Garden The Easy Way

Plum Trees ( How To Plant )

2012-03-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome back here today this is Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about a fruit that is loved all over the world, we are talking about Plums, and we will share with you how to plant and grow your very own sweet delicious Plums.

Plums are native to China, America, and Europe. Today there are more than 200 cultivars being grown. There are two main types of plums, European and Japanese, being marketed today. Generally, Japanese plums are larger than European plums. European plums have high sugar content so they are often dried and used for making prunes. European plums are generally late bloomers so they are well suited for areas with late frosts or cool springs. Japanese plums ripen earlier than European varieties.

Plum trees may or may not need pollinators. Some are self fruitful and some need another plum tree for pollination purposes. Most European plums will either benefit from or require cross-pollination from another European variety. Many Japanese plums require pollinators. Follow nursery recommendations for suitable pollinizers. Plum trees are fast growing and usually begin producing fruit in 3 to 5 years after planting.

Plums are rich in dietary fiber that is effective in improving digestion. They are low in calories and contain ample amounts of vitamins C, calcium, potassium, and carbohydrates. Plums are excellent when eaten fresh and are great addition in salads. They are used for pies, desserts, jams and jellies.

The number #1 World Famous Plum is the Sweet Santa Rose Plum, the most popular plum tree for commercial use and home growing. These trees produce a lot of sweet flavored dark purple fruit. The Santa Rosa tree takes up very little space, yet produces bushels of fruit.

Plum Trees ( How To Plant )

Plum Tree are just like most of the other fruit tree, they must be planted in full sun. When you go to your local nursery ask for a Dwarf Santa Rosa Plum, height: 5-7 ft.

We will finish it tomorrow, until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Pear Trees ( How To Plant )

2012-03-03T17:45:00.001-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we have another delicious fruit. We would like to talk about pear and also how to plant Pear Trees. There are lots of different kind of Pears, and Pears are a delicious fruit, but not only that Pears are very good for our health, Pears contain Vitamins C and B complex, Fiber, Potassium and Carbohydrates. The most popular #1 Pear in the world wide is Bartlett Pear since its introduction in 1797. This multi-purpose Pear is a long standing favorite of orchard and home fruit enthusiasts alike.

The Bartlett look good growing just about anywhere in your front yard or back yard. Bartlett Pear trees are beautiful trees with dark green leaves in the spring. Bartlett pear trees are load with little white flowers, which will turn into golden yellow delicious pear. Excellent choice for both seasoned and first time fruit growers.

Instructions:
Things You'll Need

* Pruning shears
* Garden shovel
* Knife

Choosing a Pear Tree

1. Go to a local nursery or home and garden shop to buy a pear tree.

2. Choose a 4 to 6 foot high tree with 5/8 inch or more diameter. A 1 to 2 year old tree contains stronger roots and has four or five branches.

3. Consider either trees that pollinate themselves (you need only one) or cross-pollination trees (you need at least two) for fruit. Cross-pollination pear trees need to bloom at the same time; check the tag for matching Pollination Code letters.

Planting a Pear Tree

1. Plant trees 20 to 25 feet apart after the last spring frost in an area with all or most of the day sun. Plant dwarf trees closer, 10 to 15 feet, and for small trees like Bartlett, space 15 feet.

2. snip off limbs below 18 inches from the ground with pruning shears.

3. Determine the root spread, then with a garden shovel dig a hole wider than the roots.

4. Cut the sides of the fiber pot with a knife to plant with the tree, but remove a plastic pot.

5. Set the tree in the ground and fill hole with dirt. Pack the soil around the trunk.

6. Water the planting area well.

7. add soil to build up depressions from the watering.

8. Ripens in late August.

***TIPS & WARNINGS***

* Optimum growing soil is non-gravel, with a pH of 5.9 to 6.5.

* Soak dry roots of a newly bought tree before planting.

* Avoid planting Seckel and Bartlett trees together because they can't pollinate each other.

* Don't plant Waite or Magness trees for pollen because they're sterile; however planting other varieties with the same Pollination Code ensure pollination for these two trees.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

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2012-02-27T08:52:00.001-08:00

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2012-02-19T20:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou Elliott from Rogersville, Missouri 65742 USA (417) 881-5959.

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Cherry Cobbler ( How To Make )

2012-02-18T20:23:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all today, this is Ken and Marilou with you here today on Garden The Easy Way.

Marilou and I have a good cherry cobbler recipe to share with you all today. Marilou found it on the Internet, we have not tried it yet but we will soon, it sound so delicious. This Cherry Cobbler is so quick and easy to make. ( ENJOY ! ).

** Cherry Cobbler **

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
1 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened

Preparations:

1. Spread pie filling in ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Place in cold oven. Heat oven to 400 F, let heat 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven.

2. While pie filling is heating, stir remaining ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto warm pie filling. Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired.

3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until topping is light brown.

Tips:
** Serve warm cobbler with cream, ice cream or whipped cream.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Cherry Pie ( How To Make )

2012-02-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Yesterday we shared with you how to plant and grow cherry trees, so you could have your very own cherries, well today we want to share with you how to make a good USA cherry pie. I think if you would ask 500 people here in the good old USA what is their favorite pie, at least 350 of them would say that sweet bright red beautiful cherry pie. Yes it is so very beautiful and delicious and here is how you make it.

( ENJOY ! )

INGREDIENTS:

* 5 cups fresh pitted cherries
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 1/3 cup flour
* 1 to 2 tbsp. butter
* Pie crust

PREPARATIONS:

1. Pit the cherries. If you don't have a cherry pitter, cut a circle around each cherry with a knife and pull it apart with your fingers to remove the pits.

2. Mix sugar and cherries in a large bowl and leave standing for 20 minutes.

3. Mix flour into the cherry and sugar mixture. Pour into pie shell.

4. Cut up small bits of butter and place them in the filling.

5. Top the filled pie shell with a lattice crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cooking time may vary by 5 minutes. In high altitudes, bake at 400 degrees.

6. Cool the pie on a wire rack and serve at room temperature.

TIPS & WARNINGS:

* Let set and cool down 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

* You can serve with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

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2012-02-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

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Cherry Trees ( How To Plant )

2012-02-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we are going to share with you how to plant cherry trees. Cherry Trees need plenty of room to grow, they can grow up to 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide depending on the variety you are planting. Cherry Trees look so good growing in a yard or in a field with other cherry trees.

Both sweet and sour cherries are good choices for the home garden. Sour cherries are often used in pies and are widely adapted to different climates. Sweet cherries do not grow well in warm climates and usually need a second cherry tree nearby for pollination. Both trees require pruning and training to grow correctly and produce fruit.

With regularly pruning the tree grows to at least 25 feet. Dwarf cherry trees usually reach 6 to 10 feet. Sour cherries grow to 20 feet tall and wide; dwarf varieties grow 6 to 8 feet high.

Sweet and sour cherry trees can be pruned the same way. They need to have a central stem and open centers. Once mature, the trees require pruning only to remove damaged or weak branches. Sweet cherry trees are pruned to 25 feet tall. Sour cherry trees are often pruned to 15 feet tall.

Cherry trees are relatively delicate and seldom live for more than 20 years, most people feel that they are well worth the extra care that they need because they are so beautiful and yield such tasty fruit. You can significantly prolong the life of your cherry tree while decreasing the amount of daily work that you must invest in it by planting it correctly. A little forethought and planning can go a long way toward making your tree healthier and more productive.

** How To Plant a Cherry Tree **

Things You Will Need:

* Shovel
* Fertilizer
* Weed whacker

1. Select a site that gets plenty of sunlight. Cherry trees love sunlight. Avoid planting in a sunken area where the wind and sun cannot reach your tree.

2. Make sure that that the soil is moderately acidic and well drained. You may need to use fertilizer that is specially designed for cherry trees if your soil is naturally acidic. If you do not know what the pH of your soil is, take a sample to your local garden center and ask for help. Soil that is slightly elevated tends to drain better, so if you have any low hills or rises in your yard, this can be a good site for the cherry tree.

3. Avoid areas where cherry, peach or plum trees have grown before. These types of trees all need the same nutrients and the soil will not be as good for the tree.

4. Plant in early spring. Cherry trees should be placed in the ground as early in the spring as possible, but late enough that all risk of a frost has passed.

5. Plant the tree in a clear area that gives it at least 20 feet on all sides. You may need to clear the area if there is a lot of brush on all sides. You can do this with a weed whacker or a hoe.

* Tips & Warnings *

Cherry trees are very susceptible to a wild plant called Choke Cherry. If you are planting your tree in an area that has been recently cleared, make sure that you keep an eye out for this weed.

Scale insects are the most common pest to cherry trees. Use oil spray to kills and prevent an infestation. Pruning and discarding diseased fruit can control common diseases, such as blossom blight and brown rot.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Peach Cobbler Grandma's Old Fashioned ( How To Make )

2012-02-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hello! and we welcome you all back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we have a very delicious Peach Cobbler to share with you all, the name is " Grandma's Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler".

( ENJOY ! )

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
5 pounds fresh peaches-peeled, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Work in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and cold water. Sprinkle over flour mixture, and work with hands to form dough into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll out half of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish, covering bottom and halfway up sides. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

3. In a large saucepan, mix the peaches, lemon juice, and orange juice. Add 1/2 cup butter, and cook over medium-low heat until butter is melted. In a mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cornstarch; mix into peach mixture. Remove from heat, and pour into baked crust.

4. Roll remaining dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut into half-inch-wide strips. Weave strips into a lattice over peaches. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is golden brown.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Peach Pie ( How To Make )

2012-02-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all today here on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

We shared with you all, how to plant and grow your very own peach trees, so you can have your fresh peaches, but today we have a very good recipe. we have a delicious Peach Pie Recipe!

( ENJOY ! )

INSTRUCTIONS:

Things You Will Need

* unbaked pastry dough for a double-crust, 12-inch pie
* 6-7 c. peeled, sliced fresh peaches ( about 3 1/2 to 4 lb. )
* juice of 1 lemon
* 1/2 sugar to 1 cup to taste
* 4 tbsp. flour
* 1/2 tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
* 3 tbsp. butter, cut up
* 2 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water
* Pastry Brushes
* 12 inch pan
* Rolling Pins

1. Have unbaked pastry dough ready- it should be refrigerated at least 20 minutes and can even be made the day before and kept chilled.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

3. Toss peaches lightly in a bowl with lemon juice, sugar, flour and spices.

4. Sprinkle a little more flour onto your work surface.

5. Divide the dough into balls, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger ball into a circle about 1/8-inch thick and a bit larger than the pan.

6. Transfer the rolled dough to the pie pan- it's easier to lift if you drape it over the rolling pin first. Don't stretch the dough to fit in the pan.

7. Trim the edges to a 1-inch overhang. Add the peaches to the dough-lined pan, piling them up slightly in the center. Dot with the cut-up butter.

8. Roll out the other dough ball into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place it on top of the peaches and trim the edges to a 1-inch overhang.

9. Fold the top crust over the lower crust and press them together with your fingers. Crimp the edges decoratively, then cut a few vents in the top crust to let steam escape.

10. Brush the egg-water mixture onto the top crust. It will form a shiny glaze as the pie bakes.

11. Place the pie in the oven and bake 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes.

TIPS & WARNINGS:

* Peaches can vary in sweetness, so feel free to vary the amount of sugar to taste.

* To peel peaches easily, drop them into boiling water for about 2 minutes. Remove them to a bowl of ice water. The skins should come off easily.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou, wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Peach Trees ( How To Grow From Seed )

2012-02-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all today, this is Ken and Marilou with you on Garden The Easy Way.

Today, we are going to talk about Peaches and Peach Trees and how easy it is to have your very own peach trees. Peaches are probably the most popular fruit to eat of most people, because they are truly delicious fruit.

There are some parts of the country that peach trees will not grow. The best zones to grow peaches in the USA are zones 5 to 9, you can buy different kind of peaches, and pick out the one kind of peach you think taste the best and save the pits. just put them in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to plant.

There are some things to keep in mind when you plant Peach Tree.

1. Always remember you are planting a peach tree, and where you put it, it will be there for quite a few years, so keep that in mind.

2. Peach Trees like full sun, and need room to grow and branch out. Plant in the fall.

3. before planting work up your soil well, picking out all the rocks, tree roots and grass roots. Dig down 24 inches and 36 inches across, in a circle you will plant the peach pit in the center of the circle.

4. Plant your peach pits 4 inches deep in the soil and plant them in a row. Mark the rows, mulch them and water well after planting. Never let your peach trees dry out for long period of time.

( ENJOY YOUR PEACHES!!!)

TIPS & WARNINGS:

* Peach pits have a greater chance of germinating if you crack the outside of the pit before planting. Be careful not to damage the seed inside. If the seed is damaged, it will not germinate. Vise grips work well for cracking open the pit without damaging the seed.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou, wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Apple Home Made Cobbler ( How To Bake )

2012-02-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for being here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we have a very delicious recipe to share with you, and we know you all are going to love it. Apple Home Made Cobbler, so very delicious. ( ENJOY !!!)

** Ingredients **

Apple Filling:

6 cups tart apples, peeled, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Topping:

1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, combine apples, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, vanilla and milk. Turn into a lightly inch square pan. Dot apples with 1 tablespoon butter.

2. Combine all topping ingredients. beat with wooden spoon until batter is smooth. Drop batter in 9 portions, over the apples, spacing evenly spread during baking. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 375 degrees F or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Serve warm with cream or ice cream. Serves 6 to 8 depending on size.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Apple Pie Elliott's Home Made ( How To Bake )

2012-02-11T21:16:00.000-08:00

Hello! welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today, Marilou and I will share a dessert recipe that is one of Americas Favorites, " Apple Pie ". Most everyone loves apple, Marilou and I have our very own apple pie recipe, we call it " Elliott Home Made Apple Pie " we hope you all try it is so delicious ( ENJOY!!! )

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
9 apples peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F ( 220 degrees C ). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C ). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Apple Trees ( How To Grow )

2012-02-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

Hello! we hope you all are having a good day today and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we have a very special tree to talk about, we are going to talk about the apple tree, most all of us love our apples, and apples really are very good for us. Marilou and I want to share just how good apples really are for you, and we will share with you how to plant and grow your apple trees, so you and your family can have your very own apple trees.

**Vitamins in Apples**

It is unlikely that most people are aware about the presence of different vitamins in apples. What are these vitamins and how do they benefit us? Here are your answers...

" An apple a day, keeps the doctor away ". What could be a better beginning to this article about one of the most favorite and deliciously healthy fruits in the world? This phrase is as true and real, as the sound which is made when you munch on a fresh apple. The fruit is loaded with lots of medical health benefits and this is due to the presence of different essential vitamins in it.

Not only vitamins, apple is also a power house of beneficial minerals and elements. It helps keeping teeth cleaner and gum stronger and it also works to lower cholesterol. The fruit is antiviral in nature. It detoxifies the body, reduces skin disorders and helps in treating constipation and diseases such as obesity, headache, arthritis, bronchial asthma, inflammation of the bladder, gonorrhea, anemia, tuberculosis, neuritis, insomnia, catarrh, gallbladder stones, worms, halitosis and pyorrhea. Regarding the various vitamins in apples, due to which, this amazing fruit bears its medicinal properties, here is a section for your reference.

**Vitamins Found In Apples**

Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K.

Vitamin A

Do you know why do people who love apples are among the ones who have reduced risks of developing cancer? It is due to the richness of the fruit in vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant. It helps in keeping the cells from cancer. Vitamin A improves vision, strengthens bones, lowers blood cholesterol levels and improves skin appearance. It also helps prevent heart diseases, bacterial, viral and parasitic infections.

Vitamin B
Apples are abundant in vitamin B; almost all of its water soluble forms (vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 and B9). Vitamin B6 aids the red blood cells in transporting oxygen throughout the human body, thus, promoting healthy brain function. Metabolism, digestion and fluid balance are also regulated by this substance. Vitamin B6 strengthens the immune system and it aids in breaking down fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Mood swings, poor sex drive, depression, headaches, muscles cramps, etc., can be taken care off by adequate quantity of this vitamin in the diet. As said, apples, apart from vitamin B6, also contain vitamin B1, also known as thiamin. It prevents beriberi; maintains appetite and growth. The vitamin B2 or riboflavin prevents skin lesions and weight loss and vitamin B3 orniacin is essential for the normal function of the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. Then comes pantothenic acid or vitamin B5, which performs an important role in the oxidation of fats and carbohydrates and certain amino acids and vitamin B9 or folic acid which is essential for cell growth and reproduction.

We will finish this tomorrow about the health benefits and how to grow apple trees. Thank you. Ken & Marilou.

Coconut Cake ( How To Bake )

2012-02-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we have a very tasty surprise to share with you all, we shared how to plant and grow coconut trees, for their delicious coconuts, and now we have a very good dessert as well to share with you all. Coconut Cake ( How To Bake ) Enjoy!!!

Prep Time: 35 min.
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 10 to 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
1 1/2 cup sugar
6 eggs extra-large, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
3 to 5 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

FOR THE FROSTING:

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pound confectioners sugar, sifted
6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

4. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

5. For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

6. To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Coconut Curried Chicken ( How To Cook )

2012-02-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou, and today we have a good surprise.

On yesterday blog we shared with you how to plant and grow coconut trees, so today we have a very good recipe to share with you. Enjoy it is so good!!!

** Coconut Curried Chicken **

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 tablespoon salt and pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

3. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Coconut Trees ( How To Plant and Grow Coconut Trees )

2012-02-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we are going to talk about how to plant and grow coconut trees, as most of you know by now my wife Marilou is from the Philippines, they have thousands of coconut farmers, and trust me that is a beautiful site to see. Hundreds of big coconut pile up in a big pile at the end of the farmer field.

So if you are one of the lucky ones that live in a tropical place here is how you plant and grow coconut trees.

**How To Plant & Grow Coconut Trees**

In order to grow a Coconut trees you must live in a warm tropical climate all year round.

To start a coconut from the seed, it is best to have the outer fibrous husk intact. Get a 3-gallon pot. Use high quality nursery soil mixed with 40% coarse sand. Add drainage rocks to the bottom of the pot.

Lay your coconut husk on the ground and see what way it wants to rest. Plant your coconut husk 1/2 way into the soil in the same position.

You can leave the pot in the sun or the shade. Water lightly to keep very lightly moist. Partial shade will likely be more successful.

Be patient. The first time we started a coconut from seed it took 9 nine months to sprout. It is common for many palms to take many months to sprout. Don't over water as you'll rot them out.

Your coconut will first split its husk at the bottom and send down some roots. It may take several months before your coconut also splits the top of the husk pushing up its first fronds. In other words, your coconut will be growing and you won't even know it until it splits the top.

After your coconut sprouts, your coconut can live in your 3-gallon pot for about 3-6 months. After that, plant it out or in another larger pot or directly into the soil. Incorporate lots of manure. Fertilize properly starting after sprouting 3 fronds.

**GROWING**

If you plan to grow coconuts, better have patience, seven years of patience before you can expect to see any coconuts. The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is considered a "three generation tree", supporting a farmer, his children, and his grandchildren. Some trees, which can grow to a height of 60 to 100 feet, even survive all three generations. Cocos nucifera, nucifera meaning nut-bearing, has only one species that includes both the tall and the dwarf coconut tree, but many varieties exist within the species.

Though the coconut is commonly considered a nut, botanically it is classified as a drupe and is the largest of all fruit seeds. The coconut consists of the thin, strong outer layer or skin called the epicarp, the thick fibrous layer called mesocarp, and the dark brown hard shell called the endocarp that encases the coconut flesh. Just beneath the endocarp is the testa, the thin deep brown layer that clings to the white coconut meat.

The coconut palm is a striking tree with a tall slender trunk that keeps its same diameter from the base to the top. Beautiful, lacy fronds, about 25 to 35 of them, form an umbrella-like structure at the tree's zenith. The tree grows taller by forming new fronds that sprout from the top of the tree as the lower fronds die off.

Coconuts grow from the center of the fronds, close to the trunk. Unique to the coconut palm, each tree blooms thirteen times a year and produces all stages of growth at the same time, from tiny new green nuts to fully ripened brown nuts that are ready to fall from the tree.

