WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SIMPLE LIFE?

Notice the space Sidney left between each plant.

Summer is supposed to lazy hazy days where we get to lay in a hammock and drink an iced tea or lemonade, right?   It's just not happening for me this year!  If you have been following my post you know that Sidney and I have planted a large garden of vegetables and flowers.  The planting is my favorite part!  We planted, watered, weeded, and waited.  Now poor Sidney isn't just  picking  a few things each day, but baskets of fresh vegetables;  squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and within just a few days fresh sweet corn.

He has helped me with canning these up by peeling over two 5 gallon buckets of cucumbers for our "Red Cinnamon Pickles", slicing another bucket for "Bread and Butter Pickles", helping me to slice and grate numerous bags of zucchini and yellow squash, and in just a few days the corn will be ready!  The tomatoes are coming in pretty steady too!

When Sidney planted this garden he was careful to leave lots of extra space between his plants.  He said that he didn't want to fight to get around the vegetables so he left more than the directions called for.   We did ask God to bless our garden and wow!  Has he ever!  Just look at the way the garden looks now!

Zucchini Plants are Huge

   Squash Plants, tomatoes, and corn looking and tasting good!

The garden has grown so big that you cannot walk between rows.  The zucchini are touching the tomatoes, the tomatoes are touching the corn, the cucumbers have gone all over.  I have never seen anything like it!  It has been beautiful and it is producing delicious produce.

As of today, I have canned 13 jars of bread and butter pickles, 36 pints of zucchini relish, and tonight the cinnamon pickles go into jars.  Next are the tomatoes and then I will freeze home grown sweet corn!  Yes, we're busy, and things don't seem to simple for now, but this winter when we are enjoying the fruits of our labor, we will be so happy and then we will be enjoying the simple life!

Blessings,
GrandmaB

ZUCCHINI BREAD Mmmmmm!

With all the zucchinis I had to make some sweet bread.  While I like most recipes for this bread, this might be my favorite.  The  secret spice in these loaves is 'nutmeg'.  This is a very easy recipe and I promise you will enjoy it!

SQASH BREAD

(Copied from:  Ste. Genevieve Plain Good Cookin Recipes)

2 cups grated summer squash

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, beaten

I cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup pecans (or more if you like)

Mix sugar, eggs, oil, salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add squash and mix well.

Stir in flour and pecans and blend well.  Pour into well greased 8X4 inch loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the top springs back when lightly touched.  Remove and cool on racks. 

Yeild: 2 loaves.

I hope you enjoy!

Blessings!

GrandmaB

THE ZUCCHINI'S HAVE LANDED

For years I have heard the horror stories of people who plant 'zucchini' squash and it just keeps multiplying and multiplying.  I had never experienced this for myself because our zucchini plants would always bring us an ample supply then the heat would cause them to die off before I had my fill.  This year is different!  These long green beauties seem to be multiplying before my eyes!

Sidney began to bring in the harvest sometime last week.  He laid a few zucchinis on my countertop and I was so pleased.  A few yellow summer squash were placed into the mix.  Ahhhh!  I sliced, breaded and dropped these delicious chunks into the hot oil!  For a few minutes I was in heaven!  Sooooo good!

My daughter-in-law introduced me to a delicious zucchini relish, so I decided to make a few batches.  Todaymy final count was 36 pints.  Now I'm beginning to see the bottom of the squash basket!  With the remaining squash, I sliced them and placed them in freezer bags so we can enjoy the bounty this winter.  I also carefully placed extra grated squash into 2 cup portions for winter soups and breads.

Sidney and I have given away at least a bushel of these babies this week to friends and relatives, but is the basket empty yet???  NO WAY!  I just looked and there are at least 6 to 7 more squash to do something with, and tomorrows zucchinis hacen't been picked yet! 

Apparently a few of my friends are having an invasion too because I have been offered zucchini from at least 3 of them.   Let's see, what else can I do with zucchini?  Do you have any ideas?

ZUCCHINI RELISH (Dale & Jill’s )                    

24 cups of grated Zucchini squash
8 onions chopped or grated
4 large green peppers chopped or grated
4 hot peppers
2/3 cup or 10 Tbs of salt

Spinkle with salt and let stand overnight
Drain and rinse with cold water

Bring to boil:
5 cups apple cider vinegar
3 tsp celery seed
7 cups of sugar
4 tsp pickling spice
2 tsp tumeric

Pour over the squash mixture and bring back to boil.
Pack into hot sterilized jars and seal. 10-12 pints.
I give these jars a 10 minute water bath

I hope you enjoy your summer harvest!
Blessings!
GrandmaB