Where's the rain?

 Have ya seen any rain lately? Her on the farm none to be found, oh wait we have had a drop here and there but not nothing worth saying we had rain....My poor garden is withering away...yes still getting tomatoes ( small ones)...but nothing like I was getting ...thankful that blackberry season is over, I picked probably about 4 gallons of blackberries...

But on the upside, I have gotten to my canning goal of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce....but the ketchup ( my new found love in the canning world)..I would like to get some more made, plus maybe some spaghetti sauce...but maybe mother nature has another thing in mind...lol

Maybe I need to go wash the car, do a rain dance...hmmmmm, What other things can I try....maybe ask everyone to go and wash their vehicles.......

Still no rain

What was I thinking?

 So as know this month was going to busy anyways.... new grandbaby, youngest moving into dorm...

I decided to start a preserving challenge...it started off good.

Day 1 

1 pint of tomatoes

Day 2

1 cup shredded zucchini

picked 1 quart blackberries

2 half-pints cowboy candy

Day 3

4 half-pints root beer jelly

1 quart bag of peeled tomatoes

Day 4

family time

but did get some of the canned food stocked up

Day 5

4 pints of blackberry preserves

hmm I wonder if this would be good on some vanilla ice cream

hmmm YES

                                                 Day 6

                                         1 pint of home-made ketchup

                             Day 7

                                 2 pints of diced tomatoes

                       plus quart bag of cherry tomatoes

                      Day 8

      roasted tomatoes ( them cherry tomatoes), canned 1 pint of these

Day 9

 ( sorry no photo) 4 pints of blackberry preserves ( I see vanilla ice cream topped with this in the near future), plus 2 pints diced tomatoes...

What will Day 10, 11,12 preserving be...who knows...but Like I said what was I thinking this month is sooo busy..

Where have I been???

 Where have I been? I sure dont know if any is asking this, but anyways I have been having a few health issues....the last part of last year or was it the beginning of this year...I started having droopy of the left side of the face...so contacted my neurologist seen him and then he ordered a MRI put me on a steroid pack...The MRI was focused on my Ear channel maybe it might be an inner ear issue causing the droopyness( is this a word?)...anyways...I do the MRI and guess what it  showed something so He called my personally and stated need another MRI more focused on the pituitary....Im like huh, it blew me away that He personally called me....so get the results of that MRI and looks like I have a cyst or tumor couldn't tell which one...So off to see more specialist ( an endrocrine and neurosurgeon and doing an eye field test)...then covid happened...done the field eye test ( which showed changes but not specific)...then the endrocrine and neurosurgeon ( which tried to cancel due to the virus)...every thing looked fine on the labs from the endrocrine doctor took ( nothing to be alarmed about)...see ya next year....then see the neurosurgeon and guess what I have had this cyst/tumor since 2015....Im like what?

  I went to get a second opinion...and the doctor was saying it was migraine...I'm like what....so all he said it was a migraine...these droopy spell can only last for a few seconds to minutes, but hey its a migraine right?, all he said was its a migraine...thats all they talked about...I guess that doctor needed more migraine patients...,

  So the droopy-ness has subsided for the most part, still happens from time to time...I do get dizzy at times where I can do much of anything...

About a month ago I started having issues of not having enough light , not seeing as good, so contacted the doctor that gave me the field eye test..and told him what is going on...another field eye test done...everything looks fine..see me in 4 months...I'm like what ...if everything is fine then why see ya in 4 months...anywhoo see regular eye doctor and and new prescription of glasses...more stronger ones I guess...my eyes have changed some...

I have been trying to keep up with the garden ( yes I planted a spring garden and summer garden)....now I'm trying to focus on getting things canned, preserved for winter in this crazy year...yes Crazy year...

I thought I would catch ya up

MeasurEing out

I know, I know, don't tell me I know gardening , at least the planting part is over except for the fall garden....anywho...I have started a new garden series....planning, designing, and of course planting a garden....

First part is here; https://hennihillsfarm.blogspot.com/2018/10/starting-garden.html

this is the second part....the task of measuring the new garden spot...

 

now that ya picked that spot out,

 

 

the next step really is their anything ya want to keep in that spot

like in my new spot, I have a hibiscus and peach tree that

 I want to keep plus a few iris( I know I could easily move the iris)

 

next thing ya need to do is grab a few supplies

 

 

measuring tape

preferably the 100 foot one, but

as ya can see I used what I had

25 foot

 

 

sharpened pencils

 

 

paper

again preferably graph paper

as usual I used what I had on hand

( so like using what I have on hand)

 

take all three and write down your measurements

on paper and draw out your new garden spot...

 

make sure to include the plants that ya decide to keep in their spots

or that building that is in the area of the new garden

make sure your area has the amount of sun to the plants ya want to plant in

your new garden.

 

the next step will be

creating the design

so be sure to follow me

 

 

 

Starting a garden

So, ya want to have a garden and don't really know where to start. This is going to be a series of starting, designing , planning a planting a garden....

                       Their are things to consider when starting , Planning a garden
                                 Questions that ya must ask?
                                           how much space do I have to have a garden?
              Even though , ya live in a small place ,ya can still grow plants in a container
                          or use the square foot method of growing !

                                          Do I want just a flower garden?
                    
                                            Do I want have some fresh veggies?

                                        Do I want to have some fresh herbs?

              ya can grow, flowers, veggies and herbs together, ya If so ,What kind of fruit , trees, or shrubs?                            

                       
                                   

               
                                       

Pumpkins, Pumpkins

It seems they are everywhere.....besides all of the flavors of pumpkin...spice....I grew sugar pie pumpkins in my garden....So I harvested one, Needless to say I might have let it set too long on that one,....well I harvested another one...I so wanted to make this pie pumpkin into something other then a decoration.....

 

after ya harvest your pumpkin, or maybe ya got it from the store

anywho....washed and dry it off

 

 

cut in half

 

 

now

clean out the pumpkin,

clean all of the seeds and the strings

 

 

 

the guts

 

now

 

 

place both pumpkin halves

( if they both fit)

in a pan with some water

and bake for 90 minutes or

until fork tender

( I bake mine at 350 degrees)

 

 

After baking until fork tender

let cool

then cube or scrape or

 just peel the rind off

Sorry I didn't get any pics of this

then using a food processor

and puree the cooked pumpkin

Feel free to add cinnamon, or nutmeg or both

and put in a freezer bag

to make that pumpkin pie, or

maybe pumpkin bread

now ya have pumpkin puree in the freezer

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks....

Thanks to all Veteran's out there, thanks for defending our country....this goes out to those still living and those that lost their lives....