With more than 6 inches of rain over the last month, the garden is having a hard time getting started! We finally have a few days with some warm sunshine, so I expect everything will go crazy. Here are a few pictures to show you how things are doing today!
The dogwood trees in the front yard are finally in bloom and the blossoms are turning from an off yellow/white to a brighter white.
On the patio, I’ve pulled the first batch of radishes and replanted with new seed.
The lettuces…Little Gem and Black Seeded Simpson…are ready to be thinned (and eaten!). Yum!
Bert has been thinning the onions and eating them! Here’s how big they are now:
The cherry tomato plants are doing well, with blossoms showing their color!
Up in the garden on the hill, the established plants like lavender and echinacea are doing well.
However, the seeds for carrots, beans and zucchini are barely coming up…just too much rain. I’ve had to add some bean seeds to the rows because the birds were picking them out of the ground as they tried to sprout.
So far, one tiny zucchini plant has made it out of the ground! Somehow, the weeds are doing very well!
One final group of seeds/plants I had not included before…Bert started pumpkin seeds a month or two ago and decided to plant them right beside the wood pile…no fence at all. I hope they get big quick so the rabbits don’t see it as their own salad bar!
Hopefully, with the sun finally coming out, the garden will do well. Enjoy!
If you have comments or questions, please email me directly at maryjkisner@gmail.com.
My adventure into making scones has persisted for several weeks. I had never eaten or baked a scone before April, 2025. I had read about them in many novels set in Ireland and Scotland. Many folks seemed to love them. However, with all the baking from scratch I’ve done, I had never even tried to make scones! Pretty embarrassing!
With the need to provide some products for the Ladies Auxiliary to the Fire Company bake sales, and various ads from the King Arthur Baking Company, I decided it was time to give it a try. I was sure the scone mixes would make the whole process fool proof! Haha!
I ordered 5 different flavors of scone mixes. The mixes just needed an egg, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 tsp. of salt and a stick of butter. That was the easy part. Then came mixing up a VERY stiff, sticky batter. My hand muscle strength is not very good, so I’m sure the batter did not get mixed well enough. Then I had to struggle to pack the sticky batter into the ceramic scone pan.
When I baked them, the scones raised up and made a solid mass above the dividers of the pan. I ended up having to add minutes to the baking time…up to 30 minutes…and the bottom of the scones still wasn’t done! Gee…maybe something was wonky with my oven!
(Bert got an oven thermometer and is working on “calibrating” the oven temperature today. We’ve had this oven for 20 years and never knew we could do that!)
By adding time, I was able to get the scones cooked enough to get them ready for the bake sale! It didn’t seem to matter…people loved them and we sold out two days in a row at the Yard Sale (about 70 individual scones) and again at the Memorial Day bake sale (another 70 scones). Holy cow! I think we’ve got a hit…but now that the sales are over until September, I need to figure out a better way to make them!
I had an extra Cherry Almond mix (my favorite) so today I assembled the ingredients.
The jar of “sparkling sugar” from King Arthur gave the tops a nice sparkle.
First, I cut up the butter and worked it into small pieces before adding the egg/milk mixture.
Then, I added the egg/milk mixture. Since the mixing process is tough with my hand strength (or lack thereof) I decided to mix the batter up in my stand mixer. I ended up adding a little more milk than it called for just to get it to mix.
The dough was still VERY sticky, but I dumped it out onto the floured table and gave it a few quick kneads.
Then I patted it into a thick circle…about 3/4″ thick.
I used a pizza cutter to cut the circle into 8 pieces and put them on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled them with the tiny bit of sparkling sugar I had left.
Note to self: Next time use two cookie sheets to give them room to spread out.
I still had to add a few minutes, but I could get them off the pan without breaking apart…much better compared to the ceramic pan.
They tasted delicious, but now that Bert has the oven calibrated, I hope it’s a little more consistent with time. I’ve also ordered silicone scone pans to try. Maybe when I get the baking part figured out, I’ll try making them from scratch! Stay tuned!
