Mishmash

This post is a mash up of what I've been up to since I last posted. Let's start with the knitting.



Pattern: Pembroke Vest- Raveled here
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy- Dusky Aurora
Needles: KnitPicks Options in US 5
Date Started: 8/24/10
Date Finished: 9/1/10
Mods: None. But I do need to learn to read and follow a pattern. I had to restart 2-3 times.



I especially love the buttons I picked.



I'm working on the Laurel Socks from Toe Up Socks for Everybody. So far, so good.

I made salsa from tomatoes I grew.



And I canned it- But forgot to take pictures.



A little watery but tasty.

That's about it. I cleared the garden yesterday. And cleaned the gutters. Suddenly it really is feeling like fall.

I Made the Sauce From Seed

I'm obsessed with growing tomatos. Simply because I want to make this sauce. It is just THAT good.



I grew these tomatos. They are a speckled Roma variety. They are delicious, meaty, and perfect for sauce.



Herbs, herbs, herbs. Oregano, basil, and parsley ready to add their fresh flavor.



The first step in the recipe is to roast the tomatoes and garlic with olive oil, salt, and pepper. DO NOT skip this step. It's what really gives body to the tomato flavor.



I had 4 trays of tomatoes hit the oven. The house smelled amazing.



See????? Delicious, oozy, tomatoey goodness.



Toss it all into the food processor. Add a little wine.... and....



Dig in. Fresh and wonderful. LOVE it!

Garden Update

We had a really hot week this week in Napa. 90-95 degrees every day. I'm not a fan but the garden loves the hot weather. Check it out...

First planted...



And Now...



I may have tried to squeeze too many plants in there.


The tomatoes are threatening to grow taller than the fence.

The plants finally decided that they are supposed to make vegetables.



Eggplant



Jalepeno



Roma starting to get red



This little tomato is on the only one of my seedlings to survive. I'm pretty psyched about this guy. I sure hope he's tasty!

May Springs Eternal

The first two days of May in Napa have been absolutely gorgeous. Brian has the flu. So we've been keeping a low profile and enjoying the 80 degree weather. The plants are also enjoying the sunshine. And lots of changes have happened in the garden.



The lime tree has a pot.



The herbs have a barrel.



The lemons are blooming. And the bees are loving it!



The tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are nicely settled in their bed.



Gustov is hiding in the bushes.



While Hans is climbing the orange tree.

And finally,



The first pink rose bloomed. Hopefully April's showers will bring lots and lots of May flowers.

House-aversary

1 year ago today, we moved into our first house. So many good times have already been had here. And there are so many more to come!

We bought a house that didn't NEED a lot of work. But it sure has been a lot of work. Wallpaper, paint, new fences... I didn't know what fun those things could be. And how much more there is to go!

As you well know, I'm enjoying the garden the most. And I've been searching high and low for the perfect gnome. I found him yesterday and thought it an appropriate anniversary gift to me!



We're still working on his name. There's a long list going on facebook.

I also grabbed these little mushroom stakes because they are just so cute.



Once the rain stops, we'll have to find the perfect place in the garden for him.

New Fence

When we bought this house last March, we knew the fence was rotted out. In fact, we got a little money off the purchase price to be able to replace it. Of course, we decided we could live with it for a while in it's poor condition.

But winter came with wind and rain. And the old fence had clearly come to the end of it's life.



See? The only thing keeping the fence up is the bottle brush trees that we want to take out.

This morning, 3 guys showed up and took the old fence down in about 15 minutes.



New fence holes and posts went in.



Tops are squared off.



Slats installed.



All done! No more lean!!!

It took three guys, four hours to demo and put in the new back fence. It seriously would have taken Brian and I a week and marital counseling to do this.



So pretty! The side fences need replacing too. Unfortunately, neither neighbor seems on board with that at the moment. They are in bad shape but not falling over. We'll just live with it for a while. The major issue was the back fence and now we can really start to make the yard into the garden/living area we want.

Seedlings Started

Well, it's raining again today. Sigh... But there is a bright spot I got my seed starting kits going. I got this set from Burpee. Hopefully this gets the garden off to the right start.



You get little soil pellets in a tray. Just add water and... poof!



Soil!

There are tons of herbs and a few veggies in there.



Had to make a map of what's where.

The coolest part of this system is that it's self watering.



You just add water to the bottom tray and a special fabric layer draws water up to the bottom if the individual pots. Perfect for me since I ALWAYS forget to water indoor plants.

Popped on the top for an instant greenhouse.



Now I just have to wait for the little plants to start sprouting!