I actually heard that song on the radio as I was coming home from church yesterday and it was such a beautiful version. That has got to be one of my favorite songs that us girls sing together. Anywho... we have been" in the garden" quite a bit these past few days.
For such a long time, the tomato's would not get ripe. Everyone else in the neighborhood was eating their tomato sandwiches, and we had nothing. There was plenty of them on there, just not red yet. Then a couple of them started getting a little pink, so we were watching them with much anticipation, checking on them everyday, waiting for just the right moment when they had reached tomato perfection and we could pluck them from the vine and also enjoy our own tomato sandwiches.
Then one day, we went out one day to find a great big bite had been taken out of the only ripe tomato. A big rat bite. Ooooooooooo that makes me mad. The stupid rats come over from the canal and feast on our garden. We had this problem last year, so we knew just what to do. We put out the rat traps. But apparently, the rats got smarter and faster this year, because they just took the bait and ran off with it. So Kelley got some rat poison. Desperate times require desperate measures. We set the bait out there and then wait for them to eat it up. It disappeared right away. Not so smart now are you rats! It's kind of gross, but then you just start looking for dead rats.
Victory. Jensen's 3. Rat's 0 (not counting that first tomato they ate)
After that the garden went crazy. Lots of huge beautiful tomato's, peppers,( every kind of pepper you can imagine) cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and potato's.
This pumpkin was growing on the other side of the fence, so Kelley picked it up and set it on top of the fence. We tried to get it to sit on a little stand, but the vine wouldn't reach so Kelley was going to build a stand for it where it could reach to. I had a bad feeling about it, just knew it was too tempting for people to leave it alone. We went out today and found someone had pushed it off the fence and broken it to pieces. So sad. We only had a few pumpkins this year.
Isn't he cute with his basket of peppers.
He roasted them on the barbecue grill. It worked out real good that way.
Then we made salsa. Lots of salsa. We used a recipe of Mark's this year that you don't cook. It has a really good fresh flavor!
This was what was left over after we made salsa and took three big baskets of tomato's to church for people to take home. I was glad when Nancy called this morning to see if we had any more. They always have a big garden but she said this year her tomato's didn't do very good.
Beautiful tomatillo's! We made two batches of green salsa and haven't even begun to use them all. Anyone want some?
Lizzy supervising.
We made some pickles too. It's a lot of work and takes a lot of time! Lots of soaking in pickling solutions and other stuff. Don't' think I would do it again. I had these great cucumbers in the garden though and wanted to use them. I hope they are good!
Kelley and Candice came to the rescue when I was getting pretty discouraged with them and wanted to throw them out the window.
I love my mom's sweet pickles. I could just sit and eat a whole bottle of them. They are also a favorite of Rick's and he has been paid in pickles by my mom for putting her sprinkler system in a few years ago. She has not forgotten his kindness and often mentions how much she appreciates Kelley and his good friends putting in her sprinklers.
For such a long time, the tomato's would not get ripe. Everyone else in the neighborhood was eating their tomato sandwiches, and we had nothing. There was plenty of them on there, just not red yet. Then a couple of them started getting a little pink, so we were watching them with much anticipation, checking on them everyday, waiting for just the right moment when they had reached tomato perfection and we could pluck them from the vine and also enjoy our own tomato sandwiches. Then one day, we went out one day to find a great big bite had been taken out of the only ripe tomato. A big rat bite. Ooooooooooo that makes me mad. The stupid rats come over from the canal and feast on our garden. We had this problem last year, so we knew just what to do. We put out the rat traps. But apparently, the rats got smarter and faster this year, because they just took the bait and ran off with it. So Kelley got some rat poison. Desperate times require desperate measures. We set the bait out there and then wait for them to eat it up. It disappeared right away. Not so smart now are you rats! It's kind of gross, but then you just start looking for dead rats.
Victory. Jensen's 3. Rat's 0 (not counting that first tomato they ate)
After that the garden went crazy. Lots of huge beautiful tomato's, peppers,( every kind of pepper you can imagine) cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and potato's.
This pumpkin was growing on the other side of the fence, so Kelley picked it up and set it on top of the fence. We tried to get it to sit on a little stand, but the vine wouldn't reach so Kelley was going to build a stand for it where it could reach to. I had a bad feeling about it, just knew it was too tempting for people to leave it alone. We went out today and found someone had pushed it off the fence and broken it to pieces. So sad. We only had a few pumpkins this year. 
Isn't he cute with his basket of peppers.
He roasted them on the barbecue grill. It worked out real good that way.
Then we made salsa. Lots of salsa. We used a recipe of Mark's this year that you don't cook. It has a really good fresh flavor! 
This was what was left over after we made salsa and took three big baskets of tomato's to church for people to take home. I was glad when Nancy called this morning to see if we had any more. They always have a big garden but she said this year her tomato's didn't do very good.
Beautiful tomatillo's! We made two batches of green salsa and haven't even begun to use them all. Anyone want some?
Lizzy supervising.
We made some pickles too. It's a lot of work and takes a lot of time! Lots of soaking in pickling solutions and other stuff. Don't' think I would do it again. I had these great cucumbers in the garden though and wanted to use them. I hope they are good! 
Kelley and Candice came to the rescue when I was getting pretty discouraged with them and wanted to throw them out the window. 
I love my mom's sweet pickles. I could just sit and eat a whole bottle of them. They are also a favorite of Rick's and he has been paid in pickles by my mom for putting her sprinkler system in a few years ago. She has not forgotten his kindness and often mentions how much she appreciates Kelley and his good friends putting in her sprinklers. 
2 comments:
im clapping right now because HOLY CRAP THE WORDS ARE WHERE THEY SHOULD BE! see mama bear it wasnt that hard. I was happy to help with the pickles when I could see you were about to cry. Im sure they'll be good and umm limey. im so grateful you and dad know how to garden and I hope I can keep learning things from you.
Lesson #1: DO NOT EAT SERRANO PEPPER. THAT IS ALL.
Yay for making stuff and canning! I would love to have your salsa recipe. I got one from a friend and there was a typo on the amount of salt so needless to say if you have bland chicken we put salsa on it and it doesn't need salt. I am with you I love grandma's pickles but they are alot of work!
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