tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30683207239185846752012-01-06T12:53:30.446-09:00Non-Crunchy Organic Gardening in Willow, AlaskaFaithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.comBlogger1951100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-46089574482379577052011-12-17T09:41:00.001-09:002011-12-17T09:41:08.737-09:00

Oh it's been busy. Since gardening is in the distant future (maybe March?) I've been concentrating on working inside the house, raisin the kids, doing crafts.  Even picked up playing the oboe after a 16 year break.  More on that later. I've made lots of little wire Christmas trees.  Here is a new one crocheted out of brass wire.  This was a prototype.  Crocheting brass wire is surprisingly easy.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-90532676119634610872011-09-22T19:25:00.004-08:002011-09-22T19:28:54.777-08:00

After much anxious waiting and slavering I finally got to eat a nearly ripe Minnesota midget cantaloupe.  Only three grew to any size.  I think the seeds were a mix because two cantaloupes were smooth and one had ribs. Here is the remaining smooth one - the other one I cut accidentally and ate tonight.   Oops.  Here is the ribbed one.  Here is the first EVER nearly ripe cantaloupe I've

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-17268980507370285022011-09-09T09:00:00.000-08:002011-09-09T09:00:06.698-08:00

This black krim was one freaky tomato.  Note WAS.  I was delighted to find that it had ripened while I was in Cordova.  WAS means I had it for dinner this week. When sliced it was a tomato to behold.  The green/brown streaks carried through to the flesh inside with spots of dark red to make things more delicious looking.  I ate it without taking a picture!  Sorry.  It was sweet, slightly

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-7792683152382277042011-09-07T19:05:00.001-08:002011-09-07T19:05:23.388-08:00

Spent the afternoon harvesting the potatoes.  Here is a picture of them curing on our garage floor.  The french fingerlings and purple potatoes are on their third generation in our garden.  This is about twice as many as last year.  All of the small potatoes will be saved for seed.  There is a pan of them cooking on the stove as we speak. 

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-88392490614237613422011-09-06T10:30:00.002-08:002011-09-08T23:11:15.562-08:00

I went on vacation to Cordova, Alaska for the Cordova Fungus Festival.  Three days and two nights of all things mushroom, hosted by the US Forest Service and various businesses and clubs around town.  Don't forget the solid rain!  Each day a mushroom expert was available to go on forays.  This was a general identification foray, and I was prepared to find some good edibles and id some new ones

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-35331507581985411212011-08-31T12:22:00.004-08:002011-08-31T12:22:56.966-08:00

I harvested the beets last week.  They were beautiful to look at.  Except after cooking I sampled a few and they were bitter.  When sliced in half the chioggia beets had good color.  The touchstone golds were just as pretty.  The sweet beet flavor was there, but the bitter aftertaste reminiscent of headache powder was just too strong.  I threw the lot into the compost pile.  The only beet without

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-14266628211210662892011-08-24T08:47:00.000-08:002011-08-24T08:47:00.367-08:00

This is a harvest from one potato bag.  These are french fingerlings.  The seeds are on their third generation in my garden.  Original seeds were purchased from McGuires greenhouse and were certified organic.  The bags are so easy to harvest.  I have 1/2 inch dirt screen that usually gets use on the compost pile that I hauled to the dirt pile.  I dump the bag on to the screen and don't miss

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-26093114797125739492011-08-22T14:27:00.001-08:002011-08-22T14:30:53.311-08:00

Even though my namesake tomato Faith Jr. was eaten long ago, her sisters are still on the vine and beginning to blush.  Free of BER and with a few nicks they should still be edible.  The sisters are much larger than I expected.  Not bad for a big box store tomato plant.  These are lemon sized patio tomatoes, also non-homegrown.  I already ate two.  Both delicious with salt.  Not the best

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-45104055060100920272011-08-18T19:19:00.000-08:002011-08-18T19:24:11.273-08:00

Oh today was our wedding anniversary.  So we hired a babysitter and went out mushrooming. The hericium from last year Mushroom and a GIANT potato was calling.  This year I did not wear those nasty combat boots but my trusty xtra tuffs and some thin socks with wool so I didn't get blisters.  And the 8 miles of running per week made the hike much more tolerable. Here is the mushroom.  To harvest

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-67923218207702343722011-08-09T11:14:00.001-08:002011-08-09T11:14:12.411-08:00

This is a re-post.  I was going to show a picture of the cucumber (lets call it Larry, after a popular kids cartoon character) the day this was posted but got sick with the flu instead.  Good news?  I lost two pounds.  Bad news?  I didn't finish this post, but have an updated post with current Larry the Cucumber picture. This photo is a repeat.  It is Larry the Cucumber flower from Sunday,

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-83457964235303175592011-08-04T10:12:00.013-08:002011-08-04T11:21:33.535-08:00

This bag of potatoes wilted.  Not sure why.  The plant was dead.  It was segregated from the other bags of dirt.   Here are the other plants.  Healthy and happy looking.  No blossoms yet. I dumped the bag and sifted through the dirt to see what showed up.  The vine had rotted - I think from a combination of bug damage (thrips?) and neglect.  These are yukon gold potatoes that were hilled

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-15787629474741984442011-08-03T11:00:00.032-08:002011-08-03T11:00:06.551-08:00

It's time to say sayonara to Faith Jr.  The idea of a namesake tomato is a bit strange.  You know how they say some people are so mean they eat their own.  So here I am, eating my own... tomato.  Here is Faith Jr. on July 31st.  Notice the other tomatoes on the bunch are much larger.  Hurry up and ripen already!!!! This picture was taken on August 2nd.  Notice the large BER scar. The

