Garden Update

                     

The master gardener (Dad) has been quite busy these past couple of weeks...getting our garden ready and planting its first seeds. I always love to see what Dad and Mom decide to plant each year in our garden and can't wait to actually start using the vegetables! I managed to slip outside right before it started pouring down rain to snap some pictures of our garden in its early stage. I really enjoy keeping track of the plants growing and thought I could just post the progress on here!

                     

For the past couple of years, we have really enjoyed planting our own potatoes. And they're so easy to grow...which is nice. :) I love having to dig them up when they're ready to be harvested, although it's not the cleanest job in the world.  My little cousins enjoy that part too. :) When the potatoes are ready, they each take turns helping Dad dig them up. Behind the potatoes, we have two rows of corn that are already sprouting up really well. We have enjoyed planting corn each year too...and the deer have enjoyed it also in the past. :) Thankfully, we haven't seen any deer around lately!

                     

One new vegetable that we're trying to grow this year is spring onions. So far they're doing well...we just aren't really sure how to tell when they're ready to be harvested. :) Hee hee. Dad has also planted squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, and lavender. Mom loves lavender. :)

                      

Here is an artsy shot with my clematis in the background. :) I was having too much fun with my camera this morning.  Honestly each year I keep thinking that I have officially killed this plant! In the fall it gets all shriveled up into a little wad of mess...which I guess is normal for plants in the cold weather. :) Anyway, it always comes back! It has been the easiest flower to maintain! I plucked it in the ground about 3 years ago...and I really haven't touched it since. :)

                        

Okay, this is not very garden related...but rainy days always make me want to bake something. :) Again, we had some leftover bananas that needed to be used up. I decided to make a new kind of banana bread...with chocolate chips. :) I found a really easy recipe in my...ehem...chewed up/ slightly half-eaten Taste of Home cookbook. Haha! Thanks Bud. The recipe said to bake the bread for 1 hour, but it took mine around 1 hour 30 minutes to bake.  I think the humid rainy weather might have had something to do with it. Seriously, I thought the top was going to burn to a crisp! It's a great recipe though. I'll post the recipe for y'all if you want to try it...

Banana Chip Bread

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in bananas and sour cream. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir into banana mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.

Transfer to a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

makes 1 loaf

Comments

[Morgan]

Oh yum the bread looks good!!!

[Meredith]

Wow, your plants are looking really good... Hopefully the rain we're supposed to get tonight will help a lot too. Daddy has been constantly out in our gardens too. We are growing like twice as much as last year to sell at farmers markets... I'll have to invite you over for a weeding party! :)

I LOVE the pic with the clematis in the background... Very artsy... How did you do that with your camera? What setting was it on? I'm always trying to figure that out... Is it on the "flower" setting? It's nice to have the same type of camera! :)

Enjoy the rainy weather and the banana bread w/ chocolate chips! :) Talk to you soon!

[Elise]

That banana bread looks yummy!! I would love to have a garden, but am afraid I might kill everything. I think that shot with the clematis would make a lovely card or art print. You might could even sell them in your etsy shop.
Elise

[Elise]

That banana bread looks yummy!! I would love to have a garden, but am afraid I might kill everything. I think that shot with the clematis would make a lovely card or art print. You might could even sell them in your etsy shop.
Elise

[Elise]

That banana bread looks yummy!! I would love to have a garden, but am afraid I might kill everything. I think that shot with the clematis would make a lovely card or art print. You might could even sell them in your etsy shop.
Elise

[hannah]

Great pictures of the garden's progress! the lavender/clematis photo is beautiful. So potatoes are easy to grow? That is one thing we have never tried. I hope to plant some more things this next week!