and I am nestled up in my house, reading gardening books. I am longing to put my hands back into the dirt and try for yet another summer to grow stuff. Recently, I found a great website where one can order Heirloom tomatoes and really almost any type of tomato that is out there. The website is http://www.tomatofest.com/ . They also have many varieties of organic tomatoes!!! I am so excited to plan my garden and get started seeding this spring!!!!
I checked some books out of the library and was breezing thru them to see what I could possibly grow in the shaded part of my yard. You know, where I did the patio and thought had partial sun, to find out once everything grew in that it is pretty much full shade. It receives sun only as the sun is setting. So I am looking for flowering plants that thrive in shade and survive the Pittsburgh winters. Not many out there!!! But while looking for them, I found "snow drops". I think I need to get my hands on some of them...... They bloom in January or February, I think, and they sound perfect for me as the blues of the winter set in!!! Flowers blooming always make me smile..... especially if I planted them!!!!
2009-01-12
2009-01-04
Turning over a new leaf in 2009
Happy New Year to all! It's 2009 and time to turn over a new leaf. As promised, I will be blogging on a weekly basis...... Although I am sure my readership is nill at this moment! And So It Goes!
This time of year my holly bushes are blooming quite nicely. I will be taking pictures of them soon and will post them. They look so festive, but are in very inconspicuous places in the yard. The crappy ivy kind of hides them under it's creepy crawly vines but when you get to the meat of the plant you see the cute little red round berries juxtaposed against the pointy dark green leaves. Such an awesome looking plant!!!
Aside from that plant though, my yard is sleeping until the spring when, hopefully, my 100's of red tulips, yellow daffodils and purple, yellow and cream crocuses emerge but not forgetting my beautiful purple irises.
I have also been searching for books about flowers and plants that grow in PA. Today I found two at Barnes and Noble, but didn't buy them. I am going to check them out of my library to see if they are worthy enough to purchase. This lady needs all of the knowledge she can find!!! If anyone reads this blog and has suggestions on good books to have, please let me know!!!
Till next post, Stay Green!
This time of year my holly bushes are blooming quite nicely. I will be taking pictures of them soon and will post them. They look so festive, but are in very inconspicuous places in the yard. The crappy ivy kind of hides them under it's creepy crawly vines but when you get to the meat of the plant you see the cute little red round berries juxtaposed against the pointy dark green leaves. Such an awesome looking plant!!!
Aside from that plant though, my yard is sleeping until the spring when, hopefully, my 100's of red tulips, yellow daffodils and purple, yellow and cream crocuses emerge but not forgetting my beautiful purple irises.
I have also been searching for books about flowers and plants that grow in PA. Today I found two at Barnes and Noble, but didn't buy them. I am going to check them out of my library to see if they are worthy enough to purchase. This lady needs all of the knowledge she can find!!! If anyone reads this blog and has suggestions on good books to have, please let me know!!!
Till next post, Stay Green!
2008-12-17
Successful Thanksgiving..... moving on to Christmas.
So it was a successful thanksgiving. I hosted for the first time. About 20 people decended into my small cottage home. Matt and I flipped our rooms around and made the "living room" our dining room and vice versa. It worked out well although I was so busy cooking and hosting that I forgot to take pictures. Bummer!
You are probably wondering why I am blogging about my thanksgiving, even if it was a really cool event, on my gardening site. Well, it is because I decided to buy local this year. I bought my turkey from Pounds Farm, which is about 45 minutes or so away from my home. It was by far the BEST decision I've made so far! It was delicious! I ordered the largest bird they could give me. 28.5 pounds to be exact. It barely fit into my oven and was something of a comedy skit to get the bird dressed and into the cooking bag! Matt and I wrestled the thing almost dropping it several times. But all was well in the end. Juicy, moist and BIG!
My next mission was moving onto christmas and figuring out how I was going to give away my quince jelly and pumpkin puree in a pretty fashion. So I began cutting squares of fabric to stretch over the lids. I don't really like the presentation, but since I am a hot minute away from the holiday, I have to rethink it next year. Suggestions are welcome. I went to half priced books and purchased a book on creative gift wrapping. Maybe I can pull something from there for next year.
Starting in the new year, I am going to attempt to post weekly (we'll see how that goes) and I am hoping to start growing some fresh herbs..... both for cooking and for tea. As you saw in my last post, herbs in my house don't do well. Maybe 2009 will be the year I get my green thumb!
