Better Tomato Plants

Okay, so last year was the first year, since I had my two oldest children, that I finally started gardening again. I had big plans that fell to the wayside. (How I wish I had taken pictures.) I grew tomatoes and other vegetable plants, but because I didn't amend the dirt, my plants were puny and didn't do well. It didn't help that some of my plants were attacked by local critters (e.g. cutworms and squirrels). 

Fast forward to this year. I was determined, despite the state of my physique (I was seven to eight months pregnant and quite bossy with my Mr. Man). In April and May, I purchased tomato plants and double dug the dirt (yes, while I was seven to eight months pregnant). I made my Mr. Man not only build me two raised beds, but also go get compost from the county's free compost pile. I amended that patch of dirt with compost and other organic matter (e.g. bone meal, blood meal) before planting twelve tomato plants. I also used this method of planting tomato plants.

Now, that patch of dirt doesn't get the most sun, but it does get at least four to five hours of sun and that's the best I can do for the time being (short of cutting down a tree and ripping up my front yard). The only thing I hoped for was that it would do better than last year. As the weeks passed, I discovered some tomato plants that I grew from seed, two surprise volunteer plants from last year's tomato plants, and several self-sprouted tomato plants I found in my compost pile, so I planted them in containers and made room on the other side of my amended patch of dirt.

Well, a month later, I'm so surprised by the results. The tomato plants are huge and already sprouting flowers. I know we've had an early spring and the weather's a great contributor to the plants being so big. At the same time, the soil amendments and fertilizer have worked wonders for the plants. I've been trying to deeply water my plants every few days and continue feeding them organic fertilizers. I know my plants aren't going to grow and be six feet tall (due to the lack of light), but I'm hoping for something better than last year (my expectations are low and I'm hoping for more than a dozen tomatoes from twelve plants). I'm really hoping that my gardening won't fall to the wayside this year. Of course, life gets in the way sometimes. But I'll try really hard to not give up on my tomato plants this year.

How is your garden doing so far?

Dried Chili Pepper Flakes

I love love love hot peppers and pepper condiments. Other than eating pepper as a pepper dip, I try and make some form of pepper condiment for my own personal use (e.g. pickled jalapeno, preserved salsa). This time, I finally gave in and made some dried chili pepper flakes.

I made a batch several years ago, but ran out of it last year. I was going to make some at the end of this last summer, but I was on a trip and didn't get back in time to pick any ripened chili peppers. I hate paying for chili peppers, especially since I or my mother-in-law grow so much of it during the summer. Unfortunately, much of our homegrown peppers are frozen to last through the year. This means I'm usually not able to turn those peppers into some yummy condiment. 

So, while I was at the Asian store, I saw packaged red ripened Thai chili peppers and knew that I just had to do it. I purchased a pack (and even went back and got another pack) with the intent to make my own dried chili pepper flakes. I've also spent too much money on prepackaged dried chili flakes/powder to only discover that they were not spicy. So, the DIY route was the only way for me to go, especially if I wanted something spicy.

I ended drying the peppers in my oven and using my food processor to grind them into coarse flakes. I'd like the flakes to be a bit smaller, but that would require a finer grind that my food processor might not be able to do (and something my nose might not be able to take in). Overall, the end result was great. The peppers I got were spicy hot and I can't wait to use them in my next dish.

General Recipe for Dried Chili Pepper Flakes

Raw peppers (I used thai chili peppers)

1. Wash and cut chili peppers into small pieces (e.g. cut in half or split open the peppers). Use gloves while cutting peppers.
2. Put foil on a baking sheet. Spread chili peppers on the foil.
3. Turn oven to the lowest setting (my oven only went to 170 degrees Fahrenheit). Put chili peppers into middle rack of oven. Close oven door, but not fully. Use a pair of tongs or an oven safe spoon to prop oven door several inches open (this will help remove moisture from the oven). This will release a peppery smell in the house, so open doors/windows, turn of fans and air purifier.
4. Stir peppers every 30 to 45 minutes. Keep chili peppers in the oven for about 2 to 3 hours (depending on how many peppers you have and how low you've set your oven temperature).
5. Once the peppers are dry and papery, turn off oven. You can leave the peppers in the oven to continue to dry with the residual heat or take it out.
6. Cool the peppers. Once cooled, put peppers into a food processor or spice grinder and grind to desired size. (I'd recommend grinding outside because the pepper flakes may escape and fly around the house and cause sneezing and a peppery smell.)
7. Store in a dry container and use as desired.

Hello, Baby!

Friday's Quote: Maya Angelou

"All great achievements require time."---Maya Angelou

When my first son was born, I had this great idea of planting a tree or something in honor of his birth, and this idea too continued with my second. I had bought a fig tree and hoped it would grow in a pot since fig trees aren't hardy enough for my zone 4. But it was not meant to be. As for my second, since I had him so soon after I gave birth to my first, I didn't have the time or energy to even think about planting or gardening.

