Getting ready for the Garden!

I have not done a garden in a couple years.  My kids just weren’t old enough to be helpful and were young enough to take a lot of my time!  They are getting the age now where all of them can be helpful in the garden!

I looked into a CSA (community supported agriculture) garen co-op but was unable to find anyone else interested in my immediate area.  The closest CSA was 20 miles away and in a city that I don’t visit on a regular basis.  So, with the encouragement of friends, I am on my way to having a garden again this year.

My plan is to do it differently than in the past.  Traditionally, I have had straight rows with 3 foot wide walking/tilling paths in between.  I am going to try the square foot gardening idea this year.  I am planting in 3×4 rectangles and will have a couple foot wide walking path in between.  I plan to use heavy mulch using newspaper and cardboard, compost, dirt, and straw. 

My kids are busy right now preparing our seed starting containers.  We are reusing plastic containers this year instead of buying those cute little starting kits!  Yogurt containers,  cottage cheese containers, milk jugs, water bottles, margarine bowls, you name it.  We have cut them to approximately the same height as the the little starter pots that can be purchased and the boys are punching drainage holes in the bottoms.  Note:  keep the lids to these containers and they can be the plate underneath them that catches the water that drains out!

The seeds are ordered from the Gurney Seed Company and we are just waiting for them to arrive.  I researched companion planting and have arranged my garden plans so that plants that do well together are planted together or near each other and plants that do not do well next to each other are kept away from each other.  I have also orderd Marigold seed which is supposed to be a natural bug repellent.  I plant to plant these here and there throughout the garden. 

As for my kids- boy do I have plans for them!  For Easter, they will each be receiving their own box with tools and seeds (maybe an Easter Egg or two also!).  They have a fort that they play in and I plan to plant vine plants (cucumbers, peas, and pole beans) at the bottom of  heavy gauge fence panels (we call them “hog panesl”) that are leaned up to the kid’s fort at an angle.  This will give the vines something to climb on and will give the kids additional play areas in the shade!  I am hoping this will encourage them to work the garden (their fort is only a few feet from the garden) and maybe (pray hard for this one) get them to eat a few more veggies as well!  In my research of companion planting, I also learned that asparagus like tomatoes and basil and parsley.  So, most of my tomatoes will be planted in my exsisting asparagus patch.  I will be very interested to see if they seem to help each other or not. 

Another thing that may seem quirky to some but I plan to do anyway.  I plan to pray over the garden after the first seed is planted and after the last seed is planted and after the first harvest.   The Old Testament talks in Exodus about having a harvest celebration to thank God for the bounty and I decided that this would be a wonderful tradition to start with my kids.  We should be thankful for all things, especially our food.  God will produce a good work in all of us who keep our eye focused on Him.  Focused on Him in all things. . . . . . .

I love The Message Bible!

I sat down after lunch today to do some long overdue personal devotions (thanks to a friend who leads by example so well!) .  My plan was to read Exodus 20 (10 commandments) and see where I went from there.   Peterson (translator of The Message) has an introduction to each chapter in the Bible and after reading Ex. 20 and skimming through a few pages, I found myself at the introduction to Leviticus:

 ”One of the stubbornly enduring habits of the human race is to insist on domesticating God.  We are determined to tame Him.  We figure out ways to harness God to our projects.  We try to reduce God to a size that conveniently fits our plans and ambitions and tastes.  But our Scriptures are even more stubborn in telling us that we can’t do it.  God cannot fit into our plans, we must fit into His.  We can’t use God- God is not a tool or appliance or credit card.”  The intro goes on from there and ends quoting Romans 12:1-2:

” So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you:  Take your everyday, ordinary life- your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life- and place it before God as an offering.  Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.  Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.  Instead, fix your attention on God.  You’ll be changed from the inside out.  Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it.  Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to it’s level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you,  develops well-formed maturity in you.”

This introduction so intrigued me that I went to Romans and began reading.  I have read Romans before, in different translations, and I have always thought it was an important book.  But today it struck me, perhaps it was just the mood I’m in but I believe it might just be  this particular translation.  Finally someone wrote the Bible in plain English and utilized the way common English is used in everyday life.   I read chapters 12-14 and besides the above quote Romans 14: 23b caught my attention and will be put on the fridge to remind me every day:  “If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.”  In the New King James (Scofield) version it says, “for whatever is not from faith is sin”.  I do not know if Peterson’s translation is exactly as God intended, only God knows that but I do know that Mr. Peterson has given me new understanding and a new reason to stop looking at everyone else’s problems and start working on my own.  If we cannot face, in our own lives, those things that are not consistent with our core beliefs and being- then we cannot believe we are living according to God’s plan for our lives.

