{ Lanie's Garden Harvest }

Well hello everybody!!!  I decided to start a garden this year!  I knew it would be a BIG commitment but I was up to the challenge.  So, in early May I planted all my little seeds; tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, yellow squash & cabbage.  Everyday after school, I'd go and check my little seedlings to see how much they'd grown while I was at school.  I loved watching my little seedlings grow.  SO. MUCH. FUN.  As the weeks passed and school ended, almost everything I had planted had grown SUPER well.  My squash plants were the exception.  They grew only a few squashes (BUT, they were SOOO delicious) and then those nasty Squash Bugs arrived and just totally ate up my squash vines!  Now, you guys know that I normally love bugs - really I do!  But good golly, not those bugs!!  I was so mad at them for killing my squash plants.  Then after my squashes died, the same thing happened to my cabbages!!  I wish I had taken a photo of the cabbages to share with you guys.  The cabbage worms made the leaves on my cabbages look like Swiss cheese.  Yessiree, holey Swiss cheese!  And I was pretty sure no one wants to eat cabbage that looks like that so I had to toss them in the compost pile.  Grrrrrr!

Anyway, today I picked a tub-full of cucumbers and potatoes!  Whoo-hoo!  There was only one tomato ready today so that is going to be all for me.  

Just look at all my cucumbers and potatoes! I have red potatoes, white potatoes and golden potatoes.  My favorites are the golden ones - they are called Yukon Gold.  (Hee hee, every time I say Yukon, I think of Yukon Cornelius from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, lol!!)  Those Yukons make the BEST mashed potatoes ever!! 

So, I'm going to head inside to the kitchen to wash all my veggies.  I want to have some fresh cucumbers and tomato with my lunch today!  Let's go cause this tub is super duper heavy!

Washing all the cucumbers and potatoes was a big job but I finally finished and got them in bowls.  Then I washed my one lonely tomato and sliced it.  I added a slice to my cheeseburger.....and then I ate the rest right off the cutting board ~ YUM!

Just look at those fresh cucumbers!  I have so many that I think I might make some refrigerator pickles or maybe some of my granny's cucumber & onion salad.  Ohhh noooo, I cannot decide!  Golly gee, you know what?  I might not have to decide......I just might have enough to do BOTH!  That's a good thing cause I am not so good at trying to choose between two things like that.....it like totally stresses me out!

My sweet Lulu was with me in the kitchen and all of a sudden she started hopping up and down to get my attention.  She ADORES cucumbers and I could tell she REALLY wanted one bad!  She knows I could not deny her one and since I had so many ripen at the same time, I figured I could spare one for her.  :)

Lookie how cute my little Lulu is!  I just love her to pieces.  She sat up to beg for her cucumber!  Awwwww. ♥ 

Finally, I can get to my own lunch!  I added my final touch of fresh cucumbers to my plate and viola, here is my lunch!

Yesterday, I brought in my first watermelon from my garden.  It was a fairly small one but I picked it anyway.....I was a little impatient since I'd been watching it grow for months and months.  It had the longest vines you've ever seen!  I really didn't realize how much space a watermelon plant would take up when I planted that one little seedling.  So anyways, I cut it up and put it in the fridge to have for today.  I like watermelon best when it's really cold so I put it on ice and set it out on the side table.  That way if any of the other girls come to the kitchen for lunch, they can have some too!    

Aren't these slices just the prettiest color?  I love the contrast of the red flesh with those big dark seeds.  You might wonder why I didn't grow a seedless variety.  Well, think about it!  That would have taken all the fun outta having seed-spitting contests so it's a good thing mine do have seeds.  I know Trey will especially enjoy spitting seeds with me! And he might be a boy but I bet I'll win.   :)

Lulu, the bouncing fluff ball, begged yet ANOTHER cucumber from me!  Darn her - she knows full well I cannot resist her cuteness!!  I gave her one more but good golly, her little tummy would have popped if I'd have given her anymore! Silly Lulu. 

 
Hey, before I go, I wanted to share just how excited I am about my potatoes!  I got them all washed at the same time as the cucumbers.  Now I need to get them all peeled cause I want to make a humongous bowl of potato salad for dinner tonight at the dorm.  Most all of us here love potato salad.  I like to put eggs in mine.  Do you?  Some people don't like to do that cause it makes the overall color a little yellow, from the egg yolks.  Gosh, it doesn't bother me one bit!  I think it's all yummy together - especially when you mix it all together with my favorite mayo - DUKE'S!

Peeling, peeling and MORE peeling!  Then chopping, chopping and MORE chopping!  It's a LOT of work!  Whew.....it's like I have a bottomless bowl for my potatoes!  I haven't even started on the rest of the cucumbers yet.....I'm gonna be here for hours!

So, I'll say goodbye now since there really isn't much more to say except that my hands are gonna be super sore after all this peeling and chopping.  That's okay though cause it feels really good after you have accomplished a big task like this.  And it's especially rewarding when you get to eat yummy food after all that work!  I think it makes it taste even better, don't you?

Thanks for stopping by!  I am hoping to have a few pumpkins from my garden this year too!  They are still not ready to pick but soon!  ~Lanie ☼

18 Inch Doll Outfits & 18 Inch Doll Accessories by:

Lanie is wearing Kit's "Hand-Me-Down Bib Overalls" by American Girl®

Lanie's Tye Dye print Tee Shirt is from the 2012 Hiking Outfit by American Girl®

 

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