Category Archives: Gardening/outdoors

Summer Harvest

The bounty that I harvested from my garden yesterday! Gabe lost in our jungle that some might call a garden. It is seriously getting crazy in there. Who knows where anything is at, but enter the jungle, and you may step on a yummy treat. Fresh tomatoes and carrots from the garden I think are...

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Sarabeth - August 10, 2011 - 12:06 am

All my tomatoes are still quite green and I’m not sure they’ll turn red at all this summer…

And if you get the chance, will you send me your zucchini bread recipe? The stuff you gave us was amazing! Hope you enjoyed the coast!

kara - August 10, 2011 - 8:32 am

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/moms-zucchini-bread/detail.aspx
This is the recipe. I made a few modifications. I cut 3/4 cup sugar and replaced it with applesauce. I also used half whole wheat pastry flower. We had fun at the coast, and it was so good to see you me dear, even if it was just an hour. Your kids are too adorble!

Amy Mayfield - August 10, 2011 - 12:31 pm

We have lots of basil, green beans, arugula, yellow zucchini and sungold tomatoes coming out of the garden right now. We have harvested exactly ONE large tomato so far. :-)

I love making a big pan of fried brown rice with lots of garden veggies. Your saute with cheese sounds really good!

EmmaJ - August 12, 2011 - 4:15 am

We have had so much zucchini and summer squash this year (our first garden year!). Some of my favorite zucchini recipes are putting it small diced into chilli and shredding it and putting it in quesadillas. We have also added it with spinach to omelets, grilled it, sauteed it, and made zucchini and squash au gratin.

I have an ask Kara question. Can you show me the layout to your garden, where the different plants are located. Our zucchini shaded our carrots and so I don’t think they will grow, and our melons have taken over a whole box.

EmmaJ - August 12, 2011 - 4:19 am

We have had so much zucchini and summer squash this year (our first garden year!). Some of my favorite zucchini recipes are putting it small diced into chilli and shredding it and putting it in quesadillas. We have also added it with spinach to omelets, grilled it, sauteed it, and made zucchini and squash au gratin.

I have an ask Kara question. Can you show me the layout to your garden, where the different plants are located. Our zucchini shaded our carrots and so I don’t think they will grow, and our melons have taken over a whole box.

Chrissy - August 12, 2011 - 6:27 am

Kara!
I’m a new reader of your blog and a first-time poster.
Love your photos, witty writing, and great topics!
Our garden is pretty pathetic this year — all green tomatoes so far, though we do have kabocha that should be harvestable come fall…
Thanks for sharing the zucchini bread recipe, though!

Also, in regards to your post from not too long ago, I have a question for “Ask Kara”:
Your kiddos are of preschool age (and beyond?), right?
I was wondering what your opinion is of all the local preschooling options, and maybe what you’ve chosen yourself. Or are the homeschooled/unschooled~?
I’d love your input! Thanks! :)

kara - August 12, 2011 - 1:33 pm

Oh Emma,
The layout of my garden is insane. I definitely tried at first to prioritize which things need the most sun etc… but then I just kept adding stuff, and what I have now is literally a jungle. It really is crazy. I should find someone to do a guest post on that as I am sure that there are a lot more strategic gardeners!!
Chrissy,
Lots of green tomatoes here as well! I looooove you question!!! That is going to be my post for next week. Thank you so much for the idea!!

Sara Egbert - August 14, 2011 - 8:12 pm

Oh wow!!!! Your garden looks incredible! I wish I could have come over to your place and seen it when I was down in July. Maybe next time?? Seriously, I wish we lived in the same city. I think we would have some good times together :)

kara - August 15, 2011 - 10:36 am

Sara,
Please do come and hang out the next time that you are in town!! We will have lots of fun letting the kids run around! My garden is looking great, but it is also completely filled with weeds that I have no time to deal with :) .

