Ginny's handmade Cover Girl :o)

Say hello to my " Little Cover up Girl "

What's she covering up you say? Well lets

take a peek under her skirts (naughty).

She has been saving something for  me for at least 30 years, she keeps it out of contact of some people who like to "touchy , feely"

and when they break it "Sorry" means nothing. 

Now the secret is out :o). I bought this about 

30 or more years ago,

 I forgot where, because I loved Antique shopping and Junk stores ( Now they are called Goodwill :o) It's really a butter Churner missing the paddle that fits into that hole.

She will do fine for making Kraut, made of the same stuff.. 

Last year I had to use a ceramic flower pot, it did the job but it was uncomfortable to use.

The plate I used needed more weight to hold down the cabbage..well I googled and found the perfect solution for this years "Sauerkraut makings :o)  

Here's the solution to the problem :o)

It came last night ..I wish delivery would at least ring the bell. It wasn't found until late when Cecil checked the car etc. before we retired for the night.

Inside the crock , you can see it's a perfect fit :o)...now I'm ready for some serious Sauerkraut making. My blessing was right under my nose all along if I just paid some attention :o) I saved myself a pretty penny :o) not having to buy another set up.

Update: TSM product 10-15 Liter Stone Weight..There is a larger one, but that size fits my crock. I ordered it from Amazon.com. $14.95 +$7.35 = $22.34

Ginny The Tomato Lady :o)

I'm sure that to some of you these little bit of tomatoes mean absolutely nothing! To me it's a big big deal!, first of all I saved the seeds from Plum tomatoes that I bought at the grocery store when even the Farmers Market didn't have Plum tomatoes. I wanted them to make sauce etc. with since I remembered from old days they are so nice and meaty for those purposes...Well my seeds lived :o) and it seems everyone of them that I planted..I gave a neighbor some and it just seemed others didn't want to bother :o(  They will accept all the tomatoes I give them..with no work for them , just to eat them . Your looking at the ones I didn't have room to plant until something else comes out of the

garden. I think they are the nicest group of tomatoes :o) 
Below: In the box are some Plum tomatoes and some Heirloom I had to buy like "Mortgage Lifter' "Cherokee Purple" I also bought a " Yellow Pear" that I put in the "Side Garden", where I put the rest of the Plum Tomatoes and some of the Cabbage Plants that something is eating the heck out of...Seven seems to be helping. It's so hot outside now that I had to rush back inside.. 

                                                            

I'll show the "Side Garden" another time.
It's coming along nicely and so is the "Cabbage Patch" that I put in the front  hehehe  I'm using all the space I can and it still looks Neat :o).. If it works, I'm going to have a lot of cabbage for that special Sauerkraut dish I've started making..Cecil loves it and a quart disappears quickly ..I may have to get some 1/2  gallon jars :o)
If you look closely there is a bloom on that firt plant at the very top :o)  (Cherokee Purple plant). Also I forgot to tell you about the pepper plants in the box. They are some mixed color small ones I got at Sam's Club. I don't know which color is which, I kept them separate saving , but planting is a different story..I got mixed up...they will all get used regardless of color.

Happy 63rd Anniversary to Us

May 23, 1948
Taken on our Wedding day.

The latest picture  taken June 2007

                                          

Celebrating our 63rd Wedding Anniversary today.  After 3 children,7 Grand children, and 4 great grand children. That is our life.

More Birthday Gifts Everyday :o) :o)

I'm loving this Birthday...The doorbell is ringing with more Gifts :o)   I'm grinning from ear to ear.  
Ooh Whew child, things are getting a little bit brighter  (singing that) :o)  What a thoughtful gift for me ..a box full of a whole Sliced Country Ham including the  hock for my  beans :o)  smiling from ear to ear as I wrap them up for the freezer to have anytime I please , with grits and eggs, or ham and home fries or ham and biscuits...What a day.Wish I could have  Birthday's more often :o)

UPDATE : I cooked a couple of slices of that Ham for breakfast with some creamy grits and eggs...also some leftover reheated biscuits I'm here to tell you it was delecious and what's so good about it, We have many more slices to enjoy for many more  days :o)

Happy Birthday to me :o)

  

 Happy
        Birthday
                     to
                          Me            

:o)

Harvest for Monday

This is the beginning of this years green harvesting :o) So you all know I'm happy!
I've already had a piece of toast for breakfast...but how can I resist these greens, looking so crisp and tender ugh! Better get some before my little monsters come to visit..

There is just enough in this pan for me and Cecil and I better get mine first :o) He shows no mercy when it comes to eating, and I'm a slow eater besides..
It didn't take any time to fry up a few strips of bacon to season the greens and save the bacon strips to eat with it...and greens need cornbread in my book..looks like I was in a hurry and burned a couple

of pieces in my haste..well I ate pretty fast and didn't even notice :o)  Glad I had something to show for Monday Harvest..and was it ever good!  yippee! fresh green time again..

