tomato thief

Today was the very first day I've been able to bring tomatoes into the house. Even though our garden is fenced in I have noticed some baby bunnies hanging out in it. They haven't been thieving the tomatoes though. It's Abe that's been going out everyday and eating all the ripe ones directly from the plants.

I'm glad to have brought a few lovely ripe tomatoes inside today but in reality I LOVE that Abe can go out back and eat fruit and vegetables from our garden. It must be a fun special summer childhood treat that hopefully he'll remember when he's grown.

Alternative Weed Killer

Little Abe has a new favorite past time. Honestly though he has a million favorite past times.

Just recently crab grass has come out in full force. I do not like to use or purchase poison or many chemicals but all the crab grass and other weeds in the driveway and sidewalk cracks have become unsightly. I've seen the natural weed killer suggestion online before. It's a mixture of vinegar, original dawn dish detergent, and salt.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it natural. There are chemicals in Dawn dish detergent but the blue stuff is used not only to wash our dishes but also to clean oil off animals after oil spills. It's used to strip cloth diapers from residue build up. And I add it to little Abe's water table sometimes so that he can play with the suds. In other words it's a million times safer than say if we tried to clean animals off with Roundup.

I had not tried this weed killer before but figured it was worth a shot, knew it wouldn't cost that much to make up a batch, and really liked the idea of killing our weeds with basically vinegar. The results are in and it not only does a fabulous job of killing weeds but my kid loves the task of spraying them.

I can't imagine the ratio matters all that much because you'll find a ton of different ones on pinterest. I used about 1/4 cup salt, 1/2 cup of Dawn and 1 gallon of vinegar.

These pictures are not from the same spot but the weed in the second photo that is clearly dying was full force green yesterday just like the one in the first photo. Everything that little Abe sprayed with the alternative weed killer has browned up and died within one day. I'm super happy with the results and again, I personally feel way better about using this then if I bought weed killer from the store. I feel safe dumping this concoction down our drains, unlike regular weed killer. I feel safe letting my four year old son use the spray, unlike regular weed killer. And I don't have to worry about my dogs or my son walking on any freshly sprayed spots, unlike regular weed killer.

The cost for 1 gallon of this alternative weed killer is about $3.50. I'm pretty sure that traditional weed killer costs quite a bit more then that. Another win here from trying something new.

Backyard Edition, July 27

This morning I slinked along. Ever so slowly I accomplished all the essential morning chores before I grabbed a cup of coffee and two slices of toast with blackberry jam. Since the heat wave hit I've been battling some serious sinus pressure and congestion but despite the incredible heat little Abe and I headed out back with our morning treats. He sat in his little green chair and I in mine. My tan little boy wore a simple pair of navy shorts, no shirt. He looked like every wonderful moment I can remember from my childhood; sun kissed skin, golden tinged hair, and the look of a well lived summer all over him.

We sat in the hot morning sun listening to the gentle breeze rustle the leaves on every tree. The birds were at work singing their morning tunes as usual despite the unusual temperature. The tomato garden in all of it's splendor spread out before the both of us and neither he nor I mumbled a word as we sat and ate.

I realized in that moment that I was experiencing perfection, pure simple wonderful perfection. A quite hot summer morning just relaxing with my son. Both of us enjoying the fruits of our labor, having fought the blackberry bushes together to collect the treasure. We then turned the fruits into the delectable jam. And now here we were, silent, together, enjoying the treat on such a splendid summer morning right alongside the garden we've so diligently tended to all summer long. These moments don't last long, but in them I find myself overcome with pure joy. I am forced to stop and think, to smile greatly, and to realize again each time, "this is life at it's finest!"

And now I document the garden growth.

First tomato turning red

Pie pumpkin plant in front.
Bidwell Casaba melon in back.

One of two bean plants.
I planted the seeds a little late this year but they should still do great.

One month of sunflower growth.
These are two different plants.
The photo in the upper right had corner is the first
sunflower sprout just over a month ago.

Happy Gardening Day!

At least it was for us. Ah, sunshine and dirt and water and mud and seeds and... what could be better?!

