Veggie Tails

This is the first cucumber from our garden this year.

Gabby took him and wouldn't give him back to me .

Gabby named him Steve and gave him eyes to see.

 They became good friends 

 Then this guy showed up on our kitchen counter top.

I think Veggie Tales has invaded our home! 

Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Sandwich Making, Fruit & Garden Update

A while back, something like 2 + months I saw this idea on a blog and now I can't remember what one is was. So if you read my blog and this was your idea it is ingeniousness. When we went up to Coco's she had already taken the idea into action. I have had it done for a while now and this is an amazing time saver.

I keep the mustard's, mayo, miracle-whip, jelly, jam and lunch meat. This way when you want to make a sandwich it is all there. 

 This is it in the refrigerator. One of the biggest things I have noticed is how it frees up room from the door and keeps things nice and organized. 

Recently I finished reading this book "Fit For Life NOT FAT For Life"

Really good book. Very motivating to eat healthier, information about nutrients in food and how our bodies work in simple form to understand.

I have been eating clean but fell off eating enough fruits and veggies as I was before. 

My body was feeling it so I started pushing to get them back into my daily eating.

 Went to Sprout's today for some yummy fruits and veggies. 

I spend almost half of the weekly grocery budget on these. 

Today I got the following: 

Romaine lettuce (5 heads), black plums, 2 bags if red grapes, plum tomatoes, 

nectarines, Gala apples, 2 avocados  but wait there's more

 Small package of blueberries, 2 containers of strawberries, cantaloupe, 

cauliflower, navel oranges, onions, 2 English cucumbers and 4 cucumbers.

All of this for $52.70. Pure yummieness ! 

 Now onto the update on my garden.

SNIFF SNIFF I am sad to say that my garden is soooooo sad.

The squash bugs killed, yes killed all of my cantaloupe, spaghetti squash, zucchini, and all of my pumpkins

except for this sweet little one that was rescued. 

 On a brighter note my loofah is going a little crazy. This one is on the side of my raised bed.

 The yellow blossoms are all loofah. The vine has crawled all over the fence.

 Another one that is huge. To the right is my first sunflower that died, yet there are a bunch growing at the base of it. 

Even though my garden didn't flourish the way I wished it had it was a 

growing (excuse the pun) experience for me.  

If anyone has any idea of how to deal with the squash bugs I would love to hear. 

My garden is fully organic. I used the organic powder to take care of them and the soap spray but it didn't do the trick. 

A little late getting my winter garden in but it is still in the 90's here so I think 

that I still have time to get it in. 

So glad it is Friday today. Ready for a relaxing evening and watching Blue Bloods.

 Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Picture Download

Every once in a while I take pictures then I don't make blog posts about them so what is a girl to do with them well you do a post on picture download ( I think I got this idea from Coco) so thank you Coco! 

This is Faith (July 2012) when she was freshly home from 4 days at girls camp this year. 

One of  the Young Woman leaders made the girls these cute headbands.

The girls had so much fun. Next year all three girls will be at camp. That will be odd! 

 I was at Wally World making copies of pictures for our entry way a while back 

I look up and there is this Creeper staring at me!!! Just kidding it is Gabby, just being Gabby.

 This is when she saw the camera pointed at her.

Creeper face

When Coco was down the last time we went to Target to do a little shopping. 

I look over at Coco and she is wearing this amazing Spider Man mask. 

Love it, it is SPIDY COCO!

I keep a hula hoop in my room to use when I get the urge. 

Gabby came in and was whipping it around on her neck

 My first Sunflower I have ever grown. Unfortunately it didn't do to well after a while and started dying off but now down around the bottom of it there are a good 12 mini Sunflowers all yellow and pretty growing. Crazy!  

My squash, pumpkins and cucumbers got attacked by STUPID squash bugs and killed them all off. 

I was so bummed they had been doing so good. Oh well maybe next year. 

Hope you enjoyed the down load. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Garden

My garden at this time is not huge. We have another raised bed that we will be getting ready for the fall but for now I just wanted to share with you some pictures of my garden. 

These are my 3 tomato plants. They aren't put directly in the garden bed this year I am trying an experiment that my friendly garden guy at A & P Nursery told me about. So far so good.  

 This is my artichoke plant. I have never grown one before. When I transplanted it I thought it wasn't going to make it.  

This is before: 

And this is now: 

 Now the raised planter bed we have Swiss chard, stevia, going into the next area is English cucumber, cantaloupe 

 Green peppers, pumpkins, Japanese pumpkins (Kabocha), loofah (seeds from a blogger friend in Australia)

 Next area Sun flower, pumpkins, spaghetti squash, summer squash 

 This is my little garden. 

I have been watering the garden by hand each day but since we are going away and I have put much love and care into my garden I didn't want it to die. It is so hot that it doesn't take long for plants to croak in this heat. Alan hooked up a clock and the pvc piping and has the garden being watered for me now. SWEET! 

Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Garden

This years spring summer garden is doing really well I am pleased to say. I think my Father in Love would be happy with what we have done.

We currently have basil, chives, cantaloupe, watermelon, peppers (green & red), cucumbers, crookneck squash, zucchini and onions growing. The squash is producing so I am getting about 1 a day off of each plant. This happens to be one of my favorite veggies.

There is another planter box that I didn't take a picture of. We are hoping to put in a few more for the winter garden planting. Super Excited about growing my own veggies for my juice every morning.

 This is a cantaloupe. There are many more on the vines.

 This is the start of loufa plants. I had a friend of mine, Rhonda of Down To Earth, lives in Australia. She sent me seeds over 5 years ago.We were living in Pinetop and the climate wasn't hot enough. So I finally got my seeds out and planted them a little over a week ago. This was a picture from last Thursday and they have grown even more since. I am wanting to make homemade soap to give with a homegrown loufa sponge for Christmas to some people and have some of course on hand for the family. 

 This is a watermelon. I spotted this little guy and then found many more hiding under the vines. Yummy can't wait for home grown watermelon, watermelon pops cycles, and water melon in juice. 

I am so thankful for what I had learned from my Father in Love about the gardening. It is a major learning and experimenting fun time. I also have a wonderful person at A&P Nursery that has been so helpful in this adventure of becoming more self-sufficient. 

Hugs, Bobbi Jo