You are probably wondering why I am blogging about my thanksgiving, even if it was a really cool event, on my gardening site. Well, it is because I decided to buy local this year. I bought my turkey from Pounds Farm, which is about 45 minutes or so away from my home. It was by far the BEST decision I've made so far! It was delicious! I ordered the largest bird they could give me. 28.5 pounds to be exact. It barely fit into my oven and was something of a comedy skit to get the bird dressed and into the cooking bag! Matt and I wrestled the thing almost dropping it several times. But all was well in the end. Juicy, moist and BIG!
My next mission was moving onto christmas and figuring out how I was going to give away my quince jelly and pumpkin puree in a pretty fashion. So I began cutting squares of fabric to stretch over the lids. I don't really like the presentation, but since I am a hot minute away from the holiday, I have to rethink it next year. Suggestions are welcome. I went to half priced books and purchased a book on creative gift wrapping. Maybe I can pull something from there for next year.
Starting in the new year, I am going to attempt to post weekly (we'll see how that goes) and I am hoping to start growing some fresh herbs..... both for cooking and for tea. As you saw in my last post, herbs in my house don't do well. Maybe 2009 will be the year I get my green thumb!
2008-11-17
Dead, Dead and MORE DEAD!
So I brought in a few plants for the winter, thinking they would be better off in my care then to the harsh winters....... 
well currently of the four plants I've brought in, all four are dead. I then purchased one more plant and that croaked before the first week was up. Not sure what I am doing to these poor plants, but my house is beginning to resemble something from the Adams Family!!! Seriously, how bad can one person be?????? I best not ask, I fear it could get worse!
well currently of the four plants I've brought in, all four are dead. I then purchased one more plant and that croaked before the first week was up. Not sure what I am doing to these poor plants, but my house is beginning to resemble something from the Adams Family!!! Seriously, how bad can one person be?????? I best not ask, I fear it could get worse!2008-11-02
Canning Pumpkin!
As I sit here writing this blog, I am also in the process of canning pumpkin for the very first time. My time typing is often interrupted by running to my pressure canner (which I am also using for the first time) to be sure my pressure remains at 11. (pause for checking canner... I just checked and my canner was approaching 12. It needed to be at 11, so I turned down my fire but it seems it was very low and I am afraid of it going too low..... so it looks like I'll be pausing more than I originally thought--- sorry folks).
In any case, back to the pumpkins. I purchased 4 sugar pumpkins from the farm a few weeks ago. I hadn't gotten around to canning them until today. Boy am I glad I didn't do it before today. My kids have gone to grammas and so I had all day today to fool with these new gadgets. (Pause for checking canner.... still good) I first cut the pumpkins and fished out the seeds and guts. Although the taste of pumpkin and squash is AWESOME, I sometimes wonder why it takes so much muscle and effort to get the damn things to their cooking stage. I almost chopped my fingers off too many times to name. The one thing that is both annoying and interesting to me is when you first cut open a squash--- it starts oozing what look like beads of sweat, but it is a sticky but slick nectar. This nectar makes them a hazard for cutting as it is quite easy to slip and slice something off..... however I find that part very magical.... like the beading its way of saying, "yes I am alive" or as if out of some horror show, "NO! DON'T EAT ME!!". No other fruit or veggie does this, just squash. (pause for checking canner.... slight adjustment needed, it was at 12 instead of 11) Don't you find this amazing? I sure do. Mother Nature never lets me down with her variety of life.
Back to pumpkins- I cut the four up into chunks and put it on the stove with a bit of water. Boiled the hell out of it and then sent it through a medieval looking device. It was my moms and it basically takes squishy fruit and veggies and grinds them up into a thickish paste. I LOVE using this thing. It really grinds up the good stuff and spits out the rinds and unusable parts. I then added that "paste" into a big pot and boiled it again. Until my jars were done being sanitized. (pause for checking canner.... it is running a bit high, but I think it is still OK).
