Do you have a special place that you spend your vacation every year?
Our family is very blessed to have a special place to visit every summer.
Now, when I say ‘family’ – I mean my mother, sisters, brother and their families as well. It really helps that we all really like each other and get along.
Our special place is in Williams, AZ and is approximately 3 hours away and is up in the mountains.
My sister-in-law’s family owns a few cabins up there and they always make them available to all of us.
We look forward to this trip all year long.
Cousins play together during the day.
We go fishing…. a lot!
We play games.
We visit local attractions, such as the Deer Farm.
The Grand Canyon is close by too.
Our first year that we visited, we all came up along with my parents.
They treated us all to a trip on the Grand Canyon Railway for a train ride up to the Grand Canyon…
We were visited by some train robbers on the way though…Kai looks petrified doesn’t he?
Thankfully, the sheriff showed up and arrested them. He stopped to pose with Gracie too 😉
My parents had a great time too – although as soon as we arrived at the Grand Canyon – they ditched us kids and spent the day alone 😉
The next year, we decided not to go to our special place. The reason for this is that we had a huge family trip planned in my grandmother’s memory to Europe.
We were all very excited to go. But sadly, just 3 weeks before we were to go, my dad died suddenly. So, we cancelled our Europe vacation and decided to go to back to our special place to rest, grieve and have a little fun if possible…
Despite our grief, we did have fun. There was the treasure hunt (courtesy of my mom).
We followed our map to the treasure…
We found the treasure – $1 gold coins for everyone!
We spent time in town, which is on Route 66 and has some fun, quirky stores and ‘people’.
We saw some ‘loose women’ in town. Not really, just my sisters, sister-in-law and me 😉
We like to take lots of pictures on vacation since we are all together.
But this time, we could feel my dad’s absence.
We did all wear our matching track jackets that we had made for our Europe trip.*Even though it looks like there are quite a few people in our family – we have added 5 people since then.
The next year we visited, the kids had fun sailing boats that my husband had made for them.
My son, Kai, was so proud of his boat with his homemade sail.
Kai had just had surgery a few weeks before our trip, but it didn’t keep him from bowling and fishing.
In fact, his favorite superhero came up to see him…
‘Super-Duper’ made a surprise visit and challenged Kai’s cousins to a race. Kai in his wheelchair and his cousins had a go-kart.
Kai and ‘Super-Duper’ won.
In case you are wondering….’Super-Duper’ is actually Kai’s uncle, who is a children’s pastor who just happens to play many characters for the kids at his church.
*Believe it or not, Kai didn’t know Super-Duper’s secret identity when this happened 😉
The next year, Kai was back up on his feet and ready for fishing.
We had great luck fishing that day.
Every year, we also visit Twister’s for hamburgers, hot dogs and great ice-cream sundaes. Then we visit the nightly shootout with the cowboys downtown – strictly for the tourists, of course.
Each family takes turns making dinner for everyone and we get to taste each others delicious cooking. Then, in the evening, we walk from our cabins down to the road to see the deer and elk come down for the night.
The kids all pose for our annual family photos.
Sometimes, they get a bit silly.
This year, we will do much of the same including more fishing…
AND there is a new family member to come along…
It’s hard to believe that just a year ago she wasn’t even here yet.
**Thank you for letting me share some of our vacation photos from past years. I’m sure I will have more from this year to show you all – of course, you might have gotten your fill of seeing my vacation photos by now 😉
**Do you have a special place that you visit? Where do you go and what do you do?
Family Vacation Getaway…
az plant lady familyDo you have a special place that you spend your vacation every year?
Our family is very blessed to have a special place to visit every summer.
Now, when I say ‘family’ – I mean my mother, sisters, brother and their families as well. It really helps that we all really like each other and get along.
Our special place is in Williams, AZ and is approximately 3 hours away and is up in the mountains.
My sister-in-law’s family owns a few cabins up there and they always make them available to all of us.
We look forward to this trip all year long.
Cousins play together during the day.
We go fishing…. a lot!
We play games.
We visit local attractions, such as the Deer Farm.
The Grand Canyon is close by too.
Our first year that we visited, we all came up along with my parents.
They treated us all to a trip on the Grand Canyon Railway for a train ride up to the Grand Canyon…
We were visited by some train robbers on the way though…Kai looks petrified doesn’t he?
Thankfully, the sheriff showed up and arrested them. He stopped to pose with Gracie too 😉
My parents had a great time too – although as soon as we arrived at the Grand Canyon – they ditched us kids and spent the day alone 😉
The next year, we decided not to go to our special place. The reason for this is that we had a huge family trip planned in my grandmother’s memory to Europe.
