Town House Homestead Tuesday

Container gardening has been my sanity this summer. I have been working diligently at cleaning and bringing our little piece of earth back to life. There's so much more to do just cleaning growth from a chain link fence, and working on the pollination garden a few shovels full at a time. I started two five gallon buckets of green beans yesterday. These will be growing in the breezeway so that the "friendly" animals around here won't eat them. My sunflowers are doing well. They are in the best pot of all, Mother Earth's. They are more than three feet tall at this point and I'm hoping with the heat we're going to be getting they will soon shoot higher.

A couple of weeks ago now I planted patty pan summer squash in two buckets and they are showing off at how well they can do in containers. 

I planted another bucket with basil. This is purple basil and it's also doing well growing in the breezeway. Beetles ate my basil last year and I am so looking forward to something more this year.

My potted shallots are growing and so is the one and only survivor I put in the ground. Gardening is a learning experience for me. I will succeed.

I started a pot of green bunching onions. Yes, I know they grow and spread, but I love them, cook with them, and am tired of buying them.

For a little change for our meals and salads I also started a pot of scarlet bunch onions. Although I have these in pots, I have also put a patch of each in the ground. I know it's late, but they will winter well and I'll have sets for next spring. 

My most exciting venture with container gardening is my ginger. This is my second attempt and I am happy to say it is sprouting and getting roots. It's been in the container for a little over two weeks and I think I'm in a bit of shock. I use so much ginger in my cooking, baking, and beverages. It takes about a year to grow before any harvest, but I've got this. 

In the pollination garden I have a five gallon bucket of mint growing that survived the winter and is ready to harvest. I also have a five gallon bucket of lemon balm growing and harvested that this past weekend. It is drying to use for tea. So, that's what's been going on this week at the Town House Homestead. We are making better progress than we expected. Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week. Happy gardening. 

Town House Homestead Tuesday

Spring has been popping her pretty little head around here lately. Temperatures in the mid sixties for several days, then back to the mid twenties and snow overnight, only to melt the next day. The flower beds are starting to show off all the life we planted last year along with a few new surprises. Bulbs that were probably tilled to the surface and will now grow well again. We just can't wait to see how it blooms. Of course there's all the new work outside to be planned for this spring reaching the top of the agenda lately too. My daughter is recovering from a couple of herniated discs, but surgery is probably not necessary. Yay! So grateful. It's still been busy for me, and with the help of Emily we keep moving forward.

The germination shelf in the basement got it's first light attached this week. I could not believe the simplicity of this task. I'll be ready to attach a second in the near future if finances permit. This has been a life long dream for me to have a place to start my seeds and be able to garden.

This happened just yesterday. To my surprise. I had tossed this pot of flat leaf parsley in a pile of pots last fall. I harvested all that I could and didn't have time to dump it outside before cold and snow arrived. I headed out to find pots to clean for spring, and there was the pot of five parsley plants starting new growth. I re potted them and  hope they grow, so I'll be able to cross parsley off my list of seeds to start. Who knew?

Here's the parsley and a small pot of basil under the new lights. They stood up straight as if they were as excited as I was that spring is almost here. 

This is a pot of garlic started from some that had begun to grow in Emily's refrigerator. I tossed it into a pot to see what would happen, and they are starting to emerge. There are eight of the largest healthiest cloves in this pot.

Outside on the other hand, I have about 34 cloves of garlic doing their thing. I put these in the front flower beds late last fall, because the back yard garden is still in the dream state. For this year the only new garden will be the pollination garden for around the bees, and I'll put in a few small items like onions and herbs. Baby steps, but we've only been here for ten months and have accomplished so much. 

I canned clementines and oranges this month. Not without one disaster as you can see, but one pint out of twenty four isn't horrible. I've been quite fortunate not to have many jars break, and since I buy second hand it could have had a crack I didn't see. 

I'm fermenting more garlic in honey. this is a quart jar, one third full and it's bubbling away on the counter. I cook with it and just chew a sweet clove when I'm feeling a little under the weather. This has a ways to go before it's ready, but there's a few cloves left in the pantry.

This is the second bag of vegetable scraps that will be boiled into stock shortly and canned. Once it's canned I have ready made soup. Just open a quart, add a bag of mixed vegetables and some noodles and in less than twenty minutes dinner is on the table with a slice of home made bread. Yes, I manage to stay busy. That's what's been happening at the Town House Homestead. Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week. 

Townhouse Homestead TuesdayThis

It always amazes me when I open the freezer to add reclaimed veggie scraps to my collection for vegetable stock. I manage a good eight plus pints every three months and I am saving money and using my vegetables to the fullest. When we are in a home of our own and not renting these scraps will continue in the compost pile. Here's another batch and the bag is filling up again in the freezer. I have to wonder why anyone is going hungry today. I simply open a jar of stock add half a bag of frozen vegetables, my choice of noodles, rice or potatoes and I have soup. Probably a lot of work for soup, but to just take it off the shelf and instantly have a meal is awesome.

