Thank you very mulch!

 Every year I begin my garden with the best of intentions to control pests and weeds.  As long as it's cool, I manage fairly well.  Sometime during the summer, something usually happens to interrupt my efforts:  a rainy spell, an unexpected opportunity that takes me away for a week or so, or an illness.  This year, all three intervened and the grass took over (left).  No matter how much I worked, the grass and weeds grew faster than I pulled.  It became obvious I needed to work smarter rather than harder.

Last year, I had tried using black gardener's cloth to prevent grass and weeds.  It did, but it also impeded water reaching plants.  I knew I would not be satisfied with that solution.  Then I picked up the most recent issue of Mother Earth News which contained an article about mulches.  Eureka!

Now, I've been feeling guilty about not composting the untreated grass clippings from my nearly 2 acre yard.  After all, the soil in my garden turns rock-hard during the dry summer and could certainly use organic amendments.  So, I pulled out the lawn sweeper, attached it to the mower, and enjoyed a lovely summer evening riding around my freshly-mown front yard.

What was not as fun was pulling as many of the weeds as I could bear on the next cool morning.  But pull I did, and spread the now-brown grass clippings in a 2 inch layer around my pepper plants leaving some room around the stems.  I stood aside and waited.  And waited.  And watered--it's been a rather dry summer.  And waited.  And smiled.  After two weeks, the grass had grown around the edges and was leaning in, but had only just begun to peep through the mulch.

I clipped the edges and piled on another layer of mulch.  An added benefit was the nutrients the decaying grass supplied to my struggling plants.  So, I'm now a believer in the power of mulch.  I'm already plotting my mulch strategy for next year!

This Garden is Hot!



Habanero Peppers



The garden is really making progress despite the heat and because of a few extra waterings in between the scant rain.  Especially prolific are the peppers and, of course, the grass, purslane, and other wild plants.  I've let the wild plants get ahead of me and have resorted to mulching the peppers with yard clippings.  We do not use any herbicides on the lawn, so the clippings should be safe to use and should even improve the nitrogen content of the soil.

The jalapeno plants have been a bit delicate, but the others, including California Wonders, are thriving.  I also have peppers in containers which are doing well, too.  It's not too late to start your own container peppers.  Give it a try!





Cubanelle Peppers

Cayenne Peppers

Mama, Them Tater's Got Eyes!: Potato Baskets

I don't know about your house, but in my house, the potato is a staple of our diet.  Late in the winter I had a few which were sprouting so I decided to try growing them.  I lined inexpensive laundry baskets with gardener's cloth and filled them half-full with potting soil.  I cut the potatoes into chunks with a sprouted eye in each.  (You can let them dry a bit.)  Plant four of each "eyes" around the edge of each basket.  Keep moist but not soggy in a warm sunny place.

They should begin sprouting in a few weeks.

Once they've grown about six inches above the top of the basket, fill the basket to the rim with more potting soil.  Keep moist and in a sunny spot.  Each basket should produce about 8 pounds of potatoes, I'm told.  What fun!

Update!  Here's the crop:

Not bad for a first try!  The potatoes ranged from marble-sized to about 3 inches.  I'm really excited about the next try!

Being Frugal, For Peat's Sake

The occasional warm winter day inspires me to dig out the potting soil and do my early indoor seed starting.  In the past I've used styrofoam cups and peat pellets but this year, in the interest of sustainability and cost, I've decided to start my seeds in toilet paper rolls and newspaper pots.  When researching how to make the pots, I found several folks willing to sell me a handy little device to help.  Unfortunately, the handy little device carried a handy not-so-little price (in its defense, the wood was beautifully turned and finished).  So, I rummaged around my place and put together my own newspaper pot maker.

I put together a quart jar lid, a small mushroom can (both ends cut out), and an empty worcestershire (or any that fits inside the can) bottle.  To make your pots, tear your newspaper at the center fold to make a single page.  Fold that single page lengthwise and use your bottle to crease the paper.  Roll the paper firmly (but not tightly) around the can, leaving just over half the diameter of the can to fold in for the bottom.

Starting where the newspaper ends, fold the bottom into the can (four folds).  Fit the jar lid over the bottom of the can and set on the table.  Use the bottle to tamp the bottom of the pot flat, twisting to crimp well.  Carefully sllide the can out of the pot, then remove the jar lid.

I store these in a shoebox lined with a plastic bag.  I'll let you know how these work out!

