Garden Meatloaf

Tweet

I'm linking this post with Foodie Friday

http://www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

I had a taste for meatloaf but I wanted to use things from my garden.  

Here's the result.

I picked a couple onions, a tomato, a green pepper, a banana pepper, and some swiss chard.

Chopped it all up and added it to a pound of ground turkey.

I added an egg from my chickens, 1/2 C breadcrumbs and 1 Tbsp brown sugar plus S & P.

I made two small loaves in the pan topped with onion and brown sugar.

I poured some tomato sauce over the top and baked it at 350 degrees for a little over an hour.

I had it with mashed potatoes and creamed corn.  

Those are the two things I always have with meatloaf!

I could have added some chopped zucchini also but didn't think of it in time.

It was very tasty and it felt so healthy!!

For dessert, I had made some biscuits earlier and I had a wonderful strawberry shortcake.

Yummmm!

It's lucky I got my swiss chard yesterday when I made this because I went out to pick some more and the deer had gotten to it.  

Ate it all right down to the stalks.

Thank goodness they didn't eat all my little carrot tops!!

They're probably saving them for their friends the bunnies!!!

Shirley

Riding Echo Today

Tweet

It was 85 degrees, and yes it was humid.

But we rode today.

There's four of us that try to ride together on the quiet Sunday afternoons.

We've been at 3 and 4 barns together and have ridden together for quite a while.

Even though it's usually in the arena, it still counts!!!

Today it was just two of us.  William and I.

William is my friend for the past 10 years.  He is 91 years young now and still rides.  He's also learning carriage driving too!  He's owned 3 horses but just has Miss Blue now.  She's a fox trotter.

I rode Echo today.

 Well, Echo has an ear on me.

 Yes, you're a handsome boy.

 William is dismounting so I guess I will too; just too hot today.

William and Blue

 Mr Echo, you need a shave!!!!

 Shiny coat, great weight, happy horse.

Fed 4 times a day, great care, clean barn, and daily turnouts makes a healthy horse.

And Wow, what a beautiful butt!!!

Shirley

My horses are happily residing at:

Winfield Farm and Forge

http://winfieldfarm.com/farm.html

Also see my older post about the barn!

http://shirleys-world.blogspot.com/2012/02/im-going-for-amenities.html

Horse Camp, 30 Some Years Ago!

Tweet

I ran across some old pictures of my kids at a week long horse camp
at Bear Creek Ranch when they were young.

Notice, back then, no helmets, no correct shoes, Michele riding in shorts, 

and standing up on horses after a week!!!!

(I must have signed a heavy duty waiver!!!)

Some fun days!

Shirley

Fall Vegetable Garden

Tweet

I've never planted seeds in late summer or early fall before.  

I've never tried to have a fall/winter garden.

This year I'm trying it.

I cleared out my bean bushes that were done and also my couple zucchini plants that were just about done.

I've planted carrots and some lettuces and spinach.

Today when I pulled out the zucchini plants, I planted some bush peas.

The tomatoes and peppers are still producing well.  And my swiss chard is still good.

When I pull the tomatoes, I'm not sure what to try.

 When I pulled the plants I threw them in with the chickens and made them happy.

I love the way they sort through things.

These were the last four zucchini.  I still have a big plant in the front garden though.

I might try and put some PVC tubing hoops over the top of the raised bed and cover it to make it last longer.  Next year I'll have more of these boxes! 

Speaking to you gardeners out there; do you plant in the fall?  And what do you plant??

Shirley

Dirty Girl

Tweet

She's the smallest of the flock and at the bottom of the pecking order.

Yes, it's Lily.

She's white and always a mess!

She's an easter egger; she lays pretty greenish-blue eggs.

But look at her!  Her little puffy cheeks are always dirty.

Now she has started molting so she is all raggedy looking too.

She has a couple feathers always sticking straight out from her sides.

She's a sweetie though.

I'd love to just wash her little face, but I don't think she'd like that!!!!

  As the chickens go into molting now this fall, the egg production will slow down or stop for awhile and all the girls will look all scuzzy.  They will need extra protein in their diets to help them grow nice new feathers.

Lucky I'm raising meal worms!

Shirley

Tasty Blackberry Cobbler

Tweet

I found this recipe online.  It sounded so good I went out and got the blackberries and made it!

You'll need buttermilk and heavy whipping cream too, which I also had to get.

It was well worth it!

(I'll post the original site at the end.)

***********

Start with 3-4 cups of blackberries in a bowl

Add 1 C sugar

1/3 C flour 

1 TBSP lemon juice

Toss gently and put in a greased 8 or 9 inch baking pan

In another bowl mix:

1 3/4 C flour

3 TBSP sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

Cut in 1/4 C shortening

Mix together 1/2 C whipping cream

and

1/2 C buttermilk

Add to dry mixture and mix

Spoon this dough over the blackberries

Brush the top with 2 TBSP melted butter 

Sprinkle about 1-2 tsp sugar over top

Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

Serve warm topped with cream or better yet, ice cream!

Here's where I originally got this recipe:

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/blackberry-cobbler.html

Hope you'll try it too!

Shirley

Garden Stuffed Zucchini

Tweet

I wrote a few weeks ago how I wasn't getting any zucchini from my garden!  

I even blamed it on the bees!

Well, my two plants then started producing big time.  I've had enough to give away and I'm planning on making some double chocolate zucchini bread that I just saw online!

Today I made stuffed zucchini with the zucchini, tomatoes and onions from my garden.

I hollowed out the inside of three zucchini taking out the seeds.

Here are the stuffing ingredients:

 3 medium tomatoes, skinned and diced

a big clove of garlic, diced.

1 small onion, chopped

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1/2 cup long grain rice (not minute rice)

1 tbsp brown sugar

Mix well and stuff zucchini.

For the tops, I put some slices of onion, a sprinkle of brown sugar and watered down catsup.

Baked at 350 degrees for 1 hour 20 minutes or until zucchini is soft.

This is the second time I've made these in the past couple weeks.  Really tasty.

Yes, that's cottage cheese on my baked potato.  I like it better than sour cream.  Try it!

I'm linking up with Foodie Friday

http://www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

Have a great weekend.

Shirley