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mamakay

managing a household of 10 by the grace of God

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Green Beans

God Provides

September 19, 2013 by mamakay 2 Comments

This year our garden was nearly a bust!

We started a little earlier with a backyard garden planted the end of April. We enjoyed some peas and lettuce and had hopes of carrots, onions, beets and potatoes. Only the potatoes materialized. (So far we have had 3 meals from our own potatoes and there are still lots in the ground that I haven’t dug up yet.) Sunflowers also took over the garden. (I think from the chickens’ feed as they wintered in this spot.) At least they are pretty and we can use them for feed for the chickens this winter.

In May we tilled a much bigger garden in the back pasture and had a wonderful time purchasing plants at the local nursery and planting seeds but our return was very sad. We tried to fence that garden to protect it from the cows but alas they found a weak spot and broke in. What they did not eat they trampled. All that remained were 2 patty pan squash plants, 1 green bean plant, 1 pumpkin plant, and 2 watermelon plants. Just before they closed for the summer I returned to the nursery and bought a few more tomato plants to try again. We planted them the next day. Not one but two storms raged across my garden uprooting all we had planted for the second time. But somehow a few tomato plants remained.

By August I completely gave up on working in the garden. The weeds have taken over and everything has been sadly neglected. But I just couldn’t justify pouring my time into it for so little return. We were able to harvest a few pounds of cherry tomatoes, some patty pan squash, 1 watermelon, enough peas for a couple meals, and a few salads. The potatoes are looking promising although we’ve only dug a few of them up so far.

Midway through August a cousin called me to ask if I’d like to buy some peaches they had trucked up from Colorado. Of course, I said, “Yes!” We went that evening to retrieve them and she gifted me with 28 pounds of cucumbers and 11 pounds of green beans from their garden. The next week she called again asking me to come get more cucumbers and beans. The following week another friend who had planted a one acre garden asked us to please come pick from their garden. She couldn’t deal with anymore produce and didn’t want it to go to waste. Then last week another friend called to ask us to please come pick peaches from her tree. (Who knew peach trees could produce fruit in Montana!) She just had too many and not enough time to deal with them all!

The Lord has provided above and beyond what I could have ever imagined even (and maybe because) my own efforts failed to produce fruit.

 Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
    studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant forever.
    Holy and awesome is his name!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever!

Psalm 111

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Filed Under: Faith, Gardening, God Stops Tagged With: Acre Garden, Backyard Garden, Beets And Potatoes, Bust, Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Chickens, Cows, Cucumbers, Garden Weeds, Green Beans, Lettuce, Onions, Pasture, Patty Pan Squash, Peaches, Planting Seeds, Pumpkin Plant, Second Time, Squash Plants, Storms, Sunflowers, Tomato Plants, Watermelon Plants, Weak Spot, Wonderful Time

Garden Updates

September 29, 2011 by mamakay 1 Comment

Although I have been trying to keep careful records of our efforts this summer I have not kept up with writing posts like I had hoped to. It has definitely been a year of learning for us. The challenges of taking care of a large garden,animals, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and taking care of a family of 8 has kept me crazy busy! I’m looking forward to the winter and a time to reflect and plan how to do things better.

Here are some quick stats on our homestead so far:

Chickens: We now have 53 chickens which I find remarkable considering that’s how many we started with. We have added 23 to our flock from donations, lost 15 to deaths and butchered 8.

We are getting anywhere from 14-20 eggs a day.

Garden:

The potato bins did not work out as we had hoped but we learned some things to improve next year.  We got 5 pounds, 12 ounces total.

The zucchini is still in full force and we get 1-3 zucchinis a day. I have 24 (3 cup) bags of shredded zucchini stored in the freezer and we’ve been eating lots.

The peas did pretty well. I was able to harvest over 34 days. We got 5.4 pounds (including pods). We ate lots and shelled enough for 2 quarts for the freezer.

The green beans were doing very nicely until the grasshoppers decided to devour them. We harvested about 4 1/2 pounds and put 3 lbs 5 oz in the freezer.

The tomatoes are coming along. We had our first red tomato on 8/20.  We have been getting a handful or two of cherry and pear tomatoes and 2 bigger tomatoes every day. There are still lots waiting to ripen.

The grasshoppers devoured our cabbage patch.

Although there are lots of them my onions are all rather small.

The cucumbers are somewhat slow put I really like the A-frame. We have been getting 4-5 pickling cucumbers and 1-2 slicing cucumbers every day.

The apples and plums are starting to turn and I am looking forward to seeing how they taste!

Our biggest challenges this summer have been getting the water where we need it, time and grasshoppers!

