Gardening

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100 Things Updated

Posted by: Ali on: September 9, 2009

In: Cooking | Gardening
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A little more than a year ago I made half of my “100 Things to Do Before I Die” list inspired by Mighty Girl. A lot of exciting things have been happening to her lately because of her list (and she’s actually trying to DO the things on her list!). I dropped the ball on my list right after I wrote it. I didn’t even get past writing number 50. Maybe my list is something I’ll have to make as I realize things that I even want to accomplish.

For now I’ll content myself with doing small updates here and there on the things I have managed to get done despite myself.

#28 Cook a meal with the veggies from my own garden.

Maybe I should be nice to myself and give credit for #11. Have a successful veggie garden as well, but I’m not quite ready yet. I expect more. 🙂

Here is B right after h P2200012-1 elping me pick some carrots from our garden. He got enthusiastic about them, and actually tried eating them even though I can rarely get him too. I was a little excited myself. Too bad I could only get him to give me a fake smile. P2210017

I threw in yellow crookneck squash, zucchini, green pepper, basil, and onion (not from the garden) in with the carrots. Eventually came up with:

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A vegetable penne alfredo dish. With homemade baguette on the side of course. Delicious.

Garden Update

Posted by: Ali on: August 20, 2009

In: Gardening
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Things are actually going fairly well in my garden today. If only my tomatoes would turn red! Today I harvested a ton of carrots (though only a quarter of what I had out there), a few jalapeno, and my first zucchini (FINALLY!) Starting to feel better about this out there. OH YEAH! Yesterday I even made some delicious pesto, since my basil if finally producing enough leaves!

My poor tomato plant is totally bowing over under the weight of a lot of green tomatoes!

BTW the carrots are two special breeds that are supposed to stay short– perfect for square foot gardening when they have (at most) 6 inches.

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Monthly Update

Posted by: Ali on: June 12, 2009

In: Cooking | Family | Gardening
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Outside: P6210003 A little bit of harvesting has been going on. I’ve been getting this many berries and sugar snap peas every other day for a couple weeks now. Nice. The lettuces have been slow to get big this year, but I’ve still been harvesting lots of little leaves. Want to have a pic of the garden too, but haven’t gotten around to it.

In My Kitchen: I have cakes and cupcakes up next for the family luau on Saturday evening. Probably make one tomorrow and one Saturday, but we’ll see. I’ll be sure to post pics. I have done well at not baking extra stuff for C’s sake (I even made the sacrifice of eating up the leftovers from his parties). Of course I still have two of his cupcake brownies in the freezer…

I am wearing: PJ’s. It’s almost midnight.

Latest Creative Endeavor: Lots going on in this department lately. That’s all I’m going to say for now…

I am going: to run errands tomorrow and go to yoga. I’m running around a lot more lately, because B has swim lessons 2x a week. I’ve been TRYING to get in more exercise while I’m at the Y too. Then Tuesday I had to hang out all afternoon at G’s house after we took refuge from the torrential rainfal after leaving swimlessons.

Can’t Wait For: our girls trip to the Lake of the Ozarks next weekend! Just Mom, Gma, Ginny, and I. Lots of relaxation! And probably some knitting too.

Family News: my mother and father in law will be visiting before I leave for my mini vaca. B is very excited, since I let it slip that they are coming today. I usually wait as long as I can since he has no sense of weeks yet.

Current Read: I’m in between books right now. Well, at least fiction books, which is what I like to talk about. 🙂 I’ve really got the itch to re-read old favorites right now though (Pride and Prejudice and the Song of Ice and Fire Series).

I am hoping: To have some exciting news in the next week or so. Probably not what you are thinking. 😉

I am hearing: C’s snores.

Around the house: Trying to keep my head above water while my head is somewhere else.

Simple Pleasures: Uninterrupted time on the computer. I should be in bed though.

Plans for the Weekend: Luau and working on the house (hopefully).

Despite all the Tornado Watches

Posted by: Ali on: May 15, 2009

In: Family | Gardening
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It’s a beautiful time of year!

Outside: Everything is coming up beautifully in the garden (I just noticed my zucchini and summer squash are up!), and my lovely peonies are blooming! They might be my favorite flower now… so delicate and frilly! And they smell awesome too!

