December in the Garden

Thanks to our humid subtropical climate here it seems like we may be able to garden year-round. This is the second season for our strawberry plants, who are loving the chillier weather.

The potted herbs are also thriving. I've now harvested and dried enough chives, oregano and Italian parsley to last me well into the new year, so I'm going to make up some containers for my neighbors.

Our broccoli plant grew so tall we had to tie it to a dowel for support.

The brussel sprouts are smaller, but doing well, too. The just-sprouted radishes are probably our tenth planting; they grow very fast and we can harvest them every couple of weeks.

There are a few pole beans left on the vines, but their season is definitely over now. We will plant them again in the spring.

The bell peppers have just sprouted, too. I'm very hopeful they will stay healthy as I cook with peppers all the time.

Three more brussel sprout plant in another pot. If we get a bumper crop I may blanch and freeze most of them in single-serving bags, as I'm the only one who likes them.

Comments

Better than Fried

I cut some chives from the kitchen garden to make garlic-chive baked fries for dinner. This is a great side dish for veggie burgers. Click here for the recipe from Taste of Home.com.

Make It Yourself

As we head into December, here are ten ideas for easy handmade gifts: Cookie Exchange: If you live close to your friends invite them over for a cookie exchange. Basically everyone bakes a set amount of their favorite cookies, and these are exchanged at the gathering by lottery, sharing a little from each batch with everyone, or however you want to do it. You can also exchange recipes, too. My neighbor did this once and it was wonderful. Favorite Recipe Cookbook : For my favorite person I found a copy of my favorite cookbook from a vintage bookseller (yes, I am that old) and went through it making notes on all the recipes I used, how I tweaked them, etc. Ornament: There are probably a million free tutorials on how to make your own holiday ornaments, so do some research online. I like to make hanging pomanders , which smell heavenly and are biodegradable after the holidays. Mug Rugs: If you sew, making up a set of mug rugs is simple and easy; I add these every year to my ...

Journal Find

This is a page from my 2010 poetry journal. My handwriting isn't the best, so I'll transcribe it: If my heart survives to tell all the secrets kept inside it will be an abalone shell in which the beauty did reside. But I think I will always be lost to the tides that rage in me . . . humbling and polishing . . . I don't write many self-portrait poems, but this one isn't too embarrassing. A bit overly dramatic, but the girl I was eleven years ago went through some tough times. I'm in a much more peaceful place today.

Rayen

Search This Blog