Over the last 5 months I’ve had the opportunity to consider my health in depth. I’m 78 this year and this was the year I thought I was certainly old enough maybe I didn’t need to do mammograms anymore. I’ve never had a negative screening, so of course I wouldn’t live long enough for anything to be a problem! Haha! Never say never! Of course, my yearly check up was my wake up call.
January and February was spent with multiple mammograms to study a suspicious spot on the Xrays. In March, I had a “lumpectomy.” Surgery was successful and recovery was not too bad (just don’t ask Bert about all my complaints!). In April, I started on an estrogen-blocking pill (that will continue for the next 5 years). No side effects from the pill so far. Now in May, I just completed 7 radiation treatments. I guess I’m good to go on living! The details of all this are not necessary for me to describe, but I thought some of you might like to know what’s been happening over the last 5 months. No one really needs to know all the nitty-gritty…just know that the little round stickers they use to protect all those permanent ink marks they made on my body to line up for radiation were the most painful part of the radiation treatment! Must be the old, thin skin in a sensitive area that was the problem! Now that they have been removed, I can start healing!
Much of the last 5 months has been “hurry up and wait.” While I was waiting, I tried to stay busy and if you’ve been following along you’ve seen my activities with various projects. Making/baking things has filled my time around all the appointments. Many of you have blessed me with flowers, cards and sweet calls. Thank you so much! Just as radiation treatments started, I got a mystery box in the mail from my niece…my very own Emotional Support Sunflower! Really made me laugh!
Along the way I had flower surprises from many friends…even a pop-up card of flowers that looked almost like the real thing! My thanks go out to all of you that were thinking of me. I discovered a lot of my friends have gone through similar health issues, so if you are a woman…or have a mother, wife, sisters or daughters in your life, I encourage all of them to continue routine screening for health issues!
Here are some of the lovely flowers I’ve enjoyed these last few months. Thanks to all!
The garden is all planted. Yay! I’ll try to show you the pictures in the same general order each time so you can compare from one post to the next.
First, the planters on the patio are arranged like this:
Radishes:
Two kinds of lettuce:
…and the onions:
You can see the fenced garden beds just off the patio and garden on the hill from here. Here’s a close-up of the garden on the hill:
OK…back to the fenced beds just off the patio. The asparagus crowns we transplanted in the far bed are growing…we won’t cut them until next year, but it will probably do best in another year.
In the front bed, we planted our small tomatoes, called Raindrops. If they are as prolific as our cherry tomatoes last year, the neighbors may find bags of tomatoes on their front porches! We’re leaving the right bay of this bed empty for now. We might plant some flowers just for color!
The garden up on the hill looks good so far. My job this morning was to plant the last three sections with carrots, beans and zucchini.
The lavender is turning green. The rainwater tank is almost full and the rain barrels will top it off this weekend.
Bert planted the tomatoes yesterday! Proof…Bert does most of the heavy lifting in the garden.
The 6 plants on the right are the SuperSauce tomatoes from Burpee. The 6 plants on the left are called “Bodacious” and they are big and meaty!
The next section is planted with carrots. We have found the YaYa variety does well for us. Nothing to see yet!
The next section has green and yellow beans…yellow on the right.
And in the last section, 4 hills of zucchini. I know, we must be nuts to plant so much but last year we put a few plants in the beds where the asparagus is now. They just didn’t do well…and I spent all that energy last year anticipating a bumper crop so I was ready with many recipes to try. This year I’m really ready!
And, finally, my beloved Echinacea bed! I hope the bees are happy this year! I can hardly wait for the color!
So, that’s our garden this year. Each year we modify the choices of seeds, depending on how well it worked out the year before. Some things that we use only a little, like garlic…we buy from the local farmer’s markets. Other produce that I need a whole lot all at one time…I buy from the local Amish market because they usually have a lot at one time…like cucumbers when I make relish.
