MARKET WARES

Good morning everyone. How are you doing this muggy morning? I’m ok. Got a few things on my mind that are making me a little space cadet, but I’ll get to thinking straight soon enough. I want to thank everyone for the comments and emails about my mom. I will pass your messages on to her when I talk to her next!



Well after running my errands yesterday, we went to the big Farmers Market. Let me tell ya we went nuts! They had some incredible sales so we stocked up on just about anything and everything! This was our haul. We got a 25lb. bag of carrots, a 25lb. bag of red onions, a 20lb. bag of grapefruit, 2 big bags of peanuts, 2 ribs of celery, 2 flats of strawberries, a pineapple, 2 bunches of green onion golf balls LOL, 5lbs. of yellow onions, 8 cucumbers, 8 zucchini, 8 yellow squash, 8 green bell peppers, 8 red bell peppers, 16 green apples, 1 Jicama, 7 round zucchini, 14 pounds of jumbo yams, 1 huge cabbage, 10 pounds of bananas, 10 lbs. of broccoli, 10 lbs. of Roma tomatoes, 3lbs. of fresh jalapenos, 1 small personal watermelon, 4 pounds of green beans, 2 lbs. baby new potatoes, 4 pounds fresh okra, 2 bags of radishes, 1- 2lb. 1015 onion, 5lbs. of grapes (both red and green), another 6lbs of carrots (long story LOL), 7 avocados, and a partridge in a pear treeeeeeeeeeeeee! LOL!



Ok, let me tell you about this carrot LOL. I bought the 25lb. bag in the main market right? Real cheap… so I am walking around back with the small vendors and I see this bag of carrots… with one in there that could choke Godzilla! I HAD to have it LOL! The carrots in that bag were about 6lbs, but for only a $1 I HAD to get it LOL! It’s a Goliath carrot… 12 inches long and 8in. around at the thickest part, so about 3 inches in diameter! This thing is flippin’ HUGE!



You Ever see a yam this big? This was one of the smaller ones! Over 9 inches long and 11.5in. around! Like I said, these were some of the smaller ones I found in the bin!



This ugly monster is called a Jicama (hi-ka-mah). Jicama is a crispy, sweet, edible root that resembles a turnip in physical appearance, although the plants are not related. Jicama has been cultivated in South America for centuries, and the vegetable is quite popular in Mexican cuisine. Jicama has a unique flavor that lends itself well to salads, salsas, and vegetable platters. The roots can sometimes grow to be quite large, although when they exceed the size of two fists, they begin to convert the sugars that give jicama its sweet flavor into starches, making the root somewhat woody to the taste. Jicama is actually a legume, and it grows on vines that may reach 20 feet (six meters) in length. The vines tend to hug the ground, terminating in tubers that may grow up to 50 pounds (22 kilograms) in size, although the majority of jicama roots sent to market are approximately three to four pounds (1.3-2 kilograms) in weight. Before eating, the coarse brown outer layer of the jicama should be peeled to reveal the white inside. When choosing jicama at the store, look for medium sized, firm tubers with dry roots. Do not purchase jicama that has wet or soft spots, which may indicate rot, and don't be drawn to overlarge examples of the tuber, because they may not be as flavorful. Jicama will keep under refrigeration for up to two weeks. Jicama is excellent raw and is sometimes eaten plain. It can also be used as a substitute for water chestnut in Chinese dishes, in which case it should be thrown in right before serving. Jicama also appears in stews, juiced drinks, stuffings, and a variety of other recipes. In addition to having a unique flavor and texture, jicama takes flavor well, making it well suited to culinary experimentation. Jicama is a great source of vitamin c and is fat free—making it a superb on-the-go snack.



These are some big old green onions I found from the private vendors in the back. The bulbs, as you can see are bigger than golf balls. I measured one of the bigger bulbs… 6 1/4in. around!



Seeing as the last time I had a berry bandit attack my box of strawberries, I went ahead and bought 2 flats yesterday LOL! So that’s about 16 pints of strawberries. Of course, I feel the Berry Bandit right on my heels and a pint (or so LOL) has already disappeared! I can’t catch him though… he’s a quick little sucker LOL!



This is just one of the cucumbers that we got… HUGE! It is the same size as the monster carrot! 12in. long and 3 in. in diameter! It’s crazy! AND on top of that, they were on sale for 50 cents each!



This is the monster 1015 onion I found. It weighed 2 pounds by itself. The DH kept calling it my “baby’s head” onion because it is literally as big as a baby’s head! LOL! Can you imagine the size onion rings you could get out of this sucker? LMAO!

