Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Days of Summer

The heat is on... again!!!!  The humidity came back and the temps are rising.  Normally we have about 19 days of 90* plus during the summer.  We reached that mark today and we still have the rest of July and all of August to go.  Sigh!!!!!!!
OK, I'll stop whining!  I swore I wouldn't complain once winter was over. 

We are becoming inundated with zucchini and yellow squash already.  We usually get a big influx all at once - then they slow.  I always have to get creative with them.  Luckily we do love them and they are healthy and they take on the taste of about anything.

G calls me the Bubba/Forest Gump of zucchini - LOL!  Fried zucchini, baked zucchini, zucchini, bread, zucchini soup, zucchini relish, zucchini casserole..............................................
I do have a secret weapon!


My MIL found this at a yard sale years and years ago and got it for me.  500 Recipes Using Zucchini.
I wish I could tell you where to buy one - but it's last copyright was 1988 and it was compiled through a garden club in OH.
I have gotten so many great ideas from this book over the years.
IF YOU have any questions about zucchini - ask.  Maybe I can find a recipe you would like!!!!!

On to other things:

 
I looked out the window yesterday, and saw this 2 doors down.  The young couple that lives there have a little girl about a year old - and this is the first time I have seen laundry hanging outside.  I love it!  They attached a line to the garage and then to a spindly little tree - but it works.  It there is a will - there is a way!  I love seeing young people get into doing things that are the old ways and that save a little money! 
I have another neighbor in the other direction, that often hangs jeans, towels, and blankets over the fence to dry (single guy).  Love folks getting creative!


This is all one plant in my front flower bed.  Aren't they beautiful!  Did you know that the smell wonderfully too?  This is right outside my dining room window, and I have one kitty (Coogy), who loves to sit and look out at the gold finches munching on the seeds at the flower centers.  He gets so excited!

We are getting some rather large cherry tomatoes.  Still no ripe regular tomatoes, but hopefully it won't be long.  There are many hanging out there that are huge, and the plants are really starting to produce a lot more tomatoes.  I sure hope this is a good year - Momma needs to do some canning!
I even have tomatoes coming on the volunteer plants.  They were so tiny when I transplanted them, and then sort of shocked with moving them.  But they have tomatoes setting - can't wait to see what they produce!

If you inhale hard enough - just maybe you can smell the heavenly scent of my old fashioned phlox!  They smell so sweet.  We have bees every where, and I am so glad.  I think that because we have so many aromatic flowers around, it truly does help.  My garden loves the bees as well.


My bee water bowl!  Don't forget that bees need water too.  If they try to drink out of bird baths and such, they often drown.  They need something shallow with a platform they can stay on while getting water.  I take care of them and they take care of me - by pollinating my garden!


Aaahhhh the wonderful days of summer.  There are just so many things to see and grow and do.  I truly do enjoy these days.  Every season has it's moments - but summer gives yields like no other.
Even though it is hot, hot, hot in so many areas - I truly hope you are enjoying the blessings of summer!

ENJOY my friends!

22 comments:

  1. We're hot here in NE Texas too, but we are used to it. Back in 2011, it was one hot year. We had over 100 days of temps over 100 degrees. Thankfully, this year hasn't even come close to that hot year...KNOCK ON WOOD! I hope you'll post a zucchini recipe from your book every now and then. It's fun to hear the old recipes...they were a little better than the "light" versions we often see now.

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    1. Oh my! Stay cool there girl! I guess I have no room to complain.
      Great idea - I will post recipes on my off days!!!
      Monday, Wed, & Fri. will be ZUCCHINI DAYS!!!!!
      have a good one!

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  2. It is finally hot here also and I am loving it! No ripe maters here yet I am waiting.

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    1. I am glad you are enjoying the heat. We often forget that others have it worse and others are just waiting for it!
      Can't wait for that first big mater!!!!
      Have a good week.

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  3. I got so excited when I read that you water the bees! Had to jump up and show my husband your little water bowl. We are beekeepers, "beeks" as they say, and we are always tickled when folks are at least aware of what the bees do for us. Neighborhood gardens, everyone's lovely flowers come together to keep the bees buzzin'.