For the first time I tried to take a selfie up in the garden. My phone case with a cover makes it hard to handle with one hand. However, here’s proof that I actually planted some seeds in the garden today, although I’ll credit Bert with doing all the heavy lifting! Enjoy!
It seems awfully early in the spring to be talking about planting the garden. We’ve had hard frosts and even snow in May so we’re careful to protect the tender plants for a few more weeks. However, the grass is very green and Bert has had to cut it twice already! After the forsythia blooms, the next color I notice is the blooms on the Redbud trees. They are such a pretty pink but they don’t last long…just trying to get a decent picture is hard. But they do make me smile!
Here’s a close up of the flowers:
The Japanese Dogwood trees in the front yard are budding out. I’m looking forward to when this whole row of trees is in bloom!
Of course, the huge batch of onions in planters by the patio are doing well. They look crowded, but we’ll eat them as we thin them.
We saw our first hummingbird so we quickly bought our favorite begonia plants. The red flowers match the feeders and help attract the birds.
Kathy and Ben came to visit last weekend and brought us a bunch of asparagus roots from their property. The roots had spears that looked ready to eat…but we’ll leave them alone this year and give the roots time to get established. Since they are pretty vigorous roots, we may be able to get a meal or two out of them next year.
Bert set up the rain barrels last week and they are now full! It takes about 1/4″ of rain on the roof of the shop to fill the barrels. See the set up at https://marykisner.com/setting-up-the-rain-barrels/
Here is the big barrel up by the garden. If we plan it right, we can use rainwater all summer to water the garden. You can read about how Bert pumps the water from the rain barrels up to the large tank at https://marykisner.com/pumping-the-rain-barrels/
Our tomato plants are doing well under grow lights in the shop. Each day that isn’t too windy Bert sets the plants outside to harden them up. If it’s hot and sunny, he puts them in the shade by the shop so they don’t get sunburned.
Amazingly, Bert has been babying a tiny oak tree that sprouted from an acorn from the tree in our yard. That tree was also sprouted from an acorn that came from the Kisner hunting camp, so he’s pretty protective of the plant!
Up in the garden, I finally see the new growth in the row of lavender plants. I should have a nice crop of lavender to dry this year.
Here’s a close up of the new growth:
And of course, the Echinacea bed is going to town with new growth. The flowers really make me smile and make the bees happy!
So, that’s what’s happening on the first of May, 2025. Next week I hope to plant lettuce and radishes in the raised planters on the patio. In the meantime, we’ll be careful to protect the tomato plants…in the past, due to a late freeze in May, we’ve had to totally replace all the tomato plants because we planted too early. Live and learn! Mother Nature has an agenda of her own!
I should know better! When a recipe says, “20-minute Homemade Bread” I should be careful. It’s never 20 minutes! That’s the bake time. And of course, the picture looks nothing like what I produced. I’m always looking for new easy bread recipes…however, the lovely picture of a loaf of bread and the 20-minute headline seemed too good to be true.
Here’s the recipe that I found on Facebook:
I was able to mix it up by hand and made a round loaf like it suggested. It tasted OK but because it did not have yeast, it really was just a huge baking powder biscuit! It fell apart like a biscuit and did not rise very much.
I think the rest of the loaf will be crumbled and dispersed for the birds! I don’t plan to make that bread again!
I still wanted to make a single loaf of bread. So today I pulled out my recipe for English Muffin Toasting Bread. I wrote about it in November, 2023. It is not a complicated recipe and does not require kneading. It’s more of a batter bread with yeast. If you compare bake time…this bread takes 22-27 minutes. It tastes so much better!
Here is the recipe:
The instructions above are pretty clear. If you’d like the step-by-step pictures, please see my post…https://marykisner.com/making-english-muffin-toasting-bread/
This loaf turned out great and really tastes good!