We were all very excited to go. But sadly, just 3 weeks before we were to go, my dad died suddenly. So, we cancelled our Europe vacation and decided to go to back to our special place to rest, grieve and have a little fun if possible…
Despite our grief, we did have fun. There was the treasure hunt (courtesy of my mom).
We followed our map to the treasure…
We found the treasure – $1 gold coins for everyone!
We spent time in town, which is on Route 66 and has some fun, quirky stores and ‘people’.
We saw some ‘loose women’ in town. Not really, just my sisters, sister-in-law and me 😉
We like to take lots of pictures on vacation since we are all together.
But this time, we could feel my dad’s absence.
We did all wear our matching track jackets that we had made for our Europe trip.*Even though it looks like there are quite a few people in our family – we have added 5 people since then.
The next year we visited, the kids had fun sailing boats that my husband had made for them.
My son, Kai, was so proud of his boat with his homemade sail.
Kai had just had surgery a few weeks before our trip, but it didn’t keep him from bowling and fishing.
In fact, his favorite superhero came up to see him…
‘Super-Duper’ made a surprise visit and challenged Kai’s cousins to a race. Kai in his wheelchair and his cousins had a go-kart.
Kai and ‘Super-Duper’ won.
In case you are wondering….’Super-Duper’ is actually Kai’s uncle, who is a children’s pastor who just happens to play many characters for the kids at his church.
*Believe it or not, Kai didn’t know Super-Duper’s secret identity when this happened 😉
The next year, Kai was back up on his feet and ready for fishing.
We had great luck fishing that day.
Every year, we also visit Twister’s for hamburgers, hot dogs and great ice-cream sundaes. Then we visit the nightly shootout with the cowboys downtown – strictly for the tourists, of course.
Each family takes turns making dinner for everyone and we get to taste each others delicious cooking. Then, in the evening, we walk from our cabins down to the road to see the deer and elk come down for the night.
The kids all pose for our annual family photos.
Sometimes, they get a bit silly.
This year, we will do much of the same including more fishing…
AND there is a new family member to come along…
It’s hard to believe that just a year ago she wasn’t even here yet.
**Thank you for letting me share some of our vacation photos from past years. I’m sure I will have more from this year to show you all – of course, you might have gotten your fill of seeing my vacation photos by now 😉
**Do you have a special place that you visit? Where do you go and what do you do?
Re-Grow Your Green Onions
Vegetable GardeningFirst of all, let me begin by saying that I love green onions.
I plant the seeds in my vegetable garden in fall and they are ready for me to harvest in May.
Freshly-harvested onions on the right (Garlic is on the left).
I like to use them in my homemade salsa or sprinkled on top of any Mexican dish that I make – tacos, nachos, Mexican rice, etc.
What I don’t like is having to buy them at the store when they aren’t growing in my garden.
BUT, I learned a great trick this year:
You can re-grow green onions by using the bottom part (the part you usually throw away).
Here is how you do it:
1. Cut off the white base of your green onions (use the top green part for whatever delicious meal you are cooking 😉
2. Place the bottom part of your green onions in a glass or jar and fill with water. Take care NOT to cover the top of the onion with water.
3. Place in front of a sunny window and change the water every other day.
4. In only a week’s time, you will see your green onion start to regrow. The photo above was taken after 10 days.
You can see how the roots grew too.
5. Now simply slice of snip off the green tops for whatever you like to eat green onions on.
You can ‘re-use’ a green onion 2 – 3 times. After this point, they will start to lose their ‘oniony’ flavor.
So, I hope you use this helpful tip. It will not only save you $ at the store, but who doesn’t like more green onions?
July Vegetable Garden Update
Vegetable GardeningI must confess that the heat of July keeps me indoors most of the time.
In fact, I try to make my trips out to my garden under 15 minutes or less. I just don’t like to sweat.
But, I do have two things that I have to share with you.
The first one is – my pumpkin seeds have all sprouted and are growing!
July Vegetable Garden
All four came up.
I didn’t plant them inside of my vegetable garden, because of how large they get. I learned my lesson a few years ago. You can read my post about it if you like – “What Is Wrong With This Picture”
July Vegetable Garden
I also put some chicken wire around the planting site to keep my dogs from digging up my newly planted seeds.
For water, I put a single drip emitter in the center, which is connected to the drip system of my nearby vegetable garden.
My pumpkins should be ready in October. Right now, that seems so far away – but it will be here before we know it!
A few weeks ago, I posted about what was happening in my summer vegetable garden “Snapshot of a Summer Week in the Garden”
In it, I mentioned trying drying my herbs by spreading them out onto cookie sheets instead of hanging them up.
