Well Hello! July Fly!

      I have never seen so many flying around as I have this year! They are all over my garden! It's fun to watch the chickens try and catch them! Sometimes they actually do! It's really hard to believe that it's already July! We have been working really hard here on the homestead the past several weeks! Hard work makes the time pass quicker. Heat, no rain, high humidity; in spite of all this, we accomplished much in the garden. The weather has chilled a little the past couple of days, with clouds and some rain. It finally came a good downpoor here yesterday! I could see and hear the storms all around but they never made it here, until yesterday. Funny how rain does that! My garden was like a dust-bowl! Randy came in all dusty after tilling a new spot the other day. Now I hope it's not muddy so I can plant the okra. Okra will produce until the last frost so that gives it quite a long growing season. I'm thinking of planting more green beans as I haven't had a good amount to deal with this year. I was gifted enough to can 9 pints, however. That was a blessing!

      We haven't gotten to see the girls in so long! I miss them all terribly! I'm hoping they will be here Friday and Saturday for the Fourth. I made them some homemade chicken nuggets and I'm hoping they will like them. I've been fortunate enough to put several bags of chicken in the freezer. I cooked the chicken in the Sun Oven and it turned out great! Shredded chicken ready for whatever I desire to put it in! For the Fourth, I we are cooking chicken this time. Chicken is so much cheaper than beef; and we love grilled chicken, any part! We will also be making Randy's popular homemade vanilla ice cream! Everybody LOVES his ice cream! We do have rain predicted but it is so spotty sometimes, I don't think we'll get rained out. Randy has a back-up plan if we do. Put up the canvas awning! That will work nicely.

      I have been picking blackberries for the most part of June. Yes, I have the chiggers to prove it! You know I can't pick wild blackberries without getting them! I just learn to live with them until blackberry season is over. That won't be much longer, as they are winding down. We even have a few blueberries on our bushes. Not enough for a pie, but handfuls to eat here and there. In a few years, we'll have plenty!
The garden is producing quite a lot of squash! I really love squash! I've found a recipe for zuchinni fritters that is delicious! I'm going to try squash the next time I make them. I think they will freeze nicely. We are also gathering cucmbers and tomatoes. The tomatoes we don't eat, I'm cutting up and putting in the freezer until I have enough to can. That might take awhile, but I'm fine with that. Just to know I'm canning my own home-grown tomatoes makes me happy!

      We've had quite the episode with our chickens lately! I had advertised three roosters for sale on Craigslist. The black one came up missing and after a day, I realized he wasn't coming back. I edited the ad to two roosters. The next day, a hen was missing. Long story short, we lost five chickens including another rooster. I finally removed the ad since no one was responding anyway. I hated losing those chickens! One was my pet! So we decided to get another dog. I found a brown lab on Craigslist. The people decided to let us try her out because I wasn't sure how she'd interact with the chickens. We put up electric wire around the perimeter of the chickens so they'd be totally enclosed by electricity. The dog worked out well the first couple of days, running off whatever was sneaking in to eat the chickens. The next day, she got reall curious about the chickens and decided to scoot under the fence to check them out. I didn't realize it, and when I got there, she had one in her mouth! She didn't kill it but I thought she may have killed some of the others, as there were a variety of feathers  all over the ground! Thankfully, they all survived! Poor chickens! Needless to say, we called the couple and told them she didn't work out. I was already attached to her. I'm so glad the electric wire seems to be keeping the fox at bay. I hope he doesn't find a way to get in again! Our collie was so valuable in so many ways! I don't know how we'll ever be able to replace her!

      Ya'll have a great Fourth of July! Stay vigilant in these dark days! Let you light shine in the darkness! Blessings from Bama!

I could hardly believe when I saw this wisteria blooming again! It smells so good!

How do you like these racoon paw prints in the chicken water!

Yes, it's that time of year again! Canning green beans!

Nine pints.

A recent gathering from our garden.

Squash and pumpkins. I finally got the pine straw down!

