I got back to life with a punch. Trips back and forth, bringing things from the city to the country. Packing packing packing. Since the country is officially my full time pad, and has been for the last few years, there is no sense in keeping all my stuff in the city. I still feel a tinge foggy in my head from being sick, like, I am in a little world of my own. Like, there is a box muffling the world, wrapped around my head. But all in all, I feel great. Hooooray! Living again feels so good. Thank you so much for your kind words. They meant so much to me, all isolated in my room.
I felt like I had been away from my life. I had not been that sick since I was a child. I have not hugged Mister Lovee in so long, for fear of getting him sick. So, now I feel like I am back from a dark journey, and I am beyond elated!!
Mister Lovee watered the vegetable garden while I was sick, and I just could not wait to get out there and see what was going on.
You can imagine my delight, in spying big juicy turnips.
I was so excited about my little turnips growing so big, I could hardly contain myself. But, who do you tell? A tree?
I said to Matty and Miles, looooooook, looook, as I held up a turnip.
But they just looked all around wildly-
thinking that I was alerting them to a lizard or vermin.
Mister Lovee had not noticed the growing turnips whilst watering, so he was very surprised.
I had to cook some up right away.
You can peel the skins before cooking them, and probably should, since the skins can be bitter. But the insides are sweeeeet as can be. And, if you taste one raw, they have a tiny bite, a bit like a radish, kinda sorta.
You cook them in the same way you would, say a potato.
But, not for as much time.
There are still dozens and dozens more turnips to harvest.
Miles love to sniff around the garden.
He is so intrigued by everything.
Tip-toeing…
The last of the broccoli went to full flower while I was ill.
But, I saved as much as I could.
I love a few flowers in my meals.
The cabbages are coming along beautifully.
Boy, did they take forever.
It did say that on the seed package though – slow growing.
The key to the success of the garden really is giving everyone room.
Thinning things out, so they have room to grow and flourish.
It was hard for me to learn that, and implement it.
Thinning really is key.
Mister Lovee has been trying to get me to realize that for years – but I had to find out for myself I guess.
Since I had gathered a nice assortment of veggies from the garden, I decided we should eat some brussels sprout plant tops as well.
I have to really recommend brussels sprouts in your veggie garden.
Every part of the plant was good to eat.
The leaves, the sprouts themselves and now the cabbage like creature that grows way atop the stalk, right in the center of the plant…
Doesn’t it look like a cabbage?
Snip, and off to roast…
In the photo below….
The brussels sprout cabbage like edible is at the top –
And, you can see how tight the brussels sprout is.
Below it is a baby cabbage that I cut in half and roasted as well.
I threw everything in a pan (turnips sliced, babby cabbage, brussels sprout top and some fingerling potatoes, love the purple ones!) with a drizzle of olive oil and some sea salt, and roasted everything at 400’F for 20 mins.
I love roasted vegetables and a piece of toast as a meal.
You know, one thing I learned while being sick was that, it is crucial to keep some good stuff in your freezer.
Right before I got sick I roasted one of our last giant fairytale pumpkins from the fall, which I find to be the best flavor.
I pureed it, and had a ton for freezing in 3 cup increments. I also made a massive pumpkin pie with a huge pie dish my mom gave me recently. (took twice the amount of time to cook)
So, Mister had a pie while I was sick, which was so nice for him.
I had also made homemade chili with kidney beans and ground turkey – from scratch using those hanging red dried Hatch chilies again. And, I had made chicken soup days before, which I had frozen some of.
So, my freezer was stocked with good stuff for being sick.
Which makes me realize, how good it is to keep a few meals in your freezer, just in case.
I don’t mind leftovers at all.
In fact, I love left overs, what about you?
So, I think I need to cook up some good hearty healthy meals, and freeze up again right away.
Even if you are not sick, it’s nice to have something healthy, ready to defrost and eat.
Isn’t it?
Do you freeze as you go?
Any good tips?
Well….
Back to unpacking my car I go.
I can’t wait to catch up with my life.
Love, Vanessa
Ohhh…I’m so glad you’re feeling back to normal (well, except for the cottony head).
Reading about your vegetable garden makes me want to build a few above ground boxes in my back yard. It’s so comforting and exciting to know you have food to pick from your own yard. I’m excited to see my little patch of carrots popping up out of the ground! I think it’s almost time to start thinning them.
Hey…do you know who Ruth Stout is? I’m sure you must. If not, you should google her and watch the 2 youtube videos from a show that was filmed for public television in the 1970s. She’s an amazing woman/gardener.
Take good care of yourself and enjoy being back to good health.
xoxo
Kim
Gerushia’s New World
What is it about gardening that so inspires you? Why do you enjoy it so much? Just curious 🙂
P.S. I was reading one of your other posts on the related search thingymajigger at the bottom of each post and it was about your Patisserie. Well, you have really inspired me to start my own imaginary one, just for myself. I was just wondering what you did for decorations and such and if you had any suggestions. Thanks!
Hey Siseroo! Those turnips look great! I have always been envious of your green thumb… as you know everything seems to wilt and die a slow painful death if it’s in my care 🙁 I don’t mean for that to happen, but I think I like the patience of a good gardener.
It’s snowing here today, so I am all crabby. Enjoy that warmth. I am glad you’re feeling better.
Suerte with the moving of your items!