Today little Abe and I planted carrots seeds (I did actually plant purple carrots this year) and spinach seeds. Spinach is one of this year's new additions. When I decided to give gardening a try two years ago I chose to start out with just tomatoes and strawberries. Last year I added carrots, beans, and watermelon. Oh, and the giant sunflower. Last year was also the first year I grew all of the plants from seed.

This year I've added spinach, will possibly add pumpkin and switched from watermelon to the Bidwell Casaba melon. Getting the seeds outside and getting the tomato and bean bed ready to go was such a great way to spend mother's day. Okay, I did snap at little Abe a few times when he flung mud at me, almost hit me with the shovel, and started to flood the backyard with the hose. BUT we did enjoy ourselves and got a lot accomplished. I also put up a little fence (that we have had in the garage for YEARS) to keep the dogs away from the tomatoes and strawberries this year.

The tomatoes and pole beans will go in the ground but there are rabbits galore around here so I've found that strawberries, carrots and I'm anticipating the spinach in pots works so much better for me.

I had set this year's gardening budget at $25 and I'm considerably over that. Here's the rundown of my garden spending thus far: $17.52 for Peat and Garden soil and $20 for seeds. The bin that I have carrots in this year was given to me by my sister in law as she no longer needed it. I've been composting in the purple bin that I grew carrots in last year. I had the other three pots and the fencing on hand. I know, I spent a ridiculous amount on seeds. The problem was that I ordered them online, had to pay shipping and I went and did a second order when I found the Bidwell Casaba seeds. I spent $6.25 on the melon seeds alone. With the exception of the two year old strawberries, everything I'm growing is from heirloom seeds.

If this year's gardening endevour turns out half as well as last year then I'm more than happy with the $42.52 that I spent on the garden this year. Teaching little Abe about growing food while watching all the beautiful plants grow and fruit and then getting to eat food from our own backyard is worth SOOOOO much more than $42.52 to me anyhow.

Hooray for Spring!!!!!!!!!

Gardening may be in my DNA

For my birthday I got a fabulous seed catalog. (I may have purchased it for myself with birthday money, eh hm) Its enormous and bursting with colorful, gorgeous fruits, vegetables, and flowers. I've looked through the entire thing several times. This last time looking through I saw something incredibly fascinating. In the melon section I noticed a seed named Bidwell Casaba. Bidwell is a family name that takes only four generations back to find, starting from my maternal Grandfather > his mom > her dad > his dad. > his mom was a Bidwell. The description reads for the Bidwell Casaba melon:

This melon was grown by general John Bidwell, who recieved his seed stock by the USDA in 1869. He was a soilder in the civil war and also became a US Senator. He grew this melon in Chico California. It produces massive fruits that weigh about 16 pounds each and are football shaped. The orange flesh is sweet and creamy. Dr. Amy Goldman says "tastes like heavenly orange sherbet," in her book Melons for the Passionate Grower.

My grandmother was a passionate gardener. I only began to grow food in my yard two years ago. But the activity is something that thrills me. I'm can't get enough of watching each little seed sprout, staring at the tiny plants as they grow on my window sill, watching them then flourish in the soil in my backyard, before too long they flower, and then by some sort of mystical magic these little seeds have been transformed into enormous plants bearing spectacular food. I couldn't ever fully describe the fascination and delight I've found in gardening.

When I saw the Bidwell Melon I had to wonder if this man was a relative of mine. Bidwell is a name I've rather enjoyed looking into in my family tree. The Bidwell's have a good part in American history. Although the Bidwell name in my family tree is flourishing with John's I was a little doubtful that this particular John Bidwell would match up to my line because he was growing that Bidwell Casaba Melon in California and my Bidwells hail from Connecticut.

I'll just cut the suspense, John Bidwell of the Casaba melon is in fact (at least from what I've been able to deduce) my first cousin 6x removed. He shares his name with my 9x Great Grandfather, John Bidwell of Hartford Connecticut, who is his 3x Great Grandpa.

