Here's how our kitchen looked before the update last year:
Showing posts with label Home Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Projects. Show all posts
Kitchen Cabinet Updating ~ Fall 2013 Project
Here's how our kitchen looked before the update last year:
Bringing Style, Function and Organization to a Small Laundry Room
Who's Got Time for Keeping a Clean and Tidy Home?
1 Corinthians 14:40 ~ Let all things be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 4:2 ~ Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Menu Planning with a Menu Board ~ Happy 2013
What a great way to spent starting a New Year...Happy 2013! This is one of the projects I worked on to bring in the New Year in an effort to start well in 2013. Chore charts were revised, schedules will be tweaked and a menu board was created! Not to mention having packed all the Christmas decor away, rearranged furniture and put back in place our normal home decorations. Things are clean and ready to begin our days uncluttered and organized. One of the projects I did on New Year's Eve, which I'd like to share with you, was to create a Menu Board.
I have done menu planning for years. I have done simple plans by just writing out my menu for the week...index cards, dry erase board, or even on a list. I have created rotating menu plans using an index card system to a more formatted one created on Microsoft Word. Menus have been done for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinners. Weekly, bi-monthly and even a four/five week meal rotation plan have been created.
Well, in this season of life, with so many "unexpected's", I am now moving on to give the menu board a try. I found this idea on Pintrest {where else!} and loved it! {Oh, just a quick invite...I'd love for you to join me on Pintrest. Visit my sidebar and follow along. You'll find all my favorite finds on my boards, added to regularly...so join now to gather some ideas that may work for you.}
I have done menu planning for years. I have done simple plans by just writing out my menu for the week...index cards, dry erase board, or even on a list. I have created rotating menu plans using an index card system to a more formatted one created on Microsoft Word. Menus have been done for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinners. Weekly, bi-monthly and even a four/five week meal rotation plan have been created.
Well, in this season of life, with so many "unexpected's", I am now moving on to give the menu board a try. I found this idea on Pintrest {where else!} and loved it! {Oh, just a quick invite...I'd love for you to join me on Pintrest. Visit my sidebar and follow along. You'll find all my favorite finds on my boards, added to regularly...so join now to gather some ideas that may work for you.}
Autumn Creating and Decorating
Autumn is one of my favorite seasons! I live in Florida therefore we have to create autumn in our home, as our location doesn't provide the beauty of "change in seasons". This year, after pulling down our autumn decorations and going through them all these are some of the elements we decided to use in adding touches of autumn to our home.
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| Glass bead pumpkins & gourd placed on wooden pillar candlesticks; autumn leaf garland swagged over mirror; a splash of color added in our foyer with reminders of gratitude and praise plaques; layered beans added to our bubbled hurricane glass vase {pinto beans, black beans and yellow corn} with a pumpkin candle added to the center and an autumn wired-ribbon tied to the base |
Pictorial Tour Summer 2012
This year’s summer has been a blur! The year for that matter… In order to keep things in order, blogging had to take a rest for a bit. Life is full and there are so many things to juggle, that sometimes things can get out of order if we allow it. Instead of blogging "about" living...we were in the midst "of" LIVING. I have missed posting and “visiting” with so many of you, so here is what I hope will serve as a glimpse of our summer and my absence from this blogging world.
We finished school later than usual this year. That pushed the End-of-the-Year Home School
Food Storage for Large Families
This week I’m linking to 4 Moms: 35 Kids ~ How Moms of Many Manage and posting on the topic of food storage for large families. See links at the bottom to their sites for more ideas on making the most of your food storage area, maybe get some storage ideas and money saving tips.
Why have a food "pantry"?
Living in a hurricane possible location, having food on hand and a plan for keeping our perishables from spoiling in a power outage is just sensible. Building a food pantry has cost benefits for our family, too. As most large families, feeding the crew can be expensive if you don’t plan and budget appropriately for it. For this reason and others, I try to buy based on the best unit price and for certain foods will buy based on the healthiest choice. With the savings over time having a food pantry provides, healthier purchases can be made on certain foods while staying within our overall weekly budget. Basically speaking then we have three reasons for having a food pantry: cost benefit, preparedness benefit and nutrition benefit. Every family who has a food pantry will reflect the needs and priorities of that family with amounts of what to have on hand, the types of foods selected to store and the space allotted for doing so factors to consider.
