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Fall Leaves Are A Gardeners Best Friend
As I have researched, nature has its own recycling method that is so beneficial to gardens. Fall leaves are a great addition to composting. We have plenty of leaves on our property so I am going to put them to work. They turn such a gorgeous color but quickly turn brown and cover the ground. Autumn leaves are considered a “brown” element needed in composting. They are a source of carbon, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and minerals. These are really a free addition to soil which can be incorporated directly into the soil or put as a “brown” element to the compost pile. I plan to use the leaves both…
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Row Tunnels For Winter Vegetables
As fall has moved into winter, temperatures will continue to go well below freezing. Although most winter vegetables can tolerate temperatures slightly below freezing, tunnels offer a way to extend those cool weather vegetables when the temps dive low. We have had our 1st significant freeze and temperatures that plunged into the low twenties. In anticipation of the colder temperatures, I got some row tunnels to protect my winter garden during the really cold days. Here is what I bought on Amazon to make my garden row tunnels: The polytunnel is also known as a hoop tunnel, hoop greenhouse, row covers, or hoop house. They are typically made of steel…
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Grow and Cook Pumpkins
When the pumpkins start turning orange, we know fall is not far off and that means football. We are football fans. My husband played football and my son did as well. My daughters were on the sideline cheering on their brother and Friday night football was a fun family time. Of course not everyone loves football but pumpkin harvesting also means changing of seasons, cool weather, and fall feastivities. There is a lot of good food wasted when untold numbers of nutritious pumpkins get turned into jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkins make a very good custard and put into a pie shell you have pumpkin pie. During the early years the pumpkin menu…
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Creating Family Traditions
September signals the beginning of the fall/autumn season in our home and that means our family traditions begin. Raising children to believe in family traditions was top on my list of things I wanted to accomplish. There seems to be so much competition for time between school, after school activities, the electronics world, and school friends. Spending time with each other must be developed early so when everyone ages, the value of those relationships grows and is maintained. As children grow and start their own families, the traditions can be started in their own homes. While it is tempting to go crazy with starting lots of traditions, quality versus quantity is…
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Guide To Fireplace Safety and Maintenance
During fall and winter, one of the joys our family loves is curling up in front of a warm fireplace. We have a wood burning fireplace which requires clean and safe maintenance to prevent the enjoyment from turning into a tragedy. There are many safety checks which must be done before starting your first fire of the season. Our fireplace is 18 years old, and we use it almost everyday during the winter. Being a nurse and having worked at at Burn Center, I am particularly sensitive and cautious when it comes to safety and maintenance of a wood burning fireplace. FIREPLACE SAFETY CHECKS Chimneys need to be checked and…
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Fall Leaves Are A Gardeners Best Friend
This last spring I started a compost pile. As I have researched, nature has its own recycling method that is so beneficial for our gardens. Fall leaves are a great addition to composting. We have plenty of leaves on our property so I am going to put them to work. They turn such a gorgeous color but quickly turn brown and cover the ground. Autumn leaves are considered a “brown” element needed in composting. They are a source of carbon, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and minerals. These are really a free addition to soil which can be incorporated directly into the soil or put as a “brown” element to the…
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A Guide To Starting a Fall Garden
Most gardeners turn in for the autumn and winter months as a break from the work of a long summer garden. They wait until spring to start up again. That has been my pattern over the last several years. By the time the last tomato has been picked and preserved, I am ready for a break. I saw the fall season as a new opportunity. The weather is cool and pleasant, most days, and what is a better time to be outside enjoying the season. Each fall I would get out my clipboard and start planning my garden for the spring. Reviewing what was planted and rethinking next year planting…
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Using A Food Mill
Food mills are an old fashioned kitchen tool that was used by many in the kitchen. My mother had one which we still have however, I really did not know what it was but saw her use it often especially when she was making her scratch tomato sauce and spaghetti. It was not until I decided to can tomato sauce that I discovered just how useful, simple and uncomplicated a modern day food mill can operate. Our backyard garden has given us so much produce the food mill has become a weekly (if not more) kitchen tool for meal prep. The food mill forces foods through a perforated disk which…
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A Quick And Simple Guide To Freezing Tomatoes
As the summer garden harvest is winding down the majority of my preserving was done by canning. Capturing the taste of summer though canning can not be ignored. To take advantage of the set up, work, and time of canning it is best to have a big crop. As things wind down, freezing is quicker and easier for a small crop of tomatoes. For those who are just starting their journey in food preservation, freezing is an easy way to get started. You can even dice or crush the tomatoes before freezing them. No special equipment is needed. It takes a freezing container that is airtight and you need space…
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Easy Way To Store Your Apple Harvest
I have an apple tree and I recently visited an apple orchard, so I have lots of apples to preserve. I plan to make applesauce by canning and I plan to freeze apples. If you want to freeze your apples for later use there is a super easy way to store them. Apples are usually peeled, sliced and cored before being frozen. I have this apple peeler/corer. It makes peeling and coring apples quick and easy. Steps To Storing Your Apples You can use a knife or vegetable peeler as well to peel and core apples. Wash apples under cold running water. Rub, making sure you have enough friction to…
Home Grown is Best
