What's Growin' In Your Laundry Room?

I really hate to admit to everyone that I found this little spud growing behind my washing machine. It was the other day, I had getting something down from my laundry room cabinet and dropped and item behind the washer. I went to retrieve it and got quite a surprise. At first I couldn't figure out what this foreign object was, thought something had died with it's legs sticking straight up. Almost wanted to turn and run the other way.

You see, I really am OCD about keeping things neat and organized so I didn't have much choice but to get the broom out and retrieve the mysterious object. Oh, thank goodness, no alien chicken footed creature, it was a seed potato growing. Don't know how this little tater got away from me but it did. I guess when I had the seed potatoes in the laundry room getting ready for the garden dropped this one. Out of sight out of mind. So does this mean I am a really good gardener or a really bad housekeeper?

Until next time.

Blessings,

Laurie

Everyone's Hungry & Momma Doesn't Want to Cook

If you are like me and get carried away working in the garden, time just flies by. Then before you realize it, time for the family to eat. Everyone's hungry and you are not in the mood to cook.

Here is one of my family's favorite meals. It's so easy and quick, but most importantly nutritious and filling. It's my Turkey Chili recipe. Now you might be thinking, it's getting pretty warm outside, a chili recipe, yes here in Texas seems like all year round is good chili weather. If your garden is already producing these ingredients then it tastes even better.

Feeds 6-8 people
Here's what you need for my 1 Pot Turkey Chili
1 large pot with a lid
1 lb. ground turkey
1 onion chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
4-5 mushrooms sliced
2 carrots sliced
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1 -8 oz can tomato sauce
1-14 1/2 oz can diced tomato with or without green chilies
1-15 oz can of beans your choice drained (my family likes black beans)
2-3 Tblsp chili powder
2 cups Chicken broth
Salt to Taste
Cilantro
shredded cheese-your choice
sour cream
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 bag tortilla chips.

In the large pan put olive oil, onions, garlic and mushrooms and lightly brown. Then add ground turkey and throughly cook. Sprinkle chili powder and salt on top of meat mixture. Add cans of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, carrots, and bell peppers. Cook on med/high temperature until mixture heats up and starts to boil. Then cover and turn down to simmer for 30 minutes.
Place a serving in a bowl. Put a handful of tortilla chips in bowl. Then top chili with a garnish of shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped cilantro. Can be eaten with tortilla chips in the chili.

Enjoy both your day in the garden and satisfying a hungry family.

Blessings,
Laurie
http://www.fancythat3g.com/

Building The Garden Path Part 2

Here is the result of 4-1/2 hrs of work. Another section of the garden path has been completed, yeah!!!. Of course I pick the day that we have had the highest temperature for 2009, 88 degrees. I felt every one of those degrees today. It didn't matter how much water and gaterade I drank, I was still hot and we were under a haze that had smoke from the fires burning in the area and polution. But, thank God, I did it! Moved another 2000 lbs of rock. So I am getting closer to being completed. I estimate another 1-2 days worth of work and I should be home free.


The cats had a really hard day too, not. Here's what they were hard working on while I was sweating away.







Until the final steps. Hopefully before it hits the upper 90's, but in Texas never know.

Blessings,
Laurie
http://www.fancythat3g.com/

Here We Go

If you have visited my website fancythat3g.com, you might have visited the garden page. There you would see Maranatha Garden Friends and the goals we hope to attain.

Some more exciting deveolpments happened today at church. I made a contact that has agreed to check with their board to possibly donate seeds to our community. Wouldn't this be wonderful, not only teach but give people struggling to make ends meet and who desire to grow food for themselves the seeds and or plants to do so.

This same ministry group of 21 people from all over the country, will be going overseas to Africa this May. Part of their trip will be to minister medical attention to over 400 people, but for 1000 families also bring seeds and teach them ways to grow their own food.

Next year they may be planning a trip and I just may be going along to help with the training in the agricultural section of the trip. Life is never dull if you let God plan your life and agree to go where He directs. Never know what this small town farm girl will be doing.

Until next time.

Blessings,

Laurie
www.fancythat3g.com

Big Chicks; Little Chicks and a Few Too Many Cats

We got 8 new little chicks a few weeks ago. They are growing so quickly. Their fluff is now almost gone and their adult feathers are filling out nicely.

I thought today with all of the much needed rain, we got over 3" in my area, that they were going to have to grow some webbed feet. So that for the rain, but also grateful the ground is quickly soaking it up.

The chicks typically share the pen with 7 other hens, and our rooster, "Big Boy." Can't believe at this time last year they were just little chicks.

But their first night here on the farm, Diva, our very mischievous cat, had other ideas. I was so proud of myself, telling my cautious husband, that the pen was very secure. No outside intruders would be dining on my chicks.

It was my last check on them and I couldn't believe my eyes. Diva and her cohort, Huggy, were in the pen with the chicks. Not for a late night snack, but to stay warm under their heat lamp! So I spent the next hour resecuring the pen and was at last confident no intruders would be entering our pen.

Roosters can be a problem. They get very protective of the "girls" in the flock. Most of the time this rooster leaves me alone. I found that if I go into the pen without making any sudden movements, he doesn't easily get into his defensive mode. I carry a stick, but saw on a t.v. program that water meter readers carry a pop up umbrella in the color of black to fend off agressive dogs. Haven't tried it yet, but I bet this would be a good thing for roosters too.

This Rooster is a rare "Delaware" breed. The hens are a mixture of Aracanuas, Barred Rocks, Polish, New England and Rhode Island Reds, and Gold Sex Links. All the different breeds make for an interesting and colorful egg collecting, it's like Easter every day.

Can't wait to get my garden paths finished and a fence around the perimeter. I will then be letting the chickens free range to help with insect and critter control. I think every farm and gardener could benefit from a flock of chickens. If you don't have some now, I hope you will soon.

Blessings,

Laurie

http://www.fancythat3g.com/

Building a gravel garden pathway

I originally ordered 1 ton of pea gravel, but realized I would need 2 more tons. You will also need landscape paper. I used the 3'x120' rolls. The square foot area of the total garden pathways is 800'. Inexpensive black garbage bags are great for filling in the gap between the raised bed boards and the landscape paper, the area between my beds are 4' and the paper is only 3' wide.

Also, a regular household staple gun. It is used to staple the paper/and or garbage liners to the boards before dumping the gravel on top. Another note: Be sure to leave extra paper to over lap at the ends of the beds. This makes it easier to lay another layer of paper along side the exsisting row.

So now you are ready to get started building the garden pathways.. It is a laborous chore, but for myself and husband, we hope it will be well worth it now that Spring is here and the grass is growing once again. It can be a real headache mowing and edging around each raised bed.

The pea gravel I found out is deceivingly heavy. I could only muster up enough strength to load 10 shovel fulls of gravel in the wheelbarrow at a time. Then I would take it to the bed and dump on top of the paper. When I got at least 4-5 loads I would start spreading the gravel out to make a base. It took about 10 wheelbarrow loads of gravel to fill a 4'x8' area 3" in depth.

Well, I accomplished my goal for today. In a few weeks if the weather and my back co-operate I will continue the task. Check back and I will let you know how it's going.

Until next time, keep gardening but take some time to enjoy the fruits of your hard labor.

Blessings,

Laurie

http://www.fancythat3g.com/