Productive Day

Hey Humble Readers...

Considering how I felt when I woke up this morning (the crud has developed into a cough), I'm actually very proud of how much I've accomplished today. 

I made plum jam.  My first time making jam since cooking class in junior high school.  Most of it is going into the freezer, to be used throughout  the winter.  I'm happy with how it turned out.  I'm actually feeling confident enough to attempt making my own marmalade.  In a few weeks, maybe after Thanksgiving (first weekend in October for those of us north of the 49th parallel). 

All my beautiful basil

I also harvested my basil.  Can I just say how proud I am of myself for keeping two basil plants alive and thriving throughout the summer?  Me, the hobbit with the black thumb.  I'm thrilled.  I paid $8 for the plants, and given that a little bunch of fresh basil at the store costs $4, I was already ahead just with what I used fresh through the summer months.  I made a total of three cups of pesto sauce (recipe below), dried enough to fill a medium Ziploc bag, and have several branches in a jar with water to be used when I make my marinara later this week (and to be used over the next week or two). 

I figure I spent $8 for the plants.  I used probably $30 worth over the summer.  A cup of pesto at the grocery store costs about $4, multiplied by three is $12.  Dried basil in the amount that I have now is probably worth about $3.  Plus another $15 worth in fresh that is making a nice bouquet on my kitchen table right now.  So that's $8 spent, and $60 worth of product.  Not a bad return on investment.  If I could actually make growing from seeds work for me, I would be able to save even more. 

Dried basil, done in the oven (200F, on convection setting)
for an hour

I also harvested my thyme.  I have it tied in bundles and hanging to dry in the storage room.   

I think I have enough pesto to do me until February or March.  Jam will probably last until Christmas, as will the thyme.  The dried basil will last me until the end of November.  No where near the end of winter of course, but still I'm proud of my work today. 

Before washing

Marinara will be in process tomorrow or Thursday. 

Now I need to stop procrastinating on cleaning the hobbit-hole.  The only cleaning I did today was a load of towels (which still need to go into the dryer). 

Here's the pesto recipe.  It's pretty basic.  I use almonds instead of the traditional pine nuts simply for cost.  Pine nuts are three times the price of almonds. 

I cheated a little and bought the peeled garlic, lemon juice, and
shredded parm. 

Basil Pesto

4 cups fresh basil leaves, washed
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

In your food processor, combine the basil, 1/4 cup olive oil, the almonds, and the garlic.  I finely chop or grate the garlic, because I don't like biting into big chunks of raw garlic.  Process on low for a about half a minute, until a thick paste forms.  Add the salt and pepper, lemon juice, and the parmesan.  Run the food processor for another half a minute or so, while drizzling in the remaining olive oil.  Taste the pesto and adjust seasonings if needed. 

The finished product

You can either use this right away or freeze it.  I put it into medium sized Ziploc bags, and laid them flat on a baking sheet and stuck them in the freezer.  I pressed dents into the full bags, so that when I want to take some out, I can easily snap off a third (about 1/2 a cup) of what's in each bag.  That's usually enough for some pasta or a pizza or whatever. 

Let me know if you make it, and how it turns out. 

Ok, now I REALLY need to go start making supper. 

Against the Odds

Hey Humble Readers...

So do you remember that tomato plant I bought with high hopes back in June? 

And do you remember when I said, "I want to successfully grow one tomato.  Just one."  And then I'll be satisfied...

And do you remember me griping about how my poor little tomato plant got beat up big time by a hail storm? 

Well, I pretty much gave up hope.  All the flowers had been knocked off, and the leaves looked like swiss cheese.  I stopped watering it about a week before we went on vacation and in the intense heat, it looked like it was going to be toast any day. 

I had actually asked my Beloved to throw the plant away because it depressed me to see it out there on our balcony, all wilty.  But in the busy-ness in the run up to leaving on vacation, it got forgotten. 

When we got back from K-town, I opened our front curtains and this is what I saw...

Do you see it?  I didn't notice it at first.  But then that little green gem just sort of jumped out at me.  The leaves were all shrivelled and brown.  But there was this maverick tomato, just hanging on for dear life. 

I left it on the plant, figuring that I couldn't do anything at this point to really help it along.  I would leave it up to fate (if I believed in such a thing).  I just sat back and let it turn from green to a pretty orangey red.

Well, this is what I harvested today...

And just to give you some idea of comparison...

I can't help but laugh at my puny little tomato.  It's sooooo dinky.  But it's all mine! 

Now I just have to decide how I'm going to eat it...

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: A Summer Night's Ramblings

Howdy Humble Readers,

I apologize for my prolonged absence from the blogosphere.  Honestly, the crap going on in my extended family is taking its toll on my creativity and desire to write.  I have made the decision that for the time being I am not going to blog details what's going on with my parents.  It's enough to say that my sister and I have pondered several times in the past week about just when we became fodder for the Je.rry Sp.ring.er show.  It's sad, gut-wrenching, and I honestly have never been so angry in my whole life. 

