Mama Snow’s Garden and Recipes

10/19/2026

Topic Post:
1. All Kinds of Salads
2. Vietnamese Gỏi
To be updated...

1. (Thai) Cucumber Salad
2. To be updated ...
I need to dig up all my isolated salad posts and put it all in one for me to find it easier.

10/18/2026

Who likes to sew?
This will be my inspirational sewing post for those who want to give sewing a try!

To be updated...
I never thought I would be addicted to sewing when I was young. I worked at Joann's Fabrics and Crafts store for a year when I was in college. I thought I could save money working at a place I have no interest in. (I burned all my paychecks buying toys for my nieces working at Toys R Us. I burned my paychecks buying shoes at shoe stores. I thought surely I can save money working at a fabric store. 😂)

Well, I learn fast. I learned to identify every fabric material just by the look and touch of each fabric in the store. I became the fastest cashier and fabric cutter in the store. Customers love coming back to see me to show-and-tell about their finished products.

Before long, I saved up money to buy my first sewing machine. I burned all my paychecks on hoarding fabrics and thread. I bought sewing patterns when it went on sale each month for just $1 each!

I self taught myself how to sew. I love sewing and to this day, I would say I enjoyed sewing more than gardening.

Choosing that ideal sewing machine:
I bought a Husqvarna Viking Emerald 118 sewing machine about ten years ago for $699 at Joann's Fabrics store. Now it's $620 on Amazon. Husqvarna Viking is a high quality brand made in Sweden. Emerald 118 is the most basic sewing machine from this brand. So far, I find it very easy to use and beginner-friendly too as I am going to teach my daughter how to sew with this machine.

Mom loves Singer only if it's made in Japan. The Singers made in China are of lower quality with more plastic parts that break easily. When it comes to investing in a high quality sewing machine, I need to make sure it's made in Japan, Germany, or Sweden.

10/18/2026

Oh the sweet memories before I turned my useless yard into an edible landscape...my free time was dedicated to crocheting before I was a mother and when little Grace was the only child for four years. Then came my little man. I cosleep with him and he cried within seconds when I sneaked out of the bedroom. And after trying to sneak out at least 14 times each night for several days, I gave up the idea of crocheting with my little man in my life. Now my kids are older. I may have some time to crochet again.

Made of Love and NOT FOR SALE.
Categories:
Crochet Hats
Crochet Garments
Crochet Doilies, Coasters, and Motifs
Crochet Flowers

10/17/2026

Topic: Garage freezer
If you have a garage freezer you like, what brand and model are you using?

I regret buying this Garage-Read Hamilton Beach freezer. It has more cons than pros. What I detest about this model is that it does not freeze the food evenly. Frost accumulated and built up overtime at the very top. I have to defrost this freezer at least twice a year.
I also don't like the bulky drawers because it takes up so much space.
Oh well, until it breaks down, I am stuck with this freezer for now.

10/17/2026

10/16/26:
Topics:
APoultry & iFresh Market,
Nước mắm sả tắt, steamed chicken, dipping sauce recipe, cooking with lemongrass, kaffir leaf, and loofah/luffah

I went to APoultry in Winter Park to buy a fresh chicken. The place sells a variety of live poultry. Surprisingly they sell my favorite ginger candy here! Customer service was quick and easy. (Advise: Do not wear nice clothes and fancy shoes because it stinks here and you might step on chicken p**p. Who knows! 😂)

Then I went to iFresh Market in Orlando to get some loofah.
I use Google maps to help navigate all the places I go and look for business info.

Recipe to share: I love my dipping sauce so here is my recipe.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp roasted minced garlic and ginger
1 tsp lime juice
Juice of 2 calomondin (trái tắt)
1 tsp kaffir lime lead powder (I grow a kaffir lime tree and air dry the leaves and then blend it into powder)
1 cup water
3 Tbsp toddy palm sugar (round pieces)
1 Tbsp white sugar
5 Tbsp Viet Huong fish sauce
2 Tbsp lemongrass (rondelle cut thin like paper)

10/10/2026

Topic: Growing & Reviewing Chinese Celery

$1 seed packets available from my shop page on my blog.
Chinese celery is one of my favorites must have Asian vegetables in my garden and it took me three years to finally learned how to grow it successfully. Pictured below shows seedling planted in the compacted construction dirt in my backyard versus the area where I dug out 15 inch deep of the original dirt and replaced it with my DIY rich organic potting soil mix.

