The Maple Hill Hop 142

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

Today we return to Farm School,
where we are updating some of our recent tasks
at Faye & Lynn's 7,000 square-foot container garden.

Summertime is not our peak growing season.
Due to our heat, humidity,
and an abundance of bugs,
it's a difficult time for a vegetable gardener.
Here are three crops that are faring well
so far this season.   



About a month ago,
we showed you how our pigeon peas were doing.
They germinated well and haven't needed much care.  

Four weeks later,
you can see how much they've grown.
We have spotted some leaf rollers on them,
but they seem to be holding their own.
The insects are hand-picked and sent to their doom.
Each of these plants will grow upwards of 5 feet tall,
and provide us with oodles of podded peas.
We profiled this crop here.  

Another new crop we're trying this summer
is Malabar spinach.
Here it is newly sprouting,
about 4 weeks ago. 

With ample rain, it's coming right along.
This is a new crop for us,
so we are enjoying learning about its growth habits.
I sampled some and it is quite an unusual texture.
The tender leaves were very subtle in flavor,
and almost seem to melt in your mouth.
 

I'm looking forward to using this food source
in a variety of ways to add more nutrition to my diet.

One summer staple that Faye & Lynn
have had consistent success with is okra.
This crop is undaunted by the scorching sun
and constant soaring temperatures.
Lynn has almost 500 okra plants growing. 

 Once this crop starts blooming,
the okra is on its way.

Being a Yankee,
I never had a yearning to add this to my plate.
Since sampling pickled okra,
I'm a believer.
I plan to have this planted in my garden
during the finicky summer days of growing.
Good to know at least something can stand the heat,
even if this gardener can't.

That's what's happening where we are.
How 'bout you?
HOP to it! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   


  

Simple Summer Salad

I've been experimenting with some dietary changes 
to ward off chronic fatigue.
Here's a recipe that not only conserves energy
(since it's so easy to make),
but creates a fresh boost of the stuff!
It's also dairy and sugar free, and vegetarian to boot!
I use my go-to honey mustard dressing to add a zing of flavor.
(Recipe can be found by clicking below.)
A gluten-free version could be made
by simply substituting your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Allergy-friendly and delicious?
What could be better on a blazing summer day?

Simple Summer Salad
1 C elbow macaroni
1 carrot, grated
1/2 C garbanzo beans (I used canned)
1/2 C artichoke hearts
handful parsley
salt to taste
1/4 C Jami's honey mustard dressing

Cook pasta according to directions.
Drain pasta and add to a mixing bowl.
Add dressing while pasta is still warm,
that way it soaks into the noodles.
Add remaining ingredients
(at this point, you can add whatever veg or protein you like).
Stir to combine.
Refrigerate 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.
***This dressing is mayo-free,
so it is great for picnics or other outdoor feasts.
Enjoy!

The Maple Hill Hop 141

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

On Saturday, I had an opportunity to sell my daisy totes

at the local Tractor Supply.

This is a new venue for me.

The fact that there was no fee for the booth space

made it even more appealing.

A few months ago, I had placed a small flyer on their

"Community Bulletin Board",

and someone from the store actually called me to invite me to participate.

What a thrill!

I headed out early to beat the heat and by 8:30, I was set up and ready to go.
There were about 10 other vendors there, 
selling everything from veggies to baked goods to live critters.
There was even a young FFA vendor selling a few feed sack totes of her own!

It was a good experience,

although I can't say it was a financial success.

Each time I do one of these events,

it goes a bit smoother,

and I find myself a little more comfortable in my role as vendor.

The organizer of the fair told me 

they would probably wait until autumn to do the next one.

That gives me plenty of time to make more daisy totes

(and maybe a few other designs I'm thinking about).

That's what's going on where we are.
What's happening in your world?
HOP to it!    

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   
   

   

No Knead Bread

I love me some homemade bread.

There's nothing like the smell of it baking,

and the taste of it, fresh out of the oven,

slathered with butter makes me swoon.

Because of  recent health issues, 

I have much less energy

than a year ago.
Although I love making my own bread,
this change in my health makes it almost impossible at times.

There are days when it's all I can do to stay awake 

to get my work done.
 But that's a post for another day.

Once you're used to homemade bread,

it's really difficult to go back to store bought.

It spoils you

and leaves you feeling deprived if you have to do without.

The bread at the grocery store just isn't the same.

I knew I needed a better solution.

This recipe allows me to have homemade bread

without the kneading.

It practically makes itself.

The inside is dense, chewy, and it has a crispy crust

that makes the most marvelous sound when bitten into.

Although it's not as favored as my usual bread,

it satisfies like no store bought bread can do.

It's a fabulous recipe for those of us 

who find it too physically demanding to knead

and don't own a stand mixer to do it for us.

It would also be great for someone dealing with arthritis

or limited manual dexterity.
The original recipe is available below,
and the author shows her adorable 4-year old making the bread! 

I am so grateful that I still get to have homemade,

and look forward to many more of these loaves

coming out of our oven.

I hope you'll give it a go!

No Knead Bread

(Steamy Kitchen)

3 C bread flour 
1/4 t instant yeast
1 t salt
1 1/2 C warm water (110 degrees)

(You'll need a large pot that can go into a 450 degree oven.)

1.  Mix dough the night before you want to bake it.
Combine ingredients, mix until just incorporated,
and then cover with plastic wrap.
Leave on counter 12-20 hours.

2.  On a floured surface,
dump the dough (which will be very wet),
and fold the sides into the middle,
then the top and bottom into the center,
forming into a ball shape.
Place dough on large sheet of parchment paper, 
and then place this into a large mixing bowl.
Let it sit, covered, for 2 hours at room temperature.
At about the 1 1/2 hour mark, preheat the oven to 450 degrees
and place the empty baking vessel into the oven.

3.  Take pot out of oven with oven mitts.
Place dough in parchment paper into the pot.
Cover, bake 30 minutes.
Uncover, bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

Cool 10-20 minutes.
Enjoy!

The Maple Hill Hop 140

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

Today we are featuring
Zippy Zinnias!

Zinnias are a summer staple around here.
We appreciate the color, texture and brightness they add to the garden
with very little care.

Planted from seed in early spring,
they provide almost three seasons of blooms for us to enjoy.

Pollinators relish them as much as we do.
Whenever taking cuttings to bring indoors,
I patiently wait until the bees, butterflies and wasps have had their fill.

Another wonderful benefit to these beauties
is that they self-seed quite readily.
Seeds are also easily gathered by snipping off dried blooms
and combing the inner petals for the seeds that await.

Who wouldn't want to have as many of these lovely blossoms as possible?

Zinnias are on my list of annuals to plant each and every year.
I couldn't imagine summer without them!

That's what's growing here this week.
What's happening where you are?
HOP on!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up