The First 'Mater of 2012 w. Gingi

This year I decided that I would share my very first German Johnson tomato with my dearest grandmother, who's in the hospital with neuropathy.  All my life she has shared her German Johnsons with me.  Whether it was her last, first, or only tomato, she was willing to share.  Going to visit her, no matter the season, she always had tomatoes in her window seal, and she always asked "Do y'all need any tomatoes?" She would also offer any other vegetable she had in her dehydrator or that she had just picked from her garden that same day.

So, I made a promise to myself, and to Facebook, I guess, that I would share the very first one with her, no matter the size, shape, or condition.  And so I did. I let this special first 'mater sit in my kitchen window seal and ripen to perfection, until it had that deep red color, and until the skin turned soft and tender, making sure there were no green spots on the top near the stem.  And when this perfection had been achieved, I made a special appointment with the hubby, because once it was ready, we had to go.  When I pulled that perfectly ripened 'mater out of my pocket book (just like Gingi herself would have done), her eyes lit up, "Is that a German Johnson?"  "Yes Ma'am," I answered.  I told her my promise, and she replied, "ain't that sweet."

I told her that it was a small tomato, but it was the first, so I had to share it, no matter the size.  She said in reply, "it's enough for me and you to both have some." I of course had to agree with her.  I laid the 'mater down on her little cart, waiting for her dinner tray, so she could have it with her other food.  After waiting for awhile, she finally said, "go see if the nurses will give you some plates and a fork."  She did not want to wait!!

Ok, so I went on a treasure hunt, and was able to find some small styrofoam plates, but no utensils. Luckily I had brought a knife to slice it with, but Charles had to hunt down some eating utensils, and all they had was plastic spoons.  Gingi said she thought she could handle eating it with a spoon, and we both laughed, because I think she would have eaten it with her fingers if I would have let her.  Before I could get the tomato sliced, she asked, "You got some salt?"  Of course I made sure we had salt.  I know better than that!

So I handed her the two biggest slices, sprinkled with salt, and the plastic spoon.  She got really quiet.  After the first bite, she exclaimed, "there just ain't nothing better."  WOW. It was the best mater moment ever!  I am so glad I did this with her. She is getting on up there in age, and we just never know these days how much longer she will be able to enjoy maters with us.  I am so glad that I am able to share something that I grew in my own yard with someone who I know will enjoy it the way she did. Of course I took a picture, caught her tongue out, spoon full of mater going in.....that is what it's all about!

Precious Delights Part III - Apples

Unfortunately, we are one apple tree down this year.  We aren't sure what happened, but it just fell over.  But my red apple tree on the other hand, has treated us well.  Apples are very abundant, falling on the ground, feeding me, my neighbors, the rabbits, the deer, and even the butterflies and the bees.  One of my cousins came and picked a five gallon bucket to take home and make apple butter.  She also grabbed a bag full of bruised apples to take to feed her chickens.  I am so glad that I have been able to supply apples for so many different species! At least they all didn't go to waste.  I have a couple more trees that will be ready soon, in which I am hopefully going to make some apple butter.  My front apple tree didn't do so well this year.  I think the beetles must have eaten most of the blooms, because there weren't many apples at all.

I went out one day to get just enough apples to fry for our dinner.  The rain from the night before had prepared the apples their own little home on the ground, washing up enough dirt around them to keep them from rolling.   I just couldn't resist a photo.  Just another example of the beauty of nature, taking care of its own relatives...

I brought the apples around front and sat them on the picnic table to photograph them as the first apples from my trees in 2012.  I didn't realize until after the photo was taken, that I had an uninvited guest on top of the red apple! I told him he didn't have to go home, but he couldn't go inside with me!


When I got the apples inside, I placed them all in the window seal in my utility room.  Leela decided to inspect them, since they were in her spot at the window.  I guess she allowed them to stay, because she never harmed them. After a few sniffs and biffs, she simply made room for her tiny little paws to keep her balance, and then laid down beside them.