The tomatoes hopefully are doing well. I'll check on them in another week. I think if they were doing bad my friend would let me know. It's at the point where we are feeding them and waiting for them to grow and produce fruit. I continue to use the farmers markets for what I need and for $18 this week I got apples, strawberries, pears, peaches, plums, tomatoes, ginger and zucchini. Not small amounts either. Healthy helpings for the two of us to cook with and enjoy. 

This morning I gave my basil a haircut and filled my larger colander. Some of these leaves are four inches by three inches and I now have them washed and hanging to dry. I have a good harvest of parsley coming, but I want to wait until I have a good enough amount so I can make some garlic bread and parsley butter for my winter storage. My covert carrots are growing well too. Getting larger and stronger every day. For now it's just waiting for everything to grow and taking little steps to preserve whatever I can and enjoy as much fresh too. I wish everyone a great week and thank you for stopping by.

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Today I feel relaxed and finally in control of life. I've been able to handle the happenings that have come my way and I feel in a better place with what may come. I've learned to just let life happen and the answers will come. The weather has been cool and rainy. We are dealing. Some sun came through yesterday, but the cool and damp is here again and will stay around for a couple more days. I know there are many in this country who would welcome this weather so complaining is senseless, but who can complain when the garden is getting what it needs. 

A month ago a friend let me take my container tomatoes to her yard and give them a chance to grow. Getting to see my tomatoes growing has been good for me. I haven't been able to garden in years and to see them grow from seeds I started feels good. Very therapeutic and relaxing. I have seven containers growing tomatoes and all are doing great.

My basil and rosemary are fairing well with all the rain so far. I lost my basil last year to a fungus so I am watching closely. I've tried growing plants inside, but the little light we get is not enough for inside growing. I also have parsley doing well and have harvested a good amount this summer. I use a lot of parsley in my cooking. 

This is the progress of my secret garden. (I'm smiling here.) To not be able to container garden in a residence that we pay dearly to live in is quite distressing. I have seen so many Topsy Turvey tomatoes growing here and nothing is done so I am being defiant and have a pot of "Gorilla" carrots growing. If I get a dozen carrots I do, and if I don't I don't. In a little more than a year from now I may be planning a garden plot of my own, but for now I am using the farmer's markets and doing whatever I can and loving seeing the miracles happen. That's what went on at the townhouse as far as gardening this week. I wish everyone a happy and relaxing 4th of July and hope everyone stays safe. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

We are enjoying the herbs from the garden and making them ready for the upcoming winter months when we won't have fresh. Getting herbs to grow inside is hard here because we have little to no light or room for it. This week has been a busy one. 

We harvested the lavender and dried it. We have a good solid cup of buds to use for cooking and adding to whatever we want. Two of the plants were new and one is older and we think for the size of the plants we did well. Double last years harvest. Not bad for the room we are allowed for plants. We have a pint of lavender simple syrup brewing for iced tea and lemonade this summer. A little goes a long way. 

I harvested the spearmint for a batch of mint jelly. I liked the jelly, but can't wait to work with my peppermint.

My green onions have been so abundant that I cut some of them to freeze in oil for those wonderful winter vegetables. I also have a cup chopped in a jar in the refrigerator to use now. I also made herb butters. I made basil butter; basil, lemon and garlic butter along with parsley butter. These have been frozen for winter use.

This morning I harvested Rosemary and Sage. From this I will make more butters and oils for winter storage. I can't wait to have sage and pepper butter on my sweet potatoes. I have a lot left to the plants, so having fresh for a while is wonderful.

Bread making this week included one loaf and six rolls. More than enough for two for the week. 

This past Sunday we spent some time with a dear friend who had come home from California for a visit. It was a dish to pass event at an outdoor park and I made this bread pudding to take. I made it from this pinterest recipe http://www.pinterest.com/pin/461970874250028516/. The only change I made to this recipe was to include the cinnamon with the sugar and flour so it mixed through the pudding instead of being sprinkled on top. I also used a homemade sweet bread, that was a pinterest fail as far as a sandwich bread, and it was delicious in the pudding. Needless to say not one raisin came home in the dirty dish.

There's been plenty to do for our simple townhouse homestead lifestyle including making a new supply of laundry detergent. Starting next Monday the landlords are doing inspections of selected units and I so hope it's not ours. We will spend this weekend hiding a few things and making sure we are within the rules. I am keeping things neat and organized so they cannot find issues. I'm also trying hard to understand why we pay so much money to rent and live under these conditions but this too shall change. We are determined, but need to change at a pace that doesn't end up being a big mistake. That's what's new at the townhouse homestead this week and thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week.

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

I just came in from watering my (BIG!) garden. It's looking good and is growing so well. It's all herbs and sweet potatoes, but it's mine. This past week just flew by for me. Probably because I have too much to do and never enough time. We all know how that goes. I had some catching up to do also because my daughter and I took off for a four day weekend in Vermont over the holiday. The day after we got back my herbs went in and that was two weeks ago today. 

This is what went down this week.

This is a batch of Jalapeno pepper jelly. I have been buying it at quite a price and decided that I would make it this year. I've already given the grounds keeper a jar because he came and started helping me clean the front garden by cutting back a bush. Some time this summer I will be making roasted pineapple and habenero pepper jelly/relish. 

