Southern Fried Green Tomatoes-Double Dipped!

One of the first things we love to do each spring is make fried green tomatoes, fresh from the garden. It is really rewarding when finally all the planting, hoeing/tilling, weed picking, and fertilizing bears good harvest. All that hardwork is laid out for you to enjoy and it is good! We don't eat a lot of fried foods, and when we do we use Natural Oils, "God Made". No hygrogenated or chemically processed. Organic if possible, but not always. $$. Also NO Canola, Corn, Cotton or Soy Bean Oils. All are mostly GMO. I don't believe man has the right to alter what an All Knowing & Perfect God originally designed. It's like waiting for a bomb to go off. Now through time, medicine, and science we have seen more gut issues, immune issues, and allergic reactions then time past. Well doesn't that say anything to us? I'm just saying, He either knows what He's doing and can do it right the first time or He clearly has made mistakes in nature and needs us (man) to correct His errors. Ummm so, if you reap what you sow, where does that leave us? SICK. How many times did the children of Isreal say, this is not good enough? Manna, meat, ect... So now our idol of convience has given us a harvest of disease. If it (plants) have been altered now to contain pesticides to kill pests when they eat of it, what's that going to do to you? Come on people. You will reap what you sow! With that said here goes our simple and delicious version of Fried Green Tomatoes, Double Dipped!!
   You'll need: nothing measured, we use the eyeball it method
however many green tomatoes you think to feed your crew
In first bowl- flour mixture
A few cups Flour (wheat works best)
About a cup cornmeal
Tblspn Sea Salt - this is God made and will not increase blood pressure
Tblspn Garlic
About a teaspoon blk pepper
Mix all up real good
In second bowl
A few eggs with about 2 cups water
Mix up real good
Pour your oil into skillet to be heating up and while your making up tomatoes. Slice up tomatoes and 1st dip into egg mixture then 2nd into flour mixture, then real quick do over again. Make sure batter doesn't come off on hands, BE QUICK! It is messy but worth it.
I use either Safflower or Coconut Oil and Organic if I can afford it. Drop into skillet and turn when golden brown. When cooked on both sides lay on paper towel to dry, and Viola! The best fried green tomatoes you'll ever have.

The Adam & Eve Diet

Ok so here it is, basically the way your designer intended for you to eat. As close to all natural, organic and as minimally processed as possible. Some eyebrows are going to raise on this, and I would say rightly so. Anything that challenges the stasis quo always gets a frown, or a "what!" until science proves it. Funny thing is science is now giving us a lot of proof. This is to be used as a good rule of thumb, not the end all of life hinging on your diet. Let me elaborate, most of us are so used to a man-made diet it's hard to wrap our heads around that which is God-made. It's a different way of thinking, but not really. I believe that if you can get from scripture (particularly Genesis) marriage ideals, societal norms, rights and wrongs, and so forth; why not eating practices. Not an old kosher diet of do's and don'ts but a mere window to God's heart, of what is really healthy(clean) for you to eat. Most people would quickly turn down eating vulture meat, why? It's unhealthy (unclean), and will most likely make you sick and it's easy to think about it that way. So what about hotdogs or bologna? Same thing, it is unhealthy! According to blog.lef.org 80% of American convenience food has "chemicals" banned in other countries. HELLO! 80%? Where does God come in here? Stick with me, I'm getting to that.
   If you purchased a Microsoft laptop, but down loaded a Dell program on which you expected it to function, your going to encure lots of problems along the way. As with people, we ought to consider our designer and why so many problems are plaguing our "civilized" societies. That term is used loosely. Because the farther away from agricultural societies we get, THE SICKER WE GET, & THE MORE COMMON KNOWLEDGE IS LOST. Can you treat a migraine from what grows in your yard? Most grandmothers could, but most of us could not. My 8yr old can, because we work at it. And you should too, you may wish you had one day. I aim to empower you to "get out and grow together!" Try Willow. Yep, originally asprin was made from an ingredient in this plant.
   Let's talk salt. "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewithal shall it be seasoned?"  So there you have it, salt is good. So why so much high blood pressure? Simple. MAN MADE salt is not as easily processed by the body as natural SEA SALT, ie GOD MADE, or any other salts that are naturally derived such as rock salt. My husband had high blood pressure before changing his eating habits, to eliminate man-made salts, as much as possible. He still has to take his lunch to work and therefore gets some in his diet, but only a little. Again we're on the road to changing, not claiming we have it all perfect. There are some boxes of cereal in the cuboard, but it's getting better and moving in a direction away from so much processed food. This is what is explained in the food rules of the Old Testament by saying don't do as the heathen do. See, the people who knew not God, would not consider Him in anything they did, as well as eating practices. People of the Jewish faith in the Ancient world were by far the healthiest people. This is not to say we should or shouldn't follow food laws (not going there) but that what we eat reflects who we worship. Did that chemically laced prepackaged something, puff you up for a moment only to give empty and vain rewards in the end? Whole, raw, fresh, minimally processed food will nourish your body with lasting results. See in the end, it is choosing to take care of your temple or destroy it.
   Everyone is in a different place and your healthy and mine may look totally different. Not everyone can change diet and eating habits overnight, but with "line upon line and precept upon precept" we are changed. If we quench (put out) the spirit of God he will turn us over to our lusts and disease is the end result of not obeying God when he said " Deny Thyself." (Paraphrased from Mark 8:34 & Luke 9:23.)Now this idea of self denial is a practice of self discipline and pertains to ALL of life and following God. Not just food. But to those who argue it does not pertain to food I say read on, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1Corinthians 10:31 Or in another verse it might be said we are not to eat things sacrificed to idols. Isn't it just fitting that one of today's biggest idols is our own pleasure and convience, or that convience was actually the name of an idol in Ancient times! So it might do us well to begin to look at "why" we do this or that concerning food as we would in other areas of life such as parenting, finances, marriage or any other area that we are to give over to God. Food is only one thing we are to use to show forth God's glory. And remember it can be used to build up or destroy, it is your choice. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which are God's. " 1Corinthians 6:19-20
   If you are his then use his designer program. This not to say you'll not get sick, cancer or any other disease, you still may. But it's about surrender, "I surrender all!"