    Thank you for your wonderful blog. Any zucchini recipes you might share will be greatly appreciated. :-)

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    1. That is so cool that you keep bees. THANK YOU!
      Without our bees we would all be in a world of hurt! They are our friends.
      Hopefully you will get some recipes you can use!

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  4. What a great book! I have summer squash coming out of my ears! Your flowers are gorgeous! What are the glass things in your bee bath? I am happy to know how to care for them better! Thank you. Angela

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    1. Angela maybe I will post some recipes you can use in the coming days.

      They are just glass 'rocks' that I picked up at the dollar tree. You get a little bag of them for $1. You could use any kind of rocks or pebbles. it just gives the bees a platform to rest on while drinking!
      Glad to help!

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  5. That is so sweet that you water the bees too, Cheryl. One year I made zucchini pineapple out of zucchini. It was so good and tasted just like pineapple.

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    1. I love zucchini pineapple. That will be a recipe I share with everyone.

      Got to take care of my pollinators!

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  6. So jealous of your tomatoes. It is going to be a while before mine are ripe. Would you share your favorite zucchini recipe?
    Are the purple flowers coneflowers? I have been trying to get some started, but I didn't know they would smell good. My Dad planted me a sprig of Rose of Sharon years ago, and it bloomed for the first time this week. My Daddy has been gone for 10 years, but it is like he came to visit this week.
    Hope you have a good week.
    Kathy

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    1. I will be sharing several of our favorite zucchini recipes over the next couple weeks. Keep reading!!!

      Yes that is what the flowers are, or others know it as Echinacea. The roots are used in herbal remedies - I have never tried to harvest.

      Oh how special that bloom had to be for you!!! That is so cool. Many of my flowers came from starts at my folks - so they just mean a lot. Now you can have dad close by every time you see a bloom!!
      Blessings

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  7. You made me and the hubs laugh with your Bubba Gump of zucchini comment! My oldest friend moved to New Hampshire about 25 years ago. It was summer and she was from Los Angeles. In her first week there, a helpful neighbor saw her going out to her car and flagged her down. He told my friend to make sure she locked her car doors or she'd be sorry. Friend was so disappointed to hear that crime was high in such a small town. She drove into town and parked outside the deli. She didn't bother locking it because she was able to see it through the window. When she went out 10 minutes later, she got into her car and was surprised to see 2 brown paper bags in the passenger seat....filled up with zucchini!!! When she tried to give some to her neighbor, he said, "You ignored me and left your car unlocked, didn't you?" I think of that every summer when I see the piles of them at church, the library, etc!!

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    1. That is a hilarious story. I thought it was going toward crime too! I know several people who say they can't give them away in the summer - quite a prolific little plant.
      Thanks for the laugh!

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  8. They want a $1.00 a piece for zucchini at the farmers market. I'm going to cherish everyone out of my garden. Your book sounds like a great book to have. I can't wait to see your recipes. Have a great night.

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    1. I noticed last week at the grocery they were 1.49 lb. WOW! There are just so many things to do with summer squash. I am glad you are looking forward to them. We always enjoy them.
      Have a good one.

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  9. Beautiful flowers. I like to see laundry on the line. I can't do it here but I have a couple racks and hang some on hangers in the laundry room. I wish my zucchini plant would grow some zucchini. They flower and the flowers drop off. They must all be males. Nancy

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    1. Nancy you might take a Q-tip to the flower buds on your zucchini to help pollinate. it does sound like a lot of male blooms.
      Have a good one!

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  10. Ok, so I "bought" some zucchini to make zucchini bread...lol

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    1. Hey a girls got to do what a girls got to do!!!!!
      ENJOY!

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  11. Good afternoon. I was going to ask about zucchini "faux pineapple preserves" too because I just discovered a recipe for them. I know there is also a recipe for "fake apple pie" using zucchini also.

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    1. Today was jam. Preserves or jam could be done with any flavor gelatin.
      Pie will be later.
      Great minds think alike!!!!!

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