ugly bug - summer's last garden update

The other day, I let Jackson out to do his business in the backyard and glanced toward my tomato plants.

I almost missed this little booger, but with a double-take, I realized, "THAT is not a leaf. THAT is a big nasty caterpillar." I had a caterpillar run-in in Minnesota this summer, and since then they just freak me out. Willies up the neck type thing.

As I continued to examine my tomato plant, I thought to myself, "This nasty thing is eating my plant!"

Sure enough, after careful examination and some Google-sleuthing, I had a name for my pest: the hornworm. Gross!! Some "advice" included prying the green goop off your plants with tongs or tweezers or pliers, and squishing them under your shoe!!

Um, this thing was like 5inches long. There was no way I was squashing that thing under my shoe. I'd rather grab the tongs and fling him to kingdom come. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

When I went out to look for him again there were no more signs of tomato devastation and he was gone. Phew!

In other news, this tiny little pepper (about 3-inches) was one of two awful peppers I harvested from my garden this year. The tomatoes in the background are 4 of about 8 that have turned. So, it wasn't a wonderful year for peppers, beans or tomatoes, but the jalapenos and basil loved the heat wave!

So, another garden year gone. I'm a little discouraged. I think that Jeremy was right ... the soil in our backyard isn't the best. And conditions in the last several years just haven't been good for  Kansas gardening.

How did your garden turn out? Should I try again next year?

Fashion: Plaid? Plaid!

I normally really dislike plaid. But I could do this from Theory!

What do you think??

Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Hi all!

Have any extra garden zucchini this year? No picture, but a great recipe from my MIL to share. I love making this because even Jeremy loves to eat it!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 c. butter (softened)
1-3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour milk (make it sour with 2 tsp. lemon juice)
1 t. vanilla

Cream the above, adding each ingredient as you go. (If you prefer less sugar or want to substitute the oil for applesauce, I'm sure it would turn out just as moist and yummy!)

Add:
2-1/2 c. flour
4 t. cocoa
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon (or more if you like)
1/2 c. chocolate chips
2 c. zucchini

Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Bake in a greased 8x8 pan at 325 degrees for 60-80 min.

ENJOY!

P.S. I'm loving the garden produce harvest right now. After the heat wave, we didn't have much except jalapenos and basil, but my mom's tomato crop in Iowa was amazing and she's shared several red beauties and lots of yellow squash with us.

Recipe: Greek Chicken with Olives & Feta

Need a new recipe? This oh-so-good Greek Chicken with Olives and Feta might do it! Yum.

 

Ingredients:

Chicken breast strips
Kalamata olives, halved
Feta cheese, crumbled
Diced tomatoes
Oregano, salt, pepper
Fresh garlic
Olive Oil
Couscous



Heat oil in two separate skillets - one on medium and one on medium high. Dredge your chicken breast strips with oregano and salt and pepper. Place in hotter skillet. Sear on all sides. Mince garlic and cook in other skillet until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, more oregano, salt, pepper and olives. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken pieces and cover. Simmer on medium or medium low until chicken is cooked. Serve over fresh couscous and sprinkle with feta cheese (and fresh parsley, which I forgot).

YUM!

the "junked" tiffany lamp and some garage sale finds

there was a request for a picture of the junked tiffany lamp. Here it is! Pretty much perfect condition.

Some free vintage books I scored from our local library.

Ohio's Lincoln Highway garage-sales yielded:
some vintage bias tapes...

pretty trims...

teeny-tiny rick-rack

lace trim

the smallest bias tape I've seen(!)

and EIGHT of these beauties (antique barnwood 16x20 frames) for less than 50 cents a piece!

oooooo! I love great deals. The Ohio trip was worth it ... even if we'd only just gone to that one sale. :-)

Year-long Goals: the checkup

In January, I told you about my reachable goals for the year. I had in mind to re-visit them on my blog half-way through the year. (I know, I know, it's over half-way, but close enough. Hey, I live with a 9-month old, gotta give myself some wiggle room.)

Here they are:
- create a family routine in the evening, especially including the spiritual, with the girl
- join a small group
- get a job
- make and use a budget
- work out 2 times a week
- meal plan for at least 2 meals a week
- send out more cards of encouragement
- thrift a couple times a month for my ultimate year-end goal, opening an Etsy shop


I'll confess first, things I have NOT done.

I have not gotten a job, worked out, or sent out more cards of encouragement and we haven't joined a small group. Also, the "check-back-in" with myself every month stopped after a few months. :-)



I won't make excuses for the above (although I have some good excuses) but focus on the things I have done.