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-82821246891232578712011-08-02T09:45:00.004-08:002011-08-02T09:45:00.375-08:00

Look at the pretty flower!  The nasturtiums are finally blooming.  I love nasturtiums.  These two did not get eaten.  But some of their little flowery friends did.  Just like a cow, I am continually browsing while in the garden.  Lotsa times there's green bits of stuff in my teeth when I smile.  Oh well, I just don't smile a lot.  That solves the problem.  Oh, here is a picture of Faith Jr.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-41298432525927983772011-08-01T10:35:00.010-08:002011-08-01T10:35:00.479-08:00

This week the beet bed was getting a bit crowded.  Time for some pickled beets! Here is the pile of beet thinnings.  Touchstone gold on the left, chioggia on the right.  All ranging in size from about a dime to ping pong ball.  After the greens were trimmed that huge pile was reduced to a measly one and a half cup of beet roots.  Those were simmered for about 30 minutes and cooled to slip

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-51038958744787885382011-07-31T16:11:00.004-08:002011-07-31T18:16:16.397-08:00

I took all of these pictures a week ago tonight.  It's been a busy week.  I got saved!  Anyway, this is a gardening blog, not a religion blog, but God is good! Here is a great photo of a black krim tomato - it still looks green today, but it is larger (like, duh!.)  Tomatoes sure take their grand old time ripening. This is Faith Jr., my namesake tomato.  As of today (July 31st) Faith Jr. is

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-91317506706878631612011-07-22T11:46:00.001-08:002011-07-22T11:46:51.928-08:00

Ok, so it's only about 75 or 80.  But for me it's a very hot day!  This will be three days in a row of hot weather.  I am half Eskimo and have Norwegian/Swede.  We don't do well in temps over 70.  The garden is really loving it - so is the toddler. 

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-82412428596794165982011-07-20T09:11:00.004-08:002011-07-20T09:23:58.804-08:00

My namesake tomato is blushing!  Faith Jr. is the tomato on the right - notice the color is slightly less green with a hint of pink. This picture shows that there is a nice tinge of red around the BER.  The tomato is almost a salmon color.  In a few days it should be ripe enough to eat.  I'm bringing a salt shaker with me to the greenhouse on one of the mornings in the week to come.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-77710444192436254702011-07-17T12:28:00.002-08:002011-07-17T12:28:16.577-08:00

It's been kind of low key excitement around the garden.  But here are some good pictures - most exciting are the beet thinnings.  This is a first of many harvests of actual edible beets.  Over the summer and in the years to come.  The whole beet is so delicious I actually ate a tip to tail one just rinsed from the dirt. This is the view from by the garage.  Things are filling out - even the

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-78416981432522971472011-07-15T22:27:00.001-08:002011-07-15T22:27:16.363-08:00

I am asking all the readers if they know this one cause I don't.  I think I hilled my Yukon Gold potatoes too late.  The plants are about 12 inches tall with no flower buds but were already producing ping-pong sized potatoes.  Some of the baby potatoes were turning green.  I just hilled them tonight and am wondering if this will prevent the rest of them from going green (no, not saving the

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-48205733902840817742011-07-11T11:39:00.002-08:002011-07-11T11:48:22.308-08:00

This is the bunch of tomatoes on the store bought tomato plant bush champion.  I was so pleased to have a plant with blossoms since my home grown tomatoes did not get an early start.  I was so pleased I named the tomato Faith Jr.  Faith Jr. is on the lower right hand side.  The first tomato I had set fruit this year.  My namesake tomato has blossom end rot!  Poor Faith Junior.  She's ill. 

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-45388492682496373922011-07-07T13:12:00.001-08:002011-07-07T22:32:29.365-08:00

I have a big pile of dirt that came out of the grow bags last year.  Evidently all the potatoes were not harvested.  I was out there two days ago and noticed this solitary potato plant.  It must have come a long way because the potato dirt was at the bottom of the pile.  I know where this one came from. All of that really nutritious dirt is sure making the weeds take off.  The chickweed,

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-82361522211723078332011-07-01T14:06:00.002-08:002011-07-22T11:47:46.327-08:00

I recently had a discussion about tomato pollination.  This is how I do it. I only have less than 12 plants.  But this method worked well for me last year when I had about 40 plants.  It is a good way to check out mentally and still do something productive in the garden.   Here is a tumbling tom plant, chock a block with future tomatoes.  It is in my greenhouse.  I have noticed that letting

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-13733959465058699392011-06-29T12:02:00.000-08:002011-06-29T12:02:59.908-08:00

I am constantly nibbling leaves from the garden.  This is just a gentle reminder to always check the leaves first before putting them in your mouth.  I do.  But I used to just eat and wonder what that funny taste was.  Eeew. I didn't have my camera but I just wiped out an entire colony of aphids with my thumb!  Must have been about 50 of them on one little beet leaf.  They were trying to take

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-51571925772897525162011-06-28T10:07:00.001-08:002011-06-29T22:32:28.054-08:00

Bug free radishes of edible size are big news around here!  We were burning some old wood chips and leaves, so that's the action in the picture.  These radishes are from the little raised bed.  All from a packet of cherry belle seeds. The radishes have been benefitting from sprinklings of wood ash as well as multiple waterings every day. I also put in about three inches of my best compost. 

