Garden Tenders: Gardening

Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Frugal living "revisited"

Pressure Canner.... Some things MUST be pressured canned. Unless you are trying to plan the demise of the neighbor that stays up until 4 am next door, blasting loud music every night while reeving his straight piped Harley..... But even then... yeah, safer to pressure can if you are doing something that MUST be prepared this way. Like green beans, meats, soups, sauces.... Now, you could just buy the pressure canner if you have the funds and know you will use it...I have used my old pressure canner for a water bath canner as well. You can do this successfully--though I prefer to have separate myself-- if you could only buy one.

Home Canning Kit.... This will save you more time and heartache. Otherwise you may find you need "mommy juice" by the bucket while canning. I have burned myself more than once not having a jar lifter and this kit has one of those, the needed funnel --yes a funnel for the jar is a MUST because few of us are careful-- and something I still want to get, a magnetic jar lid lifter. The jar lid lifter is not a MUST, but I think it could quickly become a real strong want. It will be on my list this year. It has been a wish for the past couple years and I just haven't broke down and bought one yet. Buy the kit, it's cheaper and frankly, a well spent $12.

Jars.... You can't can without them. I have begged, borrowed, and bought brand spanking new jars, as well as jars at used stores..... Unless you can get your jars for free or really cheap, buy new. As much as I abhor nearly all things Wal-Mart, you can get a decent box of jars there generally under $10 a dozen (pints). Lets say someone at a garage sale has some and they are charging 25 cents a jar, unless your lucky and it includes the rings, you are only getting part of what's needed. You need rings and lids. These can run you around $4 a dozen. When you buy rings/lids make sure it includes both rings and lids.

For used jars you might end up paying about $7-8 dollars a dozen. This price break down is based on pint sized jars. Used jars might have nicks in the top of the jar so check that out before buying. The true cost savings is in inheriting Aunt B's canning jars, or in saving your jars for the next year. Its really just preference, used verses new I guess. Some of my jars are a decade or more old and wonderful! If you happened upon an estate sale and could score several dozen canning jars for a few dollars, go for it. If you are just canning a handful of things, maybe buy new jars. My used jar search continues every year.... I almost always buy new because you can only search so long, and I seem to always need pints or jam jars.

(A note to local friends and family: If you return jars and rings to me, I am more than happy to refill them for you when I can again! Sometimes I might even have that yummy jam already waiting for you. Please be kind and return canning jars!)

Blue Book... If there is such a thing as a canning bible, this is it. Its my go to canning book. I have other favorites but if I need to make sure something is the right time or pressure, this book will tell me. I have one from a few years ago and should probably update it soon but I would be slacking if I didn't recommend every home canner having one.

WANTS! And boy howdy, does my wish list get big..... even a few things I would like to add this year....

Canning Bubble Popper and Measurer--I have been using a butter knife *grin*

Canning Lid Rack (I had so I know how missed this can be! Though it isn't essential)

Food Press

Magnetic Lid Wand

Dissolvable Labels for the jars.
A portable propane stove for canning. Of course a summer kitchen would be AWESOME! A dream of any home food preparer.

Canning can be a frugal way to go for your family but its by no means free or nearly so as it was for our great-grandmothers. Good healthy food can be pricey, and growing it yourself can be costly in many areas. Sit down and figure out how much time you devote, the cost of seed, water, etc., and the cost of the raw product if you do buy it and the other needed ingredients... go into it knowing what the monetary cost might be.

The biggest benefit and why I consider canning frugal living are the intangible things. Things that can't be quantified with dollars and cents. Healthier food for my family; the satisfaction felt when looking at my shelves full of homemade food; better for the earth that God gave us; independence and self sufficiency felt; and a sense of accomplishment, a job well done. I wont even go into all the rich learning experiences that are provided when you produce your own food. Let's just say that its ripe with experiences that money can't buy. This is frugal living.

Of course later I will discuss making other products for your family that don't involve canning. Even what I learned while trying to learn extreme couponing..... and I will discuss the need for a well stocked pantry of foods your family will eat, this is different than a well stocked pantry of MRE's and dehydrated foods prepared for the Zombie invasion.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Ready for the Zombies......

**Post may contain affiliate links. If you click and buy I do make a very small profit.

Can I throw TP and Ketchup at them? Maybe a box of Mac and Cheese?

My cluttered pantry

Having a well stocked pantry can mean the difference between making it through a rough patch or not making it through. Your pantry doesn't need to take up an entire room. Even apartment dwellers can have a pantry full of extra "stores" for the rough patches. Yes, you can! I am gonna tell you how!

