NewlyWoodwards

an unconventional home

Eggplant Parmesan

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I only picked two eggplants this year from our garden. What the heck? I had around 16 million last year. So, that’s strange. But, I wanted to use the two eggplants to their full potential, so I decided to make eggplant parmesan. I had never made it before. We had never even tasted it before. But, […]

Gratuitous pat-on-the-back post

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The rain garden has just gotten better and better. It’s really a nice place to hang out in the yard. The flowers are a little messy, but it’s a great place to sit with the dogs. It is really the only place in the backyard with shade, which helps, too. And, we got a lovely […]

Yes I can – salsa

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You know I had to do it. First, Jenny makes zesty salsa. Then, Sara. Ryan loves salsa, so I had to try the zesty salsa from Ball’s Complete Guide to Home Preservation. And, it didn’t disappoint. Check out the recipe at Anything Perfect. Or get the book. I made 9 pints, which should last us […]

Fall is here?

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Okay, it’s not. Obviously. In our neck of the woods, we’ve been dealing with major heat advisories, stickiness and sunburns. And, more stickiness. But, try telling that to my pumpkins. They are totally ready for fall. Can you blame them? Fall is awesome. And, I actually had to pick five of them last week. I […]

Featured and flattered

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Thanks to Alma at our local paper, the Quad-City Times, for featuring our garden and the blog again in the paper today. Ryan was especially pleased that “his” crops of onions, potatoes and corn made the paper. Alma also researched the cause of the spots on the tomatoes. The bad news is that the problem […]

Yes I can – dill pickles

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I love pickles. I still remember the giant dill pickles at the local roller-skating rink. I would always bring 50 cents to buy one. Yum! Today, my pickle of choice are Claussen pickles. But, now, I decided to try out pickle-making for myself. When I met up with Jen last weekend, she asked me if […]