Coconuts are persnickety about where they live. They cannot survive cold climates, and do poorly in temperate zones. Coconuts require the hot, humid weather of the tropical regions that stretch 25 degrees north to 25 degrees south of the equator all around the globe. There the sun shines steadily with plenty of rainfall to nurture the slow-growing coconut palm.

To begin the growing process, purchase a coconut with its husk completely intact. Just like sprouting any seeds and legumes, the coconut must be soaked in water, only longer, two or three days.

Next, prepare a pot that is large enough and deep enough for the coconut by putting big pieces of gravel or stones in the bottom to allow for good drainage. Add about two inches of sandy soil, then set the coconut on the soil with the pointed or bud end up. Add more soil until it covers about half the coconut. Then set the pot in a warm place such as a sunny window, near a warm oven, or on a radiator.

The next step requires patience and diligence. Pour warm water over the coconut husk every day, making sure it does not dry out. The sprouting process is very slow, sometimes taking six months or longer. Until the sprout appears, the coconut is receiving its nourishment from the white meat inside. The coconut water within provides the nut with all of its moisture requirements.

For a sprout to appear it must first pierce through one of the soft spots, often called eyes, of the coconut's hard inner shell and finally emerge from the large fibrous outer shell. When white roots begin to grow out, in about a year, the coconut can be planted in a large tub.

Coconuts planted at home are unlikely to thrive or produce a coconut. Today the nuts are a highly cultivated crop, where once they were a source of survival for natives of the tropics, providing the family's support with only a few trees.

Since commercially planted coconut palms are grown for maximum yield, some farmers use commercial fertilizer while others use a different method. With inter cropping, an effective method of fertilization and land use, the farmer plants banana trees or other large crops among the coconut trees. After producing its crop, the banana trees are left to disintegrate, producing ideal compost to fertilize the soil.

Coconuts come in many varieties. Some are grown for their higher oil content, while others are favored for their higher sugar content. Many growers prefer the dwarf varieties. Though they lack the dramatic appearance of the tall trees, they are far easier to harvest. The dwarfs, which have a shorter lifespan, about 40 to 60 years, are also less vulnerable to a yellowing disease that kills many of the tall trees.

In agriculture, nothing is without its challenges. With all its advantages, the dwarf coconut palm also faces destruction from rodents. The creatures climb up the tree trunks and form communities under the protection of the feathery fronds, often putting a considerable dent in a farmer's crop. The farmers have tried to outwit the rats by putting metal bands around the tree trunks, but these have no effect on the rats that are already colonized in the trees.

** How To Harvest **

How a farmer harvest the coconuts is a matter of choice. On the average, trees produce about 60 mature coconuts a year, though some will produce two or three times as many. The easiest method of harvesting and one that assures fully ripened coconuts, is to simply allow the ripe nuts to fall to the ground.

Alternatively, the farmer employs nimble skilled men to literally climb up to the top of the tree with a machete and cut the ripe nuts down. Still another method, one that requires considerable skill, is to attach a machete to a long bamboo pole and reach for the ripe nuts while standing on the ground. This last method often fails to provide accuracy and frequently brings down unripe nuts as well. In some countries, farmers have been able to train monkeys to gather the ripe coconuts.

Before the farmer sends his coconuts to market, he removes the thick, fibrous outer husks, making the coconuts easier for the consumer to open. The exception is young coconuts, which reach market with their outer husk partly cut away. To remove the husk, the farmer pounds the coconut against a spiked wooden post that is firmly secured in the ground.

Marilou and I hope you will enjoy your coconuts, until tomorrow Good Gardening Always, from Garden The Easy Way, Ken & Marilou Elliott Rogersville Missouri 65742---USA ( 417 ) 881-5959

Mango Tree, Grow From Seed ( How To Grow )

2012-02-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Hello! and good day to you all, this is Ken and Marilou with you today on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we are going to talk about Mangoes. Marilou my wife, she is from the Philippines, and the Philippines they have 3 different kinds of Mangoes. Mangoes are Marilou's favorite fruit, and they are so delicious. Mango Trees can grow from 30 to 100 feet tall.

But we do also grow mangoes here in the USA, Southern California and Hawaii. The Mango Trees have big dark green leaves, and the flowers are in a big clusters and they smell so good, has sweet smell. Mangoes are a very healthy fruit for us to eat.

Today we are going to share with you how to plant mango seeds and how to have your very own Mango Trees, and you too can have your delicious fresh mangoes. But first, you must have the tropical weather to have a tropical fruit. So if you are one of the lucky ones with tropical weather, we are ready to go!.

*INSTRUCTIONS*

Things You Will Need:

* Mango seed
* Water
* Stakes
* Fertilizer
* Fungicide
* Pesticide

1. It is always best to get your seeds from a grower, but you can use seed out of your mango that you bought at the store or market.

2. You will need to remove the hard seed shell from the seed, you then be able to tell if the seed is damaged or not. You will need to plant the seeds before they dry.

3. When planting plant, plant the hump of the seed just above the soil line. Water well after planting, keep the soil moist, the seeds will germinate. Mango trees prefer full sun. Some people even grow mango trees in a big containers, but mango trees will grow better, and get a lot bigger if you plant them in the soil, and they will also produce more fruit if planted in the soil.

4. Mango Trees, soil be a pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. Mango tree need a lot of free air movement is important to prevent disease. Keep young saplings moist and away from any chills. provide a windbreak for the plants, if in an exposed area.

5. Water every other day for the first week, then one to two times per week as they grow, according to the University of Florida Extension's website. Mangoes like moist but not waterlogged soil. Stake plants as needed as they grow taller. Mature mango trees need little additional watering.

6. Fertilize seedlings in three or four applications over the growing season with 1-1-1 NPK fertilizer or 1-2-2 fertilizer, according to the University of Hawaii Extension Service's website. Additional nitrogen will help encourage good foliage and fruiting. Organic fertilizers are best as mango trees can experience burning.

7. Check seedlings regularly for garden pests and diseases. Apply a sulfur and copper fungicide to prevent anthracnose and powdery mildew. Consult with your agricultural extension office for the best pesticide to use for your area.

***Tips & Warnings***

1. Seedling trees will bloom and bear fruit in three to six years. Fruit matures 100 to 150 after flowering. Allow fruit to ripen on tree for best flavor.

2. Avoid transplanting. Mango trees have delicate roots that dislike transplanting. Trees can go into shock.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Broccoli Cheese Soup ( How To Cook )

2012-02-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to share with you all one of my favorites vegetable soup, the name is " Broccoli Cheese Soup ". It is very tasty and is very healthy for you, if it is fix right. So enjoy this very tasty and healthy. Broccoli Cheese Soup.

** Broccoli Cheese Soup **

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ready In: 40 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 ( 16 ounce ) package frozen chopped broccoli
4 ( 14.5 ounce ) cans chicken broth
1 ( 1 pound ) loaf processed cheese food, cubed
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tbsp of garlic powder
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

1. In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Stir in broccoli, and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Reduce heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder.

3. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into water until dissolved. Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until thick.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here today on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.
.

Cauliflower Curried and Cauliflower Soup ( How To Cook )

2012-02-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hello! and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Yesterday we shared with you how to plant and grow Cauliflower, today Marilou and I would like to share two very tasty recipes that we found on the Internet on how to cook cauliflower. We hope you all enjoy these cauliflower recipes.

**Cauliflower Curried ( How To Cook )

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoon curry powder
12 wheat crackers
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place cauliflower in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm. Drain, and place in a greased casserole dish.

3. In a large bowl, mix together soup, mayonnaise, milk, and curry powder. Pour over cauliflower. Crush crackers, and mix with butter. Sprinkle over cauliflower.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

**********************************************************************************

**Cauliflower Soup ( How To Cook )

Ingredients:

2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped
6 cups chicken broth
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the celery, onion and carrot in olive oil for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Steam cauliflower in a colander over boiling water or in a steamer until tender. Mash.

3. Add the mashed cauliflower to the vegetable mixture, return to stove top over medium heat and add the chicken broth. Pepper to taste and simmer for 15 minutes or until soup is heated thoroughly.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Cauliflower ( How To Grow )

2012-02-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all! this is Ken and Marilou back with you here today on Garden The Easy Way.

Marilou and I would like to talk about another very good eating vegetable, we are going to talk about Cauliflower, it is very tasty and healthy for us all to eat.

Cauliflowers are grown for their central white heads (curds) and can be grown all year round as long as the correct variety for the time of year is chosen. Cauliflowers take up quite a bit of space so don't grow them if your vegetable patch needs high yield per square foot.

Although a member of the cabbage family cauliflowers require more care and attention than cabbages to be grown successfully. Like we always say there are some things you need to know about planting and growing, and we will share with you today on how to plant and grow cauliflower.

**Cauliflower ( How To Grow )

Things You Will Need:

* Garden Rake
* Cauliflower Seeds
* Compost
* Fertilizers: Aged cow or horse manure
* Garden Spades
* Garden Tiller
* Mulch

Instructions:

1. Cauliflower need to be planted in full sun. Cauliflower is a cool season vegetable, it can't tolerate weather that's too hot or too cold, so you need to plant in the early spring, after all danger of frost has passed and all cold weather is gone, the soil must be warm.

2. You should work up your soil 6-8 weeks before planting. Work the soil down to about 8-10 inches, after work up your soil, add 2-3 inches of compost and 2-3 inches of aged cow or horse manure, mix it up well again. Must be well drained soil.

3. Start early varieties indoors about a month before the last expected frost. Move the plants to the garden when they're about 6 inches tall, all danger of frost has passed, and temperatures of both air and soil have warmed to about 50 degrees F. Set the plants in their holes, cover them just short of the bottom leaves, and build a little saucer of soil around each plant to help hold moisture.

4. Sow seeds directly in the ground for a fall harvest. Place them in clusters of four seeds each, with the clusters 2 feet apart. When the first true leaves appear, remove all but the sturdiest seedling from each group.

5. Keep cauliflower plants evenly moist; especially when they're small, they need about 1 inch of water a week, whether from rain or the garden hose.

6. Start the blanching process when the flower head (also called a curd or button) is about the size of an egg. Make sure neither it nor the foliage is wet; otherwise the plant may rot. Loop heavy twine around the leaves, gently lift them up and tie them together. The aim is to keep light and moisture out, but to let air in and also leave room for the flower to grow inside its shelter.

7. Harvest cauliflower heads when they're full but before the sections begin to loosen. The timing depends on the variety, so start checking plants daily when the heads reach 3 to 4 inches across.

**Tips & Warnings**

A. You might want to try planting Orange Bouquet, which is a pale orange variety that matures in 60 days, needs no blanching and packs a big load of vitamin A.

B. Cauliflower can fall victim to clubroot, a fungus that can invade your garden on infected plants. You can avoid the disease by growing your own seedlings rather than buying them, by growing cauliflower and other Brassica crops in a different spot each year, and by choosing disease-resistant cultivars. ( They're marked as such in seed catalogs.)

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Broccoli Casserole ( Recipe )

2012-02-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

Hello to you all today and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Marilou and I have a good recipe to share with you all today on Garden The Easy Way. On yesterday blog we shared how to plant and grow broccoli, so today we would like to share a good recipe that we found on the Internet with you all, it is Broccoli Casserole, we hope you will like it.

So, here is Marilou to give you all what sound like a delicious recipe. Hope you all will enjoy.

** Broccoli Casserole **

Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 35 min.
Level: Easy
Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups crushed crackers
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, mayonnaise, cheese, soup and eggs. Mix well with a metal spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the crushed crackers and pour the melted butter evenly over the crackers. Bake for 35 minutes or until set and browned.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Broccoli ( How To Grow )

2012-02-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

Hi!! welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today, we are going to be talking about a vegetable that most of us in our family love to eat, and it is very healthy for us to eat, and we will share with you how to plant it.

Our healthy vegetable for today is Broccoli, you probably thinking that broccoli would be too hard to grow, but that just would not be true, Broccoli is so easy to grow and like everything else fresh home grown will always taste a lot better, than store bought. We never know how long the store bought vegetables lay around before someone buys them, the longer they lay around the more flavor they loose and the tougher and dried out they get.

OK, lets all raise a garden, and have fresh vegetables, we all deserve to have fresh healthy vegetables to eat. Marilou and I will be glad to help you just watch our Garden The Easy Way blog daily if you can.

** How To Plant Broccoli **

Like we said it is so easy to plant and grow your very own Broccoli, but there are few important things to keep in mind.

1. Broccoli, does not like hot weather over 85 to 90 degrees, so it is best to plant in the early spring, after all danger of frost and cold weather has passed.

2. Broccoli like well drained soil, so work up your soil down to 12 inches with garden tiller or shovel.

3. Broccoli does like rich soil, it is best to add 2 1/2 to 3 inches of compost and 2 1/2 to 3 inches of aged cow or horse manure, mix well after adding, mound up your rows, that will help your soil to drain out a little

4. Plant your broccoli seed about 1 inch deep and about 12 inches apart, water well after planting, be careful not to water too heavy, shower lightly so you will not uncover your seeds.

5. Watch your broccoli, never let broccoli dry out, if broccoli dry out your broccoli will be tough and will go to seed, so keep the soil moist, do not over water. Cut your broccoli before the flower opens.

( Enjoy Your Broccoli ! )

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Pineapple Jelly and Pineapple Jam ( How To Make )

2012-01-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we have special treat for every one that likes a little jelly or jam on their toast, and it is so very delicious and very easy to make, and if you have been following our blog, you probably already guess what kind it is.

Today we are going to share with you all, how to make Pineapple Jam and Pineapple Jelly. It is so good!!! ( ENJOY!!!)

**Pineapple Jam**

Ingredients:

2 lbs. crushed pineapple
1 1/2 lbs. sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Preparations:

1. Mix sugar and pineapple together.

2. Add other ingredients.

3. Boil over slow heat until all of the liquid is absorbed, only a little syrup should be left with the jam to keep it moist.

********************************************************************************

**Pineapple Jelly**

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 cup of lemon juice
4 1/2 cup of sugar
1 bottle liquid fruit pectin

Preparations:

1. Measure pineapple juice and lemon juice into a large kettle; add sugar and mix well. Bring to boiling rapidly, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin and bring to a full rolling boil; boil vigorously 1 minute, continuing to stir.

2. Remove from heat; skim off any foam. Pour into hot sterilized jelly glasses; seal with melted paraffin. ( If jelly is to be used within 2 months, omit the paraffin.)

3. Cover glasses with lids, waxed paper, or aluminum foil, and store in refrigerator. Makes 7 ( 6 ounce ) glasses of jelly.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake ( Recipe )

2012-01-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken & Marilou.

Today, we have a very good recipe to share with you all, and we hope you will try it. We are talking about Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, it really is very delicious. We share with you yesterday on the blog about how to plant pineapple, so we thought we should give you some good recipes, we found this recipe on the Internet. Hope you will enjoy this good recipe on Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

" Pineapple Upside-Down Cake "

Ingredients:

* 2 tsp. plus 1/4 cup softened butter
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 8 oz. canned pineapple-drained
* 6 maraschino cherries-halved
* 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 2/3 cup milk
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 2 tsp. finely chopped or grated lemon zest
* 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 2 tbsp. lemon juice
* Cake Pans
* Electric Mixer
* Mixing Bowls
* Saucepans

( Preparations: )

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Melt 2 tsp. butter in a 9-inch round cake pan.

3. Stir in the brown sugar and 1 tbsp. water.

4. Arrange the pineapple (cubes or slices) and cherries evenly in the pan, in any design you like.

5. Set the pan aside.

6. Stir the flour, sugar and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl.

7. Add milk and the remaining butter, along with the egg and the vanilla.

8. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon and lemon juice.

9. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are basically combined, then beat on medium speed for about a minute.

10 Transfer the batter into the pan containing the pineapple. Be careful that you don't disturb your fruit design.

11. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

12. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes.

13. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and turn over onto a plate.

14. Serve warm.

( Tips & Warnings: )

A. Try using fresh instead of canned pineapple, or use a fruit besides cherries; strawberries, blackberries and figs are all tasty possibilities.

B. Garnish the top of the cake with crushed pineapple or a pineapple spread.

C. Allow the cake to cool before attempting to remove it from the pan. If you don't, the cake may stick.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Pineapple ( How To Grow )

2012-01-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today Marilou and I Ken Elliott, are going to talk about my favorite fruit, and it is the " Pineapple", I just love pineapple it is so good. But about 7 years ago I had the best pineapple that I had ever had in my life. I went to the Philippines to marry my wife Marilou. Marilou is a Filipino and while I was there I ate a lot of different kinds of fruits. I love eating the mangoes, and lots of the other fruits they had growing there, it was so very cool seeing the farms and how they grow their fruits and their food. I just love the Philippines so much.

But the biggest surprise I ever got was when we stop by a pineapple farmer field, and the farmer had big piles of pineapple for sale by the road, and we bought 2 of them. My wife and I kept one and gave the family one, Marilou and I took our pineapple back to our hotel room, and cut it and started to eat it. I was so very surprised it was the most delicious thing, I ever ate in my life, and I'm not kidding is was the best tasting thing I ever ate. I can't wait to go back to the Philippines, their pineapples are so delicious and all the people there are most kind and loving people you will ever meet.

So if you ever get the chance to go to the Philippines, do not pass it up. They are lots of things there you can do and so many beautiful places to see. The people are so very kind and loving and they have so many different kind of fruits, and they are so good. They have about 5 different kinds of bananas, like I said they grow lots of mangoes and coconuts, strawberries just to name a few, but if you do get to go make sure you get a pineapple.

If you want to try to grow your own pineapple, we will tell you how. We found the information on the Internet. So good luck and enjoy your Pineapple.

( How To Grow Pineapple )

Instructions:

Things You'll Need :

* Fresh, ripe pineapple with a healthy crown
* Cutting board
* Knife
* Small glass
* 8-inch pot with sufficient drainage
* Gardening soil
* Fertilizer for house plants
* Water

Prepare The Crown:

1. Examine the crown of the pineapple. It's pointy leaves should be healthy and green.

2. Lay the pineapple sideways on a cutting board. Cut off the crown of the pineapple, and carefully trim away any excess flesh. You should cut close enough to the crown to see the small dots that indicate root buds. These will become the roots of the pineapple plant you grow.

3. Remove any leaves around the base of the crown. These can rot when you plant the crown, and you want a bare stem around the base of the crown.

4. Turn the cut crown upside-down and let it dry for one week. The cut end of the crown should be hard by the end of this time.

Develop The Root System of The Crown:

1. Put the dried crown in a container of water, and set the container in a place where there are few temperature fluctuations.

2. Change the water in the container every few days.

3. Check the crown for slight root growth after three weeks.

Plant The Crown:

1. Fill the bottom of a pot with small stones.

2. Add potting soil to the halfway point.

3. Remove the crown from the water, and set it on the soil in the pot.

4. Add more soil to fill the pot, tapping it down firmly around the crown.

5. Fertilize and water the soil just after planting.

Ken & Marilou in the Philippines January 2005

6. Put the pot in a sunny place, and keep the soil moist but not wet.

7. Look for new leaves within about six to eight weeks.

8. Water the pineapple plant every week.

( Tips & Warnings: )

** Some pineapple growers believe that the crown develops better roots if you use a container made of dark glass.

** Fertilize the pineapple plant every two or three months after planting.

** A pineapple plant might not produce a pineapple for two or three years.

** Remember that pineapple plants are tropical. Keep your pineapple plant inside if you live in a cold climate. During warm summer months, you can leave your pineapple plant outside.

** A pineapple plant will need to be about six feet tall and six feet across in order to produce a large pineapple.

** Do not use a pineapple crown with grayish spots at its base. These might indicate an insect infestation in the pineapple and will keep you from growing a pineapple plant.

** Gently pull the leaves on the crown of the pineapple plant. If they come out too easily, the pineapple crown is too overripe for planting.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Orange Trees ( How To Plant )

2012-01-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

Hello! and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we are going to share with you how to plant Orange Trees. Orange trees are easy to grow and they look beautiful in your yard, They are beautiful addition for works landscaping. Orange trees love full sun, you need to be in a warm southern climate to grow them in the America.

