Tomatoes really have turned out beautifully this year. No real bug problems or anything. My biggest issue has been having them break as they go. I have gone out there a number of times just to re-stake them. Next year will be different, I am going to try a new system. Anyways, so I have canned lots of tomato juice, some diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce and ketchup. I still want to make Ryan's grandma's tomato soup (it is delicious) and do another batch or two of spaghetti sauce. The rest of the tomatoes will go to juice and being diced.
Finally, I am done with cucumbers. Praise the Lord. Our Zucchini/Squash is about done also. I think something weird happened with our Zucchini this year. It got unusually big and not so tasty. I think it might have cross pollenated with something else out there. We also got some crazy gourd like thing that is still growing as we speak. It kind of looks like a massive acorn squash (which I did plant) that has been stretched. I cut a couple open and fed them to the chickens, they loved them.
Our green beans have surprised me a little. We had about two "full" pickings off of them and they are still giving me enough to can a quart here and there. Our peas did fine, but I didn't plant very many and they are kind of a pain in the tushy, so I am not sure we will plant them again.
My peppers are still doing beautifully. I have had prettier peppers this year than I have ever had. I only planted banana peppers and 3 different varieties of bell peppers and they are all just getting so big and plump. I really think that the pruning I have been doing on them earlier this summer is paying off.
My watermelons and cantaloupe did terrible and I am not sure I will try those again either, which is a shame because we love both of those. If I do try them again I will put them in a spot all their own instead of making them share space with all the squash and gourds. We have a bunch of orange sized watermelons and cantaloupes that are already ripe.
I am finding an unexpected joy in my gourd-ish stuff this year. I planed acorn squash, butternut squash and sweet early pumpkins. I have already harvested some pumpkins and canned them and I am hooked. I eat lots of pumpkin (I love it) so it is very cool, and extremely yummy to be eating my fresh pumpkin. I plan to can all of the pumpkin, butternut squash and acorn squash that I am able to. Some we will just eat and the rest I am going to turn in to baby food for little bean. I think I can probably can my sweet potatoes, when they are ready, the same way.
Have you have enough garden talk yet? Ok, on to something different, Little Bean.......
So we are in a whole different type of waiting now for the little guy. We are waiting on his second medicals and then our info can be submitted to court. I am anxious to decide on his name, but my lovely husband isn't quite so ready. I think it is a typical guy thing, waiting until you "have" to have a name. That is tough in this situation though because he doesn't technically "have" to have a first name until he is back to the states and gets re-adopted (which we just did this past March for Anna and Gee). I just think a name helps everyone to connect with him and it keeps the crazy names at bay. FYI, Anna calls him that "little black baby."
I am just so ready to be getting ready for this little guy because I have lots I want/need to do to prepare. I just can't do that stuff right now because other things, like the garden, getting ready for school and outside projects are consuming my time.
Well, that's all for now. We are off again on another camping trip. Yeah! We are heading to Columbus with my sister and her soon to be expanding family. :) As usual, I have lots left to do still and we are leaving tonight.
Julie
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