbs. non-iodized salt
Sea salt
Put yeast into a large bowl and then drizzle the warm water into it. Stir to get out the lumps. A wooden spoon works well because you'll need the stiffness to stir the dough at the end.
Add the rest of the ingredients - finishing with the salt. Then mix it up into a big, sloppy mess.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for a couple of hours. Anywhere from 2 - 4 hours has worked for me, but around 2 hours seems to get you a loftier bread.
Put a metal pan on the bottom shelf of the oven and a baking stone one shelf up (you may have to grease your baking stone if it isn't well seasoned). Preheat to 425-degrees (yes, I know my oven isn't spotless : ) - I've been doing a lot of cooking!).
Now's the tricky part. You have to work quickly and get this big sloppy mess, in two gloppy clumps onto your baking stone, sprinkle a bit of sea salt on the top of the bread dough, and pour about 1-1/2 cups water into the metal pan. Then push it in and slam the door shut to keep in the steam. I usually have the sink water running at a drizzle and wet my hands before I handle the dough and then rinse them very quickly before grabbing the water and salt.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes and...
ENJOY!
3 eggs
Sometimes you're lucky enough to find a perfect bread recipe. Most people don't have time to fool around with kneading and rising times over and over and all that, so I was very happy to find "No Knead Bread" in Mother Earth News magazine awhile ago. I fooled with it and tweaked it here and there and finally made it into my own.
There is something magical about walking into the house and smelling fresh bread baking. How can you be in a bad mood? Hunks of warm, buttery, fresh-baked bread change a simple soup dinner into a divine dining experience!
Sharon's Version of "No Knead Bread"
1-1/2 Tbs. yeast
3 c. very warm water
1 c. whole wheat graham flour
4-1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1 Tbs. milled flax seed
1-1/2 Tbs. non-iodized salt
Sea salt
Put yeast into a large bowl and then drizzle the warm water into it. Stir to get out the lumps. A wooden spoon works well because you'll need the stiffness to stir the dough at the end.
Add the rest of the ingredients - finishing with the salt. Then mix it up into a big, sloppy mess.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for a couple of hours. Anywhere from 2 - 4 hours has worked for me, but around 2 hours seems to get you a loftier bread.
Put a metal pan on the bottom shelf of the oven and a baking stone one shelf up (you may have to grease your baking stone if it isn't well seasoned). Preheat to 425-degrees (yes, I know my oven isn't spotless : ) - I've been doing a lot of cooking!).
Now's the tricky part. You have to work quickly and get this big sloppy mess, in two gloppy clumps onto your baking stone, sprinkle a bit of sea salt on the top of the bread dough, and pour about 1-1/2 cups water into the metal pan. Then push it in and slam the door shut to keep in the steam. I usually have the sink water running at a drizzle and wet my hands before I handle the dough and then rinse them very quickly before grabbing the water and salt.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes and...
ENJOY!
3 eggs
Monday, August 23, 2010
Summer
Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
If the essence of everything Summer ever is, was, or will be, were to be summed up in a vegetable - it would be one perfectly luscious Tomato.
5 eggs
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
If the essence of everything Summer ever is, was, or will be, were to be summed up in a vegetable - it would be one perfectly luscious Tomato.
5 eggs
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Mmmm...Fresh.
I looked at my ingredients and thought, "What can I make?"
SALSA of course!
John helped me to chop up the vegetables (the Pampered Chef chopper makes short work of them!)
The ingredients are in the jars ready to be put into a hot water bath.
GUESS what we had for dinner!?!
SALSA WITH JALAPENO PEPPERS
from "The Practical Produce Cookbook"
8 c. peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
3 c. chopped jalapeno peppers - I didn't have enough jalapenos, so substituted hungarian hot peppers too
2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. minced cilatro (optional) - I don't like it and don't add it
2 tsp. oregano
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1-1/2 c. vinegar or lemon juice
When seeding or cutting hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned (or you can coat your hands with olive oil). Combine all ingredients in a large kettle. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Carefully ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.
