Here we are, almost at the end of summer... with some cooler weather this weekend, I could smell fall in the air. These days there isn't much left in the garden; some okra, bell peppers, and green beans is just about all that remains. Saturday I watched my husband pull out most of the tomato bushes and strange as it sounds, I felt... sad. I thought I would be happy to see those tomato plants go after all the canning I did, but instead I think I'm going to miss that crazy garden of ours. It became such a part of our everyday lives this summer and we had so much bounty to be thankful for... I hardly bought any produce over the summer and have enough tomatoes canned to last us most of the winter.
Jillian pulled out the carrots just last week. We were outside playing in the yard and all of a sudden I noticed she was yanking carrot after carrot out of the ground. She was enjoying it so much I didn't bother to stop her but instead joined in on the fun. Aren't they funny looking? They don't look anything like the carrots you buy at the grocery store... I guess I was planning on leaving them in the ground with the hope they would straighten or something. (laugh)
But as my husband often jokes with me, you can't eat pretty. So carrot cake muffins we enjoyed with supper one evening... just a little taste of fall from the kitchen. (You can find the recipe here.)
Although it feels a little bittersweet saying goodbye to summer and its bounty, I'm looking forward to all that fall has to offer. Isn't that the joy of eating foods that are in season... each season brings something new and delicious to enjoy.
Hope you have a wonderful week!
I am going to miss my garden, too! Your jars look so pretty and it will be so wonderful to have a taste of summer all winter long! I think I will try your carrot cake muffins. Boy they look yummy!!
ReplyDelete~Julia
Your muffins look divine, Andrea. I bet you and the girls just have a blast around your house. Such sweet times.
ReplyDeleteThe cooler weather has been wonderful here as well! Your muffins look very yummy,I can't wait to try them!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Tori
I also was sad this weekend when we cleanedout the garden but smile when I look in my cupboards. I love to eat from the garden on a cold winters night. Tonight we're having spaghetti...first time making sauce.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the fall! XO
Sarah
Don't you love the "real" of homegrown stuff? I am ready for the cooler weather finally- xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI'm so sad to see summer come to an end. Those muffins look delicious :)
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing better than freshness in the kitchen. And nothing better than having it in the fall, my favorite season.
ReplyDeleteI'm ready for autumn to start its technicolor show and your canned goods are just the colors I'm waiting to see! The muffins look yummy!
ReplyDeleteI already miss the fresh watermelon...I was eating it almost every day. I need to move on to apples! Good for you on canning all the tomatoes. When it's cold, dreary and the middle of January you will be so thankful for that big pot of soup you were able to make with your canned goods. Don't know how you find the time for everything you do...have a lovely day!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to welcome the day with temps in the 50's here in NC..... to have your first cup of coffee on the back porch in the cool, crisp morning, watching the sunrise...one of life's many blessings...How wonderful it is for children to have fun in the garden...I love the shape of the carrots and i am sure they tasted so much better than the pretty ones!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe...I so love carrot cake muffins!!
We don't have a garden, but we did find some wonderful blackberries last week--and on Saturday we made our first ever batch of jam! So much more flavor than the store-bought stuff, and I think the memories of picking and jamming make it even sweeter. Gives me motivation to try a garden of some sort next year. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteMy carrots aren't ready to be pulled yet - they are only the size of my index finger. I left them until early October last year and they were a good size then! Your muffins look delish - a little taste of early fall!
ReplyDeleteI just finished a ton of canning too and will be posting about it soon. Our garden didn't produce as much as we wanted this year, but it did ok I guess. We are getting a lot more now actually at the end of the season and are hoping to have a bigger fall garden. I just discovered your blog and am so glad I did! Your newest follower, Megan
ReplyDeleteI popped over from Julia's blog----and voted for your blog on the Country Living contest as well. Your home here looks absolutely LOVELY! :) I am so looking forward to looking at more of your blog.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm always a little sad about saying good bye to the garden too. Frozen just doesn't cut it. So great you were able to put up so many tomatoes!
With my head hanging low, very low I will say that I do not have a wonderful garden or do any canning-but that I plan to! We have been so busy with our hectic lives that it just wasn't in the cards right now. We are also in the process of deciding if we will sell our property and buy a new one in our old home town so unfortunately it will still be on hold for a while. The property we are looking at has a beautiful spot for a garden-that was one of the first things I noted! I think there is nothing better than the idea of picking out of your own garden and preserving.
ReplyDeleteOh those muffins look so delicious! I am still putting up tomatoes because we use so much of them in the Winter for soups and stews.
ReplyDeleteOur carrots were sort of funky too when we pulled them. Tasted find though.
ReplyDeleteYour produce is lovely, wish I had the space/sun for a garden. Your blog is lovely :)
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