5-18-10

Went to Sprint this morning for the second
day in a row. Their sign says they open at
10am. Well we were there at 10am or a little
after and they weren't open. Will keep trying!

It is raining once again.
While it makes for a yucky and cloudy day
it means I don't have to water the garden.

The rain has helped and I'm seeing some pretty
quick growth with some of the veggies.

So here's growth comparison with some veggies.
My garden diary.

ZUCCHINI BEFORE 5-16-10



ZUCCHINI 2 DAYS LATER 5-18-10




WAX BEANS BEFORE 5-16-10



WAX BEANS 2 DAYS LATER 5-18-10



ONION BULBS COMING UP 5 DAYS AFTER PLANTING



PEAR TREE 5-18-10



ENCHANTED ROSE ZINNIAS 5-10-10




ENCHANTED ROSE ZINNIAS 8 DAYS LATER



CRACKERJACK MARIGOLDS 5-10-10



CRACKERJACK MARIGOLDS 8 DAYS LATER




LARGE CHERRY & DELICIOUS TOMATO 5-10-10




LARGE CHERRY & DELICIOUS TOMATO 8 DAYS LATER



STRAWBERRY PLANTS WITH DEW




BLACKBERRY & RASPBERRY PLANTS
STILL NEED TO FIND A SPOT TO PLANT THEM.



A COUPLE MORNING GLORIES.
THESE ARE ONES THAT CAME BACK FROM LAST YEAR.



GERANIUMS I PLANTED THIS PAST WEEKEND.




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Here's an easy recipe to make sorbet or even
frozen pops with.

1 (20 oz.) bottle beverage - orange soda pop or non-carbonated fruit drink
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk

You could also add a can of fruit to this.


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I don't know why but schools are now having
photos taken at the end of the year.
I will buy them at the beginning of the school
year but don't feel the need to purchase
another set at the end of the school year.
It's just too expensive. So this is as good as it gets.









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Summertime is the best time to stock up on fruits
and vegetables when prices are lower.
I look for ways to preserve food to enjoy
year round. I might give this
freezing corn on the cob thing a try.
Kroger has corn on the cob 10 for $2.00.
It would be nice to have some good corn on
the cob during the colder, Winter weather.
Ever bit into some crappy corn during the
off season, then you know what I am talking about.

Here's a good freezer guide to fruits
and vegetables from Woman's Day magazine.

Corn on the cob will keep in the freezer 8-12 months.

FREEZING CORN ON THE COB


This is the method I use to freeze summer's crop of corn on the cob, with this method you will have crispy corn kernels all year around --- I have stated 10 corn, you may of coarse make as many as you wish, but just boil as many as your pot will hold, if you are making a lot of corn you will have to do it in batches, to save time I shuck my corn the day or evening ahead and refrigerate --- you will need lots of ice for this so pick up a bag and also a large pot --- prep time does not include shucking the corn


Ingredients

* 10 corn on the cob, shucked and silks removed
* water
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* ice (lots of ice)

Directions


1
Have all you cobs of corn shucked and silks removed before starting this.

2
Pour ice into a large bowl then fill with very cold water; set aside on the counter near your stove.

3
Fill a large pot of water a little over half full.

4
Add in the sugar; bring to a full boil.

5
Add in as many cobs of corn that will fit into the pot without over crowding.

6
Bring the water up to a FULL boil again; cook the corn JUST until the cobs turn a darker yellow which will not take long (about 3 minutes) turning the cobs over in the water if necessary using long tongs to insure even cooking.

7
Just when the corn takes on a darker shade of yellow, using long tongs immediately plunge into the bowl of ice water and allow to sit until completely cooled.

8
Place the cobs onto a clean tea towel. to drain slightly.

9
Dry the outside of each cob slightly with a clean tea towel.

10
Wrap each cob individually in a piece of foil to prevent any freezer burn that might develop over the long freezing time.

11
Place the foil-wrapped cobs in a large bag, then freeze.

12
WHEN READY TO USE; remove as many cobs as you wish from the freezer place on the counter to thaw slightly (the corn does not have to be completely thawed).

13
To heat the corn; place 1 cob into a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 3-4 minutes or until completely heated through, turning the cob halfway through cooking time or for a more even heating place 1 cob of corn into a Glad Simply Cooking Microwave Steaming bag, seal and microwave for 3 minutes (I use the steaming bags to heat the corn).