Fast forward to today and to the curious times we're living in right now, I have a little bit more time and am making the effort to get back into gardening again (last year was my first attempt and it turned out okay). So, today, I planted a Heritage raspberry plant for my children. They both love picking and eating fresh raspberries. I had an inkling during the last two years, but I didn't get my lazy butt to actually do something until this spring. It really was just a matter of where to plant the raspberry plant (since they spread so quickly and crazily). I was bemoaning the fact that had I known four years ago how much my boys love eating fresh raspberries, I would've planted several plants and the plants would be mature enough now to give them bumper crops (all great achievements require time). Oh well, better late than never.

With the Heritage raspberry plant, my boys might actually get a small crop in the fall (meaning a handful). Hopefully, that will bring some happiness to their tummies until the plant has more time to grow, expand, and fully mature.

I hope all is well in your neck of the world. What do you have growing in your garden?

Maple Sugaring 2020

I had meant to publish this blog post back in the middle of March, but with everything that had been happening to the world (and still happening), plus I was having a hard time uploading my pictures, I couldn't find the time to publish this blog post. I guess late is better than never.

The last time I tapped my maple trees was back in 2013. Seven years ago! Can you believe it? It feels like it was last year that I tapped my trees, but seven years had passed. Life had gotten busy (e.g. broken and mended relationships, marriage, children, and raising of said children), but that's not to say that I hadn't thought of or asked my Mr. Man to tap our trees during those seven years.

This year, I had to tap my trees. So, I made an initiative and kept it in the back of my mind. When Valentine's Day came around (that's how I keep track of maple sugaring time), I reminded my Mr. Man and told him that it was time. We used the same methods as before, but this time I got stainless steel chafing pans to burn down the sap, which worked great. (Last time, I used an aluminum pan that left a slight aluminum aftertaste in the syrup.)

This year, due to an early spring, was a really long maple sugaring season. One of my maple trees is dying, so we were down one tree, but we still got enough sap to make syrup to last through the year. It's not too much work, but it can be time-consuming, especially with toddlers underfoot.

Like in previous years, we made do with what we had and used food-grade plastic piping to tap the sap. Plastic gallon jugs collected sap. Once we got enough, we boiled the sap using a propane tank or over an open fire. Once the sap got close to the syrup stage, I brought it inside the house and finished it off. Lastly, I canned it.

After all that work, I'm thinking about the future. One of my maple trees is dying and I'm thinking about planting a sugar maple to replace it in my yard. I'll just have to figure out where to plant it. At the same time, one of our neighbors said that we could tap their maple trees next year, which is a possibility, but I'll have to think about it some more.



We've been enjoying our syrup on pancakes and in other ways. I hope you are doing well and staying safe in your little part of the world.

Staying Home and Staying Safe

Since this pandemic, I've been home with my boys. My Mr. Man is also working from home and we've quarantined ourselves. Unless necessary, we don't go and see anyone, nor do we let anyone come into our home. It's been tough on us and on our boys, who want to go to the store or the playground. They just want to be out. 

Even with the early spring, despite the several snow storms in the last few days, it's not enough to keep my rambunctious toddlers busy. They've had too much electronics, have played with all of their toys, and read all of their books. They miss playing with others, going out, being at the playground, and just doing what they use to do. They ask to go to certain places and it's hard trying to explain to them that there's a pandemic going on and we need to stay home to be safe. Of course, they've accepted much of what's happening around them without too many issues. Of course, they're also going a little bit crazy from the isolation.

Who knows how long this is going to last. I'm just counting all of my blessing, sending out love to the world, and continuing to stay home to stay safe. In these uncertain times, I hope that you too are staying safe.

Tuesday's Tune: Dancing By Myself

 This song popped up on a YouTube page I was looking at. It's a song that was originally released by Robyn and had a fast beat. Yet, I prefer this version of the song by Calum Scott.

Now, I hadn't listened to this song or its lyrics before. So, when it showed up, I thought, "Why not?" Well, this song brought back some memories. Memories that I hadn't expected. Memories of a lovely man.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I was in love with a lovely man. But I broke his heart and I had to let him go. Imagine my surprise, one night, when a friend sent me texts telling me that I had to get to a party that she was at. She said that he was at that same exact party and I needed to come.

Of course, I wanted to run out and go to that party. I wanted to see him and be in the same vicinity as him. Yet, I held back and stayed home. (I think he may have met his future wife at that party that night.) No matter how much I missed him, I knew he wasn't coming back. I knew I'd be dancing on my own. If I had gone, it would've been another opportunity to only say good-bye again. We weren't going to leave the party together. You see, I had already told him that I'd let him go and I wanted him to be happy. He'd already made up his mind to move from me, so he didn't need another reminder that I'd broken his heart.

Am I regretful for not attending that party? No. In hindsight, we both ended up with the person we each needed to end up with. It's just funny how this song brought up memories that I hadn't thought of in a long time.

Does this song remind you of anything or anyone in particular? What do you think of this song?

