My very own trash heap

I persuaded Gman to build me my own compost bin for the back yard over the weekend. I have grand plans for a fabulous garden next year and having good dirt is a big part of a great harvest. As you can see from the picture I think it even looks good enough to pass inspection in suburbia. I've now gone completely over the edge, next on my reading list are Let It Rot and Great Garden Companions.

I've added to our store of yummy stuff for the winter including finishing up the bright green pickles and two batches of Peach Hot Pepper Jelly. The version I put together yesterday and today used bright red Anaheim peppers that give a little heat and fabulous color. The jelly is a beautiful orange color with bits of peach suspended throughout. The debut of the jelly over the weekend was a big hit. I am thinking of doing a fancy lid and nice ribbon to make holiday gifts of jelly.

Jamlady's Original Hot Mango Jam (Hot Picante Peach Jam variation)
5 cups sugar
2 3/4 cups peeled, chopped peaches
1 cup seeded or unseeded chopped jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 1 3/4-ounce box regular powdered pectin
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice or 1/3 teaspoon citric acid
1/2 teaspoon butter (optional)

Blenderize the peppers and vinegar. Mix the lemon juice, butter, chopped mangoes, pepper mixture and pectin in a pan and boil for 1 minute. Add the sugar; boil for 1 minute more. Check the set. BWB 10 minutes. Hot Picante Peach Jam - Use peaches instead of mangoes and ripe, red jalapeno peppers (I used anaheims since I couldn't find red jalapenos). The resulting jam will be orange-colored.

Check out my review of Printakid's personalized kid books over at Maven Says. The short story...PDQ loved it!

Mindless Summer Fun

We did a whole lot of NOTHING this weekend. Its been an intense couple of weeks, it was hotter than hades and everyone just needed some serious chillaxin'. I went to the gym, church, the farm market, and the grocery store between Friday night and this evening and those were the only times I left the house. I watched a whole lot of nothin' on TV--The Biggest Loser special editions, hours of FoodTV and Dr. 90210. My mind is officially mush.

I did make the effort to go to the farm market today and they had just picked lima beans. I LOVE fresh lima beans. I don't know why frozen ones from the store just aren't the same--but they are not. Growing up we cooked them, then when the water was mostly gone added milk and butter and ate it over white bread. I have no idea why, I just know that it was GOOD. Today I bought 5 pounds of lima beans. It is so hard to tell how much that is in terms of beans because the pods are so big. I brought them home and shelled them and shelled them and shelled them in front of the mindless TV. I cooked some and stuck a bag full in the freezer. They were delicious. Between that and the salad with fresh, halved yellow and red cherry tomatoes, a bit of fresh basil, mozarella and balsamic vinegar--it tasted like summer.

Es and her boys came over to share in the bounty. I also whipped up some homemade ice cream, it was our second batch since receiving the freezer for Christmas.

MM: Does it turn off when its done?
GM: Nope
MM: How long should it go?
GM: The instructions said 15 minutes
MM: How long has it been?
GM: I don't know
MM: So, how will you know when its done
GM: Last time I listened to it and I knew. Your Dad says it is when water comes out of the drain hole.

You can take the girl out of the country and more

...but I don't think you can ever really take the country out of the girl. I headed back out to the farm this evening and picked another 5 lbs of blueberries. Its much quicker picking without my "helpers." It was almost as fun listening to the other people and their theories on the best way to pick. There are two distinct camps--pick everything that is ripe off one bush before moving on is the first. These people will scan the bush up one side and down the other not leaving a single ripe berry. Then there are the random pickers, they kind of mosey from bush to bush picking a little here and a little there. With the girls I followed the first method, it gave them some goals to work towards. Tonight I picked a little here and a little there--mostly going deep into the bushes for untouched berries that took a little work to get to or at the very top of the bushes where it took a little doing to bring them down to pick them. I was reminded that you can't be in too big a hurry or the really good ripe ones will fall off onto the ground--something to be said for slowing down, taking your time and experiencing the journey as well as the rewards. I stopped at the farm store and got a few more green beans and some just pulled onions as well. I am really trying to focus more on local food this summer.

