Thanksgiving is over and I have no idea what I will do with all of the food left over. We had way too much and we were all full.
The one area we had no problem "selling the items", as my father-in-law used to say, was the pies. They were a big hit and so was the squash casserole, sweet potatoes, turkey, dressing, etc. However, there is only so much of that stuff that you can eat.
We included some patty pan squash in our casserole as a symbolic offering from my garden. It was great to have the children home and it is also great to have the peace return to our abode.
I can truly say that having friends and family at our table is the best blessing of all.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Give Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. This is the day for giving thanks for all G-d has given to us, both good and bad. My friend Kurt Stone once gave the sermon to his congregation that sometimes we pray for something and we get it and other times we don't, that just means that G-d said yes or no.
This year was a resounding yes for me and my garden. Yes to being outside, yes to watching the young plants grow, yes to meditation time, yes to a very bountiful harvest,and yes to being a gardener again. I would love to be in the yes line again next year for a lot of reasons.
It was pointed out to me very early on that we can live and look out for ourselves and others or we can live only for ourselves. Trust me when I say that it is a lot more fun to share than be selfish.
I have always told my friends and family that you can throw dirt into that turned off fan and you can throw flowers. Someone will come and flip the switch and it all comes back to you. It is your choice whether you get flower petals or dirt in your face.
Make the right choice and you will find out giving is much more rewarding than receiving.
This year was a resounding yes for me and my garden. Yes to being outside, yes to watching the young plants grow, yes to meditation time, yes to a very bountiful harvest,and yes to being a gardener again. I would love to be in the yes line again next year for a lot of reasons.
It was pointed out to me very early on that we can live and look out for ourselves and others or we can live only for ourselves. Trust me when I say that it is a lot more fun to share than be selfish.
I have always told my friends and family that you can throw dirt into that turned off fan and you can throw flowers. Someone will come and flip the switch and it all comes back to you. It is your choice whether you get flower petals or dirt in your face.
Make the right choice and you will find out giving is much more rewarding than receiving.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A Time For Thanks
As Thanksgiving draws close, as the cool weather sets in, I can't help but be thankful for all of G-d's bounty. All organic gardeners are believers in a higher power and if you listen carefully to the words that flow out of their mouths, you will understand.
If you have ever stood and talked to a farmer, the words will be something like this. "Yes, we had a good year and G-d or the Lord blessed us with ample rain, plenty of not so hot days and a good harvest." If the response is "yes, we had a hard summer with too much heat and not enough rain, maybe we will be blessed with a better crop next year."
My family always sits around the table at Thanksgiving and each shares what we are thankful for this year. One year, my daughter was proposed to by my wonderful son-in-law. My mother (mother-in-law in reality) turned to me and said "did he just ask her to marry him?" and I said yes with tears rolling down my checks.
This year, as we sit and tell what we are thankful for, I don't think they will give me enough time to tell all I want to be on my list. I have had the opportunity to be back in the sunshine, to watch young things grow, to enjoy the bounty the careful tending yielded, and enjoy eating what we brought to the table.
All six children of my children also reflect the careful tending and the loving touch. Bill and I have fought in one way or the other for all of them. I have fought the school systems, the teachers when wrong, and predictions for their future.
Sometimes it amazes me how flip teachers and administrators can be when a child is involved. They open their mouths before they engage their brains. My oldest daughter was told she would never be able to write and multiple published books and articles later that she has written, yes she can.
Our grown children bring to the table all that they have learned and all that they have been able to produce. Two of my daughters give of themselves everyday and teach school in most spectacular ways. My second daughter is one of the best AP teachers in Florida and my youngest daughter leads her fifth grade team at a Title One school.
My oldest son tries to treat his customers as he would want to be treated, my middle son gives his all to his teammates,his friends,and family and my youngest son is going to re-engineer the things the world needs and make it a better world. I am such a proud mother.
