The Maple Hill Hop 150

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.*

Our house has been for sale (on and off) for 3 years.

We are all so ready to move further north

and are willing to do what we need to

in order to make that happen.

Although we aren't sure why we are still here

while neighbors have been able to sell their homes,

we trust that there is a reason.

We recently took our home off the market

because we needed a break and wanted to try a new approach. 

We've been working on a project for the last few weeks

to make our home more appealing

to a larger audience.

We are downsizing the garden.     

lemongrass

Although we haven't received negative comments from realtors showing our home,

we think that simplifying the yard will make it look bigger

and help buyers feel that it's easier to maintain.

star jasmine

Even though all of our plants are either natives or

Florida-friendly and therefore don't require much care,

the sheer number of plants may seem overwhelming

to someone who is not a gardener.

lantana

 So, for the month of September, every other weekend,

we are hosting a plant giveaway.

We have done this periodically over the last few years,

but we are working on redesigning the garden

which requires less plants overall.

flax lily

It just doesn't sit right with me to toss healthy plants,

so the giveaway is the perfect solution.

Greenthumbs get something new for their garden,

and we get a clean slate to start over with our simplified design.

The beneficiaries do the digging, hauling and loading,

and we get the empty space we are looking for. 

Everyone wins.

passionflower vine

We advertised in our local Craig's List under "free"

and asked that those coming to partake bring canned food 

for our local Meals on Wheels program.

Another win.

It's been our experience that folks often bring more than expected.

Gardeners are known for being generous spirits.

African Iris

Our plants will get good homes and make someone happy

and we can remap our yard to appeal to buyers.

pineapple

So far, so good.

We've had several folks come by and take part in the event.

With one more Saturday to go,

we already have lots of new space.

Now that fall is closer to bringing cooler temperatures,

I may be able to get out there more

and tweak things a bit.

Let's HOP!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Patriot Day 2016

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_patriotism.html

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. John F. Kennedy
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_patriotism.html

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill,
that we shall pay any price, 
bear any burden, meet any hardship, 
support any friend, oppose any foe 
to assure the survival 
and
the success of liberty.
~John F. Kennedy

God bless us, every one. 

Roasted Okra

Being a Yankee,

okra was not on the menu growing up.

My farmer friends Faye & Lynn grow the stuff by the gallons

and got me to try hooked on pickled okra a couple of years ago.

I haven't looked back.

With an abundance of okra to harvest right now,

they gave me a bagful to do with as I chose.

One of the nice perks of volunteering at their farm

is that I sometimes come home with goodies!

Their generosity is boundless.

Faye & I picked this okra on Sunday and we showed you our method here.

Although Faye doesn't eat the stuff,

(more for the rest of us!)

she suggested I try roasting it.

I thought I'd give it a go,

as roasted root veggies are one of my wintertime favorites!

The okra was washed and the ends trimmed,

then olive oil, a pinch of sea salt 

and a sprinkling of steak seasoning was used to add just enough zing.

Into the oven at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes, and 

 voila!

The stuff was so scrumptious I could not believe it.

This bowlful was gone in a heartbeat.

When I talked to Faye, I told her 

I may never pickle again!

Some of the roasted pods were cut into bite-sized pieces

and added to our Wednesday night pasta.

Along with some homemade pesto and peas,

it really hit the spot.
It would be great with rice or quinoa,
to make it a gluten-free treat.

I can hardly wait for Farm School this weekend.

More okra to roast 

and the best company anyone could ask for.

Have you ever roasted okra before?

The Maple Hill Hop 149

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.*

This week we reconnect with Farm School,
where for the past 3+ years,
I've been learning how to grow all kinds of veggies.
You can check out all our Farm School adventures
by clicking on the tabs just under our header.

It's okra season here!
Summer is a difficult time to grow veggies,
but okra is one of the few crops that savors summertime. 

The beautiful blossoms signal that it will soon be ready for harvest.
Okra is a prolific producer
and must be picked twice daily to stay on top of the crop. 

 Faye & Lynn use a 4-inch stick
to ensure the perfect size is harvested.
These are the ideal length to fit into a pint-sized jar. 

This is what happens when the okra 
doesn't get picked on time.
The stuff grows so quickly that it must be picked on schedule.
The pod on the left is not good for much
unless you have livestock or a compost pile. 

 Within a few minutes,
we had almost filled our buckets.
Some folks enjoy eating okra raw,
others roast it or add it to soups and stews.
Pickled is my preferred choice.
You can find the recipe here. 

Faye and I kept finding gem after gem.
There will be plenty of pickling going on! 

   
Even though we've been working together for almost four years,

there's always something new to learn at Farm School.

Last year in our Seed to Table Series,

we profiled okra here. 

That's what's happening in our neck of the woods.

What's going on outside where you are?

HOP on!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

 

Rice Crust Quiche Remix

Lately,
I've been trying to do a better job
of using leftovers in new ways.
It makes the food more interesting,
and it's been a challenge coming up with ideas 
to use what we have.

Earlier in the week,
portobello mushroom "burgers" were on the menu.
I don't eat meat, so this is my stand in
when the boys are eating their turkey burgers.
Two kinds of steak fries were prepared as sides.
The mushrooms were huge, so there were leftovers.

They were chopped up and added to my rice crusted quiche mixture.
Included in the deliciousness was some cheddar cheese
and Malabar spinach, 
grown by my farmer friends, Faye & Lynn.
The crust was made using instant brown rice,
instead of the usual basmati.
It's the first time I've bought instant rice,
but brown rice is something that's been
difficult for me to get just right.
The difference in texture was barely noticeable,
and the brown rice is a better nutritional boost of fiber.

You can find the original recipe for rice crusted quiche here.
The leftovers of quiche were savored for lunch 
2 days in a row.
Leftovers from leftovers!
Showing gratitude for all that we have
 includes not being wasteful with food.

"Without frugality, none can be rich, 
and with it, very few would be poor."
~Samuel Johnson

Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor. Samuel Johnson
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html?q=frugality

Do you like to turn leftovers into something special?