How do we build our food "pantry"?
As a large family, saving money and stretching the ever-decreasing valued dollar is a weekly endeavor. Over time and as our food budget permits, I make purchases when items are on sale, using coupons when available, but mainly focusing on the bottom line…the best unit price. I will buy extras of those sale items {only purchasing the items we like and use} and store them in our food pantry. This method helps to build having extras on hand of the items we consistently use. When meal planning, I have attempted to keep our meals simple, drawing from recipes that use normal, everyday ingredients. Having a meal plan helps to save money and save food waste.
Where do we make purchases from to build our food "pantry"?
1. Buying in bulk {i.e. Sam’s Club, Costco Wholesale Club, etc.}
2. Purchasing through a food co-op {i.e. BreadBeckers, Montana Wheat Company, etc.}
3. taking advantage of buy one get one free offers
4. using store and manufacturer’s coupons or competitor ads being match by select retailers {Wal*Mart will match any valid competitors ad for the exact item, Publix will accept select competitors’ coupons and some stores double coupons…ask your local grocery or discount chain in your area to see what they will do}
5. purchasing meat from local farm for no hormones, no antibiotics, grain/grass fed purposes {i.e. beef and pork}
Other options could include: purchasing from local farmers or farmer’s markets for fresh/organic produce or even an organic produce co-op, growing your own fruits and vegetables or bartering with those who do, and discount food chains or outlets.
Where do we store these savings and how?
I have posted on storage ideas in the past here, but this week I will cover more specifically our food storage areas.
1. Meats ~ if bought in bulk from the grocery or wholesale club, then we will repackage it into freezer bags based on our families’ consumption and date the package, remove air and lay flat in our upright freezer {maximizing the space}
2. Can goods and boxed items ~ I keep opened and a base amount in our inside kitchen pantry…I’ll call this my working pantry and my surplus is kept in our garage storage area.
a. First, my kitchen pantry storage:
i. Items such as pasta, dry beans, baking supplies, snacks, dry cereals, etc. of which we would use on a frequent basis are kept inside and stored in glass jars like these or these {both made in the USA}, Tupperware storage containers like these, plastic storage bins, or food buckets.
ii. When my base count gets low, I will refill that item into its storage container {i.e. Pastas are removed from their manufacturer packaging and put in the labeled storage container designated. Dry beans are emptied from their packaging and kept in glass jars. Snack items such as popcorn, animal crackers, snack bars, crackers, etc. are removed from their manufacturer boxes and stored in their designated containers. This allows my kitchen pantry to stay organized, gives me a visual on when my stock is getting low {since the containers are clear} and keeps food from spoiling, as their containers are air tight.
b. Next, my garage storage area {you can read a little about it here}:
i. I now have floor to ceiling adjustable wall shelving {thanks to my dear husband} for storing my extra can items, boxed items and room for my 5 gallon buckets underneath {these are the ones with air-tight gamma lids on them}
ii. I have used the old storage shelf for putting wheat buckets, canning supplies and seasonal kitchen supplies on.
iii. I have a couple wire rack shelves for storing bulk paper products, storage containers and baskets {for our ongoing organizing & re-organizing projects in our home}, hospitality items {i.e. drink containers, trays and divided platters, chargers, etc.} and bulk drinks {water bottles, flavored juices, etc.}
3. Perishables ~ Items I will stock up on such as milk, eggs, cheese, in-season fruits and veggies are kept in our kitchen refrigerator with extras kept in our garage refrigerator. This method allows me to take advantage of sales, thus saving money in the long run.
Basically, my hope is to be the best “keeper of my home” as possible, drawing from the Lord’s word for how to do that, gleaning from others so that we can be good stewards of what He provides and trusting in Him to provide for all our needs as He sees fit to do.
