Vegie Garden Update

It's a rainy day here in Michigan, so I thought I would take the time to give you an update on my garden.  It is all planted, and I have about three quarters of the mulch distributed in the pathways around my raised beds.  I need to get another half a yard of mulch to finish the project.  You can see in the picture - I have all the sides completed, just need to do the center.  I am laying down a layer of cardboard first, then topping it with the mulch to help control the weeds.

This year I planted:

• Tomatoes
• Green Peppers
• Yellow (Summer) Squash
• Zucchini
• Buttercup squash
• Butternut squash
• Pumpkins
• Cantaloupe (which is new for me - we grew them as kids in my mom's garden)
• Cabbage
• Brussels Sprouts (which are also new to my garden)
• Swiss Chard (hoping to entice my sister-in-law to visit this summer - I know this is her favorite...lol)
• Strawberries (I decided to change over one of the raised beds - planted six plants this year, will add to it next year).

The Swiss Chard is finally up, it is the only thing I planted from seed this year.  I just love that instant gratification of seeing the beds full right after you plant.

I had issues with something getting under the fence and eating my plants - I had to replant tomatoes (twice!) and my zucchini.  To stop it - I scattered used kitty litter and mothballs (Thanks Jodi for the suggestion).  I also really worked the mulch up around the edges to the fence to fill in any gaps.  This has appeared to work since I am not missing any think else.

Tomatoes, squash and strawberries are all in bloom - I keep checking to see if I can see any fruit developing.

Happy Gardening!

Enjoying a Regional Favorite

Here in West Michigan we have many butcher shops to choose from, this was not the case in Ohio (where I was born and raised) and so I was not exposed to some of the wonders that can come from these shops.  One in particular has become a favorite.  It is Rouladen, which is a German dish.  It consists of beef which is flattened and rolled around bacon, onions, carrots and a dill pickle (yes, I said pickle) with a little mustard.  We are able to buy these beef rolls already made, but if this is not the case for you, I will give you directions to make the rolls too.

Rouladen
1 beef roll per person
1 Onion - sliced
2-3 carrots - sliced
1 cup red wine (if desired)
2 cups beef broth (use 3 if you are not adding the wine)
Water
Oil or Butter
2-3 shakes of  Worcestershire Sauce (I use Lea & Perrins - there are a few things I am a "snob" over)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter (I use 1 Tblsp per beef roll) or add oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven, add beef rolls and lightly brown all sides.  Remove the beef rolls and add the onions, carrots, salt and pepper.  Lightly sauté the vegetables, add the wine and deglaze the pan.  Return the beef rolls to the pan on top of the vegetables.  Add the beef broth, Worcestershire Sauce and enough water to cover the beef rolls.

Place in 350 degree over for approximately 1 and 1/2 hours.

Place the Dutch oven on the stove top on a medium high burner, remove the rolls.  Stain out the vegetables and discard.  Bring the broth to a boil.  Mix together in a small bowl (I like to use a small glass) 2 heaping Tblsp of Corn Starch and enough water to make it a this sauce - stir into the boiling broth to thicken it.

Serve the Rouladen with the sauce.


To Make the Rouladen Rolls from Scratch
There is a few ways to go about this - here is the simples - though it may not be the most authentic

1 Cube Steak per serving
Thinly sliced onions
Thinly sliced carrots
Thick Sliced bacon
Mustard (I would use the stone ground, but you can use your favorite)
Dill Pickles

Lay the cube steak flat one the counter, lightly pound it to 1/4 inch think, spread the steak with mustard.  Lay out a few slices of the onion and carrot, 1 slice of bacon (which may need to be trimmed for length to fit) and 1 quarter of a dill pickle.  Pull the sides up of the cube steak and secure with about 3 toothpicks to make the roll.

Note:  the more traditional way is to use about 1 1/2 pound of flank steak, pounded until 1/4 inch thick, and cut into filets about 3 inches wide.

These are great served with mashed potatoes or rice.

Enjoy!

The Summer Soul Satisfying Drink of Ice Tea

Nothing is more satisfying after working in the hot sun as a sip of ice cold ice tea.  You have to understand, I was raised on the stuff.  Mom was from North Carolina, we lived on ice tea all year long, in fact I believe she even put it in our bottles when we were babies.  And not any old ice tea - but Sweet Tea - the kind where the sugar coats the ice cubes when you pour it into the glass.

Today, I still have tea in my fridge year round, but after calculating the calories of the sweet tea we grew up on (1000 per pitcher - which I could drink over 2 or 3 days - yikes!) I now make a more health friendly version.  I receive a lot of complements on my tea and everyone asks how do I make it.  Well....it's a secret....lol.  Not really - here is what I do.

Take 4 regular tea bags - lately I've been using decaffeinated so that I can drink the tea in the evenings - it's an adjustment to growing older..lol.  I brew it with about 1-2 quarts of boiling water (for me I have a pitcher that fits into my microwave - so I put the 4 tea bags in the pitcher full of water and cook it in the microwave for 5 minutes ) let the tea seep for about 15 to 20 minutes.  This is key - you need it to be strong since you will be adding a lot of water to the mix.  After the seeping, I pour the tea into a gallon pitcher and add one packet of Crystal Light Peach Tea (it's the 2 quart size pouch).  Mix well until all the Crystal Light is dissolved, then add water to fill the pitcher.  What I've found is the Crystal Light adds enough favor that I do not notice it does not have sugar - I've also made it with the other flavors of Crystal Light teas - Peach has become my favorite. 

To make an Arnold Palmer - I have another small pitcher of the Chrystal Light Lemonade and pour about a third of the glass with the Lemonade and two thirds with the tea - very satisfying.

Happy Sipping!!

 

Gardening Time Has Begun Again!

Wow! I can not believe it has been over a year since my last post - where has time gone?! 

Last summer gardening was a bust with my broken leg - the garden when to all weeds - Bill helped out a little, but it is not really his thing.  We did get some tomatoes, peppers and squash from the garden, but not much.  Well my leg is all healed up and I'm ready to get my hands dirty again.

I've cleaned out the front flower beds and planted a few things to fill in.  This year I thought I would try Inpatients in front of the shrubs - it is shady there most of the day.  The flowerbed by our back deck is mostly perennials, so I only needed to fill in with a few of my favorite Zinnias.

The herb garden is non-existent this year, mint has completely taken it over.  I have found that Roundup does kill it.  So this year will be a cleaning year for that garden with hopes for a full and fabulous garden next year.

Now on the my vegetable garden - what a mess!

 I've cleaned it out once this spring, but with all the rain we have gotten - the weeds have returned.  I was able to spread Roundup around the path ways earlier this week and noticed that the weeds are starting to die back.  I will work on them some more before I bring in the mulch.  My mother-in-law found a wonderful article last summer which I am planning on trying.  It said to laydown a layer of cardboard under the mulch to help put a barrier to the weeds.  I will share more on this once I get to that point in my gardening project.

Today, I was able to get two of the raised beds cleaned out and planted before the threat of rain ran me inside.  I am so excited to see the plants in the ground. 

I'll fill you in on what I planted in another post.
Happy Gardening for now!