A Green Fire

The black-eyed peas are ready.  I have spent the last several days picking and shelling and freezing.  I have 10 pints put up so far.  For my first year ever to put up my own vegetables, I am happy with my modest start.

I have lots of fruit for smoothies in the freezer as well.  Last night’s smoothie was a fruity delight.  I used about a cup of cantaloupe, a half cup of blueberries, a half cup of blackberries, a half cup of yogurt, and a half cup of vanilla soy milk.  It was wonderful.  I bought six bananas at the grocery store, and now, all those are in the freezer as well.  I think tonight’s smoothie will be banana, cantaloupe, blueberry, yogurt, and milk.  The black berries were good, but oh my, the seeds.

Often, a smoothie is considered a breakfast or lunch option but I prefer coffee in the morning, along with a granola bar.  I like a nice hearty lunch and a smaller supper.  A smoothie fits the bill perfectly.  Also, if I have a smoothie for supper, I’m not heating my up my kitchen.

What’s your favorite smoothie recipe?

I finally got around to planting something in my raised bed.

Sunday I got dirt and plants from my local big box store.  I got two kinds of tomato, two cucumber plants (same variety), a flat leaf parsley, and a yellow bell pepper.   I also got dill and rosemary seeds, and lettuce seeds.  The lettuce I planted in a hanging basket.  I hope when it comes up, I will eventually be able to just go out on my porch, snip enough for a nightly salad and enjoy.

My mom looked at my raised bed and my plants and immediately recommended a covering of chicken wire to keep the rabbits out.  So, that may be my next project.  She also said I need to look at some poison to kill cutworms or I will lose my tomatoes.  Sigh.  I’m going to research a more natural method of pest control first.  This is my first attempt at gardening for myself, and I really hope to have it be as natural as possible all along the way.

I found a resource that showed how to use cardboard toilet paper tubes as a vessel for seed starting instead of peat pots.  I did that for my dill and rosemary seeds.  I have seeds left, and luckily I know I will have more tubes available.  I’m so happy I am recycling one more thing and not just tossing it into the landfill.