Fresh Picks of the Day - August 31, 3013 and How to Freeze Corn

This morning, I got up super early to make some muffins before practice (I didn't run).  As I was making them, I looked out one of our windows, and situated so nicely right out the window were some sun flowers.  I just had to go out and take a picture of them.

Today, I picked some corn and green beans.

Our corn in ready!  Who doesn't like fresh corn on the cob?  Yummy!  Today we picked a majority of our corn.  As we went, we also pulled the stocks out of the ground... we won't have to do that later.  We cooked the corn up, ate some, and froze the rest.  Tomorrow we are going to have to pick a lot more... or else it is going to get too done.

To freeze corn, you first cook it.

To Cook the Corn:

Peal the corn.

Break off the top if it doesn't look so hot.

I usually rinse the cobs off, but you don't really have to.

Fill a large pot with the corn and fill it with cold water.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Cover the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Once boiling, remove the corn from the water.

Either let the corn cool to freeze it, or, eat and enjoy it.

To Freeze the Corn:

Once the corn as cooled enough to handle, cut the corn off the cob.  You may want to break up the chunks of corn... they are kind of big when they come off.

This is the kind of knife we use.

Once you have all the corn cut off the cob, fill labeled, freezer bags.  Lay them flat in the freezer at first.  If after they have froze, and you want to stand them up right, go ahead.

When you are ready to eat it, simply, place the frozen corn in a small saucepan with a little water, cover, and heat until hot.

My Stress Fracture

Well, yesterday, I went to back to the doctor because my ankle hasn't seemed to be getting any better.  They took another x-ray, to make sure I didn't have a stress fracture.  Stress fractures don't usually show up on x-rays until they have started to heal.  As they heal, they form a cast, and that is what you see on the x-ray.  Anyways, the doctor didn't see any stress fractures, when he looked at both the x-rays that they have taken individually.  But, today, my Mom got a phone call from the doctor.  The doctor was able to compare the two x-rays taken (one from the first time I went there and they concluded it was a sprain, and the other one from yesterday).  When he compared them, he was able to see that I do have a stress fracture.  Thankfully, it has started to heal... but obviously, barely any, because he couldn't see it with just looking at the one x-ray.

So, now I am back, all wrapped up, in a boot, and on crutches... lovely.  I could go to the doctor and get a hard cast, but I think I am just going to wrap it in an ACE Bandage, wear the boot, and keep it immobile.  That way it will be easier for showering.  I pretty much can't do any physical activity, and I am going CRAZY already.  Stress fractures are actually pretty stressful.  Actually, this entire ankle problem that I have had to dealt with for the last month and a half has been pretty stressful.  I have been told that it is an autoimmune disease, lyme disease, a joint ankle infection, a sprain, a stress reaction, and now a stress fracture.  The funny thing is, that, they all make sense that I could have it.

I don't really know how long it will take for me to recover.  For a typical stress fracture, the recovery time is 4-6 weeks.  But, for me, it may be longer or shorter.  I don't know if it has been a stress fracture all along (since the middle of July), or what.  So, when I go back to the doctor on September 24 to get my orthotics, we will see how it is then.

For some reason lately, I have been on a popcorn kick.  I don't know why.  I used to eat popcorn a lot, but then I got sick of it.  So, I didn't have any for a while.

We make it on the stove top in this big pot.

 It is Friday night, so why not have some popcorn and watch a movie (if I can keep the patience... probably not)?

Lets go eat some popcorn!

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

If you ever need a quick, yummy meal, these are great.  They are super delicious.  Every one in our house likes them.

I have served these to friends and relatives.  You can't not like them.  They are a hit!

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

Buns
Basil Pesto
Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat
Slices of Provolone Cheese

I would just making sure the chicken is hot before you broil them, because the broiler doesn't really heat the chicken up, it just melts the cheese and toasts the bun.  Otherwise, you will have a part hot, and part cold sandwich, which is just disgusting.

Heat the broiler.  Work on a baking sheet that you will broil the sandwiches on.  On one half of the bun smother on some pesto.  Put some shredded chicken on the the bun.  Top with a slice of cheese.  I don't really like cheese, so I just do about a half slice per sandwich.  Place under the broiler for a couple minuets, until the cheese is melted.  Put the sandwich halves together.  Enjoy!

