Author Archives: Momzoo

Celery from the Garden, Using the Whole Plant

Posted on by
This year one of my experiment crops was celery.  I stared them from seed on my window seal in early April, then very carefully transplanted then in to the garden mid-May.  I wondered if they were really going to grow, I didn’t know anyone in my area who has ever tried celery, and at first they were slow to grow.  However, once the heat of the summer (finally) came on they grew big and green.  If anything they are a lovely addition to the garden, as they are beautiful and green.

Celery grown commercially is tied in a bundle while it is grown, so the stalks grow straight and tight, this makes for easier shipping and it also keeps the inner stalks lighter in color and mild in flavor.  Next year I might try doing this, but this year I wanted to see what they would do it they were just left alone.  Also, I only harvest a stalk at a time, I didn’t intend to cut the whole bunch at once so I really didn’t need the bunch to be tight and compact.
Picking and eating the celery as been a lot of fun, in my weird quirky way I enjoy stuff like that.
When using celery, there is a lot of the plant that is cut off and thrown away.  The leaves would be great in the compost pile or fed to the chickens, but I decided that I wanted to keep all the wonderful flavor for myself.

I washed the cut tops really well, then let them drain on a towel.
Then I set them out to dry.
(I will show how in another post)
Dry celery leaves make wonderful flavoring for soups and stews during cold winter nights. 
I love the satisfaction I feel when I grow, gather and process my own foods.

The Dreams of This Dreamer

Posted on by

I really did fall in love with Eastern Oklahoma while I was there. It is beautiful country. I was so surprised by what I found there. I had assumed that Oklahoma was corn fields, cattle and dirt. I was partly correct, western Oklahoma is that way, which is fine, but this girl, born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, was starved for variety. Once we got into central and eastern Oklahoma the land changed and my breath was taken away. Rolling hills, forests, rivers and creeks, farms, all that I had ever dreamed about. It would be so easy to tuck a little house up into those hills and hide away forever. I could imagine my children spending their days playing in the creek and forest. Planting and growing a huge garden without having to struggle with desert conditions, Oklahoma’s last frost date is April 8th for heaven sake! That is a full 6 weeks before the last frost date in Utah, I could harvest tomatoes for months instead of a few weeks. I could picture a little farm house with a big porch, a swing and an old hound dog, Dadzoo and I sipping lemon aid in the twilight. (Yes I am a dreamer). All of this within an hour from Oklahoma City or Tulsa, cities big enough that Dadzoo could find work in his profession.
 
I could never have this in Utah, for a few reasons. Number 1, trees don’t just grow here, they have to be planted and babied…this is the high desert after all. Number2, we just don’t have creeks running around all over the place, once again, this is a desert. Number 3, any and all “farm land” within 1 hour of Salt Lake City or any of the other bigger cities has been taken and is priced at a premium. The Salt Lake Valley is right up against the mountain to the east, and while there are some communities up in those mountains, it would mean commuting on those high canyon passes in the winter, not fun, and not always possible as those roads are closed at times. To the west we have the desert. Which is fine for suburban sprawl, but not so good for farming, there are no trees, and very little water, not conducive to hobby farming.
My dreams of the hills of Oklahoma sound so wonderful….
However, I don’t know if I could ever live in Oklahoma, for a few reasons. Number 1, family, I love my family, we are close, and Oklahoma is a good 3 days (2 if you really want to push it) drive away, I wouldn’t get to see them and I would miss that very much. Number 2, I have always lived here, I am comfortable here, and Oklahoma would be a very different world from the mostly Mormon community where I have grown up. Number 3, would my children stay around? Would they grow up and move away, and then Dadzoo and I would be away from all our family? I know that could happen here in Utah, but then I would still have my extended family around. Number 4, would the humidity kill this desert baby? It was hotter than…well… you know…. Number 5, I am afraid of the change.
The chances of moving my family to Oklahoma is pretty much zero, so my question now, is how to I remake my dream to fit into my reality? How do I find contentment where I am now?