The Bidwell family were apparently adventurers (and fighters). They originally came to America from England. They were in Connecticut for a while then at least some of my ancestors moved to New York, where John Bidwell (of the Bidwell Casaba Melon) was born. If you remember my POST almost one year ago about my 4x Great Grandpa Mishael Beadle who moved from New York to Michigan in 1833, Mishael was married to a Bidwell. My 4x Great Grandma Ruth Bidwell was John Bidwell's aunt.

According to wikipedia John Bidwell was not only a US Sentor that fought in the civil war and moved to California (where he grew heavenly orange sherbet flavored melons) he was also a pioneer. Like my Grandpa Mishael and Grandma Ruth Bidwell who moved to Michigan to homestead, John Bidwell "was known throughout California and across the nation as an important pioneer... He is famous for leading one of the first emigrant parties, known as the Bartleson–Bidwell Party, along the California Trail, and for founding Chico, California."

I love history. I LOVE family history and I love LOVE love gardening! What a wonderful find.

So, who votes that I NEED to purchase these melon seeds and see what bit of family history I might be able to grow in my yard? I'm afraid I live in a bit too northerly climate but I'm itching to try...

Solar Powered Night Light

Small mason jar

Lawn solar light

Super glue

I glued the lid to the top portion of the light before I took the above photo. Sorry. I also got super glue everywhere. Messy is my middle name, as they say (or sudden, actually sudden is a more appropriate middle name for me). I did not glue any of my fingers together or to the light though, so all is well. I will definitely purchase the "gel" super glue next time. There is totally a reason they came out with that latter version.   

I made this night light because normally we leave the bathroom light on all night. My son likes light in the hallway as opposed to an actual night light in his room. Our hallway light it much too bright but the bathroom light shining into the hallway is just perfect. I can't put a plug in night light in the hallway because there is not an outlet there. I saw this craft on pinterest and knew instantly that I would try it out. I honestly did not think it would give off that much light but we used it last night and it was perfect. I love this little jar light and he did too!

I had the mason jar on hand already but the actual cost would be 58 cents for the jar. I spent $1.06 on super glue and didn't quite use a quarter of what I bought, that's makes about 26 cents for the super glue. The lawn solar light cost $1.79. This little craft cost a total of $2.63. I don't know the life expectancy of a solar powered lawn light but according to an ENERGY CALCULATOR that I found online, leaving the bathroom light on for about nine hours each night costs us $1.80 per month. If this is anywhere close to accurate I will have recouped the cost of the solar powered night light on our energy bill in less than two months.

If we were using an actual plug in wall night light, the energy calculator says it'd cost about the same as what I spent on this solar powered night light to power that for a year. However you look at it I'm not paying for energy to run this thing. It just needs to be set on a window sill during the day. Living off the grid, Yeah! (Haha) I'm curious to see how long the solar light will last but we'll no longer be turning the bathroom light on at night so as long as it lasts for a month and a half then I'll have officially saved money on this craft. This solar powered night light is awesome! 

We started the paper mache shelves yesterday as seen by the mess above. They will take a good deal of time and I'm pretty certain they are going to be quite lopsided but the small shelving unit is turning out very sturdy and it will serve it's purpose quite well. Additionally, paper mache is always fun and we'll end up with a virtually free shelving unit with a lot of character (I had to pay for the flour to make the paste but the cardboard box we're covering with paper mache came in the mail and I'm using a catalog that also came in the mail as the newspaper).

Average daily spending for 2016: $21.11

NO SPEND day 67 and Goose Stew

This morning before work while still sitting in my car for who knows what reason I figured out exactly how long it should reasonably take to pay off the credit card debt. I was planning a no spend day for today but I also left the house without any food or water and I knew today would be a longer work day so that was foolish. After I finished up at my first store (I had to work two stores today because of the holiday Monday) I was VERY hungry. My stomach was growling and I was experiencing some lovely hunger pains. I said to my hungry stomach, "NO, I am not spending money today. Quite down you." My resolve was abnormally high but then I had the greatest thought. Just so happens that my sisters house is smack dab in between the two stores I worked at today. Yep, I drove myself over there and snatched an ice cream sandwich from her freezer. Not the healthiest lunch but it quieted down my stomach (and was yummy).