Oranges are not just loved here in America, but all over the world. And if you want your own orange tree you can have one, they are very easy to grow, but if you live in a cold climate you will have to grow your orange tree in a big pot, but if your climate is warm all year round you can grow your orange trees outside. ((( Yes We All Love Our Oranges. )))

How To Grow Your Very Own Orange Trees.

Instructions:

1. Choose a location in your yard. Orange trees prefer full sun or as much sun as you can possibly provide in your yard. They will also thrive under the slight or partial shade of tall trees such as oak or evergreen. Also find soil in your yard that is arid and gritty. If such soil does not exist, add compost to help it drain better and thus become more arid.

2. Ready the site. Once you've found a location in your yard, ready the site. Make sure there are no weeds, tree stumps, large rocks or other debris that will impede the growth of your orange tree. Once such debris is removed, rake the area.

3. Moisten the roots. Assuming you've already purchased your orange tree, place it in a large bucket of water so that the roots will moisten. Leaving the tree in a bucket for about an hour will suffice.

4. Measure the planting site. To do this hold the tree upward and spread the roots out over the soil; this will let you know how large the hole has to be. It should be wide enough to encompass all of the roots.

5. Dig the hole. The depth of your hole should be in direct proportion to the depth of the soil that the orange tree has been sitting in its pot. The hole should be about 3 inches shorter, so that the potting soil is resting 3 inches above your yard soil.

6. Check the placement of the bud union. It should be above the soil level when placing the tree in its hole.

7. Fill in the soil. Do this so that the hole is half covered. Then pat the soil firmly to remove any air pockets. Then fill the rest of the hole with water. Allow that to settle and then fill in the rest of the hole with more dirt to complete planting.

8. Build a basin. Orange trees need plenty of water. Make sure you build a basin around the tree that holds about 10 gallons of water. This will act as a "catch" for the tree when it rains or is watered, to make sure it receives adequate water.

Things You Will Need:

* Shovel
* Rake
* Bucket
* Water

Tips & Warnings:

**Different species of orange trees ripen at different times of the year. The following are some general schedules of how they ripen. Macetera ripens from February through June. Valencia ripens from March through June. Robertson Navel and Washington Navel ripen mid-November through early-March.

**It will take between 3 and 4 years for your orange tree to bear fruit.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Eggplant Recipes ( How To Cook )

2012-01-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hello! and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today, Marilou and I have 2 more eggplant recipes. We hope you all will give them a try, we have not try them yet, but Marilou and I are going to decide on one and cook it on Sunday, we will give you a update later on which one we chose to cook, and how it turned. Sometime we try different things to cook and they taste so bad we throw it out, but we never give up, we just keep on cooking and trying different things to cook.

We sometimes get it just right and it is so delicious, and that is why we never give up our good home cooking, and when you get it right it will be better eating than any restaurant food you can buy, and the price is a whole cheaper. Well I will get off here and let Marilou give you the other 2 recipes that we found on the Internet. ( Enjoy ).

# 1 Recipe:

Eggplant and Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked rice
1 chopped onion
3 Tablespoons oil
1 eggplant
2 cups tomato juice
basil, parsley and thyme.

Preparations:

1. Cook rice till done for 10 minutes.

2. Steam the eggplant.

3. Brown the onion in oil. Mix herbs with drained rice.

4. Add the eggplant. Grease a baking dish and pour in mixture.

5. Sprinkle with onion. Pour tomato juice over all, and bake 25 minutes until nice and bubbly.

*********************************************************************************

#2 Recipe:

Baked Eggplant

Ingredients:

2 cups eggplant pulp
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
salt and pepper
1 cup corn flakes
1 tablespoon butter

Preparations:

1. Parboil the eggplant about 20 minutes. Cool. Remove the skin.

2. Press pulp through a colander. Beats eggs and milk together.

3. Add pulp and seasonings. Put the mixture in a buttered baking dish.

4. Sprinkle the corn flakes over the top. Dot with butter and bake at 350 until lightly browned. Serves 6

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Eggplant ( Ways To Cook )

2012-01-26T13:35:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, we hope you all are having a good day and welcome back with us here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today, Marilou has some good recipes on ways to cook Eggplant, we found some good recipes on the internet. Today Marilou will tell you about the 2 recipes that sound the best to us, we can't wait to try them our self, so we hope you all will enjoy them too!!!

#1. Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant pared and sliced in 1/4 inch slices
Flour
Tomato sauce or slice some fresh tomatoes
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Olive oil

Preparation:

1. Pared and slice the Eggplant in 1/4 inch slices.

2. Flour each piece and fry in a little oil till brown on each side.

3. Drain in paper towels, then layer in a casserole dish.

4. Between each layer add a tsp. of tomato sauce on each slice or you can use some fresh tomatoes if you don't have tomato sauce. and add shredded mozzarella cheese.

5. Usually 1 eggplant makes 3 layers in an 8x12 inch casserole dish. Top with Mozzarella cheese as the final topping.

6. Then bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese starts bubbling.

*********************************************************************************

#2. Recipe: Fried Eggplant

Mom's Fried Eggplant

*Pare eggplant and cut in thin slices. Dredge in flour, place in a small amount of hot oil to brown each side. Season with salt and pepper. Drain on paper towels.

Fried Eggplant

*Pare eggplant and cut in thin slices. Sprinkle with salt and let stand till some of the juices run out. Drain off liquid and sprinkle with flour. Dip in egg, diluted with 2 tablespoons of water, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Cover with fine dry bread crumbs. Fry in a little fat 8 to 10 minutes, turning once to brown both sides.

Oven Fried Eggplant

*Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then in a mix of 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese with a dash or two of paprika in it. Oil a baking pan or cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or so on a side.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Eggplant ( How To Grow )

2012-01-25T19:59:00.000-08:00

Hello! we are glad you are back with us today. This is Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today, we would like to talk about a vegetable that is not talked about, and is left out of most gardens, for what every reason maybe they don't have enough room or maybe a lot of people just don't like their taste or they think they would be too hard to grow. We are talking about Eggplant, either you love them or you hate them, but I will be the first one to say, it is all in the way you fix the eggplant for the dinner table. There are lots of different ways to prepare Eggplant for the dinner table, they can be breaded and fried, grilled, baked, stir-fry, or stewed. We will share a good recipe with you on tomorrows blog, but today we would like to share with you just how easy it is to grow Eggplant.

How To Grow Eggplant:

1. Only plant after the soil has warm up. You can plant seeds, but it is a lot easier to go to your local nursery and buy the plants, that is a lot quicker. Eggplant like hot weather, plant in full sun. There are different kinds of Eggplant that you can plant, but the most popular one to plant is Black Beauty, they are dark rich color, and they do taste so delicious.

2. Just like most of your vegetables, your soil is always most important. Eggplant does best in rich soil, you will need to work up your soil down to 8-10 inches is best. Eggplant like a well drain soil, plant in a row, after working up your soil, pick up all rocks, roots and any grass clods. Add 2 inches of aged cow or horse manure or 3 to 4 inches of compost, using your garden tiller or shovel mix it up well again down to 8 to 10 inches.

3. Using your garden rake, level out your row, set your plants 12 inches apart, if you plant more than 1 row make your rows 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart. Water well after planting, after the second week , mulch to help hold the moisture in and also help heat in the soil, and if you will add 2 to 3 inches of mulch, it will help to keep out the weeds. Never let your soil dry out.

4. Harvest your Eggplant in about 80-85 days after planting.

( Money Saving Tip: )

Free Fertilizer, if go and talk to your local farmer, and ask him if he has any old aged manure that you can get for your garden, most all farmers are happy to get rid of the cow and horse manure and they will give you all that you will need for ( Free ). My wife Marilou and I will go see our farmer down the road from us, we will take a pickup to see the farmer and after we get there I will put down a piece of plastic inside inside of the pickup bed. Most all farmers are so very kind people and they are hard working people, and they are always willing to help out other people anyway they can. Our farmer down the road from us he will even go and get his big tractor and he will give us 3-big scoops of good old aged cow and horse manure, and now we have a big load of the Best All Natural Organic Fertilizer That Money Can Buy For ( FREE ). When you go to see the farmer tell him what you are doing with the manure, and tell him you want the old aged manure.

A Little History: The eggplant was among the plants introduced early into America by the Spaniards. It was grown in Brazil before 1650. In the United States purple and white varieties for ornament were described in 1806. Until a mere 50 years ago many varieties of eggplant grown in America were for ornament only.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Cabbage Chinese Napa 6 Ways To Cook ( How To Cook )

2012-01-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

Hello! and welcome back here with us today, this is Ken and Marilou with you on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we have some good news for Napa Cabbage lovers. Marilou and I have found 6 more recipes on how to cook Napa cabbage, we have not tried cooking them yet, but we will in the future. We just found them today on the Internet so we wanted to share them with all of our friends that follow us on our Garden The Easy Way blog. Marilou and I are so happy you are our friends and you follow our blog, we have people tell us time to time they sure like our Garden Blog and that make us feel so good. Thank you all, that is what keep us going. Marilou and I will always do the best that we can and we are planning on keeping our blog going, and we are happy you will be with us!!!. Thank you for being there. OK here is Marilou with the recipes.

How To Cook Chinese Cabbage

Bok choy and Napa remain the most commonly known Chinese cabbages available to Americans. With a mild flavor and pleasing texture, both adapt easily to any recipe calling for green cabbage. Bear in mind that cooking Bok choy and Napa the Chinese way means stir-frying or steaming. Read the steps below to learn how to prepare both cabbages in a variety of ways.

Instructions:

1. Separate stalks from leaves of bok choy. Add each separately to a sizzling wok, along with peanuts oil, salt and minced fresh ginger. Stir-fry leaves for 30 seconds and stalks for two minutes.

2. Heat a large non-stick skillet. Add olive oil and finely chopped scallions. Mix in shredded napa, adding salt and minced chili pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Melt butter in a large casserole. Add bok choy leaves, cut into large ribbons, salt, black pepper and two tablespoons of chicken broth. Cover and cook over low heat for one hour.

4. Slice napa cabbage finely. Brown ground pork, scallions, finely chopped red pepper and grated ginger in peanut oil. Add cabbage, rice wine and salt. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

5. Prepare a mixture of cooked white rice, chopped cilantro, finely chopped white onions, sesame oil, crushed garlic and red pepper flakes. Blanch bok choy leaves for 30 seconds. Stuff each leaf with some of the rice mixture and bake in a buttered casserole for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

6. Stir-fry sliced yellow onions, red and green peppers and blanched broccoli for two minutes. Add shredded napa cabbage,***ake mushrooms and garlic. Stir fry three minutes, adding soy sauce, hoisin sauce and mirin.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Cabbage Napa Family Recipe ( How To Cook )

2012-01-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, we would like to welcome you all back here today with us, this is Ken and Marilou with you on Garden The Easy Way.

Today, we will be sharing a family recipe all the way from the Philippines. This recipe is one of my wife Marilou's family recipe, and it is so very delicious. My wife Marilou is a Filipino and let me tell you that my wife and her Mother and sisters have a lot of very good recipes, and they all are so very delicious. We will be sharing some more recipe with you later but let me tell you about this one first. The name of my wife's family recipe for today is " Napa Cabbage Family Recipe ", it is very healthy for you. Some people call this cabbage " Chinese Cabbage ", here in the USA we just call this cabbage " Napa Cabbage ". It is my wife Marilou and my favorite cabbage when it comes to eating. We like eating other cabbage but this Napa is the best for us, we love it. OK, Marilou is ready to give you the recipe. ( So Enjoy Eating Your Napa Cabbage ).

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of meat ( pork or beef meat, whichever you prefer )
1 whole of Napa Cabbage
1 Onion ( cut in half )
1 Garlic clove
6-7 cups of water
1 tsp. of salt, we use sea salt.
1 tsp of pepper.

Preparations:

1. In a pot, boil the meat in 7 cups of water. Cover and boil in medium heat.

2. When it start to boil, add the onions and garlic.

3. While the meats are boiling, take out the brown stuff and bubbles that comes out from the meat.

4. Cover the pot, let it boil for 45 minutes or until the meats are tender.

5. Add salt and peppers to taste.

6. Lastly, you add the Napa cabbage. You can tell when it's done, just take a fork if it cuts easy.

Tips:
** Napa cabbage is so quick to cook, make sure not to overcooked the cabbage.

** Napa cabbage is best to cook with pork meat or beef meat.

** If you use beef meat, you can add potatoes and green beans. For more flavor taste add a beef cube.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Napa Cabbage ( How To Grow )

2012-01-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hello! and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today Marilou and I would like to talk about our favorite eating cabbage, and we think if you have ever ate, or if you give it a try it will be your favorite eating cabbage too. We are talking about Napa Cabbage, it is so very delicious.

Most of us here in the United states, we just know this delicious cabbage as Napa Cabbage, but the real name is Chinese Napa Cabbage. But after you eat it, you too will say " oh so delicious!! ".

There are so many very good recipes out there on how to cook Napa Cabbage. My wife Marilou tomorrow will share with you all one of our favorite home made recipes on cooking Chinese Napa Cabbage.

Some good news too is Chinese Napa Cabbage will grow just about anywhere, as long as you plant early 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost, Chinese Napa Cabbage must be grow in cool weather. Here are some things you will need to keep in mind when planting Chinese Napa Cabbage.

1. Sow seeds 4 to 6 weeks before last frost, so you can harvest before the temperature go above 75 degrees.

2. Plant in full sun, or if it get hot early in your area, plant in a part shaded area. Your Napa Cabbage must stay cool, when growing.

3. Use your garden tiller or your shovel, work the soil well down to 8 to 10 inches, add 2 inches of aged cow or horse manure, or 3 inches of compost mix well once again, pick up all the rocks, roots and grass.

4. Take your garden rake and mound your rows. It is best if you plant 2 rows even if they are short rows, you can use your garden rake or garden hoe to mound the soil, make your 12 inches apart.

5. Plant your seed 4 inches apart down the center of the mound in your garden row. Plant your seed only 1/2 inch deep. After planting, water well but only light shower so you will not uncover your seeds.

6. After your plants come up 3 to 4 inches, keep the healthiest plants and thin to 12 to 15 inches apart.

7. Water often, the soil must stay moist. If soil dry, out your plants could die or just go to seed.

8. Day to Harvest: 50 to 85 days, use a sharp knife to cut the Chinese Napa Cabbage heads at the ground level.

( Enjoy Your Delicious Chinese Napa Cabbage )

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Tomato Soup ( Elliott's Home Made Tomato Soup ) ( How To Cook )

2012-01-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

Hello! and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, This is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to talk about one of the most popular soup there is, and just about every one like it. Tomato Soup, it is so good, but did you know if you just take your time you can make your very own home made tomato soup. You can put in what you like the most and leave out what you do not like, and when you get your home made tomato soup done, it will not be just good it will be delicious. We call our home made tomato soup, " Elliott Home Made Tomato Soup ".

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. of butter
1 large onions, finely chopped
7 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
4 cups of tomato juice
2 ( 28 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes,if you do not have your own fresh garden tomatoes, you can buy in cans in store
4 tsp. of sugar
1/2 tsp. salt ( or to taste, we use seasoned salt )
Parmesan cheese ( optional )
black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl combine 3 cups of tomato juice with crushed tomatoes and milk.

2. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat.

3. Add in onion, saute until softened about 3 minutes.

4. Add in garlic, cook stirring for 2 minutes.

5. Add in flour and stir for 1 minute.

6. Slowly add in the tomato/milk mixture whisking constantly to remove any lumps; bring to a boil stirring frequently until bubbly and thickened, then season with sugar, salt and pepper (the mixture will be quite thick). If you find that the soup is too thick for your liking you may thin out with V-8 tomato juice for the best flavor.

7. Reduce heat to low, add in remaining 1 cup of tomato juice ( or more ) and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour (can simmer longer if desired, if the soup is still too thick for your liking add in more tomato juice and keep seasoning with salt and pepper if needed during cooking).

8. Ladle into bowl then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and croutons if desired.

Elliott's Home Made Tomato Soup, Oh So Delicious!!!

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Horseradish ( How To Grow )

2012-01-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Hello! and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou, we are happy you are with us today.

Today Marilou and I would like to talk about another vegetable that is sometimes forgotten, we are talking about Horseradish, either you love it or you hate it. I can remember back as a small boy, my Dad and Mom eating Horseradish, and they would try to get my little brother and I to eat it, we just could not stand the taste, but Dad and Mom loved it.

Horseradish is a root vegetable and it is sometimes classified as an herb. Horseradish will just about grow anywhere you plant it, and you should not plant it in your garden, Horseradish grows so fast you need to plant it by it self, if not it could take your garden over ( Horseradish grows so quickly).

There are two popular variety of Horseradish, the most popular we were told for the USA is Maliner Kren, and the second runner up is Wasabe Horseradish which is a relative to the Maliner Kren Horseradish. the Wasabe Horseradish is used a whole lot in stir fry in Asian cooking.

Horseradish, will grow very fast and it does not need much attention. Horseradish grows faster and better in cool weather, but it will grow in hot weather too. We will share with you how to plant and grow Horseradish, but there are a few things to keep in mind, just like anything when it comes to planting.

1. Find a good spot out of your way and out of your garden, horseradish likes ( Full Sun ).

2. Horseradish is a root vegetable, so you will need to dig down in the soil 12 inches. Use your garden tiller and till the soil up well, pick up all the rocks, roots and grass.

3.After tilling your soil, add 2 to 3 inches of aged cow or horse manure, or if you wish add 2 to 3 inches of compost, using your garden tiller mix in well, make sure to dig down to 12 inches. After tilling, take your garden rake and level the soil.

4. Using your garden hoe, make your row or rows 3 inches deep. Horseradish comes in roots not seeds, you plant roots when you plant horseradish.

5. Plant your horseradish 3 inches deep and 12 inches apart, if planting more than 1 row, make rows 36 inches apart, horseradish has big long dark green leaves.

6. After planting, water well. Never let the soil go dry, you may need to water everyday if it is hot and dry. if you get rain do not water, you could cause the roots to rot. To test your soil to see if it need watering, just stick your finger down 3 to 4 inches in the soil. If you feel any moisture or wetness, your soil is OK for today, check it the same way tomorrow.

7. Day To Harvest: If you plant your roots in early spring, you can harvest in 180 to 240 days. They will have a better flavor if you leave them in after 2 to 3 frosts.

( Enjoy Your Horseradish )

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou. wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Elliott's Vegetable Soup ( Recipe )

2012-01-19T21:17:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, this is Ken and Marilou with you all on Garden The Easy Way.

Today Marilou and I would like to tell you about another tasty vegetable soup recipe. We found a recipe close to this one and we make some changes to suit our taste, and it is so delicious, we hope you all like it. That is the thing about vegetable soup, if there is a vegetable you don't like leave it out. We call our new vegetable recipe ( Elliott's Vegetable Soup ).

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
3 large onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 quarts beef broth or chicken broth
5 carrots, finely diced
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 turnips, finely diced ( optional )
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 29 oz. can tomatoes, pureed
2 cups of frozen corn
2 cups of frozen green beans
2 cups of frozen peas
1 big head cabbage finely chopped
2 cups soup pasta
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

Preparations:

1. Saute onions and garlic in olive until lightly golden. Stir in beef broth or chicken broth, green beans, carrots, celery, turnips and any hard vegetables such as potatoes. Add celery seed and thyme.

2. Simmer for half an hour, or until vegetables are tender.

3. Stir in pureed tomatoes, peas, corn and cabbage.

4. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes before serving.

5. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Servings: 9-12 serving depending on portion

Variations: Any kind of vegetable that you prefer can be substituted. 1-2 cups of shredded cooked beef or ham may be added during the last 15 minutes.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Turnip Greens ( How To Cook )

2012-01-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, this is Ken and Marilou with you on Garden The Easy Way.

Marilou and I shared with you all on yesterday blog how to make garden, and how to grow Turnips and Turnip Greens. So today we would like to share with you all a recipe that we found online, on how to cook Turnip Greens. We hope you all will enjoy this recipe.

