Category Archives: Garden

Labor Day Garden Project

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A three-day weekend is usually code for getting a major project done in our home.  This weekend we chose to get a bunch of yard work done.  Specifically, we planted two grape vines, a tomato plant, and a blackberry bush.  Well, we did a lot more, but those were the new plants that we bought for the garden.  Today, I wanted to show you our new grape vines along the fence.  This table and piles of junk are what we started out with…

Before -- lots of weeds and crap on the side of our home!

Proof that I actually get work done -- pulling weeds in the little dirt patch!

The “lattice” is hung on some screws on the fence.  Matt put it there to see if I liked it.  This is not how it would stay though, as we needed it away from the fence so that the grapes could grow onto it.  You can see it “suspended” below.

Excited about our new grape vines -- Red and Green Thompson Seedless, to be exact!

If you want to see the after shots, you have to check out the video below.  I also explain exactly what we did, so you can replicate it!

Let me know if you have any questions — or if you noticed my poor grammar / mumbling — or if you caught my ADD (“oh there’s a cat, but you can’t see it”)!  If you have any specific garden questions, shoot me an email or leave them in the comments.  I will try my best to answer them soon!

New Garden in Five Hours!

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Okay, I’m not entirely sure it took only five hours, but we now have a brand spankin’ new garden in the front yard.  We sat down at 10 a.m. and decided to just go for it; and we were done and off to church by 4:30 p.m.!  I know that is six and a half hours, but you have to factor in lunch and a trip to KMART and iced tea making time.  So, here is the low down.  I have a few things that I need to acknowledge in this post: You can have your own garden in just one day and I was wrong (but not about that).  Let’s start with that latter.  I told Matthew that there was no way that he would be able to start seeds with dirt from our backyard — he must use fresh potting soil or peet pots.  This watermelon is proof positive that I was wrong.  I may have also asked him to start a few seedlings for me as well (he used dirt in a tupperware in the window)!

Now, onto the garden.  We will start with this little video that I made.  It is actually the finished product, but I explained everything that I did.  I had fun making the video, but think I talk like I have marshmallows in my teeth, or braces — which is weird as I never had braces!  Anywho, check out my vlog, and excuse my nasty garden-dirty attire!

So, a few close ups….  This is where my garden used to be.  Remember that?

Yeah, you cannot really plant vegetables inside a shed… or in your compost bin!  Actually, you can totally start them in a compost bin (I did that accidentally one year)!  Have I got you interested in the new garden?  Well, there are more pictures after the jump.

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Margherita Pizza & Basil Martinis

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Remember when I said I was going to repot my basil? Well, I actually got around to using it first instead. So yummy.

My basil is all grown up!

I’m glad that the $3 kit from CVS ended up working out. I made margherita pizza and basil martinis — both were very tasty!

Margherita Pizza

Cheesy margherita pizza -- one of my faves!

  1. Roll your dough out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. I picked up some garlic and herb dough from Trader Joe’s and it worked well. Although, it ended up sticking to the pizza stone, so maybe try using a baking sheet instead. I will also try to roll it out thinner next time.
  2. Brush or rub about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on top of the rolled-out dough.
  3. Add about 1 teaspoon of chopped up garlic.
  4. Slice mozzarella cheese about 1/4 of an inch thick and lay out over pizza.
  5. Slick tomato in fairly thin slices and place them over the cheese.
  6. Cut up about 4 basil leaves and place them on the pizza. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  7. Cook at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Basil Martini

Basil martini anyone?

I followed this recipe (good for one drink) but think I may go for a vodka version next time, since this one was a little “ginny” for my taste. Also, I chopped up about two basil leaves that went inside the drink, and added two large leaves for garnish. The longer you leave in the leaves, the more basil taste will be infused.

  • 2 oz gin
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup
  • 3-4 fresh basil leaves

I’m so glad I flexed my green thumb so I could have a tasty meal and more to come. Do you use homegrown herbs in your cooking?

Time to Repot My Basil

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Last time I left off in the exciting saga of “Emily Tries Growing Basil,” we had a image of little baby basil just starting to sprout. Let me refresh your memory:

It's my baby basil sprouts!

With some more time, sun and a little water — not too much! — they have grown to look like this:

My basil is all grown up! Time to repot.

The guide that came with my seed-growing kit said to repot the basil after the sprouts reach about three inches. That’s definitely true for the one in the purple, as it is overshadowing some late bloomers. Although, it would seem to me that the purple pot is big enough for that size. Even the white pot seems like it is still about the right size.

What do you gardening pros think I should do? And should I move it outside? I’m afraid the critters will be attracted to the awesome basil aroma and start nibbling!

Roasted Tomatoes, the Barefoot Way

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This could totally be classified as an abundant crop recipe, but I feel like sharing it with you right now!   So it will not be around during tomato month …  if I can find enough tomato recipes for that.  Anywho, this recipe is super simple but incredibly delectable!

Tomatoes, grown in my very own garden.

This recipe is so good that your husband who does not like tomatoes will eat many of them. (He’s actually allergic to tomatoes, but only if they’re uncooked.)

Looks amazing, right? Okay, maybe not -- but they are fantastic!

This recipe can be found in the Barefoot Contessa’s cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients, but basically you:

1. Top tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and then roast for awhile.

2. Once they are all blackened and roasted, top with freshly cut basil.

Now is that simple, or what? It’s very delicious and it was so nice to use tomatoes from my garden and an actual cookbook for a recipe, versus searching for something online.  How often do you use cookbooks?

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