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I have a project in the works that I hope turns out well for my Beloved's Father's Day gift.  It's not anything spectacular, but it's fun.  Of course, I got the idea off Pinterest.  We'll see if it turns into a success or a big ol' Pin-fail.  On a related note, I can attest to the calming effect of perusing pins.  I think I have added more pins to my boards in the last week than I have since I started. 

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I ended up going to see Snow White & The Huntsman with a couple of my girlfriends (thank heaven for a night out of the asylum!).  It was just as I was expecting.  So long as Kristin Stewart wasn't talking or the primary focus on the screen, it was an okay movie.  Her performance was as dull as can be expected, and the only remarkable thing about it was that it was obvious that she was trying to copy Emma Watson's accent, when she remembered to use a British accent.  I can see it being nominated for art direction, costumes, or special effects in the next award season.  The main thing that stood out to me and my friends was that it ripped off a lot of other fantasy movies.  There were some serious LOTR and Harry Potter moments, along with other movies.  BTW, the guy who plays the Huntsman (I can't recall his name) is super yummy!

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Ginny has developed a new, very annoying habit that we are at a loss as to how to fix.  She is fixated on her diaper, particularly with taking it off when she's in her crib.  I'm honestly not sure if it's an attention getting thing, if it's because she's no longer in onesie shirts so she has more access to her diaper, if it's because they have Elmo on them (her new obsession), or if it's because she's ready for potty training.  It's most likely all of the above.  It means we're doing a lot of laundry, and it's just icky. 

I'm not ready to start potty training yet, because we are going to be travelling next month, and that would just be too stressful.  I'm also wondering if it's in response to Pip's arrival, and she'll just grow out of it.  I've been given a couple of suggestions, but I'm wondering if any of my bloggy friends have any other insights. 

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I have purchased a tomato plant.  It's out on our balcony and I'm hoping that I might improve my black-thumb status by getting at least one good tomato off the silly thing.  If that works, maybe next year I'll branch out and try peppers too.

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I'm definitely dealing with some serious hormonal changes this week.  My post-baby bleeding has almost completely stopped (finally!) and my milk supply has already begun to diminish even though I pump every 3-4 hours during the day and whenever little man wakes up at night.  I have Mt. Vesuvius erupting on my cheek, along with a flock of whiteheads around my nose.  Why oh why must I have zits and fine lines at the same time?

Me and My Black Thumb

Do any of you recall that movie from 2000 called "28 Days"? This is not to be confused with "28 Days Later", that scary post-apocalyptic zombie movie. You remember, 28 Days was the one with Sandra Bullock as a woman who goes into rehab after trashing her sister's wedding.

Toward the end of the movie, someone in her support group asks their counselor when they can star dating again after rehab. The counselor tells them to go out and buy a plant. If they can keep the plant alive for 6 months (or some other random amount of time), then they can go out and get a dog. When they have had the dog for a year, then they can think about getting involved in a relationship again.

If I had that restriction on my life I would be in some big-time trouble. I can't keep plants alive for love or money. Let me give you some history...

My bio-mom's house was always a veritable jungle. African violets, split-leaf palm, devil's ivy that spread all around the kitchen, bamboo, cacti, asparagus ferns, spider plants... you name it, she could grow it. Don't even get me started on her garden.

When I was in college, heaven knows I tried to live up to her example. I had a jade plant, an amaryllis, an english ivy, and an angel-wing leaf begonia. Oh yeah, and there were those mini-roses too. Not one of them lasted a full semester.

After college, I figured I would try again. I had more time, I would remember to water them. I would use the fertilizer. I would nurture them, talk to them. I would make them grow. More mini-roses, cuttings from my mom's devil's ivy, spider plants, even tulips... all wilted and faded under my care.

A few years later I gave up on houseplants... I had decided they just weren't my thing. Instead I would start an herb garden. Lavender, chives, basil, parsley, rosemary... you name it, I planted it. The only one to survive was the lavender, because it was within reach of the automatic sprinkler system. The year after the herb garden I tried real vegetables... tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini. They all did incredibly well, until they were to be transferred outside. Again, dried up stalks, withered leaves, nothing to show for it except a new round of jokes from my family.

When my beloved and I were married, our church threw us a wedding shower. It was very nice. Lots of nice gifts, a collection of great recipes, and 14 houseplants. *sigh*

Three didn't even make it home. They tipped over in the car and never recovered. Soon I was cleaning up fallen leaves, watering and cursing the mess of leaking pots and dumped fertilizer. I used that stuff they claim is miraculous. The only miracle was that I didn't tear my hair out from dealing with the shame and guilt of letting all these beautiful plants die. The last one made it a whole year and a half, until just after we moved into our new home.

If I can't keep a simple spider plant alive, what kind of mother will I be? (I'm 99.9% kidding)

Anyway, the reason I post this is because I'm trying again. I bought a few little herb plants, and while the basil has died, and the oregano is not doing so hot, my parsley seems to be thriving! It's amazing. Every day that it's not showing signs of wilting I do a little happy dance in my living room. Maybe there is hope for my black thumb after all.

Silly I know, but hey... I bet I made you grin. ;)