We also paid a visit to the Spice Shop and the Bakery… oh big mistake! I got some churros and brought them home. When I bit into the first one , I did not know that they had caramel filling in them! OMG!!!!! I died and went to sweet treat heaven! I ate them all and didn’t share them with anyone LOL! I know… shame shame on me! (Guess who didn’t take her blood sugars last night cause she KNEW the numbers were gonna skyrocket?! LMAO All in all it was a good day at the market! A very good “OMG-you-came-on-monster-produce-harvest” day! LMAO



I also stopped by H-E-B. and got some of those Okra Snax I was telling you about along with some of the other deals. I let my brothers try them and they liked them so I got them one, and then everyone in my house loved them (I can’t keep them out of them!), so I got us one. And then I bought one for my mom… That’s a lot of okra! LOL! I also picked up the deals on the bread, the donuts, the hot dogs, and a few other things. I had coupons for 75 cents off Ronzoni pasta too, and guess what was on sale for $1 a box? YEP 25 cents a box for Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta… I can deal with that! Same with Idahoan pouch potatoes… on sale 4 for $1 and I had coupons!! WOOHOO! And then the piece de resistance!!! They had LIVE CRAWFISH on sale! OMG I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t… but I did! LOL!



Guess who came to dinner? LMAO yea you guessed it! Last minute crawfish boil! The gang stayed outside purging the crawfish while I was inside prepping veggies and putting stuff away… well putting it away the best I could LOL! (I think that’s when the Berry Bandit followed me into the kitchen LOL!)

Well that was our day and our finds. I got a $10 Kohls card in the mail yesterday too, so I am gonna go see what I can find there in the next few days too LOL! Hey I like free stuff! Now its time to focus on today and all the wonderfully yummy dishes I can make with these items. Of course, there are some of them… just so large I don’t want to cut them LOL. I want to marvel at the sheer size of them! LOL! Kidding. So you guessed it, today is cooking and chopping and kitchen dancing! Of course, I will probably try to do some crafting while each meal is cooking. Which leads me to the idea for you.. I give you the:



Craft Idea for the Day: Soup Can Cup

Materials:

1 Campbell's Soup can 10.75oz pop top type
6 cardboard disc 3.5" dia.
6 cardboard disc 2.5" dia.
6 cardboard strips 1/2" x 5"
1 cabinet knob with screw
2 small brads
Two part epoxy, white glue, walnut stain, and amber shellac

Directions:

1. Cut 6 disc from shoe box cardboard 3.5" dia, glue disc together with white glue(make sure to leave plain surface face on both sides) place a weight on top to clamp.

2. Cut 6 disc from same type cardboard 2.5" and glue together to form lid.

3. Cut 6 strips of same material 1/2" wide and 5" long, glue together and bend into the shape of the handle as in photos, let dry in this shape, round off ends when dry and punch small hole at both ends for small brad.

4. Sand all the assembled cardboard pieces(make sure to sand out any glue marks to allow staining), and stain all pieces.

5. Attach the handle to the side of soup can and larger disc to bottom of can with 2 part epoxy.

6. Cut both brads off(just long enough to go the handle, not the can) so that they can be placed into the holes in the handle to give the look of rivets.

7. Drill hole in center of smaller disc and attach cabinet knob(I used a clear metal knob, but you could use a wood knob, the metal colors the same as can when shellac is applied) the screw may have to be shortened with hack saw.

8. Apply about 4 0r 5 coats of amber shellac(the amber shellac creates the bronze look as in photo) to all assemblies.

9. Allow cup and lid to dry completely before putting together.

Isn’t that pretty cool? I thought it was neat when I saw it, and it keeps with the Earth Day/Week recycling theme! Now let me ask you… are you hungry? Here is a dish that has absolutely no meat… a vegetarian dish if you will. BUT your carnivorous little bunch will never miss it! I urge even those who do not normally like eggplant to try it. You might be amazed!



Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

Sweat eggplant in a bowl of water with some sea salt added for approximately 30 minutes to remove bitterness.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Alright kids, I have tons of produce and such calling my name in the kitchen, so I need to get off of here and get to work. I will see you all back here tomorrow to see what I made ok? Until then… HUGS!

HAPPY HOMECOMING!

Well a bright and early first-day-of-spring-break morning to you! How are you doing today? I am super peachy! My garden is thriving, my family is happy, and my DD comes home today! YAY!!!! It’s been a long few days without her. I am so glad she had so much fun, and I will be even MORE glad when I can give her a humongous bear hug! I know, from talking to her, I think she is ready to come home.

Alrighty, lets get down to some business… I got some updated garden pics to share with you first. Check out this great stuff! I am a proud plant momma! LOL!



