fresh flowers, decor, and moods

As growing up I always enjoyed having fresh flowers around the house. I also grew up having beautiful plants around the house. Now, that I pay more attention to detail, I am kid who enjoyed the wonders of nature in our house. I still do, ironically I get very excited to bring flowers home. I use to tell my friends, that it was my therapy. Fresh flowers cost less, than my co- pay to the therapist depending on the bouquet give or take...

I have planned this year to bring more flowers, because little Nicolette loves creating beautiful spaces just like her Amma. 

Do you bring flowers indoors, How do you add color to the winter dull? Do you buy flowers or do you think it is a waste of money?

Green tomato - chutney

 

This is last harvest of green tomatoes. I am run out of ideas but decided to make a chutney. I found this recipe from here. It was sweet and tangy, as Nicolette says smells good.

 I did not had golden raisins and decided to add dried cranberries. I would like to try this next time with golden raisins, because I love golden raisins. 

Hopefully, no more tomato canning for us since we have used all this year.

This could be used with many dishes or simply with a cheese and bread. 

The Remnant Rack...

I am a big fan of the remnant rack at the fabric store. I have bought  rwmnants for .75 cents. I have found that the best way to score is find remnant which is already on sale, because the price get slashed down at the register again.

Recently, I am testing waters, ways to sew with knit fabric. I also bought few prints from fleece to make scarfs. I did made few last year, and planning to make few this year for Nicolette I am sure she will enjoy one or two new scarfs. 

These will be added as christmas gifts to friends and family. I am planning to make a teenage cowl, if you have any ideas please post them and are welcome. I will probably use solid and print, and something to represent cross country.  

Canning Gifts...

Gifts are already taking shape this year. Green tomato salsa verde was star on our dining table before it made it way to a co- worker's home, and she told me it was great. We are going to keep our gift giving simple this year. 

Teachers and all care givers to our family will be appreciated including friends. I will be giving away some of the preserves we have made during summer and fall. 

I love to create gifts with canning goods at home, but like to add a bit fair to it. I have run into few sites, that shows preserves could be given away with a loaf of french bread, cheese, cutting board, tea towel, herb plant, and tie with ribbon or twine. 

If you know the person you can personalize it a bit more. How is your gift giving taking place this year. I know sometimes this could be very stressful during holiday season. 

Pumpkin waffles for dinner

This was sunday night supper, yes pumpkin waffles. I have made this recipe when my son was young and it did not go well. I do not think his taste buds were not ready to handle it. My second attempt was hesitant. I really did not want to make it, but Nicolette being Nicolette would eat anything with syrup, insist that I should make pumpkin waffles. 

To my surprise she loved it and every one else this time. Our new dinner on week nights when we are running out of time will be waffles not necessarily pumpkin but whatever in season and our mood. This recipe had bit of a kick with spices and a bit of crack black pepper adds edge to this waffle. 

Fall Garden - at its peak

Fall is at its peak and dwindling. As I took these pictures of our yard, I could feel the cold air embracing not too harsh. We have once raked in a batch of leaves. 

This will be the second round if we decided to get this done today. 

I am in the mood to plant some bulbs. Crocuses bring the first sings of spring to any garden. It would be nice to develop a patch of crocus in our yard. I love the un planned patches I might take on this project this fall. 

What do you like to plant in your yard during fall, do you have plants that you look forward to see them in bloom in spring...

Jack O Lantern

Our Jack O’ lantern took a very strange route this year. I remember those days finding patterns and getting all crazy carving pumpkins. It was easier this year, because we narrowed it down for few patterns. This is what Nicolette decide to take on this year; however, she wanted thatha to carve the pumpkin. Not a big fan of scooping out the guts too. I guess it was princess Bella's duty was not to get too messy.

She was hung over with few choices this year for costumes between a witch and a princess. Finally, the princess took over I know next year she wants be a witch because, amma was a “nice” which this year.

She was happy to bring in the loot, I am glad few neighbors had healthy candy too, but we love the kit-kat bars and the tootsie rolls. At the end we did had a bit over tired halloween between late night Red Sox games, school, and work, but we pull it all together!