Fresh Picks of the Day - August 29, 2013

 Today, after a busy day of first having to be at the foot doctor at 7:30 in the morning, right after that waiting for my brother while he had a dentist appointment, then coming home for a little while before going to get my hair cut, and then coming home and deciding to make salsa, I didn't have much time to do any garden work.  I did manage to pick some veggies though.  There wasn't too much, but I think tomorrow there will be a bit more.  I picked another batch of really nice sized green beans today, and a tomato.  Also, while making salsa I realized I needed some more onion, so I ran, I mean walked, out to get one.  It is kinda fun all of a sudden realizing you need something, like an onion, and then to be able to just walk outside to the garden to get one.

Later in the evening, a little while after I had been in the garden, my Mom says to me, "You have a string a hanging from you."  But, my Mom then realized what it really was... a plant.  We got a good laugh out of it.

Today I made SALSA.  With the veggies that I have picked so far, I made our first batch of salsa.  The house smelt so good while it was cooking.  It reminded me of fall.  I don't know why... it being in the mid-90s lately.  Maybe it is because we usually make salsa later in the year.  But, since we were getting a collection of quite ripe tomatoes, and we had all the vegetables needed for it, why not?  We probably won't can it right yet, not until we make more, so it is worth our time.  I will posting my salsa making soon.

My Ankle...

Well, since I have gotten my soft cast off, I have started to do a little running.  The first couple days I did some running,  I just ran about 100 meters.  No problem.  The first day I really ran, I ran for 7 minuets and 44 seconds, probably just under a mile.  Super exciting!!  Then 2 days later, I ran 0.8 miles.  And, another 2 days later, I ran for 13 minutes... and, my ankle didn't feel that great.  On days that I didn't run, at first I did some biking, and then I started to do elliptical workouts.

Last Monday, I started to do a running workout... with the girls.  YEAH!!  We were doing four 0.6 mile repeats.  We would run a loop (about 0.6 miles) fast, take a 3 minuet break, and do it again.  We were going to do it 4 times.  I was to do whatever felt comfortable, since I was still getting back to running.  I was going to take it one by one, to see how my ankle felt.  I made 2 of them.  Towards the end of the second one, my ankle acted up.  Oh my ankle!  So, I didn't do any more running, and finished my workout on the elliptical.

Since I have done some real running (not 100 meters), my ankle seems to still be irritated.  It is mainly impact that irritates my ankle, but of course, I feel it sometimes just walking.  When I am on the elliptical, my ankle is feels fine, but I'm not sure it was doing it much good a while after I was done.  As the day goes on, my ankle only gets more swollen (not as bad as before I had the soft cast on though).  My coach, Vies, says that with a sprain, I should be ready to run by now... it wouldn't take this long to recover.  After he found out that my ankle never really turned black and blue (which most sprains do), and that it wasn't getting better, he thought it probably wasn't a sprain, but a stress fracture.  So, he insisted, to me and my Mom, that we go back to the doctor immediately and get another x-ray, to see if it is a stress fracture.  My coach wanted my Mom to plead with the clinic, so I could get in asap (thankfully this doctor is good about getting athletes in quickly if an injury occurs).  My coach just wanted to know what was wrong with my ankle.  He didn't want any guessing.  He didn't want me to be out of running, if I really could run.  He didn't want me running if I really shouldn't be.  He didn't want me doing any other exercise if I shouldn't be doing it.  He wanted to know what was wrong, so that I could get back running asap (hopefully by sections).  And, when I do get into the doctor, he want me to make sure to ask lots of questions, like what the recovery time is, can I do pool workouts, and questions like that.

So, the doctor was able to get me in this morning at 7:30.  They took another x-ray.  No brake or fracture.  So, he concluded that I had a stress reaction in my growth plate, and a stress reaction can lead to a stress fracture.  Since my growth plates aren't fused together (I'm not done growing), my bones are rubbing and bagging against each other at my growth plate.  To cure this I just have to rest.  Thankfully, I can still walk on it.  And, yes, I can bike and do pool workouts.  But, the elliptical still has some impact (wasn't helping it at all).  Now, my coach wants me to go over and do pool workouts with another school's cross country team... he seems pretty excited about me doing that.

I was just at the foot doctor this last Monday.  I don't think I have ever been to the doctor this much in such a short amount of time.  I was at the doctor on Monday to get fitted for orthotics.  I go back on September 24 to get them, and I am to aim to have it better by then.

Now, something nice.  Flowers.  I LOVE having flowers in the house, especially in the winter.   