Turnip Greens ( How To Cook )

Turnip greens are a nutritious and healthy year-round treat. Turnips are similar to spinach, turnip greens can be steamed, sauteed or stir-fried, though this classic Southern recipe calls for boiling---with bacon or salt pork adding a salty, savory kick. If you don't eat meat, follow the preparation and boiling instructions and then use some margarine to flavor when the greens are finished cooking.

Instructions:

Things You'll Need

* Large stockpot
* Large iron skillet or whatever you have
* Medium skillet
* Bacon (sliced) or salt pork (cubed)
* Salt (optional)
* Water
* Cutting board
* Knife
* Serving bowl

1. When you are ready to prepare the greens, wash them thoroughly in a sink full of cold water, it loosens grit better than simply rinsing, and shake off the water. Place them on a cutting board, and gather the greens into a small bundle with one hand. Hold the greens and cut them widthwise in several places to make smaller pieces. Remove any tough stems. Put the pieces in a stockpot.

2. Add enough water to the stockpot to just barely cover the greens. They will shrink down, so you don't need a lot of water. Sprinkle salt into the water if you aren't adding bacon or salt pork; if you are adding meat, don't add salt.

3. Boil the greens until they are tender enough to cut with the side of a fork. Remove the greens from the water with a strainer or a slotted spoon and transfer them into a large skillet. Save some of the water the greens were cooked in.

4. While you are boiling the greens, cook a few slices of bacon in a separate skillet until crispy. Blot the excess grease off the bacon with paper towels and chop up the slices.

5. Place the bacon in the large skillet with the greens. If you are using salt pork cut it into small pieces and add it to skillet with the greens. Add a little of the leftover water from the stockpot to the skillet, enough to keep the greens from scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook on a moderately low temperature until the salt pork is fully cooked, or until the greens with bacon are fully hot and tender.

6. Drain off most of the hot liquid. Leave just a little to help keep the greens hot in the serving bowl.

Tips & Warnings:

* You can boil the salt pork with the greens if you wish.

* Watch the greens closely to avoid overcooking them. You're looking for the consistency of cooked spinach.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Turnips Purple Top White Globe and Turnips Greens ( How To Grow )

2012-01-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome back here today, this is Ken and Marilou with you on Garden The Easy Way.

Today Marilou and I would like to talk about another vegetable, that sometime is forgotten. And I can remember back as a small boy, my Mom and Dad love them and planted them every year.

Turnips, my Mom and Dad just love turnip greens and the roots are rich in flavor too. So many people so called back in the good old days will tell you there is nothing better to eat than a big mass of Turnips and Turnips Greens. My Mom and Dad told my little brother and I, turnips greens and turnips are very healthy for us to eat, and just like most kids today we did not want to eat turnips, because they were vegetables. I do understand now what Mom and Dad was trying to do, we all should eat our vegetables they are Very Healthy In Vitamins and we all need to be Healthy.

To make the Turnips Greens, you will just take a knife and cut off the green tops about 1 inch from the Turnip, more leaves will grow back. Later you can dig up the root and eat it too.

You may love eating turnips, and Turnips Greens or you may not like them, but if you would like to try eating them they are easy to grow, but just like we always say there are some things you need to know about planting and growing before you get your planting on the way.

1. Your soil is always important, Turnips like a good rich well drained soil. You can plant your Turnips in rows or you can plant them in the Turnip bed, you will need to work up the soil well down to the depth of 18 to 24 inches, because Turnips have big roots.You will need to pick up all the rocks, roots, grass, break up all the dirt clods.

2. Turnips like full sun. You can plant Turnips seeds early, as early as 2 weeks before the last frost. Before you plant add 2 inches of compost or 2 inches of aged cow or horse manure and mix well with your garden tiller or shovel, making sure you dig down to 18-24 inches.

3. Take your garden rake and level the soil. Now you are ready to plant. Sow your seeds 2 inches apart and only 1/2 inch deep. Rows should be 24-30 inches apart. Plant using your hands only, the seeds are so small you will have to be very careful not to plant too many seeds in one spot, and not to plant too deep. Water well after planting, water with a light shower gently, so you will not uncover the seeds. Keep soil moist, not soaking in water, you may have to water with a light shower gently 2 times a day until seeds germinate, especially during hot weather. Even after your turnips come up never let your soil dry out, in hot weather you may have to water once a day or at least every other day.

4. If you like a lot of greens, the turnips has a tasty tops so do not thin too much after your turnips come up, only thin 4-6 inches apart. If you like bigger turnips and less tops thin to 10-12 inches apart.

5. You can plant a second crop of turnips, for a winter crops sow your seeds in late July or early August.

6. Maturity in Days: 60-85 days.

( ENJOY YOUR TURNIPS and TURNIPS GREENS )

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Beets ( How To Grow )

2012-01-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today Marilou and I would like to talk about a very good eating garden vegetable, that is not talked about a lot. Beets are just over look and they should not be, they are delicious. We will also share with you all on how to plant Beets.

Beets are a root crop, and they are different varieties, some of the most popular beets are Detroit Dark Red, Bull's Blood and Chioggia. Whichever one you choose to plant in your garden, you will be happy you did. Just like everything in a garden there are some things you need to know.

Beets do not like hot weather, and you should plant early in the spring. But you can plant and grow beets in the summer if you have shade over them after 6 to 7 hours of full sun.

For Best Results on Growing Beets:

1. Plant in rows, Beets are a root crop, so you will need to dig down 12 inches, using your garden tiller, work up the soil well so the root has plenty of room to grow. Add about 2 inches of aged cow or horse manure and 2 to 3 inches of compost using your garden tiller mix up well. Beets prefer a sandy soil, with a pH between 6.5 to 7.5.

2. Using your garden rake, level out your rows, picking up all rocks and roots and any grass.

3. Now you are ready to plant, using your garden hoe, make your rows, down the center of the tilled soil, not too deep, you will sow your beets only 1/2 inch deep. Sow your rows 3 to 5 inches apart. Always water well after planting.

4. After 5 to 10 days depending on the variety you plant and the temperatures, seed should begin germinating, put down a thin layer of straw over the top, water well the thin layer of straw will help keep the moisture in. Do not cover them with too much straw or they will not come up.

5. After the seedling come up, you need to thin the seedling out, leaving the healthy seedling to grow, thin to about 5 to 6 inches apart.

6. Straw between the beets and on both sides of your rows about 2 to 3 inches. After beets are 4-6 inches, the straw will help hold the moisture in, and help keep the weed out.

7. Water well after putting straw down. Never let the soil go dry, beets like a lot of moisture, not soggy, but wet.

8. Beets have their best flavor when harvested at about 1 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. If you let your beets get bigger they will loose their delicious flavor.

9. Days to harvest depend on the beets you plant, but don't worry, beets are a fast growing vegetable.

( Enjoy Your Delicious Beets!)

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Strawberry Jelly ( How To Make )

2012-01-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all this is Ken and Marilou, with you all today on Garden The Easy Way. Today we have a real sweet surprise recipe, we would like to share with you all. Today Marilou and I found it on the internet, and it goes with what we were blogging about on our Garden The Easy Way blog, on how to make and grow your very own strawberry garden. And it is so quick and easy to make.

( Enjoy Your Sweet Surprise! )

Strawberry Jelly ( How To Make )

*What I really like about this recipe, you have control if you don't like your jelly real sweet like Marilou and I, just don't add as much sugar, try using just half sugar and it will be healthier for you.

Instructions:

Things You'll Need

* jelly jars & lids
* strawberries two pints or more
* sugar, depending on how sweet you like it. Start by adding 2 cups or reduce sugar by 1 cup.
* Sterilized jars and lids

1. Wash and cut tops of Strawberries, then in half again.

2. Place in large sauce pan, heat on high until the start to boil. Stirring the berries is important.

3. Reduce heat but continue boiling until they are soft and can be mashed with a potato masher. Doing this way will keep some of the pulp. Continue to stir.

4. Add sugar and continue stirring until sugar dissolves. The sugar acts as a thickening agent.

5. Stir and continue to boil until mixture thickens. Test by running the back of a spoon through the jelly and notice if it sticks to the spoon.

6. When done, let cool and transfer to jelly jars. Jelly can be served with everything from biscuits to ice cream. Enjoy and good luck.

Tips & Warnings:

* Make enough to give away.

* All utensils must be free of any water.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Strawberry Smoothie ( How To Make A Healthy Fat-Free Strawberry Smoothie )

2012-01-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back here today, this is Ken and Marilou with you on Garden The Easy Way.

We told you all how to plant strawberries in your garden, and how to take care of them, we also shared with you how to make strawberry jam.

Today we have another special treat to share with you all, and when you use your fresh garden strawberry it will be delicious.

Today, Marilou and I are going to tell you how you make a delicious smoothie that is healthy and fat-free. We found this " Strawberry Smoothie " recipe on the Internet, and had to share it with you all.

How To Make A Strawberry Smoothie

Healthy, fast and fat-free, the strawberry smoothie is a perfect choice when berries are in season. This recipe serves four.

Things You'll Need:

8 oz. cold water
4 tbsp. honey
25 medium strawberries
Blenders
Drinking glasses
1/2 cup crushed ice

Instructions:

1. Wash and hull strawberries.

2. Put strawberries, honey and water into a blender.

3. Add crushed ice.

4. Blend until smooth; pour into tall glass and serve.

Tips & Warnings:

1. Add some lemonade or a small amount of lemon juice if the drink is too sweet.

2. Add 1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses to boost your iron intake.

3. Add 1 tbsp. brewer's yeast to increase the protein in the drink.

4. Add 1 tbsp. flaxseed oil if you need more omega-3 fatty acids.

5. Add 1 tsp. bee pollen for extra amino acids.

6. Some people are allergic to bee pollen or other add-ins. Follow package directions carefully or consult your doctor if you have questions.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Strawberry Home Made Jam ( How To Make )

2012-01-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, and welcome back here today with Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Yesterday we shared with you all on how to make a strawberry garden and how easy it is to grow your very own strawberries. Today we would like to share a very special recipe with you.

Strawberry Jam it is Americas number one jam, just about everyone that eats toast in the morning with their breakfast will pick up the strawberry jam and spread it on their toast. Strawberry jam is so very delicious, and just like everything else, garden fresh will always taste so much better. So after you pick your first bucket of fresh strawberries out of your garden, surprise your family and friends and make some home made strawberry jam they will love it.

If you will make your very own home made jam with your fresh garden strawberries, you will have a very tasting jam than you can buy in any store.

This is a surprise make home made strawberry jam is quick and very easy and using your very own fresh strawberries I promise you, it will be even more delicious.

( ENJOY YOUR HOME MADE STRAWBERRY JAM )

Things That You 'll Need:

6 cups strawberries, washed and mashed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup of white grape juice or peach juice or 2 and 1/4 cup of sugar, which ever you prefer
1 pkg. powdered fruit pectin (for thickening)
Large saucepan or pot
Large mixing bowl
Ladle
Clean jars

Preparations:

1. Wash 6 cups of strawberries, cut off the green parts and any soft spots, cut strawberries in half and smashed strawberries in a large bowl. Stir and add more strawberries, smashed and stir. Repeat until all your strawberries smashed in the bowl.

2. Put all the smashed strawberries in a large pan or pot. Add the lemon juice stir well, then add the pectin. Continue warming until it reach the full boiling point.

3. Reduce heat back to medium, add 2 and 1/4 cups of sugar. You can omit the sugar and just add 1 cup of white grape juice or peach juice. Turn the heat up to a full boil, keep stirring for 1 minute and turn off the heat.

4. Skim the foam from mixture, if necessary. Ladle into clean sterilized jars. Wipe rims of jars before you cover. Process in hot water for 10 minutes.

5. Remove and let cool for 12 to 24 hours. This allows settling time. Strawberry jam can be eaten when cooled and thickened, and will last up to one year if stored in a cool place.

Tips:

* During boiling process, you can add up to 1/2 tsp. of butter or margarine to reduce foaming.

Well that's it for today, you all will love this Home Made Strawberry Jam Recipe, and we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Strawberries ( How To Grow )

2012-01-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hello, this is Ken and Marilou and we would like to welcome you back here today on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about one of the most popular fruits, and no home garden should not be without it, we are talking about Strawberries. Strawberries are bright red and so beautiful in a garden, and they are easy to grow, you can grow strawberries just about any where.

There is nothing like having your very own crop of big bright red sweet delicious strawberries in your garden. I think sometimes people think since the strawberries are so delicious and beautiful they are hard to grow, I will tell you this strawberries are easy to grow, so do not go without your home grown strawberries.

You can grow strawberries in your garden, plant them in rows, or make a strawberry bed all by it self. My wife Marilou and I grow strawberries in a big flower pot last year. You will have strawberries for years to come after planting your strawberry plants. Strawberry plants grow runners and your runners of your strawberry plant keeps on growing strawberries year after year.

You can cut runners off your strawberry plant, and give them away to a neighbor or family and friends and they too can start their very own strawberry crop, or you can start another crop in a different spot in your garden. Strawberries will grow in cold weather or hot weather, as long as they have their water.

There are 3 types of strawberry plants to choose from:

1. Everbearing Strawberry

2. Day Neutral Strawberry

3. June Bearing Strawberry

Everbearing - Produce 2 to 3 crops of strawberries during the spring, and summer also in the fall. Everbearing Strawberries do not have a lot of runners.

Day Neutral - Will produce strawberries all season, lots of fruits and not very many runners, and the strawberries are a little smaller than June Bearing Strawberry.

June Bearing - Only have one large crop of strawberries per year, 2 to 3 week period in the spring. June bearing plants will produce a lot more runners. June Bearing Strawberries has the largest fruit generally.

You and your family will have to decide which strawberry plants suits you best. After choosing your strawberry plant. There are some things you will need to know.

1. Your strawberry plants need ( Full Sun ).

2. Good soil is important, strawberry plants like sandy, well drained soil.

3. Work up your soil well in early spring. Add 2 to 3 inches of aged manure mix well and then add 2 to 3 inches of compost, and mix well again.

4. In the early spring after all danger of frost has passed, you are ready to plant, make your rows in a mound 24 inches across. Plant your strawberries 18 inches apart.

5. When planting your strawberries, make a hole in the soil, gently put the root down in the hole and cover up to the middle of the crown of the strawberry plant, most important ( Never cover up the whole crown, only halfway of the crown ) or your plants could die.

6. Mulch 2 to 3 inches between plants and rows to keep the soil temperature cool, and the mulch will help keep the weeds out. Never use any black plastic, it will raise the soil temperature, and will hurt your strawberry plants, and may even kill your plants.

7. Keep your soil cool by watering, if you don't get any rain water 2 times a week. Strawberry plants need their water, so they can produce their fruits. Strawberry plants in order to produce a lot of strawberries, must have cool soil 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water per week is best.

( Enjoy Your Strawberries )

Well that's it for today, here on Garden The Easy Way, we hope to talk tomorrow. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Spanish Rice ( Home Made Recipe )

2012-01-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

Hello, we hope you all are having a good day today and welcome back here with us today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to tell you all about a good recipe. A good friend of Marilou gave this recipe and we want to share it with you all. This recipe is one of our favorite, it is very tasty and it is a very good meal that everybody will love it. The name of this recipe is " Spanish Rice "

For our Spanish Rice, we need to make a tomato sauce first, and then the rice. For those of you out there that loves tomatoes, this is a good recipe that surely you will love.

( ENJOY! )

TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients:

20 Ripe Tomatoes
1 Garlic clove ( chopped )
1 Onion ( chopped )
1 tbsp of Olive oil
1 tbsp of Butter

Preparation:

1. Cut all the tomatoes in half and squeeze all tomatoes to take all the seeds out.

2. After your done with the tomatoes, heat the oil and butter in the pan, saute the garlic and onions.

3. Then add all the tomatoes in the pan and cover it. Cook until it boil. Stir once in a while.

4. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

5. Cook the tomatoes until the sauce become thick.

RICE:

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice ( 2 cups )
Tomato Sauce
1 garlic clove ( chopped )
1 Onion ( chopped )
1 tbsp. of Olive oil
1 tbsp of Butter

Preparation:

1. In the pan, heat the oil and butter and saute the garlic and onion.

2. Add the cooked rice and stir with the garlic and onion.

3. Then pour out the tomato sauce in the rice and mix them well. Cover the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

4. Serve while it's hot.

Tips: You can serve the Spanish Rice with any meal.

Servings: 6-8 servings depending on the portion size.

Well that's it for today, we hope you all enjoy this recipe and we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Flower Bed ( How To Make Flower Bed and How To Plant Flower Seed )

2012-01-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Marilou and I would like to talk about " Flower Gardens ", they are so beautiful with lots of mix colors, shapes and sizes. When we see a flower garden two things come in most of our minds so beautiful and lots of work, the last part of the thought is wrong, making a flower bed is so easy, and growing flowers is easy too and so rewarding, you and your family get to see them everyday.

You can make your flower garden, just about any where you want too, and what ever size and shape you want. I ask Marilou how she wanted me to make her flower bed, I ask her if she wanted me to make it in a circle or a long square, she chose the long square flower bed.

Making flower bed are fun and quick and easy, but there something to keep in mind that is very important.

1. What kind of flowers you are planting, read on back side of your seed pack, and they will tell you if the flower seed you pick out will take full sun or shade area. They are lots of both to choose from, but if you plant in full sun you must have the full sun seeds or your flowers will die.

2. You and your family decide where to make your flower garden, you must make sure the flower garden is out of your everyday living way, and you and your family decide, if you want a circle flower bed or a square flower bed, and decide how big you want it. You can make a flower garden along beside your house and it will be out of your everyday living way. If you plant next to your house make sure your flowers get the morning sun, the morning sun is so very important to any kind of flower garden or vegetable garden, the afternoon sun is hard on most gardens, the hot sun will dry out most of the moisture, that is why you must never let your soil go dry too long, your flowers or your plants will die, all living things must have water. When planting any kind of garden it is always better to make it a family affair, the whole family will enjoy it more, and you will be having good family quality time.

3. You can plant your flowers in ground, or in a raised garden flower bed, if you choose to plant in the ground, in the sun, pick the flower seeds that say to plant in ( Full Sun ) on the back of seed pack. If you are planting in the shade plant the seeds that ( Shady Area ).

4. After deciding on the right spot, work up the soil well. If you are making a big flower garden, it will be easier if you use a garden tiller to work up the soil, if you choose to plant a small flower garden, just use a pick and shovel to work up the soil well about 3 to 4 inches deep.

5. Your soil is very important, if your soil does not look dark and rich, you can add 2 to 3 inches of garden soil mix or 2 to 3 inches of compost, always mix it up well.

6. After working your soil up well, pick up all the rocks, sticks, grass root. Take your garden rake and level the soil, make sure there is no dirt or soil clods.

7. Now you are ready to sow your seeds. Use only your hand to sow your seeds, carefully scattering seeds all over your flower garden. After sowing all of your seeds, get a concrete trail, or a short 3 inches 2x4 block of wood and gently push the seeds just barely under the soil.

8. After planting, water all of your flower garden, with a light mist of water so you will not uncover your flower seeds. Keep flower garden moist for 7-10 days so the seeds will sprout. Some bloom early and some bloom late 25 to 50 days.

9. Never let your flower garden go dry too long, water 2 to 4 times, a week depending how hot and dry it is or if you are getting any rain. You can fertilize your flower if you like and they will do a lot better, you will have a lot more flowers and the colors will be a lot brighter. Flowers love Miracle-Gro, we use Miracle-Gro on our flowers, and Miracle-Gro has a feeder, you just screws it on your garden hose and start watering. It is so quick and easy to use.

10. We like to plant FERRY-MORSE Annual Cut Flower Mixture, they make it so easy for you, when you buy one pack of seeds you have so many beautiful mixed colors. You can cut fresh flowers out of your flower garden all summer long, to set in your home or give some away, to friends and family.

( ENJOY !)

