Gardening ~ Cooking ~ Frugality
Live from Zone 7b in New Jersey
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Growing Tomatoes (Indeterminate) in Zone 7b
Tomatoes! Nearly every year, I grow more tomatoes than anything else. Enough to make gallons of sauce and to give them away in free piles outside my house. Indeterminate tomatoes are those that vine and sprawl all over. Determinate ones have neat and tidy bushes. I’ve only ever grown indeterminate. My tried and true tomato…
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Calm Before the Storm
Sitting here getting my grays covered up and my hair cut, ahead of my work trip to Arizona. I leave next Sunday. Trying to enjoy fall in New Jersey before heading to the desert. However, we’ve got a nor’easter blowing in today, so we can’t do much outside. The worst of it will be tonight…
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Growing Onions in Zone 7b
I have grown onions. Not every year, and not always with great success. It can be done, but it’s not as easy as, say, tomatoes (in my opinion). And since supermarket onions are cheap, it doesn’t always seem worthwhile. But according to my husband, it’s worth it. He always raves about our homegrown onions and…
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Growing Garlic in Zone 7b
I purchased some garlic at a nearby farmers’ market recently, and the seller apologized for the price, and explained it was due to the fact that “garlic is so hard to grow in Jersey.” Is it, though? IDK. I have grown it a few times with no problem. Of course, growing 12 plants is not…
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The Suburban Semi-Rural Sweet Spot
I have been watching a lot of homesteading videos. I’ve never been one to sit and watch YouTube, but in an effort to stop doom scrolling on my lunch break, I looked up the videos of More Than Farmers, an Ohio family I follow on Instagram. I have since watched quite a few of their…
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The Trying
Lots of crawly friends in the garden this week: The swallowtail caterpillars are growing. And this spider, perhaps a cross orb weaver or spotted orb weaver, built a web between two of the garden posts and now has a tasty treat stored there. Sunsets are creeping earlier and I have to rush into the garden…
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Mad Scientist
Hold up… do Ted Cruz and I agree on something? Cruz called the FCC chairman’s threats to media outlets “dangerous as hell.” Yep, Ted has gotten it right for once. ABC can do whatever it wants as far as Jimmy Kimmel is concerned, but the FCC has zero business getting involved. So zip it, Brendan…
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Something Different
Long story but I did not take off Wednesday and worked a full week, and extra hours too. I saw a meme that said, “I’ve been unemployed. I’ve been employed. I advise not being born.” 😂 I’m really excited about my broccoli, Brussels sprouts and baby pumpkin! I have some lettuce sprouting too. I could…
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Summer Reprieve
Wrapping up a very quick trip down the Shore. Getting in the last beach and boardwalk time of the season (maybe, you never know). We stayed one night at the Tahiti Inn, which was serviceable for $240. N, F and N’s friend stayed at the house my parents are renting. Good times with the extended…
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Relentlessly Dorky
The title of this post came to me as I was falling asleep the other night. I was thinking about how I’ve been waiting all my life to be an old person who prioritizes my rest and my nonglamorous hobbies. I’ve been middle aged at heart forever. Sure, there’s some things I miss about my…
Garden State of Mind 