How the U.S. Navy saved my shallots!

You know how some women hang on to their pre-pregnancy clothes even though they will never fit properly again? It's kind of like proof that we were indeed svelte and hip - "back in the day"! Well, this is also true with veterans. We can't seem to get rid of our uniforms and all accoutrement no matter how many times we stumble upon them over the years in the course of spring cleanings. I have been lugging around 2 seabags full of Navy uniforms ever since I got out over 10 years ago! Now it's like proof to my kids that I was somebody before them, lol! (For those of you who don't know, I was an OTA, Ocean Systems Technician - big word for someone who detects, classifies, and tracks foreign submarines). So on to the shallots - I live in VA, where no one has basements, so I am trying to figure out how to store my shallots so they won't rot. After much thought (I don't have pantyhose or old onion bags to reuse) I came across said seabags in the closet. When I opened the first one, there on top was my answer - Ditty Bags! No, that's not dirty bags, but ditty bags! They are intended for laundry or storing things, and even though I have never used them I seem to have copious amounts of them stored in with my uniforms. The perfect solution - they are made of mesh, and you can launder them for reuse! Who would have thought my Navy service would have come in handy for gardening, lol!?

Here's the shallots with the tops cut off ready for storage

...and here's a "Ditty Bag" with a new life storing shallots!

Yesterday's harvest brought a few cukes, Pinot Noir Bell Peppers, Purple Rain Eggplant, Red Popper Sweet Peppers, and a few blackberries the birds didn't get to.

Harvest Dinner: Chicken Kebabs with Grilled Eggplant, Peppers, Black Pearl Tomatoes and potatoes

On to new exciting stuff: I got a new scale, and it is a sexy one at that! Can a scale be sexy, you ask? Well, just look....! It is cordless, and has a temp probe that can be plugged into it! Even gardeners can get giddy over tech-y stuff! This scale is "all that - and a bag of shallots"! So much for gardening to save money...this was one of those "I have to have that" moments!

On a walkthrough of the garden yesterday, I snapped some pics of things growing now. This is the Hokkaido Heirloom Squash and Cucumber Bed. Growing like gangbusters over the past week!

Flowers on the Hokkaido Squash. Notice the inside of flowers are filled with bees doing their busy work!

I left a few of my grape bunches unbagged so I could monitor their ripeness...the first bunch has turned purple! You can see why I bagged the rest...birds!

In other news around the suburban homestead...we took Loch to camp yesterday! How awesome is 4-H in that they have sleepaway camp for kids as young as 5?!! Nervous, you ask? No Way! I can't wait until Finn is old enough to go with Loch next year. I'm not nervous even a little bit...I know how awesome camp is and he was excited to go. He is also my kid that has no separation issues either, he is "Mr. Independent". I just hope he takes some pictures with the camera we sent with him. Finnegan was feeling a bit lonely on his first night without his big brother, so Daddy set up the tent and we went camping in the living room since it was raining outside! We even set it up right next to the lake (aquarium)! Picture is kind of grainy since I snapped it with a kiddie camera.

Here's a few pics from Finn's sleep study at the Children's Hospital the other night. It looks worse than it was, lol! He said he was turned into "Spiderman"! We will get the apnea results later this month. I guess he and Daddy had a good time there watching a movie and feeling like a science experiment!

Getting back to the Garden...

I spent the day getting some things done in the garden that were being neglected the past couple of weeks. The weather has been strange this year, unseasonably cool (mid-80's) with very little humidity (definitely not complaining!) so things have been slower than I am used to. I have had some cherry tomatoes, but am still waiting on my first heirloom tomatoes! I picked a good week to let things go since the chores only took a day to get caught up! I pulled weeds, wove my tomatoes into their trellis system, and pulled out all my bolted lettuces. I had never let my lettuce get so tall before, they looked kind of like 3 foot Christmas trees for bunnies! Then this evening, I finally went on a Japanese Beetle Massacre, ugh! My grapes were covered with them, all piled on top of each other in their shiny green disguting-ness!

