Beautiful, Rainy Day!

Fingers are itching to get dirty again!

We stepped out on this beautiful, warm, Spring day to head out to Lowes supply and begin our annual  purchases of garden plants. We bought manure and fresh soil to start our raised bed, 'Veggie Garden 2017'.

Life and Art - Why a Blog?: Reminders of the American Dream

Life and Art - Why a Blog?: Reminders of the American Dream

Where did all the Milkmen go?

As a child, I remember the Milk man arriving at our apartment once a week with glass bottles full of fresh whole milk and other dairy products. My brother and I used to argue about who was the first to check on 'milk status' in the front entryway. More often than not, our mother did the checking, and made sure the empty glass milk bottles were left for the milkman to pick up on his next round. Never saw any milk women in our neighborhood, but the milkman was always there, dressed in clean, crisp white, delivering milk for our cereal and brownie and cookie snacks. 

Don't remember when this service stopped, but according to John Mixon, a milk enthusiast, and an article from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil...,  as more homes got better refrigeration (or even for the first time got refrigeration) in the 1950's, the need for milk men declined. Although some people kept the service into the late 1970's, by that time increased delivery costs and decreased customer bases made the service unprofitable and it was discontinued. It still may be in practice in some small U.S. towns, and in other parts of the world, but for most of us, it remains a fond memory.

Found this article compliments of the Society for the Preservation of New England antiquities, and thought I'd post for those who remember, and for those curious. 

"Over two hundred years ago the New England Milk and Cream Dairy traveled only a short distance from the cow to the table. In the hundred years between 1860 and 1960, people moved away from farms and cows, and dairying changed from women’s work at home into a mechanized industry. A delivery person — the milkman — brought dairy products to villages, towns, and cities. At first, milk route men, and occasionally women, came in wagons with milk cans and dippers. Later, the wagons were replaced by fleets of trucks rattling with glass bottles. Without milkmen, generations of families in cities and towns would not have had fresh milk in their coffee, cream on their cereal, or pudding for dessert. Infants would not have had cows’ milk to fill their bottles.

In the same time period, dairying and the milk delivery system had to adapt to change. New processes and government regulation made commercial milk from far away dairies safe to drink, and science and mass advertising persuaded homemakers of milk’s nutritional value. By the 1960s, social, economic, and industrial changes caused milk delivery to shift to the self-service supermarket, and platoons of home delivery milkmen said goodbye..."

Note: From Dairy to Doorstep, Milk Deliver in New England 1860 - 1960 was originally organized by Historic New England and made possible by H.P.Hood, Inc. and Elizabeth Hood McAfoose and Emily C. Hood.

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Manure, Soil and Seeds...

The weather has warmed up enough to begin the process of getting our garden beds ready for planting. So we bought two bags of manure yesterday, turned on the outdoor faucets, retrieved and setup our rainbarrels for rainwater collection, and purchased initial cool weather seeds for planting: peas, lettuce, and early green bean seeds. Rather than starting seeds from scratch this year, we've decided to buy small starter plants to reduce our workload. So far, we've purchased only herbs: parsley, oregano, dill, thyme, and the initial plants I mentioned earlier. We still have to integrate the manure into the soil from last year, but this is a beginning...

We also purchased pansies for our window boxes and will be planting them today, as well. We have a beautiful Patriots Day in MA, and would like to take advantage of the milder weather to plant these before the rain dampens the soil and makes work with manure and earth more challenging. But, I'm getting my hands dirty again! The gardener in me is shouting for joy!

Looking forward with anticipation🤗...
Andrea

Winter blues are turning bright!

It has been a mild Winter, giving way to the beginning of an early Spring. This is wonderful, but gives me pause. Are we going to pay for this beautiful weather during the summer with rainier days or hotter temps? I hope not. I'd rather consider this a blessing and dive into the manure and soil with the same joy and wonder I've experienced in the past. I haven't setup a plan for the garden yet this year; but, expect we'll be using seedlings I'll be starting, as well as those purchased in local greenhouses.

It's always a thrill beginning the vegetable garden each year! The layout may change, but the anticipation always returns. Looking forward to seeing the first shoots pop up, the first beans on the vine, and the first tomatoes popping out for attention!

Another year of new starts!

Go ahead, dream those garden dreams!

Andrea

Oh, Sweet Pea!