It turned out kind of watery - I figure we'll dump it into a strainer and draw off the excess liquid before we serve it. I'd appreciate tips and/or recipes anyone may have!
------------------------------
Gardeners are starting to see more powdery mildew and other fungal diseases in their gardens with the cooler, wetter weather. I looked up natural alternatives to chemical sprays and here are two I'm going to try. I'll let you know how they work.
Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment
To prevent bacterial and fungal problems on outdoor plants use hydrogen peroxide! Hydrogen peroxide will prevent the disease spores from adhering to the plant tissue. It causes no harm to plants or soil, however don't use on young transplants or direct seeded crops until they have become established.
Warning: Always test on a small portion of plant tissue first to check for any negative reactions. Do not proceed if there is any damage to plant tissue. Do not substitute food grade H2O2 for the common H2O2. Spray plants with undiluted 3 percent hydrogen peroxide that you can buy most anywhere. Be sure to cover tops and bottoms of leaves. Do this once a week during dry weather and twice a week in wet weather. This works as a preventative. If you already have problems use this as a direct treatment.
Milk for Mildew
Milk with its' natural enzymes and simple sugar structures can be used to combat various mildews on cucumber, asters, tomato, squash and zinnia foliage. This works by changing the pH on the surface of the leaves, so they are less susceptible to mildew. Use a 50/50 mixture of milk and water. Thoroughly spray plants every 3 to 4 days at first sign of mildews or use weekly as a preventative measure.
Milk can also be mixed at a rate of 2 ounces milk to 18 ounces of water and used as a spray every 7 to 10 days to treat mosaic disease on cucumber, tomato and lettuce.
6 eggs
SALSA of course!
John helped me to chop up the vegetables (the Pampered Chef chopper makes short work of them!)
The ingredients are in the jars ready to be put into a hot water bath.
GUESS what we had for dinner!?!
SALSA WITH JALAPENO PEPPERS
from "The Practical Produce Cookbook"
8 c. peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
3 c. chopped jalapeno peppers - I didn't have enough jalapenos, so substituted hungarian hot peppers too
2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. minced cilatro (optional) - I don't like it and don't add it
2 tsp. oregano
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1-1/2 c. vinegar or lemon juice
When seeding or cutting hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned (or you can coat your hands with olive oil). Combine all ingredients in a large kettle. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Carefully ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.
It turned out kind of watery - I figure we'll dump it into a strainer and draw off the excess liquid before we serve it. I'd appreciate tips and/or recipes anyone may have!
------------------------------
Gardeners are starting to see more powdery mildew and other fungal diseases in their gardens with the cooler, wetter weather. I looked up natural alternatives to chemical sprays and here are two I'm going to try. I'll let you know how they work.
Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment
To prevent bacterial and fungal problems on outdoor plants use hydrogen peroxide! Hydrogen peroxide will prevent the disease spores from adhering to the plant tissue. It causes no harm to plants or soil, however don't use on young transplants or direct seeded crops until they have become established.
Warning: Always test on a small portion of plant tissue first to check for any negative reactions. Do not proceed if there is any damage to plant tissue. Do not substitute food grade H2O2 for the common H2O2. Spray plants with undiluted 3 percent hydrogen peroxide that you can buy most anywhere. Be sure to cover tops and bottoms of leaves. Do this once a week during dry weather and twice a week in wet weather. This works as a preventative. If you already have problems use this as a direct treatment.
Milk for Mildew
Milk with its' natural enzymes and simple sugar structures can be used to combat various mildews on cucumber, asters, tomato, squash and zinnia foliage. This works by changing the pH on the surface of the leaves, so they are less susceptible to mildew. Use a 50/50 mixture of milk and water. Thoroughly spray plants every 3 to 4 days at first sign of mildews or use weekly as a preventative measure.
Milk can also be mixed at a rate of 2 ounces milk to 18 ounces of water and used as a spray every 7 to 10 days to treat mosaic disease on cucumber, tomato and lettuce.
