Back on my blog

Well, as I suspected what might happen with my blog has indeed happened..life happens and time passes quickly. Before you know it, it's been 2 months since I've posted here. So, I guess you can say that I am long overdue with a post. Things here in my little world have been busy, but for the most part all good and positive. For that I am thankful. Unfortunately, it seems I can't say the same for the rest of the world. Really seems like the world has just gone crazy. I am still mourning the tragic Sandy Hook school shooting. It still seems just unimaginable to me. A dear farmgirl friend of mine lives in Sandy Hook, and although her daughter was not in the same building as the shooting, her entire town has been turned upside down. Please continue to pray with me for comfort and peace to all those directly affected by this tragedy.
N

Sunday Doings 10/21/2012

Today was another gorgeous Fall day here on Long Island. Its days like today that make me love it here so much! I just had to get out for a little while and enjoy the local beauty...so my daughter and I hoped in the van and headed to one of our (many) favorite spots- Wetheim Wildlife Refuge. We went prepared with our camp chairs and a few snacks to enjoy by the water, and enjoy it we did!

I truly think I could have sat there all day sipping my tea, but alas reality was calling and we had to head home to start dinner etc.

Last weekend we were also able to enjoy another favorite spot- Bayard Cutting Arboretum. We decided to head over and have lunch in the cafe, along with my Aunt and Cousin. The cafe there makes a mean chicken curry salad! To our delight when we arrived we discovered that the annual Dahlia Show was taking place, so after lunch we trekked over to the carriage house to enjoy the beautiful flowers.

There are so many varieties of Dahlias, each one more beautiful than the next!

All in all it was a beautiful, and quite relaxing weekend here. I was fortunate enough to be able to enjoy my glamped up tent a bit- I fear that there will not be too many more weeks that I can enjoy it due to the change of seasons- and the arrival of cold nights and frost. I took this picture last night, showing the outside and then the cozy inside of my glamping tent. I will be very sad when I have to take it down. So, I am holding on to it for as long as possible!

I hope that you are all able to find at least a little slice of time to just unwind and enjoy a quiet moment.
Have a wonderful week!

Sunday Doings 9/30/12

Wow, I cant believe it is the last day of September! I also can't believe that it has been 6+ weeks since I have been on here and posted anything! I knew that would happen- life get so busy and things we enjoy such as this sometimes have to be put on the back burner.
Well- summer has ended, and the kids are settled back into school. So far the school year is going well- Praise God!
The gardens have slowed down- I only have eggplant and bell peppers still coming steadily. I did not manage to plant any fall crops at all, but I am sure I can still get some lettuce going and use my little "hoop house" to cover it when necessary. I also need to get outside and "winterize" both the chicken coop and the rabbit hutch before the end of October. For now I have been enjoying all of the colors of autumn. The mums are starting to burst open and show their colors, so pretty! I picked a nice bouquet the other day- I just love the combination of colors:

Yesterday we went to the Long Island Fair at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. It was a fabulous Fall day, spent just the way I like! Here are some pictures of our day: This is Gloria spinning wool- so neat!

These are all herbs that have been preserved and made into oils and vinegars.

There was even a guess the weight of the giant pumpkin contest! What do you think this big ole pumpkin weighs in at?

We had a great day, and I look forward to going back again next year! I even tried my hand at quilting, and hmmm...... I can sense it is something that I would really enjoy, and hope that I can find a way to make time to give it a whirl. At least on a small scale- like quilting hot pads, and placemats etc.

Next week we are off to Old Westbury Gardens for a nice Fall surprise...

be sure and check back to see what we experienced!

I want to leave you with a wonderful poem that I received in the mail courtesy of one of my sweet Farmgirl Sisters-

October gave a party

The leaves by hundreds came.

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread the carpet.

And everything was grand.

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

---George Cooper---

Have a wonderful Fall week!

Wertheim Wildlife Refuge

Yesterday I took my daughter and her friend to one of our favorite local spots... Wertheim Wildlife Refuge. Several months ago they built a brand new building, with tons of interactive displays for kids as well as adults.  They also have a beautiful huge covered patio where you can sit and watch the birds.  Since I have yet to see a hummingbird in my own backyard, I often come here to see them. There has yet to be a time, where I have gone to Wertheim and NOT seen a hummingbird.
Here are some pictures that I took of our nature walk...Enjoy!

