Author Archives: cathyboettner

I planted San Marzano tomatoes this year to ensure that I would have plenty of tomatoes to make homemade sauce and canned tomatoes. They are living up to their billing and I made the first batch of sauce today. Unfortunately, they still aren’t coming in all at the same time, so I have had toContinue reading “Roasted Garlic and Onion Marinara Sauce”

I started some pepper plants from seed. The package said that they were poblano pepper seeds. It became obvious pretty quickly that they were NOT poblano pepper plants. I think that they are pepperoncini…I think…I hope…. Since we don’t use many of those, (but I guess we will have to figure out how to useContinue reading “Pickle making mania”

We have friends and family coming this weekend, so I put together a fun summery table. I started with a blue gingham cloth and then decided to use some really colorful candle holders which drove the rest of the decisions. Based on the candleholders, I decided to use some little royal blue buckets for flowersContinue reading ““Picnic” Table”

We have friends coming over and I wanted to make something that had some heft to it for snacking–chips and Oreos taste good but they don’t stick with you. I made a layered taco dip. First I shredded my sharp cheddar cheese using the fine shredding blade for my food processor. I left about 1/2Continue reading “Spicy Dip for the Dock”

This is my first time growing English or Japanese cucumber plants. I have been growing pickling cucumbers for years so I have plenty to make pickles with, but I don’t like them that well for just eating because they can be bitter. I love English cucumbers for salads, but have only bought them at theContinue reading “Pickling Cucumbers versus English/Japanese Cucumbers”

I posted a photo the other day of Lunaria in the garden. They were finally ready to pick, so I picked them and put them in a huge pitcher. They are still green now, but I didn’t put them in water so that they will dry out. Once dry, they will turn white and translucent.Continue reading “Lunaria on the table”

My husband and I were talking about plans for the holiday weekend and we decided that we wanted to have homemade lemonade to serve. Here’s the recipe: 2 cups water 2 cups granulated sugar 3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (you could substitute lime juice if you prefer limeade) 14 cups ice cold water 2Continue reading “A Yummy Drink for the Holiday Weekend!”

Aldi had some really pretty white roses when I stopped in there yesterday, so I got some. They would have been fine on their own, but I added Oak Leaf Hydrangea, Astilbe, and some boxwood and it turned out like this…. Such a fresh spring arrangment!

We are invited to a little graduation party today, so I went out to the garden to pull together a quick arrangement to bring. Right now, I have Oak Leaf Hydrangeas and white Astilbe blooming. I cut both with very long stems. I have never cut an Astilbe this long. I also cut some BlueContinue reading “Impromptu Arrangement”

I put this garden in a couple of years ago because this is the side of the house that faces the road. It is on the Northwest side of the house, so it is a pretty shady spot in the yard. So far this year, the hellebores (Lenten Rose) and Bleeding Hearts have put onContinue reading “Shade Perennial Garden”