Peanut Brittle Tradition

My husband's grandparents have both passed away. This will be our first Christmas without them. They have made peanut brittle every year for as long as he can remember. He would often help them in the kitchen as a little boy. This year, he decided to make the peanut brittle on his own as a way to carry on the Christmas tradition as well as honor them.

The raw peanuts are the most important part of the peanut brittle. They have come from the same local source for as long as my husband can remember. A lot of people make the mistake of trying to make peanut brittle with spanish peanuts...this won't work. It has to be raw peanuts. Watching my honey make batch after batch was like art. He has all the right tools and techniques in action. When I tried to help, I was quickly corrected. I'm glad too, because every batch came out so yummy!!!!!

We made a day of taking peanut brittle to family and friends. The family who remembers grandma and grandpa thanked us with tears in their eyes. There's more to food than just nutrition like memories, love and joy.

A batch of Christmas Memories

Passing on the Brittle,
Monica ;0)

It's an LED Christmas!

While doing some Christmas shopping this year we had to keep in mind two important elements. A.) Christmas lights cost energy and B.) Toddlers love bright shiny Christmas trees, thus broken ornaments. How we decided to handle A and B...

A.) We bought energy efficient LED Christmas lights
B.) We bought unbreakable Christmas ornaments, ribbons and tinsel.

I'm pretty happy with the outcome. I was especially happy to see that after the LED's had been on for hours...they didn't even feel warm let alone hot. When we hung the new lights up, I noticed a difference right away. The LED lights were brighter. I missed the feeling of the old Christmas lights, but after a while, I was able to enjoy the LED's more and more. And, as a matter of fact, I've quickly become attached to their extra brightness. When I look at the Christmas tree, the white lights look almost like magical sparks. My husband loves the fact that they are costing us less money. lol

The unbreakable ornaments are wonderful when you have a toddler who wants to touch everything. He immediately started playing with the ornaments as I was hanging them on the tree. When we had finished decorating the tree, my cute little toddler was practically covered in glitter from head to toe. After a couple of days of him taking the ornaments off the tree and me placing them back on the tree, he realized he didn't like the glitter that was hard to get off of his hand on his hands. LOL He doesn't touch the ornaments anymore. He lays down by the tree and admires it. A bonus I hadn't planned on. ;0)

Enjoy a couple snap shots of our cozy Christmas...

LED Multi-Colored Christmas Lights

1 strand of LED white icicle lights
(Yes, a Raiders fan and a 49'ers fan live here. ;0)

So cute.

It's a White Christmas!
2 strands of LED white lights

LED Tidings,
Monica ;-)

Rain, Rain Won't Go Away...

It's wonderful experiencing oodles of rainfall. We have recieved just under 4" of rain for the month. That is pretty exciting. When I planted my garlic garden, I did'nt put holes in the bottom of the tub because I wasn't worried about it reciving too much water or rain. Boy, what a year to be wrong. lol

When I went outside there was about 2"s of rain above the dirt. I was pretty shocked to see how much water was in the tub. So, I scooped out all the water I could with a cup and a needy puppy by my side. I then poked holes in the side in hopes it would seep out quickly. I'm not too worried because garlic seems to be pretty sturdy. I'm only worried about the garlic rotting or dying from too much water.

While I'm irritated with myself for not putting the holes in sooner, I don't wish for the rain to go away as it is helping with the water shortages. Here's to learning a new lesson...you never know what the Lord has planned for the weather.

Waterful Wishes,
Monica ;0)

5 Days til Christmas

Right now, I'm dreaming of giving Christmas gifts from my garden. Homemade jams and preserves, jars of honey (now thats really dreaming) and bundles of edible flowers. Oooo, homemade granola and dried fruits would be so wonderful! If I could, I would...and it would look something like this...


Happy Holiday Dreaming,
Monica ;0)

First Winter

So, since I've started the beginnings of a garden, I'm experiencing my first winter. When I started this garden, I knew it was going to be tough because of the winter. But, I also knew it was possible because I live in California. The winters are short lived.