May you seek His direction for ways to maximize what space He has given you and His wisdom to prepare as He leads you.
Blessings ~
Linked this week to:
Living in a hurricane possible location, having food on hand and a plan for keeping our perishables from spoiling in a power outage is just sensible. Building a food pantry has cost benefits for our family, too. As most large families, feeding the crew can be expensive if you don’t plan and budget appropriately for it. For this reason and others, I try to buy based on the best unit price and for certain foods will buy based on the healthiest choice. With the savings over time having a food pantry provides, healthier purchases can be made on certain foods while staying within our overall weekly budget. Basically speaking then we have three reasons for having a food pantry: cost benefit, preparedness benefit and nutrition benefit. Every family who has a food pantry will reflect the needs and priorities of that family with amounts of what to have on hand, the types of foods selected to store and the space allotted for doing so factors to consider.
As a large family, saving money and stretching the ever-decreasing valued dollar is a weekly endeavor. Over time and as our food budget permits, I make purchases when items are on sale, using coupons when available, but mainly focusing on the bottom line…the best unit price. I will buy extras of those sale items {only purchasing the items we like and use} and store them in our food pantry. This method helps to build having extras on hand of the items we consistently use. When meal planning, I have attempted to keep our meals simple, drawing from recipes that use normal, everyday ingredients. Having a meal plan helps to save money and save food waste.
Where do we make purchases from to build our food "pantry"?
1. Buying in bulk {i.e. Sam’s Club, Costco Wholesale Club, etc.}
2. Purchasing through a food co-op {i.e. BreadBeckers, Montana Wheat Company, etc.}
3. taking advantage of buy one get one free offers
4. using store and manufacturer’s coupons or competitor ads being match by select retailers {Wal*Mart will match any valid competitors ad for the exact item, Publix will accept select competitors’ coupons and some stores double coupons…ask your local grocery or discount chain in your area to see what they will do}
5. purchasing meat from local farm for no hormones, no antibiotics, grain/grass fed purposes {i.e. beef and pork}
Other options could include: purchasing from local farmers or farmer’s markets for fresh/organic produce or even an organic produce co-op, growing your own fruits and vegetables or bartering with those who do, and discount food chains or outlets.
Where do we store these savings and how?
I have posted on storage ideas in the past here, but this week I will cover more specifically our food storage areas.
1. Meats ~ if bought in bulk from the grocery or wholesale club, then we will repackage it into freezer bags based on our families’ consumption and date the package, remove air and lay flat in our upright freezer {maximizing the space}
2. Can goods and boxed items ~ I keep opened and a base amount in our inside kitchen pantry…I’ll call this my working pantry and my surplus is kept in our garage storage area.
i. Items such as pasta, dry beans, baking supplies, snacks, dry cereals, etc. of which we would use on a frequent basis are kept inside and stored in glass jars like these or these {both made in the USA}, Tupperware storage containers like these, plastic storage bins, or food buckets.
ii. When my base count gets low, I will refill that item into its storage container {i.e. Pastas are removed from their manufacturer packaging and put in the labeled storage container designated. Dry beans are emptied from their packaging and kept in glass jars. Snack items such as popcorn, animal crackers, snack bars, crackers, etc. are removed from their manufacturer boxes and stored in their designated containers. This allows my kitchen pantry to stay organized, gives me a visual on when my stock is getting low {since the containers are clear} and keeps food from spoiling, as their containers are air tight.
ii. I have used the old storage shelf for putting wheat buckets, canning supplies and seasonal kitchen supplies on.
iii. I have a couple wire rack shelves for storing bulk paper products, storage containers and baskets {for our ongoing organizing & re-organizing projects in our home}, hospitality items {i.e. drink containers, trays and divided platters, chargers, etc.} and bulk drinks {water bottles, flavored juices, etc.}
3. Perishables ~ Items I will stock up on such as milk, eggs, cheese, in-season fruits and veggies are kept in our kitchen refrigerator with extras kept in our garage refrigerator. This method allows me to take advantage of sales, thus saving money in the long run.
