Apple Pie from Scratch

The weather here in Tennessee has been a bit dicey to say the least. One day it is sunny and mild, next day windy, then today was cold and rainy. We have had the most rain in April in a long time.and this weekend they predict record breaking cold weather.

All that being said, nature just keeps on going.  I have been checking the fruit trees almost everyday.  Today I finally got the first look at little teeny tiny apples.

Not even the size of my thumb

While I know that it takes several years for apple trees to produce edible size apples, I am so excited just to see these little guys.  It means that the apple tree is growing and doing what it is suppose to.  It is still on the path to be fruit bearing no matter how many years.

Only 2 nails big

The peach tree also has several little peaches.  This is the biggest one.and it is only the size of thumb to the knuckle.  It is still fuzzy and hopefully getting bigger.  We will just have to keep an eye on it.

Barbie's Hair Gel

Wild Violets

With the Global Pandemic upon us, many people are trying new things since shopping, eating out and many forms of entertainment are not an option anymore.  One way that I am coping is to work outside more. I began using my reel type mower to cut my lawn.  Because of this, I was able to notice more of what was going on. I never knew I had so many violets before.

Bunches of violets

I am trying to use more of the resources I have so I wanted to see what I could do with them. One of my favorite gardening podcasts/radio shows, You Bet Your Garden, mentioned violets on one of it's episodes. The host Mark McGrath said that violets can be used to help with circulatory issues like spider veins and to help reduce blood pressure. 

After researching on the Internet and asking some friends on Facebook, I discovered several interesting ideas. One article I came across was this one for uses for violets. It contains a link to a recipe for Violet Jelly that you can download.  It sounded so interesting so I decided to give it a try.  Some people said that they wanted to see what it was like so here is what happened.

Violet Jelly

First I collected all the violets I could.  If you aren't going to use them right away, you might might to put them in the refrigerator to keep them from drying out too much.

several cups of violets

I then added the boiling water to let them steep for about 10 minutes and watched the water turn a dark purple.

Violet "tea"

Following the directions in the recipe, I added some lemon juice and stirred while the liquid turned a bright pink. 

lemon juice

Next, the violets were strained through some cheesecloth.  Several cups of sugar were added to the resulting mixture and put on the oven to boil. 

Straining through cheesecloth

After boiling, the recipe called for adding the pectin of your choice and boil another minute. 

Follow directions carefully

To make sure the jelly is clean and safe, I sterilized several pint jars.   Add the jelly mixture and process in a water bath to seal for preservation.

Nice and clean and ready to go

You can see why my friend said it looks like Barbie's hair gel.  The recipe made a little over 5 pints jars of the jelly. 

Barbie's gel

It  really doesn't take like much of anything. Just basically plain sweetness.  That being said, they say you need to do something at least 5 times to get it correct. The jelly is so pink and pretty. It would be the perfect addition to an Easter basket or some type of decoration. Maybe a girly tea party would work as well.  Would I imake it again? Yes, definitely but just for fun, not as  a pantry staple.

Bit by BIt I am restarting my garden

Well today I dug around in a little patch of my garden and decided to plant some potatoes that had already sprouted in the kitchen.

Beginning

Here is what the "site" looked like when I started.  As you can see I had worked in the raised bed area earlier and will blog about that soon.

It was just simple digging however, while I was digging I found many friends to help me. 

My Friend

I used to think that my spirit animal was a dolphin. However, I absolutely love it when I see these sweet little things pop up. It means that the soil is improving.  Yeah!

I also found this cute little thing when I was cleaning out the area.  I transplanted it to another part of the garden and hope it takes.  It is amazing that it just came up from something I planted in the fall..

Buttercrunch is my favorite

I found you!!

I am so happy I have found you again my dear blog. I thought you were gone. I have so much to add to you now  I have planted 3 trees (apple, pecan and peach) I even successfully had a vegetable garden.
I am so sorry I have been neglectful this many many years!  In 2020 I will renew you with vigor and updates.
Yay!! So happy11

Third time a charm

The gardening has begun again a little at a time.

I am, however, armed with a little more  information and a greater amount of time.  Throughout 2014 I have received several gardening calendars.  It has taken me several tries to figure them out.  With the help of some of my co-workers, I have learned about how bowels, neck and arms either assist or detract from gardening and planting things. These have nothing to do with my body parts but the moon and weather.

For example:

Today is in the time of the neck.  Which is good for digging in the dirt and  preparing the soil.  Tomorrow is a new moon so I do not want to plant anything today or tomorrow so I am just digging and getting things ready. I did buy some kale and cabbage plants but I will wait to plant them.