Now during this time, the prep did not go as smoothly as I have let on. I do not have a manual to the medieval grinder, not good, so I was running from memory, also not so good. I had a slight memory of last year me standing out on my porch, grinding tomatoes. It seems with evolution comes thicker countertops and thicker tables. My old grinder needed a thin table. So today I improvised and used a 2 foot table which belongs to my kids. With some additional help from the hubby and a few phone calls to see if anyone else could remember how to put it together, I got her working. Then I turned my attention to begging hub man to put my pressure canner together. It had been a birthday present from him last year and I still hadn't put it together. He begrudgingly obeyed and a few minutes later I was testing it out. I also endured some heckling as to why I was just getting around to using it..... afterall, "it was expensive". MEN!
In the meantime, my jars were done, my pumpkin puree paste was boiling and I had just OKed my pressure canner..... life was good. So I unloaded some jars onto the table and began filling them (not before raising the temp on the pumpkin so high that it suctioned the lid of my pot right on. I had to bang it with a wooden spoon to free it!) . And I am going to stop here to explain something (but not before checking my pressure canner again!!! I feel like a pregoid running to the bathroom every 5 minutes!) The USDA claims that because pumpkin puree is so thick, pressure canning is unable to raise the temp enough in the middle of the jars to kill all of the bacteria. Now, people have been canning pumpkin puree to use in pies, cakes and cookies for ages, so what has changed? Government intervention. With all of that in mind, I used precautionary measures while still preparing my pumpkin in the most user friendly form. First, I canned most of my pumpkin into 4 ounce jars but followed the instructions and cooking times as if my jars were pints. Second, the 5 or so pints I have canned are for my use only- I plan on using them to bake up pumpkin yummies. Let me just say this. If a microbe can live being steamed for 40+minutes, then boiled again, then put into hot jars and pressure canned for 55 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure then baked again in a 350-400 degree oven, my friends that is one microbe I don't think could be stopped by anything! (pause... less than 15 minutes for my first batch!!!) The USDA does its job and tries to protect people, but without getting into a lengthy discussion of my beliefs, I'll just say this--- If someone is unwilling to eat my stuff, I will totally understand but I believe some things are not meant to be messed with- especially food stuff!
I am logging off this blog for now so that I can clean up the pumpkin dishes and prepare to remove my first batch from the canner!!! I believe I will be using this pressure canner more often! Afterall, it was the first "microwave" if you will!
In any case, back to the pumpkins. I purchased 4 sugar pumpkins from the farm a few weeks ago. I hadn't gotten around to canning them until today. Boy am I glad I didn't do it before today. My kids have gone to grammas and so I had all day today to fool with these new gadgets. (Pause for checking canner.... still good) I first cut the pumpkins and fished out the seeds and guts. Although the taste of pumpkin and squash is AWESOME, I sometimes wonder why it takes so much muscle and effort to get the damn things to their cooking stage. I almost chopped my fingers off too many times to name. The one thing that is both annoying and interesting to me is when you first cut open a squash--- it starts oozing what look like beads of sweat, but it is a sticky but slick nectar. This nectar makes them a hazard for cutting as it is quite easy to slip and slice something off..... however I find that part very magical.... like the beading its way of saying, "yes I am alive" or as if out of some horror show, "NO! DON'T EAT ME!!". No other fruit or veggie does this, just squash. (pause for checking canner.... slight adjustment needed, it was at 12 instead of 11) Don't you find this amazing? I sure do. Mother Nature never lets me down with her variety of life.
Back to pumpkins- I cut the four up into chunks and put it on the stove with a bit of water. Boiled the hell out of it and then sent it through a medieval looking device. It was my moms and it basically takes squishy fruit and veggies and grinds them up into a thickish paste. I LOVE using this thing. It really grinds up the good stuff and spits out the rinds and unusable parts. I then added that "paste" into a big pot and boiled it again. Until my jars were done being sanitized. (pause for checking canner.... it is running a bit high, but I think it is still OK).
Now during this time, the prep did not go as smoothly as I have let on. I do not have a manual to the medieval grinder, not good, so I was running from memory, also not so good. I had a slight memory of last year me standing out on my porch, grinding tomatoes. It seems with evolution comes thicker countertops and thicker tables. My old grinder needed a thin table. So today I improvised and used a 2 foot table which belongs to my kids. With some additional help from the hubby and a few phone calls to see if anyone else could remember how to put it together, I got her working. Then I turned my attention to begging hub man to put my pressure canner together. It had been a birthday present from him last year and I still hadn't put it together. He begrudgingly obeyed and a few minutes later I was testing it out. I also endured some heckling as to why I was just getting around to using it..... afterall, "it was expensive". MEN!
