Memorial Day looms dead ahead and the fella has a five day weekend (WOOO-HOOOO!). I am letting him sleep in (as well as the Girl), BUT there are some major things that need doing that I will require their assistance on.
The Boy is currently away from home, so he isn't included in the festivities.
First things first...
We have a dryer. It was here when I arrived, so I take no blame for it. It doesn't work anyway, so all it is doing is taking up valuable floor space in the laundry room. My plan is to get it moved out of there and into the shed (we have a storage shed), so we can possibly find a good used apartment sized refrigerator to put in that spot. It will prove invaluable for the goat milk, cheese and egg overflow for our regular refrigerator.
Ugh...the storage shed. We sooooo need to clean that out! Might as well put that on the list of "to-do" things as well.
I also plan on us cleaning up the yard today.
The wind blows so much here. Even if I pick up every day all the stuff that blows into the yard, I wake up with more stuff to pick up! I also want to trim some dead branches off the few trees in the yard, just to make them look a bit neater.
Planning on working on my raised bed gardens as well. Going to plant some more seeds and hope for the best. This super dry weather/climate, is wreaking havoc on my seedlings, so I try to keep seeds started to fill in where my seedlings perish. I water, I use manure tea, I try to shelter my poor seedlings with mulch, etc., but I am still having about a 50% die-off. I thought it was just me and my inexperience at desert gardening, but I talked to a few gardening neighbors and they told me 50% was actually pretty good! Most of them confess to a 70% or so die-off, despite their best efforts!
I am struggling with the camera...I got some stupid virus n my computer and had to reboot and reset so many things and use anti-virus measures just to get my system back to some semblance of normality. Then I tried to upload some pictures I took of the gorgeous cactus flowers in my yard...and....nothing. I swear I pushed all the right buttons, but nothing happens! So, I will work on that today, too, and hopefully you'll get to see some pictures of bright pink flowering cactus!
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Beans, Beans and More Beans!
I like beans.
I have a lot of beans in my food storage.
Right now, "a lot" equals about 150 pounds of pinto beans, 50 pounds of Navy beans and 20 pounds of Peruvian beans (they are these nice beige beans that cook up very creamy).
I had chickpeas (garbanzo) and black (turtle) beans, but we ate those all up!
I also want dried kidney beans for our LTS.
Ideally, I'd like to have stored 500 pounds of rice, 500 pounds of various beans and 500 pounds of wheat for our food storage.Almost there on the rice!
I am going to be growing beans this year, but I suspect we'll eat them as fast as we harvest them!
Still trying to find nooks and crannies in the yard to tuck in a few extra plants here and there.
While planning my planting, I have a few things I have to take into consideration, space-wise...
Part of the land was sold, so the fence will be moved, thus cutting my growing area.
We have goats that would adore gobbling up any tender seedlings or unharvested veggies. So, fencing to protect my garden areas will be a priority.
I think I have it pretty well planned out, schematic-wise, for the garden.
At least, it looks good on graph paper!
(It always does, doesn't it....until reality raises it's ugly head?!?)
So, trying to find space to grow various beans...hopefully, I will find enough!
*****************************************
Today is the Girls Birthday! Well, it is actually tomorrow, but we are celebrating it today.
She requested chocolate cake, chocolate icing and chocolate ice cream. A girl after my own heart!
For dinner she wanted me to make a stir-fry and I am thawing out the beef for that.
I got her a movie I know she likes and her dad got her the means to play it (dvd player). Pssst...it's a secret! Don't tell her!
I have a lot of beans in my food storage.
Right now, "a lot" equals about 150 pounds of pinto beans, 50 pounds of Navy beans and 20 pounds of Peruvian beans (they are these nice beige beans that cook up very creamy).
I had chickpeas (garbanzo) and black (turtle) beans, but we ate those all up!
I also want dried kidney beans for our LTS.
Ideally, I'd like to have stored 500 pounds of rice, 500 pounds of various beans and 500 pounds of wheat for our food storage.Almost there on the rice!
