Showing posts with label herbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label herbs. Show all posts

Sunday, November 9, 2025

Harvesting a GourZuchumpkin! What's next?

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Well, I haven't bragged about our crazy overgrown, not-producing-much garden this year.

How about a cross pollinated Gourzucumpkin! Yep....trust me it was real.

This is the last submarine Zucchini I picked from the garden in early October. It was very large and heavy and dark green with a bit of dusky orange mottling. I thought it might be turning rotten, but I brought it in and put it on my island  in a basket.

Under the pile of golden pumpkins, Delicata Squash, Butternut Squash I realized this week it had turned completely orange and wasn't squishy anywhere it was actually HARD? 

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 I had pumpkins planted in our first big raised bed, five feet away I had 2 Zucchini plants planted in the next raised bed. To the west 8-10 feet I had two gourd plants by the corn. We did get one small lumpy green/orange gourd. 

Now, you tell me, does this looks like a Zucchini when it was dark green and now does it look like a Pumpkin?

That's my longest knife, so it's pretty good size. The skin was so hard I called Hubby to help as my poor wrists couldn't even dent it.

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Here's three of my pie pumpkins to compare. I like the small ones because they have nice thick meat and keep well.


Well after almost breaking our wrists hubby came up with this way to cut the (Creature)  Zucchumpkin, see the quick video above! 

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We really had to whack it. I was beginning to wonder if I should waste gas baking this thing? 

Here you can see the hard outer shell----on the edge...no wonder we could hardly get through it. 
Curious, and since I was baking some other pumpkins, we cut it up for baking.

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The seeds looked like pumpkin seeds only very 
thick...nice thick meat on the sides, not watery like Zucchini at all, and very firm.

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Well, I baked it and it was sweet and delicious, the seeds were baked also as they were easier to pull out that way. If I had saved some they probably wouldn't produce as they would be a hybrid.

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Can't wait to make a Gouzuchumpkin PIE...LOL.

What else is going on...we killed ourselves this week cleaning up the yard with the last of the nice weather and snow forecasted for today and tomorrow. Yep, finally our gorgeous golden Autumn is dying. Today the yard is filled with snow covered leaves. 

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This was taken Thursday...the last of the red colors in the Forest Preserve.

We finished clearing all the outdoor Halloween in time and it is successfully stored. 

Hubby is having two eye surgeries starting this week, 
so I will be the driver as he is blind as a bat without his glasses. His prescription will likely change, so we figure a minimum of three weeks or more 
of not much going on.
Unfortunately that may curtail our Christmas lights and decorations outside, sigh...I won't be able to handle it all myself. Aging just means everything takes longer.
Harvesting...
Inside is a small disaster dragging all the plants in,...

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We brought in one raised planter with all the Herbs...I have room for a new Basil, as ours were just DONE!  Here are Chives (2), Parsley, Oregano, Thyme, some Rosemary and I'll add a Basil. We should be good for cooking all winter I hope. I have a HUGE Rosemary plant also, I brought in.

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Right now the Rosemary is on the table along with everything else. I had 5 huge sunflower heads that had seeds, so I sorted and bagged, labeled and dated them. Also bagged the seeds from the Sunflower small heads (not that many seeds) since the Gold Finches demolished. I still have my Zinnias and other flower seeds to harvest, but they are in a huge bouquet drying on the island. We had loads of flowers still blooming when we had to clean up the yard.  

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'Tis the Harvest Season

Fall, Leaves, Fall

Emily Brontë


Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

But, I'm collecting seeds and planning for new crops. 
A gardener can't help but believe in the future, 
or why would we plant a seed? 

