A Rainbow of Tomatoes, so fun!

A little of this and that!

No southern garden "is" a southern garden without the Tomato. And we love ours as if it were a member of the family. And coming in all shapes and sizes. We start them all by seed ourselves. And will give a "how to" next winter, in time for anyone reading wanting to do the same. Here's a glimpse of the joyful gatherings of this year's rainbow garden. We actually place as much as we can in color sections. Yellow, Orange, White, Green, Red, and Purple all heirloom tomatoes that are just sooooo cool. We grow around 200 plants each year. Very few boring red. You see those everywhere. And I will buy some red ones, but actually some other colors grow better here. White and Orange really do good. And besides this is for "them" my wonderful children. So bring on the wild colors and stipes and whatever diversity that will make them say "Hey Moma, look!"
   Now people will say they won't cross. That is not true! We have crosses every year, but hey we're in to surprises anyway. And are going to try some of those seeds for new varieties. That's all old-timers did. So here the queen of the garden on her throne in our garden and our hearts gives us one more reason to "grow together". Everybody awaits that first ripe one, and who spots it first has an awesome honor badge, metaphorically speaking. Without further ado here she is!

Green Zebra

Orange Woodle

Dr White (a cross)

Dressed For Success and Purple Hull Peas

The homemade costume you see here was totally designed by a beautiful little 8yr old. Who chose this day to wear her mock middle eastern "play outfit" to pick purple hull peas. (Well she thinks it looks middle eastern, so we'll go with that.) The purple hull pea is a southern favorite, which by the way needs a dose of either manure if it's Organic or 13-13-13 to grow well. We did both. Old timer secret and it works! Most people don't give them any nitrogen, but when I did what old timer said they blew up. Thanks old timer! This are not something you can get in a grocery store. You have to grow'em or know someone who did. They are a Mississippi favorite. I remember being a little girl, shellin' peas on the back porch of my Great Aunt's house and hearin' those crickets singing , It's Hottttttttttt. It sure sounded like that's what they were sayin'.
I love the wonder and imagination that little ones carry around with them. All the hard-work in the world seems so easy when your dressed for it! I plant for them, but with them, and we work together and it is sooo good. These times we share will never leave the gardens of their hearts or mine. As we pull weeds here, I teach them what it means to pull out the weeds in their hearts. As the rain helps the plant grow, I tell them of how they are being watered to grow into fruitful adults. As the heat and bugs come out, I work right beside them and we sweat together. I love them and they know it. Who ever said life was fair or easy? If you never show them they are worth the effort, like a hot sweaty garden then don't expect much of them in the area of character. If you never challenge them to do something that makes you and them uncomfortable then you are giving and getting "nothing". You get back what you expect and more so what you invest! When you expect/invest nothing, you get it everytime. So when you say to them here's what I expect, and I'm giving my time, energy and sweat too. This is loving you! They will know you love them and will give of themselves also. Even in a dress up costume, their willing to share in the work and sweat. They will also get to share the reward. I told them today, that if we never reaped a harvest I would still plant a garden. That sounded so backward to them, "Why?" I was asked. To work, teach, tend and learn together. For the profit of the soul, not the belly. When we get up we have a routine, everybody is needed. And everybody needs to be needed, so I divide up the day so that we're working like a Swiss Clock, (well kinda). And come lunch time we're all so tired and happy we drag up to house and actually are "Thankful" for A/C. We share so much of ourselves that we really are learning to need and love one another. Even when were hot, sweaty and tired. A team, with trials and triumphs. Also if we get something out of the garden, we get to share in the loot. Today it's peas. Yippee! And I've already been asked, "Can we have peas for dinner, please?" You betcha. And will you be dressing up for pea shelling, I hope so in your handmade costume. They are only little for so long, I am so blessed to have the gardens of there hearts to tend and the peas to share with them!

The Best Cornbread In The Whole Wide World! Non-GMO

We hardly ever use boxed mixes. Mainly due to both health and cost. It's so much cheaper and healthier to DIY in the kitchen.  You must be resillient and realize you will make mistakes and we have and still eaten it. But then when you hit it with a DIY recipe you really hit it! Now being from the south, I wanted to keep a lot of traditional recipes, yet make them "good for us". And who ever said that to be healthy, you need to give up skillet baked cornbread? Just say no to the GMO's and hydrogenated oils and you've got a very nutritious treat. This recipe is my teen daughter's and it's sooo good that we have to make two skillets for dinner. It's more like a corn cake, and still very healthy. First, we grind up some white Non-GMO Grits, into a fine cornmeal, using Vitamix. Or use Orville Redenbacher's Non-GMO Popcorn, you will need to put this into a very tough grinder. Then transfer to blender such as Vitamix for a finer grind. But not quite flour consistency.  This is a fabulous cornmeal. Then using about 2 Cups Cornmeal, 1 Cup Flour she adds 1Tblspn Baking Powder mix these. Then add 1/2 Cup Organic Sugar or Honey. Now put your oil (3/4 Cup) and 2 Eggs in blender, whip together and pour into dry. I use Organic/Expeller Pressed Safflower Oil, but Coconut works good too. Add enough water to look like a batter and when skillet is hot pour into. This is the real trick to all southern cornbread, OIL AND HEAT YOUR SKILLET! Preheat oven to 400 F and put oiled skillet into it until it's good and hot. If you're doing it right, it will sizzle when you pour the batter into it. That's how you know it's gonna be good, you must hear that sizzle! So happy homemaking that Non-GMO Cornbread. You use a popcorn that's labeled Non GMO if you have a grinder or can get it to cornmeal consistency. It might dull blades to try in blender, would not suggest that. ** In place of the grits, you could also use a beautiful Indian cornmeal or grind it yourself.

