bountiful

This morning I put the cukes on ice so I could pickle them. Within minutes my neighbor called and said she was doing corn today and would we like to help. So six hours later I had three quarts of pickles and over 100 bags of sweet corn. Schwew!

Next cooking project...SALSA!!!!!

Mom has been dropping of some amazing tomatoes. They are HUGE. They taste delicious, too. But they are funny looking. She is using seed savers seeds and there are no hybrids in the mix. So when she brought in this tomato I almost couldn't believe it. Maleah calls it the Thumbs Up tomato. Thank goodness. Um, yeah, I had something other than a thumb in mind. We'll just leave it at that.

Cherries

Yesterday, my son noticed the cherries on the tree in the front yard. I,completely buried in the unpack mode, said, "we should tell the neighbors about them before the birds eat them all." Every year I see them turning and then I forget and the birds clean the tree out in a matter of hours.

So, the neighbor came over with her grand quintuplets who are teenagers now. They picked and I complained about pitting the cherries and she told me a neat little trick about using a straw to pit them.

This morning she brought me two pints of cherry jelly.

Yum!

Anyone want some cherries?

harvested the rhubarb

checked off everything on my list yesterday, that never happens...

rhubarb syrup and rhubarb butter

We carved the pumpkins today...finally:)

stockin' up

The lack of posts should be evidence enough but we have been super busy here at the homefront. I have to clean out a closet today to make room for all my canned goods, it will be a tummy filled winter this year.

My awesome neighbors got in on the fun with corn yesterday. We shucked near 200 ears and put up 40+quart bags of the yummy sweet corn for later.

The community garden will have LOTS of yummies to share this year so get uptown on Saturday mornings early to get the good stuff!

The pickles are almost done for today and I got squash to freeze yet...have a great weekend!

Peter Rabbit, eat your heart out.

We put up 18 quarts and 6 pints of community garden carrots. I had to borrow not one but two pressure cookers from my neighbor. It takes a village to put up carrots.

Farmers Market

These were growing in the community garden last night. This morning they were in bags on Main Street. By noon, they were sizzling in a pan ready for my tummy! God is so great!

Monkeys who eat spinach go to bed early.

It's exactly 6:45 p.m. on a Tuesday night. My oldest is playing a ball game in Emery. My boy is asleep on the couch waiting for t-ball to start. My blue eyed monkey is asleep in her bed and the youngest is playing at my feet.

Today Addison climbed;

the couch and

the clothes line pole (I could barely take this photo I was so shocked).

She picked spinach and ate some for lunch (well, mostly ranch with a little spinach) while mommy washed and froze the rest.

This morning she unknowingly gave Lou Lou her first taste of bomb pop.
In other words, it was an awesome day to be a 21 month old.

Summer lovin'

Say hello to my little friends. A local welder does these adorable flowers and dragon flies. I LOVE them. Got some for my sister for her birthday. He's got some three times this size, too. Like 'em? Call Rion at 363-3184. Tell him Rani told you about his metal lawn art. The columbine has pretty much taken over this part of the landscaping. I need to do some moving around I think.

Can't remember what this is called but it has also completely taken over my landscaping near the garage. I do like the purple, though.

The big kids went fishing with dad today. See the BIG fish they caught? Squint if you can't. Yep fish appetizers here today:) Dad was cleaning it and Lee says, only two tiny pieces? Dad laughed.

One of my free perennials. Thanks Grandpa Geno! It's beautiful. It's a golden something or other.

Another freebie...no idea what it is but them yellow flowers sure are fancy.

This is called Yarrow, I think. Mom gave it to me. It has gotten completely out of control. I have no idea what to do about it. I hate doing plant abortions. I have got to find somewhere more appropriate for this stuff.

The garden in it's entirety, is that a word?

Rhubarb, spinach, lettuce and carrots and onions that need to be weeded, badly :( At the end past the peonies there is some dill growing and then some big onions.

Here's a shot of the cukes and the melons and more big onions.

Strawberries with feet? Wonky, I tell ya. Dern camera doesn't focus real well one -handed.

Double berry goodness!

Beautiful berries, if you look close enough you can see a critter bite on the red one.

The garden is sure filling out with this warm weather we're having. We have a strawberry patch and if we can get to 'em before the critters, they taste mighty fine. They are pretty wonky looking berries, we got double berries and footed berries but no real regular looking berries, hmmm.

Hope you are getting some sweet summer lovin' at your garden, too!