A GREAT 4TH OF JULY SUMMER RECIPE

Happy 4th of July to All!  Hope you have an enjoyable day!

What reminds me of the 4th of July???  When the big tomatoes start turning red!  While I have had cherry tomatoes turning red for a little while now, it is not until the "big" ones start turning that I feel it is truly summer!

This one is getting really close to turning!  This is one of my Big Boy plants that I started from seed back in the winter.  This plant is planted in one of my hanging buckets!  I will keep an eye on this one!

I would also like to share a recipe that I have made today for the first time.  This recipe is featured in the cookbook from Gooseberry Patch called "SUMMER IN THE COUNTRY". 

BLT MACARONI SALAD

("SUMMER IN THE COUNTRY" - PAGE 167)

16 oz. pkg. macaroni, cooked

1-1/4 c. celery diced

5 green onions, finely chopped (I used 1/4 c. finely chopped Vidalia onion)

1 tomato, diced (I used several cherry tomatoes, diced)

1-1/4 c. mayonnaise

5 t. white vinegar

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

GARNISH:  1 lb. bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

In a large bowl, combine macaroni, celery, onion and tomato.  In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients except bacon;pour over macaroni mixture, tossing to coat.  Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.  Just before serving, sprinkle with bacon. 

Serves 6 to 8

The ingredients are fairly easy to prepare!

Salads are very good and refreshing to have during summer get togethers!

I will be combing the bacon into the salad once it is time to serve!   ENJOY!



THE HEAT IS ON!!!

Well the heat is definitely turned up in our neck of the woods!  Our garden is growing great!  I can't believe the difference in growth from the pictures I posted just about two weeks ago!  AMAZING!  To the left of the garden gate is a piece of driftwood we found.  My husband buried it into the ground and placed a bird house on top!  I love it! 

Here are two of my very own tomato plants grown from seed.  The plant to the right is a "Big Boy" and I believe the one to the left is a "Roma".  I had some issues with the labeling of two different types of tomato seeds that I planted so I will not know for sure which plants are "Roma" and which are "Jelly Bean" until they actually produce fruit!  Next year I will definitely be more careful with labeling!

Here are two of my potted tomatoes.  The front plant is a volunteer "Husky Cherry Tomatoe" and the back pot is a Parks "Choice Container". 

This is a Basil plant I started from seed!  The herbs do very well in my garden.  I planted this one as a companion to the tomato plants!

Here is a new bed that I am working on!  This is an all natural bed.  I found the tree pieces on the front of our property.  They work perfectly as "trough" style flower beds!  I will be adding another row of daylilies to the existing row.  In the back of the pictures is my compost bin, hiding behind my Magnolia!

Happy Gardening!
Mindy

Seed Starting Project Phase II

I began Phase II of my seed starting project this weekend! After having great luck with three day germination on some of my seeds started last weekend, I decided to continue on with my project. In my windowsill greenhouse with a small heat mat underneath it, I have also started Ferry Morse Tomato (Roma VF), Tomato (Jelly Bean Hybrid), and Tomato (Red Cherry), along with Burpee Tomato (Big Boy) and Park Seed Tomato (Choice Container VFF Hybrid) - this one was free with my Park Seed order!

I also planted Park Seed Pepper (Hot Mucho Nacho Hybrid), Broccoli (Cornado), Squash (Organic Early Summer Crookneck).

Along with the above veggie seeds, I also decided to try some flower seeds as well. With this I planted Park Seed (Mirabilis Salmon Sunset), Hosta (American Crosses), Gaillardia (Arizona Apricot), Burpee Viola (Psychedelic Spring), Park Seed Coreopsis (Tictoria Roulette) and Rudbeckia (Cappuccino).

I planted some of the seeds from my daylily plants that I collected up at the end of the summer last year. After drying these and placing them in baggies in the refrigerator over the winter, I got them out and tried my hand at planting some of those as well!

Only time will tell if my seed starting endeavors have been worth it!