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way, until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Onion Red Globe ( How To Grow )

2012-01-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back with us today here on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to talk about one of the best well known onion, the name of the onion is Red Globe. It is a widely adaptable onion that is as colorful as it is delicious. Great for soups, salads, sandwiches, cheeseburgers, use in a restaurant all over the USA. The medium large bulbs have deep red skin and medium pungency. Ideal for salsas.

Onion is easy to grow, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind, you can buy onion bulbs and set them out in your garden or you can buy onion seeds. If you choose to plant seeds, you will need to start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before planting outdoors. When transplanting, clip plants to 3 inches and plant 2 inches deep. Or, sow directly in garden when ground can be worked, placing 2-3 seeds per inch.

Thin to 3 inches apart when plants are 6 inches tall. Harvest by pulling bulbs when tops are brown and dry.

Days to Germination: 10-12 days

Days to Harvest: 110 days

Planting Depth: 1/2 inch

Spacing: Row/Plant 18 in./3 in.

Preserve By: Storage & Canning

SUGGESTIONS: Fertile, moist soil enriched with compost is best for onion production. Onions ward off many insect pests around lettuce, cabbage and carrots. Use thinnings as green onions.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Elliott's Vegetable Cube Steak Special ( Recipe )

2012-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome back with us here today on Garden The Easy Way this is Ken and Marilou.

We do have a very delicious recipe to share with you all today, I must say if you try this recipe, you and your family will love it for sure, it is a whole meal in one recipe.

My wife Marilou and I cook a lot and we are always trying different ways of cooking, different things to make. It's not only delicious but healthy for us to eat. We call our newest recipe, " Elliott's Vegetable Cube Steak Special ".

ENJOY!!!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. cube steaks
2 big size of potatoes peeled and cubed
1 garlic clove
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup of water
2 cups of chopped carrots
2 cups of green beans
2 big size of bell pepper ( green or red )
2 cups of mild shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 tsp. of salt and pepper
1 tbsp. of olive or vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Saute the chopped garlic over low heat.

2. Add the meat to the pan, increase the heat, cook the meats until it's brown.

3. Add the potatoes, green beans, carrots, tomato sauce and water. Cover it and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add the cheese, stir and add the salt and pepper to taste.

5. Let simmer over medium heat for about 35-40 minutes.

6. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes. Sauce should thicken up to be a gravy consistency, and the potatoes and green beans should be cooked through.

7. It's best to serve with white rice.

TIPS:

* If you don't like beef or you prefer pork meat or chicken which ever you prefer will, ( TASTE-GREAT!!! )

Well that's it for today, we hope you all like our special recipe and we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Radishes ( How To Grow )

2012-01-07T20:26:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today with us, this is Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today w would like to talk about Radishes, they are many different varieties of radishes, lots of different colors and different shapes and sizes. Radishes are excellent source of Vitamin C.

Radishes are one of the fastest growing vegetables in the garden. Radishes do not like hot weather, the ideal weather is around 70 to 75 degrees.

Radishes do best if planted in early spring they will thrive in the cooler weather, from 55 to 75 degrees. They are a very fast growing vegetable, and will grow in just about any kind of soil.

How To Plant:

1. Radishes like 6 to 8 hours of sun.

2. Never plant in a low spot, if you get a lot of rain your garden will be under water, you will have to replant.

3. Work your soil up very well, down to 6 inches using your garden tiller or your garden shovel and rake.

4. If your soil does not look dark and rich in color, you can add about 2-3 inches of compost, work up your soil well, make sure it is mixed up well.

5. Take your garden rake and level the soil. You can plant radishes in rows in the garden or plant them in a bed by it self. After leveling your soil, use your garden hoe to make the rows.

6. The seeds are small, and they should not be planted no deeper than 1/2 inch. use your hands and gently cover the seeds, making sure all the soil clods are broken up and no rocks are on your seed.

7. After your seed come up in about 5 to 10 days, thin to spacing 2 to 3 inches.

8. Radishes are ready to harvest in about 20 to 40 days, depending on the one you choose to plant.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way, until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Squash Butternut ( Elliott's Butternut Squash Stir Fry ) Recipe

2012-01-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back with us today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we have a recipe to share with you all, Marilou and I cook a lot and we are always cooking different things, different ways, and every now and then we come up with a good recipe.

Today Marilou and I have a very good Butternut Squash Stir Fry recipe, it is so delicious and very colorful. We named it " Elliott's Butternut Squash Stir Fry Recipe ". If you cook this one, you and your family will like it a lot.

( ENJOY! )

Ingredients:

2 Butternut Squash ( cut in small pieces )
2 lbs. of pork meat ( cut in small pieces ) or ground pork meat
1 Onion ( chopped )
1 Garlic clove ( chopped )
4 Big tomatoes ( chopped )
1 Large green bell pepper ( cut in pieces )
2 tbsp of oil ( olive or vegetable )
Soy sauce to taste

Preparation:

1. In a skillet, heat the oil and fry the meat, cook until meats are brown.

2. Add the chopped onion, garlic and tomatoes, saute them all together.

3. Then add the Butternut Squash that peeled and cut in small pieces.

4. Add soy sauce to taste, the amount is depend on your taste.

5. Lastly, add the green bell pepper and cover it.

6. Let simmer over medium heat. Cook until the squash are tender.

7. Serve with white rice.

Servings: 6-8 depending on serving size.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again on Garden The Easy Way, until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Cabbage ( Elliott's Steamed Cabbage Special ) Recipe

2012-01-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou, we hope you all are having a good day.

Today we would like to talk about Cabbage, if you have been following our blog you already know what we were talking about how good cabbage is for our health, and how delicious it is.

We have a very good recipe to share with you all today, it is quick and easy to prepare and it is so very delicious, you and your family will love it. We call it ( Elliott's Steamed Cabbage Special ).

Ingredients:

1 large head of cabbage
6 slices of bacon
2 large carrot (grated)
2 large tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper
1 garlic clove
salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. First, fry the bacon then set aside.

2. Chop or cut the cabbage.

3. In a frying pan put 1 tbsp. of oil and saute the chopped garlic and tomatoes.

4. Then add the chopped cabbage in the frying pan with hot bacon drippings.

5. Add 1 cup of water, salt and pepper, cover and turn heat down to simmer.

6. Stir occasionally and do not let cook dry. When almost done add the carrots and bell peppers cook for about 5 minutes.

7. Drain well and add the crumbled bacon.

Tips:

* You can adjust the amounts you cook according to the number being served.

* Serve it while it's hot.

Makes: 6-8 servings depending on portion size.

( ENJOY! )

Well That's it for today, we hope to see you all here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Cabbage ( Elliott's Stir Fry Vegetables ) Recipe

2012-01-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Yesterday we shared how to grow Cabbage in your garden, and we told you how good it was for us all to eat a lot of cabbage and about all the health benefits of eating cabbage.

Today we would like to share with you all my favorite Cabbage recipe. My wife made this recipe up on her own, we call it ( Elliott's Stir Fry Vegetables ) it is my favorite thing to eat in the world, it is so delicious, I will just about eat the whole thing for dinner, I love it. If you fix it the way my wife Marilou does, I promise you all and your family will love it ( ENJOY) !

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of oil ( olive or vegetable )
1 Garlic clove
1 Onion ( chopped )
4 Big tomatoes
2 lbs. ground meat (pork)
1 Cabbage
3 potatoes ( chopped in small cubes )
1 cup of green onions ( chopped )
Soy sauce to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in nonstick skillet.

2. Saute chopped garlic, onion, and tomatoes.

3. Add the ground meat to the skillet, increase the heat to medium and cook until meat are brown.

4. Add potatoes, cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Add the dice cabbage and the soy sauce. Let it simmer over medium heat for 30-35 minutes.

6. Lastly, add the chopped green onions and cook for 3 minutes.

7. Serve it with white rice.

Makes: 6-8 servings.

Well that's it for today, we hope you all enjoy the recipe and hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Cabbage ( How to Grow and Health Benefits )

2012-01-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

Hello to you all, and welcome back with us today on Garden The Easy way, this is Ken and Marilou. Today we would like to talk about Cabbage it is so delicious and so very healthy for us, cabbage is at the top of the list of the worlds most healthy of all of our vegetables.

There are so many different kinds of cabbage you can grow in your garden which ever kind you choose to plant most all cabbage is planted the same way. We will share today with you how quick and easy cabbage is to plant in your garden, but first there is some very healthy benefits we would like to tell you about.

Cabbage can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in cabbage do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they've been steamed. Cabbage provides you with this cholesterol-lowering benefit whether it is raw or cooked. However, a recent study has shown that the cholesterol-lowering ability of raw cabbage improves significantly when it is steamed. Cabbage is excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A. Cabbage in general&mash; but also Savoy cabbage in particular&mash; turns out to be an especially good source of sinigrin. Sinigrin is one of the cabbage glucosinolates that has received special attention in cancer prevention research. The sinigrin in cabbage can be converted into allyl-isothiocyanate, or AITC. This isothiocyanate compound has shown unique cancer preventive properties with respect to bladder cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. Cabbage is not only healthy for you, it is delicious vegetables for your dinner table, and there are so many recipes that you and your family will love.

How To Plant Cabbage

1. Your soil is important, make sure your soil is a dark rich looking color, you can add 2 to 3 inches of compost and 2 to 3 inches of aged manure, ( cow or horse ) mix well with your garden tiller and pick up any rocks and roots out of your garden. Take your garden rake and level the soil, use your garden hoe to make the rows.

2. Grow your cabbage in at least 50% shade or under a shade-cloth. Start them in flats. Plant your cabbage after all danger of frost and cold weather has passed.

3. Transplant the cabbage so the first real leaves are just above the soil. This should be deep enough to keep the plants stable. Pack the soil so the root system is completely covered, water well after planting.

4. Protect the seedlings after transplant from insects and pests, by covering the cabbage rows with a lightweight cover. Aphids, cabbage worms, and cabbage maggots can spoil your harvest.

5. Cabbage loves water, cabbage is a fast growing vegetables so you will need to water it everyday.

6. Days to Harvest: It's all depend on the kind of cabbage you plant, how long it takes to form a head. When will cabbage make a head? is varied. The common green cabbage form heads more quickly than the huge Savoy cabbage. You can expect to see heads in approximately 71 days with green cabbage. Red cabbage takes slightly longer and Nappa cabbage will form small heads in only 57 days. Cabbage head formation sometimes occurs better in the most gently warming conditions of spring than in the cooling days of the fall. Consult the seed packet for days from seed to harvest and be patient. Cabbage is a cool season vegetable crop that you can grow twice in one year.

Things You Will Need:

Garden tiller
Garden hoe
Garden rake
Shade-Cloth
Lightweight Row Cover
Compost
Fertilizer Aged Manure ( cow or horse manure )

Tips :

Get the best fertilizer money can buy for ( Free ), go see your local dairy farmer or any farmer near you and they will probably give you all you will need for ( Free ), farmers are happy to get rid of it. Our local dairy farmer will even get out his big tractor and give us 3-big scoops, and we have a big pick-up load of the best natural organic fertilizer money can buy for ( Free ), go see your local farmer, most farmers are so kind and willing to help out anyway they can. Make sure you ask for aged manure, cow or horse works great.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way, until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Carrots ( How To Grow )

2012-01-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to talk about Carrots, as we all know they are very good for us, they are high in Vitamin A, and high in fiber. You can prepare carrots in many different ways for the dinner table, soups, pot roast, salads, stew, carrot cake, just to name a few. The orange color makes the food look so much better, but when you taste the carrot your food will taste even better.

If you grow your own carrots you will even like the taste more, than store bought, home grown vegetables just also taste better. We will be happy to share with you all today, how easy it is to grow your own carrots, it is so easy but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Things You Will Need:

* Garden Tiller
* Garden Hoe
* Garden Rake
* Compost
* Mulch

1. Plant in full sun and well drained soil.

2. Good soil is always important, if your soil need a little help, you can add some good dark rich top soil, or add some compost use your garden tiller mix it up well all together down to about 11 to 12 inches, pick up all the rocks and roots out of your garden. Take your garden rake and level the soil, now you are ready to plant.

3. Carrots grow best in temperature between 60 and 70 degrees F. but you can grow them all summer.

4. Use your garden hoe gently to make the rows or you can use your finger, make your rows planting depth 1/4 to 1/2 in deep. Spacing rows 15 inches apart, sow 3 seeds per inch in the rows. Cover seeds firmly with soil. Water after planting gently so you will not uncover the seeds.

5. When plants are 2 inches tall, thin to 2 inches apart in the row. For fresh carrots all season, plant every 3 weeks until 75 days before first fall frost. Add mulch it will help keep weeds out and the moisture in the soil.

6. Days To Harvest: 75 days

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way, until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Potatoes Au Gratin Casserole ( Recipe )

2012-01-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou, and today we would like to talk about Potatoes Au Gratin Casserole, truly one of America's favorite ways to eat potatoes. It is so delicious, and if you grow your own garden and have your very own fresh potatoes, the taste will even be better.

Potatoes are so easy to grow and does not take a lot of room, some people even grow potatoes in their backyard, 2 or 4 short rows will make a lot of potatoes, see our blog on how to plant potatoes.

Today we would like to share a very good recipe with you all, on How To Make Potatoes Au Gratin Casserole.

Things You'll Need:

2 lbs. potatoes
Chef's knife or mandolin
Onion
Glass baking dish and cover
Non-stick spray
1/2 cup butter
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Saucepan
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1.5 cup milk
1/2 cup cream

Instructions:

Preparation*

1. Wash and peel 2 lbs. of potatoes.

2. Cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices using a chef's knife or mandolin.

3. Cut one large onion into 1/4-inch thick slices. Separate the layers of the slices and set aside.

4. Coat the inside of a glass baking dish with non-stick spray.

5. Layer the sliced potatoes and onions in the baking dish so that the vegetables are evenly distributed throughout the dish.

6. Cut 1/4 cup butter into cubes. Scatter the butter over the top of the potato and onion evenly.

7. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes.

Sauce*

1. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan.

2. Add 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper to the butter, and mix well.

3. Pour 1.5 cup milk and 1/2 cup cream into the saucepan.

4. Add 1.5 cup cheddar cheese to the saucepan. Stir continuously until the cheese and milk are incorporated and the sauce is smooth.

5. Pour the sauce into the baking dish, spreading it evenly over the layered potatoes, onions, and cheese.

Baking*

1. Cover the baking dish, and bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the cover, and check the tenderness of the potato with a fork.

3. Bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top forms a golden brown crust.

Tips & Warning*

*Omit the onions from the recipe, if desired.

*Substitute a 1/2 cup of half-n-half for the cream to make a lighter version of the dish.

*Use caution when removing the baking dish from the oven.

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way, until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Potato Soup ( How To Make Old Fashioned Potato Soup ) Recipe

2011-12-31T18:19:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome back here with us on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we have a real treat for everyone. It is one of Americans favorites soups, Potato Soup.

Most all of us love eating potato soup, and it is so good and a potato is 99% fat free, and yet is a nutrient dense food.

Potato Soup is so easy to make and your whole family will love it. Today we have two recipes for you and your family. Enjoy!!!

#1. Recipe ( How To Make Old Fashioned Potato Soup )

Things You'll Need

1 1/2 lbs. potatoes 1/2 stick of butter
1 carrot 1 Tbsp flour
1 celery stalk Salt
1 medium size onion Pepper
2 Tbsp butter Cheddar cheese
Soup pot Bacon bits
1/2 tsp celery salt Chives
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp caraway seed
1 small bay leaf
2 cups water
1 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Peel the potatoes and dice them in small pieces. Cut up the carrot and celery into small pieces. Dice the onion and saute it in the butter at the bottom of the soup pot.

2. Add the celery salt, marjoram, caraway seed, bay leaf, water, milk, butter, flour, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender when pricked with a fork.

4. Place a portion in a soup bowl when the soup is ready. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheddar cheese, fresh chopped chives and bacon bits.

This recipe serves four people.
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# 2. Recipe ( How To Make Potato Soup )

Things You'll Need:

Large pot
Water
Potatoes
Butter
Milk

Instructions:

1. First fill your large pot with water and set it to boil.

2. Wash and cut about six potatoes into small pieces or medium-sized squares (depending on size or how much soup you want to make).

3. Add the potatoes and stir from time to time.

4. Once the potatoes are boiled and soft, pour out the water.

5. Lower the temperature to a medium. Add milk and butter to your preferred thickness.

6. Stir and taste. When the soup has blended together well, you are done. You can add some bacon bits or cheese to top it off.

Make sure the taste suits your family. The recipe is not exact, so you can add more milk for a soupier soup or less for a thicker and chunkier soup.

Reference: eHow.com

Well that's it for today, we hope you all enjoy the recipes and we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all A Happy New Year!! and Happy Gardening Always.

Potatoes Baby Red ( How To Grow Baby Red Potatoes )

2011-12-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

Hell, and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to talk about Baby Red Potatoes. The Baby Red Potatoes are also called New Potatoes. They are very popular with a lot of people, they have a thin red skin, they are very good in Pot Roast, Soups, Stew, Steamed, Boiled, Roasted.

The Baby Red Potatoes are only 2 to 3 inches long. They are just as good for you, as any other potatoes, they are full of nutrients. You and your family will love eating them.

Advantages:

1. Potatoes are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates with 37% more potassium than a banana.

2. One potato offers a whopping 45% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin C.

3. A potato is 99% fat free, and yet is a nutrient dense food.

4. An 8 ounce baked or boiled potato has only about 100 calories.

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size 1 Potato ( 148g or 5.3 oz )
Amount Per Serving
Calories 100
Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 3g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 45%
Calcium 2% Iron 6%

Baby Red Potatoes are easy to grow, but they are some important things to keep in mind.

1. Always plant in full sun, never plant the same crops in the same place every year, it is always highly recommend to rotate your crops every year. Your soil is always important, you need dark rich soil.

2. Put potato garden in, out of your everyday living way so you will not feel trapped in. Never plant your potato garden in a low spot, if you do every time it rains your garden will be under water, standing water will cause your garden to die.

3.To have a straight rows in your potato garden, mark your rows by driving a stake in the ground, at each end of the row, tie a string from one stake to the other stake this will give you a straight row. Use your garden tiller to dig down to the depth of 8 to 10 inches, remove all big rocks and all roots, add 2 to 3 inches of compost, use your tiller and mix well,add 1 1/2 to 2 inches of aged manure ( cow or horse ) use your tiller and mix well.

4. Take your garden rake and make your rows into a mound about 3 to 4 inches high and 12 inches wide. Make your rows 24 inches apart.

5. Always plant your potato eyes up, plant 3 to 4 inches deep and plant 10 to 12 inches apart, water well after planting.

6. When your potato plant are 3 to 4 inches high, gently add 2 inches of compost on top of them. Mulch between rows and hills. The mulch reduces weed growth and retains moisture.

7. When your red potatoes have developed their first set of true leaves, spray them with a foliar spray made of fish emulsion or seaweed. The foliar spray provides the nutrients your potato plants need to produce tubers and stay healthy through insect attacks and disease. Spray once a week until all the red potato plant flowers are in full bloom.

8. When your red potato plants have sprouted, cover them with a floating row cover. The floating row cover allows sunlight and water to reach the potato plants but keeps insect pests from reaching the plants. You may remove the floating row covers when the plants begin to flower.

9. Water your plants every other day. The soil should be moist, but you need to avoid leaving standing water.

10. Start checking potato growth in late spring. Harvest new potatoes when they are between 1 and 2 inches long by digging gently around the potato plants and using a sharp knife to cut the potatoes cleanly away from the roots. Allow smaller potatoes to continue to grow before harvesting to extend the harvesting season.

11. When you have harvested all the tubers on a potato plant, pull the plant up and add it to your compost pile.

Well that's it for today, we hope we been some help for today on Garden The Easy Way, until tomorrow this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Potatoes Red ( How To Grow Red Potatoes )

2011-12-29T18:29:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, we hope you all are having a great day, this is Ken and Marilou with you today on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about Red Potatoes, they are one of the easier vegetables to grow and take care of. Growing potatoes is great for beginning gardeners, but we all should be growing potatoes, they are so good for us. Potatoes are America's most popular vegetable, you can bake, boiled, fried, microwaved, roasted, steamed. They are quite low in calories and loaded with nutrients.