This year, my peas came to life! We had about six Sugarsnap Pea plants that produced wonderful sweet peas which we ate raw, sautéed, and in salads for about 2 weeks. Didn't save any for later - they were too tasty - yum! Next year I hope to plant double the amount as they have a relatively short growing season. Now, we're watching the string beans and tomatoes reach for the sky!

Basement Beginnings - Canning vs. Freezing - Pros and Cons

So, I'm stepping back in time for this blog post - I never finished my thoughts on canning vs. freezing (oops)...

Canning - I loved canning tomatoes and tomato sauce! The process of taking these beautiful tomatoes I had grown, and adding the other herb elements from my garden, gave me a true sense of accomplishment well into the Winter months. 

The sauce and tomatoes were also very tasty, and held their flavors very well into the Winter months. We could also open a jar, use a little as a chicken or beef flavoring, close the jar, and use the remainder at some point later in the week as a pasta sauce (refrigerating after opening, of course.).

We stored the canned tomatoes and sauce in one of our pantry cabinets which was not used previously. I made about 30 Mason Jars of sauce which easily fit in the cabinet.

*Lesson Learned*

If you don't have cabinet space available, find a closet - or any space that will not freeze - to store your sauce and/or tomatoes. Since I used 'Ball (Glass) Mason Canning Jars', I did not want to risk them freezing and breaking. 

Freezing - Freezing tomato sauce was very efficient. Rather than using Mason Jars, I used freezer bags, and added them to the freezer to be used during the Winter months. 

It's important to have a backup in the event of a power loss, but we were lucky last year with our power staying consistent through the Winter months. 

Also, freezer sauce does not stay as fresh as canned sauce - there's a shorter life span. You also can't use a little and refreeze. Canning does allow a bit of flexibility to use a small amount and refrigerate for later in the week.

*Lesson Learned*

Make sure you have space available in your freezer. If you freeze too much sauce, the sauce may block the circulation vents and generate a lot of ice.  

My Garden 2015 - a new beginning!

Well, it doesn't look like much, but we have a plan and are starting our garden anew in 2015! Still very cool in New England with sporadic bursts of warmth, so we headed out to Lowes last weekend to buy manure, and a few different Spring seeds and pansies. The Spring seeds and pansies typically hold up well during these cooler Spring days and nights in the Northeast.

Tony was the great garden orchestrator, making sure the manure was incorporated into the soil properly, and ensuring that our water barrels were properly positioned and ready-to-go. I planted the pansies in the window boxes - on the porch railings - and designed the garden layout. Because my MS symptoms are impacting my balance, Tony was kind enough to plant the first batch of Spring snap peas following the layout I put together (you can see the area he watered below to give them a drink).

We decided not to plant seeds in the basement this year due to the long Winter and short growing season, so we'll be purchasing starter seedlings from Lowes and Home Depot. This year, we'll be planting lettuce, dill, tomatoes, green beans, eggplant and parsley. There should be enough room in the garden plot for all with enough sunlight and rain water.

I do love the garden! Each year it brings new surprises, and great tasty treats that we can enjoy right away, or freeze for the winter.

Go ahead, get your hands dirty!

Andrea

Happy Vernal Equinox???

I was hoping to 'spring' into warmer temps and throw open the windows after this brutally snowy and cold winter on this first day of Spring, but woke to another cold day and no sight of any red, red robins bobbing their heads anywhere on my snowy lawn! The pain, the pain... So, I'll live with the knowledge that the warmer winds will find their way to this cold climate and bring a taste of rebirth before the month has ended.

In the meantime, I'm shopping for seeds this weekend! Even though I won't be planting anything yet, I'll be able to set up my basement accordingly for seedling generation. And that makes me very happy!!

Let's hope April showers will bring May flowers...

Happy dreaming.

Andrea

Basement Beginnings - Plans for 2015 garden

Well, we've been buried in snow this February, so thinking about a garden and warmer temperatures seems like I'm pushing a boulder uphill! But, thinking of warmer days helps to look forward. So, I'll imagine...

June 2014

First, I'll set up my basement to prepare for seed germination. This includes moving the growing tables in place, and confirming that the growing lights are still functional, move my growing trays in place, have appropriate water containers, tools and soil in place.

Once this is setup, I'll finalize my seed list for this year. My initial thought is to purchase the following seeds: parsley, cilantro, dill, lettuce, peas, bush beans, plum tomatoes, early girl tomatoes. I'll plan to purchase small eggplant plants (it's easier to have a growing plant).



I'll also make sure the watering barrels are ready to act as the supply for keeping the beds moist. We spent no money on water last year - it all came from the rain that fell in our area!