I have created a routine in the evening for Ladybug and actually have been incorporating the spiritual into more things throughout the day. We read spiritual books and stories, have a sing-a-long several times a week (kids songs), and I sing over her while she relaxes for bedtime or at night. I am planning to incorporate quoting Scripture over her too, but I haven't actually done it.

We just made a budget and are using it this month. (YAY! Rejoice with us! This is a huge step after 3 years of marriage!)

I've meal-planned 5-6 nights a week almost every week and LOVE the freedom from my uninspired looking-in-the-cupboard-every-night-for-something-to-eat way of cooking. Even if it's not fancy, it's SO helpful. (Woo! Over-achieved my goal here!)

And I have spent some time thrifting (and junking!) for my Etsy shop. I have not, however, been bold enough to brave the gross Kansas heat to garage or estate sale as much as I should have. But, we are going to a major highway garage sale in Ohio next weekend. So excited!


So, tell me, what about YOUR reachable goals? Did you set any in January? How are you doing?

basket: makeover

we've found several things "junked" in the last few weeks. a tiffany lamp, and this table and basket. I am probably going to sell the lamp and re-do the table (once I can buy some paint and the heat settles down... it's too crazy hot to do anything outside these days).

basket before

But, I did take 5 minutes to spray paint this basket outside. I'd actually been thinking it'd be nice to have a toy basket in the livingroom to round up all of the girl's little people, stuffed animals, and books. Plus, we can start teaching her to put them away in the basket!

So I spray painted it a couple of days ago. (Secret: I actually ran out before the inside was finished, so I decided that a little basket insert would take care of that for now.)

Yesterday I made the liner with some fabric I had. I tried to recycle some elastic I painstakingly removed from a vintage sheet, but just as with the tutu, it kept breaking. Finally I gave up. It is a basket with a liner but no elastic.

basket after

Lesson learned: don't use old elastic. And if you can't buy new, don't use any at all! :-)

the first cherries of summer

high chair cover

I finally made a pattern for the high chair cover i needed to make (to ensure Ladybug didn't slide right out of the chair!) and... I give it a 6 out of 10.

I used some leftover fabric from a vintage Hawaiian dress for the front and a green-and-white polyester for the back. It was my first time to make a pattern, use batting (of any kind) and use bias tape. I feel like bias tape should be easier than it was for me. Do any of you have any tutorials or suggestions for using bias tape? 

oh, and it's also reversible. my favorite part. :-)

July's garden!

my garden has grown since my last update.

tomatoes

can you see the tiny pepper?

turn red baby! and soon!

beans

basil

jalapenos

harvested garlic. want any??

IKEA love

My dear sweet Dad put up with a trip to IKEA on the way to our Minnesota (fishing) vacation. Bless him times a million! Jeremy and I visited one in Portland several years ago, but there is just something about that place that brings back lots of Swiss/German memories. We made a couple of trips to the one in Zurich to find a few things to make our volunteer quarters homey.

I found 6 postcards in Germany 4 years ago and have wanted them in my kitchen ever since! Finally, I found the perfect frames. About time huh?

I also fell in love with this pitcher. I also decided my mom needed one for her kitchen redo (still working on the decor!).

Finally, I got two cheap frames for some interchangeable art for little lady's room and a tiny vase for my envisioned living room shelf. (That's yet to come.)

:-) Yay for IKEA! I could've spent lots more time, but we made it through in an hour and a half. Phew. What fun! Thanks M&D!

Fishing and Skiing (Minnesota fun!)

what we did.

the view

the captain - with his tootsie pop

fisherman #1

turtles

fishing under the dock

successful bass fishing!

kneeboarding

wiped out and submarined!

skiing - my favorite

glassy waters (and glowing legs)

Our first-ever summer vacation!

Last week we took the girl and drove to Minnesota with my parents to spend a week in a cabin, complete with wood paneling, bear couches, mosquitoes and charcoal grills. With the lake in view we spent our days fishing, waterskiing, napping, eating, watching (HG) TV and playing games. Cribbage was the game of the week, to say the least.

We shared a cabin with these folks:

Ryan and Erin

my parents (Dad, you know you love it.)

Our cabin was the nicest one I've ever stayed in. Four bedroom, two bathrooms and 3 flat screen tvs! Air conditioning for the two 90-degree days that we had and cabin decor to boot. Love it.

wood paneling and a flat screen tv!

bears and fishes furniture

kitchen/dining room

Next up ... what we did! :-)