Late June Garden Yield

Out in the garden this morning, weeding and watering. This baby watermelon was only about the size of a nickel a week ago.

The heirloom cherry tomatoes are doing nicely. They don't yield as much as a Sweet 100 tomato but the taste is far superior and the color is beautiful, they ripen to a deep burgundy. The regular heirloom tomato plant has grown very large but is still setting blooms even in the 100+ degree desert temps. Lots of large tomatoes on the plant but nothing close to ripening yet.

As usual, the zucchini is taking over the yard. It must be doing well in the neighbor's garden as well since they knocked on our door last week offering to share their haul. I told Ben to tell them we'll take one zucchini from their garden if they take two from ours. They're all ready to go . . .

Skinny Italian: Eat It and Enjoy It Live La Bella Vita and Look Great, Too!

Teresa Giudice (pronounced JU-dee-Chay) is the real deal. The table tossing mother of four girls (and one of Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey') has written a fabulous new book Skinny Italian: Eat It and Enjoy It Live La Bella Vita and Look Great, Too! The book is a 'must have' for fans of the show, or anyone who loves Italian food but is looking to eat a little healthier.

I was expecting the usual celebrity fluff, a few personal stories and photos with recipes thrown in. This book is so much more. I was impressed with the attention to detail. A whole chapter is devoted to 'Blessed Virgin Olive Oil' and answers any question you could possibly have about this basic ingredient of the heart healthy Mediterranean diet. The myth busting chapter on pasta blew me away. Who knew it was so healthy? Not me! We are certainly enjoying it more at our home since we read this book.

Teresa dishes up her family favorites and recipes handed down through the years. In the book you’ll find authentic food, made with fresh ingredients. No fat filled Olive Garden knockoffs here, this is the back to basics, healthy, wholesome food that we all ate as children, long before it was reinvented as “Slow Food.”

Most of her recipes are fast and easy but she also includes more complex things like directions on canning your own tomato sauce.

I purchased the book because I am a big fan of the show, and I wasn't disappointed in that respect. Teresa's love for her family and friends and her wicked sense of humor comes through on every page. There are lots of family photos but not nearly enough pictures of her beautiful New Jersey home.

The book has a few tidbits about the other Housewives (her take on Pasta Puttanesca had me cracking up) but it's far from being a cheesy/sleazy "tell all" book to cash in on her celebrity. Skinny Italian is a fabulous book that would be a best seller if it were written by an unknown first time author.

Saturday Harvest

Today's harvest was 2 zucchini and our first crook neck squash. I'm already taking extra zucchini to my coworkers. This zucchini will be grilled tomorrow. Yum!

Growing Veggies

From the garden today- Our very first zucchini of the season.

In The Garden

The corn is starting to get silks on top so it won't be long until we're happily munching on corn on the cob. The zucchini are plentiful and about 3 inches in length. I'd love to stuff and deep fry some of the flowers but when my cardiologist said to increase my vegetable intake I don't think that's what he had in mind. :-) The temperatures are increasing so it surprises me that the remaining lettuce is doing great.

The parsley we have growing in a big pot in the yard went to seed within weeks of breaking through the soil. I must have planted the seeds of a variety that doesn't like the hot Arizona spring because we usually have no issues growing parsley year round here. Ben uses lots of parsley in Chicken Piccata so we planted a bunch in a clay pot on the screen porch. It's cooler there because of the added shade and seems to happy in that spot. I am surprised the cats don't bother with it. I had to bribe Posh with some kitty treats to get her in this photo.

April 2010 Garden

First zucchini of the season.

Our weather has been rainy with mild temperatures so that should make for perfect gardening. The zucchini is doing well but everything else looks a little rough. The romaine went to seed much earlier than usual considering the favorable conditions. The remaining green and red leaf lettuce is starting to brown on the tips but is still tasty.

The heirloom tomatoes that I started much too early are thin and I only see one lone tomato between the three plants. The larger tomato seens to be doing well and has about a dozen flowers. Our pepper plants are also thin and frail looking. Everyone in the Valley has great luck with peppers except me. It's a running joke between me and my brother in Apache Junction. He has beautiful peppers but cannot grow thyme at all. I have awful peppers but as they say, thyme is on my side.

A trip to the nursey yesterday made it evident that I am not the only one with issues this season. The peppers at the nursery didn't look any better than mine. We purchased two heirloom tomatoes and a half dozen herb varieties. The tomatoes will replace the lettuce one it gets too warm to grow greens and the herbs will take over the spot where we planted garlic that the cats dug up.