Just Another Day In Paradise!

Ok most days around a homestead are so hard on you physically, when rest comes it is sweet. Sometimes everything goes wrong and me and my kids laugh and say "It's just another day in paradise." Like the day our new milk cow fell in a ditch and I went to get disel for the tractor and busted my head open, at the gas station. The lady at the store kept saying "you need to go to the ER". I'm thinking "yeh, if your paying. Just get me the duck tape." It's a blessing to have a friend with medical knowledge to superglue me up, while Hubby and a neighbor farmer pull out the cow. That was a doozy! We nursed her for a month, spent a couple hundred dollars and lost her anyway. We do it because we love the life, and we must be willing to except loosing sometimes. It's part of a master plan, we are not in control of everything. It's are job to be content in all things, give thanks in all things and press on happily.
   But days like this one, when were bringing in the harvest of lots of sweat and hardwork really do give you that feeling without the sarcasm. And so here are some of the pics to remind me it's totally worth it! And the kids cut the horse's hair, said she needed a trim. Rrrrright, just another day in paradise! This is our world in picture. Minus the hardwork & lots of sweat! Give me a while to get all the pics up, and stay tuned, some "how to's" to come!

Saving Heirloom Tomato Seeds and Memories

Here is the best part of gardening with kids, teaching them how to pass it on. Every year we grow hundreds of heirloom tomato plants, average 200 plants. And to buy all that seed every year would rack up $$$. So since it's so easy to save your own and reuse seed, why not? Know how is the reason a lot of people aren't doing more of it. And have you ever thought what would happen if everybody gave up the agricultural heritage that is common in all cultures, to work at a more comfortable station. ie.. No dirt, no sweat, no providing from the land? Well to put plain and simple, No farmers, No food! What if our basic ways of living are all forgotten? What if the next generation doesn't know how to do for themselves? They must then, be dependent and that is a nice way of saying "slave". So get out and "Grow Together"! I just love those crazy (heirlooms) open pollenated seeds and it is not hard to pass on, as you'll see below, my 6 yr old at the sink is doing it. After all, it does include growing mold, so what 6yr old wouldn't like that? Teaching them and giving them skills to apply to life is our jobs, as parents. I cannot think of a better skill to have than to be able to produce food for one's self and family. She LOVES gardening! She tells me she can't wait to grow up and grow things with her little ones.
  My 5yr. old saved an heirloom 3lb Lithuanian tomato seed, that I almost threw in the garbage, thinking it to be of no good use. She sprouted them the following year and we planted them in the garden next to an orange type we like. She ended up with a variety of her very own now that we named after her, the Daisy Mae! They grow to 2-3 lbs in size and as orange as the sun. The pick below says it all! She's learning and loving it!

     To begin saving tomato seeds, just squeeze out the "innards" of your best looking tomatoes, into a cup that you write on with a permanent  marker. Pics at bottom show cup full of moldy stuff, that's what you want. The fermentation breaks down that gel sack.
   Labeling is real important to figuring what's in there in a few days, trust me on this. We have neglected to label and it doesn't turn out good to guess at which color cup had what. Especially all filled with scum! Also they should be open pollenated not hybrids. Hybrids will not grow out true, most of the time. Next cover with water, this will need to sit a few days to form a bacteria (rot) that will eat away the gel sack on the tomato seed. I let it sit for three or four days on top of frig where temp is slightly warmer and Viola! You've got scum. Just what company wants to see, lots of cups or bowls growing mold in your kitchen, ha ha. Ok, getting on with it. Then just dump into strainer and rinse all scum away. Wash thoroughly with cold water and place on napkin-ish thing to dry. I don't use much paper products (big $$$ out the window) so here I used a coffee filter. You get hundreds on the dollar so I splurged and used these. Paper plates will spill, and napkin-ish items (you could even use a wash cloth) hold onto the seed slightly and give you something to write on. You again must label for after it dries, you will want to know what it is. Label, label, label! Trust me you will be super disappointed if you don't and can't remember which is which. Or just say it's a surprise, which we do that also. When the seeds end up growing out you may see label rubs off or gets sun bleached or what not and so it just goes in the surprise section of the garden. When they are TOTALLY dry, remove and place in sandwich Baggie with label, the put into a larger FREEZER bag. It really does need to be freezer so to keep out as much moisture as possible. Here is my collection of heirloom seeds all first individually bagged then in all together in a larger bag in which I keep a little silica packet (from a shoe box or vitamin bottle) and this keeps in the freezer for years These are the exact same steps for saving Cucumber seed, non-hybrid. They are also seeds in cased in a gel sack and must be fermented. If a six year old can do it you can too!

