Gardening is Hard Work. But...

Gardening is hard work, and while I would love a break, I am so happy with our efforts.  Here we are in mid-August and still out there picking veggies daily. That makes me so happy. 

Something fun this year in the garden is that I even heard the hummingbirds buzzing through.

They must be loving all the blossoms.

This whole side of the garden is one big mess of squash family. Zucchini, spaghetti squash, a couple varieties of winter squash, and two different kinds of pumpkin. Oh, and one little watermelon plant lost in the middle. So many vines. Here a vine, there a vine.. 

Excuse my size comparison of adding my flip flop to this photo, but I was sooooo excited when I saw how big this pumpkin was I just had to add something to the photo. I don't have tiny feet either! So excited. There might be more, but in the mass of vines, this is the only monster one I could find.

Here is our one lil' watermelon. Still happily growing.

Cilantro, still growing. So happy. 

 One of my biggest joys of the garden this year. Sweet Heat Peppers. They are thriving! Each little compact plant has a minimum of 15 peppers on it. They are just loaded! And, bonus is they are a delicious pepper. More sweet than anything which of course keeps husband happy.

 And, here is our Carolina Reaper. Grown from a seed. From a pepper my cousin sent us. We never really expected the plants would grow (only one of three did). We really never expected we would get a pepper. Now, to see if it will grow to maturity. If it does, what will we do? Probably just admire it! 

Have you ever met a reaper?

Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins

You are probably flooded with zucchini recipes right now, and here I am adding another one to the list. Sorry about that, but I have to get this one in my archives right now before I lose it again! This is one of my all time favorite muffins, and I hadn't made it in several years due to a zucchini shortage.

But, zucchini is back in abundance this year, so let the muffin baking begin. But, wait. Where's my recipe? Ugh. Gone! Checked all the recipe cards, and found my original recipe, but not my notes on how I had tweaked it to awesomeness.  So, I tried the basic recipe, and husband and I just were not impressed. Being the trooper he is, he did work his way through the initial batch for his breakfasts.

Today when he walked in the door, I had this waiting for him, and got my thumbs up back from him.  In my opinion, what makes these so good, is the whole wheat flour. It just adds a nuttiness that compliments the zucchini so well.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 14 muffin cups with non-stick spray; set aside.  In medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and vegetable oil.  Stir until combined; add zucchini.  Add dry ingredients; stir only until combined. Add chocolate chips.  Do not over mix.

Divide mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Store in airtight container.

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Summer Days

This garden. I can't say enough good things about it this year. 

We are battling a couple issues right now, but overall it's one of our best years yet. 

After a couple years of not having much zucchini, we are enjoying a plentiful harvest.

The carrots. So pleased with the carrots. We finally found varieties that do well in our heavy soil.

Beautiful Bell Peppers. These aren't producing as well as last year, but I can't complain. 

They are healthy, and we are picking them. 

We picked our first Roma Tomatoes, eggplant, and Sweet Heat Peppers this week. Really exciting, as our new veggie of the year is eggplant. Now to try it in some recipes as see how we like it.

I don't think I have overshared my beautiful lilies this year. So, here is one for you to enjoy.

Summer day on the farm, watching the storm move in.

 Queen of the Farm with her best bud. Sadly, this photo was from their last play date. Her friend moved to Texas. We will miss them all lots, and will just have to road trip for a play date now!

 Stay Cool my friends!

Whiskey Peach Sauce

Pinterest. It can really help out when you need it! I had peaches laying on the counter that were in desperate need of a purpose, or they would end up being a treat for the chickens. What to do.. What to do.... Flipped through a couple cookbooks, and found nothing inspiring. From there, I went to pinterest. I searched anything "peach" I had previously pinned. I was thinking some type of cookie/bar destiny for my peaches. Nope. I found the Whiskey Peach Sauce I had pinned, who knows how long ago. That was our peach destiny. Less than an hour later, we were sampling and loving this creation!

You need to go get some peaches, let them ripen, and make this sauce!!  We had to get an extra container of frozen yogurt to have on hand for the weekend, since we will be enjoying this any chance we get. Even if it's just on a spoon while walking past the fridge! I think this would be a great topping for some waffles, and even on some pork chops. But, I can tell you for a fact... It rocks as an ice cream/frozen yogurt topping!

 

Whiskey Peach Sauce  (Source: Serious Eats)

3 cups coarsely chopped ripe peaches (about 3 large) 

1 cup dark brown sugar 

1 cup granulated sugar 

1/3 cup your favorite whiskey  ( I am a Windsor girl)

2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated

Add all ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a boil, over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened

Remove from the heat.  With immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth.  Store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Enjoy!!!

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