Another view of the garden. I'm so glad to have gotten all that pine straw down!

I love watching them grow!

Our second butternut squash!

These are better boy tomatoes. They sure are good!

I think this is called yard long cucumber.

Looks like straight eight.

Squash, tomato, pepper, eggplant. I'm so happy with our garden this year!

I guess it's time to see if there are any potatoes in these towers.

The new spot Randy tilled. It wasn't muddy, just damp. I got it weeded, planted okra, and pinestraw put down.

The last of the blackberries.

A purple daylily!

Beautiful butterfly bush flowers! 

A beautiful, double daylily!

Isn't this a lovely color?

May 2015 Garden

      After exeriencing 90 degree day time temps and 70 for the low at night, I went outside to a very cool 60, this morning! Yes, it felt almost cold after all the heat and humidity we've had! I wanted to run back in the house and put on pants instead of shorts! But I found a nice, warm sunny spot to stand and watch the cheeps, as I call them. (Chicks) We just put them on the ground this week. I hope they adjust well to the cooler temps last night and this morning! They seem to be doing good. The warmer temps have affected the egg-laying, as I'm not getting as many eggs. So many factors in egg-laying!

      It hasn't rained in a couple of weeks. My garden really needs rain! I hope we get the rain predicted for the weekend, even though the girls will be here! Hopefully, the chicks will know what to do! They have a nice shelter and doghouse to get in. I've been hand watering the garden since there's been no rain. I've also added the compost tea to it. You would not believe how the veggies have grown! I wished I'd taken a before photo, but there are some now's below. 

      Since it's gotten hot and dry, now is the time to plant okra. Okra likes it that way! If it's too cool and wet, the okra won't come up. I'm going to plant some long okra a friend shared with me he grew last year. I hope the seeds are still viable. I'll know within a week if they are.

      After watching so many of John Kohler's videos, I've really been inspired about so many things! I'm so glad God led me to them! I have been composting daily; and now I'm adding the azomite. It came in yesterday. It's supposed to add minerals to the much depleted soil. I'm also adding alfalfa since kelp is not easily obtained in this area. Alfalfa is a good source of nitrogen and minerals. I plan on looking for kelp when we go to the beach. Maybe I'll be able to find a source there. Soon, I hope to obtain used coffee grounds from a local coffee shop. I'm also getting some worm castings from a gentleman who raises worms for a hobby. I hope to learn how to do that when I visit him. He and his wife seem so sweet!

      I planted spinach and swiss chard in a container yesterday. The reason I did that is so I can move the containers out of the blazing sun when it gets too hot. As you know, spinach will bolt. I think the chard can take it, but just to be on the safe side, I'll move it as well. A lot of the seeds I sowed in the ground have not come up. I looked at the packages and most of them are Ferry Morse seeds. That's what Walmart sells. Some are good, some are not. I decided I would order some seeds from this company: https://seedsnow.refersion.com/c/02f6a 
They should be here soon. Hopefully, you will check out this link and order some seeds! They are heirloom, non-gmo seeds! I can get 20 percent off my future orders when you order through this link. Then, you can do the same on your blog!

      Time has passed since I began writing this post and it has indeed warmed up outside and in! But the humidity is low! Whew, I'm thankful for that! The honeysuckle sure does smell good outside! I hope you are enjoying beautiful weather! How is your garden doing? Let me know in the comments! Have a great week! Blessings from Bama!

A fun way to blow lots of bubbles!

Cooking a chicken in the Sun Oven. It got cloudy so I had to finish it off inside.

My favorite yellow iris!

A beautiful, fragrant rose!

Love this purple iris!

Beautiful peony!

The wild rose is taking over!

Getting my 'boogie on' so my 'plants can dance'!

The okra I was telling you about.

Containers of swiss chard and spinach.

A nice row of squash.

I harvested spinach yesterday so it needs to grow back.

These are beets.

A row of green beans.

The tomatoes were small when I planted them, but after using boogie brew, they really took off!

