Monday, June 3, 2013

Cheese Muffin Recipe

The Anniversary Pot Luck Supper was a success.  We had a great turnout and the food was outstanding.  The weather was beautiful as well and that is always a good thing.  There is talk about having another get-together this summer.   Maybe something planned around ‘tomatoes’.   We will keep you posted.   

There were a number of great dishes Saturday night and recipes were asked to be shared.  Below is the recipe for Cheese Muffins.  They are full of calories as they are made with real butter and good cheddar cheese.  Not for anyone watching their diet but definitely for anyone that likes yummy food.

MOLLY’S CHEESE MUFFINS
Servings: about 36 mini-muffins.  I usually end up with about 40-42 mini-muffins.

The recipe as it appeared on Walter Reeves’ website:
His wife's friend Molly Wilson makes the best muffins and brings them to garden club functions.  There are never any left over.

2 sticks (1 cup) very soft butter (it needs to be very soft to mix easily)
1 cup (8 oz.) of sour cream (at room temperature, don't use right out of the fridge)
2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated (buy it already finely grated at Costco)
        (if you use regular grated cheese it does not melt into the muffin as well,
         but still good)

Add ingredients in order, ‘hand stirring’ after each one, in a big bowl. (I never stir by hand, it’s too hard.  I use a large mixer on low speed with a paddle blade and then switch to a dough hook when I add the cheese.)

Spoon into mini-muffin cups, ¾ full. (I use silicone bake ware, mini-muffin pans—nothing ever sticks—they are worth the extra cost)  Bake at 400 degrees for 18 - 20 minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown. 
Make four times as many muffins as you have guests coming.  Serve warm.  You can also let them cool and then freeze them in zip lock bags.  When ready to use, wrap in foil, put in oven (350ยบ) and heat until hot. They taste as good as if you just baked them.

Serve immediately.  They are best when hot, or at least very warm.  As they cool down, they are not nearly as tasty.  And for goodness sake, don’t ruin these by using fake butter and fake sour cream.  Just make something else!
Carol


Friday, May 31, 2013

Trellising in the Garden

Hey Everyone,
Trellis is made from trimmed
Crape Myrtle branches!

Is our garden not absolutely amazing?  I love walking through and seeing all the different ideas, that everyone is coming up with to trellis their vegetables.  Jim, in beds 34 & 35, has a re-bar and fence material structure that is so far in the ground that he can pretty much guarantee it is not going anywhere.  This structure to the right was erected on Memorial Day in bed 39 for trellising their tomatoes.

For anyone needing inspiration or for those unsure of what they would like to try, Google Images has a wealth of ideas.  Just open the Google search engine, click Images on the black toolbar at the top, and type trellising in the garden.  Press enter and voila!  As if the first page isn't enough, if you click show more results at the bottom, well let us just say a trip to Lowe's or Home Depot may be in order.  I'm sensing a conduit run, grin!


Rita & Elise's creative pot structure!

The creative projects also popping up show a wonderful display of thinking outside the box! From Jane's pitchfork and antique bottles to Rita and Elise's new pot tower, I am inspired to take the time and enjoy the pure beauty of being creative in the garden once again.

For those wishing to explore their creative side, many of the DIY stores have wonderful ideas on their websites.  I love the project found below on the Lowe's site and it will be one of my next attempts at doing something artistic for trellising peas, or should I say Rick's attempt.  Where's that Honey Do List?


 Easy Garden Trellis
http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/lawn-and-garden/easy-garden-trellis/project

Old doors...
backyarddiva.ca - located on Pinterest


I ran across this project to the right on Pinterest and for some reason it really catches the eye.  Does anyone have some good ideas for anchoring it down?   I'm thinking if I were to use fiberglass doors for longevity, that while sturdy, it would be rather lightweight for heavy winds.  I would really enjoy some suggestions.

So many ideas,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Weekly Calendar May 31 - June 8

Saturday June 1st
Garden Party to Celebrate our 1st Year
6:00pm - 8:00 pm
Bring a chair and a dish to share!
Enjoy the beautiful garden.

Tuesday June 4
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Gardeners on Duty

Saturday June 8
9:00 am to 11:00 am
Saturday workday
We are almost done but there are a few more things to do to be all set for the summer.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Is this real?

