Fwd: [thesimple_life] Simple Memories

[Guest guest]

I won't even go into my thoughts on cream of mushroom soup, lol, but it's easy enough to make your own substitute.

 

The perseids, this is really cool! I'm not sure if we can see them here on the west coast, but I'm going to try.

 

I just got some broccoli and cauliflower plants for fall planting. I'm going to definitely try covering them, since the ones I tried in the spring did indeed end up looking like swiss cheese. I also got several kinds of seeds for fall crops.

 

Anyone else planning their fall veggie garden yet, or am I just too anxious? LOL. How is everyone's summer veggie garden doing? Mine is doing great, better then we ever expected it too!

 

CyndiLooking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos.

 

 

 

 

The Simple Life

by Sheryl Simons

 

Simple Stroganoff

 

Serves: 2 This is so easy, you'll be ready to eat in no time!

 

 

1/2 lb. lean ground sirloin

½ c chopped onion

1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup

1 T light sour cream

1/2 c mushrooms (optional)

1 c uncooked wheat egg noodles

1 t Worcestershire sauce

1 t minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.

2. While pasta is cooking, brown beef and onions.

3. Once browned and drained, stir in the can of cream of mushroom

soup, light sour cream, garlic, Worcestershire Sauce and mushrooms if

you would like.

4. Turn onto low and simmer until pasta is cooked.

5. Pour pasta onto a plate, and top with the meat mixture.

 

In the Garden

 

Every year I try to grow cabbage and broccoli, but every year – some

worse than others, they end up looking like swiss cheese! Bugs seems

to make mince meat out of them. Now that I have raised beds near my

green house, I used 1/2 inch pvcp pipe from plumbing and a couple

brackets are attached to my raised bed frame, forming a hoop. Its

easy to cover them with fine mesh, (I used tulle from the fabric

department, and my crops are looking great! I just take off the

cover to pick.

 

* * *

 

One of the best memories of my life is when my cousin Dawn

and I were working at a camp the summer we were both 17. We went for

a walk one night and we began to see all these falling stars. Not

even the bugs bothered us that night. We stayed out until 2 am on a

hill, just watching for more falling stars, and talking and

laughing. Neither of us will ever forget that night. Later we

learned that this even was the Perseid meteor showers and that it

takes place about the 12th of August every year. Every year we try

to get together at that time, but it doesn't always work out, but

every year when I look out and see the falling stars (they are

actually meteors, but very far away) I think of Dawn and all the good

times we've had.

If you can, grab a blanket, start watching, away from street

lights (the darker the better). Take the kids, the dog, the

grandkids, or your favorite cousin and just watch the unearthly

spectacle that God sends us once a year. It's the best show in town.

And Dawn sent me an e-mail containing this information, just

as I was thinking about her! Dawn and I continue to make new

memories every chance we get, I hope you have someone special to make

memories with, too.

 

Perseid Meteor Showers

 

" The most famous meteor shower of all peaks the morning of August 12.

The Perseids result when Earth runs into debris ejected over the eons

by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. With warm weather typical this time of

year, many observers camp out for the event.

 

Under ideal conditions, you may catch up to 90 meteors per hour at

the peak. (If it's cloudy August 12, look for a decent show a day or

two before and after.) The best time to view the Perseids comes after

the gibbous Moon sets, around 1:30 A.M. local daylight time the

morning of the peak. Watch especially near dawn, because this is when

the chances of seeing a fireball are highest. Our view at dawn is

head-on into the meteor stream, so the debris' impact velocity with

Earth is higher and meteors tend to be brighter then. "

 

Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to

understand. ~~Neil Armstrong

 

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is

the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion

is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in

awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. ~~Albert Einstein

 

We wake, if ever at all, to mystery. ~~Annie Dillard

 

Keeping it Simple,

Sheryl

 

Contact me with your favorite recipes, questions, comments and simple

living ideas that work for you. Email: thesimple_life

Join the online newsletter to print recipes and look up previous

columns:

thesimple_life/

[Guest guest]

My tomatoes are winding down. I'm hoping to find some plants for fall planting. I've never tried to grow tomatoes in the fall, but I'm hoping to get enough good weather and cool nights to get some tomatoes. My husband took some extra tomatoes and peppers to work and traded them for some mustard greens. I chopped up the greens and froze them for winter soups and stews. I have a basket of plum tomatoes I'm going to stick in the dehydrator and see if they can be preserved for soups and stews too. Someone told me the flavor of the tomatoes concentrates much better than freezing them. So we'll see what happens.

