Blue Jeans and Cotton Tees

My most exciting find at this summer’s garage sales was a Salton Yogurt Maker.

I had one years ago, but over time had broken some of the glass containers. I’ve tried other ways to make yogurt – but none were as successful and drop dead simple as the Salton.

My recipe comes from the tried and true More-With-Less Cookbook . I just reduced it down to fit in my Salton.

Homemade Yogurt

Combine in measuring cup:

1 cup powdered milk
2 cups warm water

Mix thoroughly and add:

5 ounces of evaporated milk or scalded whole milk.

Remove a small amount of this mixture and put in a small container. Add to this 3-4 ounces of vanilla yogurt made with active cultures. (The active cultures are very important! It should say so right on the label.)

Blend till smooth and add to the remaining milk. Mix well. It’s very important to get the starter mixed well into the base!

Pour into the yogurt maker and let incubate overnight.

The beauty of a yogurt maker is the consistent low heat (about 110 – 120 degrees).

To serve, you can simply add a little vanilla, or some fresh fruit, or maybe a little flavored jello. I’ve even added a small amount of sweetened kool-aid mix – which gave it a lovely color and a fruity flavor.

I love how easy and economical homemade yogurt is – my kids just think it tastes great!

Mom gets a bumper crop of radishes – and my seeds didn’t even germinate! Maybe she’ll share – I will admit that I’m drooling as I read this!

Our daughter, Teresa, was visiting this spring as we were planting the garden and suggested we do as she does: plant the radishes and carrots together in one row. As you pull the radishes it gives the carrots room to grow and keeps the weeds to a minimum.

It worked so well that we have had a bumper crop of radishes for the two of us to eat! (The rows of carrots are looking great, too!)

How many radishes can you eat at a meal? How many radishes can you slice on a salad?

How about cooked radishes? Slice and place in salted boiling water, cook until fork tender. Drain unless you want pink sauce! Pour some half & half over the radishes – however much you want to eat. Add a tablespoon of butter and just heat until first bubbles appear. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve.

I’ve also served them with a white sauce made with flour, butter & milk. But prefer the simplicity of the half & half.

Enjoy!
Nana Shirley

Once again Mom brings some wonderful insight into an area we all can use some work on! By the way – I spent several hours in my own garden today weeding, and it still doesn’t look as good as Mom’s!

Several weeks ago Pastor Brian gave 10 Tips for a Healthy Family in his sermon. The last one: “Make sure to Weed & Feed” comes to mind every day as we deal with our garden.

Our goal is to have a “healthy” family. To accomplish this we have to pull out (weed) and get rid of what is hindering the growth of a healthy family or individual. We have to encourage (feed) attitudes, habits & traditions with the Word of God individually and as a family.

The weeds have been growing in both the vegetable and flower gardens where we have not mulched. They start out small, but grow with roots that take nutrients and water from the plants we are growing for eating & beauty. If left the weeds will literally “take over”! But they are hard to pull!

Last night we had a nice gentle rain. It watered both the weeds and the garden plants, but it loosened the soil enough to make the weeds easy to pull.

So like the water of God’s Word in our lives. It loosens & “feeds” the “soil” of our hearts allowing growth for the good and strength & wisdom to “weed” out the sin that could take over!

Weeding & Feeding on the Prairie,
Nana Shirley

I’m always impressed with Mom and Dad’s garden – the rows are straight and weed free and their plants look so good! They finally have time to devote to gardening …

The quest for “growing that perfect tomato” has been the subject of numerous written articles.

It’s the reason for creating hundreds of “thing-a-ma-jigs” to make it happen, the inspiration for plant breeders, and it turns local gardeners into fanatics!

We have a friend who started a contest years ago with another friend to see who could have the first ripe tomato! A ripe tomato is delivered in a brown paper bag from the winner to the loser and continues to this day with the next generation!

We started on our quest for the perfect tomato crop with this  “tip”–when planting lay the plant on it’s side so that the stem will make lots of roots.  It works and we still do it!

We’ve also learned to look for plants with the VFN resistant tag and to mulch with newspaper to prevent the dreaded “blight”!

Then Papa talked to a gardening friend who suggested a wire cylinder wrapped in shrink wrap for protection and extra early warmth. It works great & can be reused over if you store them carefully. Plastic grocery bags tied to the wire work, too.

Papa has even used the upside-down planter!

This year we saved banana peels all winter and buried them under the plants – a hint we read in a magazine!

We also used old rugs with the backing worn off as our mulch!

And a fungicide spray, suggested by another gardener friend, that is yet to be applied because of time and extra rain.

Have we found the secret to the Elusive Perfect Tomato Crop?Time will tell!

Check with us in the fall!

-Nana Shirley