Day In The Sun

Actually morning in the sun but I'll take what I can get. This morning we went out back to the garden and I didn't want to head back in, it was just too pretty out.

Vincent mowed the back area, Ray swept the porch, Sydney helped with the water hoses and I moved some wondering cucumbers back to the trellis. Then the kids just played around while I took pictures. Even the dog and cat joined in!

First Fruits of the Year

Yeah! Today I picked the first fruit of the year, not counting herbs or garlic. My husband and I have been keeping our eye on these two squash for a few days and it is always so exciting after all the hard work to get to start picking vegetables!

These are a few of the garlic we picked last Monday, we gathered about 30 heads and I still have about 5 that are not ready. I love garlic and when it is fresh and virtually free it is even better!

Here are a few of my favorite things... Tomatoes! I so enjoy fresh tomatoes! Our goal this year to sun dry double what we did last year, can some stewed ones and try to make some tomato sauce. It is also a joy to bless others with them!

Our garden always saves us lots on groceries and this year with the rising cost of everything it will be an even bigger blessing. My husband has challenged me this year with not letting ANY go to waste. With as many plants as we have that is harder than you might think. One thing we, well actually Sydney, added to the garden is potatoes. She is growing them in this green bucket.

We also have tomatillo, zucchini,cucumbers, hot peppers, bell peppers and broccoli plants.

Out And Into The Garden Today

I have been waiting on today for months! We are going out to plant in our garden today! On Tuesday I picked up some tomato, pepper, broccoli, lavender and Shasta daisy plants. We are also planting some bulbs in the front flower bed. I will try to post some pictures later today if I have time.

Sprouts: Day 2

It's day 2, cover the mouth of the jar with cheesecloth, and fasten with the rubber band. Turn the jar over in the sink. The cheesecloth acts as a strainer, holding in the seeds and letting out the water. If you're using the bowl method, use a strainer to strain out the soaking water and rinse the seeds. I have a sprouting tray kit that allows me to rinse without moving the seeds. I usually move my seed into it on day 2. You can also find cool jars or lids made to fit mason jars online that have strainers built into them. Shake the jar / strainer a few times to remove all of the water from last night's soak. Repeat this 2-3 times making sure you give the jar/strainer a few good shakes after each rinse.

Look at your seeds, they should be mostly dry. If you leave too much water in the jar, the seeds can rot in as little as 2-3 days. Please do not let this scare you off, if you're even slightly careful to drain the seeds that probably won't happen.

To make sure they fully drain you can, store the jar upside-down in a baking dish or plastic tub. Rest the jar on the side of the dish, or up against the wall--any excess water drains out, without any more attention from you.
Tonight you will repeat the rinsing process. You'll continue this twice daily rinsing for the next 4 or 5 days. Prior to day 4-5 your sprouts do not need light. In fact I keep mine covered.


You will notice growth in a few days. Once your sprouts are the height you want them , usually 5 days expose them to indirect light and continue to keep them rinsed and moist. By the end of the first day of light you will notice they are extremely green, this is when you start eating them. Store any unused portion in your refrigerator.

Fresh Sprouts

A few weeks ago my husband commented on the fact that I have not grown sprouts in awhile. I am not really sure why I have not made them lately; I guess I have just allowed myself to get too busy. If you have never grown sprouts you should give it a try; they grow very easily and even a child can be given the chore of caring for them. Trust me, it will fascinate you to watch how quickly they grow and watching them take on color is just amazing; especially to young children.

My only concern right now is how they will grow since the house is colder. I started growing these last spring so have never had to deal with temperature and how it may effect the sprouts. My husband suggested I put them in the pantry since it is warmer than the open area of the kitchen throughout most of the day. So, if I do not notice them sprouting in a few days I will give that a try.

Here are the best choices of each type of sprout source.
Best seeds: alfalfa, clover.
Best beans: mung, lentil, garbanzo.
Best nuts: almonds, filberts (hazelnuts).
Best grains: wheat berries, rye.

The next list indicates what amount of sprout source is appropriate.
small seeds: 2-3 tablespoons
medium seeds: 1/4-1/2 cup
large beans and grains: 1 cup
sunflower seeds: 2 cups

Our favorites are alfalfa and broccoli sprouts. A few tablespoons will yield several servings each for our family of five.



Day 1: Before you go to bed one night, measure the correct amount of seeds--in this case, I am using 2-3 tablespoons of alfalfa sprouts.

It's a good practice to inspect them before you go any further. Take the portion of seeds or beans, and pour them out onto a large plate, serving dish, or baking sheet. Push the seeds on one side of the dish, and inspect them for broken or withered seeds, and small stones or lumps of dirt. This is something your children may enjoy doing with you. After they're sorted, pour them into a strainer and give them a good rinse. Pour the rinsed seeds into the jar or bowl and cover them with adequate water--a few inches above the level of the seeds. Let the seeds soak overnight. Medium-sized seeds should be soaked 8-12 hours, and large beans and nuts can soak for 12-24 hours.

Day 2 and up

Spring... At Least For A Day

Wow, yesterday it was warm, the sun was shinning and we even started working in our garden. Today it's cloudy, windy and cool. So goes life in Central Texas. You know though, I can not imagine living anywhere else.

Yesterday God provided a great day for our family to get some yard/garden work done and we took advantage of it! Scott started us off by tilling the garden and making rows. We then set out tomatoes cages where our future plants will go. I did plant some tomato seeds in each area that had a cage; sometime they do well from seeds and other times we head to the garden store.

Then it was off to the front yard where we pulled out some bushes to make way, possibly, for bulbs. Finaly it was time to rest or so I thought. Sydney beckoned me back to the garden to plant cucumbers, some flower seeds and potatoes in a bucket. In turn she helped me weed our herb garden. The cilantro plants are already about 8" tall. The Lemon Verbena has tiny leaves starting to emmerge as does the Basil. Our Rosemary has looked good all winter long and even now has a wonderful savor to it. The Thyme and Sage however look rough; for some reason they just do not look like they plan to come back this year. Of course it is early and I always tend to worry too soon. I hope this year to add a few new plants to this section and use all of them much more. I will do my best to post some recipes using fresh herbs and some garden tips as the season moves forward.

Our family definitely has spring fever!