Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Harvesting The Garden


My Sunflowers and Zinnias are blooming
and the greenish blue in the vase is Autumn Joy. 

I've never been a big fan of 
flowers from the florist,
but I dearly love flowers from the garden:)


I've been putting green beans in the freezer.


And the other day . . .
Steve and I made our very first
Bread & Butter Pickles :)

I'm so proud of them!

can you say . . .
Connie is turning into 
 A Farm Girl?

Keep Smiling!
And have a lovely weekend.

Your blogging sister,
Connie :)

38 comments:

  1. Hi Connie, It is so nice that you are able to build up your food pantry with your very own food from your garden! It will be so tasty when those cold winter winds blow. Let's not think about them now but they will be here soon enough. The last of our overnight company left today so we are glad to have our house back to ourselves! Pretty flowers and vase. Nancy

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    1. Hi Nancy, One of the sweetest things about company is that you are overjoyed to see them arrive and then overjoyed to see them leave, LOL. It's a win-win situation :)

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  2. Isn't it fun to harvest food and tuck it away for the winter? I love the satisfying feeling I get when doing that. I'm freezing green beans here, too. I think I have a little bit of farm girl in me, too.

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    1. It is wonderful! Even though we don't have animals here (yet), having a garden and canning makes me feel like a farm-girl and I'm just going to wear the tile proudly . . . you wear it, too :)

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  3. Lucky you! Flowers, green beans and pickles too. I miss having green beans in the freezer. They are our absolute favorite. There's nothing like the taste of garden fresh green beans when the snow is falling in January. Way to go!
    Blessings, Betsy

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    1. I am excited about canning and freezing and it's even sweeter because my hubby is enjoying helping me. It's sweet knowing that our little acre can actually feed us during the winter and summer :)

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  4. You go farm girl :) You're doing great with the garden. I've never done any canning. I need to come visit you so you can teach me all this stuff

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    1. Hi Ann, We are true beginners, with so much to learn ourselves. I purchased a three ring binder at Walmart the other day and plan to use it to put all the recipes for things that we can and want to do again. When you are using about four different canning books and the internet it is easy to forget where that special recipe is.

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  5. I like the idea of being a farm girl, and having all this wonderful stuff, but the reality would be a little too much for me I think I'm too lazy! Or would I love it and jump right in?

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    1. Hi Sunny, it is a lot of work, but very enjoyment and satisfying work. The knowledge of knowing everything about the growth of the food you eat is sweet, too. There's been no chemicals or pesticides, just compost and manure, less people handling it before it gets to your table and freshness that is unsurpassed by anything purchased, even from the farmers market. Some of the food on our table is only minutes from the vine, Yum! I think that you would love being a farm girl . . . do it little at a time. My garden has gotten bigger each year. I started out with less than half this amount of garden the first year.

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  6. Love the vase of flowers from your garden. The best kind of bouquet.
    We've been getting quite a lot of beans from our garden too.
    Looks like you have a good supply of those pickles on hand.

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    1. Making the pickles was so much fun. Last year the only things that we learned to can were tomatoes and salsa, so my shelves were filled with one color . . . I just like having these up there to look at . . . I know it sounds funny they are there for eating, but I enjoy just looking at them, too, LOL

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  7. Oh--You got me at bread and butter pickles. My favorites!!!! Nothing like homemade ones! It looks like you have had a pretty good year for your garden. I didn't have anything at all this year---next year!!!! xo Diana

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    1. Hi Diana, I'm already planing next year's garden, too. This year I put out 39 tomato plants . . . what was I thinking? Next year I'm cutting that amount in half, LOL.

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  8. I haven't done bread and butter pickles in years. They're a favorite.

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    1. Well, this was our first time, so I hope they turn out good. All the jars sealed and they sure look pretty setting on the shelf, LOL.

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  9. I'm like you - I don't like flowers from the florist. I much prefer home bouquets from the yard. Your flowers look perfect in your new rooster pitcher! You will be so glad to have fresh green beans from your garden when winter comes. Your jars of pickles are so pretty...I always thought canned goods lined up on shelves were art in themselves. Not to mention, bread and butter pickles are so delicious!

