Garden Tradition

Tomorrow is the first "official" day of spring! Can I hear a yippee! ;) 

I love spring. I love to watch the transformation of  a grey, dry pasture, turn into a crisp green field of coastal. I love to look at the little buds coming out of the otherwise dead looking tree branches. I like to see the wild flowers pop up on the side of the road, and especially love when the babies bring their Momma a handful of flowers that they found. :) 

And my most FAVORITE favorite part of spring? 

If you read the title of this post you can probably guess it. Gardening. 

My family has been gardening my entire life. I wouldn't know what to do if there was no gardening. Ha! 

But in all seriousness, I love it. I absolutely love to watch a plain patch of dirt, transform into a full, green garden, full of things that you can eat! :) 

Growing up, my very earliest memories of my Grandpa and Grandma's house, is going out to the back and picking things out of the garden. I especially remember picking carrots, taking them to the sink, and standing on a stool helping Grandma wash them, and then eating them. 

With the exception of meat and dairy, my Grandparents pretty much lived off the land. Every kind of vegetable you could think of, fruit trees, berry patches, they had it all. Grandma cooked, canned, preserved, pickled, froze, and baked with it all. Moving to the hill country my parents continued the tradition and started their own garden. And since moving out on MY own, I have continued the tradition on to my own family! I want my kids to grow up with the same love for the outdoors and gardening, that I have. And so far I have been blessed with them loving it too! ;) 

We planted ours this evening. I am excited because we have expanded our space from last year, and we now have room for 17 different plants! 

Corn

 Okra

Green Beans

Peas

 Cucumbers

Tomatoes - large and cherry size, the kids love to eat the cherry tomatoes right off the vine. 

Green and Yellow Bell Peppers

Jalapenos

"Blaze of Glory" variety of hot peppers

Strawberries

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Squash 

Zuchinni 

Sweet Onions & Green Onions

And last but not least... Carrots. :) 

The kids really enjoyed the planting process this year. They are really starting to get the hang of it! (Tear... my babies are growing up...)

Wyatt's favorite is the corn

Tay is most excited about the watermelon and cantaloupe. 

 

Sneak peek of  mommy and daddy behind the scenes! ;) 

I of course will be taking pictures of the progress, and hope to update with a few posts along the way! :) 

Happy Spring Y'all! :) 

Grandma's Okra Recipe

We are finally having some cool weather here in Texas, and I am loving it! I am so welcoming the breezy evenings with my windows open, sweater weather, and my kid's long sleeve jammies. I just love those.
But, the one thing I know I will miss about the summer weather, is my garden.
 I come from a family of gardeners. My grandpa has always had a garden. I have many childhood memories of going and helping him pick carrots, tomatoes, and trying to pick the blackberries off the bush without getting stickers in my fingers. The gardening continued with my dad and mom, who built us a garden at their house, and we have kept one every year since middle school. Now that I am on my own, with my own family, I decided it was time to plant one for us, and to start teaching Taylor & Wyatt some gardening tips.

This spring we planted tomatoes, green beans, okra, squash, zuchinni, jalapenos, and cucumbers. Even in the extreme drought of summer, we managed to harvest quite a few vegetables that were so very tasty!

 My okra plants have done the best. They love the hot weather.

Today I am going to share with you a favorite recipe from my grandma. Okra & Tomatoes. What I love about this recipe is that it is a perfect fall meal! Almost like a soup, you can enjoy it to warm you up on a cool evening.  A perfect way to use up the last of those okra crops before they freeze!

What You'll Need:
Okra
Bacon (2-3 slices)
Small Onion
1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
Season Salt
Pepper
Tony's Creole Seasoning

First step, pick and wash your okra!
Then, cut up okra in small pieces.

While cutting up your okra, start browning some bacon in a pan. For this size recipe I used two slices.
Once  the bacon is partially browned, add some onion and simmer.
Once the onions are softened, then you add your okra! (Your kitchen should be smelling delicious by now.) Season with salt, pepper, and Tony's to taste. I love to cook with Tony's. It adds the perfect kick to any recipe. You can add as little or as much as you like depending on how spicy you want your okra...

Lastly, add your tomatoes and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until your okra is thoroughly cooked and tender.

Serve this hot recipe up with some cornbread and you have got yourself a yummy treat for a cold day.
Enjoy!