Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, a time for us to take a break out of our lives and enjoy some time catching up with friends (old and new)! Grab a cup of coffee and share with us! There is regular hot coffee in the French press (very strong,) ice tea and ice coffee. What would you like?
I’m going to have some ice tea, I’ve already had my share of coffee for the day. It’s early Saturday evening in Sweden, we are nine hours ahead of Pacific time. How is your week? I went back to work this week, after a seven week long staycation. It has been a great first week at work. I got everything done that I intended to get done before the kids are back. That feels really good.
It’s been a warm week with highs in the low 80’s, and cool nights in the upper 30’s-low 40’s. Everything is growing. I harvest things in the garden every week, and fill up my freezer, and then I re-organise my freezer to fit some more goodies in 🙂 That also feels really good. Every little step towards self sufficiency counts. To me that is empowering.
This morning I was thinning out my Chinese radishes. A Chinese radish is a giant green radish that is bright pink on the inside. I usually plant a lot of them and thin them out as they grow. By late fall/early winter there is one or two GIANTS left. They still taste delicious after the first frost. I use the leaves that I take away when I thin them out, their deliciousness is a big reason why I plant so many. Did you know that the leaves contains more nutrients than the radishes themselves? They do, and they grow fast! I wash the greens in water, cut them in the size I prefer, and parboil the leaves I am not going to use right away, with a little bit of salt 1-2 minutes. After they cooled down I freeze them in flat little packages. I freeze them in the perfect size I would use to add extra flavour and goodness to one big soup, or stew. (Exactly the way I did with the Swiss chard a couple weeks ago.)
Health Benefits Of Radish Leaves
- 1. More Essential Vitamins And Minerals
- 2. High In Dietary Fibers
- 3. Increases Immunity And Reduces Fatigue
- 4. Diuretic
- 5. Antiscorbutic
- 6. Treats Piles
- 7. Treat Jaundice
- 8. Rheumatism
- 9. Helps Prevent Diabetes
- 10. Detoxifying Agent – stylecraze.com
I harvest celery greens weekly, and freeze them in a similar fashion, but without parboiling them. Among other nutrients celery leaves contains; Calcium, Vitamin E, and Iodine.
I’ve harvested zucchini for several weeks now, they keep coming, and show no signs of stopping for a long time (unless it gets really cold of course.) I cook and bake with them in many different ways, but my favourite way of preserving them at the moment is to sauté 1-2 zucchinis in olive oil, with 1 garlic, not one garlic clove, but one whole garlic! I add a little bit of a homemade salt with herbs in, that a young student and his mom made for me. There are many little packages of zucchini in my freezer. These are perfect to put in an omelette, a soup, stew, or pasta salad.
I have not harvested any bell-pepper yet, I’m waiting for them to get bigger. We are expecting a warm week, so maybe soon 🙂
For several weeks now I’ve been enjoying a mix of red currants, chia seed, and oats with cinnamon for breakfast. I’ve also baked bread with red currants in, yum yum. I picked the red currants at a neighbours place a few weeks ago. They are still in season. Yesterday when my daughter, and I were walking on our street, on our way home another neighbour was outside working. I always smile and say “Hej!” when I see this older gentleman and his wife. Yesterday he stopped me and asked if I was interested in some red currants. I said that I was, and he told me that they had one red currant bush that no-one was interested in picking, and that I could help myself to it if I wanted. There is a lot of berries on one bush! The weather is going to be a little cooler tomorrow 75F, and I am planning on picking the red currants then. I am so grateful! I feel like I am surrounded by kindness everywhere. I have never talked to this neighbour before, other than saying “Hej!” Now I am likely going to be able to enjoy my super breakfast all winter.
Red currants are packed with nutrients that are particularly beneficial for skin. Red currants in particular are rich in B vitamins and Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that fights and even reverses free radical damage in skin cells. – pamperbynature.com.au
I have a long list of perennials I am going to plant once I purchase my own property (I am renting now,) both red and black currants are on that list….and once again, I’ve been talking so much! How are things in your corner of the world? Are you back from vacation? Staycation? Enjoying summer? Grab a refill on your coffee, or tea, and tell me in a comment! If you have a coffee share I’ll try to visit sometime tomorrow (my time.)