All of these precious stories...all because a seed went underground.  I have never enjoyed the small things in life this much. It is such a beautiful scene to watch, the crops growing day by day.  And then the best part is that we get to indulge when it is time to harvest.  Talk about organic and local?? It's all right here in my yard baby...and all it cost me was my time.

Precious Delights Part II

Blackberries & Raspberries.  I planted blackberries and raspberries, knowing that they wouldn't bare any fruit this year.  But, I have had my fair share of wild blackberries growing in the edge of our woods to satisfy my taste.  One day, while I was out and about in my yard, I picked this wild blackberry. I wanted to save it for later, so I laid it down on the edge of my raised bed while I checked on the tomatoes. When I came back, I found this little guy, carrying his dinner home to his friends family.  I was hoping he was only taking a detour, because I sure wasn't going to share my first blackberry of the season with him.  After all, he obviously had his own dinner! Nature sure is a blessing!

My planted blackberries have done well so far!  The little leaves just never cease to amaze me.  The plant had one bloom, and boy it was precious! That one bloom tried its very best to produce a berry, but all it could do was form one little morsel of one little blackberry! It was sooo cute. I can't wait until next year to have at least a handful of berries that I grew all by myself!

The raspberries that I planted this year are doing real well also.  They didn't bear any fruit, as expected, but they did produce long stems with multiple bright green leaves, and tiny red "pricklies".  They really are a sight to see. I can't wait to see them bloom next year.  Raspberries are my absolute favorite berry, in my cereal, in my chocolate mousse, in my ice cream, or in my smoothie, what a treat!

Herbs.  I decided to plant herbs for the first time this year too. I planted rosemary, thyme, cilantro, basil, and oregano.  I planted them in a plastic box that we found in one of our old sheds.  They did real well, at least until the heat wave took over, then I had to move the box under the carport.  They simply couldn't handle the heat, even if they were watered correctly.  I picked some basil to enjoy with two of my maters...summer-licious!

Precious Delights Part 1

Sorry, I have been away for awhile, taking care of the goodies that I have been blessed with in my own cupboard.  I feel like a quick update is way over due...so here it goes...

Peaches.  My last couple of posts were about the Lil Peach Tree that could. The peaches were starting to turn red, and they were starting to drip sap.  I am a little disappointed to have to announce that from there, it got extremely hot and dry, and most of them fell off the tree before ripening.  The good news is that I have 2 other peach trees, and now I am hoping the best for their future...we'll see.  To recap the peach tree that could, here is photographic story of how it appeared to me at different stages of the season...it may not have bared any eatable fruits, but it definitely showed off its beauty along the way...

3/6/12  Bare tree...

3/11/12  A few buds are popping up...

3/15/12 The blooms opened...

3/21/12  More blooms...

3/23/12  Blooms and Leaves...

4/3/12  All leaves...

4/25/12  Lots of leaves and little peaches...

5/14/12  This is about all she produced :(. Better luck next year!

Cucumbers & Squash. This year I went out on a limb and tried my hand at growing squash and cucumbers, too.  They did real well until the temperatures here were 100 degrees or higher for 10 days straight.  I have now laid them to rest until next year. But, check out what I was blessed with before they withered away...I had 1 eatable cucumber with all of it's pricklies, and 2 squash, who showed off their beautiful blossoms before leaving me.  It just seemed like I could not keep them watered enough, and next year I think I will plant them directly in the ground, instead of in large pots. You live, you learn, I guess.  On the bright side, it was a pleasure watching them grow!

Grapes.  My mom and step-dad assisted my husband and I with the trimming back of the much dreaded grapevines. They hadn't been touched in at least 10 years, and were full of poison ivy, morning glory, and honey suckle.  We spent many, many hot and sticky hours cleaning and pulling out unwanted plants by their roots.  This was not an easy job.  Ken cut them back first with a special piece on his weed eater. The vines bled abundantly.  But much to our surprise, for the first time in the 9 years I have lived here, we have recognizable grapes!  The new growth seems very happy, taking over the old chicken wire, which was originally placed by Charles' grandmother and grandfather.  We are pretty sure that we have at least two different types of grapes, one on each side, one of them being the concord, which are harvested in the summer, and the other one being scuppernongs, which aren't harvested until the Fall. So far, I have only gathered small hand fulls at a time of the concord grapes, not really enough to do anything with.  I am hoping they will do better next year since they were severely trimmed this year.  There may be some grape jelly in my future for next year...we shall see!


