A Big Bowl of Geese

Caught this photo through the kitchen window because I knew my geese would jump out of the pool if I went out to get a picture. I took several before I decided to whistle to get their attention and got them all looking at me at the same time. Here are some of the others.


Preening and cleaning in a communal bath. Just like a bunch of friends in a hot tub. Only thing missing is the beer.

Sometimes you read something that just sounds weird but you have to try it anyway. Some where I read that if you take the root end of a green onion and cut it off you can get it to grow again. Just so happens that I bought some green onions to put in a salad the other day and decided to try it. I cut off the root end about a quarter of an inch above the roots and stuck them in a shallow dish with some water and within two days I started to see green shoots. Guess I will have to plant them just to see what happens.

Nice to get double for your money if it works. I wonder if you can just keep recycling them over and over.

Last year I grew a bumper crop of tomatoes. Problem was most of them never got ripe and I didn't have time to do anything with the green ones. So I gave a bunch to a friend of mine and her room mate made green tomato relish. It was the first time I have ever tried it and it was delicious. I have looked at a ton of green tomato recipes and I have tried fried green tomatoes (I was unimpressed) so this year I will pick those green tomatoes ahead of time instead of waiting for fall and can them up into relish and pickles. Thanks Cin and Martha.

Here is the recipe if anyone wants to try it.

Ingredients:

24 large green tomatoes 3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded 3 green bell peppers, halved and seeded 12 large onions 3 tablespoons celery seed

3 tablespoons mustard seed 1 tablespoon salt 5 cups white sugar 2 cups cider vinegar

Directions:

1.	In a grinder or food processor, coarsely grind tomatoes, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and onions. (You may need to do this in batches.) Line a large colander with cheesecloth, place in sink or in a large bowl, and pour in tomato mixture to drain for 1 hour.
2.	In a large, non-aluminum stockpot, combine tomato mixture, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3.	Sterilize enough jars and lids to hold relish (12 one-pint jars, or 6 one-quart jars). Pack relish into sterilized jars, making sure there are no spaces or air pockets. Fill jars all the way to top. Screw on lids.
4.	Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with boiling water. Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes.
5.	Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Relish can be stored for up to a year. My next few blogs are going to be getting a little more serious but I promise I will put in at least one fun piece of fluff in each one.