Advantages:

A. Potatoes are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates with 37% more potassium than a banana.

B. One potato offers a whopping 45% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin C.

C. A potato is 99% fat free, and yet is a nutrient dense food.

D. An 8 ounce baked or boiled potato has only about 100 calories.

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size 1 Potato ( 148g or 5.3 oz )
Amount Per Serving
Calories 100
Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 3g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 45%
Calcium 2% Iron 6%

Today we would like to share with you all how to plant red potatoes, they are so easy to grow but there are some things you need to know.

1. Plant the whole potato or cut the eyes of the potato off 2 to 3 eyes is best, the cut should not be bigger than a chicken egg. If your cut has only one eye your vine will not produce as many potatoes, but the potatoes will be bigger potatoes, if your cut has 2 or 3 eyes your vine will have a lot more potatoes and they will be a smaller potato. So if you want huge giant potatoes plant your cut with only one eye. Important after cutting your potato eyes, lay them out to dry, do not pile them up lay them out side by side to dry 24 hours before planting.

2. Make your rows, use garden tiller deep 10 to 12 inches, pick out all the rocks and grass roots out, ( plant in full sun ).

3. Add 1 1/2 to 2 inches of aged manure ( cow or horse ), mix well with garden tiller. Money Saving Tip, if you go and see your local farmer he will probably give you all the manure you will need for ( Free ), Most farmers are so kind and willing to help out anyway they can, and they are glad to get rid of the manure, our local farmer will even go and get his tractor and load the manure for us, 3-big scoops with his tractor and we have a big pick-up load on the best all natural organic fertilizer money can buy for ( Free ). Go see your local farmer, don't forget to ask for Aged Manure.

4. Add 2 1/2 to 3 inches of compost, mix well with garden tiller.

5. To make your row straight, drive a stake into the ground at both ends of your garden, and run a string from one stake to the other, that will tell you where your row will be.

6. Mound soil up with your garden rake, about 6 to 8 inches high on the sides, and 12 inches across the top. Make rows 24 inches apart.

7. Plant potato eyes, 2 to 3 inches deep, ( always plant with the eyes up ). Plant your row 10 to 12 inches apart, water well after planting.

8. Never let your soil dry completely out, gently add 2 inches of mulch on top after the vine is 3 to 4 inches tall. The mulch will help hold the moisture in, and will help to keep the weeds out.

9. Harvest new potatoes when the plants bloom. Wait until the leaves turn yellow and the plant starts to die back in the fall to harvest fully mature potatoes.

Things You'll Need:

Sharp knife
Garden tiller
Compost
Fertilizer: Aged cow or horse manure
Shovel
Garden rake
Hoe
Pitchfork, to dig your potato with in the fall
Organic mulch

Well that's it for today, here on Garden The Easy Way, we hope to talk here again tomorrow. Until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Potatoes ( How To Grow Yukon Gold Potatoes )

2011-12-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way. This is Ken and Marilou, and today we would like to talk about a potato that is very popular, the name is Yukon Gold Potatoes, they are flavorful and you can cook them a lot of different way. Restaurant like them because they are big and they have a sweet taste to them, and they are great baked for the stuffed potato. They are delicious fried or made into potato salad. The Yukon Gold is a large potato and is recognized by the smooth eyes and it has thin yellow skin and yellow flesh on the inside. If you grow this Yukon Gold Potato, you and your family will be glad you did.

We Americans love our potatoes, this year in Idaho, they grow over 117,000 millions of pounds of potatoes, that is a lot of french fries. But after a little research we found out that China come in number one on growing potatoes, they grows the most potatoes in 2007, they made over 80,000 million tons of potatoes. Russian in second with 37 million tons. What a big surprise, people all over the world love eating their potatoes.

The Yukon Gold is a good big potato to grow, and it is easy to grow, but just like everything else there are some things you need to know.

1. You can plant ( tubers whole ) or cut them into pieces with 2 or 3 eyes, after cutting, the size should be no bigger than a chicken egg, spread them out in a well ventilated place to dry 24 hours before planting. The eyes produce vines and roots. ( For the People out there that don't know what a tubers is, it is a Potatoes. )

2. Your soil is very important, till down in the soil about 12 inches deep, add 2 to 3 inches of aged manure (cow or horse) mix well, add 2 to 3 inches of compost, mix well. Good Money Tip, if go see your local farmer near you he will probably give you all the aged manure you will need for, ( Free ). Most all farmers are very kind people and they are willing to help others out anyway they can, and the farmer is glad to get rid of the manure. We have a dairy farmer just down the road from us and when we go to his farm, he will get his big tractor out and give us 3-big scoops in our pick-up, and now we have a pick-up load of the best all natural organic fertilizer that money can buy for ( Free ). Go see your local farmer, you will be glad you did. Do not for get to ask for the aged manure, cow or horse will work.

3. Make sure to plant in ( Full Sun ) make your rows in a mound.

4. Make sure to plant with the eyes up, and only 2 to 3 inches deep, and 10 to 12 inches apart, rows 24 inches apart. Water well after planting.

5. Never let the soil dry completely out, you can add mulch to help hold in moisture, and the mulch will help to keep the weeds down.

6. Height: 18 to 24 inches Days to Maturity: 65 days

Things You'll Need:

Sharp Knife

Garden Tiller

Compost

Fertilizer: Aged manure ( cow or horse )

Shovel
Hoe
Garden Rake
Pitchfork for digging up your potatoes when you harvest

Well that's it for today, we hope that we have been some help here today on Garden The Easy Way, until tomorrow this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Potatoes ( How To Grow Russet Potatoes )

2011-12-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome here today with us, this is Ken and Marilou with you all on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about one of Americans favorite eating potatoes, it is the Russet Potatoes, they are so good eating. You can fry, bake, and we all love mashed potatoes and gravy, and they make good french fries and potato salad. They have thousands of recipes on way to cook with potatoes. People raise and love eating potatoes all over the world. They done a survey a few years ago and they said the average Americans eat about 125 lbs. of potatoes per person every year.

Potatoes are good for us, it is a vegetable. Potatoes are high in complex carbohydrates, and most varieties contain quite a lot of starch. The White Potato is a little less starchy variety. They are brown color on the outside and white on the inside.

Planting a garden in your backyard is so rewarding, you and your family will enjoy it so much. For some people it is a hobby but you feel so good when you and your family are together working in the garden and watching it grow. Picking your very own fruit and vegetables, feel so good. You will be happy if you put a garden for you and your family and it will save you a lot of money, it will be like getting all of your fruit and vegetables ( FREE ).

How To Grow Russet Potatoes

1. Cut seed in pieces from the Russet Potatoes, the seed is the little dark spot on the Russet Potatoes also called the eyes on the potato, cut each piece, with at least one eye on it two or three eyes is good on each cut, the piece you cut should be no bigger than chicken egg.

2. Prepare the planting bed by tilling the soil and mixing in 3 inches of aged manure and mix into the soil well. If you will take the time and go and see your local farmer he will probably give you all the manure you will need, most farmers are very kind people and they are always willing to help other people, the farmer just down the road from us is a dairy farmer and he and his family are so kind, when we take our pick up to there farm they get there big tractor out and give us three big scoops of manure, and now we have the best natural organic fertilizer money can buy for ( Free ). Go see your local farmer he will help you out, and they are glad to get rid of the manure. Very Important Make Sure You Ask For Aged Manure, if you tell the farmer you are putting it in your garden he will know what you need. Consider adding top soil if the area is mostly clay. Create rows for the potatoes that are at least 24 inches apart from one another.

3. Insert your finger or the handle of the shovel into the bed to make a hole that is about 2 inches deep. Place the seed piece and lightly cover with water. Space the holes 12 inches apart and water thoroughly.

4. Add more soil around the plants as they begin to sprout, sun exposure ruins potatoes so be sure to keep them buried throughout the growing season.

5. Keep adding more soil around the plants each week and water thoroughly to keep the temperature of the soil down.

6. Never let your soil go completely dry.

Things You'll Need:

Knife
Russet seed pieces
Soil
Fertilizer: Aged manure ( cow or horse )
Shovel
Hoe
Tiller

Well that's it for today, we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Potatoes ( How To Grow White Irish Potatoes )

2011-12-26T17:26:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, welcome back today with us this is Ken and Marilou, on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about one of our favorite vegetable, the potato we would like to talk about is White Irish Potato and we will also tell you how to plant them and grow them. There are so many different kinds of Red Potatoes also many different kinds of White Potatoes, and they all are good eating.

Potatoes remind me of squash, we have winter squash and we have summer squash, the winter squash you can not eat the skin, it is too thick and tough, but the summer squash you can eat the skin, it is a thin light skin, just wash and cut them up with the skin on them. The Potatoes are the same way so to speak, they are white potatoes and red potatoes that have light skin you can eat and some white potatoes and red potatoes have a dark thick skin, they are too tough to eat, so you will have to peel them before eating, just like the winter squash.

Today we would like to talk about a White Potatoes with a thin skin, it is light brown and you can eat the skin, making it easier to cook with, and they make great french fries.

How To Grow White Irish Potatoes

1. Cut your potatoes eyes off of the Potatoes, make sure to cut one to three eyes off per cut, no bigger than the size of a chicken egg. The eyes will produce vines and roots.

2. After cutting your Potatoes Eyes, let them dry 5-6 days before planting 60 to 70 degrees, this will keep them from rotting after planting.

3. Plant in full sun, well drained area, use garden tiller, dig down 12 inches, add 4 inches of aged manure (cow or horse) see your local farmer he will probably give you all you will need for (Free), they are happy to get rid of it. Add 4 to 6 inches of compost, mix well and use your garden rake and mound the rows up, make the rows about 12 inches wide, and 4-5 inches high is best, that will give your potatoes plenty room to grow.

4. Plant your potato eyes 3 inches deep and 12 inches apart. Space your rows 36 inches apart, water well 6 inches deep.

5. Add mulch with organic material to conserve moisture. Add more soil at the bottom of the vines when they grow 6 inches above the ground, this will keep the sun from hurting the potatoes.

6. Water vines to keep the soil moist. ( Never let the soil dry completely out ). After the flowers start to die back, check to see if harvest can begin by digging with your fingers to find a potato. Scratch the skin and if it easily scratches away, the potatoes are not yet ready. Cut the vines back, wait a few days and try again. Begin harvest when it is hard to scrape off skin.

7. Dig 8 inches away from the plant with a pitchfork-- be very careful-- at a downward angle toward the vines and carefully pry the earth and potatoes out of the ground. try not to impale or scrape potatoes, as those will not store well. Pull them out of the ground and let them lie in the garden a few hours until the soil dries and falls off easily. Watch carefully and do not let them sunburn. Store them in a dark, cool area.

Tips & Warnings:

A. Start early varieties as soon as soil reaches 50 degrees f in spring and wait until mid-June to plant fall crops.

B. Purchase only certified potatoes or tubers to plant from a nursery as eating potatoes are treated with a non-sprouting chemical. ( The Best And The Easy Way Is buy a bag of Potatoes and Cut off Your own. ) You will save money, and you know for sure what kind of Potatoes you are Planting.

Things You'll Need

Garden Tiller
Compost
Fertilizer aged manure (cow or horse)
Shovel and Garden Rake
Hoe and Pitchfork and Sharp Knife
Organic mulch

That's it for today here on Garden The Easy Way, we hope to talk again tomorrow, until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Peanut Butter ( Homemade Recipe )

2011-12-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way. This is Ken and Marilou
and we hope you all and your family had a Happy Safe Christmas Day.

Today we have a very special treat for the kid, we have America's favorite sandwich spread. Most all of us grow up eating Peanut Butter Sandwiches, they are so good and high in nutrition and very healthy for us.

Quick and easy to make, and your kids will have a lot of fun helping you, make your own Peanut Butter.

Ingredients:

*2 cups roasted shelled, unsalted peanuts

*1 tablespoon peanut oil

*1/4 teaspoon salt ( optional for low salt diets )

Preparation Directions:

1. Place peanuts, oil, and salt into a blender or food processor.

2. Blend well, until desired texture is reached.

3. Place peanut butter in airtight container.

4. For crunchy peanut butter, add 1/4 cup of peanuts and blend again, but, for just a short burst or two.

5. The oil can separate from the peanuts during storage. Simply stir and serve.

I can remember back as a young boy how much I love peanut butter sandwiches with a glass of milk, and I still do, in fact it's sound so good, I think I'll go and make me one.

Thank you all for joining us today, we hope to talk again here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all a Happy Gardening Always.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries ( Recipe )

2011-12-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

This is Christmas Eve and Marilou and I Ken, would like to start out by saying " Merry Christmas to you All " and we hope you and all of your family have a Happy Safe New Year.

Today we have a very short recipe but it is a very good recipe. It is healthy and the kids and all the family will love it.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
We found this delicious recipe on cooks.com Sherry's Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and it is so quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed, dried
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Slice potatoes lengthwise. Toss potatoes with oil, salt, and paprika. Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray. Spread potatoes on cooking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes. Turn slices over, bake another 10 minutes.

Submitted by: Sherry Monfils

Well that's it for today, we hope to be back here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then this is Ken and Marilou , wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Sweet Potato Baked Stuffed ( Recipe )

2011-12-23T20:33:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all, and welcome here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to talk about Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, there are a lot of recipes on stuffed bake sweet potatoes available, but we think that we have found one that you and your family will love, it taste so good. We found this recipe on cooks.com and it was submitted by: Diana Rattray, we thank you for sharing your recipe with us all, it is so very delicious.

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained and reserve liquid
6 marshmallows

*Bake sweet potatoes at 450 degrees until soft. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise and scoop out potato, leaving shell intact. Mash sweet potatoes with butter, salt and milk, along with 1/2 cup crushed pineapple. Add a little more milk or butter if necessary.

*Fill sweet potato shells. Slice marshmallows in half and top each sweet potato with two halves. Top with a spoonful of crushed pineapple.

*Put reserved pineapple syrup or juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Drizzle each sweet potato with a little of the juice. Place sweet potatoes under broiler and broil until browned.

Serves 4 to 6.

We will quit here for today, and we thank you all for being here today on Garden The Easy Way, until tomorrow this is Ken & Marilou wishing Happy Gardening Always.

Sweet Potato Casserole ( Recipe )

2011-12-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way this is Ken and Marilou.

Today, Marilou and I would like to talk about one of our favorites holiday foods, and we have found two great tasting recipe on cooks.com to share with you all.

Sweet Potato Casserole it is one of just about every one's favorite holiday treats, it's so easy and quick to prepare and it is so delicious.

Recipe # 1

Ingredients:

2 large cans sweet potatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping:

3/4 cup oats
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup crushed pecans
3/4 cup shredded coconut
mini marshmallows

Mix the first 6 ingredients with a mixer. Prep baking dish with cooking spray, then pour in. Mix the topping ingredients by hand. Sprinkle on top.

Bake uncovered at 350 F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows on top, then bake uncovered 5 more minutes.

Submitted by: Kimberly Mendez LaLonde

Recipe # 2

Millie's Sweet Potato Casserole

3 c. canned Louisiana yams, mashed
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. cream
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Blend together the sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, spices, butter, cream and half the marshmallows. Spoon into buttered baking dish. Top with pecans and remaining marshmallows. bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Marshmallows should be delicately browned.

We hope that you will try this recipes, because Sweet Potato Casserole is so delicious. Thank you all for being here today on Garden The Easy Way. We hope to be back tomorrow, until then happy gardening always, Ken & Marilou.

Sweet Potatoes ( How To Grow )

2011-12-21T20:42:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today with us, this is Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about one of my favorite vegetables and a lot of other peoples favorite vegetables, the great tasting Sweet Potato. It is so delicious and very famous around the holidays, there are so many ways to fix them for the dinner table, we will talk more about that later, but first we would like to tell you all, they are so very easy to grow.

Here are some things you need to know about Sweet Potatoes. You do not buy sweet potatoes seed, there is no sweet potatoes seed. What you will plant is called slips, you will plant slips from the sweet potato, you can grow your own slips indoor. You can go to the store and buy 2 or 3 sweet potatoes and grow your own slips. You can put the sweet potato in jar of water, filled the jar with water, after you put your sweet potato in the jar stick 3 to 4 toothpicks in the sweet potato to hold it up, so the end of the sweet potato is sticking out of the jar. The sweet potato will start to vine, all you have to do is cut the vine about 7 to 8 inches from the sweet potato. The 7 to 8 inches you cut off is called slips, and that is what you plant in the soil to grow your sweet potatoes. You can also plant a sweet potato in a flower pot in potting soil, if you like.

You can save your self a lot of time by going to just about any place that sell plants and seed and buy all the slips you will need at a very low price, that is what we do because we like to Garden The Easy Way!!

How To Plant:

1. Sweet Potatoes like dark rich sandy soil. ( Plant in Full Sun. )

2. Make your rows in a mound, and your rows 3 to 4 feet apart.

3. Plant the slips 14 to 18 inches apart. Plant your slips 1 inch under the soil.

4. Water well after planting, water as needed. Never let the soil dry completely out.

5. Harvest sweet potatoes 4 months or no longer than 5 months.

Warning and Tips:

A. Never try to plant too early, wait until all danger of frost and cold weather has passed. The soil should be good and warm or your slips could die. The soil should be at least 70 degrees.

B. Sweet potatoes love hot weather, and they are eager to grow but you need to water 3 or 4 times a week if you don't get any rain.

C. Harvest your sweet potatoes 1 to 2 weeks before your first frost.

D. Before storing your sweet potatoes, let them dry outside 3 to 4 hours, take a brush and brush all the dirt off the sweet potatoes, then allow them another 11 to 14 days of curing in a warm room with moderate humidity. Then store them in a cool dry place until you need them.

E. Never wash your sweet potatoes before you store them, if they are wet or have any moisture on them they all could go bad.

F. If stored properly sweet potatoes should last 6 to 8 months.

Enjoy your good eating Sweet Potatoes.

Well that's all for today, we hope that we have been some help here today, on Garden The Easy Way. Tomorrow we will like to share some sweet potato recipe with you all, until then Happy Gardening Always from Ken & Marilou.

Peanuts ( How To Boil Raw )

2011-12-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Hello, welcome back here again with us this is Ken and Marilou with you all on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we want to talk about Peanut, there are different ways to cook peanuts, but the healthiest is to boil your peanuts. So many people all over the world are raising their own peanut. Just about everyone love peanuts.

After you pull your peanut plant up out of the soil you will see lots of big clusters of peanuts, some people will call them raw peanuts, and some people call them green peanuts that are hanging from the bottom of your plant, whichever you want to call it is OK, because it means the same thing ( uncooked peanuts ).

Today we would like to tell you how to boil your peanuts, it is so quick and easy. And they are so good eating, your family and all of your friends will love them.

Cook to suit your taste, you can add a little salt or not any salt at all, you can cook peanuts to suit your taste. Cooking time may vary because of the amount of water and peanuts you are cooking and how hot your cooker gets, but the time will run between 2 to 4 hours. You can always pull 2 or 3 peanuts out after 1 hour of boiling and do a taste test.

The best way to cook your peanuts is to get a little LP Gas bottle with a burner and set it in your backyard and watch them cook.

1. Hook up your LP Gas bottle to your gas burner.

2. Get a big heavy pot, set it on the burner.

3. Fill the pot up a little over half way with peanuts.

4. Add water above the peanut, don't worry if some peanuts float to the top. that is OK.

5. Turn the burner on and start cooking.

Thank you all for being here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken & Marilou, we hope to talk here tomorrow. Until then, Good Gardening Always.

Peanuts ( How To Oven Roast )

2011-12-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back here today with us Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about Peanuts, there are so many people that love eating peanuts, and there are different ways to cook them, and there are hundreds of recipes, but today we would like to tell you how to roast your raw peanuts. It is so quick and easy and it only takes 35 minutes. And it is fun for the whole family and they are so good .