Happy Harvest from our Home 
~~~~~~~To YOURS!~~~~~~~

Thanks as always for stopping by, 

I'm loving your comments, 

questions, and suggestions.

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own or I am in possesion of the originals, 
I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or products used. 
Please do not use my photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 
Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle


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Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Fall Kitchen Tour!!

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It's Still Fall in our HOME!

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We didn't decorate much for Halloween this year. I started Fall in early October because of having surgery in the middle of the month. I didn't want to have a huge change to make.

I pulled this thrifted tray out to set this vignette on my counter. Basically all I use this counter for is to unload the dishwasher. I'm blessed with tons of counter space and a large island where all the prep and cooking goes on.
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I'm still dealing with plants that haven't found their homes yet from outside. The long enameled pot is a French Fish Poacher. The pumpkins and gourds are a mixture of Faux and real, can you tell which is which...lol.  A blue jar filled with dried Dill and a stack of heavy stoneware plates,  and a Fall towel hide the empty banana rack. Gourds dried or Faux.

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Our everyday dishes are in this cabinet. I still have to rearrange the top shelf when I am comfortable on a ladder. And I have to wait until Hubby is home.

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The cabinet is a bit messy, but this is what works for us. This photo tells me this cabinet needs some attention. Many of the dishes are thrifted and I see my Tulip plates (center back) are still up from Spring. Hmmmm? 
Normally I add a few color pieces for seasons...I still haven't found my Fall ceramics tote???

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Our little white buffet is covered in a thrift store woven tablecloth. It has a 70" round  Hearth and Home tag, and still had folds in it from the original packaging. A steal at $2.00. I gravitate towards plaids for the Fall and winter holidays.

The long squash is one of 6 we grew, very delicious---was some sort of Illinois variety that my friend gave me seeds for. 

The white pot holds a lemon grass plant from outside. We will see if it sprouts again or not. It was so dry outside for 8weeks and now we have had 3 days of rain.

This is quite a mess, as I have a large pot of Rosemary, a Hummingbird plant. 
On the far end is my curly willow plant from the pond. The frogs disappeared soon after I removed this, I think they liked hiding under there.

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Pigs and mushrooms and gourds, and even a gnome are here and there. Way too much, but it will change a lot as  I get more organinzed. These plants take up so much space and the kitchen has the best light.

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Curly willow, an Oxalis (left), a spider plant designated for my bedroom, soon. 

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Fall is sparse here, but i mixed our German flasks with a Danish brass (drinkers) plate (the noses are rubbed off from so much polishing), my Grandmother's Friar Tuck Cookie Jar, and one lonely pumpkin. LOL. A few bits of fall toned dishes and pots.

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Here's the main kitchen problem...Herbs and all my Mandilla plants that are still blooming like crazy.  I set up a temporary plant stand to give them all the light they demand.

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This kitchen window is a southern exposure and gets the best light in the home for plants.

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With the rain the third day...I actually turned on the lights above the windows. They are woven in a Eucalyptus vine and I haven't needed to use it. But, with daylights savings done and the rain, it's been so dark in the afternoon the warm lights are welcoming.
My dining table has a Walmart plastic table cloth on right now..I have lots of messy projects to do...and this is perfect for right now. 75% off, so $2.00, and I love that their seasonal cloths are wide enough for my large table. 

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Our large Enamel platter holds one of our garden pumpkins and some squash the rest is Faux. I elevated the pumpkin on a bean pot.

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The other side has faux cabbage, a real pinecone, and faux Tomato, mixed with gourds, real dried and faux
On the back end is my favorite Fall candle.

WELL, that is unplanned Fall in our home...a bit of this and that from one tub of Fall stuff. It's taken me 6 weeks to get this far...I can't even imagine doing Christmas.
I'm not sure we are even doing Thanksgiving.

Do You Use Real or Faux
 Decor in your Home?

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.


Thanks ALWAYS for visiting!

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question. Please don't use my photos without my permission.
 Sandi Magle

OldNewGreenRedo

Sunday, September 22, 2024

A Glimpse of Fall in our Kitchen

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It's been hard to think Fall when your temps are in the high 80's and 90's for the last 6 weeks here in Chicagoland. Actually it has been HOT since the second week in June. 

 I think we had 3 days of 70's last month and no rain for weeks. Today it finally rained. I put a few dried Hydrangeas in my transferware. I may still switch this out when I find my brown cottage pieces.

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Right now this container is an old porcelain tea canister I found last summer. It has transfers on all four sides...and in my favorite blue and white.  

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I have a few old this and that Fall items,  and this may change later.

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This was my cookbook counter in 2022, I try to  coordinate tablecloth in soft fall tones. 

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Then the Rex begonia I thought was dead from being chewed on,--but revived when I brought it inside. Bugs and critters have been voracious this year. The one this year is recovering also from being chewed on.

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I  love to add something natural, and here are some gourds and mini pumpkins. I only have three pumpkins this year. They just couldn't get going in the heat. Illinois is one of the top producers of pumpkins...I wonder how the crops are this year.

I have a few thrift store Halloween things that will go out soon, not before October 1, though. We have some large Skellies for the yard, which will be fun.

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The Mandillas were very happy this summer with the heat, I have 5 to bring in this year. This one is on the end of the cabinet and still in full bloom---and twining away...and a Happiness is Homemade sign. 

Honestly the seasons "HALLOWTHANKMAS"
are so rushed in the stores now...it's crazy. Life flies by and the stores are already loading up for Christmas. UGH!

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We have many a gathering here with family all year. We are having Thanksgiving this year, but not much else.

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I love Sunflowers...and pulled out a faux bush, now that they are done in the yard. The real ones are left for the birds, upside down Goldfinches are the most fun to watch.

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Normally if I serve buffet style off the island. I can't remember what it was like when this kitchen didn't have the island. It functions so well...and this little end I always have something Happy going on! 

Right now it is 'Harvest' for sure. Antique pickling crock, enamel coffee pot, grandmother's crocks a few gourds and peppers for color.

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The sink is seldom empty, and here is the basil I need to process for the refrigerator and freezer. I need to buy garlic, olive oil and pine nuts to make pesto, this afternoon.
I still have to dry a huge crop of Sage and Majoram. Also, need to dry the Thyme and Parsley plants.

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The busiest place in the kitchen is our coffee station....pumpkin spice is always nice!


Staples, actually some need filling...I don't have a walk-in pantry like some bloggers, but this works for all those essentials.

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The workaholic in the kitchen the toaster/convection oven. Use this constantly for two people...it's perfect. Plus throws off less heat in the summer. Now we turn the stove oven on for dinner and taking the chill off.

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I'm going to refresh this shelf this week, maybe with some pops of orange and yellow, or I might bring out some transferware. Depends on how much energy I have.

Almost everything is inherited or thrifted in our home.
 I love the hunt and let's face it, old stuff was made to last!

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Last bit of clean counter---more staples...in our family antique blue jars. My mom-in-law's Kitchen Aide. Love it, except it is so HEAVY! My old mixer went to my kids.

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Since my kitchen was clean enough to share and
now I'll go mess it up and making PESTO!

If You enjoyed this post please FOLLOW IT in the upper right hand corner, to get just one email of each AD-Free post.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.


Thanks ALWAYS for visiting!

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.
Thank you for your cooperation,

I will post at the following Link Parties, I hope you visit them.


 Sandi Magle


OldNewGreenRedo