Cabbage Update

We planted out cabbages finally, well most of them anyway, after it's done raining tomorrow we will plant the rest of them on the west side of the driveway.

Tonights Dinner Menu

Tonight's Dinner Menu

Garlic Burgers - too busy for any sides~!

Garden Update

The potato patch has been mulched, I beat the rain this time. One of the upsides to checking the potatoes was I found something was munching on the leaves so tomorrow it's off to the gardening store for some organic bug stuff to kill off the buggies. Otherwise hubby is threatening to use Sevin on everything and that is the last resort around here.

Friday Blog Give Away

For those of you who follow over here I am hosting a Give Away tonight, after 9PM Central Time over at my other blog! http://www.prairiefibers.blogspot.com

Potato Patch

They need to be mulched again! They've grown about 18 inches since last Saturday. The plants are dry but the much they are in is wet, I'm wondering if it's ok to go ahead and mulch them (I'm using hay) or wait another day???

What is it???

Click on the photo to see the bugs better~!

Some thing is eating my grapes and my roses, on the roses there's little whitish looking critters that I think will have to be dealth with tomorrow the question is what are the critters?

May 28th Garden Update

Tomatoes times three rows, and to the far right green beans.

Cabbages and Hepatica that still needs to go into the ground!

Today's Dinner Menu

Today's Menu

Macaroni and Cheese with

Tuna and Peas

Mustard Greens

Cranberry Sauce (home made of course)

Tonights Dinner Menu

Tonights Menu

Seasoned Pork Roast with onions and carrots
Mashed potatoes
Roast juice thickened with potato starch
Cranberry Sauce - homemade of course!
Mustard Greens

Kitchen Sink Bottom

Here's the details from the bottom side of my new to me vintage kitchen sink! Ok dh keeps saying "it is new it's never been installed" Yup he's right!

Kitchen Sink!!!!

Let the kitchen remodel begin! We picked up a 40 year old sink today that had never been installed, what are the odds of that happening??? The sink is 20 x 42 inches with 9 inch deep bowls. I can fit my largest canner inside a bowl - I've waited years for this to happen. Anyway porcelain on cast iron, for a total cost of $75!!! Btw it's an American Standard Sink - see other post with pictures of sink bottom etc.

As soon as I find the windows for the new sink wall, we can gut the kitchen, do the wall repairs (we're replacing a door that is no longer used) etc., I will have a brand new to me kitchen! Everything, well except for the structural elements, has been salvaged, re-purposed or is vintage.

Peony Hosta Garden Update

Tomorrow we will mulch this garden with recycled pine bark maybe the fence will get put

in sometime soon as well!

Garden Update

Front potato patch which now has chicken wire around to keep the hay and potatoes confined.

Lettuce, radishes, beets, carrots, parsnips (I hope), and turnips planted using the square foot method.

One lone potato plant in the big garden.

Viola Sororia

Chopped violet leaves

I'm supposed to steep a half pound of violet blossoms, well I had about a cups worth, if that as it's kinda late in the season here for blossoms.

Below I'm steeping a half quarts worth of fresh tender heart shaped leaves that have been chopped.

I'm learning how to make tinctures, extracts, syrups and the like, I'm a rank novice beginner when it comes to herbals though I'm good at plant id. On today's docet Violet Blossom Syrup (ok there are not nearly enough blossoms in my neighborhood but I digress) and Violet Leaf Tincture.

All American Canner

A very old All American Canner, it's a 915

Hail Protection

Impromptu hail protection devices for my tomatoes! This was taken last week right before the hail came through. I always knew Johns wood pile would come in handy for something one day just never figured it would be for hail protection.

Garden Update

Up already: Radishes, Potatoes, Lettuce, and Chard!

Bad Stove!

My stove died tonight!!! And since we cannot find the serial number on it, it's over 50 years old, we cannot get it fixed! So now I'll start searching freecycle to see what I can come up with since I don't have the funds to purchase anything right now. I needed to go on a diet anyway, this is really going to put a crimp in my canning season!