I wish I could include better pictures here, but with getting ready to move our pantry is neglected and much of it in storage. I looked for old pictures... they show very little. In our home we have been blessed with being able to have a large pantry area. That being said, you don't need a large area to stock up. In fact you can do it, with some creativity, in a small one bedroom apartment or studio; and I have done it in a small space. I speak from experience!

If you are tight on space, think creatively. What's under your bed, besides dust bunnies? They have something you can buy at the hardware store, discount center, even Ikea, that lifts the legs of beds. They are commonly called "Bed Risers" and using them can give you enough space to scoot clear plastic containers underneath a bed full of caned goods, toilet paper, noodles, tomato sauce, juice, and more. A full or queen size bed can easily provide food and other necessities for several weeks for the occupants of the bed. The same with a twin bed. Your bed skirt will hide much of it and no one will be the wiser, unless you proudly show off your savings account. The savings account that will still work even if the ATM's are down. The savings account that will enable you to still have food if you get stuck in your home for a week from a freak snow storm or mud slid that closes off your road to town.

Look into the closets. What's above the rods? Is there a shelf? Make sure its sturdy and add some lightweight items above your hang up clothes. How about below? Can a couple clear plastic containers fit there and then either use a shoe rack or put your shoes on top of them? Look in your kitchen.... do you have very deep lower cabinets? Consider using some pantry solution storage system there if you are so blessed. The key is to use your space creatively. Look at it with new eyes and try to gain storage space. A empty closet that isn't need for clothes could easily be converted and have shelves installed (make sure you don't violate a lease!). There is always a way to have a few weeks food storage for just in case. If you can have more, bonus!

If you buy shelves, I am giving you some advice that I learned the hard way.... make sure you buy shelves that will hold the weight of what you will put on them. I bought "cheap" shelves only to have them fail. I ended up buying better shelves that have a weight rating of somewhere around 250-300 pounds per shelf. I figured over kill would be better than the under powered fiasco I had before. I bought plastic ones from Home Depot but you can also buy really nice metal ones that adjust or even make your own and make them perfectly for quart or pint sized jars. One thing I want to do when we move is to add a chalk board shelf label (similar to what they have on this web site...http://www.shenandoahvalleyflowers.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC00168.jpg). They have chalk board decals that stick but I bet I could also use chalk board paint on the front of my shelves in a new pantry area. I am looking forward to what we will be able to do if we are so blessed.

Now to some having a pantry is an effort to prepare for a coming apocalypse; Zombies, zealots of either political faction, or any religion, nuclear war, a comet bouncing off our atmosphere, invasion by Canada..... well, just a lot of things really. Some people with HUGE pantries are plain hoarders that call themselves "extreme couponers" (I envy their deals with double/triple coupons, I really do...), and then there are the folks like me that "stock up" and put up to save for a rainy day. We know for 100% certain there will be a few paydays every year that are tighter than others. We try to guard against shortened job hours, loss of income, raising food prices at certain times of the year.... and we just plain don't want to have to go to the store for everything we need. I have literally been able to not go and buy groceries outside of perishable items like milk and produce for several weeks at a time. After Bear was born I went three months with limited grocery store excursions. It was NICE. So your reason may be to have jars of peanut butter to throw at the zombies, or it might be to not have to leave the house and venture to a grocery store until roughly New Years, its all good.

What to stock a pantry with? If you asked my husband he would say I have a toilet paper fetish.   I like to keep a six month or so supply on hand. I laughingly remind him that we grew up during the cold war and if the Soviet Union ever did invade, by jimmy, I was not using pine cones! But on the same token, if you have to make a choice between milk and TP, what are you gonna pick? Of course, milk for the babies. Food pantries all over often say that things like personal care items are forgotten about but still very needed by people. When you have to decide between food and shampoo, food will win every time, even though you still really need the shampoo so you can go to work and not be sent home because you have unkempt hair.

Buy only what your family will honestly eat and enjoy. I can't stress this enough. It's been a long held belief of mine that if you eat and enjoy spaghetti then when your favorite sauce goes on sale buy a few jars.  Instead of buying one or two, buy six. If you use a lot of dry beans, rice, quinoa, corn meal, etc. when you buy a bag, buy two (or three). Put the extra on the shelf (date the item) and place it into your rotation. Newest at the back, oldest at the front. You will build a pantry without going into debt for it. Real pantries are not full or MRE's..... Those are for survival. You want a pantry that is used and enjoyed, not a bunker.... besides from what I've heard, MRE's are really only useful for killing zombies.

