by Kat | Aug 29, 2016 | General, In This Moment
It was a quiet weekend in my corner of the world. Quiet, hot, and muggy. Relief is in sight however, which is ironically forecast to arrive on Thursday – September 1st.
I think the weather gods are having a good laugh over this. But, really. I am so ready!
We picked volumes from our little garden – we picked some things that were not quite ripe, which turned out to be a very good thing when the deluge of rain hit last night. It was nice (not!) to leave us with a foggy steam bath this morning.
My list seems long today, however, I was up bright and early. Yogurt is at work in the Instant Pot, quick Roasted Raspberry Jam is done and cooling in a jar, and in moments these lovely tomatoes will be on their way to the most delicious jam ever.
I hope your weekend was filled with good things! Here is to lots lines crossing things off my list for this week… how about you?
by Kat | Aug 16, 2016 | General, Words
Hello, 10 on Tuesday fans! Carole, our fearless leader, is having a bit of a vacay this week, but I thought it would be the perfect time to share some ideas for preserving the best tastes of the season to enjoy when summer is gone!
Now, you may notice that tomatoes kind of steal the show, however, there is a reason for that. I am in the TOMATO OVERLOAD ZONE.
Note to self, there is no reason to plant more than one Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato next year. (What on earth was I thinking planting 4!!)
- I am seeing some plums in the markets right now and Plum Butter is so good on toast, or in yogurt with a bit of granola, or swirled through vanilla ice cream (you could make your own, but really store bought is just fine!) and (P.S. The cardamom is such a great addition to the butter!)
- This recipe calls for apricots, but it is so perfect with peaches. It is so good on English Muffins and stirred into yogurt.
- I think that in a few weeks, when the temperatures have cooled off a bit again, you will find good radishes in the markets again and nothing tastes better than Pickled Radishes. Really, I love them and they are a welcome addition to Happy Hour!
- Cucumbers are everywhere at the markets right now, and this Quick Sweet Pickle recipe is my favorite!
- Now, let’s get to the tomato recipes; shall we? I love to have jars of Tomato Basil Sauce in the pantry, and I think I will try this one this year!
- Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes are such incredible pops of flavor. They are so easy to do and they last a long time in the refrigerator. I have made one batch, and will be making another soon! (P.S. I cut them in half before roasting)
- Homemade Rotel-Style Tomatoes are so good!
- This recipe for Lazy Cherry Tomato Salsa looks so good!
- Now for the Tomato Jams – I have not made this before, but these recipes look so amazing! And, see above – 4 Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato Plants means I have Cherry Tomatoes in bulk!! I found two versions, and I will be trying both; Tomato Jam and Golden Cherry Tomato and Ginger Jam.
There you have it, Gentle Reader, summer in a jar for you to enjoy when summer is just a fond memory! What is your favorite way to preserve the season’s bounty?
by Kat | Jul 25, 2016 | General, In This Moment
This was the weekend that I was beyond thankful for central air conditioning, because it was hot and humid. If you don’t have AC and you live in an area that was included in the Heat Dome, you have my sympathies.
In a weekend of unstable weather with intermittent pop up heavy thunder showers creating sauna-like conditions outdoors, but all I was interested in doing was staying cool indoors!
Happy Hour on Friday was an indoor affair, but we had cold drinks and I made some crab dip that was fantastic!
There was knitting and spinning; I finished the Mystery Shawl and TdF. More on them later this week.
I spent some time reading – I am plugging through Brad Meltzer’s The Inner Circle. I am, thus far, not impressed.
I harvested the first, full-sized tomato, which was fantastic!
I also enjoyed the early morning garden views with some spidery artwork and water kissed roses.
All that and Monday still arrived right on schedule.
How was your weekend?
by Kat | Jul 21, 2016 | General, Words
Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into. ~ Wayne Dyer
In my ongoing attempts to increase my daily gratitude I have really honed in on being aware of the abundance that is everywhere, but especially that abundance that is around me.
Some days that is incredibly easy – when I walk out to my garden and I am surrounded by a bumper crop of tomatoes, peppers, and beans. Then there are the onions that appear to be doing well and the potatoes that seem to be flourishing in their containers. I am stunned also with the fact that all four eggplants have baby eggplants growing on them, and they just don’t seem to be ready to stop blooming yet, so there will surely be more.
However, there is just no way for us to utilize all of this bounty ourselves, so Steve’s office is loving us as we are sharing the overflow of vegetables. I am grateful that we have an abundance to share.
But, the abundance does not stop in my garden.
Yesterday, in my struggle to come up with books to fit bingo squares, you all gave me an abundance of recommendations. I am grateful for the community here.
The search for gratitude has changed my perspective and opened my eyes to the abundance around me.
What are you grateful for today?
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by Kat | Jul 18, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Although we desperately need the rain, a gloomy Monday makes for a slow starting week.
So, let’s spend a moment reliving the weekend which was the antithesis of gloomy!
There was spinning, and knitting, and cocktails, and reading.
- I listened to Doc by Mary Doria Russell and I am about half-way through. I am enjoying it tremendously, and I really love the narrator’s voice. I started reading The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer.
- I watched Spotlight and The Big Short.
- I harvested the first tomatoes from the garden.
- I almost finished spinning all the Montadale and I got the first bump plied up.
- And, the epic bind off began…
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I hope yours was too.
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