Wordless Day! Almost

Mid June's Garden


Full Strawberry Patch


Garden From a different angle


Potaotes


Something ate my beet greens


Bug on the dill. Not sure what it is. Hopefully, I can find out what it is.

Tuesday Ramblings

Where I left off. The monster got most of their room done. So I decided that it was time to get out on the bicycles and pay DH's cell phone bill. What should have only taken about an hour took like 3. Mouthy monster started complaining right after we left the house. I should have turned around and taken her home. But I thought she would do better the farther we went. No such luck!

I did get some rhubarb, from a movie back lot. Long story, but suffice to say the monsters and I ended up on a movie set in town and I bought some stuff and talked to some people. Kewl... I guess they are going to be in town more often. We are the newest place to film. Didn't see anyone famous. Maybe next time.

After all that exercise we ate pizza for dinner. DH and I went for a walk. Then once we got home I cut up the rest of the strawberries and the rhubarb and made a fruit cobbler. Very good!

Today, cut the grass, planted radish & beet seeds. Also planted zucchini and acorn squash plants. Got a ton more strawberries in the patch. Now the patch is complete. They will fill in the rest of the way next year. DH already said he would build me a netting to save the berries from the birds. Got all of the tomatoes staked. That was a job. I got sunburned on my shoulders. Its not to bad but I need to be more careful.

We made chili dogs for dinner. It was fast as I was tired. All this exercise is kicking my butt. One day maybe I will be back to fighting weight....lol

Gotta Run
Yart

Weekend Recap

Friday DH and I went out on the bike after taking the monsters to school. Went to breakfast. Then went and picked them up as it was a 1/2 day for the last day of school. We went to some yard sales. I got an oil lamp, 2 glass pie plates and a couple of canning jars. Then went to Dairy Queen, last day treat. Got home and went for a bicycle ride with all the monsters. Brought them home and went and got pork chops. Tried to get a tree that had been cut down. No luck though. Cooked and ate. Showered and napped. Then took the monsters to see Flicks on Bricks. It is kind of like the drive in but it is a grassy field and a portable movie screen. The monsters loved it. We saw Shrek. There are going to be 2 more before the summer is over and we are looking forward to them. After we took them home we went back out on the bike. Then hooked up with my Dear Brother and another date. Needless, to say we didn't get home until super late.

Saturday, my birthday! I got to sleep in.... Yeah! Then we went for a drive out in the country. We stopped at a road side stand, I got eggs and strawberries. Came home and had hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. Cake was kindly provided by 2 sources. We had a fire, burned some paperwork and went to bed early... LOL!

Sunday got up fairly early. Went to the fabric store and found sheer material on clearance. I am going to make the produce bags that are featured in Mother Earth News June/July edition. Hopefully, I will be able to sell them. There are 2 farmers markets that I can set up at. So you never know. Then hit a couple more yard sales. I got an old meat grinder, a glass globe for one of the hurricane lamps, couple more canning jars and an orange hunting hat/face mask. We had meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner. Made the strawberry cordial. It will be ready for straining next Sunday. Then we went to the local outside track and the monsters walked around and I rode my bike around. We think the monsters did about a mile and I did 2 or better. WooHoo! Then came home and basically fell into bed.

Monday up with the sun. I have already been outside in the garden. Working on laundry as I type. The monsters are working on their rooms. About time! You would have thought I had real live pigs living in this house by the looks of the rooms. But today that all ends. We are tossing everything that is no longer good for man nor beasty. LOL! The rest will be donated.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Challenge #3

1. Garden work: I have been working on weeding the garden & I sprayed the tomato plants with water, dish soap, and oil to kill off the aphids. I will have to reapply but it is working.

1A. Harvest something: 3 Radishes out of the garden

2. Preserve something. I made strawberry cordial.

3. Food storage. 3lb beef roast in the freezer

4. Other preparedness tasks: Switched over my winter to summer clothes. Much cooler now. LOL! Have been burning paperwork instead of shredding.

5. Try a new recipe: Made BBQ Pork Chops.

6. Financial preparedness: Still working on getting caught up. This really doesn't change week to week.

7. Work on local food systems. Really didn't do anything in this category this week.

8: Learn something. This week I learned about Beets and how to kill aphids.

9: Serve someone. I have prayed for the recovery of a dear friend this week. And it seems to be working. ;o)

Beets

I only have a few beets in the garden this year as it is the first year. But I have some in the freezer from last year. And I hope to get more for this year. Since I have only ever had the sweet beets, not really sure what to do with them so here are some links for everyone to share.

Beet Basics | Lifescript.com

Easy Gardening....Beets

How to Cook Beets | eHow.com

This place has a ton of recipes
Beet Recipes - LoveToKnow Recipes

Step by step Pickled Beets
How to can your own homemade canned pickled beets

Waste not want not
Beet Greens Recipe | Simply Recipes

Red Beet Chocolate Cake
Once the beets come in I will have to try this one
RecipeSource

Organic Red Food Coloring

I also found that you can dehydrate the beets and then grind up and add the powder in soups and stew.

That's the Vegetable of the day!

Gotta Run
Yart

Rainy Thursday

It's raining here agian today. But I was lucky enough to get out in the garden for a bit before the rains came. I used my scissors to cut down some of the weeds that are growing around the potatoe tires. I got a great big blister that popped for my troubles. I used a vegetable oil, dish soap and water treatment on my tomatoe plants that are infested with those little pink bugs. It seems to have killed the larve ones. But the big ones are still holding on. So I will have to get one captured and take it to the garden center to see if they can help me to get rid of them. I don't want to use chemicals if I can avoid it.

My friend is still in critical condition. There has been no change. So I am taking that as a good sign. I keep praying for her and her family, as that is all I can do right now.

We only have 1 day left of school. I think I am happier then the kids about that. We have so many plans. Well at least I do. I think they just want to read, watch tv or play video games all summer. Not!!! We will be outside lots this summer. Even if it means a ton of moaning and crying.... I know I need to check myself with that. Its bad for the kids to see..... LOL! But I am sooooo looking forward to taking the knitting class. Plus I found a cheaper place to do yoga on Tuesday nights. And I found out that I can do aerobic at the city hall on Monday nights. I think I am just going to be a going concern soon. No point sitting still gathering moss.

We will be bottleing beer tonight. Woo Hoo! Then in 5 weeks we will have to have another get together. That seems to be the only time we get everyone over. But that is fine with me. I use to have a BFF, that was always here. The only reason she would go home was to shower & sleep. If her clothes were here I don't think she would have ever left... LOL! Ahhhhh, the good ole days. But alas, those days are over and I actually get stuff done now. Honestly, I didn't mind her being here. My DH works long and odd hours. He is on call. So I am alone alot. But now I have hobbies to occupy my time and am not quite as lonely when he isn't here.

I am cheating on dinner tonight. I am making hamberger helper tonight. We will have corn and bakery bought bread. I am hoping to get bread made on Sunday for next week. I should try and freeze a couple of loaves.

Oh, I have some links for Beets that I am going to share. But those will go into another post.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Sad Day

I just found out that a very dear lady that I have known for about 2 years and has been a mentor to me is in the hospital. She had a major heart attack. She is on a ventilator. Her lungs are to weak to come off the vent and her heart is to weak to have surgery. They are saying she is a fighter a lesser person would not have made it this far.

Please if you would offer up a prayer for her to recover from this.

Yart