Before you know it you have stocked up. Look for sales of items you really use, use store coupons and don't be afraid of store brands. This is why coupons didn't help me much. We don't buy a lot of sugar cereal, junk food, name brands, etc., although coupons do help me when I go a few times a year and buy personal care items. I think the extreme couponers have hindered manufactures giving good deals; through their antics, and lets face it, down right hoarding in many circumstances, manufactures began to really limit amounts. I am told that they might be starting to get better again, this would be nice because I need to stock up on more tooth brushes again. For me, I could not justify the time, gas and headache that was needed to travel to all the big stores. It was not conducive to simplifying my life.

DO NOT BUY WHAT YOU WON'T USE. I am telling you because I have been there and done it..... I bought some foods that I knew we didn't eat but I wanted to have on hand for food donation, and they were on sale BIG TIME. When the time came I forgot all about them..... I recently had to throw out several cans of pork and beans and cream of mushroom soup, because they were past an expiration date for the pantry.... NEVER AGAIN. Buy only what you will use.

If you need big plastic food storage buckets check with local bakeries. I also know that stores locally like WINCO sells them and you can get them for under $7 for a 5 gallon bucket. This are also kind of handy to have for your "emergency kit"; the handle makes it easy to carry and its water proof as well.

If you need gallon jars, look at buying pickles and eating the pickles (lucky for me I have pickle loving family members). Then you can wash the jar well, using a vinegar solution to help remove the pickle smell, or if you or so inclined a few drops of bleach will also do the trick.   Of course if you are blessed with a dishwasher, just a wash through it might do the trick. Then you can use the jars to store a myriad of items.... from beans to rice.....    I like storing flour, rice, etc. in gallon jars. If you do have to throw something, a recycled jar thrown at zombies could really do some damage. I've had a full pint size jar fall on my head before, and it HURT. Don't throw canning jars.... that's just plain rude! *grin*

The key is to have it organized (as you can see here, I am still working on that..... hey, I am being honest). I have also found that you need to add cleaning and organizing a pantry to your monthly chore list. Its not the dreaded task that you might think, if you keep on top of it.

If you want to know more about root cellaring and putting up your own food that you grow and harvest, or that you buy locally I strongly urge you to buy or borrow, Root Cellaring. I can't recommend this book enough. It's written in an easy to understand way and practical as well. Its not some high brow unattainable dream book, but really down to earth and has things each of us can most likely pick up, do, and implement. I have enjoyed owning it and reading it to further my knowledge base in the home arts.

Links to some interesting web sites I have found with pantry helps and ideas.... or, better yet, follow me on pinterest! I am not affiliated with these sites listed below, I just have discovered them on my searches for organization and wanderlust!

My Pantry Pinterest Board!
http://www.canorganizer.com/
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/pantryOrganizers/shelfOrganizers

Please share your experiences, thoughts, questions, and more with me. Send me your pictures or blog links to add to my list of links if you blog about your pantry.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Frugal is....

Making applesauce in 2012

Frugal.... When I was young we just called it cheap. Yes, I'm cheap... sometimes... but frugal is more than that. Frugal is doing the best you can for the least amount of impact upon your families wallet and, I will also include, the environment.

Canning...

Yes I can a lot of things. I grow a lot of things and save seeds as well. This all leads to a more frugal lifestyle. Not only does it mean I save money (caution....don't go into canning the first year thinking you will save money) but I also lessen our "carbon footprint". Here is a link to all things canning on Amazon (yes it is an affiliate link). I will tell you which things I believe are essential, some that are still on my wish list, and great add-ons for when you come into some money, or Great-Aunt Betsy gives you a big check and tells you to buy something for yourself! We can dream!

MUST HAVE!

Water bath Canner. You can use a big pot, the oven, or something similar but the best and safest method in our home is the good old canner. Doing the other methods have often resulted in broken jars, wasted time.... Which causes more frustration. If you are canning in the dead of summer when the veggies are coming on, this can lead to nothing but heartache. For Mother's Day, Birthday, or just because, ask for a canner. If all else fails, buy one yourself. Its a MUST have. I even water bath can my jam and jelly, though technically you wouldn't have to. My grandmother rarely did, she used paraffin to seal the jars, glasses, etc.