Well guess what?
It worked beautifully!
I placed my herbs onto paper towels and then covered them with additional paper towels to keep the dust off.
I stored them in our garage and when I checked on them a week later – they were nice and dry.
This was much easier then hanging them, so this will probably be my “go-to” method from now on.
*I can only speak to my experience of drying herbs this way in a desert climate. I’m not sure how well it would work in more humid climates.
But, you never know until you try 🙂
From Blue Sky to Dust…
ArizonaAfter living in the Desert Southwest for 26 years not, I should be used to this by now…
A beautiful afternoon sky that is soon to be overtaken by…
DUST!
The monsoon season (rainy season) is officially upon us. While I like the rain, I don’t particularly like the occasional dust storms that appear ‘out of the blue’ to speak literally.
I guess that I should be grateful that it isn’t an enormous one like we received last year…
That one was a ‘monster’ haboob (another word for dust storm).
But I must admit, that it was an exciting experience…
I wrote about it last year, if you would like to see more photos of this enormous dust storm.
“Guess What Blew in the Other Day”
Antique ‘Junk’ for the Garden
AZ Plant LadyA couple of weeks ago, we all traveled up to the quaint town of Prescott, AZ. One of the best things that I like about going there is that they have some very good antique shops.
To be honest, I hadn’t planned on buying anything. I was just going to browse – but you probably know how that goes….
Two different items caught my eye and I thought that they would be perfect for my garden.
Okay, maybe it isn’t obvious what I am going to do with these two antique pieces.
My plan is to use the old watering can as a planter in my vegetable garden. I plan to add annual flowers that will spill out the top.
All I need to do is to add some holes for drainage on the bottom and put a drip emitter on top for water.
I really like this wire basket. According to the the seller, it is a wire basket that held wine bottles.
Well, I don’t drink much wine, so I think I will use it in my vegetable garden later this year.
Don’t you think it would make a great trellis for sugar snap peas?
I will simply place the basket in my vegetable garden and plant the seeds around it. Once they sprout, they will have a great place to grow upward. Later, when the plants are finished for the season, I will simply take the basket out.
How about you?
Have you discovered any antiques or items that you can use in your garden?
Please share them with me 🙂
An Old, Antique Watering Can Re-Purposed
Weekend Escape
Arizona, az plant lady familyDo you ever feel the need to ‘escape’ for the weekend?
I do. Especially when summer arrives.
The hot summer temperatures do not really bother me much because it seldom gets humid where I live – however, I’m a wimp when it comes to humidity.
But, there is just something about hopping into the car and a couple of hours later, arriving at a completely different terrain and climate.
Phoenix metro area
Thankfully, there are many places to visit that are within a 2 hour drive of the Phoenix metro area, where I live.
When my husband and I were much younger and didn’t have a lot of money (not that we have tons of money now ;-)….
we would take day trips up to exciting destinations in Northern Arizona.
Places like Sedona, Jerome, Prescott and Flagstaff were our favorites. And, the temperatures were usually quite a bit cooler.
We would pack up our two daughters (our youngest three, weren’t here yet), and leave early on a Saturday morning for a day of fun, returning late at night.
A couple of weekends ago, we spent the weekend up in Prescott for Father’s Day. You see, this Father’s Day was bittersweet, because it is the first one without my father-in-law, who passed away from ALS last September.
My dad passed away 5 years ago, so we decided to go out of town and do something really fun with the family.
We had a great time and I thought you might want to view our photo album 🙂
The entire Johnson clan.
So where are we?
We visited Montezuma’s Castle on our way up to Prescott.
It is not so much a castle, but a Indian cliff dwelling that was built 900 years ago.
We had fun walking the 1/3 mile trail around the area.
Of course, it is always nice to get a piggy-back ride from dad 😉
(My son Kai has a disability called arthrogryposis, which can make it difficult to walk long distances.)
We had fun and were soon on our way to Prescott.
Our favorite destination in Prescott is the Sharlot Hall Museum, which includes the first Arizona’s Governor’s Mansion (Prescott was the first state capitol).
Yes…the first Governor’s mansion was a log cabin.
The interior is complete with period furnishings and interactive displays for the kids.
The rest of the grounds have beautiful gardens, a ranch house, school house and a building that houses period transportation…
Kai is not quite ready for school to start yet….
But, he did try to teach us something new 😉
The ranch house had a ‘kitchen garden’ complete with heirloom variety vegetables that they used back in the 1800’s.
Another great attraction of Prescott’s is that they have great shopping – particularly if you like antiques. So, of course we had some fun looking and buying some pieces. I will be using some in the garden.
