HOT PEPPERS!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! I just picked the first ripe peppers in my garden today, and sauteed them with olive oil, mushroom slices and onions for dinner.
The long dark green Italian peppers are one of the hottest peppers I've tasted yet!
They were delicious.

Cooked Garden Salsa

For guilt free snacking surround a bowl of tomato salsa ( only 14 calories per 1/4 cup) with delicious raw veggies and baked low fat tortilla chips. You'll be sure to whittle your waistline, or keep it in check!
Ingredients;
2Tbs Olive oil
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, minced
7 tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs red wine vinegar
A handful of fresh minced cilantro
A pinch of fresh minced parsley
In a medium sauce pan, heat oil.
Add onions and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and scotch bonnet( careful! Auroma from the pepper is HOT!). Saute for 2 more minutes.
Add tomatoes, salt, cumin, vinegar, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until mixture thickens.
Toss in a handful of minced, fresh cilantro and a pinch of fresh minced parsley.
Let cool to room temperature and serve.
This salsa can stay refrigerated for up to a week. The recipe is also great for preserving.

Peaches in season

Since I've moved into the house I live in,  I've planted 3 peach trees. My patio peach gets loads of peaches. I planted my reliant peach tree 2 years ago. Last summer I had 1 peach on my tree. This summer I have 2. Maybe next year I'll get 3.
My third I planted this summer.
Today as I was driving to the post office, I was happy to see peaches being sold at a side road stand. Expensive, but worth it. Store bought and local grown peaches are like night and day in flavor.

Easy Summer Snack

Trail Mix;
Unsalted peanuts
Granola
Raisins
Carob
Dried apricots
Dried apple slices
Mix everything together and store in an airtight container.

Monarch Butterflies in My Yard

I've realy enjoyed July so far. Everything I planted is doing great.
I've been enjoying the peace and serenity of just sitting in my back yard observing nature and admiring my veggie garden. This has brought me back in touch with myself.
One thing I have noticed that I haven't in recent years, is the large amount of monarch butterflies always fluttering around in my backyard. They're so beautiful! On many occasions this month, I've sat here and watched them chase each other. Nature is amazing!

First of My Ripe Tomatoes

To my surprise the very first tomato to ripen, is from the plant I'm growing in my container garden on my porch.
This means there will be many to follow very soon!

Vegan Black Bean Burritos

This low fat, high protein vegan burrito recipe is easy to make.
To my amazement, my kids loved them!
Ingredients;
3 Tbs olive oil
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of water
1/2 tsp each chili powder and ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegan cheddar cheese , or low fat cheddar cheese
Whole grain tortilla wraps.
In a medium skillet heat olive oil. Saute minced garlic for a minute.  Add the spices and saute for another minute. Add washed and drained beans, salt and pepper,
and water. Start mixing the beans in the pan and start mashing beans with a fork while cooking.
Onced partly mashed and heated, spread onto warmed wraps and sprinkle shredded low fat cheddar cheese or vegan cheese on beans and roll.
Serve with fresh salsa, avocado, or taco sauce.

Garden Harvest and Sad Skunk Situation

This morning I was a bit shocked and very saddened to see that my dog killed an adorable skunk overnight. I found it dead in my back yard. My dog also smells a bit from it. Needless to say I had to pick the poor thing up with a shovel and walk a ways back into the woods, where i layed it to rest in the treeline.
On a happier note,  I harvested half of my garlic then replaced them with hungarian wax peppers and tasty pablos.
My basil is huge and there's a lot, so it's time to start drying basil and freezing pesto.
Tonight I made a fresh ministrone from the greens, herbs, peppers, celary, onions, garlic and sweet peas I picked from my garden.
To my amazement, my tomato plants are incredible this year! The plants are large with high yields of tomatoes on them. I'll be picking baskets of tomatoes in a few weeks.
SUMMER'S THE BEST!

Salsa Fresca

Here's a fesh summer salsa, most everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients;
3 medium ripe tomotoes
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1tsp lightly toasted cumin seeds
3/4 to a tsp salt
1 tbs cider vinegar
1tbs olive oil
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 habinero pepper, chopped finely
Place tomatoes in a potful of simmering water for 10 seconds.
Remove from water, peel skins and remove seeds. Dice the remaining pulp.
Combine everything in a bowl. Cover and chill.
Note:
To toast cumin seeds, use a small skillet over a low flame, or low heat. Watch them carefully so they won't scorch.

Woodchuck Problem

How frustrating! I have a very annoying problem that I want to solve in a humane way.
There's a very fat woodchuck living in the trail in back of my property.
It's been enjoying my veggie garden!!!!!
I've chased it a few times in the spring and it stopped coming into my garden.
It's back, eating my lettuce and dining on my escarole!
My dog has chased it back into the trail and so have I, but this thing waddles back into my yard to try and eat more of my veggies!
It's really too late to put up a fence this year. My garden is doing wonderful. I would hate to see all of my huge veggies eaten by this woodchuck.
Hubby's solution is to shoot it. I cant do that. I feel sorry for it.
I have read a few natural remedies to remove this unwelcome eating machine.
One is find it's living quarters and dump dirty cat litter in it. The varmint will be forced to look for a new home.
The other would be to make a hot pepper solution and spray it around my garden, since they hate hot peppers.
Hopefully I'll be successful at ridding this menace in a humane way and save my garden from being eaten by it.

Healthy Avocado Salsa

This salsa isn't only light and refreshing, it also has many health benefits.
The photo shows all the nutrients the avocado has to offer, while enjoying it's delicious taste.
Ingredients;
1large tomato, seeded and chopped
1avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and chopped
Half a small onion, chopped
1 tbs fresh snipped cilantro
1tbs lime juice
1clove of garlic, minced
A few dashes of hot sauce
Sea salt to taste
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Garlic Bloom Pasta with Sauted Vegetables

My garlic plants are huge. They developed large blooms on them which needed to be cut, so that the garlic bulbs can continue to grow larger.
Last night I cut all the blooms from the plants.
Today I made an awesome meal with the garlic tops I harvested.
If anyone has access to garlic flowers, try making this healthy pasta dish.
Ingredients;
3 Tbs or more extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic blooms, chopped
1medium Japanese eggplant, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 sweet bananna peppers, chopped
1/2 cup snow peas
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper(optional)
Lemon juice
Whole wheat pasta, cooked according to the directions on the package
In a large skillet, saute garlic blooms, eggplant, onion, peppers and snow peas in olive oil until tender.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
When vegetables are tender add olives, kidney beans, basil,  crushed red pepper, and 1 to 2 tbs of lemon juice.
Toss with pasta.
Season with salt and pepper, and serve.