August Garden Update

Summer is in full swing around here! We'll enjoy "summer" temps into October usually, so there is still lots of hot days ahead of us to be filled with gardening and adventures in the sun. One of the things taking up most of our time is the garden, I truly love spending early mornings and evenings out here. It's been a while since we updated you guys on our garden, so we thought we would show you what it looks like now. 

We've had some crops come and go and planted a few new things, like sunflowers and pumpkins.

Related Article: Making And Using Raised Bed Gardens With Trellises

Our tomatoes are finally ripe and look amazing! My only regret is not making the trellis taller.

We've been getting lots of cantaloupe from our plants! Delicious for breakfast. The stink bugs got our spaghetti squash so we planted mammoth sunflowers in our trellis instead.

Our basil got huge! Not to self really need to make pesto. I thought for sure we were going to lose this crazy squash plant to the stink bugs but after spraying it with Neem Oil and Castile Soap and sprinkling it with Diatomaceous Earth it's been doing great.

Related Article: Our Raised Bed Garden

Our marigolds have gotten huge! I love the pop of color it gives to each box.

Our tomato plants look the best they have in years, I can't wait to start canning!

Even the Zinnias have bloomed and look beautiful next to our tomato plants.
 

The green beans have grown in and covered the arbors, you can barely see them now.

Related Article: Insect Repelling Herbs To Plant In Your Garden

We planted Roma Beans which are big, flat and fat, unlike normal green beans. We get a huge basket full every couple of days.

In the next couple of weeks, we'll be planting lettuce and our fall veggies. Can't wait to pull out the seeds and plant some new stuff!

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Homemade Hot Chocolate

There is nothing like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold night, whether you're sitting around the bonfire with friends or watching a movie with the family it's the perfect treat!

Related Post: Chocolate Bark Recipe

4 Tablespoons Agave, Maple Syrup, or Sugar (you substitute these for a few drops of stevia)

1 Cups Milk (Can use a nondairy milk if you don't drink milk)

1/8 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla 

1 Tablespoon Carob Powder or Organic Chocolate Powder

Whipped Cream or whipped coconut cream

Peppermints (optional)

Heat milk in a saucepan, add sweetener, vanilla, and carob. Wisk until combined, and allow to heat. Ladle into your favorite mug and top with coconut whipped cream and peppermints. 

Making Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta is a super easy cheese to make.  It is used in lasagne, manicotti, stuffed shells, ravioli and lots of other pasta dishes.

You make ricotta with the leftover whey from making other cheeses.  When we make a cheddar, or jack you are using several gallons of milk.  This is a way to use again the left over and get the best bang for your buck.

Ingredients:

Whey

Stockpot
Pillow Case or clean flour sack towel
Strainer
Spoon

Directions:

After you are finished making whatever cheese you are doing and have it in the press you take the whey in your large stock pot and reheat it to the point of simmering and almost to a boil.  I stir all the time because I don't want my ricotta to settle and stick to the bottom of my pan.  When you get to almost the boiling stage you will start to see what looks sort of like cottage cheese floating in the liquid.  This is your ricotta.  Continue until you see it is not making any more cheese.   Strain the cheese in a colander lined with a clean white pillowcase or a clean flour sack towel.  Remove from fabric and place into a container.  Add some fine ground pink Himalayan salt and stir and store until you are ready to use.

Check out making Jack Cheese!

Red Rose Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 Cups Organic All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Organic Raw Sugar
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
2/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
2 Cups Cold Coffee
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Wilton 710-1491 8-Pack Rose Icing Decorations, Medium, Red

Related Post: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Related Post: Be My Valentine Pie Pops

Directions: 

Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, and salt in a bowl. Make 3 wells in the mixture; pour oil in one vinegar in one and vanilla in another. Pour in coffee and gently stir. Scoop into muffin liners. Bake at 350, for 18 minutes. Allow to completely cool, then ice and place decorations on the top

Related Post: Heart Shaped Cookies

 Icing Ingredients:

 16 oz Cream Cheese
1 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Cup Whipping Cream

Related Post: King Cake

Icing Directions: 

Beat cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour in cream. Beat until combined. Spoon into an icing bag and ice cupcakes.

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Breakfast Egg Casserole

10 Free Range Organic Eggs 

1/2 Cup Organic Flour 

1 Teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt

1 Pint Organic Cottage Cheese 

2-3 oz Chopped Ortega Chilies 

1 lbs Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

1 lb Bag of Shredded Potatoes

Related Post: Breakfast Pockets

Directions:
Mix eggs, flour, salt, cottage cheese, Ortega chilies, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Lay shredded potatoes over bottom of a casserole dish, pour egg mixture over the top. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Related Post: Breakfast Egg & Sausage Sandwich

Mr. Cottage's Favorite Meat loaf

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs Ground Grass fed Beef

1 lbs Ground Pork or just use all beef

1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt 

33.5 Ounces Tomato Sauce

2 Egg

Directions:

Put ground beef and pork in a large bowl, add seasonings and egg. Mix well but do not over work.

form into loaf shape in a casserole pan. Add whatever vegetables you want to around the edge of the pan. Cover in tomato sauce, sprinkle onion, garlic, and salt over the top. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1:30.

Mrs. Cottage's Cornish Game Hens

Leftover cooked long grain rice

Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil and Garlic

Himalayan Pink Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Sage

Poultry Seasoning

Cranberry Sauce

4 Cornish Game Hens

Wash hens inside and out, remove giblets. Part skin from the meat  in back and front, season with garlic, salt, paprika, sage, poultry seasoning and pepper if desired. Spoon inside of bird cranberry sauce (you can find our recipe here), follow with rice, then sauce then rice again until filled. Season outside of bird and cook for 1 hour 19 minutes in a greased pan at 380 F. You can spoon more cranberry sauce over the top if you would like.

Serve with a couple of vegetables and some cold cranberry sauce if you like.