In My Kitchen: I made muffins and biscuits this week, but I’m trying to be good and not bake otherwise. Chad’s b-day is coming up though… I have some big plans for his cake (though not on the scale of B’s of course). For other cooking I’ve been relying on these lists. This week was week 9. Both the pork and the orzo pasta were delicious! That’s all I’ve done so far this week. Tonight I’m making pizza… I guess that’s baking.

I am wearing: ratty shorts and my favorite paint stained t-shirt. I don’t really have any other shorts I like right now, so that’s the only reason I’m all ratty. Still not turning on the ac!

Latest Creative Endeavor: Despite my intentions… I’m starting another diaper bag. I’m not sure which yet. I have to have it done by TUESDAY. Yikes. I also started knitting the hat to go to those booties from earlier in the week.

I am going: To have a fun Saturday! Gma is watching the kids, and Chad and I are having a date day for my B-day. I decided I wanted to just go to the farmer’s market and brunch instead of dinner and a movie. There aren’t any movies out yet that I want to see. THEN my parents are making me Garbage Burritos for supper. YAY!

Can’t Wait For: the Waterdeep concert at the end of the month. Sad that they are moving though.

Family News: Our family in Southern Illinois got hit pretty hard by the “inland hurricane” they had last week. There are supposedly 2000 trees down in C’dale and 1,000 at SIU. About 20 of those were in my in-laws yard (and just got taken off their house). Thankfully no one we know was hurt though.

Current Read: I just finally read Ender’s Game. I’ve been wanting to read it for forever. It was great. Can’t wait to start #2 in the series. Right now I’m reading a Western book a friend Lori lent me… MorningStar. I doubt I would pick it out myself, but she’s pretty much in charge of picking out my books for me lately. hehe. I need a baby to nurse so I can keep up with her!

I am hoping: To lose the weight I KNEW I would gain when my toe was broken. 🙂

I am hearing: I guess I have to admit that I’m listening to MxPx. lol

Around the house: Just been doing a little spring cleaning lately. You know– vacuuming the mattresses for the dustmites. That kind of thing.

Simple Pleasures: L and B quietly playing together in her room.

Plans for the Weekend: I guess I spoiled most of that earlier. But I actually have a concert I’m looking fwd to on Sunday night too! I haven’t gotten to see NCG play in ages. Then we get to to go to a BBQ for him and his family after.

And below is L rocking and singing to herself in her bedroom. Adorable!

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Outside

Posted by: Ali on: May 8, 2009

In: Gardening
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My poor honeysuckle that was destroyed (or so I thought) last summer has come back with gusto. I’m going to have blooms soon! So excited! My iris bulbs that I planted in the spring have rewarded me with my first bloom! Too bad none of the other bulbs made it through the squirrels. I guess I just have to always plant big ones.

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And my garden is doing so well! Thanks to all the rain we’ve been getting. I guess I’m thankful for the rain for more than just a chance to sleep in a little.

Itty Bitty Plants

Posted by: Ali on: April 21, 2009

In: Gardening
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I’m so excited about my garden right now! Everything is coming up! Above are my sweet peas, and a couple different kinds of lettuces. Today I planted Parsley, Chives, Cilantro, Buttercrunch Lettuce, and some flowers (pansies and marigolds). It was a little later than I’d planned for the herbs, but hopefully they’ll still make it. It’s hard working around all this rain! The plants like it though…

Posted by: Ali on: March 19, 2009

In: Gardening
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I’ve gotten more than half of my garden planted already! Now I just have to wait until April for the warmer weather crops. I did have a lot of plants coming back from last year too (strawberries now take up practically an entire box!) I’m trying a lot of new stuff this year, thanks to my uncle Brad, who gave me lots of free seeds. I used some seeds I had from last year too, so I haven’t had to buy anything yet. However, I didn’t raise any plants inside from seeds. So, I am going to have to buy tomatoes and peppers at a garden center.

Hasn’t the weather been wonderful? I would like some rain for the garden sake, but I’m a little worried that once it starts it won’t stop. C’s sister Gretchen and her boyfriend Jeff are coming into town, so it would be nice to show them the plaza in nice weather. He’s never been to KC. Anything else cool going on this weekend?

