Weekly Check In - Spring has Sprung!

At least that is what the calendar says.  We are still waiting here in Minnesota for actual spring.  As you can see, my garden is still under quite a bit of snow! Andy is on spring break this week - he was joking around yesterday saying that he hopes the snow is gone by the first day of summer vacation!

Meanwhile, my seedlings are all doing great.  They have all sprouted now - even the peppers.  They are still pretty small, but they have lots of time to grow big and strong.

Weekly Check In - St. Patty's Day

It has been one week since I planted my seeds and most of them are now seedlings.  The peppers are the only ones that haven't sprouted yet.  I only have a heating mat under half of them so I've been rotating them as they sprout.  The peppers haven't been on the heat mat that long yet.  Since they are heat lovers I should have had them on the heat mat first. 

Last year on St. Patty's Day it was 80 degrees and Spring had come early to Minnesota.  Today it is in the 30s, we have lots of snow and are expecting more snow tonight.  March is so unpredictable here.

I am trying to use up the last of last year's veggies.  I have beef stew in the slow cooker for tonight because it is the only way I can get my family to eat parsnips and they are starting to grow a lot of tiny little roots and are looking quite hairy.  I like parsnips but I don't like them enough to eat them all up myself.  I can get the husband to eat them roasted with other root veggies but the kid will pick them out.  Everyone eats them mixed in with beef stew though - of course that is because kiddo doesn't know they are in there.

I also cooked up a few squashes and made some puree that I turned into delightful mini bundt cakes that are disappearing fast.  Kiddo saw me cooking up the squashes (which he thought were pumpkins) and reminded me that he doesn't like pumpkin.  I reminded him that he does when they are made into muffins. 

Mini Squash and Pineapple Bundt Cakes

1 1/2 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour - but you can use any flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup squash puree
1/2 cup coconut oil (or any shortening or butter or margarine)
2 eggs, beaten
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves

Heat oven to 350.  Sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda.  In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.  Pour into bowl with dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Pour into greased mini bundt pans (or muffin cups).  Bake 20 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick.  Remove from pan.  Cool. 

Icing is optional.  I used a cream cheese icing (made with Tofutti brand fake cream cheese since we are dairy free). 

Enjoy!

Please leave a comment and let me know how your garden it growing.

The 2013 Growing Season has Begun!

I'm so jealous of my friends down south who have already started their gardens!  I am so over this winter and ready to start gardening.  The weather outside is still very wintery and not spring like at all - although it did rain most of the day today.  Even with the rain melting some of the snow, there is still plenty left.  

So I did what every good northerner will do when they can't get outside and garden yet - I started my seedlings inside!  It doesn't look like it will be an early spring, but I will be ready when spring decides to come.  Last year we had an early spring and things just got away from me and I didn't start my own seeds - I didn't want to repeat that this year so I'm starting a little earlier than I normally do. 

I planted tomatoes, bell peppers (mixed colors), mini bell peppers (first time growing these I hope they do well), brussels sprouts, watermelon (this is actually for Andy - he always grows these and this year he picked out a seedless personal size variety), fennel (another first for me - I never knew I liked fennel until a couple of years ago and now I can't get enough of it), and cucumbers (also for Andy - can you believe the little boy that was a preschooler when I started this blog is now a TEENAGER!).

I will probably start more seeds next week or the week after.  I'm happy for now to be started growing!

I even nicely labeled them.  I have the specific variety on the back of the stakes. 

In previous years I have used yogurt cups, egg cartons and such to start my plants.  I think that was part of my problem in getting behind last year was gathering together planting cups and cutting drainage holes in the bottom.  It was a great idea to use them one more time before recycling but honestly, buying square pots is easier - and I got nice plastic covers that fit on top so nicely so I don't have to mess with sheets of plastic on top. 

Have you started your garden yet?  What are you growing?

So excited to have a resident bat!

Isn't he adorable?  He showed up yesterday and attached himself to the side of our garage - doesn't even seem phased by the door opening and closing. 

Why am I so excited to have a bat living on my garage?  Well, truth be told, I'd be happier if he was in my garden - but on my garage is pretty good.  I may have to put up a bat house in the garden to make him more comfortable and to attract some of his friends.  I am excited because bats eat insects - insects that eat my plants.  Heaven knows I have plenty of Japanese Beetles that he can eat! 

Making Raspberry Ice Cubes

One of the many ways I use my raspberries is to make Raspberry Ice Cubes.  I have so many raspberries this year - so many! 

I run my raspberries through my food strainer attachment on my kitchen aide because I don't like seeds in my smoothies or raspberry ice tea.  Then you can just ladle the juice into ice cube trays or you can sweeten it a little first with the sweetener of your choice.  When they are frozen, I just pop them out and store them in a baggie in the freezer. 

They are so easy to use to make smoothies or to add to your ice tea instead of regular ice cubes.  My son likes to suck on them like a Popsicle.

Look what I saw when I opened my curtains this morning!

My plum tree in full bloom! In previous years, it bloomed in Mid-May and Mid-April - so this is the earliest it has ever bloomed! Another sign that Spring is here to stay!

Spring caught me by surprise this year!

It is still March, normally in Minnesota that means spring is still a ways off, but not this year.

I usually start my seedlings indoors the weekend before St. Patrick's Day and then they are the perfect size for my garden when spring does arrive - not this year.

By the time St. Patrick's Day came this year, spring had already sprung and I wasn't ready. So I'm not starting any seedlings this year for the first time in years. Luckily my local food co-op, Mississippi Market Natural Foods, always has a spring plant sale where I know I can get the same kind of plants I would have started myself.

Normally when we have a stretch of warm weather like this I wouldn't call it spring yet - we get plenty of snow here in Minnesota at this time of year - however, in addition to the warm weather, the signs are all there - trees are leafing out, grass is growing (one neighbor actually mowed her lawn today), the tulips and daffodils are in bloom. The Canadian geese are flying through and the robins have returned. Spring has sprung.

Please someone leave a comment and let me know that I'm not the only one who didn't start plants this year.

Happy Spring!