You Are Your Garden

A cute little bell pepper.  Our beans are coming on strong.  Oh please don’t tell me it’s another year of a million green tomatoes. We need more sun to ripen those babies. A shot of part of the garden and the chicken coop. Look, we grew our very own cabbage patch doll.  Don’t you just...

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EmmaJ - July 26, 2011 - 3:50 am

This is funny! My garden would say that I try very hard to be organized and have order, but that there are things in my life that I can’t control (my zucchini, squash, and melons are all just growing wild. I am not sure what the tomato rot says about me, but it sure if frustrating!

Amanda N - July 26, 2011 - 8:37 am

What would you say about those of us who don’t garden?

Sarabeth - July 26, 2011 - 1:16 pm

Mine is pretty organized but way too full…I just want to cram in as much as I possibly can and get the most out of our small garden space. I have tomatos, carrots, green beans, cucumber, peas, and zucchini all in a 13 X 5 raised bed.

Which does translate to real life for me…there’s so much good in life that I just want to experience/have it all (hobbies, fun outings/trips, etc.). Goes back to quality vs. quantity and finding the place where you have a maximum of each. Whoa, that was deep :)

Kara Jimenez - July 26, 2011 - 2:20 pm

I think my garden says “Can’t catch up with everything that needs done.” Because I didn’t plant anything this year. I have my chickens and the perennials that come back on their own. Raspberries, cherries, plums and grapes. I usually use the excuse that I just had a baby a few months ago but you have one too so I guess that doesn’t work lol. Maybe next year.

Kara Jimenez - July 26, 2011 - 2:21 pm

By the way the cabbage patch doll joke was very cute.

kara - July 26, 2011 - 4:52 pm

Emma,
I think that the rot says you live in a humid place, and nothing more than that :) .
Amanda,
It depends on if you don’t garden because you don’t have any interest at all or because you feel like you don’t have extra time. A question for you. Does the idea of sinking your hands into some wet soil sound more fun or more stressful for you. I will give you a free deeper garden analysis the next time we chat on the phone :) . Ahh… the perks of being my friend :) .
Sarabeth,
I love your analysis. You are an organized person who maybe puts too much on your plate. I totally agree with the quantity vs. quality. If you give a plant more space, it has more room to grow. Last year we had a properly spaced tomato plant that produced as much as 3 plants that were squished together.
Kara,
I think that my garden also says that I can’t catch up with everything. Yay for perrinials to make you feel like a gardener… even if you didn’t have to do a bunch of work. That is the best.

Strawberry Picking and Freezer Jam

Don’t those strawberries look amazing? Isn’t that girl a cutie? We picked at Fairfield Farms south of town. Their strawberries are organic and delicious. Gabe is a big helper. Especially when it comes to taste testing. He is an expert. Those of you who know me well know that I spend a good portion of...

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Anita - July 1, 2011 - 7:09 am

I do, I do!!

Wendy M - July 1, 2011 - 2:53 pm

I would love to pick with you again! I have 12 jars of strawberry freezer jam so far…saving room for blueberry and logan/marion/blackberry jam in my freezer, too! (The last type I created because I couldn’t tell with certainty which berries my kids had put in their buckets. Turns out it is delicious to combine all of those into one jam!)
I’m trying to go berry picking at least once a week…call me if you want to go!

kara - July 1, 2011 - 4:52 pm

Anita,
There will be lots of berry picking when you visit.
Wendy,
You are one of the only people that I know who likes picking as much as me. Yes, I will want to go next week and the next and the next…. :)

Adrienne - July 3, 2011 - 7:21 pm

We need to pick again. My kids ate all the strawberries by nightfall after picking. How can they NOT get sick from that?! Its a mystery to me. SO when you and Wendy go, you gals best be callin’ me.

kara - July 3, 2011 - 9:30 pm

Would you ladies maybe want to go to Twedts Tuesday at 12:00??