I planted my garden with high hopes and have lost several pods from one factor or another. However, I have a good handful of plants that have held on. I even have the cutest garlic garden growing with no problems. Here is an update of my plants that have held on...

The "Cheater" Broccoli is doing great.

I'm so proud of my cauliflower! Completely grown on my own!

I have 4 Jalapeno plants holding on...2 for dear life. lol


I have some Peppers from a Hot Pepper Mix also holding on.


Tomatoes and Pot of Gold Bell Peppers are still kicking!


Wow, so wimpy. I should of transplanted a long time ago. :(


I have a small garlic garden. So far, so good.

I can't believe all of these plants are doing so well. Since I'm experimenting...I'm really surprised at how well they are doing in this cold weather. I thought they would all turn brown and wither away because of the low 40's weather we've been experimenting. But, they are all still green and alive. Cool.

Winter Wishes,
Monica ;0)

I Cheated!

All of my broccoli babies have died. Not a one made it to the 2nd set of leaves! I blame it on the white fly attack. So, imagine my delight when I found some broccoli plants at the local Home Depot store. They were only $1.68 for 4 plants. How could I resist. I noticed the leaves looked worn and possibly attacked by pests, but I thought since they had made it thus far and since they were so cheap, it's worth a shot.

On the way home I killed 1 white fly. I now realized why the leaves were looking so pathatic. Those white flies get around! When I got home, I transplanted them into larger pots the next day. Of course I would transplant them on the first night of a strong wind storm. (As a new gardener...I haven't tuned into the weekly weather patterns...yet.) The lights flickered as I read one of my favorite mystery books by Diane Mott Davidson. As I was immerged into who tried to kill Dr. Fritz, I couldn't help but worry about my plants. Would they survive the strong winds? I did check on them and I weighed anything down that could fly away. The plants seemed fine. I would have to see how fine they were the next morning. Next on the to do list is to get a net to keep the pesky pests out. Soon.

Photo of my "cheater" broccoli. (I won't tell if you don't.) ;0)

(I took this photo in December...don't they look great!)

Cheaters Anonymous,
Monica ;0)

October Garlic

With halloween right around the corner, having some garlic on hand for those pesky vampires is a good idea. Not to mention, garlic goes wonderfully into a lot of dishes. So, I started some garlic sprouts inside of my home in a little cup. I'm excited to say that I have several cloves that have grown roots and a couple that have began to sprout.

Observe...

Here you can see the roots popping out. (top)

Green shoots popping out.

Within 3 - 4 days the green shoots appeared. I was not expecting such progress so quickly. I can't wait to see what happens next. That would be because I have no idea. lol Yes, I'm a first timer garlic grower. Question is, when do I plant them into the ground. Well, I guess it's back to research.

Vampires Beware,
Monica ;0)

Miniature Lemon Tree Update

Looking good mini lemon tree.

All is well with the miniature lemon tree. I'm just wondering, do they all grow this slow? I've kept this plant under a covered patio and it's been safe from the white flies. I wonder if the covering had anything to do with it. Because, about 20 feet from this plant I was keeping my starter garden in the sun...no covering, and it was attacked by the killer white flies. Hmmm.

Sour Salutations,
Monica ;0)

Attack of the White Flies

October is the best month ever. Well, since I was born in it, it is. lol I love when the season really starts to change and the weather begins to cool off. It may not be snowing, but a week of rain is like a vacation to a rain forest is this inhabited desert. While I have been enjoying the comings and goings of rain, I've been consumed with the survival of my starter garden.