14
The corn is now ready to eat and enjoy!

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MAIL CALL

Received a FREE Neti Pot today.

5-17-10

Went to Dollar Tree this morning.
There I found 3 packs of pinwheels for a buck
to put in the garden. They were cheap enough but
only plastic. While the movement of the pinwheels
might scare off critters in your garden so
does reflective surfaces. So I hot glued
aluminum foil to the tips of the pinwheels
to make them more affective.
Too much work is going into this garden.
I'm trying anything I can to keep the
birds, rabbits and squirrels out!





Woo hoo, I found the first blooms on a couple tomato
plants this morning. Waiting for the rain to stop
falling to get a photo. I think they are Romas
and they were the last ones I planted.
That's the thing about gardening, having patience.
Wondering if it will all work out and grow to
produce veggies. It don't look like much
now but I am hoping it will all fill in with
a little love and time :0)


Other finds at the Dollar Tree:

Something similar to a Ped Egg



I also got some tater sticks, similar to tater tots
but longer and flatter. And garlic bread.
Got these items to go with fish fillets for supper
tonight.

For those of you that use Swiffers they now carry
moistened 20 refills for a buck along with the dusting
kind.

Or the even cheaper way is to make your own Swiffer
pads by using microfiber cloths cut to fit.
Dollar tree also has those for a buck.
Just remove and toss in the washer and reuse.
This looks simple enough to make.


I bought one large microfiber towel with a scratchy
side and a package of 4 sponges.
I'm going to cut the towel to have one scratchy side
and one microfiber side and sew them around the
sponges. I saw something like this on HSN
and figured I could make my own.
To clean just put in your dishwasher when
doing dishes. So for $2 I will have 4 microfiber
kitchen sponges.

Tupperware wants $16.50 for a set of 4!!
and they don't have scratchies on one side.



If I see something on TV I really like I look
for ways to make it for much cheaper.

6:10PM

Got 4 microfiber scratchy sponges made.
Cost: .50 cents each to make.
Compared to $4.13 each.
A savings of $3.63






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7:00PM

It's just me and the kids this evening.
Tony had to go work at his side job.
He's still working on painting the inside
of his friend's home.

Might retire early this evening.
Still feeling tired and have
been experiencing back spasms again today.
Time to get a lil Ibuprofen in me.

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Tomorrow heading over to Sprint.
Not long ago I got a new phone.
The people there told me I could choose
between 3 phones that had a $50 rebate
making it free after it was all said and done.
I sent in the rebate and just received a
letter from Sprint in the mail saying
we could not get our rebate because
we did not buy a qualifying phone and
did not sign another 2 year contract.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!
Let the butt chewing begin!!!!

Sprint is the one that showed me the
phones then gave me the rebate form
to fill out and send in.
So something is screwy here!
Someone better be giving me back my $50!!
I would not have gotten the phone if it
was not for this offer!!

7:45PM

Kids just handed me a note about a field day
they are having tomorrow. Now get this.
The school says it's
having field day rain or shine and to send
an extra set of clothes for them in case
they get SOAKING wet!
I DON'T THINK SO!!! It's not like it's
in the 80's and humid out!
I'm cold and regretted even putting shorts
on the kids today. We wore light jackets
this morning to the bus stop. Can you imagine being
outside in the rain soaking wet???
This school is nuts for trying to get
all the kids sick!!! Jonathan has had
a cough for the past week. We almost
thought about taking him to Urgent Care.
Mom even complained
of being outside today wearing no coat and pants
saying she was cold in misting rain.
Tomorrow's forecast is rain and
between 56 and 59!! I'm thinking about writing
a note to not let the kids do it. I'm sure
they will be upset. But I don't want to have a
household of sick people and spending time
at the doctor's office for everyone.

5-16-10

9:30AM

Having a hard time waking up. I feel like I
could have stayed in bed for awhile longer.
I got too much housework to do today from
laundry to dishes to just basic tidying up.
I need some energy because mine has ran low.

Once I put away the Winter clothes but
had to drag some back out due to cooler
weather. I am going to attempt to do it
a second time and hope they stay in their
totes til next Winter! Tired of having too
many clothes out all at once with no place
to put them.

