Not so Sweet on the Sweet Potatoes

So a few weeks ago I bought a 40lb box of organic sweet potatoes from Quail Cove Farms.  After finally acquiring more quart jars (thank you, Craigslist!) I decided it was time to can some of them.  Most places online suggested 17lbs for 7 quarts, so I got out my scale and weighed them up. 

Then I boiled for 15-20 minutes.  This required my two largest pots.  17 pounds is a ton of potatoes!

Next, cool slightly and peel.  (Total pain in the neck!!!!)  At this point, I had enough half way through and decided that was enough.

Cut into equal size pieces (do not mash!) and place into sterilized jars.  I filled six jars with some left-over, so that 17 lb recommendation must have been for teeny-sized cubes.

Add 1 tsp of salt to each jar.  Fill with boiling water, leaving 1" headspace.

Process for NINETY MINUTES.  Yeah, because I have nothing better to do with my time than stand around the kitchen watching that dial.

I started at about 10:30 in the morning, it was after 3 by the time the pressure canner cooled enough for me to take the jars out.

And THEN I had to go back and tackle the other half of the potatoes.  Thankfully, the prep for freezing is the same as canning (boil for 15-20, peel, cube or mash).  So I threw them in Ziplocs and popped them in the freezer.  That'll be less work for me Thanksgiving morning.

The rest of the sweet potatoes went out in the garage (they need to be kept cool, but not cold.  Above 50 degrees is recommended.)  Between the canning, freezing, and cold storage, we should be all set for sweet potatoes for a long time. 

I will never can them again.  What I will do is pop extra in whenever I bake some for dinner, then mash and freeze.  Much less work.  Did I mention this whole process was a pain?  Don't do it.

Bye Bye Bells

We had a frost warning last night... and although the parsley and oregano and other herbs seem unaffected, the Bell Peppers definitely succumbed.  So I harvested the last of them.  I think the Cayenne has jumped ship, too, but I am going to give it a day or two to recover (no signs of frost in the next week) before I pick the rest of them.  I should have harvested them all and taken the plant in, but it was the last thing I felt like doing.  If it recovers, then I will.  If it doesn't, then it's one less thing for me to nurse this winter.  I think I'd like to try growing Tabasco peppers, instead, just to try something different (and because they are absolutely beautiful.)

Homemade Tortillas

What to do when there's no meat defrosted and you're too sick to go to the store?  Bulgar Tacos for dinner!

Except, of course, we only had one taco shell left in the house.  I've always wanted to try making my own, so I decided this would be it.

I used this recipe and didn't have any lard, so I used Earth Balance Shortening-Substitute (no hydrogenation).  It was super easy to mix up and knead.

Original directions said to divide into 24 pieces.  I did 16, and then got 2 extras by stealing from the larger balls.

Roll thin and then transfer to skillet.

When they bubble and are golden, turn and cook the other side.

It would have been much easier with a helper, since they only need to cook for a short time and it takes awhile to roll out.  Or, may be roll them all out and stack between layers of wax paper?

I only ended up cooking half of them.  I froze the rest of the balls and am hoping they will be ok next time we have tacos.

November in Zone 7b/8a

Roses, people... we still have roses.  Blooming, Blossoming, Beautiful roses.  In November.  (Can you tell I'm not used to this?  Snowflakes and frost, yes.  Roses, no.)

 The carrots (which I planted late, I think!) are up and I've already thinned them out.

I've harvested most of the broccoli and am now waiting for the side shoots to get big enough to pick.

Mr. Bumblebee is still loving the basil and lavender.  I love knowing he's there to pollinate my treasures.

The Black Swallowtail Cats have found the parsley.  We counted about a dozen, but I think we're down to a handful at this point.  (Look carefully in the center.  You'll see one with it's white stripe.)

The cabbages are just starting to head up, and I had to harvest the first tiny one today.  It was getting decimated by cabbage worms.  Fortunately, the few others I have seem to be faring better.  As with the broccoli, I don't think I planted enough cabbages.  I didn't want an influx, but I might have forgotten they can be left unharvested for awhile.  Or I might have been permanently scarred by Mom's stinky sauerkraut fermenting in the basement...  (love you, Mom!) 

I'm not sure what to expect from the herbs, so I'm dehydrating as many as I can in case they don't last the winter.


I just planted garlic and shallots, which may be a little late but who knows.  I didn't special order any heirloom varieties (most were sold out by the time I got around to looking).  I just bought some at the store and plunked the individual cloves in the ground.  Yes, you can do that.  Which reminds me, the leeks I bought and planted are doing wonderfully.  Need to figure out when/how to harvest them.