1. Preheat your oven at: 350 degrees.

2. Put a single layer of raw peanuts in shallow baking pan.

3. For unshelled peanuts (peanuts still inside their shells): Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

4. For shelled peanuts (peanuts with shell removed): Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Stir once or twice during cooking time.

6. Cook until slightly underdone.

7. Peanuts continue to cook when removed from oven.

8. Let cool 10 minutes before eating.

9. Store unshelled roasted peanuts in an airtight container up to one month on the shelf, 6 months in refrigerator or 12 months in freezer.

Tips:

1. Choose unshelled peanuts that have clean, unbroken, unblemished shells that do not rattle when shaken.

2. 1-1/2 pounds of unshelled peanuts equals about 1 pound shelled or 3-1/2 to 4 cups.

3. Store unshelled raw peanuts in an airtight container up to two month on the shelf, 6 months in refrigerator or 12 months in freezer.

What you Need:

* Raw Peanuts

* Oven

* Shallow Baking Pan

We hope that you all enjoyed your bake peanuts they are so good and a lot of fun baking for the whole family. Until tomorrow this is Ken & Marilou with Garden The Easy Way, wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Peanuts ( How To Grow )

2011-12-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to talk about Peanuts, as you all know they are so good eating and very high in nutrition and very good for you and your family. I can remember back over 55 years ago as a young boy how happy my little brother and I where when it was time to harvest our peanuts, that we helped to plant in our garden, we had to wait all summer, and into late fall before, our Dad said " OK it's time to get the peanuts", I will never forget that. Gardening is a hobby for a lot of people and fun for a lot of people too, but it's best when it is family doing it together, you and your family will have memories for the rest of your life, just like I do. There are lots of ways to prepare peanuts, and some things you may not know, they are so easy to grow. There are just a few important things you need to know about growing peanuts, and also we would like all of you to know that you don't need to buy seeds from a seed store because you can buy raw peanuts from your local grocer, if available.

1. Never plant until all the danger of frost is gone and all cold weather has passed, the ground should be warm or your plant will not come up.

2. Peanuts like sandy soil with lots of compost and manure. Mix it up well, and it is best when you are making row, make your rows in mound that will give 2-big benefits to your peanuts plants.

A. Good drainage, peanuts must not set in water, they must have good drainage.

B. Plant 1 to 2 inches deep, Space seeds 6 to 7 inches apart, in rows 3-feet apart. ( Mound your row is better. )

C.. The peanut pods or pegs will grow from a large stem which bends down and pushes into the soil. If the soil is too hard, add two inches of mulch and sand on top of the soil. By putting your rows in a mound you will have a lot better harvest.

3. Water often, sandy soil with manure dry out quickly, never let your soil dry completely out. Try to keep your soil moist, you can put down two inches of mulch that will help keep it moist and it will help to keep the weeds out.

4. Harvest peanuts after the first frost. Pull the entire plant out, and allow the peanut to dry. You can pull off the peanut shells, and roast them. Save some of the raw peanuts for seeds for next year peanuts.

We hope you all will plant peanuts too because it will be so enjoyable for you and the whole family. Wishing you all Good Gardening Always from Ken & Marilou.

Sweet Corn Peaches and Cream ( How To Grow )

2011-12-17T20:49:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today with us on Garden The Easy Way this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to talk about one of our favorite in the garden and I just bet it is one of your favorite too! Because it is so delicious.

Sweet Corn Peaches and Cream, yes it is so very delicious, and if you raise enough you can put some in the freezer and save it. After your crop is gone you will have your sweet corn in the freezer.

Sweet Corn Peaches and Cream is also very easy to raise, but just like most everything, there are some very important things to keep in mind when planting.

Things You Will Need:

A. Garden Rototiller
B. Garden Rake and Hoe
C. Garden Spade
D. Aged cow or horse manure
E. Balanced plant fertilizer such as 12-12-12 or 34-0-0-NPK

1. Plant your corn away from your garden because corn get so tall, it will shade your garden or you can plant your corn on the north side of your garden. Select a well-drained planting area that receives full sun all day. Corn thrives in high hot humid temperatures.

2. Turn the soil over to a depth of 7 to 8 inches using your garden spade or rototiller. Reducing compaction in the soil helps corn plants establish strong root systems.

3. Add 50 lbs. of aged cow or horse manure to the soil for every 90 to 100 square feet you wish to plant. Additionally, scatter 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. of balanced fertilizer such as 12-12-12 onto the soil for every 90 to 100 square feet of garden space.

4. Rototiller the manure and fertilizer into the soil. Operate the tiller long enough to brake up any heavy clods of soil and remove any rocks the tiller brings up.

5. Wait until all danger of frost has passed, and all cold weather. The soil needs to be 55 degrees Fahrenheit for the kernels to germinate. Colder temperatures cause the corn to rot.

6. Rake your garden level. Use the edge of the rake to make your rows plant deep 1 inch.

7. Plant your seeds about 10 inches apart in a row. Plant your rows 34 inches apart, you will be able to plant your rows evenly and quickly.

8. Cover the seeds with soil and gently firm it.

9. Water the planted area. This will help hold down any loose soil and help the germination process. Continue light watering whenever the soil seems to be drying out. Never let your soil dry completely out, corn must have water to produce.

10. Continue watering on a regular basis. Based upon the corn variety you have chosen, make a second light application of fertilizer between the rows, about halfway through the growing season. When daytime temperatures rise and the corn begins growing rapidly, provide the patch with at least 1 inch of water per week. This is particularly important after pollination, when the ears begin to fill with kernels.

11. Weed the patch as necessary, taking care not to damage the roots of the corn plants. Corn is shallow rooted.

12. Watch for indications of ripening. After the silk on the ears withers and turns dusky brown, your corn is ready for harvest around 83 days to reach maturity after planting.

Tips & Warnings:

* Corn is wind pollinated. To ensure maximum pollination, plant your corn in a square or rectangle as opposed to a long single row.

* Pick your corn in the morning when the temperature is cooler. Never pick more corn than you can consume in one day. If you intend to eat the corn with dinner, immerse the ears in a large container of cold water. This will prevent them from drying out until it is time to shuck them.

Well that's it for now, we hope to talk to you all soon here on Garden The Easy Way, until then Good Gardening Always from Ken & Marilou.

Spaghetti Squash Recipes 3 of 3 ( Recipe )

2011-12-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

               Welcome back with us today on Garden The Easy Way, this Ken and Marilou.

                Today we would like to talk about Spaghetti Squash it taste so good, and it is very healthy and good for you. You can cook and serve it in so many different ways, bake it, boil it, fry it. There are a lot of recipes for Spaghetti Squash, we will share another recipe of spaghetti squash with you all today, we think you will like it a lot.

   Spicy Roasted Tomato Marinara with Spaghetti Squash

   Prep Time:                      15 min          Level:   Intermediate
   Inactive Prep Time:     1 hr 0 min          Serves:   4 servings
   Cook Time:             1 hr 10 min

   Ingredients:

   1 cup Parmigiano-Herb Stock, recipe follows
   8 Roasted Peeled Tomatoes, recipe follows
   3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
   5 to 6 flat anchovy filets
   1 sweet onion, thinly sliced or chopped
   1 Fresno or Holland chile, sliced or chopped
   3 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
   A couple small sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano, finely chopped
   2 tablespoons tomato paste
   1/2 cup dry red or white wine
   A handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
   A few fresh basil leaves, torn
   2 medium spaghetti squash
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
   Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded, for serving

   Directions:
   Set aside or prepare the stock and roasted tomatoes.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the anchovies and stir until they melt into the oil. Add the sliced onions, chile, garlic, marjoram, and cover and cook to soften the onions, 10 to 15 minutes or until very sweet and soft. Add the tomato paste and stir 1 minute, then add the wine and stir a minute more. Stir in the prepared stock, prepared roasted tomatoes, parsley, and basil and simmer over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes more to combine flavors. Cool and store the sauce for a make-ahead meal.

On the night you serve this meal heat the oven to 450 degrees F and cover a baking sheet with foil. Split the squash in half and scoop out the seeds then season with salt and pepper and place cut-side down on baking sheet or sheets. Roast the squash 45 to 60 minutes, until very tender. Once the squash has been roasting 30 minutes, reheat the sauce over medium heat to a bubble then reduce the heat to low and keep it warm. Turn the roasted squash over and shred each half with a fork turning the flesh into what looks like a yellow boat filled with spaghetti, drizzle the hot squash with a little extra-virgin olive and adjust the seasoning, top with lots of marinara and garnish with shredded cheese. Serve each "boat" on a platter and eat the squash and sauce right from the skin of the squash.

    Parmigiano and Herb-Fortified Stock
1 large rind trimmed from a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or a few small pieces rind perhaps saved-up
Herb bundle of several sprigs each fresh thyme, parsley and rosemary, tied
1 onion, quartered
2 ribs celery, sliced on angle
2 carrots, sliced on angle
Peeled rind of 1 lemon
2 fresh bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
12 cups (3 quarts) water

For the stock:
Place the cheese rind, herb bundle, onion, celery, carrots, lemon rind, bay leaves, chicken stock, and water into a pot and bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer at least 1 hour, and then remove the rind, and vegetables with a slotted spoon or strainer.

Roasted Tomatoes:
24 ripe organic vine tomatoes or large plum tomatoes
Several cloves garlic, crushed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling

For the tomatoes:
Heat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet or baking sheets in a single layer. Scatter the garlic among the tomatoes, dress with extra-virgin olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes
until they burst and skins split and begin to char, about 30 minutes. Cool the tomatoes until cool enough to handle the peel. Place the tomatoes in a bowl.

         Well that is it for today, we hope you all like the recipe. There are 40 recipes on Spaghetti Squash at .foodnetwork.com. Marilou and I hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then Good Gardening Always Ken & Marilou.

Spaghetti Squash Recipes 2 of 3 ( Recipe )

2011-12-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome back here today with us Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to share with you all some delicious Spaghetti Squash Recipes. There are so many ways to prepare Spaghetti Squash. You can boil it, bake it, or fry it. We would like to start out with the most popular Spaghetti Squash Recipe for kids and a lot of adults. It is so quick and easy, but very delicious.

1. Boil entire fruit about 20 minutes, open and remove seeds. Fluff flesh out of shell with a fork for spaghetti-like appearance. Serve with spaghetti sauce or season to taste.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the squash in half (horizontally) and scrape the seeds. Place the squash, flesh side down, in a shallow roasting pan. Fill the pan with about 1 cup of water. Roast the squash for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the squashes are soft. Remove the squashes from the oven and cool. Using a fork, remove the flesh, the flesh will resemble curly noodles like spaghetti.

There are 40 recipes on Spaghetti Squash at www.foodnetwork.com.

Thank you all for being with us today on Garden The Easy Way, we hope you all enjoy the two recipes, we will be back tomorrow with two more delicious recipes on Spaghetti Squash. Until then Good Gardening Always Ken & Marilou.

Spaghetti Squash ( How To Grow )

2011-12-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

Good day to you all and welcome back here today with us, Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about another popular squash, the name is Spaghetti Squash it is a winter squash. It is a medium sized, oblong fruits, yellow in color. Spaghetti Squash is a very good eating squash, and the kids love it, it is probably the most popular Squash for kids.

We will add a recipe later, and some more good news, the winter spaghetti squash will last long in to the winter, well after your garden is gone. All you have to do is in the fall after the vine is starting to die and the outside of the squash has turned yellow, it's time to pick the spaghetti squash. When cutting the squash for storing for the winter, always cut the stem back from the squash about 2 inches, store in a cool dry place about 50 to 55 degrees, squash in cool area will keep fresh up to 6 months.

The winter Spaghetti Squash is easy to raise, but there are some things to keep in mind.

1. Do not plant too early, wait until all danger of frost has past and all the cold weather is gone. The ground has to be warm in order for the seeds to germinate.

2. It is very important to have good rich soil, you can add organic fertilizer, such as manure or compost, add to 3 to 4 inches of manure or compost, and work it up well in under the soil. Level your garden soil with a garden rake, and now you are ready to plant.

3. Always plant in full sun.

4. You can plant in rows or mounds, you can purchase the seed in the winter, and set out the plant in the early spring or you can just plant the seed in your garden soil in the spring. Plant directly outside in warm weather, transplant the seedlings or plant the seeds in groups of 2 to 3 in a sunny location. You can plant in mounds or rows 4 feet apart., plant in soil 1 to 1 1/2 inch under the soil.

5. Water well after planting, but be careful not to dig up your seed, water well but water on low pressure. Keep all the weeds out and keep the soil water often unless you get rain, just never let the soil dry completely out.

6. Days to Harvest: 100 days after planting, good eating!!!

Well I guess we will quit here for today, tomorrow we will share some winter spaghetti squash recipes with you all. Until then, thank you for being here with us on Garden The Easy Way, Good Gardening Always Ken & Marilou.

Blue Hubbard Squash ( How To Grow )

2011-12-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hello! we hope you all are having a good day and welcome back here with us Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about another winter squash, the name is Blue Hubbard Squash, it is a light color blue on the outside and yellow on the inside. It is a vine plant not a bush like plant so it does need a lot of room to grow.

Blue Hubbard Squash is so beautiful and it has a smooth creamy flesh that tastes so very good baked, but you also can fix them a lot of different ways, and there is a lot of recipe.

Blue Hubbard Squash is very easy to raise but there are some things you need to know.

1. Do not rush to plant too early in the spring, make sure you wait until all danger of frost has past and the ground is warmed up, or your squash may not come up.

2. You do need good rich soil, and some good organic fertilizer mix well, and some mulch. Make sure to add it all together and mix it up well 12 to 24 inches.

3. Always plant in full sun.

4. Level your garden soil, and make your rows. Bury the Blue Hubbard Squash seeds, 1-inch below the soil surface and 5 feet apart. If you are growing more than one row of Hubbard Squash, space them 7 to 10 feet apart.

5. Water well after you have planted, but be very careful not uncover your seeds. You need to keep the flow of water low, water often keep soil moist to a depth of 2 inches. Reduce watering once the seeds have germinated. The seeds will typically germinate within 7 to 10 days. Once they're sprouted, water once a day and use enough water to moisten the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

6. Fruit Size : 4 to 5 lbs.

7. Days to Harvest: 100 days

Well that's it for today we hope to talk to you all tomorrow here on Garden The Easy Way. Until then Good Gardening Always from Ken & Marilou.

Buttercup Squash ( How To Grow )

2011-12-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

                 Hello and welcome back here today with us on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

                 Today we would like to talk about Buttercup Squash, it is another good eating squash and it is harvested in the late summer. it is considered a winter squash because the squash is stored and eaten during the winter. Unlike summer squash that is harvested when the rind is tender and used immediately, Buttercup squash and other winter squash are harvested when the rind is hard. The Buttercup Squash is sweet tasting, deep green outer shell and thick, flavorful orange or deep yellow flesh. Buttercup Squash is planted in spring.

                 Buttercup Squash is easy to raise, but there some things you need to know.

                 1. Do not rush to plant buttercup squash, the plants will not grow in cold or damp soil. Always wait until danger of frost and all cold weather has past, and the ground has warmed up.

                 2. Always work up your soil well before planting. Add 3 to 4 inches of manure or compost, and work up your soil well, mixing it all through your soil.

                 3. Plant the buttercup squash in full sun only, never plant in a shaded area. ( They must have full sun ).

                 4. You can plant in rows or hills, in rows use a garden hoe to make rows 6 to 10 feet apart, then plant the seed in the row 2 to 4 seeds, allowing 3 to 4 feet between each cluster of seeds. If you wish to plant in hills, use your hoe or rake to make shallow hill 4 to 5 feet apart, then plant 4 to 5 seeds evenly spaced in each hill. Planting depth 1"-inch under the soil. When the seedlings have two sets of leaves, thin the buttercup squash plants to one plant per cluster in rows, or 2 to 3 plants per hill.

                 5. Water the buttercup squash after planting, and keep the soil moist for 3 weeks. Never let your soil dry completely out, if you get rain that will help, but if there is no rain and the summer is hot and dry, you may have to water every 3 to 4 days, let your soil dry out a little before watering again. Feed buttercup squash about three weeks after blooms appear. Apply a general-purpose fertilizer around the plants, then hoe the fertilizer into the soil. Water immediately after feeding to prevent the fertilizer from burning the roots. Hoe the squash patch frequently to keep weeds out. You can also layer with mulch to help keep the weeds out and it will help save on water by keeping the soil moist.

                6. Fruit Size: 3 to 5 pounds.

                7. Harvest: 75 to 110 days or more.

Well that's it for today we hope we been some help today and we hope to talk here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.

Acorn Squash ( How To Grow )

2011-12-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

                     Thank you all for joining us here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

                     Today we would like to talk about Acorn Squash, it is a winter squash and it is a fall favorite of many dinner tables across the country, and like most winter squash Acorn Squash stores well, it will keep for months if stored away in a cool, dry and dark place. And you should have Acorn Squash most of the winter.

                     There are winter and summer varieties. Winter Squash produce fruit with thick skins. They can be stored for a long period, well into the winter months, if properly stored. The skin of winter Squash is not eaten.

                     Acorn Squash is so easy to raise but there are some important things you need to know.

1. Choose a spot just for your Acorn Squash, do not put them in your garden, Acorn Squash need a lot of room, they have long vines and large heavy fruit, and they will take over your garden. Plant in full sun.

2. Plant only after all danger of frost has past and the soil has warmed up, you will need warm soil to germinate.

                     3. Acorn Squash thrive in rich well drained soil. If your soil needs a little help, just add some garden soil mix or lot of compost and some mulch, that will feed your garden and help keep the weeds out.

                     4. Hills is best for drainage, hills should be spaced about three feet apart. Plant 5 to 6 seeds in each hill, after planting water well, Acorn Squash love water, never let the soil dry completely out. After seedling sprout and they are about 2" inches, thin out leave no more than 3 plants per hill.

                     5. Days to Harvest: 70 to 90 days.

Well I guess that's it for today, we hope we been some help. We hope to be back here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way, until then Good Gardening Always from Ken & Marilou.

Straightneck Summer Squash ( How To Grow )

2011-12-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

                    Welcome back here today with us, this is Ken and Marilou with you on Garden The Easy Way.

                    Today we would like to talk about another good eating squash, the name of it is Straightneck Summer Squash, there are so many different ways of preparing the Straightneck Summer Squash for the dinner table, and hundreds of recipe. Summer squash produces thin skinned fruit, and does not store well. Summer squash is usually eaten without peeling the skin.

                    You will have a lot of people tell you, enjoy it while you can because after the summer is gone you will not have anymore until next summer, that does not have to be the case, you can freeze the squash or it can be canned. It is a little work but if you have the time it be worth it.

                    The Straightneck Summer Squash are so very easy to raise, but there are few things you need to know when planting.

                    1. Good garden soil will help you raise a lot of beautiful Straightneck Summer Squash. If your soil does not look dark in color it may need some help, just add some compost or mulch that will feed your garden and it will help keep the weeds out.

                   2. Plant in Full Sun: 6 to 8 hours is best.

                   3. Planting Depth: 1" inch under the soil, well tilled the soil after all danger of frost and cold weather has past and the soil has warmed up.

                   4. Row Spacing: you can plant in rows or hills, keep in mind if you plant in rows the summer squash grows on bush type plants that do not spread like the plants of fall and winter squash and pumpkin.You can plant in hills, make a raised hill put 4 to 5 seeds. in each hill, 1" inch under the soil. When the plants are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin to one vigorous plant or no more than two or three plants per hill.

                  5. Water well after planting, always remember squash love a lot of water, and they need a lot during growing season. Never let your soil dry completely out., if you don't get any rain, you might have to water everyday or two depending how hot and dry it is. You can always check your soil before watering, just stick your finger 2" inches under the soil, if you feel moisture you should be fine for 1 or 2 days. Very important never let your soil dry out, it will hurt your plant or kill it, squash got to have their water.

                 6. Days to Harvest: 45 to 50 days after planting, Straightneck Summer Squash grow so fast and they are so good eating.

Well that's it for today, we hope that we have been some help here today on Garden The Easy Way. Until tomorrow this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Good Gardening Always.

Crookneck Summer Squash ( How To Grow )

2011-12-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

                   Good day to you all and welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way with Ken and Marilou.