Without my husband, Bill, there wouldn't have been a garden this year. Like in so many years gone by, he helped with the preparation of the beds. This year, he diligently kept the grow boxes full of water and made sure the boxes had the room to grow properly.
My husband and I will share our fortieth anniversary in a few weeks and yet it feels like yesterday. Yesterday when there weren't any children,spouses or significant others, grandchildren or even a garden.
Our only grandchild of the human variety is our grandson,Eric, and he came as part of the package with my son-in-law Abe. It was a two for one and how lucky we were to get them. The forty year mark seems so easy when you write it, but it takes work like the garden to achieve the rewards.
So much sowing and so much reaping. So much to be happy and thankful for even in these troubled times. May peace come to all of us and bring with it a bountiful harvest in the coming year.
If you have ever stood and talked to a farmer, the words will be something like this. "Yes, we had a good year and G-d or the Lord blessed us with ample rain, plenty of not so hot days and a good harvest." If the response is "yes, we had a hard summer with too much heat and not enough rain, maybe we will be blessed with a better crop next year."
My family always sits around the table at Thanksgiving and each shares what we are thankful for this year. One year, my daughter was proposed to by my wonderful son-in-law. My mother (mother-in-law in reality) turned to me and said "did he just ask her to marry him?" and I said yes with tears rolling down my checks.
This year, as we sit and tell what we are thankful for, I don't think they will give me enough time to tell all I want to be on my list. I have had the opportunity to be back in the sunshine, to watch young things grow, to enjoy the bounty the careful tending yielded, and enjoy eating what we brought to the table.
All six children of my children also reflect the careful tending and the loving touch. Bill and I have fought in one way or the other for all of them. I have fought the school systems, the teachers when wrong, and predictions for their future.
Sometimes it amazes me how flip teachers and administrators can be when a child is involved. They open their mouths before they engage their brains. My oldest daughter was told she would never be able to write and multiple published books and articles later that she has written, yes she can.
Our grown children bring to the table all that they have learned and all that they have been able to produce. Two of my daughters give of themselves everyday and teach school in most spectacular ways. My second daughter is one of the best AP teachers in Florida and my youngest daughter leads her fifth grade team at a Title One school.
My oldest son tries to treat his customers as he would want to be treated, my middle son gives his all to his teammates,his friends,and family and my youngest son is going to re-engineer the things the world needs and make it a better world. I am such a proud mother.
Without my husband, Bill, there wouldn't have been a garden this year. Like in so many years gone by, he helped with the preparation of the beds. This year, he diligently kept the grow boxes full of water and made sure the boxes had the room to grow properly.
My husband and I will share our fortieth anniversary in a few weeks and yet it feels like yesterday. Yesterday when there weren't any children,spouses or significant others, grandchildren or even a garden.
Our only grandchild of the human variety is our grandson,Eric, and he came as part of the package with my son-in-law Abe. It was a two for one and how lucky we were to get them. The forty year mark seems so easy when you write it, but it takes work like the garden to achieve the rewards.
So much sowing and so much reaping. So much to be happy and thankful for even in these troubled times. May peace come to all of us and bring with it a bountiful harvest in the coming year.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Keep on rolling along
When this whole adventure with the Grow Boxes started, I tried it because of the guarantee that if I was unsatisfied with the boxes I could get my money back. These people must be joking, because it would take a Neanderthal with no brain and the inability to read to not be able to grow in these containers. Since I am neither, I have been greatly successful with my boxes so far this year.
Now, with 320 pounds 2 ounces of vegetables so far, the only question is if some of the 2010 garden continues into 2011, which year do I attribute the extra to. I have had a great time in the garden and enjoyed my own food grown by my own hands so much. It would be wonderful if the whole world could do something like this and participate in the fun.
My little great nephew got tremendous pleasure out of picking tomatoes from my plants this summer and hopefully we will pick more next year. As far as my garden, I have vegetables and spices to go through the winter thanks to a greenhouse and a cold frame.
