Incentive

Sometimes I am very motivated to work out. Unfortunately, this winter isn't one of them. Once spring comes, it gets much easier and more fun to exercise. However, I have a plan that is working well. Garden catalogs! As soon as they arrive, I bring my favorites downstairs and put them on the rack of my bicycle. I can only read them as part of my cool-down after a spinning workout. I'm so addicted to my garden planning that I don't procrastinate working out like I tend to in the winter. Weird plan but it works. I sure never expected that I would get this hooked on gardening.











Time to go seed shopping...
I mean bicycling.

Oh the weather outside is frightful....

....but the books are so delightful. My hubby and I received many wonderful gifts this year. We especially enjoy anything to do with bees, birds, butterflies and growing our own food. I'm looking forward to spending the cold winter evenings by the fireplace- reading and dreaming of spring.

Enjoying the harvest

It has been a while between posts. We have been keeping busy with cleaning up the garden, enjoying our harvest and a new job for me.

Using our harvests has included lots of grilling and fire pit meals along with some wine making. The potatoes have been great cooked over the fire. Our favorite has been the fingerling we grew- Rose Finn Apple. We look forward to trying several different fingerlings next year. It has been fun to grow them in pots and any other containers we can find. We just empty them into the wheelbarrow and have delicious spuds without the digging. I especially like the versatility of the Rose Finn Apple. It is wonderful grilled and for thickening soups and sauces.

Our fruiting plants are still a year or more away from being fully productive but have already provided delicious for fresh eating and wine making. Yesterday we re-racked our Ruby's Garden wine. It is made from all the garden left-overs including black currants, raspberries, strawberries and black cherry tomatoes. Don't laugh. It has a delicate, fruity flavor and it is definitely a one of a kind wine. The black currants lend a lovely red color.

Although we still have plenty to keep us busy, I'm already working on the garden plans for next year. Definitely more raspberry and blueberry plants. I also will give my ground cherry plants a head-start indoors. The toughest decision is which potato varieties to try. We want them all!

Harvest time

Better with chocolate

Ground cherries have a subtle pineapple flavor and are great alone or made into salsas, pies and relishes. They are simple to grow and are fun to experiment with in recipes. I saw a few blog posts over the winter featuring ground cherries dipped in chocolate and couldn't wait to give it a try. The cute "paper wrapper" they grow in makes a great handle for dipping. I also rolled few completely in chocolate. Since I had the chocolate all melty and ready to go, I figured that a few raspberries should make the plunge as well. They were all delicious.

Fresh from the garden: Raspberries!

When we were putting in 25 plants on a hot spring day, I don't think my husband was too impressed with my idea of planting raspberries. However, it was worth the effort. We are getting some every day and will soon have enough extra to save for wine and ice cream. This years "special" will be a raspberry, black currant, elderberry and grape wine because well.... that is what we have. It is fun to be able to make wines that are entirely from our "vineyards". Our other plants are doing well too but this cool summer has affected things. The cucumbers, ground cherries and tomatoes are very slow to ripen. Hopefully we have enough warm weather ahead to still get a good harvest.