This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support! Earlier this year, I purchased these galvanized planter boxes to increase the size of my garden. I intended to put in a bunch of tomatoes and beets, etc. that would grow into early summer. But, Baby Sebastian decided to make his appearance a bit early, so I flew off to Georgia to help out Alicia, so the garden didn't happen. Although, while I was away my husband did put the boxes together for me so that they would be ready to go when I was. I hated to see those empty planter boxes just sitting there, but I knew it would be too hot to plant tomatoes or beets at that point. We have to have our summer gardens in by the end of February! I thought to myself, "Surly there is something that I can plant that will grow during the summer!" And guess what! I found something! Armenian Cucumbers are heat loving plants that grow long, tasty, green fruit that you can eat alone or pickle! And, since I am on a pickling kick, they sounded perfect for me to plant in at least one of my new planters! The seeds I ordered may have been duds, because I planted about 10 of them, and only one ever sprouted! Now that I see how large the plant is growing, that may have been a blessing in disguise! You can almost see the plant growing! I have been training it up on a trellis that I was going to use for peas! The instructions I've read online told me that training them up on a trellis works great and the fruit will hang until you harvest them. These cucumbers grow very long! The plant is taking over my 4x4 box, so you can imagine that if 10 of them had come up, I would have had a forest on my hands! It didn't take long for the plant to be covered in the small yellow flowers. I was just out there yesterday, checking it over to see if there was any pollenating going on, but only saw male flowers. Then, today, my husband went out before I did and came in and asked me if I had seen the cucumber growing on my plant. I figured it had to be small because I hadn't seen anything the day before. Well, it must have been hiding from me, because look what I found today! Today, I also noticed some small female flowers that look promising! I see salads and pickles in my future! Have you tried growing Armenian Cucumbers? So far, they seem like a pretty easy crop, (as long as you get seeds that will sprout! ) Oh! As far as my other garden box goes, we are currently composting in it until it is time to put in the Fall garden! These watering spikes have been a life saver in my garden and I consider them a must have item! I can leave my garden for a couple of days with these scattered throughout and they keep it watered until I get back to it! Perfect for small gardens and pots.
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This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support! All 4 of us girls at 3 Winks Design love to read! Summer is the perfect time to fit in a book or two or three as you relax by the pool or stay indoors out of the heat! It can be hard to decide just what you want to read, there are so many choices out there and it can be disappointing when a book doesn't live up to it's cover! If you need some ideas, we're sharing what we've been reading and maybe you can find something that you will enjoy. We would also love some of your suggestions! Helen I started a couple of books this summer that I ended up putting down after awhile. But, a series that I have stuck with so far is The Myrtlewood Mysteries by Iris Beaglehole. I wanted something lighthearted and fun to read for the summer, and this one fits the bill. It is a fantasy with magic and mystery. The first book of the series is called Accidental Magic because a mother and her teenage daughter whose lives are pretty much a mess find out that they have surprisingly inherited their grandmother's home. Little did they know that the grandmother was a powerful witch and that they also have inherited her magical abilities! They end up moving to the town of Myrtlewood where magic is commonly understood and there they begin a whole new life of magic, mayhem and happiness! The second book in the series is entitled Experimental Magic as mom and daughter learn more about how to use their magic and learn to get out of some sticky situations with The Fae! I have been reading these books on Kindle. You can also buy them as sets here and here. They are a fun magical fantasy in the vein of Harry Potter, just not quite as good. If you like that genre, they are enjoyable. Madalynn Series are fun to read because when you find stories and characters that you really enjoy, your relationship with them doesn't have to end after just one book. Maddy has been reading another series entitled The Culture by Lain M Banks. It is a 9 book futuristic series that deals with a utopian universe that co-mingles humans, aliens and machines. It deals with why cultures go to war and many proclaim it to be one of the best sci-fi series they have ever read. It can be pretty pricey, so the Kindle or audible versions may be your best bet. Maddy read book two first and they can apparently somewhat stand alone, but now she is going back to read book one. Alicia Alicia is recommending two books that she has enjoyed this summer! Well, technically three! First, The Women by Kristen Hannah This book is set in the turbulent 1960s and is a coming of age book about a young woman who learns first hand about the destruction and chaos of war and that not only men, but women can also be heroes. This novel is described as one that deals with deep friendships and bold patriotism. While Alicia says that this book is pretty good, she preferred Hannah's The Great Alone more. It is about a family who try to make a new start in the wilderness of Alaska. Next, Alicia really enjoyed reading Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou. This book contains beautiful essays that teach lessons and give insight from this woman's incredible life. Many of those who have read this book suggest that it should be cherished by more than daughters. Alicia speaks very highly of it! It is on my list! Lindsey Lindsey first has a recommendation from her childhood that she is now sharing with her daughter, Emily. Emily is a very advanced reader and is reading chapter books at the age of 6! Lindsey has introduced her to the Baby-Sitters Club Books. They specifically began with book #5, Dawn and the Impossible Three. Lindsey was surprised that as they read it how much she still enjoyed it. She says that it even made her tear up a bit! Emily is really enjoying these books as well. Lindsey came to my house and scavenged my bookshelves for her old books from her childhood. But, you can find cool retro sets on Amazon, as well as updated graphic novels. For her personal reading, Lindsey says that she enjoyed The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I've heard of this story about a bookstore owner who loses a rare book and inherits a child at the same time. It is on my list to read. Lindsey said that she enjoyed it but preferred Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by the same author. Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? What are you reading? I always love recommendations, that is where you find the best books to read! Other Posts About Books:
This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support! Have you heard about the health benefits of kefir?
I was introduced to it recently and to me, the benefits have been noticeable right away! This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support! Way back in 2016, I shared a favorite cookie recipe that was a favorite part of my childhood. They are called Fudge Mounds. As you know I've been experimenting with using honey in place of refined sugars and since my non-sugar eating grandson was going to come and visit me, I thought I would try to change this recipe for him to enjoy. I just have to say, It came out great! I may prefer it to the original recipe! I sometimes struggled to keep the original recipe moist enough, but the honey in the sugar-free recipe helps to moisten them up and the flavor is fantastic!
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Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs! (copyrighted)
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! Archives
June 2024
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