The Tomato Bush

This is one of our tomato plants:


It's a little big.

We don't have a good garden space, so we planted our garden throughout the landscaping in the back yard. This is the only plant that has taken off to such an extreme.

The other tomato plants are more like skinny trees.

We can't wait until we're inundated with more tomatoes!!!

365*-212: One Big Blackberry!

Echinaceas

Today it dawned on me that I'm completely wasting the beauty of my landscaping flowers by not bringing in some cuttings.



We only have 2 weeks left at this house and so I decided to cut a few of my every-so-lovely echinaceas!







since I've packed up nearly everything that serves little daily purpose, I had to find something other than vases to put these flowers in - enter pint canning jar.

This particular jar is one of my favorites. ("how can you have a favorite canning jar?" you ask?) It's not round like most of the others - it's square! It just has an old-style to it that I can't help but love.







there was also one lonely bloom that I managed to knock off while mowing, so I brought that in too and "floated" it in a wine glass
(I guess these particular flowers aren't very good floaters - they just sink)

Tzatziki

This is the tenth and final recipe in the "Too Many Cucumbers?!" series.

It comes from greekfood.about.com

Tzatziki

(image taken by occhipiuverdi on flickr)

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces (2 cups) of thick Greek yogurt
• 4 to 10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of diced or grated cucumber (Kirby or "English")
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Preparation:

Prepare all ingredients in advance. Combine oil and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Fold the yogurt in slowly, making sure it mixes completely with the oil. Add the garlic, according to taste, and the cucumber. Stir until evenly distributed. Garnish with a bit of green and serve well chilled.

Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

Add mint or dill: Slight variations include 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill and/or fresh mint. Tasty additions!

Cucumber Mask

Recipe number nine from the "Too Many Cucumbers?!" series.

Cucumber Mask

Ingredients

1/2 cucumber
1/2 apple
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1/2 teaspoon witch hazel (optional)

Directions

• Mix all ingredients in blender until pureed.
  
• Spread onto the face and neck.
• Leave for 15 mins before washing off with cool water.

(Note: this is a very thin and somewhat watery mask!)

Cucumber Hair Conditioner

Recipe number eight from the "Too Many Cucumbers?!" series.

Cucumber Hair Conditioner

1 egg
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 peeled cucumber

Blend the egg, olive oil and peeled cucumber. Spread evenly through your hair, leave on for 10 minutes, then thoroughly rinse.

(Note: This is supposed to be really great for hair that spends a lot of time in the chlorine.)

Cucumber Limeade

Recipe number seven from the "Too Many Cucumbers?!" series.

Cucumber Limeade


(photo by Brian W on flickr)

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
• Juice of 2-3 limes
• sugar syrup to taste (about 1/4 cup)
• club soda to taste
  
• ice

Directions

Put cucumber, lime juice and sugar syrup in blender. Strain the pulp out of the mixture and add to club soda. Serve over ice.

Crab Stuffed Cucumbers

Recipe number six from the "Too Many Cucumbers?!" series.

Crab Stuffed Cucumbers


(photo by cravinmaven on flickr)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (generous) shredded crabmeat (about 2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion (white and green parts)
• 3 tablespoons light sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped pink pickled ginger slices*
• 1/2 teaspoon minced jalapeño chili with seeds
• 1 English hothouse cucumber, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
• Fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions

Combine first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Using small melon baller, scoop out centers of cucumber leaving bottom shell intact. Fill centers and slightly mound crab mixture atop cucumber. Garnish each with cilantro sprig. Transfer to platter and serve.

recipe comes from Epicurious.com

or if you would prefer a pork stuffing: B's Cucumber Recipes

Fried Cucumbers

In honor of the upcoming Iowa State Fair (where everything is fried!), I give you
recipe number five from the "Too Many Cucumbers?!" series.

Fried Cucumbers


(photo taken by PixelFish on Flickr)

Ingredients:

• 4 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• salt and pepper
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  

Directions:

Season cucumbers with salt and pepper. Dip slices first in egg and then in bread crumbs. Fry in vegetable oil. Brown on both sides, drain, and serve hot.
6 to 8 servings.

365-197: Blackberries

This is definitely one perk to not being in KC yet!
I'll be able to make blackberry jam again this year!

Southwest Cucumber Salad

Recipe number four from the "Too Many Cucumbers?!" series.


(I saw this in The Kansas City Star newspaper)

Southwest Cucumber Salad


(sorry for the terrible picture quality - the online paper version didn't have the pic so I scanned my newspaper!)

(Makes 16 servings)

Ingredients

2 cups diced cucumber (about 1 large), do not peel

1 cup diced tomatoes (about 2 medium)

1/2 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts (about 4 to 5)

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (11-ounce) can Mexicorn, drained

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 lime, juiced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Combine cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, jalapeno, black beans and Mexicorn in a large mixing bowl; toss to combine. Gently stir in diced avocado.

Whisk together cider vinegar, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Add olive oil in a stream and continue whisking. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to combine.

Per( 1/2 -cup) serving: 71 calories (26 percent from fat), 3 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 9 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 128 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.

Recipe developed for The Star by professional home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss.

Simple Cucumber Salad

Here's recipe number two, from the "Too Many Cucumbers?!" series.


Simple Cucumber Salad

Ingredients
2 cucumbers, sliced (with or without peel)
1 med. onion, sliced very thinly
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
cold water


Directions
Slice cucumbers and onion. Place in large bowl. Pour vinegar, salt and sugar over cucumbers and onions. Add enough water to just cover cucumbers/onions. Cover and let stand for 1 hour to overnight in refrigerator.


