I know it has been for a few days now, but it's just now sinking in. Fall is almost here!! (as is my birthday which happens to fall in my favorite season)(pun intended) I still haven't gotten anything else planted. As frequently happens, the garden is getting away from me. Nothing ever happened with the cabbage or brussel sprouts. The beets are barely there and probably won't be worth picking before the ground freezes. I do have a few more surprise squash. I still haven't eaten any of the ones I already picked!! I think my tomatoes are done. I still have some green ones, which I will bring in and try to ripen. I don't usually have much success with this method, but it's worth it if even one tomato can be saved!!!
I have got to post the pics of my crazy purple beans!! They are gigantic!
I got a good supply of peppers this year. I think it's actually been one of my best.
I will be getting dirt for the beds soon. I'm going to attempt to plant garlic and onions.
I made a big batch of bruscetta for dinner last night!! It was awesome. I used some ciabatta bread and grilled it. Then topped it with this mixture. Nothing fancy~
Bruscetta tomato mixture
diced, deseeded tomatoes
chopped fresh basil, picked and washed right before
a few tablespoons of finely chopped red onion
a splash of olive oil
a few cloves of garlic plus a few more for rubbing on the grilled bread
I think that's it. I may have put in a splash of red wine vinegar, but I don't remember. I also topped some wheat spaghetti with this and then tossed it with fresh parmigiana regiano. Oh My gosh was it good!! We wiped out the entire loaf of bread in one meal! I really could have made a meal of just that and I don't think I'd have had any complaints!! To steal from Alton it was "Good Eats"
So coming soon: APPLES!! which means apple festivals. I try to get to at least 3! And Pumpkins!! I love all things pumpkin.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Planting time, again
Well, I think it's time to start second plantings. My goal this week is to do another planting of broccoli, lettuce and peas. Hopefully I can get one more crop of these before the snow. I also need to get dirt for the second bed so I can plant onions and garlic.
I picked squash today. I have no idea if there were ripe. I'm not even sure how to tell. But, they'd been sitting there awhile without changing, so I figured they were done. Unfortunately, it looks as if these are the only two I'm going to get. I think the soil they were in just wasn't adequate for their needs. Hopefully, next year, when they are in the raised bed they'll do better.
I didn't make it to any farmers markets this week. I still want to get to the one at Stan Hywet. I'm hoping this is the week. I know they will start closing down soon. It seems like the farmers market season goes by quicker than anything else. I really miss them when they're gone.
In sadder news, the worms are gone. And by that I mean, dead. This last week we had some major storms here in Northeastern Ohio. Even though their container was covered and had drainage holes, they were still flooded.(along with the back yard and part of our basement) As far as I can tell, there weren't any survivors. May they rest in peace.
I picked squash today. I have no idea if there were ripe. I'm not even sure how to tell. But, they'd been sitting there awhile without changing, so I figured they were done. Unfortunately, it looks as if these are the only two I'm going to get. I think the soil they were in just wasn't adequate for their needs. Hopefully, next year, when they are in the raised bed they'll do better.
I didn't make it to any farmers markets this week. I still want to get to the one at Stan Hywet. I'm hoping this is the week. I know they will start closing down soon. It seems like the farmers market season goes by quicker than anything else. I really miss them when they're gone.
In sadder news, the worms are gone. And by that I mean, dead. This last week we had some major storms here in Northeastern Ohio. Even though their container was covered and had drainage holes, they were still flooded.(along with the back yard and part of our basement) As far as I can tell, there weren't any survivors. May they rest in peace.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Slacking!!
Wow, I haven't posted here in a long time!! It has not been because I haven't been doing anything. Just today I froze peach pie filling and made peach sauce. It is yummy. I bought a peck of peaches from Rittman's on Wednesday. I don't really have a recipe for the sauce, but here's the gist of it.
Peach Sauce
Peel and cut or slice some peaches
Sprinkle some brown sugar on top
Add some cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla
Stir in and then add a handful of cinnamon chips.
Heat on low until peaches are soft and liquid is syrupy, stirring often.
I had some of this on my pancakes this morning and it was yummy!!
The garden is doing OK. I'm getting a couple tomatoes every few days. Lots of cherry tomatoes. I've also had a few peppers and cucs. Cappuccino has enjoyed little bits of broccoli. We also picked the beans. They were really weird looking. Over a foot long and purple!! I was kind of afraid to eat them, but they were good. I have one squash on each of the surviving plants.
I made my first and so far only batch of salsa last week. It was really good. I used one jalapeno and one habanero pepper. It was pretty hot. Just the way I like it.
Unlike the weather which has been cool these last few days. Today the high was supposed to be 70, but I don't think it made it. It has rained the entire day. I haven't made it to the back yard, but it looks like a swamp out there!!
Peach Sauce
Peel and cut or slice some peaches
Sprinkle some brown sugar on top
Add some cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla
Stir in and then add a handful of cinnamon chips.
Heat on low until peaches are soft and liquid is syrupy, stirring often.
I had some of this on my pancakes this morning and it was yummy!!
