My garden

This is my flower bed that is a gift from my husband and his dear family who worked for hours to help me put it in.

(A Zinnia flower with a beautiful Gulf Fritillary butterfly)

Look Laura! I am growing Sunflowers! :)

An Echinacea flower with a Gulf Fritillary butterfly

Fresh Garden Salsa!

I have been making a lot of fresh salsa from the yummy veggies in my garden. I have been blessed with some juicy ripe tomatoes and crunchy sweet bell peppers which reminded me of home and my daddy's garden and of all the days spent making salsa with my mom and sisters during the summer months. If you have fresh veggies in your garden try making some salsa today!

Fresh Garden Salsa
(My own recipe that changes all the time.)

2 tomatoes - finely chopped
1 sweet bell pepper - finely chopped
1/2 onion - very finely minced
1/4 cup cilantro - minced
1 jalapeno - seeded and finely minced (opt.)
salt, pepper, and lemon/lime juice to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill before serving.

Enjoy the fresh bounty that God blesses us with. This salsa is a feast for the eyes as well as for the tummy!

Cilantro Cubes

Lettuce, onions, and cilantro from my family's garden in South Carolina! I can't wait until Robby and I get our garden going!

Have you ever had a fresh herb that you have lots of go bad in your fridge because you can't use it all up by the time is has wilted? This past weekend I was going to attend the Crossroads 09 conference http://www.crossroads09.com/schedule/ and I had a bunch of unused cilantro in the refrigerator that I didn't want to loose! So I decided to freeze it in the ice cube trays to save for seasoning later meals! I sure did have a lot of fun doing this and was so happy at the thought that I was saving on the grocery bill and having the luxury of fresh herbs.

Maybe you have a bunch from the store and want to use it wisely or maybe you have an abundence in your garden that you need to harvest and store for the coming days. Here is how to do it:


Cilantro Cubes

1. Thoroughly wash all the cilantro that you plan on freezing and then pat dry with a towel.

2. Finely chop all your cilantro leaves and small steams into about 1/2 -1/4 inch bits. You can use a food processor if you would like.

3. Place in ice tray packing down until the "cubes" are halfway full.

4. Cover with water partway and then place in the freezer. After they have frozen then you will add more water to the top of the tray and refreeze. This step helps to cover any pieces that tried to float to the top.

5. After all the cilantro cubes have frozen you can pop them out and store them in a Ziploc bag.

There you have it "fresh" cilantro to use at any time!

To Use: simply pull out your cube(s) and add to your soups and other meals. If you don't want the little extra water then put into a screen colander and run water over the cube until it has melted, drain and add your cilantro to your recipe. It may not be quite as fresh as the before but is still better that using the dried herb.

You can use this method with other herbs as well like rosemary and parsley. Try and see what works for you!

"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred."
Proverbs 15:17

Lets commit to make all our families meals as full of love and uplifting conversation as they are tasty!

~ Joyful Wife