Finally, once the snow is no longer burying the bed, I'll purchase manure and garden soil to refresh the garden.

But, before any veggie beds are planted, I'll start germinating the seeds in the basement.

Ahhh...warmer weather.

Sweet dreams...

Andrea

Basement Beginnings and Seed Choices - what worked?

So, I thought my seed choices last year were a match for the plot size I had, as well as my desires for consuming and freezing the produce, herbs, and pesto. They included: cherry tomatoes, early tomatoes, bush beans, peas, eggplant, basil, parsley, dill, oregano, thyme, sage.

*Lessons Learned*

                                                  We did learn a few things:

- Peas and beans are best planted directly in the soil. Peas must be planted late in the spring to get any type of harvest. I waited until cool temps were gone altogether, which is not correct. The peas were tender and delicious fresh or cooked, but timing does matter.

- Cherry tomatoes were tasty, great for cooking, but one plant is enough. We had cherry tomatoes every day, and they lost their appeal after 3 months. 

- Early girl tomatoes were a great palm-sized fruit, very sweet and great for sandwiches and salad, but were too sweet for a nice sauce. We had to add tomato paste to get a hearty sauce. And, we planted too many plants - they took over most of the garden, and shaded other plants from the sun which did not allow them to grow to their fullest state. This year we'll plant a few plum and (hopefully) heirloom tomatoes for variety and flavor. It really is nice to have the garden tastes of summer in these sauces as we hunker down in a winter storm.

- The bush beans, eggplant, parsley, dill, oregano, thyme and sage were great! We also planted cilantro which did not survive (my bad). This year we'll reduce the amount of parsley (we had 4 big plants), and add additional bush bean plants - they were delicious! However, we did make and freeze some outstanding pesto with the parsley that we use to season our sauce - even now!

- We planted no lettuce last year which was a mistake. Lettuce is very easy to grow, and does last for some time in a garden. We had grown some in 2013 and it was a delicious treat! 

All in all, we had a fun and productive garden in 2014. It offered enough produce to stay interested, and didn't require a lot of TLC and maintenance. We'll be back getting our 'hands dirty' in a few months! 

Next time, I'll look back and talk about lessons we learned about maintaining the garden.

Happy Growing!
Andrea

Basement Beginnings - What worked and didn't?

I began my last year of growing vegetables (1994) in the middle of a snowstorm. I was mentally finished with Winter, and wanted to get on with growing. So, I headed over to Home Depot and Lowes in search of vegetable and herb seeds, growing trays, soil and grow lights. I knew I wanted 'uncomplicated' plants - no vine plants, wide or tall plants, or plants that required an early or extended growing season. So my quick list was to purchase seeds for cherry tomatoes, early tomatoes, bush beans, peas, basil, parsley, dill, oregano, thyme, sage. Then, it was back to the house to clear out a space in our basement, and setup the tables and grow lights.

*Lesson learned* 

Looking back on this one year later, I should have carved out my basement space first. It would have created my initial 'growing environment' which I needed as a foundation. This would have eliminated all of the other gyrations I needed to go through after the seed and soil purchase that were essential to my growing plan: setup tables, hang grow lights, organize a watering strategy for seedlings, and fill trays with soil.

2015 - Growing Season Dreams...

As the winter begins its cold march through New England, I find myself dreaming of dirty fingers, muddy sneakers and the scent of newly mowed grass, the musky smell of soil and manure, the delicate tendrils of newly 'hatched' seeds, the immense pleasure and pride of new veggie plants in the garden, and the joy of tasting new herbs and produce - my garden of earthly delights...

But, reality places me here in Winter's season, so I'll limit my dreams to looking back on the last growing season, sizing up what worked, what didn't work, and adjustments needed for the next season.  Each week, I'll take a look back and comment on the positives and negatives of my choices last year, and a plan to maximize the pluses, and reduce the minuses as we move into the 2015 garden season. I'll also add a few thoughts on herbs and veggies we'll be adding or removing this year.

Of course, it all starts in the basement, so we'll start with that next week!

Happy planning!

Winter pending...

We're still continuing to collect tomatoes, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes from our garden. We're still lucky not to have had a hard frost yet, so the fruit is still sweet and delicious! Our freezer is full of frozen bags of roasted tomato sauce, and we're looking forward to tasting the flavors once the snows set in. All-in-all, it's been a very productive year for our little garden that started early this year when I decided to take a chance on growing seeds in my basement. It was never intended to be a money-saving, or money-making venture, but has resulted in lessons we've learned about planning the garden layout, using rainwater collected in our rain-barrels to keep the soil moist and the plants happy, celebrating the first vegetable flowers and fruit, harvesting the fruit of our labors and sharing with neighbors and friends.

