Useful Map!

The cutest fellow on the block showed up at the door with a map that 'takes you anywhere'. This map has greatly improved my sense of direction :-)

I think this map will be on our fridge for a while.....I miss having kid's art so this is precious!

Garden Photos!

Corn and Carrots

Sugar Peas

Beans and Cantaloupe

Veggies growing this year are corn, cucumbers, sugar peas, onion, kale, carrots, swiss chard, spinach, onions, zucchini, pumpkin, soldier beans, blue lake pole beans and green peppers.

Spinach and Swiss Chard

I really need to take a photo of our veggie garden at my parent's abode. We've grown a garden there for some 15 years now - the soil is amazing and do the veggies ever grow!  This morning, I was enjoying that garden at 5:30, picking spinach and swiss chard, and running the water for a good while lest the veggies start wilting due to the scorching sunshine we've been so blessed to have.

As soon as I returned home, the spinach and swiss chard were given a good washing, processed and packaged for the freezer for future meals. Here is a recipe that we all love:

MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE (from More-with-Less Cookbook)

Cook and mash 3-4 large potatoes

Add and mix through potatoes:
1/2 c. sour cream or yogurt
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 c. margarine or butter

Add just enough milk to bring to  proper consistency and beat until fluffy. (I also beat an egg and mix with the milk)

Then add:
1/8 t. dried dill(or maybe parsley or both....)
2 tsp. chopped chives (I use green onion)
1 c. cooked spinach, well drained and chopped. I'm sure swiss chard would work well too.

Place in greased casserole and top with a bit of grated cheddar cheese.
Bake 350 degrees F. for about 20-30 minutes.

Next time a garden photo, complete with a 'keep-out-the-rabbits' fence my Dad engineered...aren't Dads wonderful? He doesn't like gardening but he likes watching things grow :-) Now if I can only convince him that weeding is a blast!