10:30AM

Got laundry started and drug up a metal shelf
out of the basement. Will use this to put
the boys Summer clothes on. Easier for
me to put them away on a shelf than deal
with the closet over the Summer. Then when
Summer is over with I can just grab and put in
totes.

I'm also working on upcoming meals.

Making this for dessert today.
It's from a cookbook Jonathan's class
made for Mother's Day. But I had to
tweak it some to what I had on hand.
It was originally Oreo Pie.
Now it is my creation called Brownie Pudding Cheesecake.

1 brownie mix, made up in 9x13 pan, allow to cool.

8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 package of dream whip made according
to directions
3 cups milk
1 large box instant vanilla pudding
(used cookies n cream)
1 large box instant chocolate pudding
(used vanilla chocolate chip)

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar,
dream whip, milk and puddings together.
Pour over top of cooled brownies
and chill until set.

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12:20PM

Finishing up brownie cheesecake.
Got 2 loads of laundry done working on 3rd.
Dishes are almost done.
Folding and organizing clothes and
putting them away either on shelf, totes
or in closet.

4:00PM

Had to make a run to Zettlers for a couple
nuts, washers and bolts, then to Kroger
for milk and pop. Also bought some
tin pie pans to hang from the garden fence
to distract birds and squirrels.
Looking for cheap pinwheels at the moment.
I zip stripped one to the top of the fence
to keep squirrels from running around up there
and then into the garden.
Then lastly to Auto Zone
to return the trailer hitch we bought.
We were able to salvage the one off the trailer.
Thank goodness because that saved us $25.

Just finished mowing the grass and am starting
on supper. We're having leftover stuffed
pasta shells and a package of brats leftover
from last weekend.

Well gotta go downstairs and switch laundry
over. Can't wait for warmer weather to be
in full swing so laundry doesn't take as long
with smaller articles of clothing.

6:15PM

Hung my pie tins up around the garden.
Found a toy snake and threw in there also.
They say this is supposed to keep birds out.
But you have to relocate it every couple of days.






Here's my cucumbers, zucchini, garden bean
and wax beans. I like to take pics along the
way and watch their growth.

ZUCCHINI


GARDEN BEAN


WAX BEAN


CUCUMBER


Repaired the trailer hitch by drilling
holes and putting in bolts.
Still need to have it welded.




Got out the cornhole and played it for
the first time this year.

Is it a cornhole???

5-15-10

Went to the flea market this morning.
My thing is I always offer less money for
things and usually get it.
Unless of course it's cheap like
$1.00, .50 cents or .25 cents.

Tony wanted a tool box since his broke.
First guy wanted $12.00.
Found another guy with same Craftsman
metal toolbox and he wanted $7.
I offered him $5 and he accepted.



I found a 2 dvd set of The Best of Ghost
Hunters for $4. The guy started at $5.
They go for $10 to $15 on Ebay.


Worked in the garden this afternoon putting
up a fence to keep rabbits out. I still
have a few areas by the wooden fence to block.
Fence for a 50 foot roll at Lowes is $20.
Between yesterday and today I got these planted:
-Basil
-Radishes
-Zucchini
-Garden Bean
-Better Boy Tomato
-Morning Glories







Saw this today, a hoopty Trans Am, either 79, 80 or 81
as all those years look alike. This is around
Northern Lights Shopping Center.
There's another TA by Cooke and Indianola.
That's a Smokey & the Bandit 2 version
sitting at a car lot.



5PM

THE TA LIVES!
Still stuck on the trailer but lives, lol.

One day, and I never thought I would say this
again after doing the red TA, but I would like
to sand down this car and repaint it.
I keep mentioning to Tony that I like
the copper or burnt orange color.
About like the color of this car.




Tired, tired and more tired today.
If I start off the day by walking around
the flea market I am wore out the rest of the day!
Then spending time in the garden squatting
to put the fence in and tack it in around the bottom,
watering, weeding and planting flowers and veggies.
This should be good exercise on my legs
that's for sure. Legs feel like jello.

Off to Lowes again soon to find metal plates
for the trailer hitch that we are working on.
Tony said something about welding it on himself
and I said if you do I ain't riding along when you
haul the car, lol. Not going through that again.
I'd rather pay a professional welder to do it!!

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9:00PM

Stopped by Lowes then Home Depot.
Then on the way home into Meijers.