So do you think this dove is real or part of the shepherds hook?

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Why have a windsock?

Besides being fun and pretty, our windsock does have a purpose. I don't know about you, but I like to know which way the wind is blowing before  I start to spray Azamax, compost/worm tea, Actinovate, fishy stuff or mist my plants with the hose.

Spraying in a gale force wind means you end up spraying your neighbors plants instead of yours. Now it is easy to stay up wind just by keeping an eye on the windsock!

Way too windy to spray anything! Even watering with the hose
will get you wet.
Starting to get better but still too windy.


Much better! Anything sprayed will
go on the plants now.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Deformed Carrots

These carrots had a very hard life! They are gnarly and full of cracks.

What do you think caused it? I have my ideas but what are yours?
And no...they aren't my carrots.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

North Marietta Community Garden

Several of us went and visited the North Marietta Community Garden on Monday. Their garden is really cute! They don't have as many beds as we do but they have lots of great art in their garden. Here are a few pictures from the day.

This is a view of a part of the garden. It backs up to the Head Start
and has lots of space to expand up the hill from this picture.

This is the cutest gnome! But it wouldn't work in our
garden as it is tied to the sign so it won't fall off.

I LOVED the hubcaps!

Close up of the bejeweled hubcaps.

A trellis structure with a hubcap and a pretty
sign personalizing the bed.

Fun paintings on their storage shed.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Grilled Chicken with Fresh Grape Glaze

Hey Everyone,

Grilled Chicken with Fresh Grape Glaze Recipe
What a nice way to use some of those
fresh garden onions, garlic, and
rosemary!
Nothing says summer is here like trying new things on the grill! While this recipe does take some prep time, it is simply delicious and always a hit when entertaining.  A friend of mine gave it to me years back from her Cooking Light Magazine.  I enjoy making the glaze a day ahead and then marinating the chicken for a few hours before grilling the next day.

Ingredients:  Serves 6 at 2 pieces each

Glaze:

4 cups red or black seedless grapes
2 teaspoons Bertollini Extra Light Olive Oil
1 cup chopped fresh onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Chicken:

3 - 3 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breast or about 12 pieces mixed
1 tablespoon Bertollini Extra Light Olive Oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray
Fresh rosemary leaves for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Clean, remove residue, and place grapes on paper towels to dry.  Place the cleaned grapes in blender; process until smooth. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic, cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring often.  Add the pureed grapes, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary.  Stir well and bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, making sure to stir often.  Cool somewhat, then place grape mixture in a blender and process until smooth.

For the juiciest and most flavorable chicken, marinate for 2 to 4 hours before grilling.

Prepare grill.

Clean and skin all chicken.  Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over chicken; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray.  Baste, cover and grill for 25 - 30 minutes, turning and basting frequently with the grape glaze mixture.  Garnish with fresh rosemary leaves to serve if desired.

This recipe freezes exceptionally well for extra batches when grapes are in season.  It also doubles quite nicely for those times when the gang's all there.

Happy Grilling,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

Serious Squirrel Defense Structures!

Yes....squirrel defense structures are popping up left and right!

If you are lucky, they only dig deep holes that dry out the ground and cover up the plants like in this bed. If you are unlucky...you lose the plants like I've lost a number of carrots in one corner of my bed.

There is no way the sunflowers will survive if we didn't create a structure to keep the squirrels from digging in the bed. They've already destroyed the one sunflower plant we had! This will also protect the seeds and seedlings from the birds as well.

I ramped up my squirrel repelling cage because I didn't want them to destroy my newly planted tomatoes or tear up my lettuce and carrots while I'm gone. Once I'm back I'll put the cages on the tomatoes themselves and figure out exactly how I'm going to protect everything until the plants are bigger.


 

Friday, May 24, 2013

Jim's First Tomato of the Season

I think Jim beat us all getting the first tomato and pepper of the season! Tuesday he harvest 2 tomatoes and 2 peppers.  He did start off with very large plants with tomatoes on them.

 
So did it go in a salad or did you have a tomato sandwich?