I feel so fortunate to have something so wonderful, so close by. It is an awesome place to go, and best of all it costs absolutely nothing!
Best bargain in town!

Sunday Doings 8/12/12

Today was a good day. The weather was nice- hot but not too hot or humid. Best of all I got alot accomplished! Oh how I love days like this!
First I want to share my excitement for a new "tea" that I have been enjoying the past few days. Those of you who know me, know that I am a tea fanatic, cant be without my tea! I am growing a lemon verbena plant, that is doing quite well, so I decided to research how to make tea from it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out its as easy as 1,2,3!

First, I picked about 3 fresh lemon verbena leaves right off my plant.

Next I placed them in my nifty tea travel mug.I added boiling water and let it steep for about 10 minutes.

Voila- in just 10 short minutes I had delicious hot lemon verbena tea which I really enjoyed. I read that lemon verbena tea is good for many health ailments. First it is said to reduce fevers, relieve sore throats, coughs and colds/congestion. It is also said to be a very good stress reliever, and to help you relax. I dont know about you, but I'm game for anything that can help releive stress and bring on a sense of calm! I am super excited that I now have the ability to grow my own "tea"!!! (yes its silly things like this that excite me...LOL)

I also received my weekly email from one of my favorite websites:
www.agardenforthehouse.com. It is a "blog" of sorts written by Kevin Lee Jacobs, and is chock full of great ideas for your home and gardens. Today he listed one of his favorite recipes for "tomato pie".  It is very simple to make, and delicious too!
Here is the recipe, and below that are pictures of my tomato pie from start to finish:

Classic Tomato Pie
Ingredients for one 9-inch pie
10 biscuits from a 7.5 oz package
2 large, perfectly ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Fresh basil leaves (as many as you like), sliced into thin strips
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick spray. Then press the biscuits against sides and bottom of plate to form a crust. Layer thick slices from 2 large tomatoes on the dough, and give them a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Then toss on a handful of freshly-chopped basil. Top the pie with one cup mayonnaise combined with one cup shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes on the middle rack of a preheated 375-degree oven. To insure a firm, not runny pie, let rest for 30 minutes before serving.

If you enjoy tomatoes, I highly recommend trying this tomato pie recipe. Its a great way to enjoy all of the extra tomatoes from the garden.

More garden preserving

Today I froze a few more quarts of green and yellow bell peppers from the garden , so that we can enjoy them come winter.
I also was excited to preserve something new to us....Coriander!
I had grown Cilantro, and had let it flower and then go to seed. After doing a little research I learned that the seed of Cilantro is actually Coriander! SO, I let it dry on the plant. Today I went out and cut it back and placed it in a large brown paper bag. I shook the bag, and voila...just look what I have now-

My very own jar of Coriander seeds! Now I need to research some new recipes to use it in my cooking.
I could easily devote myself to life on the farm/garden scene. It truly brings me joy...ahh the simple life.

Sunday Doings 8/5/12

Today is Sunday, August 5th, 2012.  The first Sunday in August. August is bitter sweet for me- it means that Summer is half over- which is sad, but it is also the month that my son was born, 14 years ago! Wow- they're not kidding when they say children grow up fast!
My morning started out by meeting my Aunt and Cousin for tea at one of my favorite nature spots...Wertheim Nature Preserve. They have a huge, beautiful covered patio, where you can just sit and watch the beautiful birds...yellow finches, cardinals, black capped chickadees, red-winged black birds and even hummingbirds! Speaking of hummingbirds- I have been trying my best to attract them to my yard- but so far have had no luck.

 

I am hoping that the other birds get the word out that there is a nice feeder waiting for them along with several hibiscus plants full of flowers!

I guess I will wait patiently and (hopefully) see some soon!

The gardens are producing nicely. Today I picked eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and green bell peppers. I chopped and froze 3 quart size ziploc bags of peppers to enjoy over the winter, and my daughter and I also made "basil ice cubes". We harvested basil and added the leaves and olive oil and water to the blender to make a puree, which we then poured into ice cube trays. After a few hours we will pop them out and place them in a ziploc bag, so that we can just toss them into our soups, and cooking over the winter.

 Overall, it was a productive and relaxing day!