Pressure Canner.... Some things MUST be pressured canned. Unless you are trying to plan the demise of the neighbor that stays up until 4 am next door, blasting loud music every night while reeving his straight piped Harley..... But even then... yeah, safer to pressure can if you are doing something that MUST be prepared this way. Like green beans, meats, soups, sauces.... Now, you could just buy the pressure canner if you have the funds and know you will use it...I have used my old pressure canner for a water bath canner as well. You can do this successfully--though I prefer to have separate myself-- if you could only buy one.

Home Canning Kit.... This will save you more time and heartache. Otherwise you may find you need "mommy juice" by the bucket while canning. I have burned myself more than once not having a jar lifter and this kit has one of those, the needed funnel --yes a funnel for the jar is a MUST because few of us are careful-- and something I still want to get, a magnetic jar lid lifter. The jar lid lifter is not a MUST, but I think it could quickly become a real strong want. It will be on my list this year. It has been a wish for the past couple years and I just haven't broke down and bought one yet. Buy the kit, it's cheaper and frankly, a well spent $12.

Jars.... You can't can without them. I have begged, borrowed, and bought brand spanking new jars, as well as jars at used stores..... Unless you can get your jars for free or really cheap, buy new. As much as I abhor nearly all things Wal-Mart, you can get a decent box of jars there generally under $10 a dozen (pints). Lets say someone at a garage sale has some and they are charging 25 cents a jar, unless your lucky and it includes the rings, you are only getting part of what's needed. You need rings and lids. These can run you around $4 a dozen. When you buy rings/lids make sure it includes both rings and lids. For used jars you might end up paying about $7-8 dollars a dozen. This price break down is based on pint sized jars. Used jars might have nicks in the top of the jar so check that out before buying. The true cost savings is in inheriting Aunt B's canning jars, or in saving your jars for the next year. Its really just preference, used verses new. If you happened upon an estate sale and could score several dozen canning jars for a few dollars, go for it. If you are just canning a handful of things, maybe buy new jars. My used jar search continues every year.... I almost always buy new because you can only search so long, and I seem to always need pints or jam jars.

(A note to local friends and family: If you return jars and rings to me, I am more than happy to refill them for you when I can again! Sometimes I might even have that yummy jam already waiting for you. Please be kind and return canning jars!)

Blue Book... If there is such a thing as a canning bible, this is it. Its my go to canning book. I have other favorites but if I need to make sure something is the right time or pressure, this book will tell me. I have one from a few years ago and should probably update it soon but I would be slacking if I didn't recommend every home canner having one.

WANTS! And boy howdy, does my wish list get big..... even a few things I would like to add this year....

Canning Bubble Popper and Measurer--I have been using a butter knife *grin*

Stainless Steel Canning Ladle--I use a soup ladle but a dedicated one would be a nice thing to have.

Canning Lid Rack (I had one but last year it broke, so I know how missed this can be! Though it isn't essential)

Food Press

Magnetic Lid Wand

Dissolvable Labels for the jars.
A portable propane stove for canning. Of course a summer kitchen would be AWESOME! A dream of any home food preparer.

Canning can be a frugal way to go for your family but its by no means free or nearly so as it was for our great-grandmothers. Good healthy food can be pricey, and growing it yourself can be costly in many areas. Sit down and figure out how much time you devote, the cost of seed, water, etc., and the cost of the raw product if you do buy it and the other needed ingredients and you will be surprised.

The biggest benefit and why I consider canning frugal living are the intangible things. Things that can't be quantified with dollars and cents. Healthier food for your family; the satisfaction felt when looking at your shelves full of homemade food; better for the earth that God gave us; independence and self sufficiency felt; and a sense of accomplishment, a job well done. I wont even go into all the rich learning experiences that are provided when you produce your own food. Let's just say that its ripe with experiences that money can't buy. This is frugal living.

Of course later I will discuss making other products for your family that don't involve canning. Even what I learned while trying to learn extreme couponing..... and I will discuss the need for a well stocked pantry of foods your family will eat, this different than a well stocked pantry of MRE's and dehydrated foods prepared for the Zombie invasion.

(Links are affiliate links--Thank you for helping to keep me in coffee and assisting in my book addiction!)

Monday, April 1, 2013

Why our foods stink

The OVER processing of America. Why we need to garden.

Did you ever wonder why our foods today don't seem to provide the same nourishment as they did say, 50 years ago? Could it be the processing of our foods? Could it be how our foods are grown? What has changed in the last 75 years? The last 50 years? What is wrong with our food!?

