Recycling a water jug to a planter and a day of exercise

This time of year it is sunny and warm in the morning and storming in the afternoon. The storms are usually quick and unpredictable.   

I spent the morning weeding and getting beds ready for new plants.  

Then it was time to walk the dog.  We had a good walk and later walk some more and got on the stationary bike.  I am greatly out of shape and need to work on getting healthy every day! 

I will be seeing some of my grandsons next week and I wanted to do a project they could help with. After our road trip we have bunch of water jugs that needed recycling.  (Dude believes food and coffee is only as good as the water in that area.  Yes, he travels with his own coffee maker after he found out his brother-in-law does the same thing... grin) 

I cut the bottom off the jug and will use it for plants later on or poke holes for a small greenhouse. 

Next, I drew eyes, eyebrows and a tiny mouth with a marker.  Fill the bottom of the jug with dirt and top with a flowery plant so it looks like happy hair. 

That's it for today.  Tomorrow is sewing bee day, yay!

peace

Garden update plus rototilling vs building the ground up , learning the tractor, what am I reading/listening to, and chicken chili from ingredients in the pantry

 The garden is in full swing... and steam.  When I first walk in the greenhouse, even in the morning, it steams up my glasses and the camera.  Condensation drips from the top of hoop and the plants love it.

Peas are ready to be picked and beans will be coming on soon. Most of the peas never make it to the house since Dude loves to eat them as he picks them. 

I will be canning beets this weekend and hope to try a new beet relish recipe I found. 

This lettuce is done and was pulled out this morning.  I left the onions. 

A couple varieties of pumpkins and some eggplant are started. 

I can't keep up with these mustard greens.

It took me a good hour to wash up radishes, carrots, beets, cilantro and 6 bags of lettuce.

Our cactus is just beautiful lately and particularly happy since it came from my son's garden.

Next up, just after giving the kitchen a good cleaning, was learning to drive the tractor. 

I had an audience. 

All the recent rain has given us some great growth.

Off we go...

Dude taught me the operation of the big machine and safety tips (yes, there are a few... you don't want to tip the dang thing over!).  I am lucky to be married to someone raised on a farm.

We got a lot done before thunder and tiny bit of rain came in for the evening. 

Quick recipe from the pantry. 

I had a half of a roast chicken... chopped up. 

A jar of my canned pinto beans. 

A jar of chilis I had canned.

A big spoonful of sliced jalapenos.

A chopped sweet onion from my sister's garden.

A handful of dried okra from my sister's garden.

A whole jar of salsa - I ate all ours and had to buy a jar.

A can of whole tomatoes with it's juices. 

Sauté onion and then add all the rest and let simmer.

Serve with cheese and sour cream. 

I did a comparison to the rototilled land to the land that I built up.

Here is the rototilled... it gets hard, cracked and dry.

Oh, and floods. 

Then I started gardening this way... I used some of my wool (or you can use mulch).

Laid down cardboard...topped with wool (you can use mulch). 

Topped with our compost and then dirt. 

I did not flood and absorbed any rain we have had.

I learned this type of planting from this video at Bealtaine Cottage.

Here is what I am reading...

Listening to this book. 

Hoping for a day of creating tomorrow... after a bit of garden work.  The garden is never-ending. 

peace

Dis-L-Do update 6-5

It is finally sunny and warm.  Springtime for us has finally arrived. 

The eggs were washed up just after breakfast .

I did get some vegetable plants in near the house. The big planting will be out by the greenhouse. 

The lambs were happy for the recent rains and the tall grass it brought. 

Strawberries were on sale (I ate all the ones we grew.  It is our first year growing them).  I decided to make strawberry jalapeno jam.  We make it every year. 

Very simple , just  7 cups sugar, 4 cups strawberries, and 1 cup jalapeno with 1 pectin package. Process like you would jam.

Lovely

Lunch was a big salad with everything we grow (minus the tomatoes, those are store bought)

Lettuce, radishes, onion, and beets I canned last year. 

We added meat from one of our homegrown chickens.

Dressing was homemade chipotle sauce. 

Mix all in a food processor or blender. I just poured everything in, so this is the recipe...more or less, sorry. 

2 chipotle peppers (I like the onions too, so I added them)

Like this...

Plus 1/2-3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup real maple syrup

5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

salt 

pepper

oregano (dried)

and a dash of garlic powder

The dressing was so good I will use it on sandwiches later. 

The afternoon was filled with time in the greenhouse... tis the season!

peace