After shopping, we spent time hanging out at the quaint courthouse and its park. The front walkway was lined with Arizona state flags in celebration of the centennial.
We had a great day and ended it by treating ourselves to ice-cream…
Soon our entire family (grandmas, aunts, uncles and cousins) will escape for our annual trip to Williams, AZ.
**I hope your summer is going well and that you are able to ‘escape’ for at least a day of fun 🙂
Snapshot of a Summer Week in the Garden
AZ Plant LadySummer is officially here. To be honest, I think it is funny that summer ‘starts’ on June 20th when we have already had temperatures above 100 degrees for weeks.
It may be hot, but my vegetable garden is thriving.
Here is a snapshot of the past week in my garden:
My newest vegetable garden is doing very well. Actually, it is doing better then I had even hoped. The reason for this is that it receives filtered shade in both the morning and afternoon.
The result is that my marigolds and nasturtiums are still thriving even though they normally die off by the end of May.
I am a thrifty person by nature and like to save money when I can in the garden, so I collect the seeds from dried flowers in order to plant them again the following season:
Hollyhock seeds
Marigold seeds
I save the seeds in regular envelopes.
About 3 weeks ago, I cut back my spent hollyhocks and have been pleasantly surprised to see them come back.
My vegetable gardens continue to produce corn, tomatoes, string beans, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers and herbs.
Before you see the following picture, I need to remind you that I am far from a perfect gardener…
This is what happens when you are out of town and don’t get to harvest your corn.
You can see that the kernels are sunken and even dried out.
Now if you grew an heirloom variety of corn, you can save the dried kernels for planting next year.
(Heirloom varieties of vegetables aren’t hybrids and will grow the exactly the same as the parent plant).
OR, you can allow the corn cobs to dry out completely and set them out for the birds, which is what I plant to do since I planted a hybrid type of corn.
(The seeds from hybrids won’t produce the same plant).
Clockwise from top: Basil, Thyme, Sage, Rosemary and Purple Basil.
I normally dry my herbs in bunches, hanging upside down. But my sister has done it by drying them on cookie sheets. Because we live in a desert, this is a viable option. I must admit that I haven’t tried this before, so I’m anxious to see how it works. I set the cookie sheets out in my garage, covered with a dish cloth.
We’ll see how it works.
Lastly, I have planted some vegetable seeds outside of my garden. More about that later….
As for the rest of the week – I will be spending much of my time indoors in air-conditioned comfort, viewing my garden from indoors 😉
****************
How about you?
What are you doing in the garden this week?
My Newest Favorite Thing…..Vegetable Gardening!
Hidden Treasure in the Vegetable Garden
Vegetable GardeningHave you ever noticed that not all treasures (and by ‘treasures’, I mean vegetables) in your vegetable garden are obvious?
Cucumber Plant
A particularly sneaky vegetable are cucumbers.
You can look at a beautiful cucumber plant and not see any cucumbers, despite the fact that there may be quite a few just ready for the picking.
Cucumbers are very easy to grow and need support to grow up onto. I use both tomato cages and thin bamboo stakes tied into a ‘tepee’ shape.
One thing you may not know about cucumbers is that each plant produces two different kind of flowers – one is male and the other is female.
Above, is a picture of the male flower. They appear before the female flowers.
Female flowers have a thick base, which has the shape of a tiny cucumber. It is from the female flowers that the cucumbers are formed.
Earlier this week, I went out to check my vegetable garden and to make sure there were no pests bothering my young cucumber plants.
All five of my cucumber plants looked happy and I didn’t expect any cucumbers yet.
But, just to be sure, I moved the large leaves aside and found….
A beautiful, fully ripe cucumber.
In fact, there wasn’t just one, there was another cucumber as well.
So the moral of this story is to check up on your vegetables often and look beyond the large leaves.
Savoring the Flavors of Summer: A Mouthwatering Roasted Corn Recipe
Arizona garden, Baking, desert gardening, Recipes From the Vegetable Garden, Vegetable Gardening, vegetablesSummer’s Delight: Roasted Sweet Corn and BBQ
When the sun shines brightly and the aroma of barbecue wafts through the air, you know summer has arrived. But for me, nothing quite captures the essence of this season like the taste of sweet corn. For the past three summers, I’ve reveled in the joy of growing my own sweet corn, and this year promises to be just as delightful.
A Season of Growth and Anticipation
As the days grow longer and the temperatures rise, there’s a remarkable transformation happening in my backyard. It begins with the sprouting of the corn stalks, their vibrant green leaves reaching for the sky. Then, the first delicate appearance of corn silk marks the beginning of a mouthwatering countdown to the ultimate summer treat: fresh-roasted corn on the cob.
