Harvesting the Garden

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….we’ve had a bumper crop of lettuce this year but today we picked beans, peas, zucchini and jalapeno peppers

As I was weeding the garden this morning I noticed that the purple beans and the sugar peas were ready to pick. Looking at the garden the night before I didn’t notice anything hanging from the pole vines but in the light of the morning sun they stood out like a sore thumb.

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the zucchini and picked three the night before and one more this evening. The jalapeño peppers were also ripe for picking.

Three of the four vegetables made it into our stir fry tonight (will save the jalapeño for another time) and to our surprise the purple beans turned a dark bright green. Everything was so fresh and delicious.

Fruits of my Labour

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….overhanging branches of sour cherries netted me 5 jars of jam

Thanks to my neighbour’s sour cherry tree I was able to pick enough cherries that were hanging over onto to our side of the hedge to make jam. I’d never really noticed the tree before, probably because I would have been at the cottage when the cherries are ready to pick. This year I’ve been home more than normal because of a family situation.

I knew the cherries were ready to pick because the neighbourhood squirrel was feasting on them a couple of days ago.

I found an easy recipe in the cookbook, Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan.

Sour Cherry Jam

6 cups of pitted and crushed (I left mine whole) sour cherries, 3 cups of sugar and 1 packet of liquid pectin (3oz/85ml)

Combine the cherries and sugar in a large pot and boil for at least 20 minutes. Add the pectin and boil for another 5 minutes.

Ladle into hot, clean canning jars. Apply the lids and rings and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

The jam is a bit loose but it jells up more when it’s refrigerated. Delicious.

Thanks Nancy. Your jar is on its way.

New Flower of the Day, July 14 – White Astilbe

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….white with a hint of pink

New Flower of the Day – July 13, 2014 – Sweet Pea

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….the blooms don’t last long but they are quickly replaced by succulent sweet pea pods

New Flower of the Day (July 12, 2014) – White Hydrangea

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….my hydrangea plant is in full bloom for the first time

Share Your World – Week 27

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….thanks Cee for more great questions this week for Share Your World

If you were the architect of one existing building, which building would you select?

What an impossible question! There are so many wonderful buildings out there in the world that I’m sure my choice will probably offend a variety of people for a variety of reasons. I’ve decided to limit my choice to buildings in the city I know best and that would be Toronto. I am a huge fan of the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). It was recently renovated and the architect is Frank Gehry. I love that Gehry built the addition around the old building and preserved the best features of the original gallery. My favourite features of the new addition are the Galleria Italia and the Baroque Stairs.

http://www.ago.net/frank-gehry-redesigned-ago

What is one of your favorite quotes?

My favourite quote is ‘Live, love, laugh, learn’. There are many variations of these four words and I love them all.

What color do you feel most comfortable wearing?

I am most comfortable in reds and royal blues. The OA at our school says that I can wear all colours well but that is not true. I just know what colours suit me and I tend to stick to those colours.

What is something you learned in the last week?

In the last week I learned about the mystery plants that were gifted to me and how to play the chord Dm on the ukulele.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I’m grateful to the temporary caretaker who helped me with my dilemma in the library. He made a few phone calls and saved me a lot of work. Hopefully when I return at the end of the summer I’ll have a new floor in the library a new caretaker who’ll be as considerate as this one was.

In the coming week I’m looking forward to returning to the cottage and hopefully seeing Germany in the finals of the World Cup on Sunday.

Mystery Plant #3

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….this is the last plant I need identified

Thanks to Maggie Wilson I now know the name of my mystery plant #2. It’s a Spiderwort or Tradescantia. http://home.howstuffworks.com/spiderwort.htm

Photo courtesy of : http://www.northcreeknurseries.com/_ccLib/image/plants/DETA-315.jpg

My last mystery plant has lovely burgundy leaves. I’ve seen this before but the name escapes me. Any ideas?

Ignore the green weeds around this plant.

New Flower of the Day (July 3, 2014) – Lobelia

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….I’ve been a fan of this pretty little flower for many years

Mystery Plant Number Two

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..thanks for all the suggestions on how to avoid the new format by going to the Dashboard instead

After a frustrating hour trying to figure out how to navigate the new format I decided to not post any more photos until help arrived. Well it did and now I’ll be going to the Dashboard instead of using the New Post button on the top right hand corner of the screen. What a difference! Thanks everyone. I fixed the images of the orange lily as well.

Well I think that the last mystery plant is a Bleeding Heart. For the one I’m posting tonight I have no clue as to what it is. I suspect that it is a plant that flowers in the spring because the blossoms have withered away. Any ideas?