6 eggs
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Lots of Catching Up...
It's been a crazy busy couple of days and I haven't been able to get near the computer - much less my blog!
Heather had to go to the orthodontist this week - poor girl. On the way home we stopped and bought a bushel of corn. Can you believe it only cost $7 for a whole bushel!?! Admittedly, it was one day old corn. I wasn't too worried because I was going to freeze in anyway and most of it will end up in soups or other recipes. We found some yucky cobs while were shucking and those went to the pigs. They were VERY happy.
Someone, I won't say who, left the garden gate open this week. You will not believe the devastation a flock of chickens can visit upon a garden! I lost about half of my summer squash and many of my big, beautiful, heirloom tomatoes. It's enough to make you want to cry!
We decided to try the Farmer's Market on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Friday ended up being quite a bust, but Saturday's business wasn't too shabby. We think we'll stick to just Saturdays now that school will be starting up again. A lot of people are buying dill for pickling and the green beans are going well. I sell Carol Jackson's canned goods too and people really love them.
I think I may get just one more week out of my green beans. They're getting too long and tough to sell now. I'm going to go through and pick all that I have - which is tons! - and freeze and can them. Then I'll plant salad greens, radishes, and fast growing cool weather crops in their place.
I didn't think I was getting much out of my cucumbers. I peeked under the mass of vines this morning (I tried to train them to a trellis, but they refused to hang on and kept falling down every time I turned my back), and there were tons of them! I sold a few at the Farmer's Market, but with the season on they aren't in high demand. I think I'd like to try to make some dill pickle spears, some sweet pickles, and some bread and butter pickle spears.
Does anyone have any "use up cucumber" recipes or advice they would like to pass on?
Today: 6 eggs
Friday: 7 eggs
Thursday: 4 eggs
Heather had to go to the orthodontist this week - poor girl. On the way home we stopped and bought a bushel of corn. Can you believe it only cost $7 for a whole bushel!?! Admittedly, it was one day old corn. I wasn't too worried because I was going to freeze in anyway and most of it will end up in soups or other recipes. We found some yucky cobs while were shucking and those went to the pigs. They were VERY happy.
Someone, I won't say who, left the garden gate open this week. You will not believe the devastation a flock of chickens can visit upon a garden! I lost about half of my summer squash and many of my big, beautiful, heirloom tomatoes. It's enough to make you want to cry!
We decided to try the Farmer's Market on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Friday ended up being quite a bust, but Saturday's business wasn't too shabby. We think we'll stick to just Saturdays now that school will be starting up again. A lot of people are buying dill for pickling and the green beans are going well. I sell Carol Jackson's canned goods too and people really love them.
I think I may get just one more week out of my green beans. They're getting too long and tough to sell now. I'm going to go through and pick all that I have - which is tons! - and freeze and can them. Then I'll plant salad greens, radishes, and fast growing cool weather crops in their place.
I didn't think I was getting much out of my cucumbers. I peeked under the mass of vines this morning (I tried to train them to a trellis, but they refused to hang on and kept falling down every time I turned my back), and there were tons of them! I sold a few at the Farmer's Market, but with the season on they aren't in high demand. I think I'd like to try to make some dill pickle spears, some sweet pickles, and some bread and butter pickle spears.
Does anyone have any "use up cucumber" recipes or advice they would like to pass on?
Today: 6 eggs
Friday: 7 eggs
Thursday: 4 eggs
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Front Page!
John and I made the front page of the local paper this week.
Remember I told you Tom Corbett, the Attorney General running for governor, came through the Farmer's Market this past Saturday? Here we are! I will try to scan the picture for a better quality photo when Fitz shows me how!
4 eggs. I'm going to start squeezing those chickens!
Remember I told you Tom Corbett, the Attorney General running for governor, came through the Farmer's Market this past Saturday? Here we are! I will try to scan the picture for a better quality photo when Fitz shows me how!
4 eggs. I'm going to start squeezing those chickens!
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