Once again, the Harvest Crusade is going on this weekend in Anaheim, California.  I got saved there 10 years ago, along with my dad, and my life has never been the same, so I have a special place in my heart for why I share it every year with y’all.

If you’re looking for Jesus, Greg Laurie will lead you right to Him…plus there are some really great bands playing.

You can watch it live Friday, Saturday and Sunday night or you can watch the video of it after it’s over, just click on the banner for more details.

So, anyway, back to my story. We have been learning about botany for science and a few weeks ago we read about the different kind of plants that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds to our yard.  Jaedon got really interested because we had a little momma hummingbird sitting on her eggs at eye level in a little tree out in front of our house.

Well, we went to Home Depot and looked up some of the plants that we read would attract them and couldn’t find any of them.  Eventually, we gave up on that idea, but Jaedon wanted to plant sunflowers all on his own because he saw some leftover sunflower seeds from last year.

So Jaedon rallied his brothers and friends to clear some of the rocks, dug some holes and planted sunflower seeds.  I kept an eye on his progress throughout the week and wondered if they would really come up in just the native soil right underneath landscaping rock.  I had my doubts.

But, bless his little heart, he faithfully went out and watered those little seeds for a week straight and then came and told me that he was giving up because they weren’t coming up.  I tried to encourage him, but this was his project and I didn’t want to interfere too much.  I told him that sometimes it takes a while, but I don’t think he believed me.

A few days later he came running in, so excited, and said that one had popped up. And for the last couple of weeks five little seeds have sprouted.  Every single day now, right after he wakes up, he runs outside to water his plants and I haven’t had to remind him one time.

Can I tell you how much fun that has been to watch?  It’s so much fun to watch my son enjoy the same miracle that I enjoy.  I get as much enjoyment watching my son take care of his plants as I did taking care of my own garden.

I love it!

When I was selling my tomato plants, the father of the neighbors that live right next door stopped and bought some tomato plants from me back in February.  He told me that he had a large garden and I told him to feel free to bring whatever he had extra on over to me since we moved and I have no garden this year.

So, for the last couple of months I have found large bags of lettuce, oranges or grapefruits by the door or he humbly rings my doorbell, hands the goods to me and takes off before I can hardly say a word.

Today, it was 2 bags of lettuce and a few scallions.  He has no idea how it makes me smile.  Actually, I think he smiles just as big as I do, but he won’t let me see it.

Thanks, Masked Man.

When I visited my dad’s, Farmer Darrell’s, this past weekend I left with a bag full of swiss chard.  As I was looking for some interesting way to cook it, different from my usual, stand by way, I ran across a bunch of creamed spinach recipes.  So I thought I would try a creamed spinach recipe and sub chard for the spinach.  I don’t remember the exact recipe, but this is how I made it.

Creamed Chard

1 big bunch of Swiss Chard, chopped in 1 inch strips

2 T butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cup cream

2 T parmesan cheese

pressed garlic (I used 3 cloves)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and shake all of the excess water out of the chard.  Grab a stalk at the bottom where the leaf starts and pull the stalk, like a zipper.  The leaf should rip apart pretty easily from the stalk. Do this to all of the leaves.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium heat and then add the chopped onion. Put on low heat and cook onion for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until the onion is a nice light brown color.

Add the garlic, cream and chard, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and cook covered over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

Remove the lid, increase the heat and cook until the cream is reduced and thickened slightly, stirring regularly.  Cook until the desired reduction, however long that takes.  Just don’t burn it or let it get too mushy!

This was so good!

Well, here it is March madness time for gardens. I haven’t been keeping you up to date and I apologize. You should either have or be putting in your spring gardens NOW !! If you wait any longer it will get too hot for your veggies to produce and will disappoint your efforts. NOW IS THE TIME!

I decided to put in tomatoes, peppers, squash, onions and swiss chard.as my main crops. I have limited pumpkins, sunflowers (seed varieties) eggplants, edamame (soy beans) shallots, garlic and strawberries. I have several varieties of each vegetable of the main groups. I also dedicated a portion of my garden to herbs, of which I have 20 different kinds. I am excited to use them all in some form of my cooking recipes.

If any of you are wondering about what to put in you can choose from different varieties from each of the groups that I have planted. If you need to know what to do with your soil remember to work in a top layer of at least 4-6 inches of compost to your 12 inch seedbed. Our soil here tends to get hard and this will help conserve water and keep your soil fertile. You can check the archives on this site for further tips that I have given in the past year.

So, with that being said I hope all of you will get out and get some dirt under your fingernails (just kidding) and enjoy the great outdoors that we have this time of year. You will find peace, inner satisfaction and pride in growing your own food. Good luck and good planting.

I have Orange Habenero, Sweet Chocolate Bell, Purple Bell, Cayenne, Serrano and CalWonder, $.75 each.  I also have about 20 plants that are a mystery (funny how the name tags mysteriously disappear ) that you can have for $.25.  They are any of the above varieties.

I also have some very tiny tomato seedlings that are getting their first set of true leaves that got dumped (I might add, by my sweet 5 year old, on my white carpet (white carpet with 5 kids?…that’s a whole other story), on a day that my vacuum was broken) and are growing in a heap of dirt in/on the seed tray. They are either Early Girl, Sweet 100 or Yellow Pear and you can have them for FREE.  I could pot those up if someone might want them. There’s probably half a dozen or so.

Email me if interested in any of the above at clm_sam@msn.com

I am gardening vicariously through him and all y’all this spring so keep me posted!

Thanks, Dad, I am waiting!

When: TODAY, February 5, from 10 am-4 pm

Price: $.75-$1

I have tomato plants that are a variety of Sun Gold, Isis Candy, Yellow Pear, Black Cherry, Beefmaster, Brandywine, Ceylon, Aunt Ruby’s German Cherry, and Paul Robeson for sale today in Surprise.

These are the plants that are not pre-ordered.  If you would like to order some of these let me know and I’ll hold them for you to pick up at a time that is convenient for both of us. I can also meet at the 35th Ave & Cactus area or in Tempe.

Thanks!

Well, February is fast approaching. My garden has been fallowing too long. I’m Roto-tilling, and I will be heading for the manure pile. Ye-Haw!. This is it. This is the week-end. Staci is saving some tomato plants for me and hopefully next week I will be on my way. I always put in tomatoes on the 15th of February. Around here you have to have them in the ground or you will not get very many after the last of May.

I think I will stick to tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and some eggplant and okra this year. I always set out some swiss chard also because it will tolerate some heat. I went out this morning and the fever hit.

I am embracing spring again in full force. May the force be with me, and all of you too! Ye-Haw

For those of you who are waiting for your transplants until February, don’t think that I’m giving away your plants.  : )  Lots more are coming…

You can pick them up in Surprise or near 35th Ave & Peoria.

Email me if interested… clm_sam@msn.com