Last night at the recommendation left in the comments on my last goose post I made goose stew. Thank-you Marcelle for the GREAT idea and for the recipes!!! I strayed hardily from the stew recipe because I wanted to make it on the stove and I also didn't have several ingredients on hand but didn't want to run to the store. Even so the stew turned out SO good and the meat was incredibly tender. I used a little chicken stock and then made my own goose stock out of the silver skin I cut from the two remaining pieces of meat. I actually had some carrots left in the fridge from our garden and they all went into the stew (along with a whole onion and two large cloves of garlic). I added fresh beans from the garden and some frozen corn at the end. I made dumplings for my stew (instead of baking biscuits or something like that). I absolutely love dumplings. Today when I got home from work I had wonderful wild goose stew with dumplings to look forward to. Do you know how wonderful homemade goose stew is after having eaten an ice cream sandwich, four mini muffins, and one cup of coffee all day? PERFECTION!

Spending rundown today: $0, NO SPEND day 67 for the year.

My budget for the month is $513.62 which leaves $360.71

Average daily spending for 2015: $17.95

Living off the land

Tonight's dinner was one of the best dinners of my life. Sounds like a bit of an exaggeration but this dinner was packed full of flavor, nutrition, pride, accomplishment, and blissful satisfaction.

Today's harvest

After planting all the seeds, endlessly watering them, watching the beautiful plants grow, and eagerly awaiting all the fruits and veggies tonight is the kind of night a gardener relishes.

Wild goose

Lightly steamed green beans

Fresh sliced tomatoes

Green tomato chutney

and

A wild rose from our rose bush for atmosphere

I am happy! And may I just give another shout out to Frugally Challenged for the chutney inspiration and for letting me know that its recommended to be eaten along side meat. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, the goose didn't turn out gamey AT ALL this time. So, so, so delicious!

Spending rundown today: $0. NO SPEND day 66 for the year. Side note: tonight's dinner cost NOTHING!

My budget for the month is $513.62 which leaves $392.58

Average daily spending for 2015: $18.04

Only for my own reminder I seared each side of the goose in a hot pan with oil, 3 minutes each. Took the breast out, deglazed the pan with chicken broth, turned the heat back on, returned the meat to the pan and cooked the breast for 15 minutes with a cover on (making sure less than 1/3 of the meat was submerged in broth) and turned every few minutes. Then removed from heat and let rest for 5 minutes (probably should have let rest a bit longer).

Dandelions and an Earthquake

Since we don't get earthquakes (virtually ever) and since I've never experienced an earthquake I feel it notable to mention that we had the second largest ever recorded earthquake for our state today. It was very mild and we are 80 miles from where it hit (I don't know earthquake terminology so I hope that's proper) but the house shook for several seconds and boy was it creepy. Neither myself nor (obviously) my kiddo, or anyone else around here who felt it for that matter knew what it was until everyone on social media began posting about it. That was kind of a neat added aspect to the thing. Little Abe honestly thought a giant was walking past our house shaking the ground. He looked out the window to see if he could see it.

After the earthquake (its so strange typing that) we went outside to collect dandelions from the yard. I stumbled upon a dandelion salve recipe HERE and I intend to try it out. We haven't put down a grass fertilizer or any weed killer for a few years so our dandelions should be pretty healthy (that's hilarious right? Talking about healthy dandelions?). I purchased grape seed oil today to infuse the dandelions in oil and I'll have to buy coconut oil later but it was pretty neat picking dandelions from the yard to use for a really practical and neat purpose. I hope this stuff turns our great because I'm pretty excited about it. There is also beeswax in the recipe I'm following (yes I've substituted grape seed oil for olive oil) but it just so happens I know a bee keeper so she'll be getting me the 2oz. of beeswax. I don't think I'll be buying an essential oil for fragrance since the dandelions are good enough for me. We'll wait till we cross that bridge anyhow.

Average daily spending for 2015: $18.15