For our large family, doing items 1-6 above are beneficial for our pocket books as well as our health. Side benefits from having a food pantry include having food during slow economic times {aren’t we there now?}, for preparedness in response to natural disasters {hurricanes, flooding, power outages, etc.} when trips to the store may not be possible and even ministering to others who may be in need.
I draw from the Scriptures in providing for our family without becoming out-of-balance or extreme. Our faith and trust is in the Lord to provide therefore, our trust and hope is NOT in our food pantry or earthly possessions. Here are a few to verses to encourage you as well:
- A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame. Proverbs 10:4-5 {not to be one who would seek riches of this earth, but on the contrary, one who is willing to work so their future is secure}
- She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:14-16, 18, 20-21, 25, 27 {to be a woman who is resourceful, is profitable in her undertakings, is giving, is aware of the needs of her own family and insures those needs are met, is a preparer and secure in the days ahead and works diligently for her family}
- Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 {the balance…not to be so consumed with a food storage pantry and its contents…or anything else for that matter, that it becomes the hope and source of faith and trust ~ not to replace the Lord who is over all}
Basically, my hope is to be the best “keeper of my home” as possible, drawing from the Lord’s word for how to do that, gleaning from others so that we can be good stewards of what He provides and trusting in Him to provide for all our needs as He sees fit to do.
May you seek His direction for ways to maximize what space He has given you and His wisdom to prepare as He leads you.
Blessings ~
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| Visit Kimberly, Connie, the Headmistress of the Common Room, & Kim C |
In my life this past week…
Care giving was a primary focus. Mom had a difficult week so added time with her was adjusted into our days {and nights}. A yielding heart to God’s direction and flexibility from each person in the family is both important components to handling curve-balls thrown into normal routines. For me, a knowledge and keen awareness of how life is truly just a vapor, does help accept changes to our schedule. In the BIG picture of life, we are not guaranteed another day, let alone another moment. With mom being sick these past couple of years and seeing first hand the mercy of God in that does make prioritizing what truly is most meaningful to be first, even when it is not convenient. To live in peace in the sovereignty of God in all areas of our lives…to make the most of each moment…to create memories and deep relationships with those He has put into our lives…to hope that I would be yielding to be used by Him for His glory in whatever capacity He calls me to…to be ready in season and out of season to share the Word which is the hope within me. These are the truths that I try to meditate on and allow to encourage me to do what is right.
What’s coming up this week…
the usual Orchestra practices, football practices and game, a much anticipated home school park day to take advantage of the glorious Florida autumn weather and an appointment with my mid-wife {looking forward to seeing how much Carolyne has grown}.
In our home school this week…
Carolyne continues to be a good nurser, is sleeping a bit better during the days and is greatly loved by all her siblings…not lacking love and attention. Liz and K continue to keeping us on our toes, provide MANY opportunities for training and give me encouragement on how great they are GOING to be as they get older…after their energy is refined. ;-)
Graham’s excitement for learning is rewarding and makes learning easy…new letters, continuing to learn blend sounds and sounds out WORDS! He is doing well with math and quotes his addition families during meals often. ;-)
Alyssa continues to work on multiplication and division in ABeka 3 Arithmetic, is enjoying reading The Secret of the Maple Tree {and a myriad of other books…my bookworm} and has asked several times for our sewing time to make skirts…maybe during our Thanksgiving break.
Logan worked on science this morning making the earth out of Rice Crispie treats…Apologia Astronomy. It worked well for the most part ~ until covering the treat balls with melted chocolate…VERY messy and made them start to come apart…fun though and a reminder that learning is messy, but sometimes the mess makes it memorable. ;-)
As I type this post, Austin is in his private cello lesson then will be off to orchestra after that. He continues showing diligence in his studies in spite of helping with home projects, pitching in with younger siblings when needed and taking on several paying jobs this past week. I am pleased with how the Lord is using it all to further develop good character in him which will make him a better husband and father one day.
Zach took a small reprieve from work and studies this weekend to enjoy a weekend event our family enjoys twice a year. Good fellowship time, good music and just time away from his normal routine will hopefully give a boost to upcoming papers and finals.