America is no longer the land of milk and honey. Well, we are but our milk is ultra pasteurized, homogenized, and sold in plastic. Our honey is some sort of mixture of sweeteners and flavorings that have little to do with real honey. Is it any wonder with genetically engineered crops that our humble honey bees are dropping like flies?

Our society is all about fast, now, and instant gratification. We are a society of processes; from our food to our high-tech gadgets we desire one thing, speed. Our carbon footprint mirrors bigfoot's jumbo sized appendages and we shop at Wal-Mart for our apples. Is it any wonder that we eat food but are never satisfied?

I just spent the last week on an experiment of sorts. I discovered some things about our family food habits and changes are made and will be made in the coming weeks. The fact remains though that our food stinks. Before it even arrives in our stores and makes its way to our tables, it's rotten. Its full of chemicals and oils are rancid. Is it any wonder we are obese, stick thin, sick, and dying?

Some people contend that many of the practices used in the mega mono-agriculture farms of today actually encourage plants to not go deep into the soil pulling up needed nutrients, something heirloom or open pollinated plants once prevalent in our gardens readily did. Plant diversity is important and when farmers plant hundreds of acres in one crop (MONO-AGRICULTURE) they not only are discouraging sustainability but they are spiraling themselves into a cycle of dependence. Did you know its virtually illegal for farmers to save seeds today? Farmers today are dependent on large corporations which own patents on plants forcing farmers to buy new seed year after year. One study I read years ago even discussed that this dependence in developing nations like India were actually harming families by the droves. What was so in developing nations in 2000 when I first started discussing this issue is seen today in our farm belts. Large companies like Monsanto and Dupont own our farms lock stick and barrel, or at minimum they hold our farmers over a barrel. Add into that our governments practice of subsidizing farmers we shouldn't be surprised that our food reeks. Farmers no longer have the freedom to grow and become sustainable and they are discouraged from practicing bioregionalism. One day our farmers were our life blood, but today they are struggling to make ends meet as regulations, stipulations, and obligations to corporations force them into bankruptcy court. Our food suffers. We suffer. Our children SUFFER.

We need to garden in an effort to ensure a healthy food supply for our family. We must garden to secure a healthier future and for heirloom seeds to continue on. As we push onward to pesticide resistant seeds we lose long standard varieties which have a proven track record, proven taste, and proven ability to grow in our area, happily in our climate, despite too much rain or too little.

We must garden to preserve our health and our sanity. Gardening provides two healthy things in our lives; food and exercise. Gardening gives one a sense of calm and peace. Plus, if you are mad at something or someone, pulling weeds can give you pause to think and reflect. Yep, your garden is your claim to VICTORY! Your claim to overcoming. Your claim to health and peace.

Seed saving is a lost art. In recent years there has been a strong push to buy needed seed year after year as seed producers create seed which can't reproduce themselves. One thing I want to discuss at a later time is seed saving and some tips I am learning. Your Victory Garden can and should produce more than just food for this year. To that end I want to encourage you to purchase good quality seed. Preferred open pollinated or heirloom varieties of some simple plants. This year let's start with things like sunflowers, beans, pumpkins, marigolds, and a winter squash (I am going to discuss Hubbard Squash in the future). Those are fairly easy and you can't really fail. Most of us grow them or something similar.

Please write and let me know what kinds of seeds you are planting. If need be I will ask seed saving friends or research it and give some hints if you are saving something else as well.

Linking up today with Teacher of Good Things and her friends at For This Season, Vicki Arnold Blog and Walking in High Cotton. Please visit each of these blogs and tell them Garden Tenders sent you!

Next, I'll discuss garden styles.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Urban Gardening: Part 1

I live in Tacoma, Washington. Our population is roughly 198,434. It is what I classify as an urban area, although some people like to say we are a suburb of Seattle. Tacoma is a beautiful city in her own right.

Gardening in a city or large town presents unique challenges. Add to that our wonderful climate with our notoriously wet seasons and dry spells one could almost promise a garden disaster just as easily as a garden success. It all depends on well ....on things; a number of which you have no control over.

Gardening season is upon us. So for the next few months, I am living vicariously through each of you as you garden. I had planned a garden myself this year but we have made the decision to put our humble home up for sale and begin the process of looking for a home which will suit our needs more and hopefully a few wants as well. My hope is that I will be able to plant a fall garden in mid summer.

So this week I will give an overview of my gardening experience coupled with what I have gained in knowledge from others.