After testing green stem and white stem Chinese celery, my favorite is the pink stem variety because not only it looks pretty but the stems are big and crisp compared to the others and not fibrous like the others. I must grow this every year now.
I am going to document the life cycle of my Chinese celery this fall/winter for my plant documentary.

I quit the idea of sowing seeds to sell the seedlings because Chinese celery seeds take a long time from seed to sprout to transplant age which takes anywhere from 4-6 weeks long! I wouldn't be happy to sell the seedling for $3 but it would be too small to sell at $5. But once in the ground, they grow fast! So I only offer Chinese celery as my $1 seed packet selection.

First seedling batch sown on 9/15/26.

10/10/2026

Review of Okura titanium pan:

10/10/26: I opened the new pan. 1. The handle needed to be screwed up. I was okay with that but that means the grimes and grease will get stuck on the crevices between the screws and parts making it imperfect or time consuming to scrub off later.

2. Pan frying: I washed the pan with soap and greased it with avocado to test three eggs out. It is NOT non-stick. I disapproved of their nonstick claim.

3. Weight: It's heavy. I felt it is heavier than my Hexclad pan.

4. Stir frying: to be updated

But so far, if it lasts more than five years, I would say it is worth the $124. I will update this post over time.

As a conclusion, I am not going to be buying anymore so called titanium pots and pans from any pop up ads on Facebook.
I will stick with ordering from Amazon because I have an ease of mind with its returning policy.

I still prefer the pots and pans made by Calphalon most so far. I never have to use too much oil for frying eggs using Calphalon nonstick pans.

Compared to my Hexclad hybrid pan, Okura titanium pan performed poorly as a first timer. I was very satisfied and happy with my Hexclad pans for about three years before I saw deterioration.

10/08/2026

Topic: Bí Thơm Bắc Kạn
To be updated...

I am determined to grow this fuzzy melon variety if it's not successful in this fall then I will try again in the spring.

Translation:
Bắc Kạn fuzzy melon is a popular specialty crop from the community of Ba Bể in the city of Bắc Kạn in Vietnam. This fuzzy melon is known for its subtle fragrant like sweet glutinous rice coming from its leaf, flower, and fruit. It is also known as "Green Fragrant Fuzzy Melon" or "Fragrant Winter Melon".

Added note: Unlike the large round Thai Fragrant Fuzzy Melon, Bắc Kạn Fragrant Fuzzy Melon has an oblong shape.

Quoted from a Vietnamese article about this Vietnamese Bắc Kạn Fragrant Fuzzy Melon:

"Bí thơm Bắc Kạn (còn gọi là bí xanh thơm hay bí phấn thơm) là đặc sản trứ danh của huyện Ba Bể, tỉnh Bắc Kạn, nổi tiếng với mùi thơm dịu tự nhiên giống như gạo nếp mới từ thân, lá, hoa cho đến quả."

Video documentary from a northern Vietnamese grower in Vietnam sharing her growing experience on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OEPM7N7qnRo?is=Pq9Iu0IlFmo8nxBX

Well, okay, now I know it needs full sun for flower production and with the current shortening of daylight time, I definitely am growing this fuzzy melon at the wrong timing. No wonder it's healthy but only leafy. I will give it two more weeks before I abort this vine and try something else.

Lack of sunlight and excessive rain are two factors that will stunt the fruit production and growth. Talking about the worst timing of the year in Florida to grow this fuzzy melon. 😂

10/05/2026

Menu/recipes of the week post:

10/04/2026

Featured Post #2: Seasonal Post
Everything that is going on in my garden in October/November