There were some plants at my house though. Mother Nature finds a way.

an amaryllis I planted 3 years ago

asparagus that I will try to remember I have next year

This week in my garden: August 1, 2013

This is inspired by Amanda Soule's blog www.soulemama.com

This was my garden on July 26, 2013

 

 

This is my garden on August 1, 2013

 



 

This Moment

Inspired by Amanda Soule and her blog www.soulemama.com

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 

 

 

This week in my garden: July 26th, 2013

This is a post inspired by Amanda Soule and her blog Soulemama. 
This week in my garden: July 18th, 2013

 This week in my garden: July 26th, 2013

 

 

There is finally some sunshine in Tennessee!! Fortunately all the rain made the weeds and grass pretty easy to pull. The blackberry bush got radically pruned which helps when it comes to pick them. The berries seem to be ripening quicker now but it may be due to the rain and not the pruning.

 

The asparagus is still all poofy and remindes me of feathers when it rubs against my hand.

 

My cats are also enjoying the new easy access to the catmint (catnip) bush as well. It has started to flower so it is going to be left outside until some growth occurs.

 

There are also some herbs growing in containers on my porch. Those pictures will be up next week.

This blog was started to note the process in my garden last year. It has helped me this year as well. Even though I have started very late, seeing the process from just a week ago has helped me to keep going. There is a long way to go but as the saying goes "Dead last is better than didn't finish, which is better than didn't start"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This moment

Inspired by Amanda Soule and her blog www.soulemama.com

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

This week in my garden: July 18th, 2013

This is a post inspired by Amanda Soule and her blog Soulemama. 

This is my garden this week: July18th

 

While I was working in the garden, I got a present from my cat.  I saw here stalk it for about 5 minutes. I never know whether to stop her or let her be a cat.  FYI- she didn't kill it but wounded it.  I was able to put it back into the brambles where she came from. Her legs appeared broken but I just couldn't kill it.

 



 

This week in my garden: July 12th

This is a post inspired by Amanda Soule and her blog Soulemama.  My garden is "not looking good" right now. I have decided(har har) to have cool weather garden. So right now this is day one of the garden (again).

The blackberry bush is growing well. You can't even really see the borders of where the grass ends and the "garden" begins.

 





My favorite thing about this picture is that you can see the fireworks that neighbors are setting off.  It isn't the 4th of July but the house is outside city limits.

 

That grey little thing in the right corner is my cat. 

 

One of the reasons I have kept a blog is to see the progress of my garden. Right now it is not well, but through the blog, I can see what is was like when I kept it up.

 

It is hard to tell but under all that grass is really good soil. When I was moving stuff aside to walk, I could glimpse the soil. It looked rich and dark brown. Hopefully since this is the ultimate in "no till" right now, the dirt is doing well.

Effing dammit. The one picture that shows what little I had done to clean up the garden got deleted when I went back to compare pictures. Well shit.

In the middle of the picture I hope you can make out a corner. That corner is my hope right now.  Last year I set out some ceramic border in the garden.  That corner is a piece of one of the ceramic titles.  That is my starting point. So I cling tight to the song "Inch by inch" that Peter, Paul and Mary sang.  It helps to to not give up. Mother Nature does some amazing things with a little helping hand.

 





 

 





Time waits for no (wo)man

The weather here has been crazy- hot one day and the frost warning another day. Welcome to spring in TN :-)

With all the other spring activities (TCAPs, Field Trips, Overdue notices) i really haven't been in the garden.  Fortunately though, nature carries on without me. 

I finally have 2 asparagus shoots and maybe some carrots.

 

My first asparagus :-)



Carrots maybe?

 

Friday

Started at soulemama.com

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 

Ahead of the game

Not really but some things that I planted in the summer are still growing. It has taken a bit of uncovering but some things are found.  It gives me a little hope.

 



Uncovered Asparagus

Another head

Two green places are the asparagus




Besides uncovering some lettuce, I also found the catnip that survived.

My kitties favorite

I also moved the German thyme from the front to the garden as well.



After the removal

 

The grass clippings to help hold moisture

It begins....again

Tonight is the night that I started digging in the dirt again :-)
The day was beautiful and a balmy 79 degrees.  We had a great time, my kitties and I, pulling and planning the upcoming seasons.

 

This is what the begining of the season looks like at my house.
Fortunately the ceramic tiles appear to be doing their job and have kept the outline of where the garden was last summer.

 

I think I have learned a little from last year. I remember that when I took out all the green from where I dug, it soil got so compacted that nothing would grow.

After 1 1/2 hours

I am so glad a started this last year.