Ok, do you remember those cute little Pea sprouts I had started from seeds? Well they went wild! SOOO it required that they are now in their own planter! I cut the 6ft trellis in half and put the half in the pea pot. Since Peas grow up, I needed a down. What better than my sugar baby watermelons!? Yep, got those in front of the peas. So that’s the newest planter! I am sad because it looks as if I lost a corn and one of the bush cucumber plants. I was quite sad.



So while I am planting the crazy peas, I had a visitor. I’m calling it “Sugar” LOL because I was planting the sugar snap peas at the time. Sugar just kinda sat there and watched me while I planted. And he was on bug patrol for me too, eating about 3 gigantic mosquitos while I sat there LOL! My garden is open to all of natures creatures. Even the wasps who were trying to pollinate my head yesterday morning!



Can you see it? It’s the first strawberry of the season… sitting there just taunting me! It says “Oh don’t I look so juicy and delicious? Don’t ya just wanna cover me in chocolate and eat me up?” LOL! Yes I am a strawberry fiend! I love those little red bites of bliss!



Isn’t this the cutest thing?? Its my first Roma tomato of the season!! I have this one, which is the biggest, and 3 more tiny little babies! Oh they just tickle me pink… or in this case tomato red! LOL!



Here you see the biggest group of Husky Cherry tomatoes I have so far! Every Husky Cherry has groups of tomatoes on them. I am so excited about my upcoming first harvest! I see delicious fresh garden salads in my future! I have the lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers all in my own garden! OH and cabbage and hopefully carrots!



Seed sprouts! You gotta love them! I am having so much luck with the seeds this season… something I have never had. Baby eggplant and okra is what you see here. I am so proud of them. I transplanted the lonely giant pumpkin into a 4in. pot yesterday so it would have more nutrients and space. These just kinda popped up out of nowhere LOL!

While I was looking at my seeds and placing the peas in the container, I got a thought. Around here in our area, you can find little produce stands on the side of the road with their fruits and veggies for sale. Well I thought that if I have enough produce from my plants, then maybe I could do something like that. And that’s when it hit me… may I can go one step further! Plants for sale! I am having such good luck with the seeds (knock on wood) that I already have more sproutlings than I might have room for… so why not sell them? I never planned on my seeds doing well (from past experiences). Home & Garden centers do! I could start a ton of seeds and once they sprout, offer them for sale. What do you think? I think it might be a good idea… and I would love your feedback on it!

Ok, so you have grown all this wonderful stuff… but when is the right time to pick it? Well check out this article which gives some great harvesting advice!

Hints For Harvesting Common Garden Vegetables
By Ellen Brown

Ideally, you want to pick your vegetable crops when they at the peak of freshness. For some crops this means keeping almost a daily vigil to ensure you catch them at their peak. Here are some hints for when to harvest some common garden vegetables.

Asparagus: Harvest asparagus spears from established beds when they are 4 to 10 inches long. To prevent spears from becoming fibrous, harvest them at least every other day. Spears with loosely formed heads have passed their prime.

Beans: Frequent harvesting will keep bush and pole beans producing longer.

Beets: Harvest beets when they reach the size of a golf ball up to a tennis ball. Smaller beets will give you less overall quantity, but better quality.

Broccoli: Harvest them when the buds on the head are firm and tight (approx. 4-5 inches across). Cut the heads 5 to 10 inches down the stalk to promote an abundance of tender side shoots that can be harvested later.

Brussels Sprouts: You'll get the best flavor after a light frost. Pick individual heads as needed or harvest the entire plant (place the roots of whole plants in a pail of water to keep them fresh).

Cabbage: Cabbage tastes best after a frost or two. Harvest them when firm, glossy heads have formed (they may look small). When left too long the heads will split. If too many are maturing at once, try giving a few heads a gentle twist while still in the ground. This will break some of the roots and temporarily prevent splitting.

Carrots: Carrots can be pulled every few days as soon as they are big enough to eat. They are easier to pull out of the soil on a day when the ground is slightly moist. In cool weather they can be left in the ground for several weeks.

Cauliflower: Harvest when the heads are solid, before the curds roughen and start to separate.

Celery: Use a knife to harvest single stalks from the outside or dig up whole heads using a spade.

Corn: Check for readiness when the silks have turned brown but are not completely dry. Pull back the husk and poke a kernel with your thumbnail. If the liquid is milky, pick the corn. If clear liquid comes out, it's not ready. If no liquid comes out, it's past its prime.

Cucumbers: Clip them from the vine as soon as the cucumbers are large enough. Harvest pickling types daily to keep the vines productive.

Eggplants: Pick when the fruits are big enough to eat. The skin should be glossy not dull. Pick often to keep plants productive.

Lettuce: Harvest leaves early in the morning to preserve crispness. Once lettuce start to bolt, it gets bitter. Shear rows or patches of leaf lettuce with scissors. They will resprout for additional harvests.

