It is the day after Christmas and time to start planning the garden for next year. We received our first seed catalog last week so the new garden season has officially begun.

We are enjoying the bounty from last year. We had a broccoli casserole for Christmas dinner with fresh broccoli from the garden. Also, we had frozen corn, an acorn squash from the root cellar, and 4 pumpkin pies made from pumpkins that have been brightening up the stairwell. For Christmas Eve supper, Steve made chili using his custom blend of chili powder. He made it from the abundance of peppers we grew this year and he dried them and ground them in a coffee mill dedicated to herbs and spices.

We recently ate the last fresh bell pepper from the garden and we still have a little lettuce in the refrigerator. Unfortunately the sub-freezing temperatures and the ice storm this past week have most likely ended any chance of further harvest. Well, maybe we could get a little cilantro if the weather warms up.

Right now the upcoming garden is a dream, but I'll let you know as it becomes a reality. Happy New Year!