The Babies

Well the tomatoes have been in the ground for 10 days and we already have little babies.  These suckers are fertile; now if we can get them to stay on the vine and ripen.



little babies

We've been working on more cages; and I'm creating awesome tomato cage tags - be excited people labels are fun!  Other things going on at the Smith Ranch include a drip irrigation system and planting okra.  I personally haven't put any irrigation together in over 10 years in my Greenhouse Maintenance Class with Dr. Wilkerson.  Let's all hope that my fancy college eduation will come in handy.  If it doesn't my parents will tell me they want their money back and Todd might not let me be the offical taste tester.  That is my biggest fear during this whole project in case you where wondering. 

Tomatoes on Tuesday

We have a little project going on at the Smith Ranch....tomatoes.  I'm talking about tasty; you only need a fork and knife kind of tomatoes.  They are older types....that's right folks, you guessed it.  Heirloom Tomatoes - all types and there are 67 plants in all and we have a plan.  Logging the water, fertilizer, production, and most importantly the taste.  I'm excited about being the official taste tester in the project because next to eggs, tomatoes might be the best used cooking ingredient in the kitchen.

Most people have thought that Todd and I are nuts to plant so many but we need a project and can you think of anything better except maybe ice cream.  We won't pack on as many lbs. tasting the tomatoes...we'll leave the ice cream to our visits to the good old DQ - I'm already an expert at the Blizzard.

The back garden plot.

Here's what we have planted:

Porter
Stupice
Yellow Perfection
Gardener's Delight
Golden Nugget
Kellog's Breakfast
Marglobe
Persimmion
Mr. Stripey
Black Krim
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Mortgage Lifter
Jaune Flamme
Arkansas Traveler
Lemon Boy
Striped German
Cherokee Purple
Green Zebra
Black Cherry
Golden Jubilee
Patio

 *I know some are not considered "heirlooms"but we're trying them anyway.  It's our garden and we can!

We've grown a few of these before but if you have any experience with heirlooms; taking all the advice and knowledge I can get.

And So It Began...Again

I was blogging and then I wasn't.  So now I'm beginning again.

Some would call it taking a break and others would call it writers block.  I don't know what it was but anyway I'm going to try it again.  I'm funny to me and about five other people so maybe you can be one of those five.  There are two spots remaining to be filled so board this blogging train and take a ride.  If you don't like it the ticket was free so there. 

I'm always open for suggestions on topics to discuss - I may not like your topic so don't get your panties in a bunch if you get left out.  I've got lots of things to ramble about like yummy food and good places to eat in different cities; I have a side business doing wedding flowers so I'm "into" weddings and parties; also I've recently decided to start exercising (when your stretchy pants don't fit there is a HUGE problem).

BY THE WAY - I'm a true blue procrastinator with no sign of recovery in my future.  Just wanted to let you know in case something happens.

Love and Later -
Allie

Hostess

I was the hostess with the mostest this Easter Weekend.

On Good Friday Mr. Smith and I held the 2nd Annual BBQ & Bonfire out at his place. There was some freshly caught white bass fried up for all the Catholics too! Oh and of course no bonfire due to the incredible burn ban going on in the whole state of Texas. I'd talk more about it but I don't have one single picture from the night to prove it. Not the 16 feet of food, not the cooler filled with beer, not the huge jump house....not even a single guest.

I.TOTALLY.SUCK!


On a brighter note: My game was on Sunday for making Easter Lunch.

Menu:
Mimosas
Ribeye Steaks
Tiger Prawns
Spring Salad
Deviled Eggs
Goat Cheese Mashers
Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
Cherry Cheese Cream Pie


Love & Later -

Allie

Five Weeks

It's session*; it's midnight; I'm still at work. This is where it all starts going down hill, up hill, and all to shit. This new job and new boss have been great and I have absolutely nothing to complain about yet. Let me put it in prospective...I haven't slept in my office yet. The crunch time is happening as we speak. Bills are flying around, some moving forward and some dying a slow death in committee land.

More importantly I'm dreaming of a vacation long over due. I'm looking for suggestions on places to visit. Right now the beach isn't sounding that great (I'm living in my office, not the gym) with the requirement of a swimsuit. Do you have any favorite places that you'd like to share with me?

*Session last 140 days but it seems they try to cramp the majority of my work into the last six weeks. Why? Who knows; but that's how these clowns roll.

Love & Later -

Allie

Saying Yes

Someone is getting married....my brother Ty asked his cute girlfriend of 5 years to stick around for a little while longer. SHE SAID YES!

We are all very excited with the wedding buzz and a date of March 3, 2012 has been set. They picked an awesome location in the Hill Country.

I received this box in the mail from the bride to be a few weeks ago.

And open it up to find the sweetest note...saying how she can't wait to be a part of our family.

It also included an awesome bridesmaid barbie and some Mentos gum.

Let me just tell you that before I accepted her offer of being a bridesmaid, I had one single question.

Do I have to go commando just like Barbie?

Love & Later -

Allie

Lists

Hi, I'm Allie and I'm a list maker. DUH! If there is anything to do I write it down; sometimes I will add things that I've already finished just so I can have something marked off the list. It doesn't even matter what kind of list, things to do for work, grocery (seperate for Costco, HEB, ect.), home projects of course broken into list of each room and then there's a list for outside.

You get it....I love a good long list.

There's going to be a huge party on Good Friday out at Mr. Smith's house. Let me just tell you I have 5 pages of lists. It started with a list of things to do at his house. Things like finish planting the summer garden, rearrange and revive the flower pots; get some hanging baskets; trim up some of the trees; burn out some stumps (what at pain in the arse for him); get some decent hand towels for the guest bathroom (claiming it was my request); and then there was the shower curtain (again, all me).

In case you didn't know, I'm the weird person that could spend hours in the grocery store. Looking at all the fresh produce, aisles and aisles of bread, pasta, cereal, milk and eggs. The different kinds of EVOOs and 30 different kinds of canned tomatoes. Yes I did compete in consumer decision making while in 4-H. I digress.

I have a list of things to do; places to shop; and a grocery list that is a notebook sheet front and back. For Real! Checking items off my list - it's what I do.

And while I'm at Costco, I've got to get a new passport photo. More to come....


Love & Later -

Allie