Things I’m working on…
food storage areas. Mark has added adjustable wall shelving in our garage to maximize the space I have for my food pantry. The heavy duty shelf unit we had been using had a lot of wasted space and things just didn’t fit properly. With the new shelving I have increased my storage space and was able to adjust each shelf to the height needed to the food items I keep on it. I have been working on stocking my pantry for rainy days, taking advantage of sales {especially buy one get one offers} to stretch the ever decreasing value of our dollars. In this economy you never know what the next day will be like, so having extra on hand just makes good economic sense…we always need to eat. ;-)
I’m cooking…
This week’s menu:
Sunday: Out-to-eat BBQ after a full day of activities
Monday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, yellow rice, mixed veggies and biscuits
Old-fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies {yummy!}
Tuesday: Cheesy sausage and rice casserole {I also add about 5 sliced yellow squash to our casserole and more rice}, croissants
Wednesday: Shrimp Alfredo over bow ties, Texas toast and buttered peas
Thursday: Slow cooked BBQ chicken, pressure cooked potatoes, green beans w/bacon & onions
Friday: Meatball alphabet veggie soup, rolls
Saturday: Leftovers
I’m grateful for…
#22 ~ messy learning
#23 ~ lives intertwined daily…homeschooling is an instrumental part of keeping our lives connected
#24 ~ laundry to wash…the day will arrive when the work load is minimal and I will miss having the dirty laundry drawers filled
#25 ~ Fall Jamboree traditions…a weekend full of folk and gospel music, good friends, barn dancing, special treats
#26 ~ a boy who beams with delight as his feet dance the Broom Dance, Virginia Reel & Gypsy Dance to name a few
#27 ~ a picnic lunch in spite of mosquitoes and looming rain
#28 ~ thorns…a reminder of how such a small thorn causes such discomfort…a picture of how little sins cause big pain…great life lessons.
#29 ~ hard work…good character being sown through doing the hard things
#30 ~ pumpkin cookies and a cold glass of milk
I’m praying for…
the Light to shine in this dark world…that we would not miss our opportunities to speak truth into the lives of all He brings into our paths and that our lives would reflect His love, mercy and grace…the world all around us needs Him so.
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Blessings ~
Linked with:
Care giving was a primary focus. Mom had a difficult week so added time with her was adjusted into our days {and nights}. A yielding heart to God’s direction and flexibility from each person in the family is both important components to handling curve-balls thrown into normal routines. For me, a knowledge and keen awareness of how life is truly just a vapor, does help accept changes to our schedule. In the BIG picture of life, we are not guaranteed another day, let alone another moment. With mom being sick these past couple of years and seeing first hand the mercy of God in that does make prioritizing what truly is most meaningful to be first, even when it is not convenient. To live in peace in the sovereignty of God in all areas of our lives…to make the most of each moment…to create memories and deep relationships with those He has put into our lives…to hope that I would be yielding to be used by Him for His glory in whatever capacity He calls me to…to be ready in season and out of season to share the Word which is the hope within me. These are the truths that I try to meditate on and allow to encourage me to do what is right.
What’s coming up this week…
the usual Orchestra practices, football practices and game, a much anticipated home school park day to take advantage of the glorious Florida autumn weather and an appointment with my mid-wife {looking forward to seeing how much Carolyne has grown}.
In our home school this week…
Carolyne continues to be a good nurser, is sleeping a bit better during the days and is greatly loved by all her siblings…not lacking love and attention. Liz and K continue to keeping us on our toes, provide MANY opportunities for training and give me encouragement on how great they are GOING to be as they get older…after their energy is refined. ;-)
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| Enjoying a good nap this past week... |
Alyssa continues to work on multiplication and division in ABeka 3 Arithmetic, is enjoying reading The Secret of the Maple Tree {and a myriad of other books…my bookworm} and has asked several times for our sewing time to make skirts…maybe during our Thanksgiving break.