 

I'm on my second crop of green beans. They really take off in this heat, and are producing like crazy. I just pulled all my carrots on saturday. I'm completely amazed at how many I got. They were too crowded (I'm morally opposed to thinning, lol) so many of them are small, but they taste so good!

 

I need to pull all my swiss chard and freeze it too. Another very easy to grow plant that I absolutely love.

 

The watermelon, cantaloupe and honey dew melons are all growing well. I have several fruits on each vine. It's pretty funny to us, since we always had a heck of a time growing them when we lived in PA. In this heat here in CA, they grow pretty effortlessly.

 

My husband is talking about constructing a make shift hoop house to put over our beds, so we can try to grow spinach and other cool weather crops all winter. That is strictly an experimental venture, lol, sine we totally don't know what we are doing!

 

I never did get any potatoes or sweet potatoes growing this year. Something else to plan ahead for next year. I'm not sure if the garlic I planted is doing anything. I'll plant more in the fall and see what happens.

 

Happy growing :-)Cyndi

 

 

 

In a message dated 8/11/2008 3:00:45 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, stringweaver writes:

 

 

don't think you're too anxious. I'm afraid I'm way too late gettingmy fall planting in. No one sells fall starts for broccoli here andI didn't get any started.I'm trying to get a hoop house done. I have wood to make two 2 by 14foot beds, about 18 inches apart and then I'll cover them with hoopsand plastic. I need to get compost to fill them and then I canplant. I'm afraid I might end up mostly with being able to plant veryearly next spring. But even that would be awesome.My garden is just starting to produce. I'm getting enough tomatoes,peppers, zucchini for dinner each day, but not enough yet forpreserving. I'll be getting floods of string beans any day now. Andthe tomatoes will start ramping up. I dug out a half pound ofpotatoes from one plant yesterday and have been pulling onions foruse, though I'm leaving most for storage and there are some whoppersout there. My winter squash are setting lots of fruit. My eggplantdon't amount to much yet.Ellen

 

Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos.

[Guest guest]

ROOT CUTTINGS?????????? I am SO doing this TONIGHTZ! Gads, WHY didn't i ever think of this? <smacks self in head>

 

Ellen, you're brilliant. ;-)

 

Sounds like we are planning to grow many of the same fall crops. It very well might be grasshoppers eating your tomatoes, unless you get those tomato hornworms? I don't think we have them here in CA, but we had them in PA, and they were horrid.

 

I have several volunteer sunflowers thanks to the bird feeder. They look terrible, as something is completely skeletonizing the leaves. But the birds are constantly hunting for insects and eating something off the leaves, so I leave the ugly plants and birds to themselves.

 

I think I love fresh greens even more than I love fresh veggies. Rash, I know, but it may well be true. I bought at least 6 different kinds to grow this fall/winter, maybe even more. :-D

 

I have bush beans, wax beans, and sugar snap peas to try too.

 

Cyndi

 

In a message dated 8/11/2008 3:59:26 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, stringweaver writes:

sorry for the double post, gmail was hiccuping.> My tomatoes are winding down. I'm hoping to find some plants for fall planting. I've never tried to grow tomatoes in the fall,wow, my tomatoes have just barely started. Did you know you can rootcuttings from your tomatoes? With your long season you could probablydo that. I'll be picking tomatoes till hard frost, which can be aslate at Halloween, but more likely will be in early October.> I'm on my second crop of green beans. They really take off in this heat, and are producing like crazy. I just pulled all my carrots on saturday. I'm completely amazed at how many I got. They were too crowded (I'm morally opposed to thinning, lol) so many of them are small, but they taste so good!my pole beans are just starting. I've picked one so far, but the vinesare eight feet tall and growing and loaded with flowers. Wierdly,something ate all the leaves in the middle of the vines this weekend,leaving a foot of stem decorated with leaf stems. Grasshoppers?Deer? very local winds? I'll have to get a picture.I don't like thinning either, but I did it. I probably should havethinned my beets more, but I'll thin them out as baby beets and leavethe rest to grow.I intended to plant my onions 6 inches apart. It came out closer tofour and they are getting crowded, so I'm thinning out two inch bulbsas I need them.> My husband is talking about constructing a make shift hoop house to put over our beds, so we can try to grow spinach and other cool weather crops all winter. That is strictly an experimental venture, lol, sine we totally don't know what we are doing!that's exactly what I'm planning, also totally experimental. If I canget it finished soon. I'll put in carrots, kale, sprouting broccoli,maybe kohlrabi, mesclun and hardy winter salad greens... stuff likethat.If I can find broccoli starts I'll put those in as well. Maybe somebush peas, since my spring crop was a failure.Ellen>>> >> >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > I never did get any potatoes or sweet potatoes growing this year. Something else to plan ahead for next year. I'm not sure if the garlic I planted is doing anything

 

Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos.