Farmer Cecil's Potato Patch :o)

Cecil is turning into a real farmer :o) Just take a look at his potato rows , They look so nice and Healthy. I can see I'll be busy putting some of them up in jars...it's a lot of work once!  it feels good when your tired, busy or just lazy to prepare a meal quickly by opening a jar.

The Pear tree is so loaded that Cecil made a makeshift arm for the limb  to lean on (that's that white board you see with one across it) least it break from the weight..it's a good little "country" idea  (hey! its working). Note the Peonies that are just falling all over the place..I was able to get another bouquet and one to share before the rain came and the water messed them up..Now I need to just snip them all off..and wait for next year :o(

Notice how much taller and thicker the Potato row is at the bottom! We don't know why (unless the nutrients land there before the drop of the land). (That's the compost slat showing ).

At least I was able to get another bouquet before they were completely gone for the season..they didn't last an hour inside before they
started to droop :o(

UPDATE:  Silly us, the reason some of the potatoes look bigger there are two different ones ..First part of the row are Yukon Gold and the second half are White potatoes...Cecil is getting old and forgets :o) me too! Never to old to learn something (if your so smart why didn't you think of that and let us know :o(

A Sweet Mother's Day Card

Isn't this the cutest card to receive on Mother's Day! Mostly written, and signed  by  a 5 yr old and 6 yr old  (or 6 and 7 yr old) For a Great Grand mother to receive, it was a blessing and made my day. 

Saturday

I went to the Herb Festival at the Farmers Market  ( I didn't know about it, so it was a pleasant surprise to me. That's how I ended up with the two new herbs :o) so far they are doing nicely..I have to remember them for next year..

  I was delighted, I was able to pick up some Chocolate Mint and some Orange Mint to add to my mint collection.. I lost a Pineapple mint a couple of years ago and got a little lost starting up again. My old Peppermint (or Spearmint) is going on 15 or 20 years old...It's been in the same pot and continues to come back every year. Today I decided (finally) to snip off some and dry it for my winter supply of tea leaves.

In this corner is the 20 yr old
Peppermint ( or Spearmint) I can never remember which :o) I should have taken a picture before I snipped it up :o(

 This is one of  the  new kids on the block..The Chocolate Mint.. I intend to keep it in this pot so it doesn't crawl all over the yard. It's a little cutie now ..hope she continues to grow..

This is the Orange Mint about the same size as the chocolate...I hope they both do well..

Peonies from my Garden

         Happy Mothers Day      

Derby Day in Kentucky

Mrs. VALERIE C. WHITE 

Update: Did I forget to say this is Cecil and My Daughter!

Big doings at Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky for Derby Day..where hats are on parade.

This is the kind of breakfast for a "Farm Girl" to have so she can work her "Almost an Acre" Farm land  :o) Creamy Grits with Cheese and eggs, breakfast sausage and toasted raisin bread :o) that ought to hold her while she gets her crops in the ground.

In this bed I put the Heirloom Tomatoes I had to buy! and the peppers that I raised from seed ( I hope they are strong enough to survive).. 

I put the Cabbage and Plum Tomatoes in the "Side Garden".. (below) and took some of the Plum Tomatoes and put them into my "Greenhouse" it's very small but does a good job.  The Peppers are very small ( I may have to replace them..at least I tried and learned a lot from them..If I lose some at least I'll have a backup :o)

These are the Plum tomato's i grew from seed :o)..last year they were hard to find. hopefully I'll have plenty this year :o)

These are the cabbage also planted in the "Side Garden". the large one you see is one that survived from last year.  At the top of the picture you can see an onion near the pot that also survived from last year...Hopefully this years cabbage crop will be as good or better than last year..still have to get some Red Cabbage. Cecil fell in love with them last year. I'm stiff as a board from all that work..Granny understands ;o)

Video: Make a Keyhole Garden - Vegetable Gardener

Every where you look these days many  people are trying to survive their economy with Gardens.  I ran across this new idea video and thought the "Key Hole Garden" was a good idea and wanted to share the video with you. Click on the URL below

Video: Make a Keyhole Garden - Vegetable Gardener

Just had to take a picture of this Master Tree as we call it

 The trees you see in the background is no ones property (it's the woods and is very steep! Do a close up and see how beautiful she is..she is the largest tree in the section and I'm glad the developers decided to leave her..she is such a beauty.. Just imagine this whole place was full of trees like that and cut down to make homes and
some don't even plant trees to replace. Guess I'm getting political.

Windy or not we just had to try the grill out yesterday :o) Usually I broil lamb chops or use my black skillet to pan fry them... Sam's club slices them so thick! they don't seem to get done enough for us either way...sooo, on the grill :o) they got a tad black in places but that gave it more flavor...

Cecil waiting for the chops , He has been working in the yard all day, says he just can't sit down  ( I can)  :o) think about it, who got the grill started with the chops, who's in the house getting potatoes boiled and
carrots and string beans together? Me, that's who!  I'm earning my keep.