It's like Groundhog Day around here, but in a good way! With the amount lettuces and peas coming in, I had to break out the big guns...
Finnegan!
This kid is a pro at picking peas, he always gets all the "hiders" as he calls them. Loch isn't much for helping harvest anything, he prefers to be involved in the planting and sprouting of things, packing his magnifying glass and spritzer bottle, and prefers planning the spaces and companion planting to actual transplanting. Finn on the other hand, loves to harvest things.
Groundhog Day - "Pick Lettuce, Pick Peas, Wash Lettuce, Blanch Peas, Freeze Peas, Bake Bread, repeat"!
My squashes are finally up! There are little radishes planted around them as per the Carrots Love Tomatoes book to prevent squash bugs - yeah, that made me laugh too! But at least I could remember where the squash hills were.
One more for Grandma...
Aaaargle...part of the problem with this blog stuff is that you see other people in WARM, SUNNY places harvesting vegetables by the bucket load when your pea plants are a mere 3 inches high! Pea envy aside, I also envy your farm hand....LOL!
ReplyDeleteYeppers, time to whip those kids into shape. Tote that barge! Lift them bales!
ReplyDeleteI am quite impressed with Finn's piano playing, he's a quick learner. I often think of the money I spent on my youngest. New piano. Three years of lessons. She's 37 years old now and can play one song.
Good job Finn,on the key board thingy and in the garden.I noticed Erin you speak quickly like I do. that was a problem for me down south .DO THEY STILL SAY YES MA'AM OR NO SIR AT THE STORE. WE ALSO HAD TO TAPE OUR COUPONS TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM IN THE STORE,NOT LIKE IN MN,YOU JUST RIP EM OUT AND HAND THEM TO THE CASHIER. AGAIN NO ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, NEEDED-MY HUBBY IS FROM THE SOUTH SO I'M USED TO I NEED THOSE WIRE PLIERS OVER YONDER!
ReplyDeleteLook at those peas- AWESOME. The bread looks good too. I tried keeping a sourdough started once but it did not go well. Too stinky! (I think I was doing it wrong.)
ReplyDeleteI WANT SOME OF THAT BREAD! One of those loaves, a stick of butter and I'd be a happy girl. (Okay, maybe a glass of nice red wine, too.)
ReplyDeleteHeck, Susan, if I were planting a garden this year my peas wouldn't even be IN yet because it's been so darn cold! It's a bright, sunny day but we've had a little fire going in the wood stove all morning.
Erin, it's hard for us to believe how fully into summer time you look to be there. Our warm weather just will not arrive this year for love nor money. But I know one of these days, it will be 70 degrees and winter will be over. Finally. Great pics and news from Virginia Beach.
Susan, the weather has been so strange this week - we have a random 1-3 hours of sun but the rest of the past week has been rainy. The 7 day outlook is the same way. The sun was just out and I thought that when I finished cooking I would go out there, then the thunder just started up again! At least it's in the 70's though.
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Gran, LOL! Sometimes I cringe when writing the check for music lessons, but then Finn and Loch surprise me by actually playing something, and they seem to enjoy it! I'd much rather pay for these kinds of lifelong skills rather than the extraordinary charges of soccer, uniforms, etc! Thankfully, they don't do those :)
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Judy, no ma'am's here! The store personnel are mostly too rude for that!
Kelly, give PEAS A CHANCE! LOL, I couldn't resist - yours will come! The starter should be a very powerful fermenting scent - and should smell much like alcohol at times, since that is what it is. We brew beer, and the scent is essentially the same as the primary fermentation process. If you actually had an "off" starter, it would smell BAD, like rotting stuff, otherwise that strong sourdough smell combined with alcohol fermentation is what you want.
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Mama Pea, I truly love these days since I know that my time is coming - it will be a humid sticky 100 outside and I will refuse to go out there and harvest, then I'll be jealous of everyone else LOL!
Oh my goodness give those cheeks on Finn some kisses! He is adorable. I remember when my son was that little and was all hugs and kisses and now he's all elbows and knees and don't touch me's.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to get a small patch of peas in soon, before it gets too hot for them. The weather is not cooperating.
Great job on the piano too. Makes me smile to see him sitting there with his feet not touching the ground playing. He's really doing fantastic!
Very fun post! Great farm hand and musician! I second everything Mama Pea said. The bread, the peas, summer not here, peas not in...same for me. :) Oh well. Happy summer to you!
ReplyDeleteSparkless, LOL he is pretty darn cute when he's not throwing a tantrum :)
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Patty, too bad the kids lose steam after only a few minutes! Hope it warms up quick your way...
What a cutie! I love how serious he looks when playing. Does it ever get to be too much?
ReplyDeleteI think my mother nipped the Sherry when I was learning!
Finn has more talent in his little pinky than I do in my entire body! Child Labor Laws (or lack thereof) always cracks me up!
ReplyDeleteDo you remember when our Dads would tell us to "Go turn the channel"?
Well your garden is lovely! If they eat a few as they go along it should give them energy to keep on movin!
I've planted onions, radish, nastruisms, and marigolds around the squash because I've read it all helps and wouldn't you know not 1 single squash has sprouted yet??!!
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, I'm a firm believer in child labor. But I want to come to your house and have lettuce and peas and fresh baked bread. I promise I'll practice the piano and help pick lettuce!
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Finn looks adorable in that pic. Jonathan loves loves to harvest peas too (and eat them!)
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of you today. My long beans germinated are sprouting right now. I can't wait to plant them out!
That Finn is just a big ole cutie!
ReplyDeleteI had such good luck with the rasishes keeping the bugs at bay near my squash, I've planted more. We don't even like radishes, but the goats eath the tops, so it's really cheap feed. I spray the little sb's with 1 1/2 C water 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol & 1-2 Tbsp dish soap, they die!!!
ReplyDeleteSue, what is really over the top sometimes is Loch practicing his violin LOL! Why do you think we brew our own beer? :)
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APG, we are doing the tv thing again! Our remote stopped working for the on/off switch so we have to WALK to the tv to turn it on LOL
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the author, hope yours sprouts soon! Mine came right up but what's giving me trouble are sunflowers, I've run through 2 packets already, I think the birds are watching me and digging them up!
Judy, you're on! Wait, why don't I just send my child labor your way for the summer... yeah, that's a better deal for me.... hahahaha!
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Thomas, Finn surprised me this morning by wanting to go pick some peas to put in his lunchbox for school! I was downright giddy but I kept calm, I didn't want to scare him LOL! Those beans will drown you, but they are so darn beautiful I can't help but plant them all over!
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Dani, Finn's got a loose front tooth now, so it's a matter of time before he gets that awkward goofy look LOL!
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Valerie, nice to hear you had some success with that radish planting! I'm giving Loch your recipe, he's my bug zapper guy!
What a great helper! Wow, I can't believe the haul of peas you collected. Totally amazing. Question for you, how closely did you plant the seedlings? They look pretty packed in there. I should have planted ours just as close, I might direct sow a few more seeds now that I see yours in action!
ReplyDeleteBTW, many thanks for the freshops.com website. It is FABULOUS and I'm totally putting in an order for rhizomes asap. BTW, are your rhizomes directly in the ground? I currently have mine in a container pot, that I was going to put in a larger container pot. I would love to see photos of your setup!
meems, I plant my pea seeds 1 inch apart! It works fantastic, I let the kids do it LOL and that's how it happened. I'm finally getting enough to preserve, so I'll do it like this from now on. I just posted a hops video for you!
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