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-89649154899277991012011-06-23T23:21:00.001-08:002011-06-24T10:00:46.358-08:00

Eeew.  I hate moths.  So guess what I encountered tonight?  Possibly the prettiest moth I've ever seen in a gives-me-the-creeps kind of way.  Here's a picture.  I think it's a St. Lawrence tiger moth.  A moth is a moth.  Still gross and nasty even with pretty colors. This is a bucket near the moth.  More specifically, a bucket full of wheat berries that may have come from the dump.  Or

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-33210211967007046282011-06-22T01:06:00.000-08:002011-06-22T01:06:33.518-08:00

For funsies here are some pictures of the garden late at night.  As you probably know, today is the solstice.  According to www.accuweathercenter.com we will get 19.6 hours between sunrise and sunset. I was going to try to stay up and take a picture at 3 a.m. but only made it to one a.m. This is the garden at 9:57 p.m. Here are a couple more pictures taken around 10 p.m.  See the time on my

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-57376987761834635752011-06-18T22:59:00.001-08:002011-06-18T23:09:54.912-08:00

Yes, it's a video of my compost pile decomposing.  Yes, it's pretty dull.  Yes, you may just skip to the next post at this time.  I spend a surprising amount of time randomly poking the compost pile to see how hot of a temperature I can find.  It is exciting, if you like compost.  Also to see how fast the compost thermometer can go from cold to hot.  So here is a short and fuzzy video (

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-74258844703123979242011-06-16T23:16:00.000-08:002011-06-16T23:16:25.095-08:00

Last spring I dug up the strawberries, screened the weed infested dirt, and replanted them.  For fun.  It was not a success.  The poor plants mostly died off and sent out about a million runners, most of which did not take root.  The ones that did, I covered with dry grass cut in the fall.  The plants overwintered just fine and awoke this spring still green with a jump start on the season. Among

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-49580838470840694042011-06-15T20:48:00.000-08:002011-06-15T20:48:34.523-08:00

I planted more radishes this year.  In the small wooden raised bed I purchased from 733-NEIL in Talkeetna.  I also plan on succession planting more radishes in some unplanted grow bags that are sitting around full of dirt.  I'm a sucker for punishment, yes.  Each and every year I plant radishes only to get a hand full of dime sized ones before they get infested with root maggots or go to seed.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-12515478202016788532011-06-14T18:08:00.001-08:002011-06-14T18:17:55.603-08:00

Hey there.  It's been three years and five compost piles and I've finally figured out that I don't need a hand powered compost shredder or grinder.  See original post here. I was looking at the blog and hit counter and realized that the compost shredder post I made last year gets the most hits out of all of the posts.  Back then I had a newer compost pile and was also still pretty new to

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-69213473005283308112011-06-09T23:08:00.001-08:002011-06-11T22:04:09.925-08:00

I went and did it.  Never thought I would.  I bought some tomato plants for the greenhouse... Here are my tomatoes.  Pitiful, tiny, and most likely going to come in to the house this fall. Maybe they will make good candidates in the ultra early spring of 2012 for clippings.  Tomatoes make nice clippings if the season is long enough.  Here are the purchased tomatoes.  All with flowers.  Two red

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-72101849924646609672011-06-07T15:16:00.001-08:002011-06-08T18:42:45.751-08:00

What was I doing that I forgot to mention that this blog has hit its two year mark? And the two year mark was waaay back in April.  This anniversary post has been sitting in my posts box for some time. Oh yeah, I was taking care of my new little sweet pea. To celebrate here is a freebie.  I have a few of these little fuzzy animal fridge magnets made by Kipmik productions - totally unrelated

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-23406691830118795902011-06-06T10:27:00.001-08:002011-06-06T10:32:38.804-08:00

I took a Sunday afternoon off a couple weeks back and went to beautiful Downtown Talkeetna.  This is Nagleys. While walking around with my dad looking for a cheap cup of coffee I noticed several of these neat looking raised beds.  They were rough cut and just tall enough to place on bare ground or asphalt and fill with dirt to grow about any vegetable.  Or flower.  This one was in front of the

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-39053490702399878212011-06-01T19:28:00.000-08:002011-06-01T19:28:37.192-08:00

Yes I've been slacking off on the blog posts as of late.  To be honest, I've been slacking on housework, cooking (spam and rice tonight and my old man cooked the spam) personal hygiene and even sleep.   Babies are so demanding. I did get some starts planted out.  I also got the greenhouse cleaned up today.  In the greenhouse are my somewhat pitiful looking tomato, cucumber, cantaloupe and basil

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-57542841621118967762011-05-28T21:40:00.000-08:002011-05-28T21:40:03.762-08:00

Here it is.  The big planting out weekend of the year. Yesterday planted french fingerling and purple potatoes.  From seed saved last fall.  Still have to plant the yukon golds.  All in bags.  All with my own screened compost.  Monday planted some chioggia and gold beets.  And some carrots, peas, and fava beans. These are two of the four small trays of seedlings that I managed to start early.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-22673933927740569882011-05-18T17:20:00.000-08:002011-05-18T17:20:33.887-08:00

So I screened about three gallons of mostly moose dropping compost to pasteurize and use indoors for seedlings.  Day before yesterday I finally got around to sterilizing some.  Due to screaming baby the compost did not reach 180 degrees but it got up to 140.  Not enough to kill off everything, but hopefully enough to kill off the mites and beetles and grubs.  I used most of it to mix with some

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-46340037987298096502011-05-17T13:34:00.002-08:002011-05-17T13:36:40.864-08:00

The first Alaskan salmon have arrived in the Seattle Tacoma airport.  Cause for celebration?  If you love salmon and are willing to shell out some cash...  Click on link to see photo and story, courtesy of Anchorage Daily News http://www.adn.com/2011/05/17/1867271/first-salmon-of-2011-reaches-seattle.html For now I think I'll stick to the stuff in the freezer. On the local side, heralding the