Onion: Pull green onions as needed. If storing bulb onions, allow the bulbs to mature before harvesting. When tops start to yellow, the bulbs are maturing. This process can be sped up by bending the tops over.

Peas: Pick garden peas when the pods are plump and the peas are just touching. Wait too long and they'll get starchy. Snow peas should be harvested when they're 3 to 4 inches long, but before the seeds start to swell. Harvest dry peas when the pods are brown and dry and the seeds rattle when you shake them.

Peppers: For maximum flavor, harvest peppers after they have completely changed to their mature color.

Potatoes: You can start harvesting potatoes shortly after they flower. At this early stage, they are called "new" potatoes. Once the foliage starts to turn brown they have reached their full size.

Pumpkins: Wait to harvest pumpkins until the vines have died back. (usually 90 - 130 days after planting). If you can't break or dent the skin easily with your thumbnail, the pumpkin is ready.

Rhubarb: Don't harvest the first year after planting. The second year after planting, harvest for two weeks. The third year after planting, harvest for one or two months. From then on, harvest as often as you like.

Squash: Summer squash are best if harvested while they are still small - about 3 to 4 inches across or 4 to 6 inches long. Winter squash should be allowed to ripen fully on the vine before picking. It's ready when you can't pierce the skin with your fingernail.

Sweet Potatoes: Start checking sweet potatoes about 70 days after planting and harvest them when they reach the desired size. The crop should be fully harvested after the first frost or when the vines turn yellow.

Tomatoes: Pick them when they develop their mature color. Check them daily because they can pass their prime quickly.

Turnips: Pick them for their greens anytime they are large enough to use. The roots taste best when they are 1 to 3 inches in diameter.

About The Author: Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com

Did you think I forgot about a craft for today? Nope! I found this adorable PIG egg and I had to share it with you. My friend Vicki would LOVE this craft as she is a huge pig freak!



Craft Idea of the Day: Pig Eggs

Courtesy of hard-boiled eggs, vibrant egg dye, a cute pipe cleaner stand, and some glued-on details (paper ears, pom-pom nose, and so on), this critter is an Easter favorite. Want to make the entire crop of egghead critters? Find instructions for the rest of the creatures at our Easter egg decorating party.

Materials

eggs
newsprint
egg dye
paper towels
birthday candles or crayons
pom pom
marker
pink paper
glue

Instructions

Color Hard-boiled Eggs: Before you begin decorating, cover your worktable with newsprint. Set out plastic cups with assorted colors of prepared egg dye, either homemade (For each color, stir one cup of hot water and one teaspoon of white vinegar in a plastic cup. Then stir in 10 to 20 drops of concentrated food coloring) or store-bought. Have a roll of paper towels on hand and plenty of hard-boiled white eggs. Let the kids take turns submerging eggs into the dye until the eggs reach a desired shade. Gently blot excess dye with a paper towel. Set the eggs atop plastic bottle caps to dry. For eyes and spots, draw circles on the eggs with a birthday candle or crayon before submerging them in the dye.

Pig: Start with a pink egg with eyespots. Glue on a pom-pom nose and pink paper ears. Draw eyeballs and nostrils with a marker. Curl the tail.

Craft Pipe Cleaner Legs: Set the decorated animal on a pipe cleaner stand. To make one, bend a pipe cleaner into an oval and twist it closed, using the excess as a tail. Cut a second pipe cleaner in half. Wrap one half around the back of the oval to form the back legs; wrap the other half around the front to create the front legs. Bend the ends into feet.

Ok so let’s talk some munchies! Remember I told you I was gonna have the DH get me some sour cream so I could eat my jalapeno dip from the mix I found at the show Saturday? Well he got me some and then he and the DS18 proceeded to bogart my dip! I didn’t get very much of it LOL… they were loving it! So I figured, in case you like different chip dips, you might want to try some from this company. Its called Mesquite Country Seasoning and their spices are (to me) impressive. I will be ordering more of the jalapeno dip mix (if I can’t figure out what’s all in it LOL!) in the future.



Here is the dinner I made for the guys last night… pork tenderloins (remember the ones I found on clearance at Kroger at the beginning of the month… yea those), mashed potatoes with some of that garlic I got Saturday chopped up in it, corn, and butter croissants. They were really loving it.

Ok so I got to thinking about all the neat things I am growing and all the kind of things I will be able to make once it all starts growing. One thing I am growing is Eggplant. Now normally, many people do not like eggplant. BUT try making this vegetarian meal and I bet your little carnivores don’t even notice that there is actually no meat in this dish!



Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Ok friends… I’m gonna get started doing some things I need done before Madison gets here. Also have to check the water of the babies outside and get dressed even LOL! I wish you a very happy Monday and I will meet you back here tomorrow! HUGS!