Fall Blooms 2018

It's snowing here in Indiana, PA today.  

What a great time to remember 

my beautiful blooms of early fall!

Hydrangeas

Julia Child Rose

Chelone

Succulent

Roses

Lavender (still in bloom)

Clematis

Butterfly Bush

Roses

Finding the Right Place for My Julia Child Rose

Gardening involves a LOT of experimentation and patience!

Here is my Julia Child Rose Bush.

I planted this rose originally near a hedge hoping that it would fill in the ugly lower branches of the hedge with beautiful blooms.

Sadly this poor rose never thrived in that space and stayed there for years barely producing a couple of blooms every year.

Last year I moved it to a "better" spot where it would have lots of sun and good soil.  Mysteriously it didn't thrive there either.  I waited patiently to see if things would change but they didn't.

I wish I had taken a picture of how pitiful this poor plant looked.  It had one pale green shoot on it and no real signs of thriving😟

Earlier this spring I moved Julia Child yet again to a spot that I hoped would make her very happy.  I was careful to water her and keep an eye out for critters who might want to chomp on the tender leaves.

To my utter delight, about a month ago this beauty appeared!  I haven't seen a bloom this profuse in years from this beleaguered rose bush.

The foliage tells me that there is a lot of life left in this plant.  I can't wait until it's grown so large that I can gather a vase full of blooms!

Look at these new buds and then blooms! That tell me growth is happening. This Julia Child Rose is very, very happy!

Sometimes an environment change does a world of good!

Be patient with plants.  They might need a better place, the "right" place to thrive and bloom!

When Life Gives You (Lemons) Yellow Pear Tomatoes - Part 2

Our surprise Yellow Tomato crop was abundant this year!

After we had many quarts of our yellow tomato sauce in the freezer, there were still hundreds of little gems on our vines.

My master cook, Tony, said we should make some roasted tomato soup with them.  We usually do this with our red plum tomatoes, but since the sauce worked out, 

why not soup??

Here's what Tony did:

On a large baking sheet (with shallow sides) he layered

-tomatoes cut in half

-Vidalia onion slices

-carrot slices

-raw corn cut off the cob

-red bell pepper slices

-hot pepper slices to taste

-garlic cloves

Then he tossed everything with olive oil and added a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.

We put this into a 350 degree oven on convection, 

stirring every 20 minutes, for about an hour or so until the carrots were soft and everything was cooked through.

Tony put the vegetables in our blender with enough chicken stock to make a thick soup consistency.

Here's what it looked like in my lunch bowl!

It was very tasty😋

I poured the soup into plastic quart containers to

keep it in our deep freezer for at least a year.

I can't wait to savor this wonderful summer taste in the middle of January!!

Fresh Yellow Tomato Sauce - The Recipe!

Since tomatoes are in abundance now, why not make some Fresh Tomato Sauce? 

We currently are trying to use our surprise yellow pear tomatoes (that we thought were going to be 

meaty plum tomatoes!).  Since I'm embracing 

my mini yellow pear tomato crop,

I decided to take photos of our efforts!

 They actually make a tasty sauce that I can use

over pasta or on a lasagna.

This heavy stainless steel pan is 12 inches across.  Tony uses an entire head of garlic per pan of sauce.  Yes, that is many chopped cloves!!  Don't be afraid of using garlic for this recipe.  Tony also chopped 2 small chili peppers from our garden for a little heat.  You could sprinkle a few red pepper flakes instead.

Heat the garlic on med-low heat until golden brown, then add your tomatoes.  I pulsed my mini yellow tomatoes in my food processor.  If we were using plum tomatoes, we would cut them in quarters, and then into smaller pieces.

Tony chopped lots of fresh basil and oregano from our garden and added them to the sauce.  Here's a visual for the amount.

Finally, don't forget lots of salt and pepper!

Cook the tomatoes slowly, don't stir, just move the tomatoes slightly in the pan.  Otherwise you will separate the skins and end up with tomato skins floating on top of your sauce.  (If that ever happens, just put the whole batch into a blender and puree it for a smooth sauce.)

After about an hour or so...here's the final product!

I put the cooled sauce in quart containers and keep it in the deep freezer for up to a year.

When Life Gives You (Lemons) Yellow Pear Tomatoes

In May when our hopes were soaring high about summer gardens and planting, Tony bought "Roma" tomato plants from a local nursery.  Obviously the flat was mislabeled because the stalks and leaves grew much larger than any plum tomato plant we ever had.  And also because these were the fruits of our labor:

 My daughter-in-law suggested I write about this unfortunate event in our gardening history.  She even gave me the title:  When Live Gives You Lemons or Yellow Tomatoes

You must understand that it's in Tony's DNA to grow RED meaty Roma tomatoes every summer.  He derives much pleasure from watching the plants grow, staking them, pruning, and then finally, making quarts and quarts of beautiful tomato sauce for the winter.  By this time every year my counter is usually lined with dozens of tomatoes ready for cooking. This year Tony resorted to buying bushels of lovely red plum tomatoes from local farmers and made his sauce.  His disappointment in our harvest didn't stop him!

Last week I decided to pick as many of these small yellow tomatoes as I could and try to cook something with them.  Tony took the lead and made a beautiful sauce flavored with lots of garlic, Italian spices, and Romano cheese.  It looked more like corn chowder than tomato sauce:)

I used it to make a lasagna and it was wonderful!  I also sliced a bunch in half and dehydrated them for pizza toppings.  They really are sweet and delicious.

