Yummie Finger Food

So here is a quick and very yummy appetizer for you all!

 

I have been visiting the farmers market this summer and there is a guy selling freshly made bread. He bakes it in a brick oven and it has a great smoky flavor! You could also use French bread.

That's the first ingredient.

 

 Next, if you have never tried Boursin cheese you have to go to the store right this minute and get some!! It's the best thing ever!!! It has a lot of garlic which I love!

Go right this minute!

 

Lastly, we have a pretty good size garden and cucumbers are fresh and crunchy and right out the back door!!

 

Put the three together and its so delish!!!

 

We have a busy weekend ahead! Hot dogs and smores will be eaten!!

Enjoy your weekend too!!

 

 

 

 



See My Garden Grow

Here is the beginning of what I hope to be a fabulous garden season...

See the orange lines..that's my lover's obsessiveness for straight lines. He sets stakes and then pulls a line and measures the same distance between rows. Tape measure and all.

It does look pretty when little green stuff starts coming up in perfect rows!

Now I'm just waiting to see what happens!

There is now water standing in the garden. I'm hoping I don't lose what I put in already. I didn't put it all in due to the weather so we shall see. It's a roll of the dice around these parts when it comes to the weather.

Have you planted your garden yet?? Let me know!

What's Bloom'n...?

Hello friends. I hope this finds everyone enjoying their weekend!! Here is what's bloom'n in my back yard...

Peonies..my absolute favorite flower ever!! 

These are getting ready to burst open!! I just wish they lasted longer.

Does anyone know what these are? I love them..they come up every year and they are a pretty purple.

Let me know if you do...

I've been eating a lot of asparagas.

I love it this time of year..

What to do with it...??

Add it to another favorite....Pasta!!

Home Ec - Vegetable Gardening 101 - 2

In my last post I talked about a class I taught on vegetable gardening. If you missed that post scroll down and check it out before you read this one. This post is the second part of my Vegetable Gardeing 101.

Now on to where I left off.....

4. What to Plant:

     So you might be wondering "should I start my own seeds or buy plants from a garden center?" I start my own seed. I love being able to plant the seeds and watch them grow. However, seeds can sometimes be finiky and that can be frustrating. I recomend that if you have never had a garden before and this is your first time or if you don't have the time to start seeds, buy plants. They are just fine. They should grow great!

    When starting seeds I use this:

    

You can get them at a home center for around $5. Follow the instructions on the box and you shouldn't have any trouble.

      The most common and easy plants to grow are: Tomatoes, Lettuce, Peppers, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Green beans. All of these plants are pretty prolific growers and I recommend them for a beginner. There are many different varieties of these plants and that could get confusing. When you go to buy plants just read the labels and they will give a description of that plant. For instance, Roma Tomatoes - are good for sauces, Big Boy Tomatoes are good for slicing, Yellow Tomatoes are low acidic. The labels tell you a lot of info as well as the seed packets. The seed packets will also give you planting info.

      There are a few things you will buy in seed, Lettuce- comes in seed and you want to directly sow it into the garden. Corn, and Beans also get directly sowed into the garden. Again the label or packet should say whether it is recommended to directly sow the seed in the garden or start the seed inside.

5. Heirloom vs. Hybrid

      A Heirloom plant is a plant that has been around for many years. They are self pollinating. Say you grow an heirloom tomato and save the seeds out that tomato, you plant the seeds the next year, they should grow and produce more fruit.

      A Hybrid plant is a product of man crossbreeding different plants to produce a plant that has certain qualities. If you grow a hybrid tomato, save the seeds from that tomato, plant the seeds, a plant may grow but it will not produce fruit. Hybrids are very hardy and strong. They are resistant to a lot of diseases. I grow both heirloom and hybrid.

6. Companion Planting

     This is where you plant things that are compatable to each other. There are certain plants that like to be friends and there are certain plants that don't get along. here is an article along with a list of companion planting. Just keep these in mind when planting. Did you know when you plant the combo of tomatoes and marigolds they help keep garden pest away!! Neat stuff!

7. Keys to Success

      Hard work!! That's what it boils down to anyway. I would love to have a magic cure for weeds!! But there are none really. There are a few things you can do to deter weed growth: Mulching the rows and around the plants, you can use newspaper (biodegradable), grassclippings, or straw for this as well. But mostly you just have to get out there with a little elbow grease!

Well, I hope this has been helpful to someone. If you are an experienced gardener and have noticed something that is incorrect or you would like to add something, please let me know. I am not a professional and I only know what I know because of what I've tried in my own garden.

Happy Gardening!!

p.s. Did anyone else get up at the crack of dawn to watch a common girl named kate become a princess???

Home Ec - Vegetable Gardening 101

Ok, so we are doing this series at church on Wednesday nights, where we offer different classes that each  last six weeks. During this six week session we are offering one class called Home Ec 101. Each week a different topic will be discussed by a different lady. This past Wednesday was Vegetable Gardening and I was the lucky lady who was teaching!! A little nervous I might add.

I didn't really feel that I was qualified to teach the class. It's not like I went to college for vegetable gardening or anything ( I do have a teaching degree in business) but still not very sure of myself. It's a little different teaching adults rather than teenagers. I am glad to report it went very well and actually I was able to answer most of the questions with confidence!

 

I thought I would share some of what we talked about and went over in the class, here on my blog. This may take more than one post....

1. My Experience/ My hearts desire:

     If you have not heard the story of how we ended up in our home go visit the Farm House page first!!! This will tell you my heart's desire to be a homemaker and a good steward with what God has given me, not only with my house but also with my land!