Here's the damage, the beetles are belly up on the leaves below!

Speaking of pests, I have been meaning to post a pic of my first Tobacco Hornworm. The night this happened, no kidding, I dropped my little cultivator and ran! If there were any neighbors looking on, they probably thought I had found an anaconda. I have seen these in books and was familiar with the PICTURES but nothing prepared me for a live performance! This happened while I was actually searching for whatever had topped my potatoes...earlier I had noticed that one of my potato cages looked like someone had taken a weed whacker to the tops. Those of you more seasoned than I will probably laugh at the fact that not only did I take pictures, I even videotaped this monster to show my husband what was living in our backyard!

After consulting the trusty "Good Bug, Bad Bug" book for eradication tips, I almost gagged when I read "pick them off by hand, cut in half with knife, there is no known pesticide..." GROSS! Needless to say, I cut off the whole branch, and after using it for my photo shoot, put it in a Ziploc and into the neighbor's trash can, lol! Of course, my husband, upon seeing the video emails me from the ship and says "are you sure that's the only one?" So it's back out to the garden and I only found one more, but it looked like a bird had been pecking at it since it was dried up in the dirt so I left it. I just checked again tonight and I didn't see any, although now I know that if you see one with white sacs attached to it, leave it...those are beneficial parasitic wasps that will hatch and kill it for me!
Thanks, Kelly for reminding me to post the hornworm pics...maybe I can prevent someone else from a heart attack the first time they see one, lol! This one's for you 8)

Not much to speak of for the harvest the past week, a few Pinot Noir Peppers and Purple Rain Eggplant (the tomato and carrots were "harvested" at the farmer's market!) Tomorrow should be a decent picking day, I noticed while doing other chores that I have alot of bell peppers, and a few cukes and cherry tomatoes ready, along with another 40-60 jalapenos. I wasn't prepared to preserve anything today, so I figured it was better for them to sit on the plant rather than on the counter until tomorrow! I may let the jalapenos go to red this time, since I already have 2 gallon sized bags and several jars pickled of green jalapenos.
And, last but not least...tonight is my first night without one of my kids! The youngest, Finnegan is spending the night with daddy at the Children's Hospital for a "sleep-study". It is very strange without him here...and quiet! I am sure Sailor/Farmer/Husband will take pics for me after they get him all hooked up to the probes for me to post. Finn was looking forward to "being turned into a robot" and I am sure he will do fine, especially since Daddy will be there sleeping on the couch in his room. I can never get any sleep when I am in a hospital, and my husband seems to be able to sleep wherever he lands, so he was elected for this gig!

A Crabby Day

Two posts in one day? I couldn't resist! We went crabbing with friends today and had a great time, weather was great - never thought I would be able to say that in Virginia in mid-July! Here is some of the bounty from today. Friends stayed later than us and kept on catching so there is another cooler full besides this one!

Always gorgeous Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab

Finnegan's catch of the day

Dinner: Blue Crab, Jalapeno Cheddar Muffins & Home Brew!

Back from our "Staycation"...

We actually started our staycation 2 days before Daddy was set to return from sea. It was a bit like the movie 'Office Space' where he announces that he doesn't really like working and "I don't think I'm going to go anymore"... Truthfully, I was over the single mom thing and couldn't wait for the reinforcement troops to sail in (literally) and give me a break! We have a state parks pass so I figured we would use it at our local state park and go to the beach. This was pretty cool since it's on the Chesapeake Bay and the kids can see Daddy's aircraft carrier, the USS Truman, go by bigger than life about 3 hours before he gets to the piers and we go to pick him up. In past years, this has become pretty routine, non-exciting stuff for me but now that the kids are a little older it is so fun to see them get excited and see things through their eyes. Of course, in their eyes the pirates Daddy is out hunting down are of the Blackbeard "aargh!" variety and the Carrier is just like "Top Gun", lol... I envy them and their un-jaded view of the world...oh, to be 5 again!