Love,
Maria
Sounds like all is going so well for you two, Maria, wonderful! Your garden is so impressive, wow! Stay safe, be well my friend!! 🥰
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Thank you so much John! I have enjoyed gardening a lot this year.
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Good to see you on here again, Maria! You certainly have an exquisite garden. Glad to hear reports that your country is seeing declining virus numbers. It must have been very scary, for a time.
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Thank you! Great to see you too!
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Hot coffee or ice tea.
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Coming right up!
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😊
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The benefits of being friendly to neighbors 🙂 Warm is good when it cools down at night, but that seems almost cold! The fresh veggies look great. We belong to a CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture) and get a basket of fresh, local, organic veggies delivered every week. Yummy! I hope your weekend is going well and that you have a great week ahead 🙂
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Yes 🙂 I enjoy opening up at night getting some fresh air in, and it can get cold. CSA sounds wonderful, they have similar groups you can join in some places here. I think that is a marvellous idea! I hope your weekend is great!
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You certainly have been busy between school prep and preserving food for winter. It always feels good to have a well-stocked freezer!
We’re supposed to have another heat wave this week. I cut the lawn and trimmed the front hedge so I wouldn’t have to do it in the heat. This has been a very warm summer! We did have a cooler few days after the tropical storm passed through when it got down to 58 one night (I was so cold, lol!). But I’ll take whatever warmth I can get, fall is right around the corner!
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Yes, busy is good 🙂 I forgot to mention in my post that the children that already got back to school, and I harvested some vegetables this week, that they planted in the spring. They really enjoyed that! Enjoy your warm weather 🙂
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You have a wonderful selection of things in your veggie garden. Great photos too. I love zucchini done as you have described it. Have a happy week ahead.
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Thank you so much! Have a wonderful week!
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Such wonderful tips for preserving or freezing the veggies you’ve grown. It’s also great that you can pick more currants from your new neighbor friend! I always find your posts so inspiring! Makes me want to not only exercise more but eat more healthy too! I won’t have time to write this weekend so I’m going to enjoy coffee with you and others who have already shared! 😄❤️ Have a great week ahead!
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Thank you Diana, I too need to exercise more! I hope you have a good, busy weekend. Thank you for taking the time to come over. I have enjoyed the horse photos and videos you shared this week.
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Wonderful stuff Maria. I did not know all those facts about radishes. I just knew that I love almost any radish.
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Radishes are good, in many ways 🙂
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What a beautiful harvest. I had no luck with zucchini this season but the farm stand in town has enough for everyone.
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Thank you! I love Farmer’s Markets 🙂 Glad you get to enjoy them.
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Thank you, Maria, for your lovely coffee share. I’m glad you had a good first week at work, a nice neighbour, and your garden is yielding so many healthy goodies. Cheers to self-sufficiency!
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Thank you Natalie! Cheers!
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wow Maria, the bell-pepper is looking impresssive
what green fingers you have… I dont know about the Chinese Radish leaves though from expereince when something is listed with a whole bunch of benefits its usually to cover up that the taste is lets just say acquired hahahaha
~B
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Haha..thank you! The radishes leaves are pretty tasty, if you ask me. I like them better than the roots.
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I hope I’ll fall into the category of a new friend! Hello, Maria. How fun to read a post from Sweden. One side of my family came from Sweden and I have visited your country several times as well as delved in my family genealogy there. Love your gardening! Wish I could do the same but we live in the forest. Loved your post!
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Great meeting you here! From what part of Sweden does your family origin from? It is so interesting with genealogy, one of my uncles are really into it. Thank you for your kind comment, hope to see you here again 🙂
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Sounds like you have been enjoying life! The gardens are fabulous! Happy week to you!
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