trudy's Blog

Mators are getting ready
Jun 29, 2007 | 1:57 PM PST
Tags: tomatoes , basil , pesto , corn , leek , carrots , butter

Since my last entry I've canned up the case of mators I bought from the Produce stand,  made 22 pts an 6 pts of juice.  Not bad I didn't think.  The corn I got from my BIL made 15 1/2 pts, although I like using qt bags for them an they are a little more than a pint in them, then bagged 4 bags of corn on cob with 4-5 ears per bag.  I got one of those "SealaMeal" things back for Xmas an will be interesting to see how well things hold up.    Since most of the year I am cooking just for two I see no need in wasting food using qt jars or bags filled to the max. 

A friend of mine is suppose to get me some more corn tomorrow an I thought I'd just bag them up for corn on the cob.   Just in case my BIL gets busy an can't get me anymore corn I've got a backup plan.  My luck both will come thru an I'll have overload.  Suppose to work in the shop this week end as well, so I've got a busy weekend ahead of me.

Yesterday I picked quiet a few tomatoes from my garden an made some plain tomatoe sauce an more juice.  I couldn't believe how many more were ready this afternoon to be picked again.  So hopefully over the weekend I can find the time to do up some spaghetti sauce.  I like using pt jars for those to, then I add 1 pt of the plain tomatoe sauce with it along with garlic an basil pesto.  Usually turns out pretty good. 

While at the grocery store a little while ago (which I don't go often) I did have to restock on a few things an wound up buying a 5 lb bag of carrots.  We just love carrots with leeks cooked together.  It is better using fresh carrots right out of the garden but I don't have any other than the canned ones which will do fine in stews, but we like a little crunch left in them with this dish.  All I do is coat the bottom of a pan with EVOO an a little butter,  Cut the carrots up to where they aren't to small or to large add a little salt an pepper an cook them just enough for them to be done but leaving a little crunch in the center,  the last couple minutes of cook time add 1 cut up an cleaned, diced leek.   Man is it good!  I got this recipe from a friend of mine an have been making it ever since.  No one in my house cared much for plain cooked carrots til I started making this, even my picky DD.

Just had to get them
Jun 21, 2007 | 6:14 AM PST
Tags: tomatoes , zukes , cukes , strawberries , grasshoppers , Ga. Thumpers , canning

I got a good check up with the doc yesterday, upped my weight limit to 20 lbs. You know what that means right? I can now do a few things in the yard an garden, may not be much but its better than it was b4. So on my way home yesterday I stopped by the produce stand an bought a case of mators which came from Sloccomb, Al. So I knew they would be good. Sloccomb is known around here for having the best tasting tomatoes. Something to do with the soil there. They had just been picked the afternoon b4, an knowing how I need to replenish my tomatoe supply I figured why not. So today I'm canning those up.

This morning I got the veggie sprinkler going at 7:30 b4 the heat sets in. Ordinarilly I can only water in late evening due to my work hours, but while I'm on leave its nice to be able to water in the mornings. Everyday I have been harvesting a few things like cukes, mators, few staggered strawberries. A couple days ago the zuke plant replacement I noticed was wilting, well something apparently cut it off at the base. So I'm not sure if I want to replace it yet again or just give up on zukes this year.

Late yesterday afternoon after my nap an boredom set in I went out on the porch an decided to prune out some of the dead canes out of my 2 climbers at the entrance. Nothing strinuous, b4 I knew it I had a couple small piles I now need to take to the edge of the woods. But the roses look better! Hiding on a cane was a grown GA. Thumper (Grasshopper), they east everything in site. So far since seeing them in early spring everytime I see one or more I stomp them to death. By doing this I have decreased the numbers I see almost daily. So to grasshopper heaven he went.

Well time to get busy while the mood has hit me, trudy

Last minute things to do
Jun 15, 2007 | 8:42 AM PST
Tags: tomatoes , garlic , Black Krim , cure , peppers

I'm a couple days late on this entry,  had the surgery on Thursday, but on Wed.  I bought 2/6pks of bell peppers to help fill in where the garlic was dug up an let the store owner talk me into Galieth (sp) tomatoe saying any plants I bought I'd get a 10% discount.  I think he said that cause I was telling him he needed to start having some sales on the plants cuz its getting to hot to be trying to plant things here.  

I had only planned on getting my chicks some more feed an the peppers, ok ok I'm easily persuaded when it comes to plants of any kind.  His employee tried to get me to get the larger peppers that had blooms on them already, but I stood my ground on that one.  I told him NO, that I already had plenty in the ground an by getting the ones smaller I wouldn't be overwhelmed all at once with peppers.  Besides the bigger the plant in the pot may make it more difficult for them to get established.  An knowing I wouldn't be able to be out there to tend to them I think I made the right choice.  Dug a few more garlics an put them in the greenhouse shade area to cure.  While there the ones I dug the other day were doing nicely, so I trimmed off some the roots on some of them an let them be a little longer.

Seeing how nothing got watered yesterday cuz we got home late from the hospital I turned on the sprinkler this morning an got DH to change out the stations after an hour per station.   I knew not to try an pull on the hoses to change them out.  But I did pick one of the Black Krim mators while out there.  It was just calling my name, what can I say.  Ok I can't sit here long so till next time.  trudy 

Ups & Downs in the garden
May 20, 2007 | 9:58 AM PST
Tags: potatoes , fish pond , overflow , Amillia , tomatoes , okra , eggplants , beefsteak

Well I had it all writen down, then stepped away an lost it all. Saying I wasn't logged in an couldn't find the page I requested. Really you admin should do something about that delay. The page was saying I was logged in, when I really wasn't. So I continued with my entry. Then to find out I wasn't logged in an all my entry was for nothing.

Now to get back my thoughts an rewrite this.

Not to much has been going on around here, I refilled my fish pond yesterday an left to go to a tournament weigh in an of course forgot about it. While out taking photos this morning I discovered it, oops!! Sure was clean looking, an really full, overflowing on the edges. The plants in the overflow edges where it made its path really loved the extra drink.

I dug some potatoes this morning from where the tops had died, suppose to be a sign that they are done growing. Boy what a disappointment!! The seed potatoes I planted were bigger than the harvest. Don't know what I'm not doing right, I think it must be my soil. Now I have a good size spot to grow something else, pehaps some okra.

I picked 2 beefsteak size Amillia tomatoes yesterday also, first for the season. Although they are a hybrid I don't mind some hybrids in the garden depending on what it is. Also picked a few banana peppers an a cucumber. My eggplants are not growing, I think I have ants on them or something, will have to recheck an treat them.
Well this is my shorter version of what I did have written, it'll do