Fall Gardening With Them Part 1

   I am convinced knowing "how to" do something is the number 2 reason most people don't try there hand at it. What's number 1- "want to" Sorry to say, and I used to be in this boat. Until I began to take on the attitude of "It's really not about me!" Also started thinking in big picture terms. Then I began to see the more I slowed down to purposely and physically "do" things with them, the more fun we have as a family and the more they respected me. They see me investing in "them". Also what child doesn't love to play in the dirt? So how special to have someone who loves them right along side. So don't let "know how" or yourself get in the way of a beautiful relationship with "them".
   Maybe an all knowing perfect God knew this was important to life. "And God said let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth and it was so." Genesis 1:11
   "And God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." Genesis 2:8
   "And The Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." Genesis 2:15
   It (gardening) is particularly mentioned even after the fall. "cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eat the herb of the field." Genesis 3:17b-18  "Therefore The Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken." Genesis 3:23
   I take this to be more than a hobby, needed for survival and great for family unity. It is also so rewarding financially as you don't have to buy as many groceries. Physically tending a garden gives good exercise while getting loads of vitamin D. Aren't we all becoming a little more interested in living better, healthier, and more sustainable lives.
   Here's years of trial and error going to work at a better garden each year. I'll do more parts to this Gardening with "them" theme. Part 2- Fertilizing with "them". 3- Raised beds with "them". And then more in winter and spring. If you do plan to garden in a raised bed next year, you should be building and fertilizing NOW, to get the most out of it next season.
   What grows best in a southern garden? 1- Purple Top Turnip Greens win hands down as the easiest and most productive garden crop for fall. Don't know anybody with a southern fall garden that doesn't grow 'em. 2- Mustard Greens. 3- Collards or Kale. *In my experience, although these are all from the Brassica family, the others like Broccoli, Cabbage and Brusselsprouts do not grow well in fall/winter, in the south. Don't waste your time. Weather and plants are too finicky, unless your greenhouse growing. 4- Lettuce, in fall we like Butter Crunch, Bibb or even Black Seeded Simpson. We throw in some red variety while planting to give a color and taste change. All leafy It really depends on your taste. Black Seeded Simpson is great for the south as it is good for warmer climates. 5- Carrots, and Tender Sweet are hands down the best for size and flavor. I 've tried all colors shapes and sizes and these turn out great everytime. Others seem to get "stumped" in our clay soil. Which does not loosen up much to give them room to grow. Which by the way, next time (part 2) I'll go over fertilizer. It's easier than you think. 6- Spinach, it does not grow extremely well, so plant more than what you need. Best kind for southern garden, that I've seen is Bloomsdale. Again, like carrots we've tried many varieties and this one works everytime. It also needs extra amounts of vitamins, so for this use manure, compost or 13-13-13. If you do not have rotted manure use 3x13. Never use fresh manure right on food you'll be eating soon. This ought to be a no brainier. 7- Beets, this too needs extra fertilizer. 8- Bok Choy or any similar Chinesee Cabbage. I was surprised at how wonderful, though not traditional, it grew. These are also great in homemade stir fry or egg roles and what not dishes! Add some different things every year to keep it fun.
   Start out with your seeds, don't over complicate things putting too much expectation on production at first. Just try and have fun. 1st, till and add lime. Lime is a must for the gardens in the south every year anyway. Then add, anything else you can get your hands on, like leaves, compost, rotted manure ( you can use fresh if not planting till next season). I add manure to the ground in spring, and wood ash whenever, fall or spring or through winter. As well as other things all through the year. Where we have the fall garden now we burned a bunch of brush so I haven't had to add ash lately. We'll cover fertilizing in Part 2.
So here it is in a nut shell. Honestly its so ridiculously easy. Till up the season before if possible, add fertilizer. If not, oh well. Till up your ground. Attempt to hoe in straight lines. Drop seed into rows. Covor only the larger seeds like beets and spinach. Do not cover your lettuce, carrots, or greens. The seed is so small it gets buried. Then IMMEDIATLY water lightly. This gets those tiny little seeds to stick in the ground so if a big rain comes in they are not washed out. And Viola! We'll fertilize next week. When I can get the tiller running to help work it in.
   Oh and don't be upset if "they" fumble around a little. Spill the seeds, undo the hole roll of tape, build a castle in the row or don't want to help. Remind them they won't get to share in the loot. Enjoy it, even if the 100lb German shepherd lays down in the middle of your newly hoed row. And try to remember to bring in the coffee cup. Daddy has run over sooo many. AND WHO CARES IF THEY GET THEIR CLOTHES DIRTY!!! "Get out and grow together!"


Try to remember to bring inside.

Ummm, we needed that, but ok.

Nothing like little barefeet!

Give them the knowledge and watch them grow.

Everybody likes to hoe!

This is not my good side!

I want some attention!!!

Lightly Cover Larger Seeds

Just work around the dog!



I was working here. 

And they teach one another the good!

Little one building the "I CAN".



Sometimes it's crowded.

The older teaching the younger.



Working together.

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!