PS  April:  Fill these to the top with soil and keep moist lest the paper wick away moisture quickly.

What a Waffle!

Who wouldn't like waffles for breakfast?  A while back I had the idea to use one of my favorite kitchen staples, Martha White muffin mixes, to make waffles!  As muffins, you can't beat the value of Martha White mixes--one envelope makes a half-dozen muffins for less than $2.  Just imagine what kind of waffles they would make!  Well, this past Sunday I tried out two of my favorite flavors:  Apple Cinnamon and Banana Nut.  I dumped the mix into a bowl with a pour spout and added 1/2 cup plus 1 or 2 tablespoons evaporated milk.  Stir until just mixed.  Let sit for a few minutes to thicken before cooking in a pre-heated waffle iron until golden.  (Don't forget to spray your waffle iron with cooking spray!)  These are very tender so be careful when removing them from the waffle iron.  Drizzle a little melted butter over and keep warm until serving with your favorite syrup.  I can't wait to try out Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chocolate Chip.  Wow!

He Asked For More! Cranberry Sauce

My father-in-law has always liked the canned, gelatin cranberry sauce.  This year, many of us are watching our weight and working toward a more natural diet so I tried making whole-berry sauce.  He loved it!  He asked for more!  My DH loved it!  And, it's lower in calories, too!  What's not to love?  I adapted the recipe from the back of the cranberry bag:

1 bag fresh cranberries, washed, then ground in food processor
1 cup Splenda(tm) (or sugar if you're not watching carbs)
Water to cover in saucepan

Equipment:  2-quart saucepan, food processor with chopping blade, spoon, and final serving dish

Wash, pick out the bruised berries, then grind the cranberries until they are in about 1/4 to 1/8 inch pieces.  Turn into the saucepan and add Splenda(tm), then water to just more than cover.  Simmer on low, stirring often, until the cranberries are soft and the mixture glossy.  They should thicken slightly.  Turn into the final serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving.  I made this at least a day in advance.

Important note:  DO NOT STIR once you've put the mixture into the serving bowl until you serve.  This will thicken a bit in the refrigerator.

Stand back and enjoy the contented sighs!

Savory Scarborough Turkey

One of the biggest stresses of the holiday season is wondering if the turkey will turn out perfectly.  Many fuss and stress and inject and fry and do all sorts of unnecessary things.  Roasting a turkey is practically the easiest thing on earth.  Here's my "secret" recipe!

1 turkey, 15-18 pounds, thawed, drained, cavities emptied
2 large sweet onions, peeled and halved
1 bunch of fresh parsley, halved
1 bunch of fresh sage, halved
1 bunch of fresh rosemary, halved
1 bunch of fresh thyme, halved
1 t. Salt, kosher
1/4 t. Black pepper, freshly cracked
1/4 t. rubbed sage
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried rosemary
4 T. olive oil, plain (not extra-virgin)
4 T. unsalted butter, melted.

Equipment:  Roasting pan with rack, aluminum foil, meat thermometer (absolutely essential)

Place wire rack in roasting pan and tuck the wings under the bird (as best as possible).  Fill the neck cavity with half of the fresh herbs, and using one half of an onion like the "stopper."  Tuck the skin under the bird.  Fill the large cavity with the remaining fresh herbs and use the remaining onions to seal the cavity.  If the legs are not wired together, tie them together with butcher's twine. 

Dry the skin with a paper towel, then slather with the olive oil, making sure all the skin is covered.  Rub the dried herbs into the skin.  Tent aluminum foil over the entire bird (you will probably need two lengths) to prevent burning the skin.  Pour water into the roasting pan so that it covers the bottom but does not touch the bird.  If you can refill through the cooking process, do so.

If you have a programmable oven, set it to cook at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes per pound.  I set mine before I go to bed and let the bird cook while I sleep.  At the end of the 20 minutes per pound time period (5 hours for a 15-pound bird), check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer.  I like 175-180 degrees deep in the thickest part of the breast and near the thigh.

Once your bird is nearing done, about 170-175 degrees, remove tent and drizzle butter over the skin.  Continue cooking until correct internal temperature is attained and the skin is crispy and golden brown.  Let set for 5-10 minutes before carving.  Your bird should be juicy and tender.

Serve on a bed of herbed wild rice.  For larger birds, you will need to increase the herbs.

Count your blessings during this holiday season!