Considering that this year is our first on this big a scale I think it went quite well. The pumpkins and acorn squash are coming along. We’ve also had a few raspberries & strawberries to munch although I didn’t expect anything from those plants until next year.

Filed Under: Homestead Tagged With: 2 Quarts, 3 Lbs, Cabbage Patch, Careful Records, Chickens, Cucumbers, Doing Laundry, Freezer, Full Force, Garden Animals, Grasshoppers, Green Beans, Onions, Pear Tomatoes, Plums, Pods, Potato Bins, Quick Stats, Red Tomato, Shredded Zucchini

One of the Best Ways to Invest in Your Health: Planting A Garden

May 21, 2010 by mamakay Leave a Comment

Garden May 2010

One of the best (& cheaper) ways to invest in quality foods for your family is to plant a garden. You can choose the items your family likes to eat, control what goes on your food and even get some exercise in the process.

There are so many different ways to garden. You can plant a salad garden in a container on your patio if your space is limited. We have planted several raised bed gardens and particularly like the Square Foot garden we planted last year.

We also got lots of good ideas from watching Homestead Blessings: The Art of Gardening (In fact I highly recommend this series for learning all types of skills.)

Mother Earth News also has a great article on getting started with a garden including a nice garden plan. We are hoping to implement something like it next year when we have our own place again.

This year we are blessed to be able to garden in a much bigger plot at my grandparents’ house. We planted onions, potatoes, peas, corn, beets, turnips, lettuce, carrots, green beans, zucchini, cucumbers, banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, and broccoli. onion setsWe still have sunflower seeds, pumpkins and beans left to plant.

It is such a wonderful experience for the whole family and provides so much quality food for so little money.

I highly recommend it!

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: Banana Peppers, Bed Gardens, Beets, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Grandparents, Green Beans, Lettuce, Many Different Ways, Mother Earth News, Nice Garden, Onions, Planting A Garden, Pumpkins, Quality Food, Quality Foods, Square Foot Garden, Sunflower Seeds, Turnips, Watermelon

Cooking for the Holidays

November 24, 2008 by mamakay Leave a Comment

The holidays are upon us. I love this time of year. I love baking and having friends and family over to share in the bounty that God has supplied us with.

Are you ready for the holidays? I love this time of year. I love baking and having friends and family over to share in the bounty that God has supplied us with. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Every year we make a Thanksgiving Tree.  It is wonderful to focus on the things that God has blessed us with and give him the glory.
Investment cooking can help you to make the most of your time during the holiday season. Look at your menu. What could you make ahead of time? Are there things you could prepare early so that the stress of preparing a huge meal doesn’t interfere with the purpose of the holiday? Did you know that there are many foods you can make ahead for your holiday celebrations? In the recipe section you will find a great recipe for mashed potatoes that you can make ahead of time. Another benefit of making the potatoes this way is that they will actually stay hot through the meal instead of getting cold. The dough for the rolls can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator or you can freeze the dough and then take it out the night before to thaw in the refrigerator. It will take a little longer to rise but the rolls will still turn out delicious! Pie crusts can also be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to use them.

Make sure to allow plenty of time for your turkey to thaw. This will take up to 3 days in the refrigerator. If it is still partially frozen Thursday morning let it sit in the sink with cool running water to finish the thawing.

Here’s our Thanksgiving Menu for this year:

Roast Turkey in Brine
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Stuffing
Sweet Potatoes
Smothered Green Beans
Orange Cranberry Sauce (My MIL’s specialty)
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration and never forget our Creator to whom we should address our thanks every day and not just on Thanksgiving.

Recipes:

ROAST TURKEY IN BRINE

1 14 pound frozen turkey
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1 gallon iced water
1 red apple — sliced
1/2 onion — sliced
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves garlic
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
butter

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a small pan and cook until steeped about 15 minutes)

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with butter. Roast on lowest level of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14-16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Source:
“adapted from Good Eats (Food Network)”
Copyright:
“1999”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Light Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

By: Krystal Bickel

10 cups whole wheat (or spelt) flour — freshly ground
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/8 teaspoon Vitamin C granules
3 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 cups kefir (you can use more water or regular milk if you don’t have kefir)
1 ½ cups water — warm
2/3 cup virgin coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 cup honey
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon sea salt

Mix 5 cups flour, vital wheat gluten, Vitamin C, and yeast in mixer bowl.

Add water, kefir, oil & honey. Mix well for 1-2 minutes. Turn off and sponge for 15 minutes.

Add eggs and salt.

Turn on mixer, add flour 1 cup at a time until dough forms a ball and cleans side of bowl.