I come from a long line of gardeners. I can't remember a time in my life when we haven't had something growing. Let me clarify what gardening means to me, or the type of gardening I do most. Vegetable gardening. I grow other plants as well (not house plants, I seem to do really bad in the house plant arena), but growing food seems to be where a lot of my heart lies. Even when I haven't been able to till the ground, I have rooted around and obtained pots or dug every scrap piece of earth to plant beans, tomatoes, squash, marigolds, and more. You don't need a lot of ground to grow some of your families food. Even apartment dwellers can be more sustainable.

When I was a child, community gardens were popular. Then the hippies got jobs, donned three piece suits and turned away from the bounty of greens we could grow even in the urban area. Luckily for us plant growers these green spaces are returning. Community gardens are once again becoming important in many areas. Check with your local extension service in your county and see what's happening. If there isn't one, find out if there is someplace you can start one. There is nothing as good for the soul and communing with God as when our hands are working with dirt from which we were formed.

I will briefly talk about different seed companies and philosophies. I will share what I think is best, but that's my opinion alone. You know what's best for you, your family, your budget...

Seed Companies:

There are many and the sheer number can be overwhelming. Ideally the best seed is the seed you saved from last years harvest. Ideally. However, seed savers are rare. I hope to one day become more proficient in this art. Whole books can and have been written on the topic. Thus far I have only been successful at the simple seeds. Green Beans, flowers, sun flowers, peas, pumpkins, a few other squashes, but I would like to do more. I am convinced that naturally adapted seed stock is going to be the best seed for your area.

There are whole ranges of ideas which prescribe to non-genetically mutated seeds/plants. To say Non-GMO to one may not have the same meaning to another. When I use the term GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) I am referring to those things which are mutated and crossed with things outside of their parent variety. It is best defined as an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Genetically Modified Organisms are things which have been genetically modified to include micro-organisms; things like bacteria, insect genes, other plants, fish, and even mammals. GMOs are the source of genetically modified foods. Most people don't view hybrids as modified but they have been to a lesser extent, and generally more natural extent. I am not as anti-hybrid as I once was. I do prefer open pollinated or heirloom varieties when possible, and generally look to buy them, but I also understand that hybrids that have a proven track record can be very beneficial to the home gardener. Some contend that heirloom seeds have better root systems to pull nutrients from the soil. I am not sold on this for the home gardener.

So now to some reputable seed companies I have used in the past:

Nichols Garden Nursery (Oregon)
Abundant Life
Territorial Seed Company
Pine Tree Seed (I have linked you directly to their seed policy page.)
Burpee Seeds
Johnny Seeds
Fedco Seeds
Siskiyou Seeds
Baker Heirloom Seeds
Ed Hume Seeds
Azure Standard

Last year I bought most of my seed (what I didn't save) and all my plants from Azure standard. I was very pleasantly surprised at the germination rate and how well the plants did. If I were having a garden I would go with them again this year for most of my needs (They give me nothing, you are getting my honest opinion).

There are many more out there and this is by no means an extensive list. Feel free to write me with ones to add. I will be making a special page with links to gardening tips, seed companies which practice good seed practices, etc.

Linking up on Tuesday with Teacher of Good Things and her friends at For This Season, Vicki Arnold Blog and Walking in High Cotton. Please visit each of these blogs and tell them Garden Tenders sent you!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Random Weekend thoughts

Another gentle friend inspired me with a post on her blog about random thoughts. You can read her blog the Journey Back where she wrote some random thoughts that flowed in a very lovely and gentle way.

Why do you call loyal readers gentle friends? I really don't know. I said it once to someone I didn't know and it kind of stuck. We who tend our gardens are really gentle souls. It doesn't matter if we dig in the dirt or guide our children, we are tending our garden.

Favorite thing to grow in the garden? I enjoy growing zucchini. I am not a big zucchini fan but I do enjoy growing it. I also adore my raspberries and am the raspberry momma among those I know. I am making it a personal goal to populate every friends yard with a handful of plants with the hope that they in a few years will share a handful with their friends and so on. Eventually, maybe in a dozen years or so, my raspberry off spring will be feeding many people their juicy fruits. I have given hundreds away, sadly I know the first few years of giving them away I gave haphazardly and the baby plants did not always go to a home which would love and care for them. I know better now.

I enjoy hearing how the plants are doing and will ask you if you have some of them how they are growing and if they have fruit yet.

Purely Random Meanderings.... Lets take a walk down the road together....

I have longed to write a blog about Nachos and one day I will. Yes NACHOS. The name of my blog is already chosen and has been in the process for five years, I just have to start it....