Tomatoes

Total of eighteen tomatoes plants provided us plenty of tomatoes for this season. which we have enjoyed through out the season. It is been a while I bought some from the grocery store. I wish I kept a neat organizer how many plants I had from each variety. I know for sure I had few heirlooms. 

Few of canning recipes I worked on this season included 

• Herb tomato sauce 
• Ripe Tomato Jam
• Green Tomato pickle
• Salsa Verde
• Green tomato chutney

I can assure myself that I have a full stock pantry with our garden bounty for this winter. I am hoping to put them to use. Looking at the jars in the kitchen with many colors reminds me of the wonderful summer I spent with my family. Canning is definitely an Art! 

Have you saved the bounty from your garden. If so How do you save it? and Do you can your crop?

Sala Verde - Canning

Five pounds of tomatoes were sitting on our newly build kitchen counter. I knew I had to do something with this beautiful bounty. The weekend is vanishing right in front of my eyes, I decided to take on canning early Sunday morning. No group y-cycle for me, since I needed to to finish many tasks. Including a trip to the local farm to pick a pumpkin.

I found this easy recipe from the ball - canning site for salsa verde. Saturday was cut short due to work but the rest of the day look was open and busy but we took it easy to catch up and spend time together with each other which includes a afternoon nap as well. Then the rest of the day was spent with friends in town while waiting the oldest to return from a meet. Then filling orders and finally, I was able to get some reading done!

Sunday, getting few more projects done, cooking, canning, and a trip to the farm. Time spent in the kitchen was well worth since I decided to take on canning the green and red tomatoes. As you can see I enjoy every bit of this process. The kitchen was filled with the wonderful aroma of salsa. I am wishing for at least one or two snow days this winter to open some of this bounty from our garden. 

What do you make of green tomatoes. Do you fry them, or pickle them. Few of my friends who tried this said they were great!

Prepping the Raise beds for Fall Stage -1

 

Past few weekends had been brimmed with activities from indoors to outdoors. One of the major tasks was to clean at least one raise bed before it get all crazy. I remember my oldest mentioned during this process that, this garden has supplied us a great bounty throughout summer. It was nice to hear a positive compliment from a teenager!

There were about few pounds of green tomatoes, I offered few to my neighbor but I still had few more pounds. I know what I can do with these may be some salsa verde. 

As we begin the process to take the ties off from the plants, then the stakes, and finally pull the plants out, and fill the wheelbarrow with dried brittle tomato plants gives a nice reminder that the growing season is officially over! Our hands smelled like tomatoes as we pulled about twelve plants. 

we still have parsley, oregano, and sage. Soon we will be harvesting them for our thanks giving meal. 

There is more to prepping beds but for now I am happy to celebrate turn of another great growing season.  As we build and strengthen our gardening skills every year!

Organic Growing - Butternut Squash

During Summer vacation, I was at my newly moved compost unit emptying the compost container with a list of things to do on that day, accidentally, I rest my eye on a somewhat large leaf which belongs to a type of a vine. At that time I had no idea what this vine is going to be. I had a big dirt pile next to the compost unit which I was planning to add to the beds around the house. For a minute I was debating with myself to pull the vine so I can flatten the dirt to build the last raise bed for this summer. Luckily, I had no energy left in me to do such task on this particular summer morning. 

With some mental notes, and to find what this vine growing in our yard I headed indoors before the sun beats the ground. I knew we had a watermelon early summer and I must have dumped the seeds in the compost. I could not help notice the smile on my face thinking we will be growing watermelon this Summer. During that Aha moment, I completely pulled the idea out of my head getting rid of the new found watermelon vine by the compost. 

After few week my dear neighbor was very helpful in identifying this mystery vine which was making its way to our yard from the compost corner. I decided that I am going to let it run WILD oh... yes... it did ran wild, and in return it provided many butternut squashes. I shared few with our neighbors and we enjoyed one too. 

Few tips to keep in mind when you decide to intentionally plant butternut squash...

