Category Archives: Garden

A Flowerbed Make-Over

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A Flowerbed Make-Over

February 21, 2011

When we first moved here we build a little flower garden out of rocks around the small oak tree in our front yard. We did this to disguise the mound and stump that was left of the other tree we cut down. Well over the last few days it got a make-over. 

IMG_1397We dug up the rock that was in there so long roots started to grow around them making one impossible to get out without cutting the root.

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A Time to Plant

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A Time to Plant

February 15, 2011

Adam wanted to have a garden of his own. I told him, “Well, when Daddy starts planting in a couple weeks you can have your own garden spot but until then you can help me if you like. I am going to plant herbs.” “What is herbs?” Adam questions. “Spices!” I said. He thought that would be pretty neat to grow our own spices. I explain to him that we can grow them and dry them and store them ourselves. 100_9763

I bought one of the starter kits so it would be easier for Adam to help. We set up our stuff on the picnic table outside. CONTINUE READING…

Habanera Gold

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Habanero Gold

November 6,2010

My wonderful husband brings in a large pan of Habanero peppers. For those of you that do not know it, these peppers are insanely hot. He said, “How about you ‘can’ these?” I thought “Into what?” I drag out the good ol’ Ball Canning book and looked up Habanero Pepper. I found a recipe called “Habanero Gold” and thought, “OK, I can try this.” The recipe is supposed to be for a sweet and sour hot jam that you serve with cheeses, kind of snooty for an ol’ country girl, but hey, I had to have something to do with the peppers.

habanero-peppers-109133_640
Image from Pixabay

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Habanero Gold Recipe

Ingredients:

Yield: 3/33Servings Size 250 ml jars

1/3 cup finely sliced dried apricot

3/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1/4 cup finely diced red pepper

1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers, with seeds or 1/4 cup finely diced jalapeno, and scotch bonnet peppers combined

3 cups white sugar

1 (3 ounce) envelope liquid pectin

Directions:Prep Time: 30 mins Total Time: 45 mins

1 Cut apricots into 1/8 inch slices and measure into large stainless steel saucepan with the vinegar; let stand for four hours.

2 Cut onions and peppers into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into a 1/4 inch dice.

3 Add to apricots and stir in sugar.

4 Bring mixture to a full rolling boil.

5 Stirring constantly, boil hard for one minute.

6 Remove from heat and immediately stir in liquid pectin, mixing well.

7 Stir for about 3 minutes to mix solids, but put into jars before it gets too firm.

8 Pour into hot sterilized jars, dividing solids equally and fill to within 1/4 inch from the top of the jar.

9 Apply snap lids and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes if you choose.

10 Once sealed you can rotate or invert jars while still warm to distribute solids if needed.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Due to the large quantity of peppers we had and the small amount required by this recipe, I decided to quadruple the recipe.

I cut the apricots and laid them to bed in the vinegar overnight, to tackle this project the next day, time enough for me to muster up the courage to deal with these peppers. Morning comes and goes and finally by afternoon I am brave. I pulled out my yellow and red bell peppers and my red onion and have fun chopping and dicing and using my Vidalia Chopper. Then came time to tackle the Habaneras. Sporting a lovely pair of latex gloves to protect my skin from pepper burn, I begin cutting the peppers in two and removing the seeds.

With the Habaneros, all split and deseeded it was time for the final rinse

 Lo and behold as soon as they hit the water and the mist came up from the peppers I started to cough and gag and sneeze like crazy. I thought for sure I was going to die from anaphylactic shock right then and there. I go to the door and gasp for breath, call for my daughter to find the Benadryl and pull my shirt up over my nose. After taking a little pink pill and with my shirt still over my nose I return to the scene of the crime, the sink. I had left the water running this whole time so the peppers were rinsed well by the now. After draining them, determined to finish my project, I cut the peppers in the tiny cubes, all the while still coughing and sneezing and having to take breaks to get my breath.

Noticing that the “cup” of peppers I started with “halved” became a half cup “diced”, I decided that that was plenty of Habanera peppers for this recipe and I would just make up the difference with the extra bell peppers I had. With the Benadryl finally helping ease the allergic reaction I had, I wondered if I should risk the “cooking” process. I thought, “Gosh, if  “spray off” from the silly things did that much to me, what on earth will the heated steam do?” Not brave enough to attempt this solo, I called in my hubby to sit with me through the rest of the canning process in case I really needed to have someone call 911 for me. Thank GOD for Benadryl because I got the stuff cooked and in jars with no more near death experiences.

I have to say I will never again attempt this recipe for fear for my life, even though it turned out to be a very pretty jar of Habanera Gold. My “mild” rendition of this turned out to have the taste of a very sweet jam with an afterburner hot pickled pepper effect, from the very tiny bit I tasted. It seems like it would be wonderful as a glaze to a brisket, that is if I wasn’t afraid it would kill me.

Photos were taken by Anna Husband

~Becky~

© Becky Husband & Oh Happy Daze Disclaimers

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Harvesting the Corn

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Harvesting the Corn

November 1, 2010

We have tried for several years to grow corn in our garden. Most of the time we would get a few spindly stalks with no ears or we would grow great stalks with scrawny ears. This year after our purple hull harvest, Stewart had decided to plant some corn just to have something to grow in the pea patch. We assumed it would do poorly as it had in the past but much to our surprise it did really well.

Shucking corn by the pig pen seemed like the perfect place to do the job.

They would shuck the husks and toss them to our pot belly piggies and then cut off any bad spots and give them to the pigs or the donkey. Our little piggies thought they were in Heaven.

Adam comes up to me with corn silk on his head and says, “Mom, now I know how they make wigs!” I just love that child’s imagination.

We harvested over 290 ears of corn off of this small corn patch. We blanched and bagged right around 50-gallon bags of corn on the cob. Thank you, LORD, for such a bountiful harvest.


~Becky~

© Becky Husband & Oh Happy Daze Disclaimers

Affiliate Links: Thank you for supporting my blog by purchasing through these links.

Christianbook.com carries a wide variety of Christian, Hebrew Roots, & Messianic products along with an abundant amount of homeschool curriculum, inspirational books, movies, music, gifts and more!!

banner13_thumb2_thumb_thumb

Looking for great essential oils at affordable prices?? Check out Spark Naturals!! Be sure to save your 10% by using coupon code: HAPPYDAZE

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Find pretty much anything you need at Amazon.com

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Ads that are displayed below this point are NOT my ads but those of WordPress.com and are not necessarily approved or supported by Becky Husband or Oh Happy Daze. If you saw an inappropriate ad, please report it!