An Update from the Home Front

Finally .... my apple tree is almost finished with its crop!!!  Every day or so for the past couple weeks there have been 15-20 apples on the ground.  Some get a bruise from falling, but they are okay to use for applesauce and desserts and especially to give away to anyone who calls or comes over!! "COME OVER, ANYONE!"  I posted an apple dessert in my very first blog.  Did anyone make it?  I've made it too many times, have tried other recipes that failed my taste test, and always will make that one.  The best thing about it is that the recipe can be made year-round, because it takes only 6-7 apples to fill that 8 or 9" baking dish.

Last year I planted a lot of tomato plants and had a very disappointing crop.  Maybe it was the horrendous heat we had in Southern California?  This year I am having a bumper crop and am sooo happy!  My daughter and friends are also happy!  I have one cherry tomato plant that is the best! and six regular tomato plants, some producing medium size tomatoes and others larger tomatoes.  I have the tags in the ground and will keep them to try duplicate my selection for next year.  Each year I dig in mulch and chicken manure, then use Miracle Grow faithfully.  This has been my regime for years and it usually works.  Do you have a favorite recipe to share for tomatoes?  I've been happy with BLTs, salads and bruschetta so far.

I just planted a few zucchini plants, after pulling up the yellow crock neck squash I was not happy with.  Of course the zucchini will be SO happy to be combined with the cocoa and chocolate chips in the zucchini bread recipe I posted earlier!!  You'll have to try it.

Today I discovered a few peaches on the ground!  WOW.  This is a very special tree to me, a Rio Osso peach tree.  A hundred years ago we drove out to Little Rock, CA, every year and bought this brand of peaches to can.  Then I was able to order the same tree for my yard!  It suffered a set back during a high wind storm years ago and half the tree was ripped away (bad pruning job by @!%^!).   But even though the tree is leaning a little to one side, it is healthy and doing well.  It's a freestone peach, sweet, simply delicious.

Hope you are having a great weekend!
Rose Mary