You might be lucky enough and Santa will drop off a few Grow Boxes so you can try them. For me,my experiment next summer will continue on. I will try some new treatments for heirloom tomatoes like grafting and growing my own transplants instead one buying ones I was not happy with.
It amazes me that my daughter Kimmie, who ate only a few vegetables as a child, really loves Patty Pan squash from my garden. Better look out doxies, somebody wants to steal your stash.
Now, with 320 pounds 2 ounces of vegetables so far, the only question is if some of the 2010 garden continues into 2011, which year do I attribute the extra to. I have had a great time in the garden and enjoyed my own food grown by my own hands so much. It would be wonderful if the whole world could do something like this and participate in the fun.
My little great nephew got tremendous pleasure out of picking tomatoes from my plants this summer and hopefully we will pick more next year. As far as my garden, I have vegetables and spices to go through the winter thanks to a greenhouse and a cold frame.
You might be lucky enough and Santa will drop off a few Grow Boxes so you can try them. For me,my experiment next summer will continue on. I will try some new treatments for heirloom tomatoes like grafting and growing my own transplants instead one buying ones I was not happy with.
It amazes me that my daughter Kimmie, who ate only a few vegetables as a child, really loves Patty Pan squash from my garden. Better look out doxies, somebody wants to steal your stash.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sherry's Mediterranean Chicken
SHERRY’S MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN
One whole chicken cut-up
Whole head of garlic
Can of low sodium black olives
Jar of pimento stuffed green olives
Seven Seas Italian or Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
Small red new potatoes
Fresh Oregano
Fresh Basil
Wash chicken in cold water and place in deep baking dish or pan.
Break the garlic into cloves, leave the skin on the garlic cloves and distribute around the chicken.
Chop fresh oregano and basil and sprinkle over the chicken.
Put ½ of both types of olives onto the chicken.
Wash the potatoes. Cut small new potatoes into fourths or larger red potatoes into smaller pieces.
Sprinkle all of the above heavily with the salad dressing. If you are able, let this sit in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
Bake at 375 degrees for one hour covered, then continue to cook uncovered for 30 minutes longer. Take the chicken out and put on baking sheet. Return both pans to the oven until the chicken is browned. Serve the chicken with the garlic and potatoes.
This is a receipe that can be easily doubled, tripled, etc.
ENJOY!!!!
One whole chicken cut-up
Whole head of garlic
Can of low sodium black olives
Jar of pimento stuffed green olives
Seven Seas Italian or Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
Small red new potatoes
Fresh Oregano
Fresh Basil
Wash chicken in cold water and place in deep baking dish or pan.
Break the garlic into cloves, leave the skin on the garlic cloves and distribute around the chicken.
Chop fresh oregano and basil and sprinkle over the chicken.
Put ½ of both types of olives onto the chicken.
Wash the potatoes. Cut small new potatoes into fourths or larger red potatoes into smaller pieces.
Sprinkle all of the above heavily with the salad dressing. If you are able, let this sit in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
Bake at 375 degrees for one hour covered, then continue to cook uncovered for 30 minutes longer. Take the chicken out and put on baking sheet. Return both pans to the oven until the chicken is browned. Serve the chicken with the garlic and potatoes.
This is a receipe that can be easily doubled, tripled, etc.
ENJOY!!!!
Fresh Spices
We are going to be able to have fresh herbs all winter because we found another way to keep part of our summer garden growing. Last night, my husband and I were on a mission again. We frequent the local hardware and garden stores and we found the last cold frame available at one of them.
A cold frame, for the garden newbees, is a short version of a hot house. It has a lid that can be lifted up on warm days and closed at night to protect the tender vegetables or herbs. I currently have two herb boxes going into the cold frame because we have twenty degree nights in the forecast for Thanksgiving week.
It will be a nice winter if the herbs can continue to grow for the winter. I developed this wonderful Mediterranean chicken recipe that requires fresh garlic, basil and oregano. I had Italian friends that loved chicken and potatoes but they would never give out the recipe. It took a couple tries, but Sherry's Mediterranean Chicken is now a family favorite.