I am going to be growing beans this year, but I suspect we'll eat them as fast as we harvest them!
Still trying to find nooks and crannies in the yard to tuck in a few extra plants here and there.
While planning my planting, I have a few things I have to take into consideration, space-wise...
Part of the land was sold, so the fence will be moved, thus cutting my growing area.
We have goats that would adore gobbling up any tender seedlings or unharvested veggies. So, fencing to protect my garden areas will be a priority.
I think I have it pretty well planned out, schematic-wise, for the garden.
At least, it looks good on graph paper!
(It always does, doesn't it....until reality raises it's ugly head?!?)
So, trying to find space to grow various beans...hopefully, I will find enough!
*****************************************
Today is the Girls Birthday! Well, it is actually tomorrow, but we are celebrating it today.
She requested chocolate cake, chocolate icing and chocolate ice cream. A girl after my own heart!
For dinner she wanted me to make a stir-fry and I am thawing out the beef for that.
I got her a movie I know she likes and her dad got her the means to play it (dvd player). Pssst...it's a secret! Don't tell her!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Various Questions to Ponder
Okay, somebody answer this...
I got up the other day at 0530. Tended to the goats and chickens, made breakfast for the fella, got the kids up and off to school (fixed them breakfast, too) did 4 loads of laundry and hung them on the line , made the bed, started bread dough, swept and mopped the kitchen, swept and mopped the master bath, cleaned the master bath, punched down the bread dough, went out and gathered eggs, filled the water for the chickens, cleaned out the small goat pen and cleaned out and refilled their water, started some more seeds, thawed out meat for dinner, baked bread, brought in laundry off line, vacuumed living room and den, brought in goats to pen and fed them, fed chickens, folded laundry, greeted the kids when they got home from school, started dinner, greeted the fella when he got home from work and finished fixing dinner.(Average day here)
The fella goes to the bathroom for a bit after dinner, comes out, gives me a smile and says "I put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, didn't know if you would notice.You're welcome!"
My question....uhmmmm... yeah...why did I not go in a corner and bang my head against the wall?
*********************************
My unanswered Question of the Universe:
If you step on a dogs tail---even the tiniest bit, the dog freaks out and wails as if it were mortally wounded...you end up apologizing and comforting said canine with pet-pets and doggie treats. YET, the same dog will stand there and wag it's tail, slamming it against the door jamb or coffee table so hard the house shakes--- with apparently no distress whatsoever.
What is up with THAT!??!?
*********************************
I currently have "seedling envy" as I see other folks post pics of huge, hale and hearty seedlings ready to go in their gardens. My seedlings are respectable, but some of the pics I see look like the other folks seedlings are Godzillas and my seedlings look like anemic representations of a seedling in comparison! I coddle them. I give them manure tea (not too much). I KNOW my seedlings are fine....but it's like watching the other kids in school becoming Olympic athletes while your own child is the last kid picked for the kickball team.
Well, my seedlings may not look like superstars right now, but they will suit me just fine come harvest time!
How about you? You ever get *seedling envy*?
*********************************
I have three different varieties of Tomato Seedlings growing.
Ananas Noire Tomatoes (Look how girly-pretty they are! SQUEEEEEEEE!)
And Black Cherry Tomatoes
I am s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o tempted to start another 6 or 7 varieties...but I just don't think I have the room!
Going to maybe buy one or two seedlings of a different variety at the farm store (yes, they get heirloom type seedlings) and maybe grow it in a decorative container.
I love tomatoes so much. I tasted one a friend grew last year that had a definite pineapple flavor. Have tasted others that were lemon-y.
I do hope mine do well this year.
What varieties are you growing this year? How many varieties? Do you have a favorite?
***********************************
Someone recently asked me "If you could only have TWO kind of animals on a farm, which two would you have?
For me, it would be cows and chickens. More bang for your buck, so to speak.
Besides, I LIKE cows and chickens!
Then they asked...if you could only have ONE animal on a farm.
