Garden Fuss

It's been two and a half weeks since we started the tomato seedlings and as you can see they are coming along quite nicely. They have been moved to a window where they can get some natural sunlight. I have turned off the bottom heater since they are so big and strong. They almost 80 degree weather we have had today makes me itch to get them outside soon. It won't be long now, and it looks like we will have a bumper crop to croon about.   The cabbage, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower are all getting their true leaves and will be going into the ground in the next two weeks or so. I am thinking that I will start hardening them off next week. They were started on or around the 3rd of March so their 4 weeks old. I will also sow a couple seeds directly into the ground for a later harvest mid summer. I didn't take a picture of the leeks but they are performing very well. They will also be planted in the garden in the next couple of weeks and are sharing a spot on the windo...

This breakfast was inspired by something I watched on food network last week. Theirs was a savory dinner version which I can't wait to try soon with some grilled pork chops or chicken and a nice gravy or sauce. Earlier I stated that "So far so good the 8 year old likes it". This is true for the hubby, and I have to admit this is going to pretty much be a staple breakfast or dessert in our home. For dessert I would add a nice dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream and some fresh berries drizzled with honey. Since this was breakfast I fried a couple eggs "sunny side up" and voila I'm done until lunch. Click Here for the recipe.

Hey y'all I'm Ebony (Bugzy for short...lol), and I'm excited to say that this is my first post and there will be a lot more coming. While franksgreengirl (mom for short) will be keeping you up to date with the garden, I will be adding the seasonal recipes our family makes with the produce we harvest from our garden. The recipes that I post will be easy and delicious. We will both be adding information on the different ways to preserve your fruits and vegetables for the winter season. Mom likes to make jams, jellies, pickles and preserves so expect to learn a lot about those. I hope that these recipes will get you excited about growing your own garden and using your own produce. In addition to all of this I will be covering the different mini projects that happen around our house both in the kitchen and out when mom is still toiling away in the garden. I hope that you find this information helpful and make your time in the house and/or garden just a little more enjoyable.

There has been quite the debate in my family of late on whether it is possible to successfully use the winter sowing process for warm weather plants like Okra, tomatoes, peas and so forth. Winter Sowing is a process where you use recycleable containers as miniature green houses to start "hardy" seedlings outdoors during the winter months. This is supposed to be an easy method of germinating seeds that if done successfully will allow you to save #1. money, #2. time, and #3. time & money. First off it is very feasable financially to buy seeds and germinate them by direct sowing, in-door starting, and/or winter sowing. The cost to start your garden whether vegetable, herb, or flower could start to break the bank if you are purchasing plants instead of seeds. Starting seeds on time for the upcoming growing season can take a lot of work and planning and if inexperienced can also take a bite out of your wallet. Expenses that can sneak up on ...

I was reading an article in the local paper about how many people are planning their garden for the first time in our area and around the country. I think that people garden for so many reasons and it's not always about being strapped for cash and needing food to eat. For me gardening has been a way for me to become more mobile, bridge the generation gaps between me and older adults in my family, and a way to meet so many fascinating people from all walks of life. I hope this small blurb about my interest in gardening will make you think deeply about why you garden and how important it is to pass on this valuable knowledge to future gardeners big and small. When we moved into our home 3 years ago I knew I would be digging into the unknown soil and cultivating something edible if only a cucumber or tomato. Now I'm cultivating relationships with all the neighbors on my block as well as beautiful and tasty heirloom flowers & vegetables. Our first growing season our family ha...

The Rhubarb is already poking it's pretty pink heads through the ground. I can't wait to harvest it since last year was pretty much for show since it was a new transplant to our garden. This year we get to harvest 1/2 or it and next year all of it. I'm thinking about adding more to our garden in the back, or a huge pile in the front. It's great to eat in a crumble with strawberries and rasberries which we also grow in our garden. I love spring!!!!

I couldn't resist another picture of this fabulous meal. It started with the left over turkey the hubby fried for New Years that we froze bones and all. I then made a stock with the bones and residual meat. I added garlic onions a new herb mix I'm trying out, and the glorious plump purple hull peas straight from Mississippi my in-laws brought back. Combine everything after removing the turkey bones and make your best home-made cornbread. Follow that up with a nice Zinfandel or other white wine to knock off the Minnesota chill. What did Julia say? BON APETIT!

Happy Friday it is so cold today after a long beautiful week in the 50's and above. It's time for a little comfort food while I contemplate what seeds to start next.