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-84584311713415128862011-05-14T23:25:00.000-08:002011-05-14T23:25:51.283-08:00

We're not in the desert pursuing OBL.  Nor are we in the oven.  It's my compost heap, and it's one hundred and twenty degrees. More pictures later.  Hot compost is big news around these parts.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-51592230874519230252011-05-13T20:31:00.000-08:002011-05-13T20:31:42.319-08:00

I have one small hole in the right hand side of my favorite beater red fleece shirt.  A mosquito just bit me through that hole while I was turning the compost heap.  I also got a mosquito bite on my forehead through my scarf.  The only drawback about Alaskan summer is the mosquito population.   Mosquitoes love me and will follow me in swarms.  The bites itch like crazy, swelling and irritating

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-90100451292126790532011-05-08T23:04:00.000-08:002011-05-08T23:04:26.095-08:00

I just surveyed the property for moose droppings.  There are LOTS.  If I can devote a couple hours to gathering the moose poo before the understory growth greens up,  I should have enough to create another exclusive moose poop compost pile.  This one also constructed with just leaves, moose droppings, and alfalfa pellets. Moose poo is your friend if you know how to compost it.  Except I just

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-17030013620113960172011-05-05T23:28:00.000-08:002011-05-05T23:28:02.225-08:00

We sat up last night with the baby.  It was after 10 p.m. and the stove had been on all day making it too hot in the house.  I noticed something once we opened the window - there was a robin singing outside!  Every time I hear that robin singing for the first time in spring I'm immediately transported back to camping trips and bonfires, gardening late at night because it's so peaceful and light.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-56061553119863271842011-05-03T10:39:00.000-08:002011-05-03T10:39:01.407-08:00

We are surrounded by birch trees here at our house.  There are a few spruce, cottonwood and aspen, but mainly birch. We burn birch for firewood.  I love the bark - it is so pretty. Every winter under each birch tree there is a little ring of brown surrounding the tree in the snow.  That ring is birch seeds.  This winter we seem to have had a birch tree seed explosion.  Last winter the seeds were

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-87455808284497017752011-04-16T10:07:00.000-08:002011-04-16T10:07:55.254-08:00

I had a healthy baby girl after a short six hour labor at 9:28 p.m. on Monday, March 28th.  Seven pounds five ounces and 18 inches long.  We are all healed up and ready to go. We are adjusting to home life well.  Been home for a week now.  We had a 10 day stay in the special care nursery.  I can't wait to start gardening with my new sweet pea! My tomato seeds never took off.  I'm going to

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-13559322395115231582011-03-23T16:39:00.000-08:002011-03-23T16:39:23.471-08:00

I'm due Saturday the 26th.  It's spring time here.  We've had gorgeous weather - sunshine and warm temps into the upper 30's.  Enough to start the snow melting and heat the greenhouse to an astonishing 60 degrees inside during the day.  Guess what I've been doing?  Nothing.  Caught a cold from a prenatal appointment two weeks ago and that wiped any ambition I had out.  Now I'm just waiting to

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-21476034787045151862011-03-07T10:00:00.000-09:002011-03-07T10:00:43.194-09:00

Our greenhouse is made of 2X4's with that wavy plastic polycarbonate panels. It is not sealed or caulked.   For about a week now the greenhouse has been about 50 degrees on the inside - enough to thaw out the bags of dirt I was too lazy and pregnant to empty out last fall.  I am interested in adding an additional layer of air for insulation.  Therefore I can put our more hardy seedlings in the

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-43463738163343864572011-03-04T09:26:00.001-09:002011-03-04T09:26:15.686-09:00

Since I've been pregnant it seems that any cooking I've done has quickly turned into disaster.  I get tired easy, my back starts aching, I get distracted by the toddler (Milk! Milk!  Potty! Potty!  Now! Now!) Today is no different.  An aroma like no other is wafting through our house - an aroma sweet yet earthy, almost dirt like.  There is, at this very moment, a turkey roaster full of potting

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-60328097590288471342011-03-01T23:11:00.000-09:002011-03-01T23:11:58.396-09:00

We have two huge south facing windows at our place.  Both sills are full of various houseplants.  I have some spider plants Chlorophytum, Plectranthus, jade plants Crassula ovata, purple passion Gynura aurantiaca, a miscellaneous Philodendron and one Kalanchoe.  Don't quote me on the scientific names. Please forgive spelling and usage. So since I'm starting seeds soon (plus having a baby) I

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-6585099991039962692011-02-19T10:51:00.000-09:002011-02-19T10:51:05.865-09:00

I cannot say that I've had the most motivation to garden while pregnant. I'm 35 weeks today.  Theoretically the baby could come any time.  As of yet any seeds and starts are still in the packaging, none in the dirt.  I have to get some done!  Maybe five tomatoes? It's exhausting right now just to get up and take care of the toddler.  Once the baby is here we can do more, hopefully, but that is

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-62113110423072878002011-02-08T09:48:00.000-09:002011-02-08T09:48:46.105-09:00

Wow!  Thanks to everyone that responded for the bumper stickers.  I am sending them in the mail today.  They are going to be all over the country, plus some overseas.  So nice.  My sister is getting one.  So is my dad and my brother.  I'm bringing one to the garden club for fun.  So that takes care of all of them.  How fun. Thanks again. 