My weird answer---a good hunting dog!
If I can't raise livestock, I better have a good dog so I can hunt for meat on the table!
How about you?
I got up the other day at 0530. Tended to the goats and chickens, made breakfast for the fella, got the kids up and off to school (fixed them breakfast, too) did 4 loads of laundry and hung them on the line , made the bed, started bread dough, swept and mopped the kitchen, swept and mopped the master bath, cleaned the master bath, punched down the bread dough, went out and gathered eggs, filled the water for the chickens, cleaned out the small goat pen and cleaned out and refilled their water, started some more seeds, thawed out meat for dinner, baked bread, brought in laundry off line, vacuumed living room and den, brought in goats to pen and fed them, fed chickens, folded laundry, greeted the kids when they got home from school, started dinner, greeted the fella when he got home from work and finished fixing dinner.(Average day here)
The fella goes to the bathroom for a bit after dinner, comes out, gives me a smile and says "I put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, didn't know if you would notice.You're welcome!"
My question....uhmmmm... yeah...why did I not go in a corner and bang my head against the wall?
*********************************
My unanswered Question of the Universe:
If you step on a dogs tail---even the tiniest bit, the dog freaks out and wails as if it were mortally wounded...you end up apologizing and comforting said canine with pet-pets and doggie treats. YET, the same dog will stand there and wag it's tail, slamming it against the door jamb or coffee table so hard the house shakes--- with apparently no distress whatsoever.
What is up with THAT!??!?
*********************************
I currently have "seedling envy" as I see other folks post pics of huge, hale and hearty seedlings ready to go in their gardens. My seedlings are respectable, but some of the pics I see look like the other folks seedlings are Godzillas and my seedlings look like anemic representations of a seedling in comparison! I coddle them. I give them manure tea (not too much). I KNOW my seedlings are fine....but it's like watching the other kids in school becoming Olympic athletes while your own child is the last kid picked for the kickball team.
Well, my seedlings may not look like superstars right now, but they will suit me just fine come harvest time!
How about you? You ever get *seedling envy*?
*********************************
I have three different varieties of Tomato Seedlings growing.
Ananas Noire Tomatoes (Look how girly-pretty they are! SQUEEEEEEEE!)
And Black Cherry Tomatoes
I am s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o tempted to start another 6 or 7 varieties...but I just don't think I have the room!
Going to maybe buy one or two seedlings of a different variety at the farm store (yes, they get heirloom type seedlings) and maybe grow it in a decorative container.
I love tomatoes so much. I tasted one a friend grew last year that had a definite pineapple flavor. Have tasted others that were lemon-y.
I do hope mine do well this year.
What varieties are you growing this year? How many varieties? Do you have a favorite?
***********************************
Someone recently asked me "If you could only have TWO kind of animals on a farm, which two would you have?
For me, it would be cows and chickens. More bang for your buck, so to speak.
Besides, I LIKE cows and chickens!
Then they asked...if you could only have ONE animal on a farm.
My weird answer---a good hunting dog!
If I can't raise livestock, I better have a good dog so I can hunt for meat on the table!
How about you?
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sometimes You Get More Than You Ask For...
So, I had explained my raised bed garden plans to the Darlin' Man and explained to him that we either needed more cinder-block/stone or lumber of some sort to construct them. I figured we would budget out the funds in April and see what we could find in the way of scrap lumber on Craigslist as well.
Well. Sometimes things happen...
My Darlin' Man is in the military.
His unit is getting ready to deploy again to Iraq, so they have been getting lots of equipment, etc. Lots of equipment, etc. means lots of pallets and shipping crates.
Friday afternoon his C.O. told him to "get rid of all that stuff now". The fella said "Sure, when the dump opens back up on Monday". C.O. said "I need it gone NOW". Fella: "I can get rid of it, sir, IF I can take it off base" C.O "Where are you taking it?" Fella, "I believe in recycling, I'll take it to MY house". C.O. "Grab some warm bodies , a few trucks, load it up and be gone. I don't want to see a scrap of this sh*t here on Monday."
