Bruce Still Being Considered for Jury Duty and a Cucumber Tornado

September 4, 2026 On August 26, Bruce headed to the courthouse for consideration for jury duty. He was expecting to either be picked or be released since the two-day time frame had been exceeded. I walked around the back field to see if any of the trees or bushes needed anything. I noticed this spicebush […]

Cucumber Chips, Organizer for Lids, and Mason Jar Sealer

August 31, 2026 ***Updated on September 2 to remove watering. I watered later.*** On August 23, Bruce was excited to try the cucumber chips. He had a hard time not eating all of them in one sitting. I got a package from Amazon. It contained a shelf organizer for lids or plates and a Mason […]

Busy Day Processing Cucumbers

August 31, 2026 On August 22, I spent sometime making cucumber and mint water. We been drinking a lot of it. It is cool and refreshing after gardening and yard work. Bruce is a snack person, so I try to make healthy snacks for him. I had read something about cucumber chips some time ago. […]

Cucumber and Mint Water

This recipe is a modification of the Cucumber Lime Mocktail from the Vibrant Plate by Hofer Slovenia. While the recipe normally serves 4 with the addition of carbonated water or mineral water, Bruce drinks it straight and loves it. He does not want it diluted. If served without carbonated water, it serves 2. Serves 4

Another Past Day on Blackberry Homestead

Garden harvest of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, cucumbers, and squash.

Pictures Around Blackberry Homestead

July 8, 2026 On June 26, I took a lot of pictures of the vegetable garden as looked it over. The bee bums’ pictures are back! Tomatoes look great. I love the squash blossoms. The watermelon is getting bigger. The okra flowers are beautiful. Maybe next year, I’ll plant some in front. The asparagus is […]

And Now, Back to Our Regular Work

July 2, 2026 On June 18, with our friends, Larry and Jeanne, from the blog ajeanneinthekitchen.com, driving towards the sunset, oh wait, they headed away from the sunrise. It was way to early to even think about sunset. I digress. Bruce and I felt the need to check the gardens and orchard and get to […]

German Cucumber Salad (Vegetarian or Vegan, Both Gluten Free)

The salad recipe is from https://platedcravings.com/german-cucumber-salad-recipe/ and it makes a lovely potluck dish. I made both the vegetarian and vegan version for my Oktoberfest party, and the vegan version was eaten up. (Not that there was a lot of the vegetarian version left either.) I believe people felt it was healthier and they wanted to […]