Easy Cultivation, Easier Cooking
Growing sweet corn is not only a rewarding experience but also surprisingly easy. However, the real magic happens when you turn those homegrown cobs into a delectable dish. In my quest for a simpler and tastier way to cook corn, I stumbled upon a game-changing roasted corn recipe that eliminates the need for boiling water and shucking corn ahead of time. The best part? It imparts a delicious, roasted flavor that will have your taste buds dancing with joy.
Instructions:
The Roasted Corn Recipe
Let’s dive right into it – here’s how you can effortlessly prepare Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob:
Ingredients:
Roasted Corn Recipe
B
Roasted Corn Recipe
There you have it – a fuss-free and incredibly satisfying way to prepare fresh-roasted corn on the cob. It doesn’t get much easier or tastier than this!
Roasted Corn Recipe
Summertime Roasted Corn Bliss
As you revel in the simple pleasures of summer, remember that the joy of growing your own sweet corn can be elevated to new heights with the right recipe. This Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob is not only a time-saver but also a flavor enhancer that will make your summer gatherings truly memorable.
So, fire up that oven, embrace the beauty of your homegrown corn, and savor the flavors of the season with this mouthwatering roasted corn recipe.
It doesn’t get much easier than that, does it?
New Vegetable Garden Finally Finished!
“TOP SECRET” Family Recipe
az plant lady family, Recipes From the Vegetable GardenI bet you have all been waiting with ‘baited breath’ for me to reveal our “TOP SECRET” Family Recipe, ever since I referred to it in my last post about making peach vinegar.
First, before I reveal our family recipe (and risk the wrath of my family for revealing this secret recipe 😉, I thought that I should give you a little background first….
At this point, you are probably asking what the picture of this lady has to do with the recipe.
Well, this was her homemade salad dressing recipe. To be honest, I don’t know where she got the recipe or if she created it herself.
So, who is this woman?
Her name was Ruth A. Smith and she was my grandmother. My dad was her only child. At one point, their family lived in Phoenix in the 1940’s during the war and she worked in a factory that made airplane parts. I call this photo ‘Rosie the Riveter’.
She was a wonderful grandmother and loved spending time with us…
Yes, that is me on the far right with my ‘boy’ haircut. My sister, Jennifer is sitting next to me and my grandmother is holding my brother, Scott (my youngest sister, Grace, hadn’t been born yet).
When we were young, we spent a couple of summers in Germany with them, where my grandfather worked. Later, they moved back to the States and settled in California where we lived. Now, my grandmother wasn’t a great cook – however, she wasn’t bad either. When we would visit them – we would have the same menu each time, which included:
– Roast Beef (it was always a bit dry) with potatoes and salad
– Ground Beef Patties with a vegetable that we hated (squash) and salad.
After dinner, we always had a VanDeKamps’ Angel Food cake with whipped chocolate frosting and vanilla ice milk.
The fact that my grandmother wasn’t a great cook makes it all the more interesting that she made fabulous homemade salad dressing. Years later, my siblings and I would reminisce about her yummy salad dressing. The only problem was that we never asked her how to make it.
A few years ago, I asked my mother if she could remember what my grand mother put in her salad dressing. Thankfully, my mother was able to remember all the ingredients – just not the proportions. So, I set to work to figure out the recipe and I was thrilled to finally get it! Since then, it is all we use on our salads with a few different ingredients from time to time to change it up.
So, I am breaking all the family rules by sharing this with you (just kidding) – but seriously it is too good a recipe to keep to ourselves.
So here it is:
Ruth Smith’s Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil (or other non-flavored vegetable oil – don’t use olive oil)
2 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 pinch Salt3 – 4 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar or other fruit-flavored vinegar
(My Homemade Peach Vinegar is pictured above)
I’ve also used Pomegranate White Balsamic vinegar too.
Directions:
In a small jar add the salt, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Then add the oil and place the lid on the jar and shake until all ingredients are combined.
Pour over your salad and enjoy!
You can copy and paste the recipe below if you like:
Grandma Smith’s Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil (or other non-flavored vegetable oil – don’t use olive oil)
2 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar*
1 pinch Salt3
– 4 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar or other fruit-flavored vinegar
Directions:
In a small jar add the salt, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Then add the oil and place the lid on the jar and shake until all ingredients are combined.
Serve over your favorite salad!
*You can use Splenda instead of sugar if desired.
I hope you enjoy our ‘Top Secret’ salad dressing! Grandma Smith would be thrilled to know that I’m sharing it with all of you 🙂