Just came in from picking nearly a peck of basil leaves. Intention is to
make basil jelly sometime today. Getting off to a late start as I had to
take the SUV to the dealership for some warranty work. Basil leaves are
in a large bowl soaking in ice water after being hastily washed under
the sink faucet. Just in case there might be some bugs hidden in there
somewhere. Bug jelly isn't very good, or so I'm told.

Might just use the same recipe to make several jars of mint jelly, don't
eat mutton but mint jelly is good on pork and even chicken, not to
mention a nice biscuit or two.

Garden is producing like crazy, just brought in another 2 lb zucchini
and two 2 lb eggplant fruit. Will have to find some more zuke and
eggplant recipes I guess. Lima beans are being picked at this moment by
my loverly wife, being carefully supervised by Tilly Dawg, just in case
something comes up that dawgs will eat. Picked a few cukes this morning
too, handed them across the fence to the neighbor on our south side, she
was out playing with her three daughters.

The mocking birds are after our figs again so we netted the tree in
hopes they will be discouraged. Kumquat tree is covered with blooms and
I'm hoping for at least a small crop this fall. We pulled the last of
the bulbing onions yesterday, all both of them, the rest we pulled a few
weeks ago. Those two were washed, peeled and finely chopped then put
into vacuum bags for freezing and later use in stews, soups, gumbos, etc.

We're getting plenty of good rain of late so have not had to run soaker
hoses, expecting more rain by this Thursday. Grass is growing faster
than we can mow it, or it just may be that we don't like to mow very
often. <G>

George

On 6/30/2014 10:20 AM, George Shirley wrote:

>
> We're getting plenty of good rain of late so have not had to run soaker
> hoses, expecting more rain by this Thursday. Grass is growing faster
> than we can mow it, or it just may be that we don't like to mow very
> often. <G>
>
> George


Isn't that the job for nearby grandsons in exchange for canning lessons?

gloria p

On 6/30/2014 6:14 PM, gloria p wrote:
> On 6/30/2014 10:20 AM, George Shirley wrote:
>
>>
>> We're getting plenty of good rain of late so have not had to run soaker
>> hoses, expecting more rain by this Thursday. Grass is growing faster
>> than we can mow it, or it just may be that we don't like to mow very
>> often. <G>
>>
>> George
>
>
> Isn't that the job for nearby grandsons in exchange for canning lessons?
>
> gloria p
Naw, only takes half an hour to trim and mow, smallest property we've
ever owned, 6500 square foot lot with a 1960 square foot house and
garage and cement driveway and two sidewalks plus a front porch and a
back porch. Probably less than 1500 square feet of grass, well, even
less than that with the raised bed gardens, flower beds, and fruit
trees. Only reason it takes a half hour is avoiding running over
something we planted.

Sometimes we let his eldest boy, now eleven, mow for us but only during
the school year so he has "running" money. He collects some kind of
little toy soldiers so that's where his money goes. I'm trying to
convince him to join the Navy when he grows up, it's safer than being a
doggie or a jar head.

George

Save some of that nice Basil for some no cook Puta Neasca. Will make you chunk rocks at basil jelly. I put it in the Eyetalian section for any industrious type who might want to go step and fetch.