Garden Time

It is a very good day.  I love that we are getting closer to spring and the first buds from my garden will then soon be upon us.  I love our garden.   Let me clarify I am more of a grayish thumb than a green thumb but I am lucky that my husband definitely has a green thumb and an interest in growing food for our family.  He has spent a good deal of time learning about what to grow when and how best to plant it.  He is just as excited about planting time as me, well probably even more than me, I would much rather be playing Oregon Trail on my cell phone, no dirt under my nails that way.  Just kidding. I don’t mind the dirt it makes me feel productive.

Anyway it is garden planning time and I just hope I can figure out where to rotate my tomatoes to that won’t kill them, they had a rough year last year because we didn’t rotate them.  So many decisions and of course more yard work.  Our yard changed a lot last year.  We of course had the gardens Dave added too a bit but mostly some very pretty and fun landscaping my Dave also did.

Early stages of digging

The wall in process.

Waiting for more plants and grass.

Almost done just needed the grass funny now it is pretty green there even in winter.  Plus if you look up by the set of garden boxes along the fence he added the new one on the left.  It was a very busy summer and fall.  There is truly plenty of space to garden in our yard.  You can’t see all the beds around the yard.  I will get some pictures up during the planning week.

So many more changes coming this spring, I won’t give it away but it has something to do with recycled pallets and a walkway. =)

Homemade Toaster Pastry

Okay so I was inspired by a wonderful book I checked out from the library, The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making.  The reason I picked this book up?  The picture on the front sold it, it was a photo of pop tart like pastries, I am all in on that one.  I liked her basic recipe but I did a few things my own way.  She has a great pie recipe but I am already a fan of one I found to do right in my blender.

What you need is a pie crust recipe, a good filling recipe and a glaze for the top.  The book did not have theirs glazed but while I am making healthy changes I still need some fun stuff too.

Here is what I did.

Made my favorite pie crust.

Then I homemade blueberry jam.  Holy crap this was so much better and easier than I expected.  I had frozen blueberries in my freezer, pectin and sugar in my cupboard and boom I had blueberry jam/jelly not sure which as I am not a pro at this stuff.

and a quick recipe for a frosting.  I just used a little powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, left it very watery and only put a thin glaze on the pastry.

Once I get this down to near perfection I will share.  For now here is what I got, a decent fruit filled yummy.  First I heard,  “eeeewww you used blueberries, you know I don’t like blueberries.”  This came from a couple home dwellers and of course I said “tough sh*t, that is what I had in the freezer so that is what I made.”  Of course I smiled while saying it so it counts as using my nice words.  Anyway funny thing was those complainers actually liked them and even had seconds.

I am aiming for strawberry and I also had a request for chocolate or maybe s’more filled ones.  I will let you know how they turn out.

They leaked blueberry all over the pan but who cares, it is all about the taste anyway and they tasted yummy.

Final thoughts for today, it is farm day.  What is farm day?  It is the day my food arrives from the farm, I will find my raw milk, cheese, grass fed beef, local honey and eggs.  I love farm day.

Have a day full of Peace & Happiness