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    1. Hi Melanie, thanks for the visit . . . flowers from the garden remind me of picking wildflowers as a child and there is just something about them that says, love & home. I do purchase flowers at the super market once in a while . . . mostly when it's winter and the skies are grey and gloomy . . . but Spring through Autumn are times when there is always something in bloom outside and that's the best :)

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  10. Your pickles look very tasty! I can hardly remember what Bread & Butter pickles taste like. I used to make them ( 40 years ago).
    I have never thought of using Sedum Autumn Joy in bouquets. I'm going out right now and cutting some. My clumps need thinning anyway.

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    1. Another thing that I like to use in bouquets is Dill Weed. Have you ever tried using that? It's so pretty :)

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  11. I love bread and butter pickles! My mom used to can them every year and then I did too (years ago) when I had big huge gardens up in SW Washington. My trouble with canning, is that sometimes I love what I canned or froze so much, that it all gets eaten up BEFORE winter hits! I made frozen salsa last year with my overabundance of tomatoes but we didn't like it very much as was way too runny. I didn't have the canning jars I needed. You are definitely a "farm girl" now! All you need is some chickens and fresh eggs every day.. hee hee. Oh.. and 39 tomato plants? What WERE you thinking?!!!!! I had FIVE last year and it was too many for us to eat them fresh. This year I only planted 3 and I think that's plenty. I don't care for canned or stewed tomatoes so don't need alot extra. Of course, fried green tomatoes ARE good and so is green tomato relish! Have fun! Marilyn

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    1. I have not had fried green tomatoes in years. They are an acquired taste, not sure if I can get Steve to eat them, but then tomatoes are high in potassium and he is suppose to limit his intake. Therefore; we limit them (for him) to his favorites like spaghetti and chili :) Me; I could eat them almost everyday of the year.

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  12. Your pickles turned out just beautiful. Connie, you are a farm girl, if I've ever seen one! You have turned that place into a pretty little farm. I love flowers from the garden best too and tomorrow plan to pick what few zinnias are in the garden. At least I can see them when they are inside in a vase.

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    1. I have fewer zinnias this year than any year that we have lived here and my intention was to have more. Something kept eating them when they were little plants. I'm not such what it was, but I'm thinking earwigs . . . we have a real problem with them this year. I have a collection of 5 bottles in my kitchen widow and I love keeping them filled with garden flowers. One or two flowers in each and it gets me something pretty to admire while doing dishes and cooking dinner :)

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  13. Those bread&butter pickles are just simply pretty to look at...if they taste half as good they will be wonderful!

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  14. Oh wow that is beautiful bouquet, I love when they come from the garden too, makes it extra special! Looks like you have a great start on those green beans that's for sure, I have two gallon size bags of green peppers in the freezer so far :) Oh my hubby would love those bread an butter pickles!

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    1. Hi Connie, I've got some peppers to freeze that I need to get done today. Not green but yellow banana peppers, they are coming on like you wouldn't believe. Happy gardening!

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  15. I've never heard of bread and butter pickles, but they certainly look good xx

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    1. They are a crisp sweet pickle and so good. You may have the same recipe, but a different name for them in England :)

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  16. Hi Connie, Wow, I enjoyed this post so much. The kind of things you do there at the Crafty Home Cottage are exactly some of the things I would love to do if I had the space for a garden and if I had a cool place to decorate like the Cottage! :-) You’re an inspiration! Love the sunflowers and zinnias and what a perfect vase! Green beans look excellent! And you and Steve just did an awesome job on the bread and butter pickles. They look delicious! Thanks, as always, for sharing your blog! Also just wanted to say I sure appreciate the encouraging comment you left on my blog just yesterday. You are so kind! Take good care, Connie, and thanks again! John

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    1. Hi John, you're just the sweetest . . . and so encouraging, thank you :)

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  17. What a good harvest, you must be pleased.
    Those pickles look very good.

    All the best Jan

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    1. We are having a ball learning to can and don't they just look like art sitting there so pretty on the shelf. Can you tell that I'm a little bit proud of them? LOL.

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  18. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing the fruits (or in this case the veggies) of your labor in pretty jars, lined up on the shelf. All winter long you'll be tasting your wonderful garden. Congratulations "farm girl". :) xo

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    1. Thanks! Your so sweet . . . I like that title and wear it proudly :)

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