Wednesday, July 11, 2012

At Home in July

 Roasted Potatoes (scrub, dice, toss with olive oil, seasoned salt & pepper, spread on greased cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees until just tender)



 I love granola with cold milk for breakfast in the summer, topping with fresh fruit when we have it.  Because I don't make it all the time, I keep the ingredients in a box in my freezer.  It keeps everything fresh and at the ready when I want to whip up another batch.

 This summer, we spent a whopping $9 per window and bought cheap roller shades for our south facing windows downstairs to keep out the hot, afternoon sun.  The difference is incredible.  Why did we wait so long?

 Chick Love

 Thankful for wood to burn while missing our shade.

 Tomatoes.  They're not the greatest looking, but they've promised me they'll produce.

 Why shouldn't we plant leftover sweet potato plants in feed bags?

 The red raspberries are taller than I am.  Even though they failed to produce an early summer crop, the late summer one looks very promising.

 Pathetic peppers.  Between the wind storm and the heat, they're a sorry looking bunch.  I may have to rely on the farmer's market for peppers this year.  The lack of mulch in this section of the garden may have something to do with it.  If only there were more hours in a day....

 These two stinkers were caught INside the garden and are the reason we have no beets, no spinach and no carrots.  The garden fencing we use has smaller openings at the bottom and larger ones toward the top.  Jamey has seen them run, jump, and wiggle through the higher openings.  Buggers.

 The zucchinis are going crazy so I've started baking eight loaves of zucchini bread every morning and incorporating them in every dinner to keep from being buried.

 Pumpkins

 Leeks

Trying to keep up.  I know, Mama.  It's a never-ending job.

Sunflowers reaching for the sky.

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21 comments:

  1. The chicken photo is hilarious...! I can't believe you bake 8 loaves of zuke bread...A DAY. Yikes! Have you tried Pioneer Woman's "Ryan's Zucchini Cakes"? Delish.

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    1. Well, I'll be. I was planning on trying a recipe for zucchini cakes tonight, but the one on PW looks simpler. I'll give it a go! Thanks:-).

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  2. If you need me to take some (small, for grilling) zukes off your hands, give me a holler!

    Our tomatoes are runty this year, too. I'm not sure what's up with that.

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  3. You truely inspire me! I found your site a couple months back through Mavis's blog and I must say I love it. I'm trying to find peace in my home with balancing being a wife, mother, friend and still helping others. I love all of your simple recipes and gardening idea's/pictures. Just wanted to say thank you for all of your inspiration :-)

    How in the world do you water ALL of those plants? Wow!

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  4. I love your chickens! I also have chickens in my yard. Last week we had a terrible mishap on the 4th oh July involving a neighbors dog who lives about a mile and a half away. I lost an eight week old chick and my 2 hens were badly hurt. I took 2 hens who's total value is less than $7 to the vet on the 4th of July for extensive surgery????? I really love chickens...did I mention that? Now they are in lock down until we can build them a more secure run. They used to roam the property and never left the yard area. I have decided I am not the best farmer, but much more of a pet lover.
    Holly

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    1. Holly, I know what you mean...I have not felt right the past few days because we lost 10 chickens in the past week. Our fences weren't able to be mended right away because of all the clean up from the storm. Seven simply disappeared and three more were injured by animals and a car (and had to be put down). We're sick about it...and we weren't even that attached to them (we had 39). Thankfully, the fences are now mended and we're taking extra precautions to keep the coop closed up tight. Hang in there. Our love for those more vulnerable comes from the Father:-).

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    2. I am so sorry for your losses. I am hoping to introduce some new chicks the next time one of my hens is brooding. I hope that my hens will adopt them as their own. They are such attentive mothers and impressed me with their skills.
      We are currently throwing our eggs away as our hens are being medicated for their injuries. We need to wait 2 weeks before the medicine will have worked its way through their chicken systems. If I had another set of hands I would attempt to record our adventures of giving hens pills..........

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  5. That's a lot of zucchini bread! Yum, though. I like the Zucchini Yeast Rolls recipe in Simply in Season. Have you tried it?

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    1. I have, but I over baked them...like burnt-on-the-bottom over baked :-(. I should try them again. Thanks for the reminder!

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  6. Oh how I wish I could trade places with you on the zucchini! We lost our plants to squash bugs this year and only managed to harvest two small zucchini before having to pull out the plants. It pains me to think I'll have to actually pay for zucchini at the farmer's market, but it just isn't summer unless there's zucchini bread/muffins/quiche floating around the kitchen. Due to the 100 plus degree heat we had for the past week our pepper plants look so sad. I have high hopes that now that the temperatures have fallen back into the 80s, things might turn around. The kids and I did pick our first cherry tomatoes tonight and they were delicious! There's quite a few more that just need another day or two to ripen. It's quite the challenge to restrain the very anxious and excited 3 year old so that the fruit can stay on the plant a little longer! I made a wonderful granola recipe tonight that you may want to try some time. I found it (Maple Vanilla Almond Granola) on the blog Good Cheap Eats a month or so ago. It's one of the best recipes we've tried! Have a pleasant evening. Blessings, Esther

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  7. I love those photo'
    s .I think all could be used as cute postcards ,especially little Mirium

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  8. Our main living area heats up via the sun first thing in the morning, so I understand. My solution - car reflector shades. You know, the ones you put in your car windshield in the summertime? They work GREAT! (I can't take credit, I read it on a blog somewhere.) The difference has been incredible. So if you need a short term solution in some other windows, think about picking up a few of those.

    Our tomatoes are runty too and we can't seem to grow peppers to save our life. We live in Utah, so our growing season is a bit later but I am waiting impatiently for the Farmers Markets to gear up.

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  9. How beautiful it all is Jane! Yippee for roller shades!!! The front of our home faces South too...I open it all up in the early morning and let the breezes in...then, I shut it all up before the heat begins...it has been SUCH a good way to deal with it! I didn't know that leeks looked like that at their tops...how interesting! And your photos of *life* are a joy to view...thank you for sharing.

    With Love,
    Camille

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  10. You trapped rabbits?

    Give... what are you baiting those traps with?

    Your garden looks wonderful! What area of the country are you gardening?

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    1. We use sweet potatoes and carrots in our trap. Sometimes they get the bait and get out, though. We live in plant hardiness zone 7. Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. I love all the photos! :)
    The shades are a great idea for those windows! Glad it is keeping you cooler! :)

    I love that photo of the mama hen running after her chicks! ;)
    Have a great weekend!
    Warmly,
    Katy

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  12. Oh Miriam, you are so so cute.

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  13. Great photos - I love those zucchini plants! Wish mine were doing that well. Lovely chickens, too. :)

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  14. Where did you find roller shades for $9 I have been looking for some. Svinch@twcny.rr.com

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  15. Man! Our zucchini plants were eaten by the bug right away. And it's my favorite! Wish we lived closer so we could share, I've got plenty of peppers!

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Just a friendly reminder, if you know me personally please try to refrain from using my name. There are those who may try to locate me, break into my pantry and steal my pickled beets. Thanks:-).

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