My own version of garlic blue crabs require fresh basil and Melissa D'Arabian's Lemon Tuscan chicken requires fresh thyme. (I will post my Mediterranean Chicken recipe and Melissa's recipe is on the Food Network site).
Fresh spices and warm food are as simple as it gets. And yet, it is always comfort food we want when the weather gets bad.
A cold frame, for the garden newbees, is a short version of a hot house. It has a lid that can be lifted up on warm days and closed at night to protect the tender vegetables or herbs. I currently have two herb boxes going into the cold frame because we have twenty degree nights in the forecast for Thanksgiving week.
It will be a nice winter if the herbs can continue to grow for the winter. I developed this wonderful Mediterranean chicken recipe that requires fresh garlic, basil and oregano. I had Italian friends that loved chicken and potatoes but they would never give out the recipe. It took a couple tries, but Sherry's Mediterranean Chicken is now a family favorite.
My own version of garlic blue crabs require fresh basil and Melissa D'Arabian's Lemon Tuscan chicken requires fresh thyme. (I will post my Mediterranean Chicken recipe and Melissa's recipe is on the Food Network site).
Fresh spices and warm food are as simple as it gets. And yet, it is always comfort food we want when the weather gets bad.
Me and the Prince
I never thought I would listen to the monarchy of England and like what I heard, but I was wrong. It turns out that Prince Charles is someone who thinks we need to work harder to save our natural resources and become environmentally responsible.
When we grow plants, they take the carbon dioxide out of the air and changes it into the oxygen we need to breathe, sugar and other organic elements. By growing plants we can lessen our carbon footprint, and Bill and I have certainly made a concerted effort to do so with our organic garden.
We cleaned up some of our lesser plants today and replaced them with seven Grow Boxes that we replanted with sugar snap pea seeds. If they take off like the other box of sugar snap peas, we should have a lot to stir-fry this winter along with the broccoli.
When I first started with the Grow Boxes I thought I would have a few tomatoes this summer and yet it has become an obsession with me and maybe my husband. We like the clean looks of our garden, we like being able to work from the seat of a garden cart, and we love working in the fresh air. It gives us a chance to get some Vitamin D from the sun.
The doctors are pushing Vitamin D and monitoring the element in our blood. Apparently as we age, the ends of our DNA gets frayed and our bodies break down. Vitamin D in proper levels keeps the DNA from getting frayed.
Well, I take my Vitamin D capsules and you can find me outside playing in the dirt. I intend being the best looking 90 year old in about thirty years.
When we grow plants, they take the carbon dioxide out of the air and changes it into the oxygen we need to breathe, sugar and other organic elements. By growing plants we can lessen our carbon footprint, and Bill and I have certainly made a concerted effort to do so with our organic garden.
We cleaned up some of our lesser plants today and replaced them with seven Grow Boxes that we replanted with sugar snap pea seeds. If they take off like the other box of sugar snap peas, we should have a lot to stir-fry this winter along with the broccoli.
When I first started with the Grow Boxes I thought I would have a few tomatoes this summer and yet it has become an obsession with me and maybe my husband. We like the clean looks of our garden, we like being able to work from the seat of a garden cart, and we love working in the fresh air. It gives us a chance to get some Vitamin D from the sun.
The doctors are pushing Vitamin D and monitoring the element in our blood. Apparently as we age, the ends of our DNA gets frayed and our bodies break down. Vitamin D in proper levels keeps the DNA from getting frayed.
Well, I take my Vitamin D capsules and you can find me outside playing in the dirt. I intend being the best looking 90 year old in about thirty years.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
We Have Broccoli
The garden has changed significantly this week. We have pulled out beans, squash, tomatoes, and cleaned up the whole garden patch.
Our greenhouse shows condensation on the walls and the tomato and pepper plants inside are putting out new growth in the warm climate. Even though this is an artificial climate in the greenhouse, it is what the plants want.