Earlier this morning we stopped in Thorntons
by the flea market and I found some coupons
for Dr. Pepper and Powerade.

When in Meijers I noticed the Powerade was
.69 cents each. My coupon was $1.50 on two
when doubled which made them free.
I got 4 bottles free, woo hoo.

So keep an eye out at those convenient stores
for some coupons hanging on the cooler doors!

I got two 20oz Dr. Peppers at Speedway earlier today
for $1.22 or .61 cents each.

Sale 2 for $2.22
minus $1.00 off 2 is $1.22

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Here's a freebie for ya.
Free can of Libby's fruit or vegetable
when you become a fan on Facebook.

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Natural remedies for gardens & lawns.

-Aphids (plant lice): Fill a water spritzer with water and two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid. Spray the plant, particularly on the underside of the leaves where mites hide. For large-scale infestations, place up to 4 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in a hose end sprayer and douse the affected plant focusing on the underside of the leaves. Plants that discourage aphids are - chives, marigolds, mint, basil and cilantro. Place aluminum foil at the base of your plants to deter aphids. The foil will reflect light onto the leaf bottoms and scare the aphids away.

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-Natural Herbicide: Vinegar (any type of vinegar) acts like an herbicide. Apply when temperatures are above 70° and you will see its affect within a week or two.

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-Wake Up Your Lawn with this Tonic:
1 can beer (not light beer)
1 cup ammonia, regular household strength
1 cup plain liquid dish soap, not liquid detergent or antibacterial
1 cup any brand liquid lawn fertilizer
1 cup molasses or corn syrup: provides sugar and carbs; molasses also contains iron, which promotes greening process.Combine ingredients in a 20 gallon hose end sprayer and apply evenly to the entire lawn in early mornings or late evenings.
It’s best to apply after mowing. Applications may be done every two weeks during the entire growing season.

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- Baits
Slugs are attracted to chemicals given off by the fermentation process. The most popular bait has been beer. However, not all beers are created equal. In 1987, a study at Colorado State University Entomology Professor Whitney found that Kingsbury Malt Beverage, Michelob, and Budweiser attracted slugs far better than other brands.

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The range of slug traps is only a few feet so you need to supply a few throughout your garden. Never, sink the containers with their rims flush with the soil level or you run the risk of drowning ground beetles, important slug controllers. The rims should be 1" above the soil's surface.

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-Barriers
Certain plants will also repel slugs. Ginger, garlic, mint, chives, red lettuce, red cabbage, sage, sunflower, fennel, foxglove, mint, chicory & endive seem to be less prone to slug attack. Plant them around the perimeter of your garden to keep them from infiltrating.

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-Ants in the garden

Salt -- Instead of using pesticides, try locating the ant hills and sprinkling the area with salt.
Cream of Wheat/Minute Rice -- You can kill ants by spreading Cream of Wheat or Minute Rice on or around the ant hill (or wherever they're being problematic). The ants will eat the grains of wheat or rice, and it will expand, causing their stomachs to burst.

Flour -- Spread solid lines of flour on any paths ants travel across. Ants don't like flour, and they will not cross through it.

Baking Soda -- Dust your garden or trouble spots with baking soda to eliminate ants. Baking soda is poisonous to them.

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Fungicide for Mildew and Black Spot
1 tsp. baking soda
1 litre water
1 tsp. soap flakes
Dissolve baking soda in 1 litre of warm water.

Add soap flakes to help solution cling to leaves. Remove infected leaves from plant, then spray top and bottom of remaining leaf surfaces to control spread of the disease.

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Get rid of mites (you can see what they look like by turning over a yellowing leaf; they are the tiny dark specks) with a combination of one part rubbing alcohol and four parts water. Decant into a trigger spray bottle and spray the backs of the leaves. To help the alcohol mixture stick to the leaves, add just a little squirt of mild dishwashing liquid to the spray bottle. Use this spray on a cloudy day, if possible, to prevent the intensity of the sun from damaging the foliage.

5-14-10

As the end of the school year nears the kids
seem to have field trips.
One is going next Wednesday to the zoo.
Cost $2.00.
Then another field trip the Wednesday after
for Zoombezi Bay. Now get this while the admission
cost is free, they are required to send in $7.00
for a lunch!!! I don't even pay $7.00 for a fast
food lunch so what they eatin' on this trip, steak?!
That seems a little high for a 10 year olds lunch.
They better not be eating pb&j sandwiches!