     As I mentioned I don't really have a lot of experience other than what I've tried over the past 6 years. I know what I know because I have tried things for myself. I read a lot of magazines, books, web sites, whatever I find that might be helpful and interesting. I think we learn best by doing!!!

2. Why have a Garden:

      There are many reasons...when it comes to homemaking I always think of the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. She was the ultimate homemaker!! Proverbs 31:16 - She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. Even the virtuous woman played in the dirt. She was thrifty and a good steward of the land God had given her.

      Having a garden will provide you with fresh, organic food. Our gardens are chemical free. I believe so much that all the disease and health issues today stem from how we eat! Everything is processed and drowning in chemicals!

      Fresh food is Live food. Food that was living at one time can nourish our bodies in a way that processed food can not. It is so much better for our health.

      Gardening is a great way to eat healthy in a cost effective way. It saves money, not only in the summer but if you freeze or can your bounty, it can save you money year round.

      For me, gardening is a hobby. I enjoy it. I love watching things grow and being able to go out and pick a salad for dinner! So fun! It is rewarding to know that I can provide good food for my family! I am a little extreme comparied to most people. We have two very large gardens and I put up a lot of food. But again I enjoy it!!

3. Where to Plant Your Garden:

      We are living in a country where 85% (or more) of the population live in subdivisions. The yards are tiny, the dirt is depleted of nutrient rich soil, the HOA's are restrictive, and most yards are not conducive to gardening.

      You first need to decide how much space you have and determine the size you want your garden to be. Depending on your space, you may decide to do a raised bed or potted plants. A raised bed would be beneficial to those who have really bad soil, hard clay. You can find a good example of a raised bed here. Lowe's offers several different raised beds. Check them out here.

      If you don't have a lot of time or money to put into a raised bed, or if you will be the only person eating from your garden, pots are a great option. They are fairly inexpensive and easy to move to a sunny spot.

      You want to make sure your soil is prepared and has the adequate nutrients. Our local county soil and water conservation office offers free soil testing. They can tell you what your soil is lacking. I have found that adding some good, natural, fertilizer (in my case Chicken poop) does the soil good. I personally have never had my soil tested. I probably should....

       You want to pick a spot in your yard that get at least 6-8 hours of sun light a day. Most all plants are sun lovers! Lettuce can take partial shade...If you look at your seed packet or the label that comes with your plants it will tell you the ideal growing conditions for that plant.

 Ok, that was a lot of information for one post...I will post more about: What to Plant, Seeds or Plants, Companion planting, Spaceing plants, Heirloom/Hybrid, Keys to success.

If you have any questions please, please ask! Like I told my class, I don't know what you want to learn or what you have questions about. So ask and I will do my best to answer!!

Until next time,

Sarah Beth

                       

See My Garden Grow

This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship...

...between me and my garden!!

The peppers didn't come up so I will replant those, but everything else looks great!!!

Tomorrow I will share with you what baby things I've made this week!

Gardening Organic

I have been thinking about my garden and my seeds are sprouting...

I have always loved the vegetable garden. I love to see a garden with black dirt and freshly tilled rows. They are so beautiful. There is something so rewarding about going out and cutting some fresh lettace for dinner or a few fresh cucumbers. The taste is wonderful!

A random photo to pretty up this post!

What is even better is that I know where my food has come from and what has been put on it or the lack there of..I have always loved fresh, good tasting food. I mean who doesn't?!

During the off season when I don't have a garden I always try and buy organic when possible. I also minimize the processed food that I buy. Here are some of the foods that I buy organic...

Apples

Pears

Lettace

Peppers

Celery

Carrots

Oranges

Grapes (when in season)

Herbs

Potatoes

Anything that you buy that has a thick skin, bananas/oranges, does NOT have to been organic. Anything that you buy to eat fresh that does not have a peel, grapes/apples, you DO need to buy organic. At least I suggest it. The thick peel keeps the chemicals from penetrating the fruit itself. So as a rule of thumb, anything that I eat raw I try to buy organic.

Organic does not always mean more expensive. A lot of times they are the same price. For instance this week at Kroger, where I do most of my shopping, the organic celery was cheaper than the non organic. The apples were the same price.

I understand that some families just can't afford to buy organic. It's just me and my love. We don't have any children eating us out of house and home. So to spend a little more to eat a little healthier for us it isn't a big deal. I understand when people can't do that.

I also home can and freeze a lot of our garden goodness and that saves us money as well which allows me to spend more to buy organic. This is what I put up..

Corn

Green Beans

Tomatoes - crushed

Pizza Sauce

Apple Sauce

Apple Butter

Strawberry Jam

Sour Cherries - for pies

Pickles

Potatoes

Popcorn

 

Last year we had kinda a weak crop so this year I really have to work hard at my garden!

I hope you will try to have a garden of some sort. Even if it is just a few plants in the flower bed or in a pot on your patio. Try some herbs in small pots. Cooking with fresh ingredients is so much better! The taste is amazing! Give it a try.

What will you have in your garden this year??

Seed Starting...

So today I had time to finally start the seeds for my garden! This is how it goes....

I buy this at Lowe's for about $6.

Follow the directions on the box. Basically you add warm water and break up the dirt. I use a fork because it works really well.

Then I put my seeds in and gently cover them up!

This holds 72 plants!

These are some of my seeds. I bought these last year and will have enough to last me through next year!

I really love this seed catalog. Territorial Seed Company. I have had great results with them. They have a lot of heirloom and open pollinated options! I love trying plants that are a little different or odd! 

On the list this year...Cherokee Purple Tomatoes, Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes, and lots more!!!

Check out the web site here.

I also posted the recipe for Puppy Chow on the Farm Kitchen page!

I forgot to take pictures of what I made, sorry. I will try to get to that tomorrow.