Peach and Cucumber Salsa

Vermin, Pestilence, and Thieves!

Mother nature is out to get me and she has dispatched her evil minions so that not only do I not get to enjoy the fruits of my labor but I provide hours of hilarity and entertainment for said minions. I swear to God I hear the squirrels laughing…with their mouths full of pumpkin.

When I planted our fruit orchard three years ago I was excited to know that in a few years I would have a virtual produce stand in my front yard. I was most excited about the peaches and nectarines. I planted two of each. Since then, we’ve lost one peach to gophers. Little buggers ate the roots right off and we have been fighting an epic man vs. gopher battle worthy of Bill Murray Read more…

I CAN’T WAIT for Blackberry Jam!

I CAN'T WAIT for Blackberry Jam! Anyone who tried to grow tomatoes last year knows it was a bad season. For optimal growing conditions, tomatoes need hot days and cool nights, and last summer was cold. This year, I swear I can feel it, will be much better. If I will it, it will be. So I took a week off in April for spring break and ordered three cubic yards of soil–this is a lot of dirt, and I moved it by myself. The kids putting dirt in a sand bucket doesn’t count. I did it all by myself. Uphill. Both ways.

I have now planted 3 pounds of potato seed, 5 rows of carrots, an Ambrosia melon, 12 varieties of tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, lemon cucumbers,