[Guest guest]

> I just got some broccoli and cauliflower plants for fall planting. I'm going

to definitely try covering them, since the ones I tried in the spring did indeed

end up looking like swiss cheese. I also got several kinds of seeds for fall

crops.

>

> Anyone else planning their fall veggie garden yet, or am I just too anxious?

LOL. How is everyone's summer veggie garden doing? Mine is doing great, better

then we ever expected it too!

 

I don't think you're too anxious. I'm afraid I'm way too late getting

my fall planting in. No one sells fall starts for broccoli here and

I didn't get any started.

 

I'm trying to get a hoop house done. I have wood to make two 2 by 14

foot beds, about 18 inches apart and then I'll cover them with hoops

and plastic. I need to get compost to fill them and then I can

plant. I'm afraid I might end up mostly with being able to plant very

early next spring. But even that would be awesome.

 

My garden is just starting to produce. I'm getting enough tomatoes,

peppers, zucchini for dinner each day, but not enough yet for

preserving. I'll be getting floods of string beans any day now. And

the tomatoes will start ramping up. I dug out a half pound of

potatoes from one plant yesterday and have been pulling onions for

use, though I'm leaving most for storage and there are some whoppers

out there. My winter squash are setting lots of fruit. My eggplant

don't amount to much yet.

 

Ellen

[Guest guest]

> I just got some broccoli and cauliflower plants for fall planting. I'm going

to definitely try covering them, since the ones I tried in the spring did indeed

end up looking like swiss cheese. I also got several kinds of seeds for fall

crops.

>

> Anyone else planning their fall veggie garden yet, or am I just too anxious?

LOL. How is everyone's summer veggie garden doing? Mine is doing great, better

then we ever expected it too!

 

I don't think you're too anxious. I'm afraid I'm way too late getting

my fall planting in. No one sells fall starts for broccoli here and

I didn't get any started.

 

I'm trying to get a hoop house done. I have wood to make two 2 by 14

foot beds, about 18 inches apart and then I'll cover them with hoops

and plastic. I need to get compost to fill them and then I can

plant. I'm afraid I might end up mostly with being able to plant very

early next spring. But even that would be awesome.

 

My garden is just starting to produce. I'm getting enough tomatoes,

peppers, zucchini for dinner each day, but not enough yet for

preserving. I'll be getting floods of string beans any day now. And

the tomatoes will start ramping up. I dug out a half pound of

potatoes from one plant yesterday and have been pulling onions for

use, though I'm leaving most for storage and there are some whoppers

out there. My winter squash are setting lots of fruit. My eggplant

don't amount to much yet.

 

Ellen

[Guest guest]

> I just got some broccoli and cauliflower plants for fall planting. I'm going

to definitely try covering them, since the ones I tried in the spring did indeed

end up looking like swiss cheese. I also got several kinds of seeds for fall

crops.

>

> Anyone else planning their fall veggie garden yet, or am I just too anxious?

LOL. How is everyone's summer veggie garden doing? Mine is doing great, better

then we ever expected it too!

 

I don't think you're too anxious. I'm afraid I'm way too late getting

my fall planting in. No one sells fall starts for broccoli here and

I didn't get any started.

 

I'm trying to get a hoop house done. I have wood to make two 2 by 14

foot beds, about 18 inches apart and then I'll cover them with hoops

and plastic. I need to get compost to fill them and then I can

plant. I'm afraid I might end up mostly with being able to plant very

early next spring. But even that would be awesome.

 

My garden is just starting to produce. I'm getting enough tomatoes,

peppers, zucchini for dinner each day, but not enough yet for

preserving. I'll be getting floods of string beans any day now. And

the tomatoes will start ramping up. I dug out a half pound of

potatoes from one plant yesterday and have been pulling onions for

use, though I'm leaving most for storage and there are some whoppers

out there. My winter squash are setting lots of fruit. My eggplant

don't amount to much yet, but I've got my fingers crossed.

 

Ellen

[Guest guest]

sorry for the double post, gmail was hiccuping.

 

> My tomatoes are winding down. I'm hoping to find some plants for fall

planting. I've never tried to grow tomatoes in the fall,

 

wow, my tomatoes have just barely started. Did you know you can root

cuttings from your tomatoes? With your long season you could probably

do that. I'll be picking tomatoes till hard frost, which can be as

late at Halloween, but more likely will be in early October.