Logan worked on science this morning making the earth out of Rice Crispie treats…Apologia Astronomy. It worked well for the most part ~ until covering the treat balls with melted chocolate…VERY messy and made them start to come apart…fun though and a reminder that learning is messy, but sometimes the mess makes it memorable. ;-)
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| Before the Crispie spheres were covered in chocolate...that was the messy part that was stopped after covering about six of them. Oh well, the mess was part of the fun and makes learning the layers of the earth memorable. ;-) |
As I type this post, Austin is in his private cello lesson then will be off to orchestra after that. He continues showing diligence in his studies in spite of helping with home projects, pitching in with younger siblings when needed and taking on several paying jobs this past week. I am pleased with how the Lord is using it all to further develop good character in him which will make him a better husband and father one day.
Zach took a small reprieve from work and studies this weekend to enjoy a weekend event our family enjoys twice a year. Good fellowship time, good music and just time away from his normal routine will hopefully give a boost to upcoming papers and finals.
Things I’m working on…
food storage areas. Mark has added adjustable wall shelving in our garage to maximize the space I have for my food pantry. The heavy duty shelf unit we had been using had a lot of wasted space and things just didn’t fit properly. With the new shelving I have increased my storage space and was able to adjust each shelf to the height needed to the food items I keep on it. I have been working on stocking my pantry for rainy days, taking advantage of sales {especially buy one get one offers} to stretch the ever decreasing value of our dollars. In this economy you never know what the next day will be like, so having extra on hand just makes good economic sense…we always need to eat. ;-)
I’m cooking…
This week’s menu:
Sunday: Out-to-eat BBQ after a full day of activities
Monday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, yellow rice, mixed veggies and biscuits
Old-fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies {yummy!}
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| Ready to be put in the oven... |
Wednesday: Shrimp Alfredo over bow ties, Texas toast and buttered peas
Thursday: Slow cooked BBQ chicken, pressure cooked potatoes, green beans w/bacon & onions
Friday: Meatball alphabet veggie soup, rolls
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| We enjoy this soup on cold days...it's expected to be highs of 67 on Friday, so a perfect compliment to the day. ;-) |
I’m grateful for…
#22 ~ messy learning
#23 ~ lives intertwined daily…homeschooling is an instrumental part of keeping our lives connected
#24 ~ laundry to wash…the day will arrive when the work load is minimal and I will miss having the dirty laundry drawers filled
#25 ~ Fall Jamboree traditions…a weekend full of folk and gospel music, good friends, barn dancing, special treats
#26 ~ a boy who beams with delight as his feet dance the Broom Dance, Virginia Reel & Gypsy Dance to name a few
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| A more confident boy he selects 4 girls to dance with on the Broom Dance...too funny. |
#28 ~ thorns…a reminder of how such a small thorn causes such discomfort…a picture of how little sins cause big pain…great life lessons.
#29 ~ hard work…good character being sown through doing the hard things
#30 ~ pumpkin cookies and a cold glass of milk
I’m praying for…
the Light to shine in this dark world…that we would not miss our opportunities to speak truth into the lives of all He brings into our paths and that our lives would reflect His love, mercy and grace…the world all around us needs Him so.