Anyway, me-the mom who hates to sit on the beach- actually bought a bunch of sand toys, umbrella, and a beach chair and headed out. Here's Finn at the State Park excited upon seeing the first of the small boats going by belonging to Daddy's battle group.

This is a pretty bad picture, but if you look in the left center of the horizon, you can see a Navy Destroyer, this was just one of the several smaller ships that precede the carrier coming in. (Lame, I didn't get a picture of the carrier - bad mom!)

Not sure what's going on here.

So it turns out the beach isn't so bad after all...I forgot how much cooler it is at the shore, and an umbrella helped! Now if the kids could just be older so I can trust them around the water I could actually read a book! I took one with me and laid it in the sand next to my chair to give myself "the illusion" of relaxing, but in reality was watching my kids in the surf like a hawk.

After Daddy got home, we had a great outdoor lunch at a restaurant on the water and gorged on crabcakes and grilled tuna sandwiches, Daddy also got his homecoming/late Father's Day gifts of a new Leatherman Skeletool and some tactical looking flashlight. My husband is a "geardo" so he was overjoyed, showing the kids "Look, this light is for night vision, etc, etc". You would think he would get tired of it all, but he loves his job and gets downright giddy when faced with a new tactical "toy"! After lunch, it was back to the beach where we remained off and on for the next 5 days, lol! Sailor/Husband also got some new surf fishing gear, so even after a day at the beach, we would head back out after dinner to fish. All this jived pretty well with the garden, since due to the "Minnesota Summer" we have been having my first tomatoes aren't even ripe yet, so my garden is kind of on autopilot right now until the fruits start to ripen, giving me some extra time. Even if we could afford a big vacation this year, we have no time since Sailor/Husband is leaving again in 2 weeks!

This pic shows what it's been like this summer so far: the Ziploc bag of my husband's toiletries never gets unpacked since he's always on his way out! It's like he's a visitor to his own home...I am waiting for him to start knocking on the door instead of opening it with his key, lol!

Finn with Daddy

Finn and Loch digging for crabs

We headed to the beach on base to await fireworks for the 4th of July. Finn is digging to China, of couse.

Not sure what waves Finnegan plans on surfing here, but he's got "the board carry" down pat!

Here's Marley obsessing over her frisbee. She has become quite the disc dog since she came to live with us, but has never played in the wind on the beach in the sand...it was all a bit much for her and I thought she might have a nervous breakdown out there!

We are actually headed out crabbing today - then it's back to the garden! I find that I usually avoid the beach like the plague during tourist season, but am slowly rediscovering the good things about living here that I often take for granted. Plus, it tires the kids out! I am, however, getting really tired of sweeping sand up from everywhere, and the inside of the car looks like a sand dune! Oh, and before I go...here's a mental smell for you...my husband left a plastic bucket in the Outback with some rotting squid bait in it...I got in the car the next day, and....ugh! Yep, Daddy's back, alright!

Temporary Hiatus!

I am still here! Will be taking a few days off from blogging since Husband/Sailor/Farmer is home! His ship came in on Thursday and we have been fishing and going to the beach and just spending time together as a family. He leaves again in a few weeks so we have alot of activities planned for the next couple of days. Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

Tips for budding canners: Pickled Jalapenos and other Random Things...

Let me start by saying you will have to pick a recipe yourself: I have listed a few links below, and everyone has their "own recipe" when it comes to pickling! This is not an all-inclusive how-to post, but rather a "what the recipe doesn't tell you" post to be used in conjunction. I have had a few requests for a canning demo in my local meetup group, however - the logistics of this are near impossible due to the time involved and it's quite possible that members' ADD/ADHD may flare up during the process, making this not such a pleasant time for all, lol! So here is a basic "gimme pictures" chain of events in the pickling/canning process. For those who are canning gurus, you may look away now to prevent boredom from setting in - or, just keep on reading and laugh at my "lessons learned" from my past couple of years experience. From my little harvest you may say "why not just do refrigerator pickled jalapenos?"...well, because it is a CANNING post, (flaring up already, huh?)....and in a few weeks when I have 15 more lbs of peppers coming in as well as drowning in tomatoes - frankly, I won't have time to do this then! So sit back and have a laugh or get busy and pickle!