Thank God for those doldrum days, thank Him for your job, keep Him Holy and He will fix your life from the inside out.

Do what works for your body type

www.missussmartypants.com  I joined this website after a friend recommended it.  The site owner will help you profile your body type and then teach you what clothes, shoes, accessories, hair style, etc will work for you body and skin type.  There is a fee and it is inexpensive if you pick your own body type based on her descriptions.  If you want her to profile you, there are additional fees.  Someone who is truly interested in wanting to look flattering and feel comfortable all at the same time should reallly consider joining this site. 

At least twice since I signed up, I have seen examples of people who needed this ladies help.  I saw a frazzled mom at the mall bending over to get her stroller out of the trunk.  This gal was pear – shaped and wearing jeans with large pockets with large flaps.  These only drew attention to her pear shape and did not flatter her cute figure at all.  A second time, I saw a photo of a wedding party.  One bridesmaid was given the blessing of a long shaped face.  The hair dresser for the wedding did everyone’s hair up in  a cute doo with the little curly cues coming off from the ears.  This hairdo had no bangs and was pulled up tight.  The long shaped face looked even longer!  If the beautician had taken 5 extra minutes to pull some hair down over the forehead before sweeping it back, this bridesmaid would have looked amazing and beautiful!  Now, I’m not trashing beauticians- the bride probably wanted everyone’s hair exactly the same- I’m just saying that knowing what looks nice on your own body shape only helps you feel good!

Missus Smarty Pants does not know that I have done this review- This is my own positive experience.  Check it out for you!

Pork came home today!

I put the information about the pork processing as a comment in the post, “buying meat direct from the farm” which is in the “Home tips” category!!!

Enjoy!

mashed potato candy

A chemical reaction takes place when potato starch comes into contact with sugar.  It’s this reaction that makes wonderful candy!!!

1- 2 Tablespoons leftover mashed potatoes

a couple pounds of powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)

With an electric mixer, place the potatoes and a cup or so of  the sugar into a bowl and beat on low (to avoid sugar flying all over the place)  Continue to add powdered sugar until you get what looks like playdough.  Sprinkle powdered sugar on a clean dry table or counter and plop your candy onto it.  Coat your rolling pin (or hands) with powdered sugar and roll out thicker than you would for cut out cookies.  Spread peanut butter onto the dough and roll up like a jelly roll.  Leave this sit for a little while to dry it out slightly.  Slice it and let it sit again to dry slightly.  Store for longer periods in the fridge – but I doubt you will need to store it very long.   It will get gobbled up (p.s. don’t tell your picky eaters that there are potatoes in it until after they have told you how good it is!!!)

Hash

Hash is typically a combination of leftover potatoes, meat, and sometimes veggie that is pan fried.

My favorite hash is made with leftover baked or boiled potatoes, sliced or diced with roast beef, chopped, and green onion

My husband’s favorite is with the same potatoes but chopped turkey and no additional veggies.  He then pours ketchup on the top of it.

My mom’s Sunday dinner leftovers typically became hash the next day when I was a kid.  She made roast beef, potatoes, and carrots in a dutch oven on Sunday and then all of the leftovers were chopped up into hash the next day.  If there was not much meat, mom would drop an egg into the frying pan too.  There is no need to beat the egg ahead of time, just drop it in when the hash is warm but not quite ready and stir and turn your hash until the egg is set.

Any meat, potatoes, and veggie combo will work.  Just use your imagination and plenty of oil (spray oil is fine).  Cheese is an excellent garnish.

Tator Tots- from leftovers

Use the same recipe as for mashed potato patties.  Except make them smaller (tator tot sized) and deep fat fry them.  Some people roll the potatoes in corn flake crumbs for a crunchier outside but this is not necessary.  I also use my small cookie scoop to shape them.

My kids will not eat mashed potatoes but they will eat these!

Mashed potato patties

using a ratio of

1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes: 1 egg  (2 cups patatoes to 2 eggs, etc)

combine and mix well.  You can add salt and pepper, shredded cheese, green onion, shredded carrots, whatever to these. 

Shape into patties and fry in a skillet.  Spray oil is okay to use but regular oil will fry them up much nicer and they will hold together and not stick to the pan

4. Don’t throw away leftovers

Leftovers are not garbage!!  Leftovers can be warmed up tomorrow for lunch- the obvious use for them.  They can also be made into wonderful things.  I will try to add more leftover recipes to my recipes page as I find time but here are a few things to do with leftovers just off the top of my head.  If you need a recipe, use a recipe site to search- my favorite is www.recipezaar.com .    Many of America’s favorite foods started out as creative cooks use of leftovers back before the time that foods were conveniently packaged and readily available.   Most leftovers can become another meal.  If you use the leftovers, you’ve spent the cost of one meal but made two!  That’s a 50% savings!!  For those of you who already use your leftovers, think of my list below as a reason to prepare extra of something so you can make something else.