Icelandic Sunrise

Iceland, Taken September 15, 2019

Books of 2019

1. Lethal Licorice---Amanda Flower
2. Premeditated Peppermint---Amanda Flower
3. City of Ink---Elsa Hart
4. Assaulted Caramel---Amanda Flower
5. Jade Dragon Mountain---Elsa Hart
6. Plainly Murder---Isabella Alan
7. Murder, Plain and Simple---Isabella Alan
8. Plain Murder---Emma Miller
9. The White Mirror--Elsa Hart
10. Plain Killing---Emma Miller
11. Minimum Wage Magic---Rachel Aaron
12. The Governess Affair--Courtney Milan
13. Valley of Dry Bones---J.F. Penn
14. House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery--Liz Rosenberg
15. Lady Luck Runs Out---Shannon Esposito
16. The Coroner's Lunch---Colin Cottrell
17. For Pete's Sake---Shannon Esposito
18. The Witches of New York---Ami McKay
19. Thirty-Three Teeth---Colin Cottrell
20. Greensmith Girls---Raven Snow
21. The Hazel Wood---Melissa Albert
22. Love Story---Lauren Layne
23. Midsummer Night's Mischief---Jennifer David Hesse
24. Bell, Book, and Candlemas---Jennifer David Hesse
25. Yuletide Homicide---Jennifer David Hesse
26. Samhain Secrets---Jennifer David Hesse
27. Mayday Murder---Jennifer David Hesse
28. Disco for the Departed---Colin Cotterill
29. Anarchy and Old Dogs---Colin Cotterill
30. Once a Wife---Patricia Keelyn
31. The Bride Price---Mai Neng Moua
32. 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do---Amy Morin
33. Shop till You Drop---Elaine Viets
34. This Will Only Hurt a Little---Busy Philipps
35. Murder Between the Covers---Elaine Viets
36. Someday, Maybe---Lauren Graham
37. Kindred---Octavia E. Butler
38. Criminally Cocoa---Amanda Flower
39. The Night Tiger---Yangsze Choo
40. Bewitched and Betrothed---Juliet Blackwell
41. Wicked Fox---Kat Cho
42. Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune---Roselle Lim
43. Enchanted, Inc.---Shanna Swendson
44. The Wedding Party--Jasmine Guillory
45. Caught Dead Handed---Carol J. Perry
46. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler---Kelly Harms
47. Casting Spells---Barbara Bretton
48. The Graveyard Book---Neil Gaiman
49. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe---Heather Webber
50. Curse of the Pogo Stick---Colin Cotterill
51. Bird Box---Josh Malerman
52. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill---Abbi Waxman
53. The Alchemist---Paulo Coelho
54. Spin the Dawn---Elizabeth Lim
55. Prince---Afshin Shahidi
56. The Garden of Small Beginnings, Abbi Waxman
57. Gods of Jade and Snow---Silvia Moreno-Garcia
58. Autumn Alibi---Jennifer David Hesse
59. The Dinner List---Rebecca Serle
60. The Lost Night---Andrea Bartz
61. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts---Kate Racculia
62. The Plastic Magician---Charlie N. Holmberg
63. Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop---Rebecca Raisin
64. Hexes and Exes---Raven Snow
65. Part-Time Gods---Rachel Aaron
66. If the Shoe Kills---Lynn Cahoon
67. Dressed to Kill---Lynn Cahoon
68. Murder on Wheels---Lynn Cahoon
69. Tea Cups and Carnage---Lynn Cahoon
70. Hospitality and Homicide---Lynn Cahoon
71. Rockets Dead Glare---Lynn Cahoon
72. The Girl with Ghost Eyes---M.H. Boroson
73. The Vine Witch---Luanne G. Smith
74. Grave Destiny---Kalayna Price
75. The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay---Kelly Harms

I read a lot of books in 2019 (at least compared to my previous reading lists). I don't even know if I've listed all of the books that were read in 2019 and if any more comes to my mind, I'll update the list at a later time.

The book that made the most impact on me and one that I'd highly recommend that you read, paul Coelho's The Alchemist. It's a little book, but it's a fantastic book about following your dreams, having faith, and just believing in yourself.

I hope you had a good reading year in 2019. Now, it's time to get cracking with new books for 2020 (it's been a slow start for me so far).

Are there any books you'd recommend based on what you read in 2019?

Follow-Through 2020

Each year, for the last several years, I've chosen a word to guide me through the year, rather than make New Year resolutions. This year, I've chosen the word(s) follow-through/follow through. (When the word is hyphenated, it's a noun and when it's not, it's a verb.) Regardless of how it's spelled, I've decided that 2020 will be the year where I will follow through on all the things that I've started or thought about starting in 2019.

I look back on 2019 and it's a year where I've set myself up to start so many projects. For whatever reasons (i.e. a lack of time, lack of belief in myself, the first steps I've made are only the beginning in a very long term project, etc.), I know that there are still a lot of unfinished projects that I want to see finished. So, it's my good intentions to follow through on as many of these projects and finish them or get the projects to the next level. It's time to follow through on what I've started and the momentum I've built so far.

I know it's going to take a lot of focus, concentration, and hard work, but I know I can do it. I just have to keep myself accountable or figure out a way to motivate myself even more than before. I think just knowing that I will be using this word to guide me in 2020 it already a good step.

I hope you are doing well. Did you make resolutions for 2020 or do you have a guiding word? Care to share?