daily yarns 'n more

our gentle hearth harvest

We didn't plant too much in our garden this year, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and onions.  I did put some habanero peppers in one of the batches of tomato sauce, I can't wait to try it and see how hot it is.

I made some tomato sauce with our daughter Carri when they came for Labor day.  I canned more the other day for a total of 35 quarts.  I still have more tomatoes on the plants yet that I can still process.

I need to get these now off my counter and in the pantry.

We're off now to trade some strawberries for potatoes with one of our neighbors.

 Linking with Verde Farm: Fall Farm Friend Friday

a droopy head

I planted a row of sunflowers this year and not too many came up.  Out of the ones that did sprout, I had a few that the sunflower heads were pretty big.  I'm kicking myself that I didn't get out to take a photo of them until they started to droop.

the fruits of our labor

 

Refrigerator Pickles

7 cups cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups white sugar

1 cup diced red onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon celery seed

Directions: Mix the cucumbers and salt and let stand for one hour.  Do not drain mixture and follow by adding the sugar, onions, bell pepper, cider vinegar and celery seed. 

Mix well, cover and refrigerate.

do you like the smell of fresh plowed dirt?

I never would have believed it, but I love the smell of dirt.  Especially freshly plowed dirt.  Here is our neighbor tilling his land...

...and here we are getting the soil ready for our little garden spot.

The strawberry plants are coming today and I can't wait to get them in the ground.

How about you, what are you planting?

remember me?

I've almost forgotten that I have a blog and I can't believe that the 4th is almost here.  There's been so much going on here that I wish I could tell you about.  Pretty soon tho, I just don't want to jinx anything.  Not that I'm superstitious and all.

Here's all I can show you for right now...a little teaser.

Strawberry season is done.  I have jars of jam in the freezer and bags of frozen strawberries to enjoy this winter.

The cold frame we used for our tomato plants has helped those plants a lot.  They already have tomatoes on them.  The other plants we planted later are further behind.

The flowers in my flower garden are blooming nicely.

The very first of my favorite flowers.

 

The last lone wild rose left on the bush.

We've been walking in the neighborhood and I don't take my camera on these walks.  I have been doing some running and a camera around my neck would just be in the way.  On one occasion I had wished I had it tho.  A coyote was walking in the back yards of some of the houses.  He just looked at us and didn't seem too worried that we were there.

Last count, I have 301 unread posts in my Google reader...Sorry if I've not been visiting.  Too much on my mind and going on around here.

Hope you all have an awesome 4th.

the blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup....

Is sweet as my wild roses smell.

I know it's been 49 years since the cup was in Chicago.  But, that's okay.  After last years loss in the finals Jim said, "Don't worry the Blackhawks will be taking it next year"...and...Do you know what?  They did!

yummy talk

Our first strawberry harvest.  Don't they look delish?

There was just enough to make some strawberry shortcake with them.  This was my plate, I love whip cream, and no this is NOT on the diet plan, but I can't pass having it.  Especially the first strawberry shortcake of the season.

More yummy talk.  I made a ham 'n' sausage stromboli the other night and it was awesome.

We headed out for our walk the other night and I didn't bring my camera so you'll just have to believe me.  I was kicking myself, but I have been seeing the Chiropractor for my neck and shoulders so I thought not to take it.  We came upon a momma deer eating on the side of the path.  We came within 5 feet of it and she didn't move, tho she kept her eye on us.  Couldn't figure her out, until Jim looked much closer at her underside and could tell that she was a nursing momma.  Her baby had to be around somewhere near, tho we couldn't see her.  When Jim started to go near the brush, the momma deer started to move towards him.  I said "Let's get out of here, I don't want her charging at us, because she thinks her baby is in danger".  On our way back she was still there grazing.

I did see some wildflowers that I have not seen ever.  So, we picked a few to show you how different and pretty they are.  I wish I knew the name of them. 

They kind of look yummy too.

Yummy things happening over here...I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Until then...

there's nothing like seeing your garden grow

When we were gone we had a lot of rain.  I went to check the gardens the other day and found the lettuce doing great.  This is our first year for lettuce.   I'm not sure if we planted them too close together or not.  We shall see.

 

The brussel sprouts are doing good too.

 

Jim ordered some sweet potatoes and they came while we were gone.  They were pretty dry when we opened the package.  But, after soaking the roots and wrapping them in a wet towel they perked up enough to plant.  We'll see how they do.

 

Harvesting the asparagus.  The asparagus is done for the year.  Since this is the first year of harvest we were only able to cut for 10 days.  Next year it will be a bit longer.  Each year the cutting time gets longer.

Our tomato plants are doing great as well.   We plan to move them to the area we had them in last year along side the house.  They did really well there.

We have been harvesting onions already and boy are they good.

Life on our little hobby farm on our small piece of land is going good.

sprouting wheat

Jim did an experiment you could say with some wheat kernels. 

Have you ever heard of alfalfa sprouts?  We these are wheat sprouts.  These are supposed to be very healthy for you.

There is a process to this but you can't let it go for too long otherwise the sprouts start growing what looks like hair and that doesn't look very appetizing.

I had some sprouts on my salad yesterday for lunch and it was very good.

Update on how the diets going...It's only been 3 weeks and I have lost 7 pounds.  Jim and I walk just about every night for about an hour.  We walk anywhere between 2 and 3 miles depending on how long we go for.

A lot is going on right now and soon I'll let you all in on it.

You all have an awesome day today.

the garden

Jim got a cold frame to start some plants going early.  We have tomato plants in here and they are doing great.

A fun thing we found was some cucumbers growing too from last years planting.  I'm not sure what we are going to do with them.

Brussels sprouts and snap peas.

 

Our onions are growing great.

 

It'll be interesting trying to keep these dogs out of the gardens.

Last night we headed for a walk down by the lake.  I have posted photos of that over at my photo blog.  It sure feels good to be walking and taking pictures again.

You all have a wonderful weekend.