I think I’ll stand by my tried-and-true recipes that I know taste good and aren’t too complicated. It’s a waste of ingredients and a waste of my time to experiment. (However…I’m always a sucker for words like “simple” and “quick.”) I’ll try to resist!
I posted over a year ago about the Scraps & Skeins Shop with an eye out for a place to donate items as I started thinking about downsizing. It looked like the perfect place…when the time comes to donate my various sewing supplies, fabric and yarn. Now, I’m considering how this shop can fill a need with the closing of our local JoAnn Fabric store.
Their printed literature says Scraps & Skeins is a creative reuse store…meaning they accept donated items such as fabric, yarn, quilting supplies, knitting needles, books, patterns and even refurbished sewing machines! These items are organized and repackaged for resale to the public. This store provides employment opportunities for adults with mental health challenges. This is a win/win as far as I can see!
Scraps & Skeins was officially opened in 2015 under the umbrella of Strawberry Fields with the mission to create employment opportunities for adults with developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and mental health issues. All proceeds support Strawberry Fields Inc., a United Way affiliate.
Since 2015, Scraps & Skeins has grown from a single showroom and storeroom into the six-room shop and workspace located behind the Strawberry Fields’ administrative office. It now employs a store manager and multiple employees.
When wandering around the shop, the colorful displays of fabric are enticing! It feels like a fabric store! All the fat quarters, 1/2 yard and full yard pieces make an organized explosion of color!
There are many books available for sewing, knitting and crafts projects.
They even have some patterns available!
They had a display of various vintage fabric items for sale!
They also had a whole room filled with notions…like thread, sewing needles, knitting needles and a lovely selection of yarn. (The room was crowded so I didn’t try to get pictures.)
Finding the Scraps & Skeins Shop
Their store is a little difficult to find the first time, but when you find it…you’ve found a treasure! Their address is 2766 West College Ave., State College, PA 16801…but to get there I find it easiest to turn off West College Avenue onto Bristol Avenue and then turn right onto Enterprise Drive. The first right takes you behind and between the buildings and when they are open, they put out a sign that really helps.
The store is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and every third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can reach them at 814-234-1435 or email at scrapsskeins@gmail.com.
Helpfully, they also post regularly on Facebook and remind you of their hours and new stuff they have! They even offer select items on their website that can be ordered online! (https://scrapsskeins.shopsettings.com)
Because their offerings come from donations, their inventory is always changing. Stop by frequently to check them out! If you don’t live nearby, check out what’s available for purchase at their website.
Of course, if you’d like to donate YOUR extra fabric and yarn, here are the kind of things they accept! Know that your donation will keep the good stuff in circulation for the rest of us! Enjoy!
I hereby declare that our garden season has begun for 2025! I’d like to give you an overview of the upcoming season…sort of a baseline…so as the season goes on you’ll see progress. We are always hopeful at the beginning of the season!
So far, the planters by the patio are filled with 100+ onion plants. They seem to have weathered the below freezing temperatures just fine. We’ll thin them as we eat them so we’ll see how they do over the summer.
The planters along the side of the patio will have lettuce and radishes but it’s still a little early to start them.
Bert started the tomato plants in the shop under grow lights about two weeks ago. Today they are big enough to take pictures of them. We have three kinds: Bodacious…a large regular tomato; Super Sauce…a large Roma style; and Rain Drops…a large cherry-type tomato. They will soon be thinned and transplanted to larger pots. It’s probably 6 weeks before they’ll go in the ground.
Bodacious
Super Sauce
Rain Drop
In the planters off the patio, we’re hoping to plant asparagus and the Rain Drop tomatoes. Not sure if we’ll fill in with flowers.
As I walked up the hill to the fenced garden, I noticed the forsythia around the property still looks beautiful.
Up in the garden on the hill, the lavender (in the foreground) still looks silver green. So far nothing is happening there. We’ll have room for tomatoes, carrots, green and yellow beans and zucchini. We grow what we’ll eat and I’ll can, freeze or dehydrate the extra. I fill in with produce from the local farmer’s markets.