*** Before diving in, make sure to read my tips/lessons learned at the end of the post!

1. Harvest your goodies (or purchase from your CSA/Farm Market): here we have 2 lbs* of jalapenos, plus one rogue Pinot Noir Bell Pepper (just took that one to snack on!)

2. Gather your hardware: to include canning stockpot, jar tongs, lid magnet, funnel, jars, lids & caps, heat source* (if you have gas, you are in the "awesome category", if not, see tips below!)
3. Assemble your canning command center: gloves for handling jalapenos (trust me), if you wear glasses, put 'em on*, otherwise - go get some (trust me again!), freshly washed peppers, bowl for peppers, garbage bowl. Yes, I'm OCD with my prep areas, but it will go much more smoothly since you will soon have pepper oil soaked gloves on and won't be able to do much else once you start*!
4. Pickling Ingredients*: Vinegar, Pickling Salt, Sugar, Garlic* (or anything else your recipe calls for).
5. Now we're working: Get your gloves on, chop the tops off your peppers and remove the seeds. I found that an espresso spoon makes quick work of seed removal while not tearing up the peppers.
6. Skins Off! Lay your peppers on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler* and turn until they are evenly blistered on all sides and the skin looks loose. The more blistered, the easier it will be to remove skin! Throw your roasted peppers in a bowl and cover with a moist paper towel. Start removing the skin as soon as you are able to handle the heat...the hotter the peppers out of the broiler, the easier it is. There is a method to this, slide your thumb under the skin and around the pepper & it will slide off whole (takes some getting used to!)
7. Bring your vinegar, pickling salt, sugar, garlic cloves to a boil in a different pot, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove garlic cloves and discard (or leave in if you like!). You will pack your skinned peppers into the jars and fill them minus headspace with the vinegar liquid. The exact ingredients and amounts will vary according to recipe, but the one I used is here, from Pick-Your-Own.org...they have gobs of info on their site and very easy instructions. The liquid part of the recipe and spices are where great pickled anythings are made and heirloom recipes are treasured!

8. Bring your canner full of water to a boil! This would be a good time to pour a homebrew and grab a good book if you have an electric stove!

If you don't have a homebrewed beverage, that's okay too. Grab your favorite store bought beverage and go outside to the garden. Plant your beverage in the soil, let it mellow for a minute or so, then enjoy! Here we have a Leinenkugel's planted with the lettuces...I try to buy local, but when a "back-home" beer shows up in my neck of the woods, I snatch it up...it's a known cure for MN homesickness.

9. Okay, your water is boiling. You are going to lower your jars w/lids & rings (follow recipe directions!) into the boiling water and process as directed (mine was 10 mins). When done, lift out jars and set somewhere to cool overnight. Cutting board, etc. I was lucky enough to hear the distinctive "pop" of my jars sealing as they cooled. It doesn't matter how long you have been canning, those sounds of the jars are always music to the ears! If you aren't around to hear the pop sounds, no worries - just push on the jars the next day when they have cooled. If they do not give, you're golden. If the lids "give" and pop up and down, they did not seal properly - all is not lost though - pop them in the fridge and they will keep for a couple of months as refrigerator pickles*.

This process is varied with ingredients and spices to include pickled anything! Cauliflower, Carrots, Cukes, you name it...just find a recipe and try it! If it's your first time try refrigerator pickled cukes & carrots...easy, no equipment needed, and super yummy. So easy, in fact, I didn't post about it! There are also low-salt recipes out there so don't let the salt thing stop you. It may seem like it to a beginner, but this is NOT rocket science! If you have fresh picked produce and maintain a clean work area the goodness will follow! If it doesn't work, so what? Just try again - hey folks we have a lifetime to master this, right?