We're still considering an expanded garden next year so the plants and herbs can stretch to their full potential. But, for now, we're enjoying this end-of-season phase of harvesting, canning, and sharing our bounty. A wonderful ending to these warm summer months.

Happy tasting!

Andrea

Corny? It works!

This corn on the cob recipe works, and makes no mess!

Enjoy:-)

Cobs of Wisdom!

Andrea

How does your garden grow?

Removing the peat pots was the best thing we could have done. Once they were able to establish their roots again, the plants took off!

With continued watering from our trusty rain barrel, and fertilizing, the changes were fast and remarkable! The garden produced healthy plants of dill and basil, plus tasty fruit of green beans, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and eggplant!

It was a great, productive summer in our little garden! So much so, that we're thinking of adding another bed next year to expand the variety of tomatoes, and add more green beans. In the end, we learned a lot about how to garden effectively, and how to enjoy the vegetable bounty that we produced.

Until then, we're enjoying the tastes of summer, and sharing recipes we discovered along the way, thanks to Food Network, and friends. Try them out! You won't be disappointed.

Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Roasted tomato sauce, though it takes an hour, is the easiest way to make sauce for storing. The tomatoes are cored, tossed with oil, and packed into a roasting pan with salt, pepper, crushed garlic and basil. They nearly collapse in the oven, and release quite a bit of liquid. After they cool, place them in a blender and chop them till blended (or peal off the skins and crush them with your hands to break them up). Pack the tomatoes, and their liquid in plastic containers, or plastic freezer bags for storing in the freezer. To use as sauce, simmer for 10 minutes. The flavor is remarkably sweet and complex from the long roasting.

12 tomatoes, cores removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped fresh basil
2-6 tablespoons chopped garlic to taste

Set the oven to 400 degrees. Have a roasting pan large enough for all the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the pan, drizzle the with oil, and shake the roasting pan so the the tomatoes are coated all over. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, garlic and basil. Cover he pan with foil.

Roast the tomatoes for 1 hour, or until they've collapsed completely. Remove them from the oven.

When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, place them in the blender, or peal the skin off and crush the meat of the tomatoes in your hands. WARNING: Do not place hot tomatoes, or hot juice in the blender - Wait until they cool completely! Chop on blender setting and pour into containers for freezing.

When cooking the sauce, bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning - add tomato paste and spices, as needed.

Bon appetit!

Peat Pots and potential risks to seedlings

Back from vacation. Nice to be away, but temps were still chilly at the seashore.

Once back home, I checked on the garden, which didn't look much different from when we left:-/ My husband and I pondered the situation, and an idea popped into his head - "Did you plant all of these in peat pots?" I had. He started digging each of them out of the garden with peat pots intact, and removed them from the pots. Lo and behold, these little seedlings were root bound! The roots were unable to make their way through the peat pot walls. As a result, the plants were stagnate while we were away.

As my husband gently removed each plant from their respective peat pot, he replanted them in the bed. I think they'll now be happy and grow. "Inch-by-inch, row-by-row, we're gonna make this garden grow..." (Pete Seeger)

Lesson learned: Peat pots may not always be seedling friendly. Watch for plant stagnation and take alternate action, if needed.

Happy gardening!

Andrea

A home for the seedlings:-)

We constructed (or, I should say my husband constructed) a raised bed for my vegetable garden. So, I transplanted my seedlings of tomatoes, basil, peas, beans, dill, parsley, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes. They all look so tiny now, but the heat of the summer will bring them to life. This is the first raised bed garden I've had, and I'm seeing the benefits of planting and keeping critters away from the young seedlings in a bed that rises above the lawn. Hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy the harvest of vegetables come mid-summer:-)

 Happy gardening!

Andrea

Still waiting...

Will these cooler temps ever leave us?? I was finally able to get my plants outside, and the forsythia is out, but my veggies and herbs are still pending. They haven't yet taken away the 'frost' warnings for us this year:-( So now they're in a transition planter trough. I take them out during the sunnier time slots in the afternoon, and bring them in at night. We've ordered a raised bed planter framework to use once the weather softens temps, so there will be ongoing photos and updates throughout May, and beyond.
Stay warm until the nip is out of the air.


Happy gardening!

Andrea