Unfortunately, the mint plant we had for years that we transplanted at the end of 2019 from our old house to our new house only survived for one more year. The mint did well during 2020, but in 2021, it gave up the ghost and went on yonder. Thus, we had to plant a new mint plant. This time we decided to plant sweet mint. Here's the interesting part. If you recall, last year, I split that mint plant in half and gave half to my mom. The half my mom has is still alive. In additi

My sons have been asking to use the video camera again. They will be taking over many of our future videos. Please be patient as they learn how to use the video camera. I guess the up side is you will get to hear and see me more on camera...including my big and bold hair. Check out the two videos they filmed today. James recording the video of us cooking eggs, and Jerry recorded the video of the watermelon salad. Remember, anyone can be a gardener. You just need to get read

National Strawberry Shortcake Day is celebrated June 14th annually. The origins of this day is unclear. This is one of my favorite desserts, so I don't need to know how this day came into existence. I'm just glad it is another opportunity for me to indulge! This year is the first year in a long time that we did not grow any strawberries. My parents have strawberries, but there is a farm that is closer to our home than my parents' house. When we first moved into our house, we

I know I have not been blogging much about my garden, but stuff is growing. To be honest, my job has been super stressful this school year. It has been so stressful that I have lost a little over 10 pounds during the last two months, but what brings me peace is being outside in my garden. What calms my nerves (besides a glass of wine) is a cup of tea. I'm not the only tea lover in my home; my sons love tea too especially fresh mint tea. That meant it was time for a mint harv

Hi, everyone! Welcome back. If this is your first year following us, check out my introduction video below. Spring is here and we are super excited. This means we will be blogging, vlogging, and sharing pictures on a regular basis. Speaking of vlogging, check out our recent video...hey, it's less than a minute! Meet Gardener Shicole Mint is Growing Remember, anyone can be a gardener. You just need to get ready, get set, and grow! To keep up with our 2019 garden, make sure yo

Welcome winter! It might not feel like winter in Indiana today, but it is certainly the first day of winter. If you have been following us over the years, you know that we are always happy to celebrate when each new season begins. For the 2017 Winter Solstice, we made lamb and veal chili. This year, instead of making a warm meal, we made a tasty and cold treat. As I mentioned earlier, it doesn't really feel like winter yet. We have had some cold days, but it has not been

Last year, my boys and I had lots of fun during the Summer Solstice. My nieces were staying with me during the week of the solstice and it was bright and sunny. This year, it is a different story. It has rained for most of the day and is raining as I write. Luckily, we were able to harvest some mint. We decided to enjoy some warm mint tea while we watched movies and the second season of Are You Afraid of the Dark? What did you do today? Let us know in the comments. Garden

Last week on the summer solstice my boys, my nieces and I did a little harvesting in the garden. One item harvested was mint by my niece Zoe. Once I cleaned the mint, I decided to use some of it to make mint syrup. The rest of the mint will be used to make mint extract and some minty drinks. Since I had my nieces at my house I thought it would be fun to show them and my boys how to make mason jar ice cream incorporating the mint syrup. Below is our mason jar ice cream vid

February 2017 has been a short, but eventful month. Garden 2017 In Indiana, we are known to have crazy weather; even a mix of weather within one day. The number of warm days we have had in February have been unusual and has awaken some plants in our garden. As shown above, garlic, spinach, mint and chives are already growing in our 2017 garden. We are taking advantage, but are cautious because the next thing you know, we could have a blizzard (but hopefully not!). Learning

Last year, we grew mint for the first time. We selected two chocolate mint plants from our local nusery and grew them in pots on the window sill of our sunroom. The plants did not grow back this year. We really liked the chocolate mint so we purchased two new plants this year and one sweet mint plant. We placed one plant in each planter we have built into our deck. The sweet mint plant grew quickly. It was time to harvest some leaves and make something tasty. We really

A gardener never has enough time. One of my chocolate mint plants started to flower before I got around to pinching off the buds. I included a link to the Old Farmer's Almanac guide's mint page. Good information about mint care. Although the mint's flowers are beautiful, I was hoping not to see their beautiful blossoms. #mint #budpinching #oldfarmersalmanac

Not only do our boys help out in the garden, they help out in the kitchen also. Last week was a perfect time for making chocolate mint cookies. We made lots just for fun and gave many away. Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe #cookies #chocolate #mint