Make Your Own Bath Fizzies

" The Eagle"
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1851


He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.


The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls."

  

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• JUST BLOOMED TODAY
• GARDEN UPDATE
• GARDEN DECORATIONS
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• GARDEN GAMES
• GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0012 BATH FIZZIES
• FEEDBACK

JUST BLOOMED TODAY

GARDEN UPDATE
Have to share with you that I found out a little more about our swarm yesterday. Hubby told me when he took the picture and video, he reached out and grabbed a bee by the wing and tugged gently. An entire line of bees about 3 feet long were hanging onto each other! Those ones fell to the ground then flew back to join the ball. And that was just one small part of the swarm. AMAZING!

GARDEN DECORATIONS
We are big believers in an artistic garden. We also applaud those who think outside the box. And, we believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For example, my MIL has a garden that belongs on the cover of House Beautiful. It is PERFECT. Of course, she has a slew of gardeners to keep it that way. We, on the other hand, are big fans of the natural garden. Where, around every corner, who knows what you may find? We try to incorporate a lot of recycled art, out-of-the-box thinking and let God take care of the rest. We are definitely NOT perfect. And, we like it that way!


Thought I would share with you what we did today. We have white rock on most of our pathways and walkways, but the newer ones we put in last year are just plain dirt and we wanted to enhance that somewhat inexpensively. Rock is expensive, as is bark, and pavers.


Here are two pictures of how we found a solution, for under $20! We think it turned out really nice, and plan to add to it as funds allow.

Oh, and P.S., they're fake!Waterproof and weatherproof, too!

GARDEN GIGGLE

FAUNA

GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0012 BATH FIZZIES

Just in time for Mother's Day or for that special someone, even you! NOTE: You can find citrus acid and coconut oil at your local health food store.

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SWARM!

" A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay,
A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon;
A swarm in July, let them fly"
 Old English Poem

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• JUST BLOOMED TODAY~READER'S GARDEN
• GARDEN UPDATE
• SWARM!
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0011 QUICHE AVEC DES HERBES
• FEEDBACK

JUST BLOOMED TODAY~READER'S GARDEN
Told ya I had a talented family! Here are roses from my sister Virginia's beautiful garden, in southern California.

GARDEN UPDATE

Lots of stuff happening in the garden! Our newest cherry tree has 3 cherries (so far), the new peach tree has two baby peaches and the apricot, pear and apple trees are loaded!

Even the pomegranate tree is full, and the honeysuckle is starting to flower. Freesias flowering, locust trees and umbrella blossoms scenting the air, baby chicks growing and lovely sunshine.

SWARM! 

Today a fairly rare phenomenon occurred, LOL in a few ways! First, the husband woke me at 7am to share with me that there was a gigantic ball of bees in the front pomegranate tree; And that was the second phenomenon- bees swarming. Boy, did we learn a lot!


Swarming is the natural means of reproduction of honey bee colonies. A new honey bee colony is formed when the queen bee leaves the colony with a large group of worker bees, called swarming. 


In the prime swarm about 60% of the worker bees leave the original hive location with the old queen. This swarm can contain thousands to tens of thousands of bees. Swarming is mainly a spring phenomenon, usually within a two to three week period, but occasional swarms can happen during the producing season. Sometimes a beehive will swarm in succession until it is almost totally depleted of workers. Entomologists consider the colony a superorganism. An individual bee without a colony cannot survive for long.


Getting ready for the swarming, the worker bees create queen cups throughout the year. New queens are raised and the hive may swarm as soon as the queen cells are capped and before the new virgin queens emerge from their queen cells. A laying queen is too heavy to fly long distances. Therefore the workers will stop feeding her before the anticipated swarm date and the queen will stop laying eggs. Swarming creates an interruption in the brood cycle of the original colony. During the swarm preparation, scout bees will find a nearby location for the swarm to cluster. This is a temporary stop and the swarm will leave within three days to the final site, based on the excitement of the scout bees.

Photo Credit: James Bratton

When a honey bee swarm emerges from a hive they do not fly far at first. They gather nearby the old hive, where they cluster around the queen and send about 20-50 of the most experienced forager scout bees out to find a suitable location. The scouts return individually to the swarm to promote the location they found, using a dance similar to the waggle dance. The more excited she is about the location, the more excitedly she dances. If she can convince other scouts to check out the location she found, they will check it out and report back. After several hours and sometimes days, slowly a favorite location emerges. When all the scouts agree on a location, the whole cluster takes off and flies to it. 