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-24175363305979294942011-02-03T10:58:00.002-09:002011-03-13T12:19:04.372-08:00

Thank you all for the great response.  There are no more bumper stickers! Ah.  Spring was in the air yesterday.  I had just scraped off my political bumper sticker and replaced it with 98% Organic in Alaska.  So bright!  That the sticker just stood out in the muted sea of brown spatter. Temperatures topped 39 degrees.  Snow melted and made huge puddles to drive through.  What fun!  The head

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-70832716329919643262011-01-30T16:32:00.000-09:002011-01-30T16:32:58.532-09:00

Okay.  I've successfully nurtured my batch of kefir grains to about a half a cup.  After receiving about a tablespoon of them in the mail they have grown enough to produce kefir to give away to friends and family.  And to support our twice weekly pancake habit.  Maybe a mango lassi for dessert tonight?  The best small batch pancake recipe I have found to make the kefir pancakes is: 1/2 c.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-68809329092412884622011-01-24T12:29:00.000-09:002011-01-24T12:29:59.702-09:00

It is time to order a few packets of seeds.  We just had our garden club meeting, which was a catalog swap.  I brought home three catalogs.  Now my stash is up to six.  A few notables that I am going to add are beets, some form of corn salad/mache, nettles (from Seeds of Change), and a delicious looking variety of carrot called Parisian from The Natural Gardening Company.   Why nettles you

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-90684032472849734962011-01-17T23:40:00.000-09:002011-01-17T23:40:43.768-09:00

So much for a New Year's resolution.  I never make them anyway.  Today was my birthday and I decided that I would have a Birthday Resolution.  What a great tradition to start. Wanna know what the resolution is?  It's to post once a week on this blog.  Simple and easy until about mid March, when the baby gets here.  On top of that resolution I got a new seed catalog.  That is exciting.  So the

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-42250829808396361602010-12-30T11:15:00.000-09:002010-12-30T11:15:57.382-09:00

Oooh.  I've put in my time.  40 hours spent volunteering as the secretary for the Willow Garden Club.  Plus these blog posts.  Now to send in the sheet to the Cooperative Extension service.  Except where is it? Some time next year (that will be day after tomorrow!) I will receive my little master gardener badge!  It's like girl scouts, except I never participated in girl scouts.  Too bad we will

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-45033369567223006732010-12-23T17:39:00.001-09:002010-12-23T18:26:24.372-09:00

Just in time to make any Christmas woes be gone the Anchorage Daily News posted this youtube video from the fine community of Quinhagak, Alaska.  Maybe on Tuesday?  This is by far the best video out of Alaska I've seen yet.  Ok, Jesus' birthday is coming up very soon.  Merry Christmas.  We don't say Happy Holidays around these parts.  If you're offended write the PC Police.  I'm mildly

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-22672978615323772052010-12-08T15:23:00.000-09:002010-12-08T15:23:11.295-09:00

I've been working like a little slave on the beaded trees.  The big craft bazaar on Saturday the 4th was a huge success!  I sold out of trees by 2:30 p.m.  Personally I think I had the least expensive things there, even though I raised prices.  So I'm booked for next year and bringing more trees. A minor head cold this week wiped out any energy I had, so there are now only six trees made and

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-9814936382925606102010-11-30T22:50:00.002-09:002010-12-02T10:52:07.111-09:00

Oooh.  My kefir grains are in the mail, set to arrive on Friday.  So excited! One day long ago I was reading through my dad's thrifted stack of old Mother Earth News magazines.  The story on kefir caught my eye and I just had to try it.  As expensive as the stuff is, kefir is worth it.  Now I can make my own! It is pronounced keh-fear.  Not kee-fur.  Who cares about pronunciation anyway.  I

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-71204121613720513862010-11-21T21:46:00.000-09:002010-11-21T21:46:34.656-09:00

In preparation for the short holiday bazaar season I've been working on more little beaded Christmas trees.  Round these parts the occasion is still called Christmas.  I thought one year to boycott any business that referred to Christmas as just "holiday."  But all of them are doing it so I just protest in private now.  And send out baby Jesus Christmas cards.  haha!! Seemed like last year these

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-7614844127932581502010-11-19T11:45:00.000-09:002010-11-19T11:45:04.930-09:00

This time of year you start seeing the boxes of little tangerines/mandarins/sweeties.  Whatever they call them, these little oranges are a real treat.  We went through a bag of them in a few days this week. I save some of the peels and use them to make our house smell delicious.  The smell alone mentally raises the temperature in our house ten degrees.  Because something that smells this good

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-10406306862378291532010-11-19T11:08:00.000-09:002010-11-19T11:08:50.036-09:00

The birds love my cookies.   I did have to add about two cups of flour to make the cakes a little more doughy. I used my ulu knife to cut the pieces to fit the wire suet cages.  This small pan makes about six suet cakes.  Any crumbles were put out in the open for the birds to eat.  The green bag on the left is a large cookie that I just wrapped in some mesh.  Three or four chickadees will be

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-62422649346183589992010-11-17T22:18:00.000-09:002010-11-17T22:18:27.866-09:00

Oh I love turkey.  At one point I lived in Florida and the reserve base I belonged to was waaay out in the sticks.  The wild turkeys would gather around the driveway, unmolested and unaware that I was plotting their ultimate demise.  I did not own a firearm, or any means of capturing one of those delicious looking wild birds.  But I could have snared one!  I never got around to sneaking (I

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-21669835121297328672010-11-12T12:29:00.001-09:002010-11-12T15:03:56.139-09:00

I love wild birds. We dish out about 50 pounds of assorted seeds, nuts and suet cakes each winter.  Our first winter I put up a bird feeder right outside our window - dubbed our bird t.v.  The resulting mess was a bit annoying come spring melt, but worth it to have the birds right there to watch.  Now the feeder is a comfortable distance away.  Close enough for easy viewing and far enough to

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-54025694402495129552010-11-11T21:28:00.000-09:002010-11-11T21:28:11.515-09:00