 

> I'm on my second crop of green beans. They really take off in this heat, and

are producing like crazy. I just pulled all my carrots on saturday. I'm

completely amazed at how many I got. They were too crowded (I'm morally opposed

to thinning, lol) so many of them are small, but they taste so good!

 

my pole beans are just starting. I've picked one so far, but the vines

are eight feet tall and growing and loaded with flowers. Wierdly,

something ate all the leaves in the middle of the vines this weekend,

leaving a foot of stem decorated with leaf stems. Grasshoppers?

Deer? very local winds? I'll have to get a picture.

I don't like thinning either, but I did it. I probably should have

thinned my beets more, but I'll thin them out as baby beets and leave

the rest to grow.

I intended to plant my onions 6 inches apart. It came out closer to

four and they are getting crowded, so I'm thinning out two inch bulbs

as I need them.

 

> My husband is talking about constructing a make shift hoop house to put over

our beds, so we can try to grow spinach and other cool weather crops all winter.

That is strictly an experimental venture, lol, sine we totally don't know what

we are doing!

 

that's exactly what I'm planning, also totally experimental. If I can

get it finished soon. I'll put in carrots, kale, sprouting broccoli,

maybe kohlrabi, mesclun and hardy winter salad greens... stuff like

that.

 

If I can find broccoli starts I'll put those in as well. Maybe some

bush peas, since my spring crop was a failure.

 

 

Ellen

>

>

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > I never did get any potatoes or sweet potatoes growing this year.

Something else to plan ahead for next year. I'm not sure if the garlic I planted

is doing anything. I'll plant more in the fall and see what happens.

> > >

> > > Happy growing :-)

> > > Cyndi

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > In a message dated 8/11/2008 3:00:45 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

stringweaver writes:

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > don't think you're too anxious. I'm afraid I'm way too late getting

> > > my fall planting in. No one sells fall starts for broccoli here and

> > > I didn't get any started.

> > >

> > > I'm trying to get a hoop house done. I have wood to make two 2 by 14

> > > foot beds, about 18 inches apart and then I'll cover them with hoops

> > > and plastic. I need to get compost to fill them and then I can

> > > plant. I'm afraid I might end up mostly with being able to plant very

> > > early next spring. But even that would be awesome.

> > >

> > > My garden is just starting to produce. I'm getting enough tomatoes,

> > > peppers, zucchini for dinner each day, but not enough yet for

> > > preserving. I'll be getting floods of string beans any day now. And

> > > the tomatoes will start ramping up. I dug out a half pound of

> > > potatoes from one plant yesterday and have been pulling onions for

> > > use, though I'm leaving most for storage and there are some whoppers

> > > out there. My winter squash are setting lots of fruit. My eggplant

> > > don't amount to much yet.

> > >

> > > Ellen

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read

reviews on AOL Autos.

>

>

>

>

> My husband is talking about constructing a make shift hoop house to put over

our beds, so we can try to grow spinach and other cool weather crops all winter.

That is strictly an experimental venture, lol, sine we totally don't know what

we are doing!

>

>

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > I never did get any potatoes or sweet potatoes growing this year.

Something else to plan ahead for next year. I'm not sure if the garlic I planted

is doing anything. I'll plant more in the fall and see what happens.

> > >

> > > Happy growing :-)

> > > Cyndi

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > In a message dated 8/11/2008 3:00:45 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

stringweaver writes:

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > don't think you're too anxious. I'm afraid I'm way too late getting

> > > my fall planting in. No one sells fall starts for broccoli here and

> > > I didn't get any started.

> > >

> > > I'm trying to get a hoop house done. I have wood to make two 2 by 14

> > > foot beds, about 18 inches apart and then I'll cover them with hoops

> > > and plastic. I need to get compost to fill them and then I can

> > > plant. I'm afraid I might end up mostly with being able to plant very

> > > early next spring. But even that would be awesome.

> > >

> > > My garden is just starting to produce. I'm getting enough tomatoes,

> > > peppers, zucchini for dinner each day, but not enough yet for

> > > preserving. I'll be getting floods of string beans any day now. And

> > > the tomatoes will start ramping up. I dug out a half pound of

> > > potatoes from one plant yesterday and have been pulling onions for

> > > use, though I'm leaving most for storage and there are some whoppers

> > > out there. My winter squash are setting lots of fruit. My eggplant

> > > don't amount to much yet.

> > >

> > > Ellen

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

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reviews on AOL Autos.