For those who know me I love my goodies. I will not deny that I have a sweet tooth, but I do realize that I don't need to eat it all at once. I baked carrot cake in jars to put on the shelf for those hot summer days when baking is not likely to happen. My recipe makes so much so I put up ten jars and still had a good size cake for the week. 

I harvested a good bunch of flat leaf parsley. It's on it's way to drying and over the weekend I found a new coffee grinder at a thrift store, that I now have to grind my herbs after they've dried. 

I am so happy with the success of my basil. I harvested a large bunch and it is also on it's way to drying. These are just a couple of the herbs I use in my soup mixes. My kitchen is smelling so wonderful this week.

Last but not least I started a pint of chive vinegar. I cut the flowers before I moved my chive plant from the front garden to the back garden. It was so large I divided it into three and if I like this chive vinegar I will hopefully have more flowers through the summer. If not I will have my chive butter for those baked potatoes through the winter. 

That's what went down this week at the Townhouse Homestead and I am having so much fun doing what I can in a small space. Anything can be done and I am so grateful to farmers for providing the fruits and vegetable I can't grow at this time. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great week everyone.

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

With Memorial day over it was time to think about putting some plants outside, but I've been watching a few that were in the ground doing their thing while I was waiting. These include lavender, garlic and chives. I am not allowed to plant vegetables, but that's okay too. A ways down the road lives a friend who is sharing in exchange for making sure her garden is watered while she's away. We also have some great farm markets. So far all is good and today it is raining. I think so far I'm okay with the townhouse rules because they've seen my garden and have not said anything. Of course my garden is mostly in pots which they say are acceptable. 

Here's how it looks so far. Under the deck I replanted a Hosta I split it into three plants last fall. It was not doing well because it was overwhelmed by a shrub. My grandson crawled under the deck and followed my instructions on planting them and he did so well. It is now three and just one is the size of the original plant I divided. In the hanging baskets I have sage, basil and rosemary. In the ground I have two lavender plants on the left, garlic and in the corner is a rosebush that was so neglected by the former tenant that it was in need of love. I cut it back and it is thriving and within a week or two will have beautiful pink roses. I have a chive plant in my front garden that I will be moving this week to the back. It is getting smothered by an older lavender plant.

In the long pot on the deck I have planted dill and parsley. I have already used the dill on broiled Salmon and had some parsley leaves that need drying to make flakes for my recipes. I noticed yesterday new shoots coming up on the dill and my sweet potatoes are growing well so maybe we'll have a few in the fall.

I purchased peppermint and put it in a large pot. I have peppermint tea regularly and thought it would be great to have some to use at will. I am rooting ginger. I hope it does something, but if it doesn't I will keep trying.

Instead of flowers this year I hung a pot of spearmint. I've already used it for spearmint sun tea and am planning some mint jelly soon.

The front garden needs cleaning and some plants can go to the back. That bush is always taking over my plants, but it is property of the townhouse so I can't take it out. The squirrels are eating my Iris and just this week I've noticed a snake. I suppose that means it's a garden. I made the bird house from a kit I found at a thrift store and fastened it to an old pitch fork.

Two weeks ago I made these pickled peppered eggs and they are awesome. I thought they'd be hotter than they are, but there is just enough heat to give them a bite, but not enough to burn the tongue. Try them you may like them. Here's the recipe I found on Pinterest. http://pharmacist.hubpages.com/hub/spicypickledeggs
So that's how my garden is growing. I hope to harvest plenty to use in my fall canning and so far it looks like I will. I sure would love a larger spot to garden, and I have had it in the past, but for now this is how we're doing it in the townhouse. Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful week.

Filling the cupboards with extracts and spices.

It all started with vanilla.

I enjoy baking and giving my goodies to friends and family but the extreme cost of extracts and spices was discouraging me. I also have been known to can my extra banana breads, pumpkin breads and whatever to keep from wasting. Being single means smaller portions needed. Well I finally did it. I bought the vanilla beans and vodka. I now have two quarts of vanilla extract brewing, some vanilla sugar blending and some vanilla pudding mix in the pantry. I will be sharing some of the extract and using some for gifts. 

We had been making taco spice and other mixes since our discovery of Pinterest and saved money with our every day cooking so why not keep going and make more mixtures and extracts. The result is two cupboard filled with everything from canning spices to exotic extracts. The canned store bought tomatoes are because I now live in an apartment and growing my own is not allowed and canning them in my small kitchen would be too much. Some day I will have that privilege back. I miss it. If you have it cherish it.

I have a quart of local honey, lavender blossoms and extract, lemon and orange extracts and I also added some burger seasoning this weekend. I hurried this morning to make the lavender extract so that I could put the empty vodka bottle out with the recycling. There were two bottles that went out this morning. I wonder what the refuse collector is thinking. Oh well that's how it goes. Later this week I will be making lemon orange sugar with some leftover dried rinds. I think this holiday season's baking and gift giving is going to be so fun. I'm also looking forward to enjoying healthier eating and more flavorful eating. I already am missing fresh Basil.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.