"The Prophet said to plant a garden...

So that's what we'll do." This primary song, along with counsel from the Prophets every conference has instilled in me a strong desire to have a garden. In Lehi we did plant a garden nearly every year. Each year I had success and disaster, but I learned and felt good about our self-reliance.



Last summer we planted a garden at our new home in Bountiful. It was a disaster, nothing grew, and what did grow, did not produce any vegetables, just the vines. So this year I gave up the garden and opted for a fool proof plan. I would plant 9 pumpkin plants in the perfect spot, and we would surely have Halloween pumpkins (my kids love to harvest their own pumpkins!) Once again failure. Just scrawny vines and lots of yellow flowers.



I have decided to give up on the garden idea until I can put a lot of time, money and energy into re-landscaping the yard for a suitable garden. It makes me sad.



The redeeming factor in this story is our peach tree. We have a late blooming peach tree. It is over 25 years old, inconveniently located in the middle of our back yard, broken and half eaten away by the peach tree bugs, but it produces! The irony is: I do not like peaches! The only food which I can successfully grow I do not like! Luckily Spence and Savy love them.



So in an effort to use these peaches and not let them go to waste, last summer I made 3 batches of peach freezer jam, and froze nearly 10 quarts of peach slices. (I am too afraid to attempt canning on my own yet). Much to my disappointment, my freezer was still full of all that I had frozen from last year this summer. So when the peach tree started producing this year I purged the freezer from last year's harvest, and vowed to do better this year.

This year I gave away nearly all the peach harvest except for four 1 gallon freezer bags of frozen halved peaches.



My friend Audrey gave me this smoothie recipe and my kids and Spence actually like it! I am now beginning to think I may reap the rewards of growing my own food, and following the Prophet. I think I will give myself a pat on the back this year!



Peach Smoothie

2-3 frozen peach halves

2-3 cups milk

1-3 Tbls sugar

optional: frozen berries or 1-2 strawberries, vanilla ice cream



Blend until icy smooth. I have played around with the amount of milk and fruit to get the right consistency which my kids like!