Sugar Snap Peas Brix test scores 15!!!

Now that the growing season is upon us, I have been offering fresh local organic produce at Kindred Spirits Organics. Jeff tested our sugar snaps with the Brix meter and they were off the chart at 15! 14 is considered excellent, so this was added confirmation that these are the highest quality in nutrition and freshness. That really impresses me, they sell out the very same day and with good reason.

First farm market garden tomatoes of the season

No, not mine, darn. Today is the first farm market of the season downtown Appleton. One of the farmers there grows tomatoes in hoop houses, so they always have the very first vine ripe of the season. Mmm, I have had their tomatoes in the past, and I couldn't resist. Yum yum yum. The crowds today were huge, everyone is starving for fresh local produce. There were two lines formed for the tomatoes, 15 minutes later I was carrying 3 pounds of ripe delicious tomatoes. Maybe BLTs tonight??

homemade wine update

Right now we have Niagara grape (white) bottled and aging, will be drinkable by September. To be honest, I did sample some already, its raw and wonderful and I think will be pretty darn excellent when its aged.
Black currant (in the secondary bottles)
Cranberry apple (in the secondary bottles)
Dandelion (in the primary fermenter)

Its strawberry season and I think we'll go picking Monday morning before I open the shop.
I also have three big bags of rhubarb in the freezer. We thought it would be better to go with strawberry as our next, and as soon as that goes into the big carboy, that would free up the primary fermenter for the rhubarb. Or raspberries....and pretty soon it will be cherry season, then apples and pears...

Midwest Renewable Energy Fair

This Sunday we are heading over to Custer, WI (near Stevens Point) to take in the renewable energy fair. We includes Jeff and I, Randy and Jenn, Jason and Amy and 4 of our 5 grandkids. The energy fair is huge, with dozens of displays, seminars, vendors all related to alternative energy. There are lots of solar displays, last year there was a really cool setup using the sunshine to power a spraying water fountain. That was pretty popular as it was in the high 80s. Windmills, water power, steam power, veggie oil powered cars with large displays showing how many miles were driven using the waste veggie oil. theres a large building showcasing tons of ideas and information, lots of good tasty organic food, music, its so much fun! Last year I got to meet Dave Duffy, who is the editor/owner of Backwoods Home magazine, from Oregon. In the past I had written gardening articles for that magazine, so it was good to be able to put a face to the conversations we've had. If you get a chance, type in a search for Midwest Renewable Energy Fair to check out all the cool seminars and information. Even better, if you get a chance, go there in person. Its this Friday, Saturday and Sunday and I guarantee, if you're into alternative energy, living off the grid, gardening, organics, good music, back to the land, solstice you'll love to go!!!

Marinette WI Bay of Green Bay

These two pics were taken a week ago at Jeff's' cousins graduation party. It was foggy and beautiful, and I took about 40 pictures. The water is part of the Green Bay, and if you look across the bay you can see Door County. The seagulls were plentiful, the sand amazing and the water...ice cold!

fresh lemonade recipe

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 1/2 cups cold water
lemon slices or ice cubes with organic lemon verbena leaves frozen inside

Add sugar and boiling (or very very hot) water in pitcher, stir to dissolve the sugar
Add lemon juice and cold water, stir to mix
Chill for several hours, serve over ice

Additions : fresh raspberries or strawberries frozen in the ice cubes, colorful, flavorful and adds that touch of wow

rain, garden confession, peonies

Positive thoughts for everyone affected by the flooding recently, I'm praying that this will be enough rain for a while. The water is supposed to crest either today or Tuesday here in the Fox Cities and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I was down in the flats yesterday and oh my, the water is rushing.
Garden update..the peonies are absolutely amazing this year, full beautiful blowsy lush flowers, they remind me of warm summer evenings, an ice cold gin and tonic, sultry blues music that courses through your veins and makes you want to move and lots of ooh la la. Gives me sinful thoughts just to think of it, these flowers are spectacular. And if you are ever confronted with peonies in full bloom that suddenly get rained on and decide they can't keep their heads up any longer, do not despair. Cut those babies about an inch or so of stem and float in clear glass bowls. Exquisite.
Corn is about 4 inches high, hoping for knee high by the 4th of July. If so, then they will be right on schedule.
Confession time. I ALWAYS create a garden map to help me remember whats what. We are talking decades of garden mapping. My memory is not reliable from one day to the next. Don't ask me what I wore yesterday as I cannot tell you. In fact, there were several times when reading a great mystery, that someone would be asked to provide a clear picture of their whereabouts. I would be panic stricken at the thought of ever having to retrace my steps. Yet another reason to behave I guess. Anyway, back to the non existent garden map. This year I didn't think it would be a problem, I was behind, had a ton of stuff to do, wanted to get things in. Wow. Big. Mistake. I planted 2 kinds of winter squash and 2 kinds of summer squash. Who's who??? Ditto the watermelon and pumpkins. I know better than this. Hmmm. Its all good, isn't it??? This year shall be full of surprises. I also am seeing lots of volunteers, the Florence fennel came back, but its in the quadrant I turned over to raspberries.
Mosquitoes, oh the mosquitoes. I am going to try to find a recipe for bug repellant using nice safe things. If I do, I will be sure to post the recipe. We're gonna need it.