The Inadvertent Farmer tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1715454 2011-10-06T08:11:04-07:00 Raising organic fruits,veggies, critters, kids, and a camel. Hilarious and heartwarming stories from a small family farm...we craft, sew, garden, blog, photograph, pray, and vote! TypePad KinderGARDENs Winners tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e553deebaf8834015435f04925970c 2011-10-06T08:11:04-07:00 2011-10-06T08:11:04-07:00 I've spent the last couple of days going over our series and your wonderful posts. I am amazed by the tenacity of we gardeners! We've had unprecedented drought, tornadoes, hurricanes, and rains that lasted until August...this season was a hard gardening season. Yet we still grew morning glory houses, popcorn mazes, oodles of veggies, and tons of smiles! In spite of all of our weather woes we spent times with our kids and helped to teach them the importance of fresh from the garden foods grown by their own hands. So due to all of this I just could not... the Inadvertent Farmer

I've spent the last couple of days going over our series and your wonderful posts.  I am amazed by the tenacity of we gardeners!

We've had unprecedented drought, tornadoes, hurricanes, and rains that lasted until August...this season was a hard gardening season.

Yet we still grew morning glory houses, popcorn mazes, oodles of veggies, and tons of smiles!

In spite of all of our weather woes we spent times with our kids and helped to teach them the importance of fresh from the garden foods grown by their own hands.

So due to all of this I just could not pick a winner this year...

(And our scheduled judge was unavailable)

We are all winners!

So I just ordered enough copies of 'Trowel and Error' and 'Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars' for everyone!  So if you linked up last week with a post highlighting what you did during our KinderGARDENs series you will get a copy of both books.

Email me at theinadvertentfarmerATgmail.com with your address for you books.

As for us we are still harvesting squash by the wheel barrow load, the corn is just trying to ripen, the blackberries are going crazy, and tomatoes...oh my goodness do we have tomatoes!

Harvest Collage

All the while I am planning and dreaming about next year, when the sun comes out again and we dance and play in our garden!

Kids pajamas silly grass girl boy

I will miss seeing your gardens every week, but look forward to next spring with you!

We're going to be doing a lot of projects here this winter, crafts with kids, painting of furniture, revealing of my new craft/sewing room, as well as new recipes galore so make sure you come visit often!

 

 http://sweetgrace.typepad.com/the_inadvertent_farmer/2011/10/kindergardens-winners.html Drying Tomatoes, Dehydrating How To tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e553deebaf8834015435e3d9d1970c 2011-10-04T09:03:06-07:00 2011-10-04T09:03:06-07:00 We are simply being over run with tomatoes...and I mean that in the very best way! I had so many hopes of canning hundreds of pints of tomatoes but alas they all decided to ripen just when we are starting homeschool, soccer, and swimming lessons. Not to mention all the harvesting going on elsewhere in the garden, corn, blackberries, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, and more! So I have decided to use to easy go-to methods of preserving tomatoes. Freezing and Drying. Today we're all about drying or dehydrating... This can be done in warm areas outside in the warm sun under... the Inadvertent Farmer

We are simply being over run with tomatoes...and I mean that in the very best way!

I had so many hopes of canning hundreds of pints of tomatoes but alas they all decided to ripen just when we are starting homeschool, soccer, and swimming lessons.  Not to mention all the harvesting going on elsewhere in the garden, corn, blackberries, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, and more!

So I have decided to use to easy go-to methods of preserving tomatoes.

Freezing and Drying.  Today we're all about drying or dehydrating...

Tomatoes dried dehydrated spiced

This can be done in warm areas outside in the warm sun under cheese cloth...unfortunately if I did this they would drown!

You can also dry tomatoes in the oven set at 200 degrees.  Either use a non-stick mat or spray cookie sheets so they will not stick.

But I'm going to use my dehydrator.

 

Tomatoes fresh red garden

Start with fresh clean tomatoes...

 

Tomato dehydrator drying red

Half or quarter (or smaller with BIG tomatoes) your tomatoes and place them skin side down on your oiled tray...

 

Tomatoes dehydrating seasoning red

You can leave them perfectly naked or do what I do and season them lightly.  I use a custom made mix of sea salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  This takes them from delicious to simply heavenly!

Italian seasoning would be great too as well as seasoning salt or any number of spices you love with tomatoes.

 

Tomatoes dried dehydrated spiced

Dry them until they are leathery but no longer tacky or sticky to the touch.  This takes a minimum of 8 hours in my dehydrator and up to 2 days if they are really big pieces.

 

Tomatoes dried frozen

I just throw them in a freezer bag.  You can also preserve them in olive oil in the frig for up to three weeks but I have no time for this...none!

All winter I will add them to soups, rice dishes, and pizza...perfectly wonderful and perfectly easy...

Just the way I like it!

 

 http://sweetgrace.typepad.com/the_inadvertent_farmer/2011/10/drying-tomatoes-dehydrating-how-to.html KinderGARDENS Wrap Up 2011 tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00e553deebaf8834015391f3c69e970b 2011-09-29T08:22:29-07:00 2011-09-29T08:22:29-07:00 First of all I want to let you all know how much I have enjoyed touring your gardens this year. Although we have survived torrential rains, blistering heat, and even hurricanes we have persevered. I know some of our gardens did not live up to our expectations, but some passed them. Either way our kids got to see the real life results of hard work and mother nature's whims! So thanks to all of you who passed along in a very tangible way the love of gardening to the next generation...the world is a better place because of people like... the Inadvertent Farmer

First of all I want to let you all know how much I have enjoyed touring your gardens this year.  Although we have survived torrential rains, blistering heat, and even hurricanes we have persevered.

I know some of our gardens did not live up to our expectations, but some passed them.  Either way our kids got to see the real life results of hard work and mother nature's whims!

So thanks to all of you who passed along in a very tangible way the love of gardening to the next generation...the world is a better place because of people like you!

So without further chit-chat from me...

Wait.

I forgot, I need to show you something!

Greenhouse hoops pipes

This was a birthday gift from my sweet mom...yes as soon as the plum tomatoes are done where this is going to go, I will erect my very own greenhouse.  It will be 12 x 25' and I simply can't wait to be able to garden 12 months a year...yeah!

I'll be posting about this new project in upcoming weeks.

So again without any more talking,

Hold on just a moment...

I forgot to share this with you guys.  Remember how I always preach getting kids outside and into nature?  Well we did it in an unusual way lately...

Tie dye party

We set up tables outside and with 12 little kids participating...we had a tie dye party!  Yes a whole girl's soccer team and one little brother got to tie dye their soccer uniforms.  Now this is my kind of garden party!

Tie dye shirt wrapped

Like a rainbow came down and sat on one of my white pumpkins!

Ok now it really is your turn, link up your wrap up posts below...