Swarming creates a vulnerable time in the life of honey bees. The swarm is only provisioned with the nectar or honey they carry in their stomachs. A swarm will starve if it does not quickly find a home and more nectar. At the old hive, the bees raise a new queen, or sometimes a replacement virgin queen is already present.


Hubby was great and took a video for you! You can check it out   here or watch below.Oh, and P.S., the bee swarm left in a few hours and disappeared!

GARDEN GIGGLE

FAUNA

GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0011 QUICHE AVEC DES HERBES 
This is one of my go-to favorite recipes! Super easy to make and oh-so-yummy!

You Will Need:
(6) eggs
(1) cup half and half (half the calories of cream!)
(2) T flour
(1) cup shredded cheese (I usually use low fat mozzarella)
(2) pie crusts, uncooked
your favorite herbs for seasoning- I use them all! (thyme, basil, Italian seasoning, rosemary, garlic pepper, lemon pepper, opal basil, tarragon, oregano, etc)
(1) pkg mushrooms (I use crimini) HINT: get them pre-sliced and save a step)
(1) lb bacon


Preheat oven to 400F. Mix eggs with half and half and whisk together. While constantly whisking, add flour a little at a time. Add your herbs and seasonings. Set aside.


Bake your uncooked pie crusts for about 5 minutes. Since this recipe will make two quiches, you will need to divide your ingredients for each quiche. Remove crusts from oven and layer bacon in the bottom- you can either crumble it or leave it in strips. Then add your cheese and mushrooms. Pour the egg mixture with herbs over the top. Cook at 400F for about 20-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and middle is set.


Let cool  and serve with a crisp salad, warm bread and fresh sliced tomatoes! It will also do well as a left-over. Microwave to warm at about 3 minutes per slice. Share with us if you make one!

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What's a CSA?

" A Great Time"
William H. Davies, 1914


Sweet Chance, that led my steps abroad,
Beyond the town, where wild flowers grow--
A rainbow and a singing bird, Lord,
How rich and great the times are now!
Know, all ye sheep
And cows, that keep
On staring that I stand so long
 In grass that's wet from heavy rain--
May never come together again;
May never come
This side the tomb.

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• JUST BLOOMED TODAY
• GARDEN UPDATE
• WHAT'S A CSA?
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0010 KALE CHIPS
• FEEDBACK

JUST BLOOMED TODAY

GARDEN UPDATE
Another really  nice day, just as promised! It's 80F out there right now and I sat lazily on the porch swing with two puppies flopped down next to me, swinging and watching the mourning doves cavort in the tree canopy overhead. 


Just wanted to give y'all a heads up that Share Our Garden is going to be switching from Blogger to WordPress. You on the e-mail lists will soon receive a new subscription request, all you have to do is to click on the link and you are signed up. Those of you who navigate through Facebook, I will leave the new address for you when it is live. If you are coming to the blog through the website, I will leave a way for you to find us! The new platform is needed because we can't be found in Google or the other search engines; also the new blog will be easier for mobile users to read. Don't worry I will give you advance notice!


WHAT IS A CSA?
Community-supported, or community-shared agriculture, or CSA is an alternative, locally based socio-economic model of agricultural food distribution. A CSA also refers to a particular network or association of individuals who have pledged to support one or more local farms with growers and consumers sharing the risks and benefits of food production.


There are several different business models. In one example, CSA members or subscribers pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit, and also other items such as herbs, cut flowers, soap, honey, eggs, dairy products and meat as well. Some CSA's require a volunteer time donation, either to charity or to the farm, in addition to the monetary subscription fee. These are based on the honor system and it is assumed you will follow through with your time donation. Others will allow you to 'trade' labor for part of your subscription cost.

Another example is the CSA that allows you to choose the items you want to purchase. You would pre-order from their website and then show up at a pre-arranged drop-off point for pick up. This way you have a better choice over what you would receive in your share. We are EXTREMELY blessed to have such a CSA here in the High Desert, Moonstruck Farms, run by the very competent Rowena and Michael McDermott in Phelan.