 Here’s my list:

Fried mashed potato patties

Mashed potato and peanut butter candy

Hash (potatoes, meat, veggies – chopped up and fried)

Vegetable soup (traditional vegetables are not necessary- whatever!)

BBQ beef or pork or chicken

Stir fry

Rice pudding

Rice pancakes

Leftover hot cereal muffins

Fruit compote

Fruit salad

Potato soup

Potato salad

Veggie patties

Bread pudding

Stuffing/dressing

Casseroles (almost all of them originated as use for leftovers)

Shepard’s pie

Sloppy Joe’s

Pizza (yes, pizza- get creative- mixed veggie pizza, bbq chicken pizza, pesto pizza, cheeseburger pizza)

Don’t be afraid to try what sounds good to you!!!!  Use the creativity that God gave you to spend your grocery money wisely and use up all of the bounty He gave you for your family!!

leftover rice recipes

I keep noticing in my blog stats that people are looking for ways to use cooked rice leftovers.  There are lots of ways to use leftover rice. 

There is stir-fry.  You can use leftover meat too in stir-fry.  Start by heating a skillet and placing a little oil in it (spray oil is fine).  If you are using raw meat, cut it up bite size, and cook it first.  Only a Tbl spoon or so of meat is needed per person.  Leave the cooked meat in the skillet and to this add any variety of your favorite veggies (less than a handful per person).  Raw, canned, frozen, or leftover- cut up about 3/4 the size of your meat pieces.   Raw and frozen veggies take longer to cook so if you are using a combo,  don’t put the canned or leftover ones in until the others are tender crisp.   Veggies that I like in stir fry are carrots, peas (any variety), cabbage, onion (any variety), corn, radishes, mushroom, broccoli, and any of the asian vegetables.   When the veggies are tender crisp, add a little more oil (slide the mixture to one side of the pan and spray the empty side, then switch)  and add your cooked (cold- must be cold) rice.  Combine all of this and heat through.  While it is heating, you can add ginger and or soy sauce to give it a more asian flavor or you can add a can of cream of something soup (chicken, mushroom, celery) to have a more casserole like consistency.  When serving as a creamy casserole, top with shredded cheese!

There is rice pudding-  There are tons of recipes for baked rice pudding- most of the baked recipes use cooked pudding and the stove top pudding recipes use raw.  Use your favorite recipe website and try them all.  Rice pudding should only be made with rice that was cooked in water- broth based rice should only be used for stir fry and casseroles.   My mom sometimes makes a cheater rice pudding- she combines cooked rice with brown sugar and cinnamon spreads it in a bowl and tops it with cool whip.  Excellent!  She also makes glorified rice- glorified rice recipes are out there but it is basically a combo of  rice and fruit (pineapple, coconut, marashno cherries, mandarin oranges, peaches, whatever your favorite is) that is combined with cool whip and sometimes marshmallows and sometimes sour cream or cream cheese.  Don’t be afraid to try your own concoction!!!    When mom is planning ahead to make glorified rice she will cook the rice in the juice from the maraschino cherry jar.  This makes the rice pink and adds extra flavor as well.

There’s also chicken and rice soup.  Chicken broth, chopped up chicken, veggies (carrots, peas, celery, cabbage- your choice or combine), salt, pepper,and your leftover rice (Tbl spoon per serving).  For extra zip try sprinkling celery seed or parsley into the soup or adding a dash of lemon juice.  If you like a smooth, slightly thick soup- take 2 – 4 tblspoons of flour and combine that with 1/4-1/2 cup of cold broth or water- stir that into the soup.  (or if you are cooking raw veggies, sprinkle the flour onto the veggies before you start cooking them and cook them in a little butter or oil)

Rice cereal- my kids love rice for cereal!!!  It is also an excellent food for someone getting over the flu!  Place a serving of leftover rice (prepared with water not broth) in a microwave safe bowl.  Add 1/4- 1/2 cup milk.  Microwave for a minute or so until the rice is heated through.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon or honey or maple syrup.  Basically like oatmeal.  We sometimes make minute rice up special for this and then of course there is no need for microwaving afterwards.

Rice pancakes- I don’t have a recipe right here but they are on the web.

You can also throw some rice in with your meatloaf in place of the bread crumbs or oatmeal.