My Fairy Tale Weekend

1st Cucumber

little visitor

Second batch of strawberries are on their way

It was a diaper day

Oh ya, they are starting too ripen

raspberries too!!

Lovin Mama

My Fair Tale Weekend

Hula Hoop Face-off 

Playing with a new friend

Ice Cream Round 1

Colorful Fashion

Sprouting Green Beans

Kale and Swiss Chard

Purple "Green" Beans

Daddy and Little Bit

Ice Cream Round 2

The Girls'

Time to raise the beds

Last fall my husband and I worked to built several raised beds for our garden. We used left over wood we had around our property. All together we made (8) 4' x 4' beds, (2) 7' x 3' beds and (2) 3' x 3' beds to our current (4) 3' x 4' ones.  So currently our garden is 34' wide and 14' tall. We then purchased some top soil for a local nursery down the road and filled all the beds. Then put a layer of straw down.

Now as you can see above, the layout of the garden. This year I'm trying to use the square foot garden method, so each plant type needs a specific amount of space. So this took some reading and laying out how many plants I could fit in each section.


Seedlings for the tomatoes, peppers, watermelon and cantaloupe we started indoors from seeds.


To get the garden started this year, I need to do something with the pathways. They were filled with weeds and ones that bite back. Since I wanted the garden to be kiddo friendly something needed to be done. I was this idea on pinterest and decided this would be the best method. I gathered cardboard from my work then cut the card board to fill the pathways. Then put mulch on top.

So with the pathways filled I added stepping stones throughout to keep the cardboard down and in place.  Over the existing blueberry and raspberry plants I added for post, one in each corner and tied bird netting over the area. Last year the deer ate all but 3 blueberries and luckily this is our first year to get raspberries.


So now I had to wait, cause from my hometown, "you don't plant your garden until after derby". Weather is very crazy around here. So its the weekend after derby, Friday night my husband surprised me for mother's day with 2 scoops of compost filling is truck. Only my husband could get away with a gift like that. Then the next morning he went out and filled all the beds! Extra bonus.

Then my mom and dad came over and we planted all the seedlings into their spot. Then planted all of the seeds into their home. It was a great way to spend time with my mom on pre-mother's day.

Photos from a few days later, mostly everything is still living. A few plants didn't make the transplant, but overall a good turn out. Above is the kale and chard I planted the week before, already sprouted!!


Now here are some photos from my container garden on the deck, which is doing fantastic.

And here is my future grower, I love that she will be raised always having a garden. Its one of the skills I want to make sure she learns.

My Fairy Tale Weekend

Purple Carrot Harvest

Cucumber in the making

When you feel bad, dress pretty

Rainy Mama Day

My Fairy Tale Weekend

Homemade Veggie Stock

So having a liquid stock in the pantry is a must for home cooked meals. And my step daughter has stopped eating chickens, because we have some, so chicken stock doesn't get used a lot around this house. 


But I came across this magical idea one day on a blog. To save your leftover veggies, keep them in a bag in the freezer and use them to make veggie stock....of course why didn't I think of this??? Leftover veggies refers to the onion skin, tops and bottoms, broccoli stalk, carrot skins or ends, celery, etc. This gives my veggie scraps and extra purpose before heading to the compost.

So I collect the leftovers over a period of time until my gallon ziplock bag is full. 


Then you dump all the veggies into a crockpot, I then add a potato that I've cut up. To top off the mixture I throw in some fresh herbs from the garden, usually thyme, rosemary and parsley. Then fill the crockpot up with water. 

Put the lid on and set on low. Now I do this first thing in the morning before work and let it cook all day.

When I come home, I have veggie stock waiting for me. 

I then scoop out the big pieces and place in a bowl for the compost. 

Then I use a mesh strainer to catch the rest.

Scoop the broth into your containers, chinese takeout soup containers are great and large yogurt containers. Isn't it pretty, this time the color is very amber. However the color varies depending on the veggies being used.


I then let them cool to room temperature and pop them in the freezer. To thaw, set out in the morning or run hot water around the outside edges, then plop the veggie stock cylinder into saucepan and heat up.


Hope you enjoy this great tip on getting more out of your veggies before they hit the compost bin.