 

Rowena and her husband, Michael have been administrating this Multiple Farm CSA for the past five years and have learned a lot! She and I sat down for a lovely chat and I picked her brain for all of you.


She originally got into this because she always loved to garden. When they moved up here, her garden kept getting eaten by critters. It was very discouraging, so her husband bought her a 20X40 greenhouse. She started to put together a salad mix that she gave to friends and it was SO popular, she looked into the CSA models as a way to be at home with her growing children and still make a living off their five acres.

She had a group of customers approach her and saw they would prefer not to buy a prearranged share but rather order items separately. So Moonstruck Farms became a Multiple Farm CSA and offers produce, eggs, pork, beef, turkey, chicken, as well as partnering with other farms to offer a great deal more. She built partnerships based on what was missing, and so offers goat milk soaps, natural beauty products, citrus (which will not grow well up here),fruit, organic produce, dream pillows, and natural oils.

I was really impressed by her positive upbeat attitude because, for those of us who have farmed, the work can be brutal. The weather is a constant factor, over which sometimes you have no control. She told me it can be frustrating when this breaks and that breaks; but then you stumble onto something so beautiful, like standing in the field with your husband, watching the cows graze at sunset.


She and Michael are living the American Dream of living off the land. When she added the greenhouse, it was something new and she thought, "I'm amazed at what I can do!". We are, too!


If you live in the High Desert area and would like to contact Moonstruck Farms, here's the link. Don't miss one of Rowena's recipes in the Garden Goodies section today.

GARDEN GIGGLE

FAUNA

GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0010 KALE CHIPS

Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a    non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.

With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.

Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.  

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Wild About Mushrooms

" The Butterfly"

Pavel Friedmann  4.6.1942 

The last, the very last,  

So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.  

Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing 

against a white stone… 

Such, such a yellow  

Is carried lightly ‘way up high.  

It went away I'm sure because it wished to 

kiss the world goodbye. 

For seven weeks I've lived in here,  

Penned up inside this ghetto 

But I have found my people here.  

The dandelions call to me 

And the white chestnut candles in the court.  

Only I never saw another butterfly.  

That butterfly was the last one.  

Butterflies don't live in here,  

In the ghetto.  

The poem is preserved in typewritten copy on thin paper in the collection of poetry by 

Pavel Friedmann, which was donated to the National Jewish Museum during its 

documentation campaign. It is dated June 4, 1942 in the left corner. 

Pavel Friedmann was born January 7, 1921, in Prague and deported to Terezín, a Nazi Concentration Camp on 

April 26, 1942. He died in Auschwitz on September 29, 1944.

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• JUST BLOOMED TODAY
• GARDEN UPDATE
• WILD ABOUT MUSHROOMS
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• GARDEN GAMES
• GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #009 MUSHROOM LETTUCE WRAPS
• FEEDBACK

JUST BLOOMED TODAY

Freesia

GARDEN UPDATE

Warm and wonderful today, reaching to 70F. Everything needed water after all that wind! Not only are the locust trees in bloom, the Texas Umbrella tree is, too and the scents are almost overpoweringly heavenly!

Added five new chicks to our brood. Update on L'Oreal and Maybelline: L'Oreal is now pretty much cured. We used antibiotics and twice daily physical therapy. She walks with a very slight limp and she can RUN! She no longer uses her wing to stand up. Lil' Maybelline is growing as well. We put the new chicks in with them, that'll keep them moving!

WILD ABOUT MUSHROOMS

I had the distinct pleasure of taking a mushroom class from professional chef Malissa Grinnais, who owns and operates Dining In Style professional culinary services.

Malissa is uber-qualified! She is a premier member of the United States Personal Chef Association, a certified Culinary Inspirations Instructor, is ServSafe certified and adheres to the USPCA's Code of Ethics. I will be taking more classes from her which I will share with you.

Today's class was all about mushrooms and healthy eating. Did you know that a cup of mushrooms only has 15 calories? A portobello mushroom 22 calories? So, how do you know which mushroom to use? Here's just a few facts to get you started.


NEVER use mushrooms found in the wild! They could easily be their close cousin, the poisonous toadstool! The commercially available mushroom are all grown under controlled and sterile conditions. For purposes of this article we will be concentrating on the edible mushrooms, NOT the kind Alice ate to become TALL!