 

 

 

--

" If you want to see the heroic, look at those who can love in return

for hatred. " –Bhagavad Gita

[Guest guest]

On 8/11/08, cyndikrall <cyndikrall wrote:

 

 

 

ROOT CUTTINGS?????????? I am SO doing this TONIGHTZ! Gads, WHY didn't i ever think of this? <smacks self in head>

 

Ellen, you're brilliant. ;-)

 

 

aw, shucks thanks

 

 

 

 

Sounds like we are planning to grow many of the same fall crops. It very well might be grasshoppers eating your tomatoes, unless you get those tomato hornworms? I don't think we have them here in CA, but we had them in PA, and they were horrid.

 

 

 

it's the beans that are getting eaten, nothing gets my tomatoes. I'm going to give everything a spray of cayenne pepper in water as soon as I get a chance, that seems to help.

 

 

 

 

I think I love fresh greens even more than I love fresh veggies. Rash, I know, but it may well be true. I bought at least 6 different kinds to grow this fall/winter, maybe even more. :-D

 

 

 

mm, greens sauteed with hot peppers; with smashed potatoes and hot peppers; with onions, olives and feta cheese in pies, sometimes also with hot peppers (see a pattern?). Dried and tossed into winter stews. I love greens.

 

*hot peppers, to my mind, there is nothing a jalapeno can't fix. But my favorite pepper, sadly no longer available, is Sugar Chile. This year I'm growing Krimzin Lee, which the catalog recommended as a sub for sugar chile. It's a pretty good sub. About as hot as a jalapeno, but very sweet, like brown sugar when roasted, but doesn't leave a lasting/building burn in the mouth. I hope to get scads of them, roast them and freeze them for the winter.

 

My all-time favorite greens recipe-ok, there are two. The first is Parky's Southern Fried Greens in the Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon-sweet potatoes, jalapenos, greens, onions, red bell pepper, tomatoes, orange juice...amazing.

 

The other is a slow baked dish of giant lima beans, greens, mushrooms, olives, topped with a fresh chopped garnish of lemon peel, parsley and garlic. In Lorna Sass' New Vegetarian Cooking (at least I think that's the title)

 

Ellen

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Oh, sorry, I have tomatoes on the brain, lol. They're surrounding me!

 

I see you like greens as much as I do, lol. I love them smashed with little red potatoes too, yummmm.

 

I have a basket of jalapenos here too. I'm kind of tired of salsa. I need to find some other creative ways to use them. I've been throwing them into EVERYTHING I cook, and the family is starting to object, lol. Bunch of wimps! I think I'll borrow your idea and roast them and freeze them. Do you roast yours in the oven? I might try the grill.

 

I've never heard of Sugar Chile. The Krimzin Lee sounds GOOD. I'll have to make a note of it to try next year. I LOVE hot peppers! Strangely, i dislike bell peppers INTENSELY due to childhood trauma (my mothers cooking) but hot peppers, I can eat them all day.

 

I HAVE The Passionate Vegetarian, lol! Terri, who is a member here, sent it to me! I love that book! So many great veggie recipes. I'll look that one up, lol!

 

Cyndi

 

In a message dated 8/11/2008 8:14:36 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, stringweaver writes:

 

 

 

 

it's the beans that are getting eaten, nothing gets my tomatoes. I'm going to give everything a spray of cayenne pepper in water as soon as I get a chance, that seems to help.

 

 

 

 

I think I love fresh greens even more than I love fresh veggies. Rash, I know, but it may well be true. I bought at least 6 different kinds to grow this fall/winter, maybe even more. :-D

 

 

mm, greens sauteed with hot peppers; with smashed potatoes and hot peppers; with onions, olives and feta cheese in pies, sometimes also with hot peppers (see a pattern?). Dried and tossed into winter stews. I love greens.

 

*hot peppers, to my mind, there is nothing a jalapeno can't fix. But my favorite pepper, sadly no longer available, is Sugar Chile. This year I'm growing Krimzin Lee, which the catalog recommended as a sub for sugar chile. It's a pretty good sub. About as hot as a jalapeno, but very sweet, like brown sugar when roasted, but doesn't leave a lasting/building burn in the mouth. I hope to get scads of them, roast them and freeze them for the winter.

 

My all-time favorite greens recipe-ok, there are two. The first is Parky's Southern Fried Greens in the Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon-sweet potatoes, jalapenos, greens, onions, red bell pepper, tomatoes, orange juice...amazing.

 

The other is a slow baked dish of giant lima beans, greens, mushrooms, olives, topped with a fresh chopped garnish of lemon peel, parsley and garlic. In Lorna Sass' New Vegetarian Cooking (at least I think that's the title)

 

Ellen

 

 

 

 

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