At the other end of the garden is our section of Echinacea…my favorite! It looks like nothing is happening, but when you look closely, tiny green shoots are starting!
As soon as overnight temperatures are above freezing, Bert will set up the rain barrels. So, watch for future updates as the season progresses. Enjoy!
I know sprung is not a real word…but when I look outside that’s how it feels. I’ve been watching forsythia for a few days, waiting to see them all flower. Yesterday I took some pictures when it wasn’t raining for a few minutes! They are glorious! I hope the neighbors appreciate the color, since their houses end up in my pictures!
Several years ago, we had to remove 27 blue spruce trees that had formed our property line for 40+ years. They finally succumbed to disease and needed to be removed. Two years ago, Bert finally agreed to plant 65 forsythia plants along the property line. They’ve been growing but really didn’t bloom much until this year. What a wonderful treat while we wait for the grass to get green and the temperatures to finally stay above freezing. I’m ready for garden season, 2025!
The last few days, when I needed a distraction, I decided to get the dehydrator ready for garden season. I look forward to planning what we’ll be canning, freezing and dehydrating. I also had fun with a new canning tool.
It all started with an ad for a tool, called a masongenie, that would suck out the air in a canning jar to seal it…as a way to preserve dry goods, like cereal, rice, beans or dried fruit. It looked pretty simple and could be used to re-seal the jar after using some of the contents. (NOTE: This is not a substitute for regular canning processes of raw, uncooked produce.)
I thought it might substitute for my usual way of taking the air out of a jar with little packets of “oxygen absorbers.”
They worked, but if I opened the jar to use some of the contents, they had trouble sealing the jar again.
The masongenie works with regular-mouth and wide-mouth jars. It can be charged with a USB connection and can seal most jars in 60 seconds.
I started with a partial bag of rice just to give it a try. In 60 seconds, the lid sealed and I could put the jar on the shelf. Looked much better than the wrinkled bag of rice and should keep the rice fresher. Now, when I use some, I can easily reseal the jar.
Of course now I looked around to see what else I could seal! I got distracted with the package of dried bananas we had been snacking on. When we read the packet, it said, “Made in China!” Yikes! Certainly, we could do better than that. I started thinking about other snacks I could make in the dehydrator.
I understand these bananas were freeze-dried…which is something I can’t do with my dehydrator. However, I can do regular dehydrated bananas. I didn’t want to go to the store to buy them right then, but I did have cans of pineapple that could be cut up and dried. They might make a good snack until I could buy bananas!
With the can of chunk pineapple, I cut each chunk in half to make it thinner and laid them out on my dehydrator tray. I had several cans of pineapple slices so I cut them into quarters and laid them on trays. Frankly, the slices worked best!
I filled three trays and started the dehydrator…135 degrees for about 16 hours!
The dehydrator ran all night until noon the next day! Delicious!
The pineapple is the first of several fruits I’ll experiment with…this batch is going into the fridge…the pieces were too big to bother putting in a jar!
Dehydrating Zucchini
Now that I had the dehydrator ready to go, I decided to work with the 4 medium zucchini I had on the counter. I use zucchini in a sausage/tortellini soup recipe, but I never seem to have zucchini at the time I want to make the soup. So…time to chop zucchini. Thinking ahead…that I wanted to dry the zucchini and store it in mason jars…I peeled the zucchini and cut it into small cubes. I filled up 4 trays with zucchini cubes.
When dried, the chunks were pretty tiny, but all four zucchini made about 1 cup of dehydrated chunks! Next time, I won’t cut them so small.
I put a lid on the jar, set the masongenie on top and in 60 seconds the jar was sealed! I added the jar to my shelf!
I’ll let you know when more produce and dry goods make it to my shelf! Garden season 2025 is coming soon!