Well, I guess that's a wrap, until next time...stay tuned for Part II...I have plenty more to share!

Our "Lil" Peach Tree--Part 5

May 14, 2012

Yay!  The peaches are starting to turn red!  But the strangest thing--is this sap, or peach juice that they are weeping.  I am unsure exactly what it is, but my other peach trees are doing the same, only not as bad.  I really hope this is not bad news! As long as this tree shares at least one ripe juicy peach with me, I will be ecstatic.  Just another reason to call it the little peach tree that could! I think it can, I think it can! I'm hoping it won't be long before they start to ripen!

Strawberry Corn Cake - Surprisingly Tasty!

It has to be one of my favorite parts of Spring...biting into a juicy, red, ripened strawberry.  Believe me, I can, and will, devour them directly from the patch...no washing necessary!  Growing up, we lived right down the road from Brooks' Farm Strawberries.  Almost every year, my mom or grandmother would take us to pick our own.  I vividly remember my younger sister eating her weight in strawberries before ever even leaving the patch, covering herself in red juice from head to toe.  My grandmother always picked enough to put in her freezer so that we could have fresh strawberry shortcakes year round.  Mom always put sugar over them after they were sliced, and put them in the fridge for later.  Or, we would put them in our Frosted Flakes on Saturday mornings, back when good cartoons were still on TV on the weekends.

My grandmother, who's birthday happens to be right in the middle of strawberry season, turned 91 this year.  She is currently in the hospital, going through rehab for Neuropothy, which is a condition that affects the nerves in her arms and legs.  She was unable to enjoy her birthday at home, so we brought the birthday to her!  We made German Johnson tomato sandwiches (her favorite), and for dessert, we had strawberry short cakes.  My mom purchased some local fresh strawberries, tossed them with sugar, and put them over the little yellow cake cups that you get in the grocery store.  We topped them with whipped cream, and a candle, and voila!, birthday cake!  It really brightened her day! It's amazing what something as simple as food can do for the soul! 

Our "Lil" Peach Tree--Part 4

April 18, 2012.  

There are now little baby green peaches hanging on our 'lil peach tree! It's only a matter of the perfect amount of sunshine and rain to keep these babies growing.  Now I don't normally spend my time watering trees, but this year I decided that I definitely wanted to be able to enjoy these precious little fruits, and have been watering the tree as I see fit. (I may have snuck in a little Miracle Grow too...).  I am not willing to take those same risks this year.  I guess it's still a waiting game...

 

April 25, 2012.

Wow! Only one week later, and the little peaches have grown!  From a distance, this lil tree looks no different from the last couple of posts, but it you look closely, you can see how much the baby peaches have grown!

Our "Lil" Peach Tree--Part 3 & Other Updates

Our Lil Peach Tree, April 3, 2012.

This tree just never ceases to amaze me.  It's little dark brown or black looking branches just never stop giving.  It has gone from buds to blooms, and now to these beautiful bright green leaves.  We have been lucky to have rain and fair temperatures lately.  Hopefully this trend will continue throughout the summer, especially the hot days and cool nights, which is what will produce my favorite sweet juicy peaches!  Stay tuned!
 

Refreshed Grapevines.

 It is so nice to see these severely pruned grapevines showing some green!  They have bled a good amount, but I think they are going to produce this year!  Spring has been so good to us, and I hope it continues. There are also some tiny bunches of grapes (pictured right) starting to form here and there. 

My Favorite Apple Tree. 