Unfortunately, I've had my first run in with white flies. I had NO idea that the tiny white bugs flying around in my starter garden were the little destroyers I've been reading about. They are SO small! I pondered that they could be the white fly, but wondered just how much damage could those tiny little things cause. Especially since I could barely see them. I let time go by and kept a close eye on my garden. Then one morning, my tomato plants were nearly dead! I thought, what the heck. It couldn't of been those little buggers! After I had a discussion with my mother, who is much more experienced at gardening, she informed me that it's white fly season. Oh. So those tiny white things did caused all this damage! There was just a small handful of them and WOW, they are not nice.

I brought my garden inside and got rid of all the flies I could. The garden is doing much better, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose the hybrid tomatoes. :(

I transplanted the gold bell peppers because they have started rooting into the pod and running out of room. I transplanted one of four without the pod. I was curious how it would do. As I took the pod off I could hear roots breaking. They are now outside...under the patio covering. I'm happy to report, the white flies have not found them yet. I'm planning on putting the plastic bottles over them to help them get though the winter. The "winters" in my city are a joke. It's really cold...sometimes. So, I'm not too worried about losing them. As a matter of fact, the sun is shining right now. Even with the threat of a 20-70% chance of rain. lol

Enjoy some photos of my progress. (and unprogress. lol) ;0)

Barely alive hybrid tomatoes.


Transplanted Pot of Gold Bell Peppers.


Tomato hopefuls and thriving Jalapeno.
See how damaged the leaves are. Curse you white flies.


A ray of hope. The lettuce I thought would never come in...2 tiny sprouts.
Jalapeno and Cauliflowers.

White Fly Regards,
Monica ;0)

Seedling Jungle

It's starting to look like a jungle in here. The seedlings are finally really starting to take off. I thought the leader of the pack would be the tomatoes because they grow so easily. But, upon taking a closer look, it's the bell peppers that are winning. I'm excited about that. ;0)

And leading in the front is the Gold Bell Peppers.

Aren't they cute.

It's just a matter of time before they permenantly move outside into their own containers. Or, into the empty garden space under the patio. ;0)

Jungle Wishes,
Monica ;0)

Transplanting

I've read that you can plant turnips directly into the ground and I've read you can start them in pods and transplant them. Reading all of these different gardening books has confused me a bit more in some areas. Regardless, I finally transplanted the turnips. They were toppling over. I'm afraid I waited too long and that I'm going to lose them. I even accidentally killed a broccoli plant today. I'm not sure how I did it but I basically snapped it's neck. lol, poor thing.

I took some photos of my progress. My only dissapointment is that I didn't transplant them sooner. However, I'm not entirely sure that would of been the best thing to do either. I'm just going to have to see what happens from this point on.

Transplanted turnips.

Next to be transplanted are the brocolli sprouts.

An area in my backyard that could use some love.

I wanted to plant my "experimental garden" in containers just in case we moved. However, I don't see us moving anytime soon and this empty area in my backyard could use some plants. I'm just not sure what to plant there. It would have to be a plant that requires part sun and part shade. Any ideas?

Transplanting Wishes,
Monica ;0)

Singing Sprouts

The sprouts have all come in. However, I have two varities that decided to not pleasure me with their presence. The Lettuce and the Spearmint. I'm more bummed about the Spearmint because I was looking forward to their scent. Oh well, I'm going to have to research why they didn't come in. My Turnips, Broccoli and Cauliflower are doing fine, but they are toppling over. So, I'm starting to understand why it might be better to just plant them outside. Some books say you can transplant them, some say they don't do very well when you do. Well just have to wait and see.

I checked a book out from the library (well, several books) and it's called Grow Organic Gardening. I'm enjoying the vivid photos and easy to read information. What's especially nice is that I don't have to pay for them and I don't have to store them in my house. lol Space is pretty limited here so I'm trying to keep the stuff to a minimum.

As I plan out my garden ... it's all in my head. I'm finding myself wanting to draw a picture of it and get it on paper, but then I would love to use a software program that can help me be more calculating about it. I can be creative no matter what. ;)

As I prepare and wait for transplanting, I'm decided on methods I'd like to try before doing so. When I was reading the organic gardening book, I was reminded of things I need to keep in mind when planning and preparing my garden...

