Oh my harvest

Because of the snow and deep freeze....

I have been forced to finish my harvest. 

The last couple of weeks I have been picking, digging, washing, drying, hanging, cutting, steaming, freezing, packaging, and eating.

Raspberries ~ did great... had two hands full each day for the last month!  Favorite:) 

Carrots ~ steamed, diced, and frozen.

Beets ~ steamed, diced and frozen.

Broccoli ~ because of the battle with the bunny, we had no florets.  However, I used the leaves instead.

Chives ~ dried and jarred

Mint ~ dried and jarred for tea

Raspberry leaves ~ dried and jarred for tea

Zucchini ~ used for everything from bread, to quiche, to hotcakes, to muffins, to every dinner this summer!

Acorn squash ~ used as a fall decor until we eat

Tomato ~ in garage ripening

Green beans ~ gone already

Green Onions ~ gone already

Jalapeno ~ gone

Strawberry ~ only 4 this year

yummy

little garden helper

Both the boys were so much help in the garden this year.
They kept an eye on the zucchini and picked when ready.
Picked all the green beans and ate most in the process!
Picked raspberries one for the mouth one for the pot, one for the mouth one for the pot:)
Pulled the carrots and beets.
Pulled weeds.
Watered.
Mostly made the best mud holes (aka lakes and rivers)!

a very unique carrot

colorful carrots

The carrots ended up smaller this year since I had to replant late June,
after our sweet bunny, Branch, ate the first round:)

I tried to make beet juice and beet chips, but ended up making a mess and a waste.
So, I decided to stick with what I know, which is dicing and freezing.

The kids love red teeth on the way in and red p##p on the way out:)

Thanks to my mom's garden too, I have three bags of beets for all year !
Smoothies, cakes, burgers, salads, and lunch sides!!

Broccoli leaves...

steamed...

pureed ...

and frozen in little balls on a cookie sheet then bagged.
I like to add this to soups, casseroles, mac*n*cheese, and sauces for an added color and nutrition:)

mint leaves drying

I grew the zucchini and acorn squash.  My mom grew the spaghetti squash.  
We bought the pumpkins.