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Not cookin' for supper so might consider Grandad's Pizza.
Plus we want to head to Lowes to check out some kind
of fencing to put around the garden.
While there I'll have to check out the garden
and clearance section :0)

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Plans for weekend:

-Cut up scrap metal and take over to recycling center.
-put starter on guys truck.
-might go to the flea market.
-put fence up in garden.
if the rabbits still pose a problem we might
consider live trapping them and sending them
off to another area.

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Stopped in Lowes this evening.
Got metal fencing and metal posts.
Also browsed the clearance section and found
a thornless raspberry and
thornless triple crown blackberry plants for $5.00 each
marked down half price.
They also had blueberry plants but I didn't
think we'd get much use out of it like the others.
I told Tony to consider these plants my
Mother's Day presents.

So far now I will have these fruits in the garden:
1. Strawberry
2. Concord Grape
3 Raspberry
4. Blackberry
5. Possible Pear Tree

Here's a couple notes I made about
the plants I purchased after doing some
reading to learn more about them.

I'm thinking about planting
these berries along the chain link fence.
I think I read you don't want to plant
them near tomatoes so this should be
a good spot for them on the opposite side
of the yard away from the vegetables.

RASPBERRIES
You don't need a "male"
and a "female" plant to pollinate them.
They need manure or compost around them
topped with a layer of mulch.
Raspberry plants produce biennial canes, which means that the first year they are vegetative only and don't produce fruit. The second year, they flower and produce fruit, but then die. The plants that fruited for you last year can be removed because they are dead anyway. Those that were vegetative last year will or should produce fruit this season. It is best to get the old canes removed as soon as possible. Most people get around to it in the fall after a couple of hard frosts.
HERE is a good sight with many questions
and answers about Raspberries.

BLACKBERRY
It takes about a year for the blackberry plant to mature enough to bear fruit. The blackberry plant will spend its first year growing side shoots off the main stems. It is these side shoots that will bear the fruit during the next growing season. Newer blackberry plants have been designed with less thorns so they are easier to harvest and prune. When purchasing a blackberry plant be sure to get the thornless variety.
Most blackberry plants can spread up to 12 feet wide and 7 feet hight. The blackberry plant is an easy to grow perennial. The average blackberry plant will produce up to 3 quarts of blackberries. The blackberries ripen from late summer to early fall. The blackberry plant like full sun and well-drained soil. The blackberry plant grows best in zones 5-8.
Dig yourself a wide trench where you intend to plant the berries and mix a good supply of that black gold into it. If you don’t have compost, then rotted manure, old leaves (should have plenty of those this time of year), coffee grounds, or any other quality source of organic matter will do just fine. Mix the soil and organic matter source in the trench thoroughly.
Blackberry Triple Crown
The Champion of Blackberries for Fresh, Delectable Eating!
The harvest continues for a month, with handfuls of new berries ripening every day!
For jumbo, ultra-sweet, utterly delicious blackberries in your own backyard, rely on classic Triple Crown. This semi-erect to trailing variety is very heavy-bearing, setting fresh new berries every day for a full month in early to midsummer in most climates. If you love big, juicy, flavor-packed berries for fresh eating, canning, and freezing, count on Triple Crown!

Reaching 8 to 10 feet high and 3 to 5 feet wide, and quicky forming a thick, stout central trunk that stands up to Mother Nature's roughest treatment, this shrub sets masses of long, arching canes packed with white blooms in late spring (irresistible to butterflies) that turn to fruit by midsummer. Best in full sun but tolerant of light shade, Triple Crown bears heavily every day for a month or more, giving you more than enough fruit for the family's immediate needs -- there will always be "leftovers" to can or freeze! And because this blackberry is self-fertile, you need plant only one, but you will find your crops even heavier if several are planted together.

Triple Crown needs rich soil, so amend it well with organic matter, and consider spraying the foliage once or twice during the growth period with Sea Magic, an all-natural seaweed growth enhancer. The canes are biennial, so cut them back hard after fruiting the second year. They will return even more plentifully in spring! Zones 5-9.


While there we were checking out the wooden
fences. Kind of liked the shorter picket
fence type. So who knows what type we will get.
Might end up with the house with the white
picket fence, lol.