DIY Hanging Tomato Container

Step 1: Find an old hanging plant container... the kind you get when you by a hanging plant.

Step 2:  Cut out the drain hole, and put some sturdy string through the holes at the top. (if the original hangers are gone)

Step 3: VERY CAREFULLY ease the tomato plant through the hole. This is probably the hardest part because you don't want to break off any of the branches.

Step 4: Gently turn it over and fill it with soil. You can either hold on to the string and use a trowel to shovel the soil in, or you could carefully set it on the edge of a table like this. Just be sure you don't squish the plant.

Step 5: Hang it up!

Step 6: Don't forget to water!

I put Juliet Tomatoes (a small 'Roma' like tomato) and Patio Tomatoes (the sticker said "the container tomato") in these two containers. I'm not sure how big these varieties will get but I'm hoping they'll do okay in these containers.

~ I'll update pics once the tomatoes are in. ~

Sowing Seeds - My 1st Garden

2010 is a year of first's for me. Not only am I getting chickens, but I'm planting my first veggie garden as well! My husband built me two 4'Wx8'Lx12"H garden boxes using landscaping timbers (9 per box) and we filled them with some bagged garden soil (because the soil on our property is VERY sandy).

For inspiration I'm using this Square Foot Gardening book which I found at a recent book fair.  I'm now curious to see if I can find videos/DVDs of the old PBS series. You can bet I'll be searching ebay in the near future.

And look what I discovered.. it's signed (right next to the water stain)! I don't know why that got me excited... but it did. Maybe Mel's wish for me to enjoy my garden is a good omen that it will grow well. 

So, after reading the book cover to cover.... okay, I just skimmed it, I've come up with the following plan.

BOX 1

Top Row (left to right) - 2 roma tomatoes and 2 beefmaster tomatoes, 4 cucumbers, 4 derby (bush) beans
Middle Row (left to right) - 2 cabbages, 4 bibb letteces, 1 green/red pepper, 1 jalepeno pepper
Bottom Row (left to right) - 1 okra, 15 beets, 20 carrots (1/2 long), 2 nasturtiums, 20 carrots (tendersweet), 2 marigolds, 4 spinach, 1 banana pepper

BOX 2

Clockwise (starting top left) – 2 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 12 cilantro, 4 basil, 4 snapdragons, 25 onions, 10 corn


I'm going to construct some vertical supports for the vine plants (tomatoes, cucumbers, beans) and will train them to grow up not out. I'm also going to be turning up the ground a bit next to these boxes and planting watermelon, cantaloupe, sunflowers, and lavender there. And, I'll be putting some oregano, rosemary, parsley (italian), and chives in some plastic planter boxes I have.  These herbs (except for the parsley) are perennials and I may be able to continue growing them indoors once the weather gets cold again. I've got some other things I want to plant as well, but I think I'll just start with this for now and see how it goes. 

Last night I got out all my seed packets, planned out what was going where, and put the larger seeds in some lukewarm water to soak over night.  This morning Miss L, Miss T, and I will be sowing the seeds.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
~Irish Blessing

A Hopeful Duck

Here's another Duck Pond photo from last summer. I think I'm 'hopeful' for warmer weather, or just missing my Oregon family. :)

This little guy was 'hopeful' for more bread, but I do believe we had run out by that point. Sorry buddy!

Be sure to check out more 'hopeful' photos in this week's You Capture at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

Duck Pond - Before and After Photos

STRAIGHT OUT OF THE CAMERA

Edited using CS4 and Pioneer Woman's Actions.

(boost + fresh & colorful + lovely & ethereal + quick edge burn)

This photo of my daughters and nieces was taken last summer in Laurelhurst Park in Portland, Oregon. I played around with the settings in each of the actions and doubled up on a couple of them.  I wanted the colors to really pop and for the photo to have a dreamy quality to it.

Be sure to visit Pixel Perfect to see more Before & After photos. 

M.m.m. Quiche

M. (meat) m. (mushrooms) m. (monterey jack cheese) Quiche

Ingredients
8 oz seasoned ground meat
8 oz mushrooms, chopped into chunks
8 oz monterey jack cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise or sour cream
9 inch pastry/pie shell

Cook the seasoned ground meat to your liking.

Lightly saute the chopped mushrooms and drain them on a paper towel to remove most of the moisture and to prevent watering down the quiche.

Mix the meat, mushrooms, cheese, salt, pepper, dried parsley flakes, and garlic powder together in a large bowl.

Whisk the eggs, milk and mayonnaise together in another bowl.

Combine the two mixtures and pour into a 9 inch pastry/pie shell.

Cook at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.



Serves 8. ENJOY!

Cup o' Joe To Go

 Coffee Travel Set

Circa... well I don't know for sure, but judging by the avocado and mustard colors (my ShakeItPhoto pic doesn't do the colors justice) I'd guess some time in the 70's.

I LOVE flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales, anywhere I can find cool old stuff for a bargin. Yesterday my family and I went to a local flea market and found this coffee travel set for only $5! It looks like it's never been used and it's a complete working set with: electric percolator coffee pot, car outlet adapter, pot hanger hook, 2 containers with lids, 4 coffee cups, and a carrying case to keep it all in. The pot hanger hook is made to hang off the steering wheel, but I don't think I'd want to be driving with coffee percolating between my legs!

The ironic thing is I don't even drink coffee! But that's okay my hubby does and we plan on using it for camping, and of course we can make tea or cocoa with it as well.

Sharpie Doodle - Lemons

The results of goofing around with my markers this morning. I ♥ Sharpie!

Here is a scan of the piece so you can see it a bit better.

Hmmmm... at this size you can really see how crooked my matting is. LOL! Oh well, art isn't about perfection. Or, if it is, just don't tell me. :)

My Nemesis My Love

Hugs! I love you too! Just wish you were as good for me as water.

Boo Boo

Miss T was showing me her 'boo boo'. I couldn't see it. Can you?

She gets a lot of these types (invisible) of 'boo boo's'. :)