• Manage the whole yard organically - edible crops, ornamentals, lawns, and paths.
• Make the garden wildlife-friendly, encouraging birds, insects, and small animals to control pests.
• Learn to distinguish pests from their predators.
• Play to your garden's strengths, capitalizing on its particular characteristics.
• Make soil care a priority.
• Make compost and leaf mold to feed the soil.
• Reuse and recycle, to cut down on the use of finite resources and reduce pressure on landfills.
• Use organically grown seeds where possible.
• Consider the environmental implications when choosing materials for hard landscaping, soil improving, and so forth.
• Collect rainwater, and reduce the need for watering by improving soil and growing appropriate plants.
• Make local sources your first choice.
• Use traditional methods where appropriate.
• Make use of the latest scientific findings where organically acceptable.
• Stop using artifical fertilizers.
• Give up smoke-producing bonfires.
• Control weeds without the use of herbicides.
• Avoid the use of pesticides and preservative-treated wood.
• Say no to genetically modified cultivars.
• Recognize the value of genetic diversity and preservation of threatened cultivars.

Okay, the last two are foreign to me. If you understood them ... kudos!

Organic Wishes,
Monica :)

100% Chance of Sprouts!

I can't believe all of my sprouts are almost in. The last two holding out is the lettuce and spearmint. I'm hopefull they will sprout soon...hopefully. lol

In the meanwhile, my husband bought me a organic gardening book. I've been engrossed looking at all of the pictures. Everything is broken down in simple terms and to the point. I've become enlightened on gardening ideas, techniques and planning I knew nothing about. I'm starting to feel more confident. I just might be able to pull this thing off.

My mother had some friendly advice, don't put the jalapeno/hot pepper plants next to the tomatoes...the tomatoes can become spicy because of the pollinating bees. Can anyone relate? In any case, I'll be separating the hot plants from the tomatoes. lol

I took a few shots of my seedling garden ...

Time to start transplanting, it came sooner than I thought it would.

Looking refreshed after an evening spritz.

I bought some soil from Lowe's a couple of days ago and I was dissapointed. It was an all natural soil, but it did not advertise it was organic. Since my goal is to have an organic garden, it's important I get the right soil. However, for the price, my husband was happy with the amount we recieved. (3 cu. ft.) And, like I mentioned before, at this stage it's all experimental. Now is the time to play around with different soils and techniques. The soil wasn't like the Miracle Grow soil with time release abilities. Although, I did notice that Miracle Grow makes an organic soil. It has a time relase ability too ... is it really organic if it does? Curious.

Sprouted Wishes,
Monica ;0)

The Sprouts Keep Coming!

It's so fun to wake up each day to find there have been changes and growth! Today, I have 3 new varities that have sprung up. Lavender, Endless Summer Tomatoes and Cauliflower. The Turnips have reached a height I didn't forsee. So, my husband took me to Lowes and we picked up a 3 cubic bag of all natural soil. I can't wait to start transplanting the sprouts into bigger pots. I'm not sure how I will go about transplanting the rapid growing sprouts like...turnips, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Here's the latest update on the sprouts.

A top shot of the turnip sprouts.

A photo of the towering turnip sprouts.

Top shot of the broccoli and Hybrid Tomato sprouts.

Long photo of the Broccoli and Hybrid Tomato sprouts.

My 17 mo. old touched the tip of the turnip sprout tonight and he just smiled. Then he tried pulling out a knife marker. lol

I'm starting to think there are some plants you just plant directly into the ground because of how rapidly they grow. By the time I transplant my sprouts into a larger pot I'm guessing there will be a ton of roots compared to others. Well see.

Happy Sprouting,
Monica ;0)

More Sprouts!

This morning, there were 3 more different sprouts! I now have Spinach, Zinnias and Hybrid Tomatoes! I cannot believe they sprouted so quickly. My plans are being pushed up and now I need to find something to plant my sprouts in soon. Since the backyard soil needed expensive treatment because of the grass and the animals using the backyard as their toilet, I've opted to plant into containers and buckets until I get my garden beds built.

