This is the first harvest from our community garden. I'm gonna crunch on them tonight for dinner.
Happy weekend~
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
rhubarb rejection
For about a week I had some stalks of rhubarb sitting in my fridge that I had purchased from the farmers market. Well last night I decided to do something about it. I thought that the family would like a nice dessert after dinner. So I went online looked up an easy recipe that included berries and rhubarb and went to work (I tweaked the recipe a bit and added some raspberries and decreased the sugar just a tiny bit). As I was slicing up the berries and the rhubarb, my youngest daughter asked me "why are you puttting the strawberries with the celery?" I knew from then on that convincing her that the rhubarb actually would be good in the crisp was going to be a hard sell. Well it turns out that it was a hard sell not only to her but also to her older sister and her dad (who claims that he has no affinity toward rhubarb whatsoever)-so it was up to me to show the rhubarb some love. I had some after dinner last night and then some for breakfast this morning with my coffee. I then took some to my dear friends house for dessert (after our lunch) and we ate it along with the coconut milk cream she had bought for us. At last I found someone with the proper appreciation for rhubarb-thanks friend!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
growing food
Probably you can tell I like growing things. Flowers, food, its all game. I think that this interest in growing food and gardening is deep in my DNA. Shannon at Nourishing Days asked about our food roots and how we can get back to them and this post is about our attempt. Growing up around my grandparents I got to see first hand the benefits of having a garden along with canning and freezing one's own food. For as long as I can remember my grandparents had a garden (even when they lived in the city). Now they live in the country and have lots of room to plant all that they please. When we visit I'm always fascinated by the latest gardening contraption my grandfather has made for his vegetable garden. My grandfather is in his eighties but still gardens with the vigor of a thirty year old, its amazing really. This of course has influenced my view of food. I want to have a hand (literally and figuratively) in the food I eat.
This year in addition to the small square foot box we have on our deck, we have decided to participate in a community garden as well.
The community garden gets full sun and there is alot of space available. It has been both a joy and a challenge to plant things in this garden. What I especially appreciate is that when I take the kids out there they get to see how the process of gardening leads to food. I do not want their relationship with food to be limited to the grocery store. So being part of this community garden along with the small garden box we have at home is all part of this process in finding our food roots.
This year in addition to the small square foot box we have on our deck, we have decided to participate in a community garden as well.
The community garden gets full sun and there is alot of space available. It has been both a joy and a challenge to plant things in this garden. What I especially appreciate is that when I take the kids out there they get to see how the process of gardening leads to food. I do not want their relationship with food to be limited to the grocery store. So being part of this community garden along with the small garden box we have at home is all part of this process in finding our food roots.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
a gardener's view
Gardening has given me a new perspective on many things for instance:
*When I see that my neighbor has raked his/her yard and a nice big bag of leaves is now at their curb-those leaves are not just leaves-those leaves can be mulch and future compost!
*now I size up any plastic container that passes through my hands wondering if I can make a mini-hothouse or cloche' out of it.
*old newspapers and cardboard boxes are now saved because of their weed-stopping abilities.
*while eating Chinese take-out I realize that my chopsticks are the perfect tiny stakes for my small plants.
*even though my pantyhose always seem to fall apart on the first wearing-I don't stress to much I know they will do a better job in keeping my tomato vines in order (way better than they did in controlling my hips and thighs).
*I am now the trash police-before something is thrown away it needs an evaluation-evaluation on its compost making ability. Things that pass- apple cores, mushy lettuce leaves, onion skins-things that fail -greasy chicken bones, unidentified leftovers that have been patiently sitting in the back of the fridge for two weeks-sorry.
*earthworms are awesome!
*thining seedlings is a bit of a bummer, I want to keep them all.
*I remember to use what I can
do what I can
grow everything that I can
and can (or freeze) what I grow
and of course share some too.
what a view to have~
*When I see that my neighbor has raked his/her yard and a nice big bag of leaves is now at their curb-those leaves are not just leaves-those leaves can be mulch and future compost!
*now I size up any plastic container that passes through my hands wondering if I can make a mini-hothouse or cloche' out of it.
*old newspapers and cardboard boxes are now saved because of their weed-stopping abilities.
*while eating Chinese take-out I realize that my chopsticks are the perfect tiny stakes for my small plants.
*even though my pantyhose always seem to fall apart on the first wearing-I don't stress to much I know they will do a better job in keeping my tomato vines in order (way better than they did in controlling my hips and thighs).
*I am now the trash police-before something is thrown away it needs an evaluation-evaluation on its compost making ability. Things that pass- apple cores, mushy lettuce leaves, onion skins-things that fail -greasy chicken bones, unidentified leftovers that have been patiently sitting in the back of the fridge for two weeks-sorry.
*earthworms are awesome!
*thining seedlings is a bit of a bummer, I want to keep them all.