Finally the Garden

Posted by: Ali on: September 9, 2008

In: Gardening
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I thought I’d finally show you my mishmash garden. The first two pics are just to show you how crazy my ornamental squash plants have grown. In the top picture they are planted in the right raised bed, in the two squares closest to the camera. And they’ve filled that space between the raised beds, and grown all the way up to the fence, and over it. As you can see in the second picture. The squash is at the top of the fence there, and peonies are growing at the bottom. I’ve just been weaving the squash plant in and out so that it won’t grow over onto my driveway!

This picture is also of the raised bed with the squash in it. You can see basil and lemon grass in that bed as well. The tomato plants are in the box behind. The taller plant never gave me any tomatoes, I don’t think it had enough sun. That’s the shadiest box in the garden. Won’t be using it for tomatoes next year! It’s all a learning experience after all.

Garden Update

Posted by: Ali on: July 18, 2008

In: Cooking | Gardening
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I had a meager harvest today, and I’m pretty happy with it. 🙂 Mainly because I was thinking I wouldn’t get much of anything this year a month ago.

But look, 3 more peppers almost ready on this one plant (I only have one banana pepper plant).

Several yellow squashes that I could pick anytime, and more small zucchinis. Almost time for zucchini bread! And to think that the bunnies had nibbled back these huge plants! My tomato and honeysuckle plants have come back to life as well. Not sure if I’m going to get anything out of them yet though.

Tonight I made quesadillas with sauted red onion, fresh corn, chicken, and (my) zucchini plus salsa and (my) cilantro. It was very good. Another Dinner tonight recipe.

New Blog

Posted by: Ali on: July 15, 2008

In: Family | Gardening
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I’ve been reading a new blog lately. Pretty sure I found it through my mom’s. It’s been really encouraging, especially after being around a bunch of single, better educated, working girls. Here’s an example:

“Here are two more excerpts on motherhood and domesticity from G.K. Chesterton. Simply superb.

“[Woman is surrounded] with very young children, who require to be taught not so much anything as everything. Babies need not to be taught a trade, but to be introduced to a world. To put the matter shortly, woman is generally shut up in a house with a human being at the time when he asks all the questions that there are, and some that there aren’t….”

“[W]hen people begin to talk about this domestic duty as not merely difficult but trivial and dreary, I simply give up the question. For I cannot with the utmost energy of imagination conceive what they mean. When domesticity, for instance, is called drudgery, all the difficulty arises from a double meaning in the word. If drudgery only means dreadfully hard work, I admit the woman drudges in the home, as a man might drudge [at his work]. But if it means that the hard work is more heavy because it is trifling, colorless and of small import to the soul, then as I say, I give it up; I do not know what the words mean…. I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children [arithmetic], and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness.”” end quote

Today has been one of those busy busy days that you barely have anything to show for. It feels so much better to list everything out: 6am fed Lillian then went back to sleep for a little while, snuggled with B in bed (ok, that doesn’t really count), checked email, baked homemade granola, ate breakfast with B (he had yogurt– his favorite thing), read Proverbs 15 to him (I try to read a proverb a day), did pilates, fed L again while watching 10 mins of the president’s speech, got everyone dressed and slicked up with sunscreen, went outside and weeded for 45 minutes while L sat around and B whined about getting eaten by the dog, made lunch (chicken salad, mac and cheese, and pureed avocado for L), ate with the kids (takes longer now that I have to feed L lunch too! I only do it about half the time though), put L down for a nap after cleaning up a poop explosion, raced cars then read to B, got B down for a nap. *sigh* I forgot a few 10 minute sessions of getting B to go Pee pee. He is resisting independence in this one area that I’d actually want him to be (independent).

Update: L went tot he Dr. yesterday and got 3 shots, so she’s not feeling that great right now. =( Her new measurements: 15 lbs 10 oz and 26 or so inches. She hasn’t really grown that much! Maybe she’ll actually get some use out of her clothes (unlike B). Doesn’t have to go back until her 9 mo checkup, so it’s starting to spread out a little finally. After the Dr. my mom took care of L while I took B to the park:

Still on the to do list: vacuuming and mopping the whole house and showering. 🙂