Budget is an issue, and I'm glad it is. I want to build a beautiful garden from scratch spending only when necessary. I'm also happy about finding things I can recycle into use such as an old cat liter bucket I had sitting around. I needed a bucket to rinse my rags in outside without splashing the hose on me. The kitty liter bucket works perfect. I also have old storage bins I plan on planting in. The good thing about planting into these containers is that they are portable. I can play around with where certain plants will grow better by relocating them when necessary. I can then use that data when setting up my built garden beds.

I've been keeping the sprouts inside since the temperatures have heated up. There are sprouts that will do fine with the heat but I'm busy babying them for now. lol

Sprouting Wishes,
Monica ;0)

2nd Season Line-up

Here are the herbs, flowers and veggies I have planted for the 2nd season line-up...

Broccoli (De Cicco) - Heirloom
Bell Pepper (Pot of Gold)
Bell Pepper (Big Dipper)
Spearment
Lavender
Zinnia
Jalapeno
Tomato (Super Sweet 100 Hybrid)
Pepper (Hot Mix)
Tomato (Endless Summer)
Cauliflower (Green)
Lettuce (Salad Bowl)
Spinach
Turnip (Purple Top White Globe) - Heirloom
Rosemary

The only thing I'm bummed about is that these seeds were not labeled organic. Since I want an all organic garden this presents a small problem. I say small problem because since this is my first I'm really just doing this as an experiment. I wanted to watch, learn and enjoy the hands on experience. I plan on odering my organic seeds from ... Seeds of Change. The key reasons I want to order from them are ...

• They are 100% organic seeds for: vegetables, flowers, and herbs
• They have over 1,200 varieties of: heirloom, native and hard-to-find seeds
• and, they gurantee garden performance

More good news ... this afternoon I found 2 broccoli sprouts! Yeah!

Happy Sprouting,
Monica ;0)

Turnip Sprouts!

Today is a good day! After only 2 days I have turnip sprouts. This evening when I brought in the seedlings I spotted 3 sprouts. I was so excited I ran and told my husband and he got excited too. Then, I said I have to get a picture! This was taken late tonight. lol

Here you can see 2 of the tiny green sprouts ...

This photo shows 3 of the tiny green sprouts ...

I'm hoping the 4th sprout comes in tomorrow. Tonight I'll be dreaming of turnips for lunch! lol

Turnip Wishes,
Monica ;0)

Green Deltec Home Dreaming

I'm too excited about my starter seeds. They are outside underneath the patio shade soaking in some uv exposure. As I lighty watered them I was bitten by a red aunt. That's what I get for not wearing shoes. lol. Note to self: buy some gardening garmets and boots to keep the bug bites away.

My husband has been wonderful listening to all of my ideas. He's always good for feedback. The good thing about turning our household green is that we are both penny pinchers. Don't get me wrong, we certainly enjoy the good things in life, it's just that we believe that we can enjoy them more by becoming completely self sufficient. Plus, we are doing good for the earth.

Currently we live on a quarter city acre. We'd like to build a green Deltec home. They are beautiful and energy efficient. Visit their site for more Deltec information.

Ahhh, dreaming ...

Now that's fine dining ...

I'm ready to go to sleep now ...

I was amazed to learn that Deltec offered many green options. They even have a rain barrel system! Now that's cool. And, compared to the dome home my honey wants, I'm not complaining! lol

Homely Wishes,
Monica ;0)

Lovely Breeze

My grandmother and grandfather live on a mountain and I have very fond memories of visiting there. Simply put, it's peacefully beautiful. Going to grandmas and grandpas to visit spoiled me with a place to, play, imagine, eat and unwind. The brussling trees, numerous birds, horses, deer, squirrles and butterflies make their land a piece of heaven on earth. I was reminded of this place of peace while I planted the seedlings for my, hopefully, beautiful garden to be.