I love my city. We are working class and the poor cousin of Seattle but we have a lot to offer as well. It really bothers me when people make fun of Tacoma or make comments about it, or think they know about her safety. Like any city we have problems, but we also have a lot of really nice people here and some very beautiful old architecture. We have some beautiful old buildings and museums. Our parks are a fun mixture of play and wildlife, green zones are much beloved here. We are honestly a beautiful city with quaint neighborhoods and urban hubs, full of locally owned restaurants and shops to please everyone.

I kind of like Nascar and feel a closeness to Jeff Gordon and his wife. We were both pregnant at the same time and I had some crazy dreams involving him, his car and the Hubs and I being his crew and crew chief while his wife was in labor.... He specifically requested us.... Like I said, really wild! *grin*

I wonder if people I know in real life really read my blog.... Does anyone else ever wonder about that?

I am content..... believe it or not I am content and happy. Sure there are some wants, but we all want to be more financially secure, we all want to lose weight, we all want to eat better, we all want it to rain when needed and be sunny when the weekend rolls around, but I am not talking about that. I am talking about contentment. Contentment is where you truly find happiness. This isn't to say I don't get frustrated or anxious, but overall, I am feeling a great sense of contentment.

A random photo:

Last spring

Thank you gentle friends for your love and understanding. Lets all remember to tend our gardens one day at a time.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Yesterday we did our first day of the "No Media on Monday" challenge. It was harder than I thought it would be, to be without internet, but we did it. I know it will get easier and our lives will get more simple as time goes forward.

We have accomplished some pretty daunting tasks the past few days, but lot of fun stuff too. As we continue to simplify almost everything is dauting. :-)

Sarah helped with juicing some apples and carrots this weekend that needed to be ate. I threw in some kale as well. We never had used kale before. Our champion juicer wasn't a big fan of it and I think I used too much because none of us were fans of juice with a lot of kale. She washed and counted apples and carrots and then carefully helped me cut them finally she put them through the juicer and I am almost certain she could do it herself now. *grin*

We also planted some seeds, in the hopes of getting seedlings. I am trying to be realistic, where as in times past I have planted a lot only to fail somewhat. I kept it pretty simple this year I may do more tomatoes, I planted ten. If they all do well that would be wonderful. Have you been thinking about your garden?

I am planing a tea party for us friday afternoon. We will be using this time to work on table manners and serving others. We have a special tea set just for this and will make some speical treats.

This week we are also working on collages that and that has been fun as well, nothing like cutting out shapes from catalogs and going to town with glue and paper. It's only tuesday! :-)

I wanted to add directions to a yummy desert we made here for Valentines Day:

Softhearted Chocolate Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces (1/2 pound)

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 1-1/3 cups semisweet chocolate pieces

4 eggs

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

Whipped cream (optional)

Raspberry Sauce and/or fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. Lightly butter eight 8-ounce ramekins or 1-cup souffle dishes (I had neither of these dishes, what I did have was a texas muffin tin so I used it instead and I think it worked very well); line bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Place the prepared ramekins on a shallow baking pan or on a large cookie sheet. Set aside.

2. In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool slightly. (Or, in a mixing bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. Place mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from the simmering water pot; set aside to cool slightly.)

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Mix a large dollop of the beaten eggs into the butter-chocolate mixture. Gently fold until combined. Add butter-chocolate mixture to remaining beaten egg mixture and fold. After a few folds, sprinkle in sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt. Continue to fold until the mixture is combined.

4. Quickly divide the batter evenly among prepared ramekins. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 9 to 10 minutes or until cakes feel firm to the touch on top edges, but still soft in the center when pressed with a fingertip. Remove from oven; set ramekins on a wire rack. Let cakes cool completely in ramekins.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When cakes are cool, use a small metal spatula to loosen edge of cakes from side of ramekin and unmold onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. The centers of the cakes are supposed to be soft. (If not using immediately, wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.)

6. When ready to serve, place cakes on a microwaveable serving plate. Heat in a microwave oven on 100 percent power for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until warm. (Center of cake will slightly pop up.) Serve with whipped cream and garnish with a splash of Raspberry Sauce and/or fresh raspberries, if you like. Makes 8 servings.

Raspberry Sauce

Yield: 2/3 cup

Ingredients

10 ounce package frozen and thawed red raspberries in syrup (I used frozen raspberries from a garden, they were not in a syrup)

Directions

In a blender container or food processor bowl, cover and blend or process one 10-ounce package frozen and thawed red raspberries in syrup until pureed. Use a fine sieve to sieve berry mixture. Cover and refrigerate the sauce till ready to use. Makes 2/3 cup.

