The Garden and a Recipe

Our garden is doing its job this year.  If you have read any of my previous posts you know that the first year our garden went gangbusters but last year the weather did not cooperate and it did not produce much for all the work hubs put into it.  This year is much better.

Hubs just uncovered this sign a couple of weeks ago.  It was still packed from our move 3 years ago.  We made this sign together when we were first married and planted our first garden together.  It is missing the single vegetables that I had painted and was hanging from the bottom.

Tomatoes of course.

Summer squash and cantaloupe.

 Green beans, lima beans and the cucumbers are growing through both.

More tomatoes.

Tomatoes, bell peppers and many varieties of hot peppers.

These vines are the gourds that I plant along the fence inside the garden.

This our pumpkin and winter squash patch.  Hubs probably would not like this picture because it shows the grass that we are always battling on that end of the garden.  I wanted to give you a small tour of what our garden looks like and a share a recipe for cucumber relish that I am making my second batch of this season.  I have tried a few different recipes but this is my family's favorite.  I thought my mother gave it to me around 30 years ago but she says she never canned relish.  I am still leaning toward it coming from her recipe box because it has her recipe for pickled beets on the other side of the note paper I have it scratched out on.

Cucumber Relish

Night before:
Chop (I use my little Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus chopper)
10 cups cucumbers
1 stalk celery
3 sweet red peppers
3 cups onions
Mix together in large bowl and cover with 1/4 cup salt and 6 cups of water.  Leave overnight.  I cover the bowl with a large tray and leave it sit on my counter.
The next day drain mixture well. 
Make mixture of:
4 cups sugar
4 cups distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
Bring to a boil and pour over mixture and simmer for one hour.  Seal in hot jars. 
I process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

Use some old utensils that you do not care about turning a yellow color from the turmeric.

This recipe usually makes around 14 half pints.

Let me know if you try the recipe how it turns out for you and if you like it.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a great week so far.  Blessings!

Sunday Praise

Good morning!  Well I have to admit  it is late morning.  Just sent the four grandsons home with their mommy and am late getting this posted.  Blessings!

Alphabe-Thursday

Z is for Zucchini

Zucchini plants in our garden.

Zucchini Bread

And the favorite treat of the feathered ladies is what?  Zucchini!

Yes I shred it for them.  Yes they are spoiled hens.  They had a hard time all managing to fit their heads in this bowl that I usually put their vege treats in so I brought out another one today.

 It was smaller than the first one and they all gathered around it and the three left had the larger one all to their self.  Not real sure how smart my hens are at this point.

But of course after finishing off the smaller bowl they all crowded around the larger one.  There was not a bite left in either one within fifteen minutes time.

This is Dottie (or Fred) bossing the other ladies around.  She is standing on the side of the bowl giving out orders like she always does.

Here is my favorite Florence.  And she knows it too.  I have finally named the last two of the Ameraucana hens.

Hattie

Lou

Lou, somewhat looks like a bearded lady.

This is the last week of Alphabe-Thursday so I hope you will all go over to Jenny Matlock's and enjoy this weeks stories, photos and great humor that everyone has been sharing with us for the last 26 weeks.


Sorry Mrs. Matlock that I did not share the great chicken treat info earlier in the week so you could take some along with you while you are working on you chicken sitting business.  But I did not want to give away my Z post for the week.  Hopefully you can still treat the one lonely chicken you are taking care of to some Zucchini this week.

Thanks to everyone that has visited during this fun weekly party and I hope you will still stop in from time to time.  Hope your week has been great!  Blessings!

What I Planted Annuals in this Year

At our city home our deck was mostly shaded and I always moved my houseplants outside and planted tons of annuals in pots and odd containers.  Our deck here is always sunny and very hot.  The first summer we lived here I put most of my houseplants on it and lost about half of them because they burnt up.  So I have learned to place some pots around the yard in other areas where they get some sun or just plain shade.

This is an old tool carrier.  There is a handle across the top but the plants have covered it up now.

Hubs built this box for me quite a few years ago.  It started out as an old wire freezer basket and he used it for a base to build a cedar planter for me.

Back side.

These pots sit outside the door of the garage that everyone uses to enter our house.  These are my favorite floral combination that I use almost every year.  The white flowers were something new I tried this year.

This is how it looks now that the flowers have grown together more.

Notice my newly painted red door.  It is the same red we painted our hen house and I like is so much I have started painting all the exterior doors with it.  They are all different colors so it will be an improvement.  This is our third summer here and every year I expect to get more done than I can ever accomplish.  One day we will feel like it is truly ours, finished with the colors and style that we like.   Thanks for coming by and visiting.  I know there have been days of flowers.  I can finally say I do not have anymore floral pictures to show you.  I bet your relieved. On to the garden!  Have a great week!  Blessings!

Sunday Praise

Have a blessed day!

Blooms Part II

A few more pictures of what has been blooming around my yard.

Roses, roses,roses.

Too hot to garden so I just keep showing you what is outside my windows.  It is almost the weekend!  Blessings!

Alphabe-Thursday

Y is for

Yellow Blooms

It has been a blooming hot week, even here in Michigan it has been in the 90's.  I love the heat, but I have to admit I have wanted to stay inside and read a good book.  Only this week and next left to participate in Alphabe-Thursday.  So stay as cool as possible and check out the other Y posts over at Jenny Matlock's.



Thanks for stopping by!  Blessings!

Blooms Part I

I thought I would share some pictures of this spring/summer blooms from around our yard with you this week.  I have taken quite a few pictures so I am going to just share a few every couple of days throughout the week.  These pictures are from earlier in the season.

I always plant this basket with pansies.  This year I put it in a much more shaded area hoping they would last longer before it got really hot.  They are holding up but not looking as pretty as they did here.

I have been working in my flower beds this past few days but it has gotten in the 90's and as much as I love the heat it has sent me inside because I have a head cold and I am just not managing the heat.  So I will just show you some pictures.  I hope you have all had a great holiday weekend and will continue to have a wonderful week.  Blessings!

Sunday Praise

Happy 4th of July all!  May freedom reign!