Mmmm.  I just made a blueberry soda using the blueberry syrup from our wild berry crop.  We had so many berries this year!  There are about 10 quarts in the freezer still. So, to make this drink you will need: Blueberry syrup Club soda Milk Make sure all ingredients are nice and cold.  Pour enough syrup to cover the bottom of your glass/cup.  About 2 tbsp.  Pour the club soda over the syrup a

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-19482665403553475892010-11-11T12:55:00.000-09:002010-11-11T12:55:10.418-09:00

Thank you veterans!  This is to all the Air Force current and past who lip synched through the Air Force Song every day at basic training.  I still get a little teary when I hear the national anthem and see the Stars and Stripes.  P.S.  This was the best picture I could find from my slick sleeve days.  Have a good day.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-32126714749021020522010-11-09T11:00:00.000-09:002010-11-09T11:00:24.055-09:00

Ok guys and gals.  Here is a gardening ad from a November 1954 Workbasket magazine. I love these old magazines.  Since our winters are soooooo endless, for us ladies it is wise to take up handicrafts like knitting, crocheting, tatting, etc.  Old Workbasket magazines are a gold mine of information.  I leaned to tat from a workbasket magazine from the 50's.  Tatting is lace making with a

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-44233121728975483582010-10-29T12:25:00.000-08:002010-10-29T12:25:22.964-08:00

For the next six months we have snow.  It only gets deeper from here until spring.  This is what the garden looks like this morning. Oh wait, wrong picture.  That was three months ago.  Here it is today.  Note the absence of GREEN and overabundance of WHITE.  We burn wood, so this wheelbarrow full is a daily sight until May.  Except when it is -25F, then it is a wheelbarrow and a half or

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-83872530121922174502010-10-28T15:23:00.000-08:002010-10-28T15:23:41.811-08:00

It's snowing.  And I'm not crying. This morning it was raining, then freezing, then sleeting.  Now it is snowing.  Wet snow is good snow, unless it freezes hard.  Then it becomes icy, making forays to the woodshed dangerous.  It was even slick on the gravel this morning.  Worse yet is dry snow over frozen wet snow.  That's when driving becomes a circus.  Glad we don't live in the city any more.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-2167654086368680882010-10-27T22:48:00.008-08:002010-10-27T23:11:36.693-08:00

It's my mother's birthday soon.  So us kids are having an early birthday party for her. On the menu are barbequed beef ribs, corn on the cob, potato salad, and some cake.  All of my mom's favorites. I adapted this recipe (taken from epicurious) for a lemon poppy seed cake.  The consistency should be lighter than regular poppy seed cake.  Frosted with some cream cheese almond frosting, we will

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-4663732186365753972010-10-20T11:24:00.000-08:002010-10-20T11:24:27.191-08:00

Here are some of the birds at our house.  We attract many different species.  Boreal and black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, and two sizes of woodpecker make daily visits to our bird feeder.  I supply the birds with sunflower seeds and suet.  And the occasional stale bag of cereal. This is a hairy woodpecker.  They stand about 9 inches tall.  He and his girlfriend frequent our bird feeder.  We

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-24280675367375145672010-10-19T10:32:00.000-08:002010-10-19T10:32:18.968-08:00

Our water is working again.  It is a little rusty yet, so no canning until later. 

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-64784656800123959862010-10-16T10:56:00.001-08:002010-10-16T10:56:55.284-08:00

The prototype phone pouch is nearly finished.  As practice I used some blue suede.  The phone fits perfectly.  There is enough room on one side for perhaps an ink pen or a vial of seeds.  Just as imagined. This pouch is fully lined with two slots for a credit card or ID.  Sorry, no room for a .38.  Maybe a lip gloss at the bottom too.  Missing is the snap and the strap.  I intend on attaching a

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-76247076127737824642010-10-12T10:18:00.000-08:002010-10-12T10:18:51.906-08:00

I have some energy FINALLY! On top of the green tomatoes sitting in the freezer, I have picked about ten pounds of crab apples.  Green tomato butter and marmalade are a couple items on my canning wish list. The garden is put to bed.  Strawberries need a thick mulching, but that is it.  We expect snow any day. In the meanwhile, if you are a girl and have a phone, you probably have wanted a tiny

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-36276017751177785262010-10-05T10:22:00.000-08:002010-10-05T10:22:28.336-08:00

Now that the fall is well underway and gardening is done, I will be transitioning the blog to more wintertime activities.  A stay at home mom has to do something to stay busy during our long cold winters.  I do bead work.  Lots and lots of bead work.  This year a personal goal is to learn fur tufting.  So some postings will be regarding beads and other craft things.  Some posts will be

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-72109641019049156642010-10-02T12:02:00.001-08:002010-10-02T12:15:28.918-08:00

I suppose it is personal news, but it will affect next years gardening season as well as the blog.  A heads up is in order. A reader might be wondering why so many things are being let go - like the tomatoes freezing on the vine, not re-doing the compost heap, putting everything in the freezer.  It's because I am having a baby.  Yep.  I am at 14 weeks, due in late March.  The morning sickness

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-79090916656642539202010-09-29T21:50:00.004-08:002010-09-29T22:05:52.838-08:00

Oh man I had a strenuous hike today!  Two new blisters to show for it too.  We went to a mushroom my husband discovered on a hiking foray last week.  I have never seen this mushroom in the wild, only behind glass at the Alaska State Fair.  So imagine my excitement!  We nicknamed this one the comb mushroom.  Today marked the end of years and years of searching - the fabled hericium at last. This