I want to find a way to make a really good syrup for the next time I do this. But it was very rich, while time consuming it was very easy, just several steps. I will make it again. Thank you Pinterest! :-)

Since we made so much juice from the apples we had, I decided they would make good frozen treats for Bear. I froze the juice in little dixie cups and then when Sarah wishes for a treat, I can pull one out for her and it can be a slushy (I had no sticks, if I had sticks on hand I would have made popsicles).

Monday, February 6, 2012

Magic Beans and Hollyhocks

Once upon a time, a little girl loved playing in the garden. She was full of spunk and the sunlight loved her hair, we know that because it always turned it golden. This little girl loved helping her mommy plant seeds and flowers but most of all she loved to dig in the dirt. Worms lived in the dirt, you know, and when digging in the dirt you can find lots of chubby worms, skinny worms, short worms, and long worms.

Magic Beans

And so went our day.....

We had a fun weekend. We literally were outside ALL day Saturday. With temps in the upper 50's our bodies were craving the sunshine on our faces, all of us. Sunday we spent the afternoon at a Superbowl party with friends and again, as the daylight was waning I was dragging Sarah inside. Tomorrow is suppose to be the same weather wise and hopefully we will be able to get more sunshine.

Sarah made up the cutest story, about magic beans. I think it was from a Clifford episode. And speaking of beans, our order will soon be in and off. I will once again try some hollyhocks as well. I have tried several times to no avail. I'm not actually sure what I am doing wrong but I am going to try them along the south side of the house along with the tomatoes. Wish me luck.

Friday we found a little local coffee shop called Java Fusion on 6th Ave and we had a fun Mom and Daughter lunch out. If you are in the area check them out. Anyway, while there they had a domino set and we spent a good 20 minutes practicing the concept of adding . It was fun, and a new method for teaching it. I think we will look for a set soon as well. It held her attention much longer than the standard worksheet. She loved being able to feel the actual dots and I found her tracing the dots several times.

I am looking at some software for photo editing as well, but really am not sure about the direction to go. If anyone has any ideas please feel free to share the knowledge!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Sunshine on my shoulders

make me happy. Sunshine always makes me glad....

What a wonderful, full, happy, sad, couple weeks it has been.

The Birthday Girl!

Sarah is now a bustling, excited, inquisitive 4 year old. She had a Carnival party and it was a great success, though mommy didn't relax and have fun until about 45 minutes into it. We were so far behind getting ready and still had no ice when the first of the guests arrived, but it was fun and most of all the kids had fun and that was the goal. Sarah was very much showered with gifts from her friends. Thank you each one! All we wanted was your presence and you each did so much more!

I made her a bag for her nature supplies. It was a big hit with her.

Alligator stitching on Nature Bag

The outside of the nature bag

We have reaped a harvest twice from the garden. Green beans are yummy. Tonight or tomorrow it looks like I will need to even freeze some beans. Yummy in the tummy even in the winter! Our zucchinis, while not prolific yet, are producing and we even have some little squash that I keep telling Sarah to leave because they will be yummy in the fall when we pick pumpkins. The carrots are not safe around her, she picks some every time we venture into the garden.

Bob's cousin Les passed away a couple weeks ago. He is missed by the entire family. When you think of it, a prayer for Stella would be much appreciated. Bob spent many a day with Les and Stella when he was growing up, and while we know Les is now at peace and no longer in discomfort, he is missed.

All in all it has been a bumpy road strewn with wild flowers the past few weeks.

picking zukes! 8/12

Happy Tending!

Outside my window... warm sunshine winding down into a sunset and the sound of the sprinkler as it spins.

I am thinking... How fake some are. How some people judge when they have a beam in their own eye as they comment on the speck in another and how I loath injustice.... the injustice of such behaviors....

I am thankful for... bathtubs

I am wearing...garden clothes

I am remembering... how fun it is to relax

I am going... to get dinner going.... DH got home late, Sarah is in the tub washing off the garden from her little body...

I am currently reading...just got my Charlotte Mason books in the mail!

I am hoping... to go for a scooter ride tomorrow

On my mind... the mean people but how sad that is. I am glad we aren't allowed to be angry long.

Noticing that... Sarah is growing so fast again

Pondering these words... "Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world." Mother Theresa

From the kitchen... homemade ice cream

Around the house...splashes and giggles. Warm chuckles from Daddy as two wonderful human beings share love and tales about their day.

One of my favorite things…the above!