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
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| Visit Joy here for a list of great Thanksgiving resources to enhance this upcoming holiday...she has a lovely blog and her post is an encouragement to have a heart of gratitude. |
Blessings ~
Linked with:
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| Visit Ann here |
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| Click here to meet Sue |
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| Meet Laura here |
Spring Garden of 2011 ~ Successes & Failures
Spring 2011 Garden
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| We added a fourth raised bed this year to house corn & peas. My husband screwed PVC pipe over the box and draped netting over the arches to keep pesky squirrels away. This photo shows our sprouts coming up in the beginning of April. |
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| The beginning sprouts from left to right: 2 rows of lettuce, 1 row of okra, 2 rows of broccoli (did not come in), 2 rows of radishes, 2 rows of yellow squash, 1 row (2 plants) of kiwi from previous year and along the backside of the bed, 1 row of cucumbers. |
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| Another raised bed holding: l to r ~ grapevine to grow over the arbor, cherry tomato, Roma tomato (not shown to the right of the tomatoes ~ 1 yellow pepper plant & 1 orange pepper plant). {Beginning of April 2011} |
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| To the right of the previous pictured planter we have 3 blueberry bushes and 1 blackberry vine along the trellis. {Beginning of April 2011} |
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| A couple of the herbs in our herb planter...thyme & dill weed. {Beginning of April 2011} |
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| Rosemary...continuing to flourish from the past couple of years and located in the middle of our herb planter. {Beginning of April 2011} |
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| DELICIOUS blueberries eaten as quickly as they ripened...taken the beginning of May 2011. |
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| Our two tomato bushes {l - cherry tomato & r - Roma tomato} a month later...beginning of May 2011. |
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| The presence of blackberries...these to will disappear as quickly as they ripen. We are blessed to have MANY wild blackberry bushes growing in vacant areas of our neighborhood and have taken advantage of picking a couple of buckets full over the season. {Beginning of May 2011} |
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| One of the lettuce plants growing behind the protective netting...this was a successful endeavour. {Beginning of May 2011} |
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| Promising blooms from our yellow squash plants...beginning of May 2011. |
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| Promising blooms from our cucumber vine...beginning of May 2011. |
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| Our corn is coming in nicely and still intact thanks to the Lord's protection and the netting that remains over the planter box...beginning of May 2011. |
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| The peas coming in nicely, too....beginning of May 2011. |
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| Better boy tomatoes growing from one of the two topsy turvy containers hanging between two of the raised beds...beginning of May 2011. These make for delicious salsa...click here for the post containing the recipe. |
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| The cherry and Roma tomato plants have grown wonderfully this year and continue to yield {without any bugs} nice amounts of fresh organic tomatoes for our family. {Mid June 2011} |
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| Our okra (planted one row) has flowered and is producing a nice pod on the plants now. Not sure when to harvest or what to do with them at this point...our first time growing it, but looking forward to harvesting and tasting the fruits of our labor soon. {Mid June 2011} |
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| As lovely as all those blooms were in the photo mid-way up, we have about 4 nice squash growing currently...between heat, smoke, not sure what else, this has taken a toil so it seems. Beautiful squash for what we do have so far, though. {Mid-June 2011} |
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| One of many cucumbers that have grown pest free...but the only one that resembles a normal cucumber. ;-) Our other either look like balls or paisleys...interesting and not quite sure why...any ideas? They did the same thing last year as far as shape. If you look in the distance behind this one, you can see a couple of the ball shaped ones. {Mid-June 2011} |
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| Cherry tomatoes full and ripening...Mid-June 2011. |
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| Roma tomatoes also lush and ripening steadily...Mid-June 2011. |
Successes:
- I will say, unlike last year, this year we have not had issues with as many pests...the tomatoes in the ground have actually yielded much more than the ones in the hanging upside down containers.
- Lettuce has done wonderfully, as well.
- Blueberries yielded quite a bit considering they were new (small) bushes, however after last year one of the bushes died, so we'll have to see if these will continue to grow or not.
- Blackberries...already an ample supply in our area growing wild, but our private vine produced larger ones and not quite as bitter tasting.
- Corn has done better this year for the simple fact that the squirrels were not able to get into the crop. We have 3-5 ears growing now and will just have to wait to see what the final outcome it.
Failures:
- Cucumbers...not necessarily a failure, but definitely not the "normal" shape and only one seems to be doing what a cucumber should in the way of growth.
- Broccoli...did not come up at all.
- Raspberry vines...did not come back from last year.
- Peas...aphids have been an issue even though we treated with 'green/natural' methods to rid the problem. Also no blooms on the vines, although the vines themselves have nice leaves and are continuing to grow.
- Yellow squash...started out wonderfully and we do have 3-4 nice sized squash growing now, it just doesn't look like we will yield as much as anticipated from earlier progress.
- Kiwi...year two and still no fruit with sparse leaves.
- Our pepper plants are still growing...slowly. We'll see what produces on them.
- Grapevine is filling back in with nice sized green leaves, but no fruit yet.
