Sunflowers Update

The sunflowers are now about a foot tall.  Some, however, are considerably smaller because the seeds are still sprouting that didn't come up earlier.  When you plant the seeds and they get zero rainfall, they sprout according to how much moisture is in the soil.  The ones in the driest soil are taking much longer to sprout, but, incredibly, they are still sprouting.  We are still waiting for a rain to come!

Our best guess for bloom time is still the end of August.  They are usually only in bloom for a couple of weeks depending on the weather.  Last year, we had a run of 17 days over 100 degrees, so they only lasted a week.  We hope to not get a repeat of that this year.

If you are on Face Book, "like" Grinter Farms if you want even more updates.

They're up!

Ted got the sunflower field planted on the 28th of June.   That's a little early for us to get the sunflowers in the ground.

The sunflowers haven't had much in the way of water (I think maybe they've had a couple of tenths of an inch of rain) so they are coming up a bit spotty.  What I mean by "spotty" is that you will have every seed in a row sprout and then nothing for the next twenty feet.  A rain (soon) would help this issue.  There is no strong chance of rain forecasted in the next 10 days.  Good thing sunflowers will often grow without rain, so that the one's that are up will most likely survive.

What's not good is that the actual temperature today is supposed to be over 100*F, and the 10 day forecast is high 90's.  It'll be harder on the beans and corn than the sunflowers.  I guess we do live in Kansas, and nasty high temperatures are to be expected.  (I hate the heat...I was meant to live in Alaska.)  

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on the sunflowers.  You can also check us out on Facebook @ Grinter Farms.

Have a fantastic week!   

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Inspired by numerous photos on Pinterest, I decided to make tortellini soup for dinner tonight.  I used what I had on hand, started throwing stuff in the pot, and I think it turned out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.  (And I do.)  I have no idea if it's like any of the recipes that inspired me, because I never bothered to look at the recipes.  I'm that way.  It makes my family nuts because I'm one of those "just throw it all in a pot" cooks and they want recipes.  After I made this, I looked at my empty cans and such, and decided to write this one down for future reference.  My youngest daughter really liked this, and who knows, she may want to make it someday...

Recipe is as follows:

19 ounce package of Italian turkey sausage (or whatever kind you have)

1 large onion, diced

3 large cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

2 large stalks of celery with tops, diced

(3) 14.5 ounce cans lower sodium chicken broth

14.5 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 can water

19 ounce bag of frozen tortellini

9 ounce bag of fresh spinach

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Brown sausage and drain off any fat.  Add onions and garlic to pan with sausage and cook a couple minutes.    Add carrots, celery, chicken broth, and crushed tomatoes.  This is where you add a 1/2 can of water.  Why? Because it is my nature to rinse cans as to not waste any food, so I just had to swirl some water in the tomato can and then throw that in the pot as well.  Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  (I like it spicy so I throw in a bunch of those lovely red flakes!)  Bring to a boil and simmer until carrots are tender.  (10 to 15 minutes)  Add tortellini and return pot to boiling.  Simmer tortellini in soup for 10 minutes or so.  Throw in the bag of spinach.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Just before serving, stir in the cream (or half n half or whatever you have).  

This is another on of those soups that I really don't think you could mess up.  It could be simmered much longer but my youngest was "huuunnnngry" and I needed to cook fast. I tend to cook based on what I have in the house because there is no such thing as a quick trip to the grocery store where I live.  If you have it and like it, throw it in.  Don't have it, throw in something else.  The flavors I was looking for in this soup was the sausage and the fennel.  Leave those out, and you'll just have a different soup.  It's all good!  Enjoy!

A Valentine Re-Share

Happy Valentine's Day!  On this day, more than any other, I think of my parents.  Not individually, but as a couple.  I'm re-sharing a post that I made a while back about the parents of these cute kids you see here:  (I'm the bald one.)

 

Click here:

http://krisgrinter.blogspot.com/2010/02/valentines-daya-love-story.html

 

I wish you all lots of love!

They're popping...FAST!

The sunflowers are defying all expectations.  They were scheduled to bloom mid August.

Instead, they are starting to pop open now.

They have also bolted up another foot (or more) in the last week and for some reason are over 6 feet tall this year.  Go figure!  Based on their growth rate this year, I'm sure that THIS WEEKEND will be optimum field viewing.  I'm just positive that this will be it.  (Unless they surprise me again...)

https://www.facebook.com/GrinterFarms

Buds? Yes, Buds!

Buds are already developing on the sunflowers!

Wow!  This is really early! 

It might be next weekend (the 21st) when some of them start to pop open.

Sorry, I couldn't resist sticking in a picture of Gracie.  My how she's grown! 

Almost as fast as the sunflowers!

Finally some rain!

The sunflowers, which were planted on May 30th, have not had one drop of rain...until yesterday.  Almost two inches of rain fell on the field!

Despite the fact that the sunflowers have had no rain (up until yesterday) and many days of over 100 degree weather, they have sprung up to about three feet tall.

Sunflowers really do grow despite terrible conditions.  Right now, our corn crop is looking like it could be a total loss.  Hopefully the rain and some predicted lower temps (90's instead of 100's) will help the soybean crop.  As for the sunflowers, they should bloom in August sometime.  I do seem to keep up with posting more on Face Book so if you want to check in there, just search "Grinter Farms" and "like" us.