Apparently his C.O. told another unit's C.O. about this clever plan to clean up all the scrap lumber in time for an inspection Monday morning...so they added a couple truckloads as well...
These were NOT pick up truck loads, mind you. These were trucks that were a little larger than the average dump truck but a little smaller than a semi with a trailer.
A platoon of guys came along to unload.
So...until around 10-11 pm Friday night I had a line of trucks showing up with nice men in uniform, unloading their contents onto a corner of the property. As we have walls around much of our property, our befuddled neighbors could see the trucks arriving, but could not see what was being unloaded.
Needless to say, a few neighbors asked questions on Saturday!
Many of the crates are already PERFECT for raised bed gardens!
All I need to do is drill some holes in the bottoms for drainage, fill with soil and plant!
I have WAY more than I need, so a couple of my neighbors are getting ready-made raised bed gardens as well!
The pallets will be put to good use as well. I am starting a new compost heap in the front yard and will use pallets for the sides along with a bit of left over fencing. A neighbor is getting a few to build a small chicken coop for the hens she is getting.
Just think...if we weren't recycling all this lumber, it would be taken to the military dump and burned! What a waste that would have been!
A nice thing about the lumber is everything is labeled...the labels not only tell us what the crates contained, but also what (potentially) hazardous chemicals/materials may have been in them, whether or not the lumber itself was treated and with what. Information you normally don't get with scrap lumber and is important to know if you are going to be using the lumber in a garden bed!
So, first seedlings are sprouting nicely...raised beds are darn near ready...the first of April we get our garden soil delivered...I am S-O-O-O-O-O ready to get this garden going!
This week I will start my *second wave* of seedlings. I stagger plantings all season long for maximum productivity. That way I don't end up with a gazillion heads of Bibb lettuce all ready at once, or a ton of tomatoes all ready for canning at once.
Since I live in the American Southwest, I have the luxury of having an extremely long growing season, so staggering my plantings just makes sense!
Well. Sometimes things happen...
My Darlin' Man is in the military.
His unit is getting ready to deploy again to Iraq, so they have been getting lots of equipment, etc. Lots of equipment, etc. means lots of pallets and shipping crates.
Friday afternoon his C.O. told him to "get rid of all that stuff now". The fella said "Sure, when the dump opens back up on Monday". C.O. said "I need it gone NOW". Fella: "I can get rid of it, sir, IF I can take it off base" C.O "Where are you taking it?" Fella, "I believe in recycling, I'll take it to MY house". C.O. "Grab some warm bodies , a few trucks, load it up and be gone. I don't want to see a scrap of this sh*t here on Monday."
Apparently his C.O. told another unit's C.O. about this clever plan to clean up all the scrap lumber in time for an inspection Monday morning...so they added a couple truckloads as well...
These were NOT pick up truck loads, mind you. These were trucks that were a little larger than the average dump truck but a little smaller than a semi with a trailer.
A platoon of guys came along to unload.
So...until around 10-11 pm Friday night I had a line of trucks showing up with nice men in uniform, unloading their contents onto a corner of the property. As we have walls around much of our property, our befuddled neighbors could see the trucks arriving, but could not see what was being unloaded.
Needless to say, a few neighbors asked questions on Saturday!
Many of the crates are already PERFECT for raised bed gardens!
All I need to do is drill some holes in the bottoms for drainage, fill with soil and plant!
I have WAY more than I need, so a couple of my neighbors are getting ready-made raised bed gardens as well!
The pallets will be put to good use as well. I am starting a new compost heap in the front yard and will use pallets for the sides along with a bit of left over fencing. A neighbor is getting a few to build a small chicken coop for the hens she is getting.
Just think...if we weren't recycling all this lumber, it would be taken to the military dump and burned! What a waste that would have been!
A nice thing about the lumber is everything is labeled...the labels not only tell us what the crates contained, but also what (potentially) hazardous chemicals/materials may have been in them, whether or not the lumber itself was treated and with what. Information you normally don't get with scrap lumber and is important to know if you are going to be using the lumber in a garden bed!