Your grilled veggie combo looks totally delish!! Generally I think leftovers are da bomb with all the flavors matured and wonderful, especially soups.
I’m so glad you are feeling better! Having a spring cold is no fun at all, especially when all you want to do is go out and play. Honey Man and I just got new bikes and are enjoying toodling around in this wonderful spring weather.
Have a great day!!
Always, Queenie
Kimlove, OH, Ruth Stout!! What an incredible gal! I feel a Ruth
Stout obsession coming on!!! I love her ways! Everyone should follow
her joie de vivre that she had, dont you think???? Thank you so much for
bringing her up!!! looooooove ya 😉
Jessica, good question!!!! What is it about gardening….
hmmm…. I dont know. You know how you fall in love with
something? Like a band, a song? A style? something that
beckons you and you cant get enough??? You are intrigued with every
little morsel of it? And you want a part of it so bad that you go and get
it? That is how I feel about gardening. I feel about the earth, the
way I felt about boy crushes and falling in love. Also, I had a very bad
break-up in my early 20s and the thing that I found to keep my mind from
spiraling into an abyss of sadness was gardening – my first taste of it.
It took all the sadness away from me, and made me even glad for that break-up in
the end. It showed me something magical, and then told me – you can have
some of it, just take these seeds. Care from them, water them, watch them
grow. And that was it, I was hooked beyond belief. I guess I am
obsessed with watching things grow. And then, to top it off, they give you
gifts likes flowers and edibles. Its just astounding to me – the gift of
it all. It is my best love I ever found. Next to art that is
😉
I agree Queenie, the flavors get better for sure. I have a friend who
loathes left overs, and I could never understand it. I longed for the
leftover containers growing up. Mmm, left over everything made me so
happy. I love finding yesterdays edibles, already made, hoooray! Oh
and biking with your love? What blisssss!!!
Sister – SNOW, bleh. I like it, but I can see how if spring is here,
you want spring. Packing, awful horrid. I never want to do it
again. I dont know how you have done it so many times. Bleh bleh
bleh!
Jess – patisserie tips….well, I cant think now, but i bet that old post
has lots of ideas :)))) Like candies and pretty packaging, and pink
lights… and doilies!!! ;)))
http://afancifultwist.typepad.com/a_fanciful_twist/2011/02/a-patisserie-of-the-imaginary-variety.html
I am glad you found refuge for your heart and soul through gardening 🙂 Such a wonderful passtime, to watch things sprout to life and grow into beautiful flowers or delicious edibles! And I was looking through the patisserie post for ideas, (and let me tell you, ideas are certainly plentiful in that post!) and I’ve gathered some good inspirations 🙂 Thanks so much! The only trouble is finding a place for the patisserie in my home… a place for all of the trinkets and paper creations I plan on putting there…wish me luck!
your question about leftovers has funny timing, my aunt & I were just talking about how we like leftovers this morning! I ate lots of mashed turnips as a child (my grandparents loved them) but I find that I really prefer them peeled & raw these days, they seem much sweeter that way. Glad you are feeling better!
Vanessa, I’m so glad you’re feeling better. And I don’t mind leftovers at all either. In fact, sometimes they are better the next day. I love fresh vegetables from the garden. So good! :))))
I’m glad you’re back home after your dark journey.
I never tried a turnip until this year–and now I must make up for those wasted un-turnippy years. Yum! I will plant some (and won’t neglect to thin them) this year. It’s still pretty cold in my northerly clime.
Oh my gooosh.
I just whipped up some
Large grain gritty
Savory cornmeal porridge.
Cooking it in that gourmet
Chicken stock with
The sweating red onion and garlic
Was divine.
Once it was finished
Cooking in the oven and getting
It’s stirring every 7 min.
It popped out all bubbly and creamy.
Stirring in 3 gobbles of butter,
Then freshly fluffly grated Parm via France.
And of course some-salt and pepper
Pepper and salt.
We served spring growies from our
Garden over it.
We were tickled inside and out,
And laughed while we ate it.
The dear spirits of the garden
Call us home.
To feast and love
Laugh and cry.
Living in natures
Lullaby.
A merry Easter week to you missy and all. xo ze pinkster
Just stopping by to say hello from my teeny tiny townhouse. We are on a similar journey right now with the moving of boxes. I have a serious “stuff” problem. Loving the little house though.
**blows kisses** Deb
Glad to have you back! Miss V!
And your wondrous vegetables look divine to eat!
I enjoy eating baked veggies, they seem to melt in your mouth with such succulent and mellow flavors.
Dang! This year is already going by way too fast! Horrors!!! Well…it’s not Halloween yet, it’s still spring and I’m lovin’ it!
My hubby bought me a couple of cabinets to store my crafts in…I mean BIG cabinets so I can label plastic bins, small, medium, and large so I know where everything is by looking through the glass doors of the cabinets readily available for my craft whims. It will be so nice after having everything in computer sized boxes. It is so hard to down size when you love all of your goodies.
Cheers!
Miss Teresa
I am so happy you are feeling better, Vanessa. I felt that way last October – I was ill for nearly two weeks! It was just awful. I like turnips, but not as much as I like brussels sprouts. I like them steamed, with a touch of olive oil and salt and pepper. Yum!!! 🙂 We are starting basil and tomatoes from seedlings. It is so fun watching them grow! xoxo