So I guess my little life lesson here is to be ready for surprises, work with what I have, and not quickly be disappointed.  Sometimes things work out in ways I could never anticipate or expect!

Be a Good Host

Do you have an opportunity to welcome guests into your home?  Summer is a great time to get together with family and friends.  With some preparation ahead of time, you can enjoy your guests and not stress about your home. 

Here are some ways that I try to do this well!

*Remember that a house is made to be lived in and full of people.  It's not a museum to be admired.

1. Think about the basics - clean bathrooms, clean sheets, welcoming places to hang out

It really doesn't take much time to clean a bathroom.  I move as quickly as possible and make sure the important areas are clean (toilet, sinks, tub).  Make sure there is plenty of toilet paper, bottles of shampoo, soap, towels, etc.

A fresh bed really helps your guests to rest well at your house.  I have extra pillows for anyone who needs them!

Make sure the living areas are cleared so that everyone can sit and visit comfortably.  We move a few chairs when needed to have maximum space to chat.  It's all about being together and sharing our lives.  If everyone has a place to relax, the conversation happens naturally!

*Don't hesitate to cook for people you love.  Kitchens are made to be messed up and then cleaned up!

2. Food!

It's your preference how much you want to cook vs. eating out.  I know families who order everything out because they don't want the fuss.  They love the service and get to enjoy each other's company all the more!

We do a lot of cooking because it's Tony's thing.  He shows his love by feeding people and sharing his gift for planning and cooking meals.

I tried to think ahead for basic snacks, drinks, and staples.  Tony went food shopping as needed for meal preparations.

Either way, enjoy your guests and savor all the moments around your table.  Don't forget some photos to remember the laughs!

We just had a houseful of relatives here and it was wonderful.  Tony did most of the cooking.  I tried to keep the dishwasher going and the fridge organized so everyone could find what they wanted.

*Remember to relax and enjoy your guests!  The people God puts in our lives are gifts to be savored.

3. When your guests have arrived, don't stress about anything.  Just enjoy them and let the moments happen.  No one will care if you forgot something or if the food isn't perfect.  That's life.  Accept offers of help with simple chores.  Take time to talk and laugh.  And thank your guests for coming to visit!!

We had so many beautiful conversations and moments with our family members.  I am truly thankful that they took the time and effort to come to visit.  Those are memories that we will always have.  I hope that everyone was comfortable and knew that they were wanted in our home.😃

Simplify and Declutter

I've seen many posts and ads recently for steps to simplify and declutter.  It's a way of life for me, so reading these ads started me thinking about my own steps to simplify and declutter my house (and life).  Here's my tip list:

1. "Stuff" and "Stress" both start with the same letters.  That teaches a lesson - too much stuff produces stress.  Fact: every item you own has 2 price tags.  One is how much you paid originally, and the other is how much is costs for maintenance.  Cars are perfect examples.  We pay a lot to buy vehicles.  But we all know that it costs us dearly to keep them running well.  We need to view every item in our houses with the same '2-price-tag' way.  

Do you know the terrible feeling you get when you open a kitchen cupboard to get a plate and random things fall out onto the counter??  That takes a toll on you!  Why should your cupboards make you stressed?  The good news is that you can do something about it.

Start with one closet, one cupboard, one drawer, and be ruthless.  Take everything out and make tough decisions to keep ONLY the items you really use and need.  Donate the rest or throw it away.  Then put your good stuff away neatly.

*Tip:  Use wire-wrapped shelves, baskets, and hooks to maximize storage space!

2. Clothes!  Almost everyone I know has too many clothes.  Their closets and drawers are stuffed full of items that don't fit or are outdated.  It's stressful to get dressed in the morning and have to sift through too many clothes!

There are many ways to pare down.  One tip is to turn every hanger in your closet backwards.  Then as you wear an item you can turn the hanger forwards.  After one season, get rid of every backwards-hanger clothing item!

My way is to be HONEST with myself and just donate any clothes that I haven't worn in a long time.  It's ok to keep some rarely worn clothes for special occasions.  But if your closet is so stuffed that you can't see what you own, it's time to simplify and donate!

3. Clear off counter tops.  It's frustrating to not have space to work in your kitchen, bathroom, or dining room.  If you have stuff covering all available surfaces, it's stressful to try to find space to cook or work.  

Why not make it a habit to keep all surfaces as clear as possible?  Then when you need space to work, it's ready to go!  Why do magazine homes always look so appealing?  Because they have NO CLUTTER anywhere in sight.  You can improve the look of your home easily by clearing all counters and tables, putting everything away.

That creates a challenge - where to put everything??  Use drawers, baskets, trays, and shelves to organize your stuff.  Remember my mantra:  Be honest and be ruthless!  If you really use it, keep it and put it somewhere convenient.  If you don't use or need that item, get rid of it!

I hope I've given you a few helpful hints about simplifying and decluttering.  Let me know how you keep your home and life simple!!

June 2018 Blooms

Here's what's happening in the yard!

Astilbes (just starting)

Lemon Drop Groundcover

Salvia

Roses

Astrantia

Clematis

Apple Blossom Potentilla

Bachelor Buttons

Potentilla

Clematis

Love in a Mist

Gorgeous Coral Rose

Spring 2018 Blooms

Here are some photos from the yard.

I missed taking a photo of my tulips:(

Columbines

Clematis

Siberian Weeping Pea

Lily of the Valley

Forget Me Nots

Sweet Woodruff

Japanese Maple

Poppy