On the way home from said berry picking I stopped and bought a canning pot and rack. I am determined to make some pickles this summer with local pickling cucumbers. My grandmother made fabulous sweet pickles. They were bright green from a little added food coloring and so sweet. My father used the juice as his ingredient in potato and pasta salads. I've never braved canning before so wish me luck! I also requested the recipe for this great frozen pizza sauce my mom made when we had more tomatoes than we knew what to do with. If I hit the jackpot on tomatoes I might try canning a few quarts of those as well. In the serious 'burbs canning supplies aren't that easy to come by believe it or not!

Finally, I heard this story today and had to pass it on. The receptionist at work is a dear sweet woman who is in her early 70s. She is about the nicest person you will ever meet. She's been at the company for many, many years--she used to work with punch cards if that tells you anything. Gman stopped to get me for lunch on Monday and she was beside herself, a young friend of her family was dying of breast cancer that had spread. They called the whole family in saying she only had hours to live as her liver was shutting down. It was obvious that she was distraught over the impending loss. She stopped me this morning and told me that shortly after the announcement that she had hours to live another group of doctors came in and cleared everyone out but the woman and her husband. They had been pouring over her medical records and noticed that there was a sign of a fungal infection in the early days after she was admitted. No one had paid attention. This can sometimes cause it to look like the liver is shutting down. They started a treatment and her numbers had miraculously fallen over night. The nurses were running to get the doctors every time new lab work came back because they couldn't believe what they were seeing. I really felt like this, in combination with what I've been reading lately from Especially Heather, Schmutzie, and Toddler Planet was a reminder to slow down and appreciate what I have...every. single. day. You can join in supporting WhyMommy in her fight against inflammatory breast cancer by adding the Team WhyMommy button. Head on over to Canape Sun to get your button. She is starting chemo at 8:30 AM on Thursday, keep her in your thoughts.

Blueberry Pickin'

Friday night the girls and I ventured out to a nearby farm to pick blueberries. I warned everyone that they needed to go to the bathroom before we left. Did they? Of course not. We weren't there for 10 minutes before the "I have to PEE" whining started. I told them if they concentrated on finding the biggest, bluest berries it would help take their mind off their ordeal. PDQ said I was right it helped. Finally about 4 pounds of berries later I couldn't take it any more. As we drove the circuitous route back through the farm fields I spotted a port-a-potty. (Of course it was on the other side of the blueberry bushes if only I'd known we could have walked down the row and been there). We stopped, PDQ went first, was in the outhouse 5 seconds before she declared she didn't have to go any more. I reminded her of the previous half hour and she relented, I told her to hold her nose if she had to but she. was. going. They both managed to go, although there were lots of questions about the blue water and the smell and the urinal cakes.

After we got home I whipped up my favorite blueberry recipe, a lemon, blueberry pound cake that I got from Cooking Light. It is light and wonderful. It calls for a bundt pan but I generally make it in two loaf pans, one to eat, one to share or freeze. I also like to add a little lemon zest to the cake and the glaze (you have to squeeze the lemons anyway, might as well use them all!).

Blueberry Pound Cake (from Cooking Light)

2 c granulated sugar
½ c light butter
½ block light cream cheese softened (4 oz cc)
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 c all purpose flour divided
2 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
1 8oz carton low-fat lemon yogurt
2 t vanilla extract
cooking spray
1 c powdered sugar
4 t lemon juice (about the juice of 1 lemon)

Preheat oven to 350F
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes).
Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine 2 T flour with blueberries in a small bowl and mix well.
Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mix alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla; pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray (I use two loaf pans instead and it turns out well and there is one to freeze!)
Bake at 350F for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (For the loaf pans I usually set the timer for 50 minutes and start checking, for the convection oven I go with 325F)
Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl, drizzle over warm cake.

