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Squash
Okra
Basil
Tomatoes
During our second year gardening in Uruguay, we had tomatoes, okra, basil, carrots, yellow summer squash, and cucumbers. It was not my lush garden in Texas - now that had character, quirky style, and art. These were early times, though, and gardens take awhile to develop their own personality, I believe.
We also had some straw bales with potatoes planted in them; they did not even sprout! I had plans for the rest - pesto from all this luscious basil; fresh tomato sandwiches, salads, sauce, and salsa from the tomatoes; coleslaw with those carrots; gumbo with okra, summer squash casserole; and dill pickles from those cucumbers.
We had these miserable "potato bugs" that eat up the tomato plants if we were not careful. We didn't have those in Texas! It was all hard work, but good physical and mental therapy.
My BIG plans for cooking from the garden came true! We had a bumper crop of basil, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Here are links to favorite recipes from my cooking site, Miss Cookbook. Enjoy them using a haul from your own garden or from the local Farmer's Market!
We also had some straw bales with potatoes planted in them; they did not even sprout! I had plans for the rest - pesto from all this luscious basil; fresh tomato sandwiches, salads, sauce, and salsa from the tomatoes; coleslaw with those carrots; gumbo with okra, summer squash casserole; and dill pickles from those cucumbers.
We had these miserable "potato bugs" that eat up the tomato plants if we were not careful. We didn't have those in Texas! It was all hard work, but good physical and mental therapy.
My BIG plans for cooking from the garden came true! We had a bumper crop of basil, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Here are links to favorite recipes from my cooking site, Miss Cookbook. Enjoy them using a haul from your own garden or from the local Farmer's Market!
Take a look at my homemade pest remedies and fertilizer at my cooking website: MissCookbook.com.
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"Yellow-black, yellow-black, yellow-black, yellow-black… Oh, black and yellow. Yeah, let’s shake it up a little." - The Bee Movie - Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld)
Bees, bees, bees… On a warm spring afternoon in November we had a bee incident at our house. As the builder and I were going through some receipts in the house, we noticed a bee inside with us. He promptly killed it; then we heard a very loud humming noise.
Immediately, we saw another bee and another and another. What happened next was right out of a horror movie! Bees started swarming into the house from vents in the wood stove. We quickly put old newspaper and wood chips into the stove, smoking the bees back up the chimney. We went outside and saw hundreds flying around the chimney vent on the roof. Apparently, spring is great for bees.
Our next bee sighting was in summer. The bees were out once again, looking for a place to nest for fall and winter. We saw a few at the corner of the porch eaves. During the night, we saw them circling the opposite porch corner. Lo and behold, when we got up the next morning, what a sight to behold. (The picture above shows what we discovered.)
Those busy bees had started forming a hive overnight; it looked like an upside-down bowl. It was about 20cm in diameter! The builder and Hubby successfully smoked them out. Friends who stopped by later in the day said they saw them swirling around the neighbor's house. Uh oh!
Bees, bees, bees… On a warm spring afternoon in November we had a bee incident at our house. As the builder and I were going through some receipts in the house, we noticed a bee inside with us. He promptly killed it; then we heard a very loud humming noise.
Immediately, we saw another bee and another and another. What happened next was right out of a horror movie! Bees started swarming into the house from vents in the wood stove. We quickly put old newspaper and wood chips into the stove, smoking the bees back up the chimney. We went outside and saw hundreds flying around the chimney vent on the roof. Apparently, spring is great for bees.
Our next bee sighting was in summer. The bees were out once again, looking for a place to nest for fall and winter. We saw a few at the corner of the porch eaves. During the night, we saw them circling the opposite porch corner. Lo and behold, when we got up the next morning, what a sight to behold. (The picture above shows what we discovered.)
Those busy bees had started forming a hive overnight; it looked like an upside-down bowl. It was about 20cm in diameter! The builder and Hubby successfully smoked them out. Friends who stopped by later in the day said they saw them swirling around the neighbor's house. Uh oh!
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About 25 minutes away is a section of beach on the Atlantic Coast called Punta Ballena - tip of the whale. I've been told it's THE spot for seeing whales this time of year. I piled the dogs in the backseat and down the road we went. There are no tourists yet, so we saw very few cars or people on either the roads or the beach. No whales today, but beautiful beaches!
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"I hate snakes…, I hate 'em." - Raiders of the Lost Ark - Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)
Early on, experienced several firsts for Uruguayan life. One was my first Uruguayan SNAKE encounter. I was picking up construction debris from around the house and bent over to see a red, yellow, and black snake hissing only a few centimeters from my face and a few meters from the dogs. Two of the construction workers were here, so I began to run away and scream, "SNAKE!" After a minute of screaming, I realized my screams were in English.
Fortunately, Esteban understood some English and started yelling, "SERPIENTE!" We stood there staring at each other, yelling back and forth for awhile, then took off for the back of the house. Pepe, the other worker, ran along with us, carrying a concrete block. I barely had time to wonder why, but was too panicked to question. The serpentina was laying there, waiting for us. I can never remember little rhyme for colors of poisonous snakes.
Apparently, there is is a similar rhyme in Spanish about yellow on black etc., as well. Esteban and Pepe couldn't remember the Spanish version and I couldn't remember the English one. What a crew we were! We decided that a snake is a snake (o una serpiente es una serpiente), so Esteban threw the concrete block at it. Concrete travels slowly and snakes quickly; the result was a snake underneath the house!
Minutes later, our builder arrived and after our description of the serpiente, informed us that it was not poisonous. Hmmm... a snake is a snake.
Another first - my first tormenta (storm) in Uruguay. We awoke during the night to torrential rain, fog, and very high winds. Power was out for most of the morning, but for some reason - the Internet is worked beautifully, for the first time. Go figure... Thank goodness for our generator - hot coffee.
Winds were howling with 45 mph gusts, dogs were sleeping (thank goodness), and the wood stove was keeping our little casita toasty warm. All was dry inside, so hopefully the roof holds. At one point I looked out the window to see the neighbor's four horses running across our land like they were being chased. Guess the wind spooked them - I know it has me spooked.
Fortunately, Esteban understood some English and started yelling, "SERPIENTE!" We stood there staring at each other, yelling back and forth for awhile, then took off for the back of the house. Pepe, the other worker, ran along with us, carrying a concrete block. I barely had time to wonder why, but was too panicked to question. The serpentina was laying there, waiting for us. I can never remember little rhyme for colors of poisonous snakes.
Apparently, there is is a similar rhyme in Spanish about yellow on black etc., as well. Esteban and Pepe couldn't remember the Spanish version and I couldn't remember the English one. What a crew we were! We decided that a snake is a snake (o una serpiente es una serpiente), so Esteban threw the concrete block at it. Concrete travels slowly and snakes quickly; the result was a snake underneath the house!
Minutes later, our builder arrived and after our description of the serpiente, informed us that it was not poisonous. Hmmm... a snake is a snake.
Another first - my first tormenta (storm) in Uruguay. We awoke during the night to torrential rain, fog, and very high winds. Power was out for most of the morning, but for some reason - the Internet is worked beautifully, for the first time. Go figure... Thank goodness for our generator - hot coffee.
Winds were howling with 45 mph gusts, dogs were sleeping (thank goodness), and the wood stove was keeping our little casita toasty warm. All was dry inside, so hopefully the roof holds. At one point I looked out the window to see the neighbor's four horses running across our land like they were being chased. Guess the wind spooked them - I know it has me spooked.