Fresh Picks of the Day - August 28, 2013

Today in the garden, with my attempt to try to get the garden a bit cleaned out, I did some weeding.  They weren't the little "fun" weeds to pull, but they came out well.

This summer we planted 2 blueberry plants.  It has been REALLY HOT lately, and it hasn't rained for a while.  So, I decide to water the blueberry plants... they looked like they were thirsty.

 This morning, I sliced up a cucumber, wondering if they really were any good.  Even though they don't look that great on the outside, the ones a sliced up weren't that bad inside, and should be good to eat.

 Today, I picked a variety of veggies form the garden.  I picked some tomatoes, a cucumber, green peppers, and hot peppers.  The first batch or two of our corn looks done, so I tested one... and it looks great.  My Mom doesn't want me to pick any yet until we are ready to peal, cook, and eat/freeze it... so maybe tomorrow.

 I didn't think there would be enough green beans to pick any.  But, I found a few really nice sized ones.  So, I went through both rows and found a good amount of really nice sized green beans.

These sunflowers grew right in the middle of our strawberries... they reseeded themselves.

A Little Get Well Present

Well, I don't know if I would call this little, but it wasn't ginormous.  One of my friends, Bethany, just had hip surgery.  So, my friends Tenley and Tikvah, and I, made her some gifts to enjoys while she is recovering.

The big project we gave Bethany was a magazine that we made.  I was totally a silly, funny one.  It had fashion, well being, and home advice.  The advice was really crazy and the fashion statements were horrible ones.  But it was fun doing it.

I made her a rag quilt.  My Mom's cousin Chris gave us some fabric.  And, there was quite a bit of purple.  It would work perfectly for a quilt for Bethany.  My Mom and I purchased some new fabric, some with more designs, and bright colors.  I really wanted bright green and some zebra... but Jo-Ann Fabric didn't have any zebra.  We found the owls, leopard print, pink, and green.  And, I LOVE the way it turned out!

Tenley, who is an awesome knitter, knit Bethany this little gnome to keep her company.

Out of Tenley and Tikvah's beautiful garden, we picked her a lovely bouquet of flowers.  We put some lavender and cilantro (it has a pretty white flower), so smelling it was kind of fun.  We picked the flowers first, and then we realized that they were probably going to start wilting (it was really hot out).  So, we made room for them in our kitchen fridge, while we put her present together.

 We made Bethany some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

We had fun wrapping the gifts...

...and taking pictures of them too.
 

I hope Bethany enjoys these and gets well soon.

Fresh Picks of the Day - August 27, 2013

I decided today to kind of start cleaning out the garden.  I haven't done any garden work for a while, besides picking veggies.  I thought that I would do some, so that we don't have to do it all at once.  My spinach got WAY too overgrown, so I pulled that and put it in the compost.  Also, I am done with the peas, so I pulled them and composted them too.

Today I picked 2 ice cream buckets full of green beans.  But, a lot of them will be going to the chickens because they got way too big for us.  It will probably be too many for the chickens!

I clean and froze all the good green beans today.  It was quite a bit.  I wanted to just do it and get it done with.

I started to pick pea pods, but I decide to stop because I would just be giving them to the chickens... and the chickens will be getting enough green beans.  The pea pods seem to have gotten to rip.  I am guessing they are done for the summer (maybe), so I am not going to bother with them.

I picked the first of the carrots.  I can't wait to make a carrot cake with carrots from our garden!

Fresh Picks of the Day - August 26, 2013

Since I haven't been able to get out in the garden for the last couple day, there was a lot to pick.  And, tomorrow there is going to be a lot to do in the garden.

The tomatoes I picked today look excellent!  They are nice, juicy, red ones that aren't split open.

Unlike the tomatoes, our cucumbers aren't doing so well.... in away.  It seems that one day they are little and immature, and then the next day they are huge and overripe.  I picked some that will hopefully be all right of cucumbers though.

My Dad did pick some onions.  We have a lot of onions this year.  But, we are kind of just picking them as we need to.  That way, they can just stay in the ground and get as big as possible.

It seemed that our green beans took a little break... but now the plants are overflowing with green beans.  These are picked from just one row!   Our better row of green beans I think decided to start producing more again.  I am sure I missed some picking them too.  But, a lot of these will probably end up going to the chickens (because too big for us), but hopefully there are a lot the right size for us.  Tomorrow I will have a lot of green beans to take care of... and be picking the second row.

Also, I picked a couple green peppers.