Amanda O. - July 6, 2011 - 10:10 pm

Hey Kara, do you know if Twedts is Organic, by chance? I’m on the hunt for more strawberries too :) Do you put baby on your back while picking? I’m wondering how to manage my 2 kiddos at the same time…

kara - July 7, 2011 - 9:14 am

Amanda,
The only place that I know of that for sure has Organic is Fairfield Farm in South town. We have picked there as well as Twedts (not organic). As far as taking the babe… I actually have had her sit in a bumbo seat while I pick. She has been pretty content that way :) .

Kindness Begins With Me!

My new hydrangea plant!! Isn’t it beautiful? I planted some herbs. This is some yummy oregano. I love tulips. I am almost giddy when I see a new one open up. I am loving my yard right now. Don’t these pictures make you happy? They make me happy. I also loved thinking about the words...

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Chris - April 18, 2011 - 11:39 pm

Kara I love that you are always trying to be a better person. You make the world a better place.

Mondisa C - April 19, 2011 - 11:03 am

I have to admit that I feel the same way about my tulips. Actually, I get quite giddy when I see any of my plants or trees start to sprout new leaves and buds. I usually manage to kill everything in my yard so anything that survives to come back again in the spring is a major victory for me. I love the pictures you put up… very “springy”.

kara - April 19, 2011 - 1:24 pm

Thanks homeboy :)
Mondisa,
I am with you. When things can just survive and thrive in my yard, I am happy.. especially when I didn’t have to do any work or watering to make them that way :) .

Spring is Here!

Me getting dirty in the garden planting some peas and carrots. The garden was so muddy, so I am a little worried about my little seeds. I also have potatoes to plant , but I need to figure out how to plant potatoes. Do you all know how many of the little eye things need...

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juliette - March 27, 2011 - 5:55 pm

More beautiful pictures! I was checking your blog to get ideas for dinner (at 530 on a Sunday no less.) Now I just want to go plant 200 more daffodils.

EmmaJ - March 27, 2011 - 6:55 pm

I love Sophia playing in the daffodils. Such a pretty picture. Good luck with your potatoes. I decided they are going to be added to my garden next year, so please post how yours do.

Krista - March 28, 2011 - 8:32 am

We did the square foot gardening thing last year and it’s pretty low maintenace: http://klinkthink.blogspot.com/2010/05/square-foot-gardening.html
and plan on doing it again this year. My only advice for the potatoes is to give them plenty of room because they get huge! I had to pull mine out because they were overtaking everything!

Krista - March 28, 2011 - 8:37 am

Me again…you can see here http://klinkthink.blogspot.com/2010/07/garden-update.html the potatoes taking over the entire garden…

Love your blog, thanks for sharing!
-Krista

kara - March 28, 2011 - 9:32 am

Ladies,
I’m kind of stressing about my garden. It is so flippin muddy out there, I am hesitant to plant anything else until it dries out a bit. Krista, I have totally stalked your blog and love it :) . Thanks for the potato advice…. do you remember around how many you planted? I just have no concept of how many it would take to have them take over?

Missy - March 28, 2011 - 6:31 pm

I did potatoes last year for the first time. I think it was 3 or 4 eyes…and they were super easy! Plus they’re really fun to harvest since you can’t see them…it’s a surprise! :)
PS – Amanda is an inspiration. I loved the Q & A.

Krista - March 28, 2011 - 7:52 pm

We did 2 squares of potatoes, and planted 4 in each square. We learned doing the square foot gardening that tomatoes, tomatillos and potatoes do not belong in a square foot garden! Do you have a Maritime Northwest Planting Chart? According to this, there isn’t a ton of stuff to be planted in March. More in April. We will probably wait until late April/early May to plant ours depending on the weather. Come on sunshine!

adrienne w - March 28, 2011 - 9:45 pm

Again… I am jealous. Seeing your beautiful spring weather makes me want to cry. We still have snow. It’s SLOWLY melting, but since we’re moving even further north, I feel very depressed by this spring stuff. P.S. Your kids are beautiful!!