Weekly Calendar May 23 - June 1

Saturday May 23
NO Gardener on Duty
Have a great Memorial Day weekend

Tuesday May 28
Gardener on Duty
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Thursday May 30
Workday
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Saturday June 1st
One Year Anniversary Celebration!
6:00 pm to whenever
Details in email sent on May 21

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Mini-Bluebird Muffins

 KC Bearden made some scrumptious blueberry muffins for the Bluebird Trail Tour back in March. They were incredibily good because of the surprise in the middle.

Mini-Bluebird Muffins

Ingredients:
Use any blueberry muffin recipe or boxed blueberry muffin mix that contains canned blueberries or fresh blueberries.

1 additional pint of fresh blueberries is needed as well

Topping:
1/4 cup of oats
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of butter
1 Tablespoon flour
Shake of Cinnamon
Shake of Nutmeg

Grease the mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.

Mix the topping ingredients and set aside (feel free to add a bit more of any of the topping ingredients to suit your taste).

Mix the muffins as directed and fill each hole in the muffin tin 3/4ths full of batter.

Add 3 fresh blueberries to the center of each muffin and push them lightly into the batter.  Put a small clump of the topping on each muffin over the blueberries.

Bake as directed for your recipe.

Here is the special surprise:
The blueberries form a berry center in the middle and the topping also follows into the middle of the muffin. When you bite into the muffin, you find the sweet oat topping and fresh blueberries in the center of the muffin.

Totally delicious! This will delight, surprise and make your family and friends happy.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Sunflower Seed Planting

Looking for Volunteers to help plant sunflower seeds in the sunflower border on Tuesday May 21 from 5:00 until done.  It shouldn't take very long to plant the sections with sunflower seeds. If you are interested in helping, just show up at 5:00 to help. We already have a variety of seeds bought, ready to plant.

I'm hoping we won't have any critters come get the seeds or the newly sprouted plants.  But if we start having issues there is plenty of wildlife/bird netting that can be put over them until they are tall enough.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Weekly Calendar May 17 - May 18


Saturday May 18
NO Gardener on Duty

Tuesday May 21
Gardener on Duty
5:00 - 7:00 pm

Sunflower  Border
(plant sunflower Seeds)
5:00 - 7:00 pm

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy Mother "Nature" Day

Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful moms at the garden.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Weekly Calendar May 10- May 18

Saturday May 11
MG Plant Garden Tour and Plant Sale
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Cobb MG Garden Tour Info

Gardener on Duty
10:00 - 12:00

Tuesday May 14
Gardener on Duty
5:00 - 7:00

Saturday May 18
Garden Party!
Celebrate our 1st Anniversary
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Details of the party

Garden Party!

Come out and enjoy talking to all your fellow gardeners without having to work. We are having a pot luck social to celebrate the growth of the Community Garden since it opened in April 2012.

Date:  Saturday May 18, 2013

Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Where: Green Meadows Community Garden

Bring: A dish, a chair to sit in and your own beverage if you don't want bottled water.


Friday, May 3, 2013

Rained out Strawberry picking

Unfortunately, we are going  to get rained out for Strawberry picking. The rains move in around 10:00 tonight and don't really let up again until Monday. They've already posted a flood watch from Saturday 8:00 am until Sunday 8:00 pm.  Boo hoo hoo.....


Thursday, May 2, 2013

Magnifiers to the rescue

 
Sometimes you just need a little extra help to see those pesky spider mites, insect eggs, or to determine, yes those are black aphids in my spinach, not just dirt splashed up from the ground.
 
We now have two small magnifying glasses in a green box in the shed that you can use. And they are right above the yellow sticky traps that you can also use to help monitor if you are developing pest problems in your bed.
 
 
If you don't have a trellis or a metal stake in your bed, just get a stick that has a twig sticking out and you can attach your yellow sticky trap to the twig. (But don't forget to actually push the stick in the ground in your bed!) Lou and Ryan have done that and it seems to be working out just fine for them.

Weekly Calendar May 3 - May 9

Friday May 3 & Saturday May 4
10:00 - 5:00
Root House Plant Sale
Sale of heirloom vegetables, ornamentals, and more

Saturday May 4
7:30 am
Meet at garden if not raining
Strawberry Farm Field Trip

NO Gardener on Duty Saturday

Tuesday May 7
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Gardener on Duty
Azamax spray available if not raining

Wednesday May 8
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Azamax spray available if not raining

Thursday May 9
9:30 am
Garden meeting at the garden