I was surprised to find that my seed starters (without any seeds) had not soaked up all the water like I hoped it would. None the less, I still had an amazing time sitting outside in this perfect weather planting and dreaming.


Half way there. I think my knife idea worked great...although,

it does look a bit like a garden cemetary. I hope this isn't a bad omen! If you're wondering why so many markers, I wanted to make sure I didn't mix up any pods when I pulled them apart to transplant them.


Since this starter garden is my first, I wanted to plant as many different plants as possible. My first garden is purely experimental for educational purposes. (With hopes of getting to eat something! lol) Let's face it, theres TONS of gardening information on the web, but I think the best way is to learn is to jump right and experience it first hand.

I'm also attempting an experiment. I've planted some seeds that were suggested to be planted directly into the ground as seed starters. I'm hoping they will give me more insight as to how they grow because I was having such a hard time finding out more information on the web.

Summer Breeze Wishes,
Monica ;0)

Homesteading Goals - Food & Gardening

It's important to have goals. It's going to take me years to get to where I'd like to be, but with careful planning I believe that I can get there sooner than one would think. Here are some of my goals I have for my future homestead that I will continually reference...

FOOD AND GARDENING

• Growing 99 % of produce
• Saving seeds

HEALTHY SOIL / PLANTING METHODS

• Remineralization
• Self watering containers
• Integral pest management
• Square inch plantings
• Successive sowing

COMPOSTING METHODS

• Vermicomposting
• Composting food, garden and green waste
• Brewing compost teas

FOOD PRESERVATION / STORAGE

• Canning
• Drying
• Freezing
• Fermenting

FOOD CHOICES

• Buying in bulk
• Organic
• Local
• Eating seasonally
• Reducing "food miles"
• Fair trade

This is just the beginning. Here's to a long and fruitful life full of good music and home grown food!

Warm Wishes,
Monica ;0)

Garden Beginnings

Today was a great day! It started off with breakfast with the mother-in-law. I'm blessed to have a pretty cool mother-in-law. She made us pancakes and bacon! The boys wolfed it down and that was that! We were planning on having waffles, but I left the bag the waffle iron was in on the ground behind the car thinking my husband would load it up, he ran the waffle maker over. It shattered! Oh well, a lovely excuse to get a new one! lol


This is a photo of my teenager holding his pancakes and my mother-in-law cooking in the background. Looking at those pancakes is making me hungry right now. That's my adorable baby having a great time exploring and getting into stuff.

After breakfast, we headed over to Home Depot to get some seeds I wanted to plant for this 2nd season. I ran into a nice gentleman who was picking seeds for his garden. We had a nice conversation, he was very helpful and offered me a lot of great advice. I guess I don't have to worry about people being stingy with the knowledge or experiences.

The day ended with me setting up my gardening space in the backyard. My husband helped me set up the tables and it was all fun and games from there.


This is the seed starting soil I'm starting with. It's 100% organic by Jiffy.

I've placed my starter pods in a plastic container so that the water from them won't ruin my table. I watered the pods first because they are super absorbant and wanted them to soak it up faster. Then I added the soil to the pods. I'm going to let them soak overnight before I plant the seeds. I did that because I was still working on picking the seeds I wanted to plant, and if I planted them tonight I would of felt rushed. So, tomorrow I'll be planting seeds. Yeah!! ;0)




The extra water you see in the container is about an inch deep. Tomorrow I will know if this was too much or not enough. Either way, it will be ok because I can dump the excess on the lawn or fill it with more.


Once I plant my seeds I will mark them with these knife markers. I had this box from years and years ago that wasn't being used. So, instead of buying more plastic, I chose to use these knifes. I used a permenant marker and will use them over and over again.


This is my 17 month old future homesteader. He's the dreamy apple of my eye! ;0)

Warm Wishes,
Monica ;0)