- Radishes...should be fine, but have not harvested yet.
- Okra...doing well as far as I can tell. Will see what the actual harvest is when they are done producing.
- Plant more...to yield more.
- Better soil prep...more compost added (Lord willing), turning more in the down season...any ideas for further enriching it?
- Moving one of our raised beds to the front of the herb garden for more sun light next year {the new bed which houses our corn and peas}...it probably gets too much afternoon shade right now.
Happy Gardening ~
May & June in Pictures...
The days these past couple of months have been full and flying by. We have had times of work {lots of those}, times of play and times of fellowship...hope this pictorial post sums it up.
I'll have to try to post a picture of the backyard as it is now...nearing completion. Still a couple elements to take care of before we can say DONE, but it is so much better and we are just loving the safety, opportunities and privacy the new backyard provides. Lots of labor, lots of good nights sleeping, lots of skills learned and looking forward to lots of use and enjoyment!
So, if you add a few more fellowship times, a couple more birthday celebrations, closing the 2010-2011 school year {before some start summer classes} and more work, that gives you a glimpse of what's being going on for the past couple months in our home. Looking forward to enjoying the days of summer break, planning for next year and the arrival of #8.
Blessings ~
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| Great season of Spring Flag Football...they played hard and Logan really enjoyed it! |
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| Austin's final Youth Orchestra concert of the season...always a beautiful evening and encouragement listening/watching young musicians play together. |
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| Our garden...Lord willing I'll get around to do a garden post. The blueberries were eaten as fast as they ripened! Check back for more pics in the future ~ Our Spring Garden 2011 future post. |
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| The battle of tree roots during our Backyard Makeover...all in the name of fence installation! Seemed like the majority of the back fence section encountered and involved digging deep to remove tree roots from trees removed; fence posts to be put almost exactly were the massive root system remained. |
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| Picnic & Pops...an evening of delightful Symphony Orchestra music in the park ~ a break from the laboring and basking in beautiful sounds of music. |
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| Preparing the ground for the above ground pool placement...root/debris removal, added dirt, leveling, and edging for the stone to border the pool area. Hard workers ~ but happy ones. :-) |
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| Our pre-sod photo...oh my, was the dirt black and how everything crossing over it was, too. So glad to have real grass, a play area for get-togethers and a smaller side yard with grass for the playsets and fort! {And what a blessing to have another young man's assistance with the laying of it...he, too, slept well that night!} |
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| Enjoying the fruits of all the labor ~ a wonderful refreshment on these humid summer FL days! |
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| A sweet time of fellowship Memorial Day weekend at a friend's home...time of prayer giving thanks to those who served our country protecting our freedoms {and for those who currently are}, worship and afternoon fellowship. |
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| A beautiful time visiting with a dear friend ~ celebrating her birthday! {Zach arrived a bit later due to a meeting a work.} |
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| More work in the backyard...team work finishing the roof to the kids fort. Hours of fun to be enjoyed by all the little ones {as a result to skills and labor to get it all done}. |
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| Another fun water element added to the backyard ~ has been great for watering flowers, filling foot washing tubs and gives a glimpse of days gone by when water had to actually be pumped and carried. ;-) |
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| Reusing/re-purposing wood from the deck we removed...now have become benches for the backyard and horseshoe pit areas. Austin took this project on himself and has constructed 3 benches thus far...with staining to come soon. |
I'll have to try to post a picture of the backyard as it is now...nearing completion. Still a couple elements to take care of before we can say DONE, but it is so much better and we are just loving the safety, opportunities and privacy the new backyard provides. Lots of labor, lots of good nights sleeping, lots of skills learned and looking forward to lots of use and enjoyment!
So, if you add a few more fellowship times, a couple more birthday celebrations, closing the 2010-2011 school year {before some start summer classes} and more work, that gives you a glimpse of what's being going on for the past couple months in our home. Looking forward to enjoying the days of summer break, planning for next year and the arrival of #8.
Blessings ~
In all toil there is profit...Proverbs 14:23a
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might...Ecclesiastes 9:10a
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