Garden Update, Fish and Stuff

So the first of the fish are finished, Dad is pretty excited, the red ones are fabulous, I really would love to keep one and hang it somewhere, where that where is I'm not sure.

The garden is a MESS, but still producing. We got great broccoli and cabbage this year both new plantings for me. I am trying saurkraut for the first time. Hmmm. Califlower did zip. The kale and fennel did great also. I used the kale still not sure what to do with fennel. Both of these were new vegetables. The snow peas were amazing. The cucumbers are almost non-existant, zuchinni good not crazy like most years. The tomatoes are as sorry as they can be. We experimented with a new technique this year and may I say we will not try it again. The marigold I planted around them to protect them have taken over besides. The berries did great, we are seeing the last slim pick'ins for the everbearing strawberries and raspberries. We will have a bumper crop of blackberries, they are just starting to ripen. We have decent basil which would be really tastey with tomatoes if we had any. Great onions and garlic. Fall is in the air but we are still hoping for an Indian Summer since summer came late and wet this year. Every year I learn something new and forget half of it by the next year but I still love eating fresh.

We had a cold wet week-end but the sun is out today so I can hang laundry on the line. I love stiff sheets but not stiff towels. I love the way the sun naturally whitens things, so nice. I love the smell of the outdoors better than any fabric softner you can buy.

I went to a site that my niece Erika likes called http/thepioneerwoman.com and got some great recipes. I tried her chicken parmigiana yesterday, We had a friend for dinner and it was really a hit, so yummy. We also had her raspberry crisp. I 've done her onion strings which are great. I'm going to try her pan apple cake and apple dumplings hopefully sooner than later. I haven't taken the time to try a lot of her recipes but everyone I have tried has been a winner.

Michael is on bis way for a short visit and it will be nice to have him. He is up to his eyeballs in a documentary project on Grandma and Grandpa Boren. We are excited about it.