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-11277160488152916202010-09-28T18:55:00.001-08:002010-09-28T19:02:29.280-08:00

I had an elderly woman friend that would fry potatoes then simmer them gently until they were tender but still had the fried taste and some crunchies left over from being fried.  Here is my attempt to re-create those delicious potatoes. (imaginary picture of beautiful homegrown french fingerlings HERE) Get a few potatoes - preferably home grown french fingerlings.  Or whatever you have on hand.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-1168854034972102592010-09-27T12:01:00.003-08:002010-09-27T17:16:58.149-08:00

Everything froze in the greenhouse today.  All the tomatoes and peppers. I went to check and found plants wilted and frozen.  All the fruit was frozen too.  I just cut everything off and put it in a box.  This box must weigh 25 pounds.  The wee one was munching on an anaheim chili and decided to grab another while this picture was being taken.  Before this stuff thaws, all are going to be

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-16736411709632932262010-09-26T19:04:00.000-08:002010-09-26T19:04:11.776-08:00

Came home from grouse hunting today to the best grouse soup!  Last night I defrosted the bag of grouse parts - basically the bird from my earlier post on how to clean a grouse and three of its buddies.  Mom cooked some soup while we were out.  The grouse was simmered in water with onion, home grown carrots and potatoes, rice, salt and pepper.  A bottle of Lea and Perrins sauce and we had a meal.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-4550544070386459202010-09-24T09:42:00.000-08:002010-09-24T09:42:35.649-08:00

The thermometer still reads 29 degrees F.  It is 9:27 a.m. on Friday, September 24th.  It officially frosted to the ground today.  Since it is still below freezing, it is still nice and frozen, yielding some nice frosty pictures. This red acre cabbage looks normal.  When you close in you see that the leaves are coated in tiny frost crystals.  So pretty! This kale plant looks normal too. A

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-35819148141762275772010-09-23T12:10:00.002-08:002010-09-23T16:00:08.665-08:00

No one knows this.  Tell your friends.  We are apparently having an indian summer.  Yes.  The sun has been shining for the past week and day temps have been in the 60's. 60 and 1/2 degrees counts.  And today is the second day of fall. Too bad the WHOLE garden except for some carrots and a couple heads of cabbage are kaput.  The greenhouse doesn't count. Meanwhile we have gone through a row and

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-34526992523668286332010-09-22T09:46:00.000-08:002010-09-22T09:46:16.883-08:00

My 2 year old enjoys what I feed him from the garden.  How do I know this? The orange thing in the shade there is a carrot.  Behind the door in our spare bathroom.  It's an adventure feeding a toddler when he isn't in his seat.  You just don't know what you're going to find. He is also fond of squash.  This one escaped the compost heap and wound up in the corner by our wood stove.  I am so glad

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-24350168119408968622010-09-21T09:53:00.000-08:002010-09-21T09:53:53.696-08:00

I felt terrible all day yesterday and stayed in the house until late in the evening.  The sun had already set so I grabbed a head lamp and headed out to the "bean" house (as my 2 year old calls it) to do some surveillance and put the plants to bed.   Look what the beam revealed?  A ripe Anaheim chili!  With our temperatures being in the low 40s, mid 30's at night, the greenhouse goodies are

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-43930980474246286242010-09-20T10:12:00.000-08:002010-09-20T10:12:59.640-08:00

Good food and people that you can talk to about growing food.  Is there anything better?  No. Thursday the 16th was the Harvest Dinner, sponsored by the Willow Garden Club.  On hand were 20 people.  Not a huge crowd, but a nice size to talk and share food. I brought three things.  Caribou stew with homegrown potatoes and carrots.  Blueberry coffee cake with wild blueberries.  And some

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-86269889434880123662010-09-19T10:29:00.000-08:002010-09-19T10:29:37.606-08:00

The days have been absolutely gorgeous!  Too bad all of the garden was finished.  The artichokes and cardoons grew well past all of my expectations - even providing about three large enough to eat artichokes.  Time to dig them up before the first frost, which should come any day.  The plants were easy to cut back.  The dry weather made for easy digging.  Each plant had a large root system, as

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-20957254823991316972010-09-16T09:49:00.000-08:002010-09-16T09:49:08.485-08:00

Finally, lots of ripe tomatoes! Golden Jubilee, brown berry, black cherry, large red cherry, red currant, Roma, and wendy tomatoes.  Most of these will be sliced in half, tossed with vinaigrette and eaten tonight at the Harvest Dinner.  Maybe some cheese too.  I will post more.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-50640153877075829062010-09-13T10:20:00.000-08:002010-09-13T10:20:00.490-08:00

Thursday is our Willow garden club harvest dinner.  The idea is to bring a dish that you caught, shot or grew.  Other than bringing a whole cabbage and a knife, my options are pretty wide open.  We have the silver salmon from back in July.  Just a huge pile of baked salmon and cooked carrots would work.  But I'm a hoarder.  That salmon was a pain to clean.  And I don't like leftover salmon so

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-35711611516893581302010-09-11T15:02:00.000-08:002010-09-11T15:02:45.091-08:00

Frustrated?  Tired of taking this b.s?  It does not require great physical strength to reduce your garden to a chopped compost salad.  Just a machete, a chopping block, and a somewhat careful aim, as demonstrated by my mother. Frustrations are lessened.  Woes are a distant memory.  All while adding valuable green matter to your compost heap. The action of yanking plants out of the ground and

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-7390559752254300132010-09-09T19:12:00.000-08:002010-09-09T19:12:35.777-08:00

