Still nothing from my tomato plants. There are a couple of green ones, but otherwise nothing. The green pepper plants have really started going so at least I've had some improvement in the garden. My neighbors have been tomato canning fools the last couple of weeks and I can't tell you how jealous I am. I drove by neighbor's house this weekend and what I had thought were bushes, were actually tomato plants. They had to be at least seven feet tall- he used the six foot tomato cages and they had grown over top of them by at least a food. Seriously- it looked like a tomato plant forrest.

My neighbors have been really great, giving us tomatoes so we can at least have a small taste of summer. I had plans to make ketchup and can tomatoes for chili, but I'm thinking I might just go to the farmer's market and see if I can just buy a load of paste-style tomatoes. I don't know if it would be cost effective, but considering I haven't been the Iowa City Farmer's Market all year (I know- I'm ashamed of myself, too) it's a good reason to take a look.

While my pumpkins are slowing dying off one vine at a time, my butternut squash appears to be doing wonderfully. It's not a very large patch, but there are several green butternuts growing and that is all I can ask for.

I still have black beans coming, but instead of picking them, I'm going to let them dry on the plant so that I'm able to store them in the pantry instead of freezing them. A couple of weeks ago we bought a half of a side of beef and all of my freezers are packed to the gills. We actually had to store some things in friends' freezers until we ate enough to make room. I was almost in crisis mode this weekend when I cut up about 3/4 of the onions to freeze but it's ok, I found some room. Last year we stored the onions in the basement and while they lasted a few months, they started to turn mushy and sprout before we could eat them all. So this year I peeled and halved the onions, put them in gallon freezer bags and put them in the freezer. We use them in chili, gratins, spaghetti, etc., and can't even tell they have been frozen.

I just have to keep reminding myself that the garden wasn't a total loss this year- quite the opposite, really. The strawberries were great, onions, garlic, sweet corn, black beans, and green peppers all did well and the butternut squash is well on its way.

I will not let my dismal and disappointing tomato and pumpkin crop overshadow the rest of the garden! That will be my mantra until I pull the last plant out of the garden. Besides, there is always next year and I have many months to plan and research next years' planting!