love it!

From our friends at Kitchen Gardeners International (the people who made the dream of a White House vegetable garden a reality)

spring soon, please?

I was hoping that when I returned from a week away from the east coast, that all the snow would be gone.  No such luck, although we are getting there.  I had grandiose visions of starting hearty greens and peas in the next few weeks, and that's looking pretty unlikely.  Seed starting however is just a few short weeks away, and I've got to get seriously organized.  Every year, I come up with a (let's call it a spreadsheet, even though it's really a hastily scribbled list) of all the seeds I need to start, and when they need to be started. With seed starting, as with many other things, timing is everything.  In the past however, my vegetable garden was a fraction of the size it's going to be this year.  I've been putting off the task of making this "spreadsheet" because I knew it would be time consuming.  And then, thanks to a little googling, behold the tool that will make your life far more efficient if you are starting seeds.

Plug in your frost free date - and voila the work is done for you!  Now if I can just get all my grow lights set up, and the snow will be melt I'll be all set.

Oh Martha!

You've done it again... no matter how much I love to hate you - you've won me over with your spring gardening issue.

Experienced gardener, get it - you'll be inspired.  Photos and reminders of how beautiful a vegetable garden can be abound. Brand new at trying to grow your own, get it, there is tons of information you need.  What to start from seed, what to start from plants, when to plant etc.  An all around good start, although if you are serious about growing a lot of vegetables for the first time you must have this book - Martha recommends it too!

know your farmer, know your food

Happy monday - lots of melting going on the last two days, it's getting me excited for spring.  Love this video, and thought I'd share.  I feel so fortunate to live in a community where local, direct from the farm food is readily available!


Hug Your Farmer! from lovetomorrowtoday on Vimeo.

no shadow = early spring?

We've had record snowfalls here in the northeast.  It's awful.  I keep trying to console myself with the fact that snow is a really good insulator for plants, better than any winter mulch.

Before - My "assistant" and I putting in the raspberry bushes in October

And after - nothing like 4 feet of "insulation" with an icy crust on top!

My plans for a very early sowing (using row covers) of cool weather plants is not looking too likely at this point. 

isn't it ironic?

I've been totally blowing off my blog, because more pressing matters have needed my attention. And now, my readership picks up, a crazy number of hits.  So it seems maybe people like it when I'm not writing? hmmmmm?????

I've been writing a lot, just not here.  I've been writing like mad to find my life long friend a bone marrow transplant donor.  Writing to potential donors, writing blog posts, and writing thank yous to those who've already supported us. Garden concerns seem trivial to me right now.  You can track our progress here or follow us on twitter @matchformaxine.

feels a little bit like summer

Okay, maybe not.

A few months ago (was it really that long?) I decided on the spur of the moment to make some limoncello.  I had never done it before, and was kind of winging it (a bad habit of mine) using a mash up of several different recipes.  Frankly, I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out.  The smell of the poor quality alcohol (as suggested by nearly every recipe) nearly knocked me off my feet.  But I figured, why not try anyway.  It's been sitting on my counter steeping and taunting me ever since.

Last night we had 23 inches of snow.  No school today, and if I was a betting woman I'd say none tomorrow either.  So I've been hiding in the kitchen trying to make myself busy so I don't have to play one more game of Harry Potter wizard chess.  Today was D- day, either the 2nd step happened with the limoncello or I was going to pour it down the drain (or perhaps use as anti-freeze? snow-melt?)  So I opened up the container, and it actually smelled pretty decent.  I added 3 cups of simple syrup and the aroma it gave off was just like lemonade...

One more day in the pickle jar and then it will get divided up into these cute little stopper bottles.  Then into the freezer for safe keeping until warmer weather prevails (maybe).