Garden Fuss

House Plants..... Are simply a joy to most people who enter a home or mall where they bloom, sprawl or climb. Especially in the winter; in Minnesota. I know no one wants to think of the "W" word for a while but it is on my mind. Most of us flood the malls just to get a little view of greenery during shopping excursions or enjoying a nice hot chocolate while listening to our screaming children run from ride to ride at a venue like Mall of America.  I didn't really have this on my mind today when I took a trip to the Minneapolis Farmers Market to find discounted outdoor plants or shrubs. However, low and behold there before me in a stall next to piles of edamame were beautiful Peace Lillies, Aloe, and Pothos plants. Most people think my thumbs are stained green with how well I tend plants on the outside. I have had no real luck with house plants since..... Well, since we moved to this house. The direction of the sun is not conducive to what plants need in our family roo...

I have been watching this tomato and his partners grow and grow and grow some more. Finally they are ripe enough to pull from the vine. I feel like two or three of these bad mamajammas would make a mean bag of sauce. The taste is way supreme to other paste varieties I've grown in the past. Just chop and toss in a pan with what ever and it's instant sauce for what ever. I've added these to chicken, zuchinni, green beans, on their own even and have been more than happy with the results. I'll dig through my spring plan and get the name of this variety for you. All I remember at this point in the growing season is that they came from the Friends School Plant Sale lol. UPDATE: I found my catalog from the Friends School Plant Sale and these tomatoes are the Opalka which is described as follows.  Opalka Outstanding for canning and salsa, this 5" sweet paste tomato is meaty with few seeds. It looks more like a long pepper than a tomato! Indeterminate, 75-85 days ...

Dost my eyes decieve me? that is what I thought when walking through the garden hunting monster sized zuchinni. The wait for just a glimpse of a single bean has been agonizing. I thought for sure this would be my star veg this year but alasthey almost didn't make an appearance at all. First there were critter issues which widdled them from 12 plants to 3. Of which only two are actually of size and blooming. Then there have been sunlight issues ad possible overcrowding. I take full responsibility because with this years crop rotation the tomatoes and my almost too ingenius table queen squash plan; I accidentally walled in some things that are now getting partial to full southern sunlight instead of just full. Looking at the garden as a whiole you'd never suspect any issues. My neighbors daughter says to her mom, "Mommy look at Mrs. Jones garden it's just like a jungle!". I so agree.... It's easy to get discouaged at this stage of the game. There is just so much...

This morning I woke up with Thanksgiving on my mind. Yes we are a few months out but the fall like chill the last couple of days had me craving turkey and ALL of the fixins. My sister sent me a simple, "don't do it!" message that inspired me to rethink a massive trip to the grocery store to search for cranberries and cubed bread. Now several hours later I've settled on Sauteed Chicken with onions and peppers over a bed of Quinoa with Steamed brocolli [fresh from the garden]. Today my family has been save from organizing chopping and cleaning for such a big meal. Next week you may be seeing the spread before the Big Spread. Happy Harvesting!

For a month now I have been planning on particpating with the Little Free Library Project. On August 5th I had the opportunity to build one my own after signing up for a build sponsored by the Transition Longfellow Group and Longfellow Community Council. Little Free Libraries (LFL)are exactly what the name suggests. Tiny buildings that hold books that a person or persons own that they share with their community. 
The build I attended was an awesome experience; set up very professionally with experienced woodworkers and like minded neighbors. Having an optional potluck was a very tasty idea my son truly enjoyed as well. It's always nice gathering to do a project with tasty food as incentive. Since this post is about the libraries I won't get distracted by food talk right now. However, I will encourage anyone who is compelled to share their love of reading and promoting literacy in their community to build one of their own. I plan on sharing a wide range of books. From gardening...