In the meantime, my jars were done, my pumpkin puree paste was boiling and I had just OKed my pressure canner..... life was good. So I unloaded some jars onto the table and began filling them (not before raising the temp on the pumpkin so high that it suctioned the lid of my pot right on. I had to bang it with a wooden spoon to free it!) . And I am going to stop here to explain something (but not before checking my pressure canner again!!! I feel like a pregoid running to the bathroom every 5 minutes!) The USDA claims that because pumpkin puree is so thick, pressure canning is unable to raise the temp enough in the middle of the jars to kill all of the bacteria. Now, people have been canning pumpkin puree to use in pies, cakes and cookies for ages, so what has changed? Government intervention. With all of that in mind, I used precautionary measures while still preparing my pumpkin in the most user friendly form. First, I canned most of my pumpkin into 4 ounce jars but followed the instructions and cooking times as if my jars were pints. Second, the 5 or so pints I have canned are for my use only- I plan on using them to bake up pumpkin yummies. Let me just say this. If a microbe can live being steamed for 40+minutes, then boiled again, then put into hot jars and pressure canned for 55 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure then baked again in a 350-400 degree oven, my friends that is one microbe I don't think could be stopped by anything! (pause... less than 15 minutes for my first batch!!!) The USDA does its job and tries to protect people, but without getting into a lengthy discussion of my beliefs, I'll just say this--- If someone is unwilling to eat my stuff, I will totally understand but I believe some things are not meant to be messed with- especially food stuff!
I am logging off this blog for now so that I can clean up the pumpkin dishes and prepare to remove my first batch from the canner!!! I believe I will be using this pressure canner more often! Afterall, it was the first "microwave" if you will!
2008-10-17
Jelly, Jelly EVERYWHERE!
Last weekend, I decided to, even though I was sick, make jelly from the Quinces. I had Matt pull out the ladder and I parked Oliver at the bottom of it with a bag. I was quite disappointed as I climbed the ladder. Most of my precious fruit was browning, full of worms or past it's prime. I pulled what I could salvage from the tree all the while taking in the intoxicating smell of the quinces. Someone on the internet said they smell like a cross between a pineapple and a mango and they couldn't have said it better. From the smell of these small, fuzzy, pear shaped fruits, you would think taking a big bite out of one would yield a happy picker. On the contrary, they are sour even though they smell sweet. Not as sour as a lemon, but much more sour than a granny smith apple. So I took what I had, not even a quarter of a bag, and brought them into the house. I began cutting around the brown spots and worms. I thought I'd get maybe 12- 4oz jars of jelly from my crop. I quickly found that from the small amount I had, I was able to fill two pots full of the fruit. This was my first time making jelly and the recipe I found hadn't called for any added pectin. So I foolishly continued cooking, mashing and straining the juices from my beautiful quinces. Now after doing all of that, I ended up with 25 cups of juice!!! AND had I been able to pick a few weeks earlier, I would have doubled if not tripled my yield. To that juice, the recipe called for an almost equal amount of sugar to be boiled down with the juice. I followed the recipe to a T but ended up with a slightly congealed consistancy. It tasted delicious though and I ended up with 24- 4oz jars, 9- half pints and 4- pints (I would have done all 4oz or half pints but I ran out of those jars). The former yellow/green fruits turn a gorgeous red color when turned to jelly!!! All I can say is YUMMY IN MY TUMMY- And guess what you all are getting for Christmas :)
2008-10-04
QUINCES you dumb ass---- QUINCES!!!
So today I was quickly looking through my Bon Appetite Magazine....... in there was an article on what is in season during the fall. Drawn in pencil, quite nicely I might add, was a picture of my Peapples- They aren't Peapples, they are Quinces!!!! And after reading online that those babies go for about $2 a pop, I am quite excited that I have an exotic tree in my yard. Now, I just need to find out why they weren't there last year. Are they biannual? Who cares at this point! I got 'em and I plan on cookin' em!!!
Funny thing is my Great Aunt came over today for a party, walked out onto my porch and said, "Oh! Danielle has a Quince tree." We all asked where she was a month ago when we were trying to convince my future brother in law to eat one.
Funny thing is my Great Aunt came over today for a party, walked out onto my porch and said, "Oh! Danielle has a Quince tree." We all asked where she was a month ago when we were trying to convince my future brother in law to eat one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)