***Tips/Lessons Learned:

1. Don't pay attention to the 2 lbs of peppers, more is better - this only made 2 pints! If that's all you want, read up on refrigerator pickling. They are yummy, keep for a few months, and no special canning equipment is needed.

2. Heat source: this must be where the term "You're cookin' with gas" came from. If you are, you have no worries. Electric Coil people are ok, just will take longer to boil. If you are like me and made the pre-canning days decision to go with the beautiful ceramic-top range...first, I'm sorry, I understand your pain, and you're in good company! Due to the nature of the ceramic top, the element is designed to kick on and off repeatedly to prevent the glass from getting cracked - this results in never reaching a boil with such a large volume of water. I decided to order a "Super Burner" 1300 watts online by reading the reviews, and nope...waited 2 hours, still no boil. There is only one solution: Outdoor Propane Burner! I didn't really want to can outside, but there is no other option. This thing is slick, boils within minutes, and can be used for many other things (like homebrewing!). If you already have a turkey fryer, fish setup, etc, you already have one of these burners. Save yourself the headache and use it!

3. Yep, I got a pepper seed flung into my eye last year...

4. L, I'll call you back...all I need is pepper oil gloves all over the telephone!

5. If you don't have any homegrown garlic, try and find a nearby gardener that does. Explain you are learning how to pickle and would like to know if they have any extra garlic...you will probably find yourself carrying it back using your shirt as a bucket. Gardeners are funny that way, we love to share our goodies, and are usually to blame for finding bags of unsolicited ding-dong-ditch produce at your door. We always seem to grow too much, especially of things like garlic, shallots and the like, I mean come on - who really needs 100 bulbs of garlic, lol??

6. If you live in the city, your best bet is WalMart for canning supplies - they have one aisle dedicated to them. If you are lucky, you live in an area that has feed stores like Southern States, Fleet Farm, etc...you will have no problems finding what you need there. (oh, how I miss those stores!)

7. There is a frypan and microwave method for skinning peppers also, but I have never done it.

8. Make sure you date your jars with a "use by" date if you did not get a seal and had to refrigerate them.

9. If you have kids, try to get rid of them for the day and have a good friend over to commiserate with. The process is time consuming, but could be turned into a good time with a friend. Thus far, I have never been able to do this, but I can imagine! If you want to save costs, share the price of the canner & accessories with a friend and take turns using it.

10. And the last tip is for my husband, reading this from afar... don't make a batch of homebrew and then go underway for a month and expect there to be any when you get back... just sayin'!

I hope this has inspired you to learn more or at least given you a laugh at my flinging pepper seeds in my eye. If you want to learn more or get some trusted recipes, 2 books I recommend are the standard "Ball Blue Book of Canning" (which is cheap, too!), or one titled "Preserving Summer's Bounty", which includes harvesting, freezing, canning, herb vinegars, drying, juicing, preserving, and cellaring. If you are lucky enough to have a computer or laptop set up in your kitchen - save your money and go to PickYourOwn.org, Ball, or your state may have a good extension service with online canning guidelines and how-to, such as the ones here in VA and my home state of Minnesota. Of course if you have access to family recipes, so much the better - as a matter of fact, grab a gardening grandma, anyone's gardening grandma...ply her with a favorite cocktail, and have paper and pen in hand when she spills the super secret Dill Pickle recipe! Just remember to arrange a safe ride home for her and leave a thank you note pinned to her shirt :) And Annie'sGranny, please don't take offense to that...in my "ultimate party guest list" - you are on it along with the likes of Bill Clinton, Paul "The Gardener Guy" James, Andrew Zimmern, and Vince "the Germans made it, it must be good" of Sham-Wow fame. (Does anyone else keep a mental list of people they would like to invite to "the perfect party"?) Have fun...

This guy rocks...

This article says it all...I just had to share!

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20090626_The__MANGIA__GARDEN.html