Yesterday I tackled blueberry freezer jam for the first time. I was glad to see that it was setting up well last night and can't wait to taste. I think it will be a nice change from strawberry during the long winter. I am reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Its really opened my eyes to the impact of eating more locally grown food so I am trying to do my part. We'll be out at the farm picking more fruits and veggies as well as hitting the local farmers markets. Not only does it reduce the fossil fuels needed to get our food to us, it just tastes better! The book is just generally a good read and I'd recommend it for anyone who even dreams of having their own little plot of land--the family commits to getting all their food from local sources for a year.

An Open Threat to Little Bunny Foo Foo

Little Bunny Foo Foo
I don't want to see you,
Eatin' up the garden
and makin' yourself at home.

And down came the meeeeeeeeeean Mommy

and she said:

Little Bunny Foo Foo,

I don't want to see you,

Eatin' up the garden

and makin' yourself at home.

I'll give you threeeeeee chances to stop eatin' up the garden

and if you don't, I'm turning you into food!

First it was the broccoli, every darned leaf--GONE.

Then it was the snapdragons, just the leaves but every bloom as well, they were yellow

Then it was the roses, the ladies at stamping insisted that bunnies wouldn't eat the roses because of the thorns.

This afternoon I actully *saw* the rabbit making herself at home to LAY DOWN by the rose bush to eat day lillies. Not only do I have a rabbit eating my garden, I have the world's laziest Mama Bunny. She dug herself a little indentation and flopped down so she could munch. I mean, I know what she feels like but come on, give me a break.When I went to get a closer shot she took off and I saw at least 4 little bunnies scurry with her and then another 2 over by the decimated broccoli. Come on, I got plenty of weeds. Pleeeeeeeease stay out of the stuff I'm actually TRYING to grow...or we'll have to eat you!

Strawberry Bliss

There is nothing quite like a red, ripe strawberry just picked and still warm from the sun. I grew up across the street from a U-Pick strawberry farm and its going stronger than ever. As a kid we'd go pick some but most of the time Mom would just stop and buy a quart on her way home from work, nearly every evening during those few short weeks that are strawberry season. We couldn't wait to see that sign up the first day that they were ready for picking. Mom would make shortcakes, we'd add strawberries and a little bit of milk. Really, there is nothing like it. For those few weeks that was an acceptable breakfast as well as dessert.

In addition to right out of the carton, sliced, on shortcake and on your cereal we made jam. Once we picked several flats of strawberries. That night we got hit by a really bad storm in the middle of the night and it took down a giant tree in the backyard. While everyone else worked on cutting, stacking and picking up limbs, Grandma and I spent the whole day making strawberry jam. Take off the top, cut the berries and then smash them, watching the bright red juice get all over everything. There was something special in knowing that while it wasn't quite like the fresh ones, there would be strawberry jam in the freezer all winter long. In addition to using on usual jelly things it made an unbelievable topping for ice cream. The berries that didn't get made into jam were cut up, a little sugar added and frozen so that we could enjoy them during the winter. No birthday party was complete without some juicy frozen strawberries to eat with the cake and ice cream.

In the picture is one of the three boxes of strawberries we picked yesterday. Beautiful red berries hung heavy on the plants. Just when you think there aren't any more ripe ones you'd turn back the plants to find the beauties tucked underneath. We carefully covered them up and transported them through 3 states and made it safely home. This morning I was off to buy the makings for my first solo go at strawberry jam. I was a little discouraged not to find Sure-Jell in the first grocery store I tried--back home all the supplies to freeze, can and pickle are right there ready to fly off the shelves when summer comes. I did eventually find it and get home to start the work. A few hours later I had 18 cups of strawberry jam, 20 cups of sliced strawberries and a strawberry pie to show for my efforts as well as two kids who snacked on them all morning long.

Its Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer. Having some of those berries tucked away reassures me that I can have a little bit of summer, and all the memories that go along with it, all year long. I'll be looking for other things from local farms to put away this summer, its one of the things that I remember fondly from growing up in a semi-rural area. I hope that although we live in the suburbs I can teach my kids to appreciate growing it, or at least picking it, yourself.

Time flies and other random thoughts

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