Beautify Your Outdoor & Indoor Spaces!

The best/cheapest way to add some color to your garden as well as giving you something totally beautiful to add to the table is a wildflower patch. Each time you grocery shop add a pack of wildflowers to the cart. After a few weeks you'll have a plethora of beautiful flowers to plant.
Till up a row just for them and watch the bees and butterflies take up house there. And you'll end up with low cost bouquets for most of the summer. You really should attempt to weed them; however it was not possible for us this year due to excessive rains. They grew inspite of the grass. How much are the brightly colored flowers bouquets in you produce isle at the store? Between five and fifteen dollars. Now whenever blooming, your only a walk away to the fresh bouquet! Not only is this something beautiful to smile about, your production/harvest in your veggie garden should increase due to all the insect activity drawn in by the flowers. Yepee! Not to mention all the oohs and "hey look at this, Moma" the children send out as they discover each new bloom and different insects they've drawn in. Our little hodge-podge rows of wildflowers and sunflowers bring in tons of butterflies and bees. What a treat to share freshly picked flowers to put on the table! You have to admit reading about and actually experiencing nature are way different. While both are effective, experiencing is way cooler! Get outside and "live" with your little ones while the wonder is in them and enjoy your homegrown flower patch together.

Best Garden Sprays - Mother Approved!

Growing has it's challenges anywhere you are, but my #1 rule of thumb for growing with children, dogs, weather, pests is ALWAYS PLANT MORE THAN WHAT YOU NEED! Another challenge is finding a spray that is "Safe" enough for kids to use yet still effective. My children always want to use the sprayer. Maybe to avoid being asked to pull weeds :) So these are all sprays that you could feel comfortable letting them use. But always give guidance and only let serious minded children do the spraying. Usually once they have earned the recognition of being mature, they actually go after your approval and are so much more happy to help then to play around anyway. Here is the best three sprays for growing your garden/memories.  # 1-If you want the most organic/natural/effective homemade garden spray ever, try mixing up a water, Neem Oil, & Citronella Oil mix. About 3 cups of water, to 2 Tblspns Neem Oil, and 2 Tblspns Citronella Essential Oil. Of course this oil and water mix has to be shaken before use and will eliminate aphids, white flies and Japanesse Beetles, and others. Repeat everyotherday for a about a week and problem solved!  # 2- Another option I love is the concentrated Triple Action Plus II. Its made by Fertalome. Not sure of spelling there. It's a Neem Oil base, all in one and is really effective at pest and fungi. # 3- For more power, on squash borer particularly, add 1 Tblspn of Seven Dust, and up values to gallon size sprayer. This will omit the "Natural/Organic" but will save your plants as well as being mostly natural. If you have wilted plants be sure and pull them up and pour some right into root hole. Now Tomatoes are a totally different story, and for the best garden spray on tomatoes you will have to wait. It's an all around total coverage spray that will extend the life of your plants as well as get rid of ALL pests. Happy Homegrowing! ***Must be added in revision here, that it is never a good idea to spray a big area before evening, because of lowering bee population! We know lots of bees in the south are in very low numbers do to lots of chemicals. Mississippi even has an organization that will pay you back half of all you spend if you will get started with bee keeping. Also check out China's bee problem. People are now taking to the fields to hand pollenate because of insecticide use that's left them so depleted of bees. Especially in the almond industry.  If I need to spray a spot/plant or two because of big infestation that is fine, but a total garden spray is a must at evening only. Anything you spray before say 6-7pm goes back to the hive with the bees. They go in at night around that time so to both avoid killing the bees, and being out in the heat we wait till after dinner-just before nightfall, to do any total garden spraying. Some of what you spray will still be there in the morning, so if in bloom, it might be better to deal with bug bites! We do. After the plants begin loading up with flowers I do not spray, unless it is an infested spot. Then I remove plants and spray around area the Citronella/Neem Oil blend.

Tomatoes are in!

As we start bringing in the rainbow of tomatoes we plant each year, we are so glad to see the fruits of our labor come to harvest. Teaching kids about hard work and reaping what you sow is nowhere so obvious then in the garden. And you never know what else nature has in store for learning. We found and hatched out a BEAUTIFUL Catapilar from this chrysalis on an orange tomato. Gardening with kids is as good as it gets!!!!! Growing memories and capable kids. I was always told growing up, "I can't, never could do nothing" a country way of say you can't do anything when you don't try and say, "I can't." So grab your little ones and grow something special. Do grab your Goo! Garden Goo TM

Every year it's a surprise.

Ready for some fried green tomatoes!

Double battered, healthy oils, yum!

That's the natural bug repellent, I created for my children and we sell at our web store HandmadeBodyFood.com

Painted Lady? We think.