All I can say when I look at this picture is WOW!  Can you believe that every little bloom could possibly produce an apple if pollinated?? That's a lot of apples!  Actually, this is the apple tree that produces the largest amounts of apples in the summer, with its branches hanging full, all of the way to the ground.  As I was photographing this beauty, I couldn't help but noticing the sweet aroma that the blooms were giving off, reminding me of sweet, sweet honeysuckle. The honey bees and yellow jackets were in love with it just as much as I was--there were bunches and bunches of them, at least one on every other bloom, just a pollinating away, creating a pleasant buzzzz and hmmmmm.  Hopefully this is a great sign of what the future holds for this tree.  Last year, with the apples from this tree, I made my bubbly summer apple triple crust cobbler, fried apples, and homemade apple sauce.  But the options are endless I guess, so we'll just have to see what the future holds...

Blackberries & Raspberries.

This year I branched out (ha ha) a little bit and planted Thornless blackberries and Brandywine raspberries, neither of which have I planted before.  Growing up we had plenty of wild blackberries, which won't compare to the nice juicy ones that planted ones can produce.  These are somewhat of an experiment, and I am willing to accept the challenge!

Brandywine Raspberry

Thornless Blackberry

Well, that's all folks!  Stay tuned for more updates, and maybe some even recipes when these tasty treats are ready to come off the vines!

Our "Lil" Peach Tree--Part 2

March 21-23, 2012  

My husband describes this tree as "the little peach tree that could, " and also feels like this tree just keeps saying, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."  And he is correct.  It is hard to believe that this tiny little tree is able to produce something as beautiful as it has this year.  In the past week or so, the blooms have started to die off (sadly enough), and the green leaves have started to sprout!!  We have been pretty lucky this year to have rain showers about every other day.  Hopefully this pattern will continue until we have sweet juicy peaches to enjoy!

Our "Lil" Peach Tree, Part 1

One interesting aspect of food is how it is grown, raised or produced, and the beauty it brings to us during the process.  For example, I have the luxury of watching quite a few fruit trees in my yard, from start to finish, year round, enjoying the blooms, the buds, the leaves, the fruit, and even the seeds.  To showcase the beauty of growing your own products, I have chosen this little peach tree in my yard to observe and share with you throughout its peak season.  

But first, a little bit of history of this little tree.  The house, the land, and all of these precious little trees were passed down from Charles' grandparents to his father, and then to Charles and I.  In 2003, before my husband and I got married, we had all of the fruit trees pruned, even this little tree.  The result was...well, let's just say...we didn't think it was going to survive.  We simply left it alone after the pruning with all faith that it would come back the next year.  Actually, it bared miserable looking blooms for the next couple of seasons, and we had given up all hope that it would ever produce any fruit.  But boy, were we wrong!! In 2010, it gave us one big fat peach...only the best tasting peach I have ever put in my mouth!  The "crop" that year wasn't very abundant, but the one peach that we had was well worth the wait.  Unfortunately I have no photos of it, probably because it took the most direct route to my belly.  In 2011, it produced abundantly, but we were then disappointed by extreme temperatures and drought, which did not allow the peaches to ripen. Hopefully that won't be the case this year.

March 6, 2012
This is the first photo, being used to compare the tree week by week. If you look closely, you can see the brand new tiny buds on the ends of each branch, just starting to poke their heads out, promising sweet juicy peaches.  You can see just how little our "lil" peach tree is!

March 11, 2012
The second photo.  Below you can see that the little buds are starting to barely open.  Notice the light pink color.  Also you can see the older growth, or the darker wood, vs. the newer growth, or lighter wood.  Both will hopefully be bearing fruit this year.

 

March 15, 2012

Yeah!  Only four days later, the blooms have started to open!  Actually, there are quite a few clusters that have opened.  Here you see them blossoming in the morning sunrise.  I don't know about you, but it sure brightened my day...

Sometimes something so simple can be so lovely.  I can't wait to taste the fruits of Spring & Summer. You gotta love it!

Stay tuned!  I will be watching the "lil" tree week by week throughout the spring and summer.  Ya'll come back now, ya hear!