• These vines tends to run wild needs a bigger ground space but totally doable in a small yard. 
• Once it starts to bloom make sure to have some other plants which attracts bees for pollination if not you may need to perform this task.
• Once the vine start producing butternut squash, check all the veins on the squash have disappeared before harvesting.
• If there is more crop, try to cut back the leaves. Because, it will allow the sun to shine on these beauties. This process will help the crop to mature and turn its color from light green to a pale yellow.
• Once you harvest the crop let it sit for at least few weeks before preparing it (this resting period is called curing)

We will definitely add a vine to our garden next year as well, since we enjoyed it very much this year. It does adds its own charm to the backyard gardening! Do you plant vines in your garden. Do you plan to incorporate them during early planning season of your yard. 

Purple Cabbage & Having an Idea for lunch!

Having an idea for lunch is organizing oneself. At least that is how I see my self. I have been not much organized lately because of busy weeks. Usually I am good at making meals for my family but not necessary for myself which is bad story to begin my lunch. 

I received two small heads of purple cabbage from a neighboring gardner. I am not a big fan of this vegetable. I am more like a white cabbage girl, because that is what I grew up with. I was at my DR.s recently for regular check ups and to keep up with seasonal allergies. I always read their healthy food magazines and this recipe caught my eye and was an easy pick for my lunch. 

I basically had everything recipe calls for only substitute was the white potato instead of purple potato. I have not snipped the chives from the garden yet but they seems to be in good shape. 

Cook the potatoes in a pot with salt, skin, and sliced them. Cube the cabbage and set a side. In a glass bowl mix in mustard seeds, chives, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Mix in all together and enjoy!

I loved it because it was a time saver, money saver, and more than anything a meal at lunch time. I need to take care of my self more often. how do you plan for your lunch breaks. Do you make your own meals or run for a cup of coffee. 

Remnant of a Fall Garden

New Englanders were warned of a substantial temperature drop. The change of schedule for planned activities and the buzz for Halloween mix in the air with misery weather is not what teachers wished for this week. 

As I headed home with my little one who was swelled with Halloween excitement, demanding that I should bake cookies with candy for all the teachers at school including myself was bit of overwhelming. 

When I come home from school we do not have much time outside since the day light time is winding off. We also notice the garden is getting ready to be dormant. We do not have much admiring in ouy yard since the leaves are taking over the dying flower beds. 

The little bit of garden still offer us a bit of a calmness before we head inside for supper. Little Nicolette and myself was happy to find solace among rose shrubs. The brocciflowers were in bloom since we have not harvest them. We watch how bees are being a bit lethargic in collecting and moving around flowers. Our time we spent in the yard getting shorter but looking forward towards Fall.  

Lunch box ideas Fall 2013

Having lunch and dinner ready for at least the first few days of week is not fun when I am in school. Especially, when it becomes my responsibility and falls on my to do list. I try to see the brighter side that everyone in the house is fed and happy at the end of the day. Also it help us to work on our projects during week. 

How do you tackle this, Do you make the lunches ahead, or the previous night and place it in the refrigerator. I have a fun story I like to share with you. I had a close friend who was a teacher and would pack lunch the night before. She would packed four lunches including hers. Her wonderful husband would comea home after work and would eat her lunch not FUN! This has not happen at ours yet, but it does not mean it is not possible. 

This is one of my lunch box ideas, meat, vegetables, and pasta. You cannot go wrong I have include all major food groups. Of course, I will add fruits and cheese to this lunch as a dessert. This is a great pasta dish I would recommend using a neat pasta sauce like basil tomato, or roasted garlic with peppers. I have a cross country runner and a little girl who is very picky when it comes to vegetables!

Apples and Canning...

 

The canning has become a another part of cooking in my routine. I had few apples left from the apple picking and I bought few pounds from the grocery store since it was on sale. My new found skill in canning have helped to be save the fruits from our garden for the dreadful winter we experience in New England. I decide to make apple sauce, I am not a big fan of apple sauce but our children are. However, I found out different apples may take few minutes extra to cook. 

Mine first batch of apple sauce was a very simple. I wanted to experience the process of making apple sauce. 

The process of cooking and using the food mill to puree, to make the sauce, and then cooking the sauce back was FUN. After a long day at work it was satisfying for me to make the apple sauce and can it,because I know we will be using all of the Summer and Fall  bounty during the winter months. Besides, the apple butter we now have applesauce as well, not much but enough to enjoy as a snack or to mix in with oatmeal!