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Garden Planning
Just because your spring garden is coming to end does not mean the work stops. There are plenty things to add to your to-do list for August and September. Start planning now and start prepping your calendar for the tasks below. I love using this garden calendar for all my gardening to-dos. I stay organized so I don’t fall behind on any of my garden upkeep. Protect Squash Ripening fall pumpkins & winter squash need to be protected. Slip something beneath them to prevent rot at the bottom. I use a piece of cardboard. Gather Fruit Any fruit fallen from the trees needs to be gathered. Remove Self Sowing Seed…
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Gifts From The Garden
We all love the warm feeling we have that comes from receiving a handmade gift, but so many of us in this busy world we live do not have time. There are some quick gifts which may already be in your pantry which you canned during the summer garden harvest. There are alot of short cuts you can take such as using your canned treats and some simple packaging with a recipe card to share your gift. Most of the treats may only be finding a cute basket, stenciled recipe cards, or jar toppers to assemble a cute gift with a jar tucked inside. Fruit Honeys Topped with a…
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Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
As my son transitioned to food and milk at one year I quickly realized he had a huge appetite. It was hard to keep him full and I soon introduced a pretty large size snack time in the late afternoon. I have been very committed to homemade food for him to avoid preservatives and unhealthy ingredients. So, I needed to get creative with our snack time for a good variety of healthy snack options. Well, we get some amazing fresh strawberries locally that are delicious. My son LOVES strawberries. So, I found a creative way to use our strawberries that would be a new snack to introduce. I decided to…
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Pruning Fruit Trees
Training and pruning fruit trees is an essential step for growing fruit successfully. Fruit trees should be pruned every year and when you plant a fruit tree you should be dedicated to giving it the proper attention and care. Proper pruning gives you the best chance for good fruit. I have apricot, peach, and apple trees in my backyard. My apple tree and apricot tree are 18 years old. I have not always pruned them every year and I pay for it when I have a poor crop. My peach tree is not that old but needs pruning nevertheless. It is important to understand the principles of pruning and to…
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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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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…
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Simple and Easy Ways to Freeze Your Garden Harvest
Stock your freezer with your vegetables and fruits you have harvested. Freezing is a good alternative to canning if time is limited. I have done both. When I had a houseful of kids, freezing was my preferred method of preserving my harvest. HOW COLD IS FREEZING COLD Freezer temperatures vary, so they should be below 0 F to assure to inactivate bacteria. You want to retain vitamin content and quality as well. Careful attention to how frequent the freezer is opened is important. The temperature can rise and be several degrees higher therefore using the back of the freezer is best. The less the freezer is opened the better. FREEZER…
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Homemade Applesauce
An “apple a day” is what my mother always told us as children therefore, each and every day growing up we all had an apple in our lunch. I believe that is why I am so fond of apples. I eat them several times a week. (I had one today for lunch.) As a nurse, by profession, I have always been about eating healthy for myself and my family. Apples are one of the top healthiest foods. They have long been known for the antioxidants, flavonoids and dietary fiber. Including them in your daily diet is highly suggested and it is not hard because they are tasty. …
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Peach Preserves
I have so many peaches ready on my peach trees, so I’ve been in the midst of making my peach preserves! Many of my readers have been asking for the recipe, so here it is! [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:7] SaveSave SaveSave
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Is Squash A Vegetable?
Well, that’s a good question, as there are various opinions! Technically it is categorized as a fruit because it develops from a flower and it has seeds Summer squash is producing in large amounts in my garden and everyday I pick a basket full. Squash is divided into summer squash and winter squash. Summer squash includes zucchini and yellow squash. I grow both types. They are picked while they are still somewhat immature, small and tender. The outer skin is delicate and easy to eat. The plants need to be checked daily for new produce, and when removing the squash, cutting versus breaking them off at the stem is…
Home Grown is Best