Our experimentation continues on with all of the cole crops we have planted this fall. Bill and I are surprised by the large baseball size broccoli head in our first grow box we planted the broccoli in. This part of the garden is some of my husband's favorite vegetables-Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, and sugar snap peas.
The lettuce is for me and I do not like Iceberg lettuce because it has no nutritional value. I prefer red leaf, Buttercrunch, and Romaine because the loose leaf lettuce is better for us. I do love most of the cole crops and maybe Brussels sprouts will finally make a breakthrough with my taste buds.
For Thanksgiving this year as in years gone by, we will make squash casserole. This is a family favorite and I plan to use some of my patty pan squash in it along with yellow squash from the farmers market.
I admit I did frequent my favorite market for fruit this summer and Rick's is my market whenever I need fruits and vegetables. He buys from the farmers and gets varieties that I don't always see in other stores. He also is my source for information about applying lime in the fall.
The problem with most people is they do not think and they know nothing. Although I have been an organic gardener for 36 almost 37 years, I read all the time and I learn new things everyday.
The garden teaches us to listen to our plants with our eyes and our hearts, not with words. Oh what peace comes from solitude.
Our greenhouse shows condensation on the walls and the tomato and pepper plants inside are putting out new growth in the warm climate. Even though this is an artificial climate in the greenhouse, it is what the plants want.
Our experimentation continues on with all of the cole crops we have planted this fall. Bill and I are surprised by the large baseball size broccoli head in our first grow box we planted the broccoli in. This part of the garden is some of my husband's favorite vegetables-Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, and sugar snap peas.
The lettuce is for me and I do not like Iceberg lettuce because it has no nutritional value. I prefer red leaf, Buttercrunch, and Romaine because the loose leaf lettuce is better for us. I do love most of the cole crops and maybe Brussels sprouts will finally make a breakthrough with my taste buds.
For Thanksgiving this year as in years gone by, we will make squash casserole. This is a family favorite and I plan to use some of my patty pan squash in it along with yellow squash from the farmers market.
I admit I did frequent my favorite market for fruit this summer and Rick's is my market whenever I need fruits and vegetables. He buys from the farmers and gets varieties that I don't always see in other stores. He also is my source for information about applying lime in the fall.
The problem with most people is they do not think and they know nothing. Although I have been an organic gardener for 36 almost 37 years, I read all the time and I learn new things everyday.
The garden teaches us to listen to our plants with our eyes and our hearts, not with words. Oh what peace comes from solitude.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Not Just Leaves Changing
The garden she is a changing. The overall complexion of the garden has significantly changed over the last week. The beans are gone and the tomatoes and peppers are next,that is except for the containers in my new greenhouse.
The grow boxes are now full of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, brussel sprouts, and sugar snap peas. My broccoli has some heads the size of half dollar or silver dollar coins. It is the very first time we have had a successful growth of broccoli.
Surprise, surprise! Yesterday, my husband and I trekked to one of the popular home repair and garden retailers to see if they had a bargain on a greenhouse. We had seen some that sat in waterlogged boxes last week and wondered if they wanted to get rid of them cheaply.
We were pleasantly rewarded with the fact the store still had one of the waterlogged boxes. We bought a pop-up plastic greenhouses that measured 5 foot by 5 foot by 6 1/2 feet tall. This is not huge by any measure but certainly big enough to hold two tomato boxes, one pepper box and maybe my herb box. It may be possible to get another box in if my son redesigns the supports.
It will be the first Thanksgiving I will be able to serve my fresh tomatoes from the garden along with the turkey. This year, like so many others, has been a learning experience beyond belief. I actually weighed in a 14 ounce Mr. Stripey tomato today as we roll along to the next mark of 310 pounds out of the garden.
I have been the teacher this summer and I have also been the student. Oh how wonderful to be back in the outdoor classroom.
