Shelby

Ok. Got the box mailed. Mom, if you want to be surprised when you get it, skip this post. Here's what went: Eggplant, okra, cukes, zukes, cherry and big tomatoes. Forgot to add the cherry 'maters in the first picture

I bet you're not hopeless....it may be the climate or any number of things. Someone else around here killed their mint recently. You're not alone. Yes...it's a fine cornmeal. It looks like flour with a bit of cornmeal mixed in. Forgive the crumpled bag.

I love it when someone makes the quickles. They are so easy and good. Ya did good!!! This is the first year that I've planted okra. I don't know why....laziness I suppose. I really thought I'd have it coming out of my ears by now, but I don't. I guess that's because Ronnie has decided that he really likes it so we're eating it a couple times a week. So far I've fried it in cornmeal, fried it in a beer batter and stewed it with some tomatoes. I want to freeze some for this winter so I can have it in gumbo. I know you miss having your own garden, but you do have those lovely farmer's markets. I envy you on that! Smoked gouda on a meatloaf sandwich. Heavenly. Oh! Thanks for the okra answer. Ok, I'll do some like that. Have you ever frozen it plain? I assume I could do it the same way..... Color me ignorant, I didn't know rice was grown around there! What a shame that 'maters were affected Maybe we will be canning together Nice!! 20 lbs! You were a busy person! I'd love to hear more about the green tomato and pepper jam. Jalapeño peppers?

My mom always peeled our tomatoes (the homegrown ones, not the grocery store kind) so I guess that's why I prefer them like that....I don't want any skin getting in the way of that tomato goodness lol. She grew a garden here in Kansas when I was little. The neighbors were always very jealous of her 'maters. She grows a garden now, too, but up in the mountains the tomatoes just aren't the same. Anyway, back to the peeling.....If I'm peeling just a few for dinner I turn the tomato bottom side up and run the back side of my knife down the tomato on all areas. This loosens the skin. Then, I slide my knife just under the skin and peel away. I'll take a picture later....my verbal description might not be very clear. If I'm peeling a bunch like for sauce or canning, I bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop the 'maters in for just a second and then out into a cold water bath in the sink. Skins slide right off. The first time my husband ever saw my mom running the backside of her knife down a tomato to loosen the peels, he thought she had partaken of too much wine and he was trying to figure out how to delicately tell her that she should put the knife down LOL. The skin issue causes a great divide between my husband and I when it comes to sandwiches. I like no skin. He insists on skin because he says the "sandwich holds together better". Thus, (except for this morning) I make his with his very own skin-on sliced tomato. I do mine just like KayB does. I slice them and put them in a ziplock and let them sit for a while so that the "slime" comes out. About 20-30 mins. Then I toss with self-rising cornmeal and fry it in a bit of oil. After they are nice and fried sprinkle with salt and pepper and that's it! The "slime" makes the corneal stick nicely and there is no slime at all after they are fried. Suzi! That would have traumatized me, too! I'm not sure what this week will bring. You never know what could happen around here. Somewhere around here someone was talking about doing that like squash. I can't remember where or who though lol. I think you could. I know you can eat them in salads and I should try that this week. They are just so pretty. I couldn't have a garden this big without my husband's help, that's for sure. Or, if I still worked. Good point. Forgot about that one. I'm glad you guys are with me. It will make my chores a lot more fun. I bet they will do great for soup. Yeah, cukes are kinda like squash...they overrun you after a while. I tried this recipe for baked cucumbers and we really liked it. That might get rid of one of them for you

Curls, that is AMAZING! I literally just drooled.

Forgot to add breakfast this morning was a bologna sandwich on homemade bread with homemade mayo. Nothing beats a messy tomato sandwich. (Anna, I do really like that KA flour bread recipe.) I split it with Ronnie.

Ok, so, like I said, I'm packing up a box and I need to get it to the post office. I'll post this really quick, get that done and I'll be back Dinner last night was venison meatloaf. I had great intentions. I made a big one so we'd have some to freeze and some for meatloaf sandwiches later this week. I baked it too long and it got a bit dry. Sigh. It should be good on sandwiches, though. Cornmeal fried okra, mashed taters and 'maters to go with

I gift a lot of cherry tomatoes, zukes and cukes. I don't gift my big tomatoes until I can't can another one...which never happens lol. Honestly only very very special people get a few big 'maters here and there. We LOVE our tomatoes and it's hard to part with them. I'm actually getting ready to pack up a box and send it to Colorado to my mom. I'll take pics. Oh I feel your pain on the black walnuts....a few years ago we planted too close to one of those here. Not good.