And since it's November, best of all the new seed cattys will be here next month and I can start dreaming about my first real garden, with plants that *I* chose and raised.  Until then, I need to go freeze some more bell peppers...

It's Official...

I am TOTALLY OFF MY ROCKER!

It's a beautiful day, sun shining, 65 degrees, and I am sick as a dog.  But I decide that some Vitamin D can't hurt, and I can't spread my germs to anything out in the garden, so off I go.


First thing on the to-do list?  Preparing the Jalapeno for over-wintering inside.

Yes, you read that right.  I have been complaining about all of my peppers and here I am, unwilling to let the thing just die... committing myself to care for it all winter long.  Why, you ask?  Just to see if I can. 

Growing up in New England, peppers were treated as annuals.  But they are indeed perennials, and I truly had gorgeous plants (for which I can take zero credit.  They were here when we bought the place.)  It would be a shame to not even TRY to save them.  I did a bit of research last night on the internet, and decided to take this approach:

First, I harvested most of the jalapenos and then pulled up the plant.

Next, I went ahead and trimmed the roots.  Supposedly, this is supposed to encourage more root growth, but mostly I had to do it in order to get the thing into the pot I prepared for it.

Then I trimmed it back.  Way back.  And nestled it into it's new home for the winter.

And trimmed it back some more.  (When Hurricane Irene came through, it got blown around and started growing funny, so I decided to trim off the crooked branches.)

Apparently, all it needs is to be near a window for the winter, so we'll see.

The Cayenne is next, but it still has too many peppers on it.

Peter Piper...

I was insanely excited last night when I hopped on Craigslist and found that someone had just listed canning jars for $25.  I was all out of empty ones, so I'd intended to buy new ones this week.  I came home with 6 cases of quarts, 4 cases of pints, and some 12 oz jelly jars for $25!

The first thing I needed to tackle were the peppers (have I mentioned how many we have?  We only have 2 bell plants, one cayenne, and one jalapeno plant, but they are STILL blossoming!)  I decided I'd try pickling some of them for Dad's for Christmas, since I am running out of ideas.

While searching for recipes, many people mentioned that canning them turns them to mush, so I decided NOT to process them and simply store them in the fridge.  I used this recipe (scroll down for the Marinated Refrigerator Peppers/)

While the jars were getting washed and sterilized, I chopped the peppers.  I used a mixture of jalapeno and cayenne.

Then, I brought 5 c white vinegar, 1 c water, and 1 TBL pickling salt to a boil.  Then, turn it down to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Fill jars with peppers, packing tightly.  Then, fill with the brine, making sure all the peppers are covered in liquid.  Place lids on, but not bands.  Let cool. 

Screw on bands and store in the fridge for up to 6 months.

They really are beautiful, and with the red and green they will be perfect for Christmas!  This recipe made 4 12-oz jars, so that would be 6 pints or 3 quarts.  

All-Season Upcycled Wreath

This beauty was inspired by Pinterest, to which I am hopelessly addicted.  But I try really hard to actually MAKE some of my pins to justify my obsession.  The first project I ever made was a Thankful Tree, and it's been the perfect centerpiece for this Autumn Season.

The girls had a blast helping me punch out the circles and holes and then writing things they were thankful for.

The wreath was also a super easy (and equally as inexpensive) project.  A bunch of WalMart bags, a wire hanger, and some scissors are all you need!  It took me about five evenings in front of the tv to cut and tie the strips (I found I could do about 2 bags, then I got bored or tired).  I plan to add different ribbons depending on the season (red and green for Christmas, blue or purple or silver for the remainder of winter, green for St. Patty's Day, pastel for spring, red white and blue for summer...)  Since we don't have a basement in this house, storage space is at a premium and I can't justify having half a dozen different wreaths, so this really is perfect.

I especially like it against the red of our front door.

I may even consider making more for gifts.  Or to use as a centerpiece (with a candle in the middle, may be?)

It's ridiculously simple.  Gather about 10 white plastic bags and a wire hanger bent into a circle.

Fold in the sides of each bag so it is almost rectangular.

Fold the bag in half the long way (hotdog fold).

Do it again.

We're going to cut strips parallel to the bottom, about an inch or so thick.

Cut all the way up the bag.

You will now have lots of rings.

Cut each ring into 4 equal parts by cutting in half...

 ...and then in half again.

You want to keep only the strips that are all white.  If they have any writing on them, throw them away.

You can also use the handles.

Fold them in half

Cut them in half the long way, then you will have two more strips.

Start tying the strips around the hanger, pushing them closely together.  This is about 4 or 5 bags' worth of strips.  I lost count.

You will want to give the wreath a 'hair cut' to neaten it up.  You can do it as you go, or wait until you are all done.

Now, what are you waiting for?  Go forth and make cheap wreaths!