Knead for 5-6 minutes for soft dough.

Shape dough into rolls. Let rise until very light.

Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Do not over bake.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Recipe By: Tara Wohlenhaus & Nanci Slagle
The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet

5 pounds potatoes
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons butter — melted
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup almonds — sliced (optional)
paprika

Peel & quarter potatoes. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil, and then gently cook until tender. Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cream cheese, egg, garlic powder & salt. Mash well by hand or with an electric mixer.

Spoon potatoes into a greased 3 qt casserole or 9×13 pan. Drizzle or brush melted butter over potatoes. Sprinkle with almonds if desired and paprika.

Refrigerate for up to 2 days or label and freeze for later.
To serve: thaw completely. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes until top is golden.
Serving Ideas: Optional Toppings or Stir Ins:
1/4 cup crumbled, crisp bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Holiday Freezer Cookbook
From 30 Day Gourmet

Holiday Freezer Cooking (Downloadable eBook for only $6.95) is a unique system for assembling and freezing your entire holiday meal, as well as appetizers and breakfast/brunch foods, ahead of time. No more all night cooking! Make dinner when YOU have the time! These traditional feasts serve 6 to 36 guests without the traditional hassles.

The 12-Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family
(Includes The Glorious Coming: A Jesse Tree Advent Celebration devotionals!)

A couple years ago I found this wonderful ebook written by Sheri Graham and is called The 12-Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family. It contains all the forms you need to prepare for this holiday season so that they will be what you want them to be plus you will have a record for future years. Even though we have less than 12 weeks to go, this planner can help make your holidays successful. I am loving my copy!

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
Psalms 95:1-6

Filed Under: Investment Cooking, planning, recipe Tagged With: Delicious Pie, Gravy, Green Beans, Holiday Celebrations, Orange Cranberry Sauce, Pecan Pie, Plenty Of Time, Pumpkin Pie, Recipe For Mashed Potatoes, Recipe Section, Roast Turkey, Running Water, Sweet Potatoes, Thanksgiving Celebration, Thanksgiving Menu, Thanksgiving Tree, Thursday Morning, Time Of Year, Turkey In Brine, Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Menu Plans

November 26, 2007 by mamakay 1 Comment

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great weekend. It was 1potato’s 9th birthday on Friday, we spent Saturday cleaning/purging and then decorated our Christmas tree. I’m ready to get back on track so here is our menu for this week.

Monday:

Breakfast: Smoothies & Cinnamon Rolls

Dinner: Turkey & Stuffing Casserole

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls

Dinner: Pizza

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Dinner: Tilapia & Rice

Thursday:

Breakfast: Muffins & Smoothies

Dinner: Baked Potatoes & Salad

Friday:

Breakfast: Eggs & Toast

Dinner: Meatloaf, Green Beans & Mashed Potatoes

Filed Under: Menu Plan Monday, Uncategorized Tagged With: Baked Potatoes, Breakfast Muffins, Breakfast Smoothies, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Cinnamon Rolls, Eggs, Green Beans, Oatmeal, Pizza, Thanksgiving, Toast, Turkey

Menu Plan Monday

October 22, 2007 by mamakay 4 Comments

Menu Plan Monday

I decided to start doing weekly plans again for our meals. I usually plan breakfasts and dinners. Lunch is usually leftovers, sandwiches or something easy. Here’s my plan for this week:

Monday:

Breakfast: Banana Muffins (from the freezer), cantelope and orange juice

Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken, stir fry veggies and steamed rice

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal, fruit and OJ

Dinner: White Chicken Chili, Salad and Tortilla Chips

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Toast and Fruit

Dinner: Cube Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Thursday:

Breakfast: Leftover Baked Oatmeal and Fruit

Dinner: Lemon Chicken Soup, Salad, Dinner Rolls

Friday:

Breakfast: Smoothies

Dinner: Chicken Strips and Carrot Sticks

For more ideas check out: http://www.orgjunkie.blogspot.com/

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Filed Under: Investment Cooking Tagged With: Baked Oatmeal, Banana Muffins, Breakfast Smoothies, Cantelope, Carrot Sticks, Chicken Soup, Chicken Strips, Cube Steak, Dinner Rolls, Freezer, Fry Veggies, Green Beans, Leftovers, Lemon Chicken, Menu Plan, Orange Juice, Sandwiches, Teriyaki Chicken, Tortilla Chips, White Chicken Chili

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So glad you stopped by. I am a Christian wife and mother of 8 in the middle years. My kids are aged 4 to 20 and just about every 2 years in between. I write about our life as a big family, what God is personally doing in my life, food and books.

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