                   Today we would like to talk about Crookneck Summer Squash, but first for those out there that do not know there is Summer Squashes and Winter Squashes. Summer squash produces thin skinned fruit, and does not store well. Summer squash is usually eaten without peeling the skin. Winter squash produce fruit with thick skins. They can be stored for long periods, well into the winter months, if properly stored. The skin of winter squash is not eaten.

                   Here is a list of Summer Squashes:

                  1. Zucchini
                  2. Crookneck Summer Squash
                  3. Straightneck Summer Squash

                  Here is a list of Winter Squashes:

                 1. Acorn Squash
                 2. Butternut Squash
                 3. Buttercup Squash
                 4. Bluehubbard Squash
                 5. Goldenhubbard Squash
                 6. Cushaw Squash

                 So many different kinds of Squash and they are so good eating, and very healthy for us all. And some more good news, they are so easy to raise.

                 Crookneck Summer Squash are so delicious and lots of different ways to cook them. There are some things to keep in mind when you plant the Crookneck Summer Squash.

                 1. Good garden soil is a must, if you want good healthy plants with lots of Squash, if your soil does not look good in color you may need to add some compost and mulch is dark in color and very good for your garden, and it will help keep the weeds out of your garden. After adding mix it up good in your garden with a garden tiller or your shovel, level your garden soil with your garden rake, now you are ready to plant.

                2. Plant in Full Sun: 6 to 8 hours is best.

                3. Planting Depth: 1" inch under the soil, with tilled soil after all danger of frost and cold weather has past and the soil has warmed up.

                4. Row Spacing: you can plant in rows or plant in hills,in rows sow two or three seeds 24 to 36 inches apart for single plant production. Keep in mind if you do plant in rows the Crookneck Summer Squash grows on bush type plants that do not spread like the plants of fall and winter squash and pumpkin. You can plant in hills, make a raised hill put 4 to 8 seeds per hill 48 inches apart. When the plants are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin one vigorous plant or more than two or three plants per hill.

               5. Always water well after planting, squash love water and they need a lot of it. In the hot summer days you may have to water everyday or two, depending weather you get any rain or how hot and dry it is. To check your soil for moisture, all you have to do is stick one of your fingers under the soil. ( Never let your soil dry completely out, you could kill you plant ).

               6. Days to Harvest: 45 to 55 days after planting Crookneck Summer Squash, grow very fast and they are so good!!!

Well we hope to be back here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way, until then this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Good Gardening Always.

Zucchini Squash ( How To Grow )

2011-12-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

                  Hello and welcome back with us here on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

                  Today we would like to talk about Zucchini Squash, it is one of America's favorite squash and there is hundreds of recipes of way to fix Zucchini. Zucchini Squash is a summer squash and it produces thin skinned fruit, and does not store well. All summer squash is usually eaten without peeling the skin. Pick Zucchini when they are young ( four to six inches ) and tender. Do not wait until the fruit is a lot bigger, it is still good to eat, but it will be a lot tougher and the skin will need to be peeled. Some people like to see how big they can grow, that is OK but keep in mind when you let them grow into giant Zucchini you are taking away from your plant, you should pick it and throw it away, so you will have a lot more squash, remember they are tender and best to eat at 4 to 6 inches.

                  Zucchini is a summer squash, and they are so easy to raise but there some things you need to know about raising Zucchini Squash.

                  1. Good garden soil is always important, if your soil looks like it need some help you can add some garden soil mix, or compost and mulch adding a layer we feed your squash and help keep the weeds out.

                  2. Plant in full sun: 6 to 8 hours is the best.

                  3. Planting Depth: Seeds 1" inch under the soil, with well-tilled soil after all danger of frost and cold weather has past and the soil has warmed up.

                  4. Row spacing : In rows plant your seeds about 24 to 36 inches apart for single plant production, or four or five in hills 48 inches apart. When the plants are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin to one vigorous plant or no more than two or three plants per hill. Just keep in mind that Zucchini Squash plants get big, so give your self plenty of room to harvest.

                 5. Water well after planting and never let your soil dry out, Zucchini like a lot of water, in the hot summer days you may have to water everyday or two. You can check your soil by sticking your finger 2 inches under the soil, if you feel moisture you are OK for the day.

                 6. Zucchini Squash has soft edible skin, it is best when they are only 4 to 6 inches they are so tender.

                 7. Days to Harvest: 45 to 55 days after planting, they grow so very fast.

                 Well we will quit for today, hope to talk here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way until then Good Gardening Always Ken & Marilou.

Butternut Squash ( How To Grow )

2011-12-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

                  Welcome back here today on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

                   Today we would like to talk about Squash, we are blessed with so many different kind of Squash, and they taste so good and very healthy for you.

                   Today we would like to talk about Butternut Squash, it is a winter squash produce fruit with thick skins. They can be stored for long periods, well into the winter months, if properly stored. Harvest fruits when skin is hard, and it is best to leave a 3-inch stem attached to the fruit for best storage. The skin of winter squash is not eaten. Butternut Squash is so many people favorite squash, it is so delicious you can prepare it in so many different ways, bake it or fry it just to name a few ways, you will love it. And there is hundreds of butternut squash recipe. Squash is so easy to raise, it is eager to grow. We will share with you all how we plant Butternut Squash, and some things you will need to know.

                   1. Garden Soil is so important, the better your soil is the bigger plants you will have, and the bigger plants you have the more Butternut Squash you will have. If your garden soil need a little help, just add some compost or mulch, and it will help keep the weeds out, and feed your garden at the same time.

                   2. Plant in a sunny location: 6 to 8 hours of full sun is best,with well-tilled soil after all danger of frost is past and the soil is warm.

                   3.   Rows and Hills seed Spacing: Seed Spacing 4"inches apart, Row Spacing 6 to 8 feet apart.

                   4.  Depth to Sow: 1"inch under the soil.

                   5. Water well after planting, all squash love lots of water, never let your soil go completely dry in hot dry weather, you might have to water every day or two, all you have to do is to see if your Squash need water. Stick one of your fingers under the soil, about 2 inches and you can tell if your Squash need more water or not.

                   6. Butternut Squash produces large yields with a rich flavor vigorous vines produce fruits that average 5 pounds. An excellent storage variety.

                   7. Days to Harvest: 75 to 85 days.

                   Well I guess that is it for today, from Garden The Easy Way, until tomorrow this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Good Gardening Always.

Okra ( How To Grow )

2011-12-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

                      Hello! and welcome back here today, on Garden The Easy Way with Ken and Marilou.

                      Today we would like to talk about OKRA, so many people love their OKRA, and there are different ways to prefer it for the dinner table. The most popular way is Fried Okra and it is so delicious, but you can boiled by itself, and also you can add okra to stir fry. Okra Plant are very easy to grow but there are few things we will share with you.

                     1. Lot of different seed company out there that sell Okra Plant Seed, but the one we use and recommend is (Ferry-Morse) has been here since 1856.

                     2. Garden Soil is very important. If your garden soil is dark and rich in color, you should be fine, but if your garden need a little help just add garden soil mix in it and it will be fine. Always mix it up well when adding it to your garden, we use and recommend Miracle-Gro Garden Soil Mix, it works great.

                     3. Plant in full sun: Sow 2 seeds every 18 inches, after all danger of frost and ground is warm.

                     4. Planting depth: 3/4 inch under the soil.

                     5. Spacing: Row plant 3 ft./18 in.

                     6. Water well after planting, never let soil dry completely out. Water every 1 or 2 days depending of how hot and dry the weather is. ( just push your finger under the soil, if you feel moisture, your plant is OK.)

                     7. Vegetable size: Best at 3 to 4 inches.

                     8. Days to Harvest: 58 days

                     9. Suggestions: Pick pods when they become 3 to 4 inches long. If they are allowed to become mature, plants will stop producing.

                     Well that is it for today, we hope we have been helpful. Hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then Good Gardening Always Ken & Marilou.

Tomato Big Beef Hybrid ( How To Grow )

2011-12-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

                      Welcome back with us here today on Garden The Easy this is Ken & Marilou

                      Today we would like to talk about one of America's favorite tomato, the name is Big Beef Hybrid Tomato. The Big Beef Hybrid Tomato is so delicious and does not have as many seed as a lot of other tomato do, and is not overly juicy and it is beefy on the inside. The Big Beef Hybrid Tomato is great for slicing. Making it the perfect tomato for hamburger and sandwiches, but you can eat them in many different ways, such as soups, tomato sauce, stir fry, pot roast, salads, put them in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer for cooking.

                      The Big Beef Hybrid Tomato Plant is easy to grow but there are some things to keep in mind when planting.

                      1. Always plant a good looking healthy plant, they are a lot out there to choose from. We recommend to plant (Bonnie) Bonnie Plant and Seed Company has been here since 1918 and they have a good name. But there a lot of seed company out there that has been around for a very long time and they are just as good as ( Bonnie ) we just use the Bonnie Seeds and there Plants because, where we shop they carry the Bonnie brand.

                      2. Your garden soil is very important, you must have good soil, if your soil does not look rich or if you have a lot of rocks or red clay, you must add some compost and aged manure, most of your local farmers will give you all you need free, it works great. Make sure that you mix it up well in your garden, 8 to 9 inches is best. Pick out most of the rocks out of your garden.

                     3. Plant in full sun 6 to 8 hours.

                     4. Always plant deep 2/3 of plant under the soil.

                     5. Spacing if planting in rows 24 to 36 inches apart.

                     6. Always water extra well after planting, never let your garden soil dry completely out. After tomatoes come on your plant you might have to water everyday or 2, depending on how hot and dry the weather is. When your plants have a lot of tomatoes on them, you will need to water more. Tomato plants must have their water to produce tomatoes.

                    7. To help keep the moisture in add mulch about 2 or 3 inches will do it, and also it will help to keep the weeds out.

                   8. Fruit size: Large ( 12 to 16oz ).

                   9. Maturity: 73 days after planting.

( Lots of Delicious Tomatoes, Good Eating !!! )

Well we will quit here for today and hope to talk here again tomorrow from Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Good Gardening Always.

Tomato ROMA Classic Paste ( How To Grow )

2011-12-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

                   Hello this is Ken and Marilou and we would like to welcome you all back with us here today on Garden The Easy Way. Today we would like to talk about a small tomato that has very good sweet taste and it is so easy to grow.

                   The tomato plant we would like to talk about today is ROMA Classic Paste Tomato Plant, it is a small plant only gets about 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall, but it has lots of beautiful small tomatoes. When planting the Roma Classic Paste Tomato Plant there some very important things to keep in mind.

                  1. We recommend to plant (Bonnie) plants if you can. Bonnie Plant and Seed Co. has been here since 1918. But there is a lot of good seed company out there just as good as Bonnie, we use the Bonnie brand because they are available were we shop.

                  2. Always work up your soil well before planting and if your soil does not look dark and rich, you may always add some compost and very important add some aged manure, add about 3 inches of compost and about 3 inches of aged manure, and mix up well go down it the soil about 8 to 9 inches is always best. Here is a money saving tip, you can get the manure from your local farmer probably for free, most farmers are happy to get rid of the manure.The farmer near us will use his tractor and load it for us, about 3-scoop with his tractor and we have a pick-up load, of the best all natural organic fertilizer money can buy and it is all ( Free ). Ask your nearby farmer. Make sure to get aged manure.

                  3. Plant in full sun 6 to 8 hours.

                  4. Always plant deep 2/3 of plant under the soil.

                  5. Spacing if planting more than 1-plant space 24 inches apart.

                  6. Always water extra well after planting, never let the soil dry completely out, after tomatoes come on your plants you may have to water everyday or two, depending on if you get any rain or how hot and dry the weather is. You can always check the soil, and this is something so simple but very important to remember, just stick your finger 2 to 3 inches under the soil, and if you feel moisture you are ok for that day.

                 7. Help to keep your soil from drying out you can add, 2-3 inches of mulch, also the mulch will help to keep the weeds out of your garden, mulch is very important to your garden.

                 8. Fruit size: Small (2oz).

                 9. Maturity: 73 to 80 days after planting.

That's it for today, we hope to be back here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then Good Gardening Always from Ken & Marilou.

Tomato Park's Whopper Hybrid ( How To Grow )

2011-12-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

                  Good day to you all, and welcome back with us, Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.

Today we would like to talk about another good eating tomato, the name of the tomato is Park's Whopper Hybrid Tomato. It is a big red tomato and beefy inside and not a lot of seed like a lot of other tomatoes. They are great for slicing for sandwich or hamburgers or slice them up and put them on the dinner table. If you plant the Park's Whopper Hybrid Tomato, you will be glad you did.

                  There are some things to keep in mind when planting Parks Hybrid Tomato Plants.

                  1. We recommend to plant (Bonnie) Park's Whopper Hybrid Tomato Plants. Bonnie has been around along time since 1918. There is a lot of seed and plant companies out there that are just as good as the Bonnie brand, we just use Bonnie brand, because they have very good seeds and plants, and they are available where we shop.

                  2. Work up your your garden soil well, and if it does not look dark and rich, we recommend to add some compost and aged manure, add about 3 inches of compost and about 3 inches of aged manure mix well, down to about 8 to 9 inches under the soil, is the best. Here is a Good money saving tip. If you go to your local farmer he will probably give you all the aged manure you will need for ( Free ). The farmer is happy to get rid of it, just make sure you ask the farmer for the aged manure. You will have the best all natural organic fertilizer money can buy for ( Free ).

                 3. Plant in full sun 6 to 8 hours.

                 4. Always plant deep 2/3 of the plant under the soil.

                 5. Spacing if planting in rows 24 to 36 inches apart.

                 6. Always water extra well after planting, water often, never let your soil go completely dry. After your plant has a lot of tomatoes on it you may have to water everyday or two depending if you get any rain or not, and how hot and dry it is. The best way to tell if you need to water or not is so quick and simple, all you have to do is stick your finger in under the soil about 3 inches and if you can feel moisture your plant will be OK for that day.

                 7. You can add mulch to help hold the moisture in, and it will also help to keep out the weeds. We recommend to add 3 inches of mulch for best results. If you check our blog you will see we had 8 tomato plants over 8 feet tall.

                8. Fruit size: Large (14oz).

                9. Maturity: 65 days after planting.

That is it for today we hope to talk here again tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way. Until then, Good Gardening Always Ken & Marilou.

Tomato Cherry Husky Hybrid ( How To Grow )

2011-12-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

                     Hello! We would like to thank you all for being back here today with us on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

Today we would like to talk about Cherry Tomato Plants. As most of you know there are so many different kinds of Cherry Tomato Plants to choose from. But we would like to share with you all, the one we like the best.

                     Our pick is (Bonnie) Husky Cherry Red Hybrid Tomato Plant, the plant is full of Big Red cherry Tomatoes and they taste so good. And you can use them in so many different ways such as salads, stir fry, pizza, soups, pot roast or just wash them and chill them in the refrigerator, and set them out on the dinner table. You can also put them in freezer and save them to cook with at a later date. There are so many ways to use the Husky Cherry Tomatoes and they are so delicious.

                     When you plant there are some things to keep in mind.

                     1. We plant (Bonnie) seed and plant company has been here since 1918, and they have a good name, but there is a lot of other seed and plant company out there that are just as good we feel, but the Bonnie brand is available where we shop.

                     2. Make sure your soil is good and rich, and if your soil need help, we recommend to add compost and aged manure, about 3 inches of compost and about 3 inches of aged manure is the best. Always mix well when adding, and mix it down in to the soil about 8 to 9 inches deep. Here is another good tip, you can probably get your aged manure ( Free ) from your local farmer, most of the time they are happy to load it in the back of your pick-up truck with there tractor, because they are glad to get rid of it, and you now have the best organic natural fertilizer there is for ( Free ).

                     3. Plant in full sun 6 to 8 hours.

                     4. Always plant deep 2/3 of plant under soil.

                     5. If planting in rows 24 to 36 inches apart.

                     6. Water extra well after planting, water often, never let your soil dry out completely.

                     7. Add mulch to help hold in the moisture and by adding the mulch it will help to keep the weeds out of your garden. ( Add 3 inches of mulch is best )

                     8. Fruit size: (1) inch

                     9. Maturity: 65 days after planting.

Well I guess that is it for today, we hope that we have been some help here today on Garden The Easy Way. Until tomorrow Good Gardening from Ken & Marilou.

Pepper Mammoth Jalapeno Giant ( How To Grow )

2011-12-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

                       Good day to you all and welcome back here today with Ken and Marilou on Garden The Easy Way.
                       Today we would like to talk about hot peppers, there are so many different kinds and brands out there to choose from, it can be a difficult trying to pick out one kind of good hot pepper and the brand.

                       We hope to make it a little easier here for you today, I have planted a lot of different kinds of hot peppers and different brands over the years, and the one I like the best is Mammoth Jalapeno Giant Pepper. The Mammoth Jalapeno is a good looking plant and has a lot of big dark green peppers, the peppers are beautiful peppers and very hot, if you like hot peppers, try this one. The brand we use is (Bonnie) they have been here since 1918. But just like any other plant there are some things you need to keep in mind when you are planting.

                       1. We recommend to plant (Bonnie) if you can.

                       2. Make sure you have good rich soil, if your soil does not dark and rich, you can add some compost and some aged manure,add about 3 inches of compost and 3-inches of aged manure, mix well in the soil about 8 to 9 inches. Here is a money saving tip, if you go to your local farmer he will probably give you all you will need for ( Free ). Most farmers are very nice people and they are always willing to help other people, and the farmer is glad to get rid of the manure. The farmer near where we like will get his tractor out and he will load it for us,the farmer will put 3 scoops of aged manure in the back of our pick-up, and we will have a big load of the all natural organic fertilizer that money could buy for ( Free ), Go see your local farmer, don't forget to ask for aged manure.

                       3. Plant in full sun 6 to 8 hours a day.

                       4. Plant deep 1/2 of the plant under soil.

                       5. If planting in rows 18 inches apart.

                       6. Water well often, never let your soil dry out. Extra water when peppers are on plant.

                       7. Fruit size: 1 inch x 4.5 inch

                       8. Maturity: 72 to 75 days after planting.

Well, we will get out of here for today, hope to talk back here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way until then Good Gardening from Ken & Marilou.

Pepper Sweet Banana ( How To Grow )

2011-11-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

                       Hello! Welcome back with us here on Garden The Easy Way, this is Ken and Marilou.

                       Today we would like to talk about All America Selections Winner Sweet Banana Hybrid Pepper, it is a good looking pepper, it is light yellow in color and shape like a banana, and can grow up to 6 inches long. Sweet Banana Hybrid Pepper has a sweet and juicy taste. Great for the dinner table, lots of ways to prepare them, wash and chil in the refrigerator and set out for dinner table, good in any meal, or salad, stir fry, soups, pot roast, to name a few.

                      There are a lot of seed and plant company out there but the one we use the most is (Bonnie) they have been in the plant and seed business since 1918.

                      The Bonnie Sweet Banana Hybrid Pepper is easy to raise, but there are something that are very important things you need to remember.

                      1. We recommend to plant (Bonnie) if you can.

                      2. Make sure you have good rich soil in your garden, if your soil does not look dark and rich add some compost and some aged manure, just add 3 inches of compost and 3 inches of aged manure, mix it all up well togather, down under the soil about 7 to 8 inches is best. Good money saving tip, if you go to your local farmer he will probably give you all the aged manure you want for ( Free ) most of the farmers are happy to get rid of the manure, and you will have the best natural organic fertilizer that money can buy for ( Free ).

                      3. Plant in full sun 6 to 8 hours.

                      4. Plant deep 1/2 of the plant under the soil.

                      5. If planting in row space 18 inches apart.

                      6. Water well often, never let the soil dry out. Extra water when plant has peppers on it.

                      7. Fruit size: 6 inches x 1.5 inches.

                      8. Maturity: 75 days after planting.

                      If you plant the Sweet Banana Hybrid Pepper, you will be glad you did.

                      Well that is it for today, we hope to be back here tomorrow on Garden The Easy Way, we hope you all can join us, until then Good Gardening from Ken & Marilou.