Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wednesday is my new friday...


   This is one of my Egyptian walking onions.  They are all beautifully coming to heads and twirly-whirlies, getting ready to put down roots and make more plants. The spinach has bolted, which means that it too thinks it's time to go seed.This is really the first part of the growing season in the central part of the country, but the weather has been way goofy, first cold too long, then very hot, then cool again...then we limped into spring and now the trends are a little more normal, except for way too much rain. Lots of growing things out there, and mostly adapting well to the goofiness. It was 95 yesterday, and only gonna hit about 78 today. Okay by me...I opened all the windows and turned on all the fans.  Blow out the stink and energize the house with the sweet smells of honeysuckle  and all manner of goodness.



 These are flowering Red Pontiac potatoes. My favorite potato in the whole world. Except for the fingerling Ruby Crescents.  We have about a 25 ft bed of these babies. They don't overwinter as well as the white potatoes or russets do, but we almost always manage to get them all eaten before we lose too many to rot.  I don't think I had to buy potatoes this past season until about April. And then I have only bought maybe 15 pounds, because I do still have sweet potatoes left, and am using them more and more.


  One of my 'maters.  I have a dozen plants that will be used for salsa and sauces and good ole diced tomatoes and okra.  (And yes, there are a dozen okra plants as well).  Not sure, but this might be the Nebraska wedding tomato.  Never seen it before, just liked the name, lol  I have a tray full of eggshells dried and ready to go around the base of the plants. Hopefully tomorrow or Friday I'll get that done. I have the gallon jar of voodoo juice sitting out on the back porch in the sun...cooking.  It's full of dried jalapenos, onions and onion skins, garlic and garlic skins and cayenne and dish soap. And water. It'll be ready to spray by Friday, and I'll give those squash bugs what for.


  And finally, this is my pepper bed. It has several kinds of bell peppers and 6 jalapeno peppers as well.  Someone (who obviously doesn't know me) asked me recently why on earth I had vegetables growing in my front lawn. I sweetly replied that it was for the same reason I had fruit trees growing in my front lawn. Because it's stupid not to. I have some great areas hither and yon around my place that are perfect for growing. I take advantage of that. My front "lawn" also has blackberries. And peaches. And apples and cherries.

  I don't need no stinking lawn.


  I have some marinara bubbling away in the kitchen, with the last 10 meatballs from the last batch I made soaking up the sauce. I'll quick cook a little pasta and the Irishman can have spaghetti and meatballs for his supper. I put lots of onions and garlic and bell peppers and basil and oregano in it and the smells permeating my little house are heavenly. There's the leftovers from the big salad I made yesterday in the fridge and that should satisfy his manly appetite.  lol  Maybe this weekend I'll make a big batch of meatballs and get them in the freezer, as I love having them to fall back on. The recipe I use (sort of) is on my food blog. I am quite guilty of not writing there for over a year. I need to get busy.

  Alrighty then. It's about time for me to finish up the odds and ends that are going on here and get ready to take the ride down to MissB's house for the evening. Then I'll have 2 days off and I'll love every minute of being at home, piddling in my gardens, and cooking. The Irishman is taking a trip up to see his dad in Wisconsin this weekend, so I'll be on my own for a few days.

  Well...on my own with 2 dogs and 8 cats and 5 chickens and a dozen fish and my cockatiel.

  Enjoy your blessings!



Namaste.

3 comments:

Rita said...

I don't need no stinking lawn--ROFL!!!

Only 60 and raining up here in Fargo. Been very goofy weather this year.

You grow and eat things I've never heard of or never tried. But you make them sound so delicious! ;)

Have fun with all the critters this weekend. They are always good company. :):)

Judy T said...

Aren't the walking onions the coolest things ever!!?? I've got some and my sister was so enthralled with them when she visited a couple of weeks ago that I gave her a few little swirly-twirly heads to take home with her.
I agree with your "I don't need no stinking lawn"- but it is awfully nice for grass clippings for mulch ;)
Judy

DJan said...

What a great front "lawn" you have, Annie! I think it's WAY better than grass myself. Oh, and YUM! :-)