Note: the following ingredients can also be added for some yummy variation:
tomatoes
bell peppers
sour cream
mayo
paprika
rosemary
garlic

Pickle Relish

For those of you growing cucumbers this year, chances are pretty good you're already getting more cucumbers than you can give away!

(we are quickly approaching this with ours!)

To remedy this "problem" I've found ten yummy recipes to share with you!
I'll be posting one recipe each day for the next ten days.

Today's recipe is pickle relish!
It is incredibly yummy - I've made it for the last 2 summers. I can it (as in preserve) and then include it in the "homemade goodies" baskets we give out at Christmas! This always gets good reviews!

Pickle Relish

Ingredients
12 large cucumbers, washed but not peeled
4 green peppers
4 red peppers
1/2 cup salt
5 cup vinegar
5 cup sugar
3 Tbsp mustard seed
3 Tbsp celery seed


Directions
Grind vegetables in a food processor till chopped fine (or you can chop by hand for a rough chop, which also tastes good!).

Sprinkle half of the salt over them and let stand in refrigerator overnight.

Drain and wash off salt with cool running water, add remaining ingredients and cook in large pot over medium heat until vegetables are tender or clear, about 10-15 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.


To preserve
Fill sterilized pint jars 1/4 - 1/2 inch from top with hot relish. Wipe rims to ensure a clean seal! Put on the lid and hand tighten the ring.

Process in a hot water bath for the following times, depending on your altitude:
0-1000ft: 10 minutes
1001 - 6000ft: 15 minutes
6000+ft: 20 minutes

Once the processing time is up, remove jars and place somewhere safe for them to cool. Then wait anxiously for your "pings" to start!

365-192: Cool as a...

10 Amazing Foods You Can Make With Dandelions

...too bad Seth just sprayed all of ours...

1. Syrup
2. Wine
3. Jelly
4. Sauteed Dandelion Greens
5. Fritters
6. Cream of Dandelion Soup
7. Tea
8. Dandelion Greens and New Potato Gratin
9. Soup
   
10. and of course, Salad

Creative Recycling in the Garden

The following items can be repurposed in the garden - saving you time weeding and watering - all while being environmentally friendly!

Paper plates and coffee filters
Reuse slightly used paper plates and new coffee filters as weed blockers! Cut in from the edge and make a hole in the center. Then wrap the plate/filter around your plant!

Milk jugs and 2L soda bottles
Both of these can be used as extra protection for plants. Simply cut the bottoms from the jugs and place over your small plants. To keep them from blowing away, poke holes in the sides and stake down with wire hangers cut long enough to shape as a hairpin.

Use soda bottles as a watering conservation system. Poke 3 or 4 holes down one side. Bury the bottle up to the bottom of it's spout, making sure to positon the holes toward where the plant will be. Use a funnel to fill the bottles with water and/or fertilizer.

Toilet paper and paper towel tubes
Use these as seed starting pots! Cut each 'pot' to about 2 or 3 inches tall. Place on an old baking sheet, fill with soil and plant your seeds. When seedlings are ready to plant, push the plant down through the ring slightly (about an inch) and plant your seedling with the ring around it. The buried part of the ring with act as protection against cutworms and the upper part serves as protection for the seedling.

Newspaper
This can be a great timesaver for weeding! Dedicate some time before you plant to bury several thicknesses of newspaper in the pathways of your garden. This will keep weeds out and water in. And in a year or two the newspaper will decompose, making it a much more Earth-friendly alternative to plastic.

Use newspaper to make Biodegradable Plant Pots - this is probably a bit late, since most seedlings should have already been started by now, but better late than never!

Old t-shirts and pantyhose
Reuse these for tying up plants. They will hold the plant, yet stretch just enough to not damage the plant.

Space saving tips:
*Plant pole beans in a spiral - use heavy wire fencing as your trellis.
*Use your chain-link fence as a trellis for vining plants.

Here are some helpful sites for gardening and canning:
Better Homes and Gardens - Gardening site
Home Preservation
USDA - Gardening

Landscape Photos, by request.

Here's our new landscaping! Here's a post with pics of what it used to look like.

I did almost everything myself, except for removing the large trees and some bushes and the brick boarder. I did however, transplant the boxwoods all by myself! That was a chore!


Front
Daylilies, sedum, lamb's ear, boxwoods and irises are in the front. There's also plumbago and some other ground cover, that I can't remember the name of, towards the front right of this picture.



Street Side 1
The super droopy plants under the tree are surprise lilies, which are about done with their first "stage" (later, out of nowhere, the flowering stalk will shoot up). There are also liatris mixed in under the tree that are just coming up. In the back left corner is echinachea, by that are more irises, then more sedum, and in the front is a dragon's blood sedum ground cover and several coral bells, neither of which can be seen right now.

Ignore the rain train.



Street Side 2
Continuation of sedum in the back, mountain lilies in front of that with a few more dragon's blood mixed in. To the right side are more daylilies and at the corner of the house if a balloon flower.



Garage Side
Hard to see, but there are hostas coming up all along here. Seth and Gale did the brick for me last summer!
Also, ignore our compost bin and wood.

Fin-al-ly Done!

After two years of collecting various plants via family, freecycle and manhattan plant exchange (my creation! brag. brag.) and rearranging and dividing them a few times, I have FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY finished our landscaping! The street side is done! The front is done! The garage side is done! And quite possibly just in time for us to move...

Knock, Knock...

Who's There?

SPRING!



Bleeding Heart
(it's grown a tad since I first saw it)


Purple Hyacinths



Fire Spray Tulip
(here they are from last year)

Say Hello to My Little Friend!

This is my white bleeding heart! (I have a pink one, too but it's not up yet.) Looks like my lovely plant is impatient for Spring, just like me! ...too bad there's two more months until it's officially here.