So I made a trip to mother earth garden center to get the grow pellets for the tomatoes and they already had tomato plants thriving on their in-door display shelf/nursery. I was going to wait until next week to start but became so encouraged by what I witnessed I had to start right away. We will be starting some tomatoes in the pellets and some in the organic potting mix tonight. As with the other plants we grow we will keep you well informed of our status. The types we are starting today are: Black Krim (heirloom) Old German (heirloom) Speckled Roma (heirloom paste) Beefsteak (heirloom sandwich tomato) Chocolate Cherry Large Red Cherry Ground Cherry (physallis or husk tomato for jams and jellies)

Today I have started the task of killing.... I mean thinning all the viable seedlings that have just overcrowded their small pots. I enlisted the help of the hubby and I think it was harder on him than it was for me. Many gardeners beginning or otherwise feel a little like they're choosing one child over the other (which you are kind of ) and it's a little disturbing at first. However, I tried to put it in perspective for the hubby by citing what happens in nature and that it's called "survival of the fittest". As you can see from the photo we have two purple cauliflower in one container. One of these has to be cut down with scissors at soil level to just one plant or transplanted to it's own pot to become the fittest.  One strong plant in it's own pot can develop fruit or flowers later on and won't have to compete for nutrients with several other plants. Also, plants that are crowded in pots don't get enough air circulating around ...

It's so gloomy today that I needed something comforting that would fill me up knock off the chill and remind me of the great green things to come. Since I'm trying to watch my waistline too this recipe hit the spot.

Creating the infrastructure for and expanding the beauty of our garden was the first goal I had for the growing season. Towards the middle of spring I started to focus on the little helpers seen and unseen that helped our garden flourish. Those little helpers or Beneficial Insects as they're known in the gardening/scientific world included my top three which are bees, lady bugs, and praying mantis. We loved watching the mantis hatchlings scurry around their little make shift nest we hung around the window sill. I will write more about lady bugs and praying mantis in future posts but today I want to focus on the cute little fuzzy guys that lift an astounding amount of weight on such tiny little wings... Bees .  The first thing I decided to do when researching how to attract bees was to find out what kinds I could attract in my area which is Zone 4. I thought I would have the time to make a home to attract mason bees but ran out of the time and the drill I needed to make a cute li...

Lunch today is something new!!! YUMMY YUMMY to my tummy.

We have comprised the list of seeds we will be starting for the 2010 grow season. Yes there are technically some fruits listed in the vegetable section, but we wanted to make the list a little more easy to decipher and less intimidating for beginning gardeners. SEED LIST 2010 Vegetables Climbing Spinach Egg Plant - Black Beauty Cabbage - Ferry's Round Dutch Purple Cauliflower Brussels Sprouts - Long Island Pumpkin - Jarradale Squash - Spaghetti, Saffron, Dark Green Zuchinni, Burpees Hybrid Zuchinni Peas - Dwarf Grey Sugar, Super Snappy, Super Snap, Sugar Daddy, Pink Eye Purple Hull Beans - Royal Burgundy, Tenderpick, Disoy Beets - Ruby Queen, Detroit Dark Red, Chioggia, Burpee's Golden Carrots - Kaleidoscope Mix (salmon-orange, yellow & white) Lettuce - Grand Rapids Leaf,  Mesclun Mix Leeks Okra Celery - Giant Pascal Peppers - Jalapeno, Cubanelle, Grand Bell Mix Tomato's - Beef Steak, Speckled Roma, Large Red Cherry, Old German, Black Krim, Choc.C...

I am so excited and passionate about our 2010 garden.  After such a hard winter my daughter and I are so ready to get started with everything. But alas we had to slow ourselves down and begin the process of planning and now executing our plan for the upcoming season. First we started out by creating a list of inventory. Our inventory consisted of 1 through 3 year old vegetable and flower seeds. The seeds that were past expiration were tossed and the remaining seeds were categorized by type and the dates we can start them in-doors.  We then purchased new heirloom seeds locally from Mother Earth Garden Center and mail order from RH Shumway. From there we decided to bring back the process of seed starting in an aquarium, which we found on GardenWeb last year. This process worked so well for our family. It will protect the seedlings from snoopy puppies, and small children who walk by and want to repeatedly take the lids off of the plastic seed starter kits you buy at the store....

I've been meaning to make these sooner, but after watching Rick Bayless win Master Top Chef status I was re-inspired. VIVA LA MEXICO.... I LOVE THE LANGUAGE AND THE FOOD. Even if my spelling is off today. No time for spell check when there is melty smelty cheese and enchilada sauce around.

Last year I decided to try starting my vegetable and flower garden from seeds " before " our actual growing season. Because I am also into being green and reusing items, I was able to borrow/salvage a #20 gallon fish tank and use it to start all kinds of good eats.  Below are pictures of our aquarium nursery. So far this growing season we have Leeks which we started two weeks ago, and Celery which we started 5 days ago. Since March has finally arrived we will be adding imensely to our in-door veggie tank patch. Make sure to visit again soon to see a list of vegetables and flowers we are adding this year.