Shiitake

SHIITAKE: An edible mushroom native to East Asia, this mushroom is also known as the 'black forest mushroom'. Fresh and dried shiitake have many uses in the cuisines of East Asia. In Chinese cuisine they are often sauteed in vegetarian dishes; In Japan, they are served in miso soup, and also as an ingredient in many steamed and simmered dishes. In Thailand, they may be served either fried or steamed.

Crimini

CRIMINI -Closely related to the common white button mushroom, brown crimini mushrooms are full of flavor and excellent for your immune system.

Portobello

PORTOBELLO: Ah, tricky devil! A brown crimini mushroom which reaches 4-6" is now called a Portobello! The longer you cook this mushroom the meatier it gets. Has many uses. Some people use it whole as a substitute for a hamburger bun when making a burger.

Button Mushroom

BUTTON : A white mushroom with a button cap, it is the most common mushroom found in grocery stores. It is cultivated by mushroom farmers to the tune of $800 million each year, during which the average American consumes 2.2 pounds of mushrooms!

Oyster Mushroom

 OYSTER: A common edible mushroom first cultivated in Germany as a subsistence measure during World War 1 and is now grown commercially around the world for food.

Enoki

 

ENOKI: This mushroom is available fresh or canned, traditionally used for soups but can also be used for salads and other dishes. They have a crisp texture and can be refrigerated for about one week 

Chanterelles

CHANTERELLES: An orange or yellow, meaty and funnel-shaped mushroom. It has a fruity smell and a mildly peppery taste. They are relatively high in Vitamin C, very high in potassium and among the richest sources of Vitamin D known.

My best advice is to take a taste test! Many stores offer smaller bottles of different types of mushrooms, some even a sampling of various kinds. Try them out and see which ones you like. Don't miss Malissa's recipe in our Garden Goodies section below!

GARDEN GIGGLE

FAUNA

GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #009 MUSHROOM LETTUCE WRAPS

Serves 4.
You will need:
FOR THE SAUCE:
(2) T soy sauce
(1) T red wine vinegar or other vinegar
(1) T red wine or dry sherry
(1 1/2) tsp sugar
(1) tsp freshly ground pepper
(1) tsp cornstarch


FOR THE FILLING:
\(4) cups of assorted mushrooms
(2) T vegetable oil
(1) cup celery stalks, strings removed finely diced
(4) scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and minced (3/4 cup)
(1) cup carrots, peeled and finely diced
(2) oz FIRM tofu, finely diced( or chicken can be substituted)
(1) tsp sesame oil*(optional for flavoring. It adds 120 calories)
(2-3) T of lightly toasted pine nuts


TO SERVE:
(8-12) whole Bibb, Boston or Iceberg Lettuce Leaves
Hoisin Sauce


The How-To:
FOR THE SAUCE: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, wine, sugar and pepper. In another small bowl stir together cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Set bowls aside.


FOR THE FILLING: Finely dice mushrooms, which should be about 1 1/2 cups. Place a large wok over high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add mushrooms, celery, carrots and scallions. Stir-fry until celery and carrots are crisp-tender, about 45 seconds. Add soy-sauce mixture and stir for 20 seconds. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds.


Add tofu and toss gently, being careful not to break up tofu. Add sesame oil and toss again. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with pine nuts.


TO SERVE: Place bowl of mushroom filling alongside a platter of lettuce leaves and a small bowl of hoisin sauce. Spread about 1/4 tsp hoisin sauce in center of each lettuce leaf and add 2 Tablespoons of mushroom mixture. Roll up leaf and eat like a taco!

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Going Organic With Bug Killers

" Angel in the Peacock Garden"
Amy Sellers, 2007


I built a garden, brick by brick
a place to sit and pray
And as I planted each new bud
I'd closed my eyes to say

Dear angel in my garden
please listen to my prayer
and lift these words up to the Lord
for children everywhere


I built a garden, day-by-day
a place to find my way
And as I tended to each plant
I'd hear the angels say,


Dear mother in the garden
we've listened to your prayer
the Lord will help in His own way
have patience, don't despair


I pull the weeds and fertilize
the roses reach the sky
and as I pray I feel the angels
as they pass on by


Dear God in Heaven, thank you for
your guidance that you send
through angels in my garden
this holy place I tend. 