The grow boxes are now full of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, brussel sprouts, and sugar snap peas. My broccoli has some heads the size of half dollar or silver dollar coins. It is the very first time we have had a successful growth of broccoli.
Surprise, surprise! Yesterday, my husband and I trekked to one of the popular home repair and garden retailers to see if they had a bargain on a greenhouse. We had seen some that sat in waterlogged boxes last week and wondered if they wanted to get rid of them cheaply.
We were pleasantly rewarded with the fact the store still had one of the waterlogged boxes. We bought a pop-up plastic greenhouses that measured 5 foot by 5 foot by 6 1/2 feet tall. This is not huge by any measure but certainly big enough to hold two tomato boxes, one pepper box and maybe my herb box. It may be possible to get another box in if my son redesigns the supports.
It will be the first Thanksgiving I will be able to serve my fresh tomatoes from the garden along with the turkey. This year, like so many others, has been a learning experience beyond belief. I actually weighed in a 14 ounce Mr. Stripey tomato today as we roll along to the next mark of 310 pounds out of the garden.
I have been the teacher this summer and I have also been the student. Oh how wonderful to be back in the outdoor classroom.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sad
I was out in the garden today and I could not help but be saddened by the frost burned plants and the frozen green beans. The tomato, squash, basil, and pepper plants my husband and I loving covered yesterday have survived. Hopefully they will live to give us some more veggies.
The sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts are so happy to be in the cool weather they love so much. Unfortunately, the master design is that we eat some crops in spring and summer, and others in fall and winter. You do not go looking for citrus fruits in the summer and you wouldn't pay for watermelon in the winter.
Doctors who specialize in intestinal problems tell us to eat seasonally. That is what I am talking about. I love all kinds of fruits and vegetables and wish I could grow it all whenever I feel like it.
My plants just wouldn't or couldn't fight the coming of the darkness and the dying of the light.
The sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts are so happy to be in the cool weather they love so much. Unfortunately, the master design is that we eat some crops in spring and summer, and others in fall and winter. You do not go looking for citrus fruits in the summer and you wouldn't pay for watermelon in the winter.
Doctors who specialize in intestinal problems tell us to eat seasonally. That is what I am talking about. I love all kinds of fruits and vegetables and wish I could grow it all whenever I feel like it.
My plants just wouldn't or couldn't fight the coming of the darkness and the dying of the light.
Winter becons
It is the 6th of November and we have our first frost predicted for tonight. We made the 300 pound mark today with 302 pounds 10 ounces. That has been the magic mark and it seemed impossible,and we have been sharing the last of the year's tomatoes with friends and family this week.
My husband is so into the fall season for the garden that we bought more broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce when we went shopping for an inexpensive green house. I found the greenhouse but I have to go back to pick it up because the box was wet. Bill did not want to put in the back of my car.
I absolutely can not believe that we made the 300 pound mark and we will be continuing our quest for the highest amount. It amazes me that when everyone's garden petered out in July and August, my garden continues to produce. Maybe it is my years of experimentation or just my unwillingness to say that the garden is done.
We covered as many plants as possible to keep the frost off of them. We used plastic drop cloths and miniature clamps to keep the cold out. The morning will tell, but I have twenty pounds or more of tomatoes still outside.
Come on winter, I am ready to fight.
My husband is so into the fall season for the garden that we bought more broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce when we went shopping for an inexpensive green house. I found the greenhouse but I have to go back to pick it up because the box was wet. Bill did not want to put in the back of my car.
I absolutely can not believe that we made the 300 pound mark and we will be continuing our quest for the highest amount. It amazes me that when everyone's garden petered out in July and August, my garden continues to produce. Maybe it is my years of experimentation or just my unwillingness to say that the garden is done.
We covered as many plants as possible to keep the frost off of them. We used plastic drop cloths and miniature clamps to keep the cold out. The morning will tell, but I have twenty pounds or more of tomatoes still outside.
Come on winter, I am ready to fight.
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