The "large quantity" of frozen currant and cherry tomatoes made their debut on our table tonight.  Ok, so it was only a quart size bag of frozen tomatoes.  As individual tomatoes there were well over 60 in the bag, so pretending that they were beefsteaks we would be talking a large quantity. Not even defrosted yet the tomatoes looked like some kind of pretty Alaskan berry.  They went straight in

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-24425972562223125272010-09-07T10:28:00.000-08:002010-09-07T10:28:17.293-08:00

The garden is in decline. What was once full and green and lush is now decaying.  Except for these really nice Dahlias. And the artichokes/cardoons  The piles and piles of nasturtiums have yielded some nice seeds. Wonder if these will grow again next year?  This kohlrabi may or may not still be edible.  It is large and delicious looking.  These kohlrabi are growing from a stump of one eaten in

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-89880884427515271782010-09-04T19:43:00.000-08:002010-09-04T19:43:03.940-08:00

Boredom has set in in a baaaaaaad way.  Out of boredom I baked homemade hot dog buns.  That was fun, sort of.  Made some home made puff pastry.  My stomach did not like all of that butter, even if it puffed dramatically, just like the recipe promised.  The rain has made any desire to make a new compost heap, which is needed, very low on the priority list. Too lazy and unmotivated to post

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-78322380050224309432010-08-30T22:05:00.004-08:002010-08-30T22:33:27.743-08:00

Ah.  The garden is on its last leg.  For fun I thought some grisly and graphic pictures of cleaning a spruce grouse (an Alaskan staple game bird) would provide a likely distraction to the last death throes of the squash plants or more pictures of slowly ripening tomatoes. To clean a smallish bird such as a grouse is easy, providing you have the right equipment.  First you need a dead bird,

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-73509006853065748892010-08-27T21:03:00.000-08:002010-08-27T21:03:47.896-08:00

For dinner we had fresh brussels sprouts from the Bold Raven Farm at the Farmer's Market.  Dime sized and larger and absolutely delicious.  I am tempted to skin the stalks and cook them too.  Our neighbor Jerry sold out on giant cabbages early but left me in care of his wonderful zucchini bread (with chocolate chips.)  He had three loaves left at 6:50 p.m.  One of which my two year old poked

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-42692604287566368212010-08-24T15:49:00.000-08:002010-08-24T15:49:08.130-08:00

Oh, we got used to the idea that summer was over.  Endless rain would turn in to frost and snow.  Yellowed leaves would fall off and leave bare trees until next May. Ripe cranberries would attract grouse. With day after day of rain, the vegetables were on the decline.  Except for the cabbage.   This harvest wasn't bad for a rainy day. But this mysterious weather has been happening lately.  There

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-91642878894036782752010-08-23T20:36:00.000-08:002010-08-23T20:36:05.394-08:00

Just dug another bag of potatoes.  This time it was french fingerlings.  There were 14 stalks in the bag, producing 59 potatoes.  Frying some right now.  

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-16516990189738367492010-08-21T11:29:00.001-08:002010-08-22T12:06:29.701-08:00

Ever been to a hot springs?  Me neither, until last week.  We decided to head North out of the nasty wet weather.  Packing list included long pants, rain gear and more long pants.  It was absolutely gorgeous blue skies from Denali Park onward.  And hot too. Manley Hot Springs (or is it spelled Manly?  We like the joke) is over 450 miles from our house in Willow.   The 80 mile "highway" to Manley

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-33259770222871611952010-08-19T09:42:00.000-08:002010-08-19T09:42:40.264-08:00

These trash bags of potatoes outdid the previous year harvest already.  Planted in early May, each bag contained up to 8 tiny seed potatoes that had sprouted over the winter in our hall closet.  I put each potato in a nice clump of compost plus bone meal and covered with an inch of plain dirt.  Then as the potatoes grew, I hilled the plants with about ten inches of dirt. The potatoes seem easy to

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-39864093957729759432010-08-17T20:12:00.001-08:002010-08-17T20:31:13.602-08:00

I've been cooking jam all day.  I may have bad dreams of jars of jam covering every surface in the house tonight.  Oh wait - that's already happening.  Going on my fourth (fifth?) batch of golden/red raspberry jam.  Thank you to Sylva of Albino Hare gallery and garden for the wonderful berries.  She has some golden raspberries that are just sublime.  We did go to Fairbanks for the weekend. 

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-58946141438280811752010-08-13T14:40:00.000-08:002010-08-13T14:40:00.253-08:00

This is my smoker.  It will not win awards for innovation or beauty.  Words to describe it may be "flimsy" or "cheap."  I find myself singing In the Ghetto by Elvis every time I go out to work on it.  My goal here is to make salmon strips, delicious old fashioned salmon strips like grandma used to make.  Some call them squaw candy.  I find the term squaw quite offensive.  We could call them half

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-2419488661897627292010-08-12T11:42:00.000-08:002010-08-12T11:42:51.275-08:00

The dreaded Blossom End Rot.  It has taken hold of some of my nicest tomatoes!  What to do?  Cry is a good choice.  Throw a tantrum like my two year old and trash the whole plants, another option.  Maybe just leave them alone seems the best to me. Blossom end rot (usually just BER) is a calcium deficiency in tomatoes.  The fruit forms, then develops brown spots that start collapsing.  Pictured

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068320723918584675.post-75147181802590360232010-08-10T14:37:00.001-08:002010-08-10T14:41:34.298-08:00

This has nothing to do with gardening but everything to do with Alaska.  Please take a moment of silence for the former Senator Ted Stevens.  In my view he was a great man.  May he rest in peace.  My condolences go out to his family as well as the families of the others that perished in the plane crash. Thank you Uncle Ted.

Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13445590769325999127noreply@blogger.com1