They even have blooms!

I love how the potatoes are growing! I really need to cover them with more dirt!

A close-up of the potatoes.

Can you believe how they've grown? It's almost time to put them in with the big girls. I hope I can sell the three roosters that are lying on the ground!

These three are in with the previous ones and have grown tremendously as well. 

These are the babies. Some of them are turning out to be roosters even though the lady sold them to me as pullets. I'm ordering all pullets from a notable hatchery next time!

      

Our Trip to Whole Foods!

      We went to Whole Foods in Birmingham this past weekend and man, was it busy! I should have known by how full the parking lot was, that the store would be elbow to elbow! The prices have really gone up since we were there last! I went ahead and bought organic Swiss chard, kale, beets, and strawberries. I have cooked the chard and been very pleased, but the strawberries were sour! I hate sour strawberries! I guess they'll go in my smoothies so I won't taste it. My smoothies always taste sweet, even when I use less sweet ingredients! 

      Even though Trader Joe's is a much smaller market, I find their prices to be somewhat less than Whole Foods. I was surprised, since Trader Joe's is in a much larger city. I guess Whole Foods has the monopoly in Alabama since they are the only one with no competition. Still, I'm glad we have Whole Foods, and I hope one day we'll have a Trader Joe's! I also wished we had an Azure Standard pick up in this state, especially close to me! Maybe one day! At least I've found out about a somewhat local food co-op that goes to the bulk food store I visited when we went to the Amish country. It would take about four hours to drive there, but I only have to travel about an hour to pick up from the co-op. Can you tell I'm trying to feed my family better?

      I am reading a book by Tamar Adler: An Everlasting Meal Cooking with Economy and Grace. At first I was disappointed that it wasn't a regular cookbook and didn't read much of it. I decided to try it again, and I am so glad! It has changed my perspective of cooking! She explains about cooking in a way I never thought about, with simplicity; and using what you have, not wasting anything! She even uses the stems, leaves and core of cauliflower, and stems of the Swiss chard, beets, turnips, etc., in a pesto! I haven't tried that recipe, but I bet it's delicious!  I found another recipe, http://www.jrorganicsfarm.com/beet-greens/dont-throw-out-the-beet-greens/ that cooks the beet greens pretty much the way I did the Swiss chard. I like greens, even though the Swiss chard was a little strong. The next day after I sauteed the Swiss chard, I turned it into a gratin! Thanks to the above mentioned book! It wasn't a recipe I followed, just a method, I guess you'd say. I am about to roast the beets and some sweet potatoes, and I will cook the beet greens tomorrow. Would you eat Swiss chard or beet greens?

      With all of these vegetables, I hardly eat meat! Last night I did make a meat dish using local ground pork that I made into Italian sausage. I then cooked it and added a jar of home-canned tomatoes and Italian seasonings, that I had pureed in the Vita-Mix. I cooked some Ziti noodles, and mixed everything together in a casserole dish, sprinkled mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top and baked for about twenty-five minutes in the oven. It turned out delicious! It will taste even better tonight, plus we'll have some home-made bread to go with it. I also made some more of the delicious cinnamon-raisin bread. I like it toasted. This is what I do. I love cooking and being in the kitchen! I love shopping for healthier foods! I also love keeping my great-nieces! They were here this past weekend, too. I will let you know more about my cooking escapades soon! Blessings from Bama!

I don't know what they were watching, but they sure were into it!

The last of the Vidalia onions that I caramelized in the crock-pot.

I actually like brown rice!

Whole Foods, Birmingham, is a very large market!

Sauteing the Swiss chard.

I also cooked some Fava beans. They have a very unique flavor.

Rising dough.

Sauteed chard on brown rice, delicious! The Swiss chard had some of the caramelized onions mixed in with it.

My new favorite book!

The dough is just about ready!

Swiss chard and brown rice with bechamel sauce.

Baked Ziti.

Gratin idea from the book.

Another book I love!