*I remember to use what I can
do what I can
grow everything that I can
and can (or freeze) what I grow
and of course share some too.
what a view to have~
Sunday, June 7, 2009
summer top
I got around to sewing a little summer top for my daughter. The pattern has only four pieces, but despite this I won't embarass myself in telling you how long it took me to get this top together (I'm sure this top could be made in 2 hours or less, but not by me :)
Bias tape is tricky, but I managed. The top fits and for that I'm grateful.
Here are some things I have learned from sewing with patterns-
*resist the urge of reading ahead in the pattern instructions-seriously. I say this because for me I usually need to complete the first step in order to see what the second step is talking about. So just go in order without trying to figure it all out -this will prevent headaches along with the urge to tear the pattern up and throw it across the room (I think).
*always have scissors and the seam ripper next to you
* if you use pins have a pin cushion or spare empty coffee mug next
you so that you have a handy place to put your pins (no one wants to step on a pin-ouch!)
*chalk up your first time making a pattern as a learning experience
(if it doesn't look exactly like you want). Yeah I know most of all this has already been said someplace-somewhere, but its good for me to type it out for myself. I like making things, but I don't want to get totally bogged down in perfection- after all perfection is over-rated don't you think?
Bias tape is tricky, but I managed. The top fits and for that I'm grateful.
Here are some things I have learned from sewing with patterns-
*resist the urge of reading ahead in the pattern instructions-seriously. I say this because for me I usually need to complete the first step in order to see what the second step is talking about. So just go in order without trying to figure it all out -this will prevent headaches along with the urge to tear the pattern up and throw it across the room (I think).
*always have scissors and the seam ripper next to you
* if you use pins have a pin cushion or spare empty coffee mug next
you so that you have a handy place to put your pins (no one wants to step on a pin-ouch!)
*chalk up your first time making a pattern as a learning experience
(if it doesn't look exactly like you want). Yeah I know most of all this has already been said someplace-somewhere, but its good for me to type it out for myself. I like making things, but I don't want to get totally bogged down in perfection- after all perfection is over-rated don't you think?
Monday, June 1, 2009
gardening on the cheap
Have you ever seen an idea or product on TV or in a magazine that looks cool, but you aren't quite sure you want to buy it due to price (this happens to me alot). Well this happened to me again with this product. One day while shopping at our towns big box store I manage some how to place one of these things in my shopping cart. Then as I started placing my items on the checkout belt I began wondering "do I really need this? can I make this myself?" Suddenly the cashier said she wanted one too, but thought she could make a homemade one-I totally agreed with her-and right then and there I decided to save myself 9.99! (thanks Ms. Cashier wherever you are :) A couple of weekends later I got a bucket with drilled holes in it, placed some torn newspaper in the bottom, and with a green plant plastic tie anchored the tomato plant to the bucket, added soil-
and there it is my homemade tomato planter! Not to pretty but cheap, I wonder if its going to work, we'll see.
Another thing I've being doing for my gardening is just keeping a simple compost bin outside on my deck. Actually I started doing this last summer. I just got a big container drilled holes in it, then placed leaves, torn newspapers, soil and compost (that I purchased), and then some veggie scraps. I did add a couple of worms in it last summer, but I think I need some more (I don't believe those worms from last summer made it through our terribly cold winter). I try not to overload the bin with too much stuff because it can easily get out of control-especially since I have such a small space in the first place. I use veggie scraps only-nothing else (adding meat and dairy scraps lends to the possibility of attracting unwanted creatures-yikes!)
A new thing for us this year on the gardening scene is that our family is participating in a community garden. We purchased a garden area from a local farm and we are currently working hard to get things planted out there. Its fun, but also intense at times (like trying to till clay like soil with weeds growing everywhere). I'm so excited about this project and even the hard work it entails. So this is the summer of growing-in many ways.
(please share any frugal gardening tips you have, that would be great)
(small compost bin)
and there it is my homemade tomato planter! Not to pretty but cheap, I wonder if its going to work, we'll see.
Another thing I've being doing for my gardening is just keeping a simple compost bin outside on my deck. Actually I started doing this last summer. I just got a big container drilled holes in it, then placed leaves, torn newspapers, soil and compost (that I purchased), and then some veggie scraps. I did add a couple of worms in it last summer, but I think I need some more (I don't believe those worms from last summer made it through our terribly cold winter). I try not to overload the bin with too much stuff because it can easily get out of control-especially since I have such a small space in the first place. I use veggie scraps only-nothing else (adding meat and dairy scraps lends to the possibility of attracting unwanted creatures-yikes!)
A new thing for us this year on the gardening scene is that our family is participating in a community garden. We purchased a garden area from a local farm and we are currently working hard to get things planted out there. Its fun, but also intense at times (like trying to till clay like soil with weeds growing everywhere). I'm so excited about this project and even the hard work it entails. So this is the summer of growing-in many ways.
(please share any frugal gardening tips you have, that would be great)
(small compost bin)
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