Tamarind soup with taro root

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of pork ribs
2oo grams of Tamarind soup base
2 medium tomatoes
1 whole onion
2 - 3 pcs of Taro root
1 tbs of chopped ginger
6-8 cups of water
Vegetables (green beens, spinach, chilli pepper for spice, bell pepper young leaves)
1 Banana Planting (optional) cut in quarters
Fish sauce or soy sauce
Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil pork with ginger and onions in water until the pork is tender.
2. Add taro root. Taro root will take twice as long to cook the rest of the vegetables that will be added. Make sure taroo root is cooked halfway before adding all the other vegetables. (You may add the banana planting with the vegetables)
3. About 3 minutes before everything is done, that is when you add the Tamarind soup base, fish or soy sauce, and salt to taste.
4. Served hot. Enjoy.

Sweet Potato

How to grow sweet potato.

Sweet potato plants are very easy to grow. Once planted, it can take over your garden space if you let it. I love the sweet potato tops and the tubers. I usually start my plant by placing a tuber in water 3/4 of the way, placing the pointy end upward.  In a month's time, depending on the type of sweet potato, temperature, etc., you will see what is known as the "slips". Slips can be snipped or pulled off for planting once they are about 4-5 inches long. Slips will continue to grow from the eye of the tuber. You can also snip the slips and place it in separate jar of water. I do this specially when the temperature outside is not ready for it to be planted.

My harvest in 2011 (5 plants)

Once established, trim plants to 18 inches long to send growth to the root crop. I did not get much crop last year since I let my plants grow to harvest young sweet potato tops for stir fry.

About Me

My name is Donna Brown. I have done a lot of geographical moves in my life, big ones and little ones. My most recent move was from Vancouver, British Columbia to Louisburg, North Carolina. I followed my husband here where he got a job as a mechanical engineer for Cummins. I was used to the busy life that a big city imposed and that entailed raising a family, while working full time, and going to school at the same time. Now that I have moved out here in the country, I always wondered whether I will enjoy living here and get accustom to laid back way of life.

My husband and I bought a house at Lake Royale with a half acre front and backyard. It’s not much of a yard compared to others, but it is more than we can ever afford to have if we were still living in Vancouver. We were so excited about landscaping and gardening. We both like to garden, but we had never been blessed to own a larger yard until now. My husband, Scott, gave me, as my arrival present, a strawberry patch in a wooden garden bed that he made. The very first week I arrived with our son Elias (3.5 years) and Audrey (4 months), we got busy planning the lay out of our garden beds, the size, and what plants to sow. We were very excited and have talked much about someday soon enjoying a cuisine made fresh from our vegetable garden. 

As I was doing my research on various topics relating to gardening, some online information was useful and some were not. I found that a lot of the information came from simple gardeners like me.  Then came the idea of sharing my own gardening experience online. After all, true gardeners share their garden.

I hope you enjoy this site.

Rose Propagation

2 weeks old with new shoots of leaves

How to propagate rose plants from cuttings, even knock out roses. It's best to do the cutting in spring, but if you are willing to baby sit the new plant indoor and have room for them, you may start mid to late winter to get ahead.

• You will need a sharp cutter to make sure you do not crush the stem
• I recommend cutting mature branches and not young ones diagonally (don't want the soft green stem)
• Immediately put the newly cut stem in water
• Before planting, shave around the bottom inch part of the stem to help it root easier if you don't have a rooting powder. If you do have a rooting powder, just take the wet bottom end of the stem, dip it in rooting powder and plant directly in the pot. You can get the rooting powder from Lowes or your local nursery
• Press dirt around the plant to keep it firm and not loose
• water well, do not over water but keep the soil moist
• Place the pot near window or in bright areas (indoor), better outdoor if weather is warm enough (not freezing point).
• In 2 weeks you will notice new leaves coming out as shown in the picture, it will take approximately 6-8 weeks for cutting to take root

Propagating rose will save you big bucks and it is easy to do and is rewarding. Just a note, when you propagate in the fall, you have to make sure that the new plant will not have a chance to freeze or else it won't make it. Best of luck.

Beef Stir Fry with Snow peas and snow pea greens

Ingredients:
Beef - thinly sliced
Snow peas
Snow pea greens
Cooking oil (olive oil)
Garlic
Onions
Soy sauce
Salt & Pepper
Note: The amount of ingredients will vary depending on your liking.

Directions:
Stir Fry Beef with Snow peas and snow pea greens

1. Wash all vegetables as usual.

2. Cut beef into small cubes. The amount of beef depends on your liking. Set it aside.

3. In a medium pan with hot oil, sauté garlic and onions for about 1minute. Add in beef. Cook until meat is tender.

4. Add in snow peas and snow pea green. Cook until the vegetables are tender.

5. Add a teaspoon of soy sauce,dash of salt and pepper taste.

6. Ready to serve as side dish to rice or just enjoy it by itself.

 Note: When you pick the young snow pea greens, they should snap easy. If you have to twist it to break it off then this part will not be palatable when you cook them. So make sure you cut them where it snaps when you pick the young green tops.

Bitter Melon with tomatoes

 

Ingredients:
1 Bittermelon, medium size
2 Eggs
2-3 Tomatoes
2 cloves of Garlic1
1 Onion
1 tbsp of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1. Split bitter melon lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out the inside. Wash bitter melon.

2. Lay the half bitter melon facing down on a chopping board and slice to about a quarter of an inch.

3. With hot oil in a pan, sauté garlic and onions for about a minute. Add sliced tomatoes (2-3 small tomatoes) and add the bitter melon.

4. Once bitter melon is tender and cooked, add and saute 2 scrambled eggs.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bitter melon on  a vine

Note: If you desire the bitter melon to be less bitter, after slicing them, you may pour about a teaspoon of salt and stir. Let it soak in salty juice for 10 minutes, then wash salted bitter melon prior to cooking.