Good morning, everyone and happy Monday! It's me again....that girl from Kansas. This is VERY spur-of-the-moment. I was sitting here yesterday thinking of all of the canning etc. that I needed to do this week and I thought, well, why not ask you guys if you want to spend the week with me while I do it? I got the ok from Smithy so away we go! This will not be nearly as organized as my first blog was. But, really, when does a sequel ever measure up to the first? Most of you know all about me--if you missed my first blog you can read it here. Nothing much has changed around here. Same furry babies, same house, same husband . Right now we have field corn planted all around the house. In the outer fields we have soybeans that were planted after the wheat was harvested. Sorry for the blur....it was so humid the camera kept fogging up. I just came in from the garden. I snapped a few pictures....for more (and prettier) pictures you can look in the gardening thread. I always start out saying that I will not let a weed grow in there. By August I'm like..."Oh what's a few weeds" lol. Here's a total list of what I planted this year: 7 cucumbers 8 basil 23 okra 4 rows assorted lettuce 20 peppers-thai, jalapeño, bell, banana 4 rows peas 5 cilantro 1 tarragon 2 dill many many red and white onions 7 eggplant 3 rows spinach 57 tomatoes 5 cherry tomatoes 7 rows silver queen sweet corn 11 squash 4 watermelon 2 cantaloupe 6 pumpkin I killed the cantaloupes...and I tried damn hard to kill the squash lol.....sigh...squash bugs came early this year and we sprayed with some kind of stuff. WOW the plants did not like it, but they've come back and are producing. I just love okra flowers Found some more smut

Andie, you are a treasure. I just love reading about your life. You should write a book! Thanks for the additional info, RG. I like shelling beans, too. Very relaxing

No, you cook your food how you like it. That makes you a GOOD cook. You're also a good cook if you can make the same things for others the way they like it

BUMP! It's that time of year again. I just went to my fave site for buying Hatch and I see they've gone up $10 in price. Has it been a tough year for growing?

Very nice, Chris! I'd love to hear your pickled egg recipe. I have some eggs to use up, too and my husband loves pickled eggs.

Yes, just a water bath canner. I'm plain jane lol. It's a 6 jar canner--I use quart jars. I have a bigger one but it takes forever to boil on one burner. No no that's a great idea! I hadn't thought about that. My remaining 5 jars canned up good. Sigh. Wine is good lol.

I've googled, too. Some people just let it continue to can, but that scares me a bit especially with tomatoes. Do you think the seeds from the exploded jar would work their way into the other lids and not let them seal? Plus, the glass....mine was an intact bottom that exploded off but if that touched another jar maybe that would make it explode? Sigh. I dunno.

DAMN!!!!! And a few other choice cuss words. I've canned for years and years. Only once before has this happened. I put a batch of tomatoes in and a few minutes later BOOOOOOM. The bottom of a jar blew out. How do you guys handle that? I took the remaining filled jars out and threw them in my still warm dishwasher. I cleaned my canner and am now begging the water to boil again. It's time for a glass of wine.

They sure are pretty.

Crock pickles (half sours)

Anna, how do you shape your loaves?

Beautiful, Franci! The Parrozzo sure looks pretty. That's a great idea to make bon bons out of it!

Yes, I think that would work just fine. I'm no pressure cooker expert, but I think as long as you don't get them too soft that would work. I make a quick pickle that I just keep in the fridge, so yes, just prepare like you were going to can them but throw 'em in the icebox instead.

How did I miss this topic for all these years? I have never seen nor heard of these. I love the picture of the pods with the seeds. Looks like an alien life form I'd love to taste these someday.

Anna--Your eggs look so light and fluffy. Oooooh Dejah, those ribs look so tender. Baselerd, if it wasn't so dang hot here I'd be copying your ramen....that looks wonderful and that egg is perfect. Liuzhou, I stared at your pasta for a long time. Wishing it would propel itself over here next to my computer. Kay--I've seen your meatloaf and it is mouthwatering! I need to make some soon--we're craving meatloaf sandwiches with 'maters on top. My ISP went out Tuesday evening and was out for like 36 hours or so (yeah, I was counting lol). They won't tell us what happened...space junk hitting the satellite??? Hacked by a 6 year old in a foreign country?? Sigh. All I know is that I missed Egullet. My husband has decided that he likes....dare I say loves.....okra. It's a miracle. We had wings to go with this, but my focus was on what's shown

I suddenly feel super unorganized I'm terrible at lists. I need to make a list of things that I need to make a list of.

Quickles