The garden is doing OK. I'm getting a couple tomatoes every few days. Lots of cherry tomatoes. I've also had a few peppers and cucs. Cappuccino has enjoyed little bits of broccoli. We also picked the beans. They were really weird looking. Over a foot long and purple!! I was kind of afraid to eat them, but they were good. I have one squash on each of the surviving plants.
I made my first and so far only batch of salsa last week. It was really good. I used one jalapeno and one habanero pepper. It was pretty hot. Just the way I like it.
Unlike the weather which has been cool these last few days. Today the high was supposed to be 70, but I don't think it made it. It has rained the entire day. I haven't made it to the back yard, but it looks like a swamp out there!!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Peaches, again!!
I finally got around to using up the peck(I'm sure now) of peaches I purchased on Wednesday. Yesterday I made 2 batches of jam. One is peach the other is peach/cantaloupe. I did freezer jam this time because it was way too hot to stand over a hot water bath. They turned out good. I used the Pomona's pectin again.
My dd12 made a peach cobbler that was awesome. I'll post a link to the recipe. It's on recipezaar. http://www.recipezaar.com/25600She also made a batch of zucchini bread. It didn't turn out nearly as good. I grated up the zucchini for her in the Cuisinart and set it on the table. When I came back a little while later, it was all gone. I said "What did you do with the rest of the zucchini?". She said, "There wasn't any left". I said "You only needed 3 cups". "I thought you measured it". "Why would I measure it, you're the one making the bread!!" So, the bread had too much zucchini and was less than good. We will try again next week. I had her get my neighbors recipe because it's awesome. However, our first attempt really didn't do it justice.
The garden is still doing well. I've gotten a few servings of broccoli. I think we'll have a plethora of tomatoes any day now.
We went to the Montrose Market yesterday and got some amazing blueberries from Rittman's. We still haven't made it picking. It's been too hot!!
Oh, I made the grilled pizza on Thursday and it was wonderful. My family was properly impressed. :)
In bunny news, Cappuccino is going to be spayed on Thursday. Keep her in your prayers. I'm very nervous. Some people don't think you need to unless there's a male nearby. However, spaying lowers their risk of uterine cancer and helps reduce aggression as they age. So, we're having it done. She weighed 3.16 pounds at her check up.
My dd12 made a peach cobbler that was awesome. I'll post a link to the recipe. It's on recipezaar. http://www.recipezaar.com/25600She also made a batch of zucchini bread. It didn't turn out nearly as good. I grated up the zucchini for her in the Cuisinart and set it on the table. When I came back a little while later, it was all gone. I said "What did you do with the rest of the zucchini?". She said, "There wasn't any left". I said "You only needed 3 cups". "I thought you measured it". "Why would I measure it, you're the one making the bread!!" So, the bread had too much zucchini and was less than good. We will try again next week. I had her get my neighbors recipe because it's awesome. However, our first attempt really didn't do it justice.
The garden is still doing well. I've gotten a few servings of broccoli. I think we'll have a plethora of tomatoes any day now.
We went to the Montrose Market yesterday and got some amazing blueberries from Rittman's. We still haven't made it picking. It's been too hot!!
Oh, I made the grilled pizza on Thursday and it was wonderful. My family was properly impressed. :)
In bunny news, Cappuccino is going to be spayed on Thursday. Keep her in your prayers. I'm very nervous. Some people don't think you need to unless there's a male nearby. However, spaying lowers their risk of uterine cancer and helps reduce aggression as they age. So, we're having it done. She weighed 3.16 pounds at her check up.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Peaches!! (and other stuff)
Today was the Barberton Farmers Market. I went specifically for the awesome cantaloupe from Bender's, but soon realized there were peaches to be had. I purchased a peck(I think that's what it is) for making jam and then a quart from Rittman's for eating. They were a little less ripe, so they'll last a day or two. Bender's was giving away zucchini, much to the annoyance of the other farmers I'm sure. So, I got 5 good sized ones for baking. BTW~I did get two cantaloupe.(the one we had already is a little overripe. but still yummy)
I also got some really large grape tomatoes. I'll be using these on grilled pizza tomorrow. I never made this for the 4th, so I'm using up all the cheese I bought. It's supposed to be in the 90's again tomorrow, so this will be a very hot undertaking. For some reason, I only grill pizza when it's really hot and I'm miserable the entire time.
In garden news,I have a few squash now. I think they are the Delicata and yellow patty. I forgot to label these, so I'm guessing at the moment. The recent heat seems to have dried up my cucs, but they were good while they lasted. Tomatoes are starting to ripen faster now. I did lose a few to blossom end rot. I was really hoping with the raised bed I wouldn't have to deal with this. However, the week before last we had rain nearly every day after quite a while with none. Once again, there isn't any rain in the forecast, so I'll have to do some watering.
I do seem to have some worms that have made it, but they don't eat nearly enough to keep up with our supply.
I opened a jar of the strawberry jam I made a while back. It was yucky. I have no idea what happened, the jars were sealed, but it looks and smells gross. So, I'll be dumping, or feeding to the worms, several jars of jam. Some of them are fine, it's just the Low Sugar Cooked jam. This was my favorite so I'm really bummed. I will try to do a batch of cooked peach and a freezer batch as back up.