 

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• JUST BLOOMED TODAY~READER'S GARDEN
• GARDEN UPDATE
• GOING ORGANIC WITH BUG KILLERS
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• FEEDBACK

JUST BLOOMED TODAY~READER'S GARDENS
More of Aunt Ruth's beautiful garden in Southern California!

GARDEN UPDATE
Pretty windy here in the High Desert. I sat lazily inside watching the trees shake, rattle and dance. A wee bit of rain, and not too cold. Looking forward to those sunny days the weatherman keeps promising for this weekend.


Hubby took Bindi's temp at 4 am the other morn and it was 100F! Amazing! This has been such a fun experience for us to watch the transformation of the compost. Thanks to Virginia for the idea for our topic today!
GOING ORGANIC WITH BUG KILLERS
Going organic is a conscious decision, but an easy one for those of us who have pets or small children, where we are worried about harsh chemicals in our garden or what we eat. Plus, being organic is safe for the plants, people, pets AND the planet!


Bugs are the most effective way of organic pest killing. They are a natural solution to garden pest problems. Here's a list of who does what in the pest area:
CONTROL APHIDS: Ladybugs favorite food is aphids, but they also devour mites, thrips, scale, and other soft-bodied insects. 

Green Lacewing

 Green Lacewings are called 'aphid lyons' because they can consume 1,000 aphids a day! They also eat other soft-bodied insects such as mealy bugs, whitefly larvae, mites, etc.

cryptolaemus

 CONTROL MEALYBUGS: Cryptolaemus are little beetles that just love to eat mealy bugs, both juveniles and adults. Green Lacewings also eat mealy bugs.

 

CONTROL SNAILS: Decollate Snails attack and kill the common brown snail. They eat small eggs and juvenile snails, and will stay mostly out of sight.

Beneficial Nematodes

 CONTROL FUNGUS GNATS: Beneficial Nematodes will hunt down and kill fungus gnat larvae that live in the soil. It is applied by spraying with water.


CONTROL BEETLES (JAPANESE BEETLES, CUCUMBER BEETLES & WEEVILS): Beneficial Nematodes will seek out the larvae of those beetles, penetrate their body cavities, and kill them.


CONTROL GRUBS: Beneficial Nematodes attack over 230 kinds of soil dwelling pests including many species of white grubs. They enter the body of the grub and infect it with a bacteria that kills it. They are completely harmless to people, pets and plants.


CONTROL SPIDER MITES: Predatory Mites are adult mites that seek out and kill pest mites, particularly common spider mites and spotted mites.

Trichogramma

 CONTROL CATERPILLARS (AND OTHER MOTH EGGS): Trichogramma are tiny parasites that lay their eggs inside caterpillar and moth eggs. The Trichogramma eggs hatch, feed on pest eggs which kill them, then emerge as adults to contain the cycle.

CONTROL TOMATO HORN WORMS: Once again, Trichogramma kills the hornworms by injecting their eggs into hornworm eggs. Trichogramma hatch and feed on hornworm eggs which breaks their life cycle.

Delphastus

 CONTROL WHITE FLY: Delphastus are voracious beetles that eat white fly eggs and larvae. They are applied as adults and begin working immediately.Encarsia Formosa are very tiny parasites that kill many varieties of white fly by laying their eggs into the white fly larvae (called scale). This may be used along with the Delphastus.
Green Lacewings larvae control the whitefly by piercing the body of the whitefly scale and withdrawing the fluids.


CONTROL FLEAS: Beneficial Nematodes can kill fleas that live outdoors by seeking out the flea larvae in the soil and killing them. They are applied by spraying with water into the ground.


CONTROL SCALE (RED SCALE, YELLOW SCALE, OLEANDER SCALE): Aphytis Melinus is an effective parasite that lays from 1 to 2 eggs into the scale. The eggs hatch and feed on the problem scale, killing it. Also, Green Lacewings will control scale.


GENERAL PREVENTION: Praying Mantids are all-purpose guardians of the garden because they eat anything that moves. Because they stay where they hatch, they can be used before pests arrive.


So, where do you get all these weird insects? Check your local garden shop and I bet you see a small refrigerator, where inside you can find the likes of these mentioned above. Or, contact ORCON online.

GARDEN GIGGLE

FAUNA

FEEDBACK

 

As always, we would love to hear from you! Please share here; Or find us on Facebook!