Well, I think that's a pretty good update. I'll try and include some pics again soon.
I also got some really large grape tomatoes. I'll be using these on grilled pizza tomorrow. I never made this for the 4th, so I'm using up all the cheese I bought. It's supposed to be in the 90's again tomorrow, so this will be a very hot undertaking. For some reason, I only grill pizza when it's really hot and I'm miserable the entire time.
In garden news,I have a few squash now. I think they are the Delicata and yellow patty. I forgot to label these, so I'm guessing at the moment. The recent heat seems to have dried up my cucs, but they were good while they lasted. Tomatoes are starting to ripen faster now. I did lose a few to blossom end rot. I was really hoping with the raised bed I wouldn't have to deal with this. However, the week before last we had rain nearly every day after quite a while with none. Once again, there isn't any rain in the forecast, so I'll have to do some watering.
I do seem to have some worms that have made it, but they don't eat nearly enough to keep up with our supply.
I opened a jar of the strawberry jam I made a while back. It was yucky. I have no idea what happened, the jars were sealed, but it looks and smells gross. So, I'll be dumping, or feeding to the worms, several jars of jam. Some of them are fine, it's just the Low Sugar Cooked jam. This was my favorite so I'm really bummed. I will try to do a batch of cooked peach and a freezer batch as back up.
Well, I think that's a pretty good update. I'll try and include some pics again soon.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
They have arrived
So, in spite of my email telling them not to send the worms, Wormman.com sent them anyway!!! Yep, I'm naming names now. They suck!! My dh has been on vacation and we've been out and about all week. I told them not to send them, but they did it anyway.(over one month after my order was placed) So, the worms arrived on Wednesday, but we were gone the entire day. They were undiscovered until Thursday. By this point many had escaped from their poor packaging and were dried up on my porch!! I took pics to send to the company. Now, lest you think I am a negligent worm owner, I checked the company's order tracking every day just to make sure they hadn't shipped. There wasn't any update to the info so I had no way of knowing they were coming. As you may notice, I'm flippin' mad.
On another note.. we have enjoyed a few tomatoes from the garden. They are yummy. We have also put a fence around the garden. Riley pulled another broccoli plant and picked a tomato. The tomato was the last straw!! Dh did a nice job of putting it up so it's not too much of an eye sore.
On another note.. we have enjoyed a few tomatoes from the garden. They are yummy. We have also put a fence around the garden. Riley pulled another broccoli plant and picked a tomato. The tomato was the last straw!! Dh did a nice job of putting it up so it's not too much of an eye sore.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
A lovely, lazy Saturday
Not much new this lovely Saturday. The weather here in OHIO is gorgeous. Warm, breezy, partly cloudy. IMHO~perfect. The garden is growing nicely. A few of the cherry tomatoes look as though they may ripen very soon. Yeah!! Everything else is moving along. Nothing exciting, but that's good.
I received another email that once again my worms were not shipped. They are now being shipped(supposedly) on Monday. DH is fed up and wants me to cancel the order. I'm going to send an email so they have it ASAP and do not send them. Not that there seems to be any risk of that!!
This is sort of off topic. Local, but not food related. Last night,dh, my sis,her husband and I went to the "Third Day" concert at the House of Blues. It was freakin' awesome!!!! I had never been there before. This was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. It was my 5th time seeing Third Day. We love them. In this particular venue, it was amazing. So, if you ever have the opportunity to see a concert there, go!! However, do not, I repeat... Do NOT order any food or beverages unless you love to overpay. Naively, we each got bottled water and split 2 orders of fries. Now, they were good, but our total bill was over $20. We nearly passed out!!! However, our tickets were given to us{front row balcony~great view), and they were awesome. My BIL drove and kindly paid for parking, so the experience was well worth it. For the record, I hear the food at HOB is really good. Just not what I want to pay for a snack. :)
My dd made zucchini bars the other day. I love these. I posted the recipe on recipezaar. Here's the link~http://www.recipezaar.com/240014.
I received another email that once again my worms were not shipped. They are now being shipped(supposedly) on Monday. DH is fed up and wants me to cancel the order. I'm going to send an email so they have it ASAP and do not send them. Not that there seems to be any risk of that!!
This is sort of off topic. Local, but not food related. Last night,dh, my sis,her husband and I went to the "Third Day" concert at the House of Blues. It was freakin' awesome!!!! I had never been there before. This was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. It was my 5th time seeing Third Day. We love them. In this particular venue, it was amazing. So, if you ever have the opportunity to see a concert there, go!! However, do not, I repeat... Do NOT order any food or beverages unless you love to overpay. Naively, we each got bottled water and split 2 orders of fries. Now, they were good, but our total bill was over $20. We nearly passed out!!! However, our tickets were given to us{front row balcony~great view), and they were awesome. My BIL drove and kindly paid for parking, so the experience was well worth it. For the record, I hear the food at HOB is really good. Just not what I want to pay for a snack. :)
My dd made zucchini bars the other day. I love these. I posted the recipe on recipezaar. Here's the link~http://www.recipezaar.com/240014.
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