So, first seedlings are sprouting nicely...raised beds are darn near ready...the first of April we get our garden soil delivered...I am S-O-O-O-O-O ready to get this garden going!
This week I will start my *second wave* of seedlings. I stagger plantings all season long for maximum productivity. That way I don't end up with a gazillion heads of Bibb lettuce all ready at once, or a ton of tomatoes all ready for canning at once.
Since I live in the American Southwest, I have the luxury of having an extremely long growing season, so staggering my plantings just makes sense!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Japan's Earthquake and other things
I have been consumed with the news from Japan and trying to keep abreast of the news from there.
Here are a couple of blogs from folks in Japan:
An Austrailian living in Japan
An LDS (Mormon) lady living in Japan
The interesting thing about the LDS lady...she mentions in her blog that *locals* (i.e., Japanese citizens) are NOT allowed to have food storage as that is considered *hoarding* and is illegal. However, since her husband is in the military and she and the kids are dependents and not Japanese citizens, they ARE allowed to have food storage.
Imagine being told by your government that you could NOT have more than two weeks food storage in your home. A disaster strikes. How do you feed yourself and your family? How horrible a thought is that!?
*******************************************
Today our newest goat baby was a week old. To mark the occasion, we gave Mama Goat Patches a bath. She was a bit smelly. After she had her baby, she was so anxious about taking care of him that she didn't do much to clean herself up. So, we put her in the stock on the milking stand, got a bucket of warm soapy water and some wash cloths and washed her down thoroughly. She was rather annoyed and upset until I got the Girl to hold the goat baby directly in front of Patches. We rinsed her down with warm water and dried her off and after getting her baby back and a little bit of grain, she happily settled down in her pen for the night.
Tomorrow we start milking her. Not a lot at first. I plan on getting her used to it gradually so as not to *sour* her on the experience. Gabby is still milking well enough for our needs, but with extra milk, I could start some cheese-making and yogurt making...
*******************************************
My seeds have started coming up and I am so pleased with that! We are planning on getting some good garden dirt the first of April and I have figured out where our raised bed gardens will go. All I need is for my seedlings to grow, grow, GROW!
Here are a couple of blogs from folks in Japan:
An Austrailian living in Japan
An LDS (Mormon) lady living in Japan
The interesting thing about the LDS lady...she mentions in her blog that *locals* (i.e., Japanese citizens) are NOT allowed to have food storage as that is considered *hoarding* and is illegal. However, since her husband is in the military and she and the kids are dependents and not Japanese citizens, they ARE allowed to have food storage.
Imagine being told by your government that you could NOT have more than two weeks food storage in your home. A disaster strikes. How do you feed yourself and your family? How horrible a thought is that!?
*******************************************
Today our newest goat baby was a week old. To mark the occasion, we gave Mama Goat Patches a bath. She was a bit smelly. After she had her baby, she was so anxious about taking care of him that she didn't do much to clean herself up. So, we put her in the stock on the milking stand, got a bucket of warm soapy water and some wash cloths and washed her down thoroughly. She was rather annoyed and upset until I got the Girl to hold the goat baby directly in front of Patches. We rinsed her down with warm water and dried her off and after getting her baby back and a little bit of grain, she happily settled down in her pen for the night.
Tomorrow we start milking her. Not a lot at first. I plan on getting her used to it gradually so as not to *sour* her on the experience. Gabby is still milking well enough for our needs, but with extra milk, I could start some cheese-making and yogurt making...
*******************************************
My seeds have started coming up and I am so pleased with that! We are planning on getting some good garden dirt the first of April and I have figured out where our raised bed gardens will go. All I need is for my seedlings to grow, grow, GROW!
Monday, March 7, 2011
My Plans and Other Impossible Dreams!
So, seeds are started. Getting ready to order good soil for the raised bed garden. Cinderblocks ready to set in place....
And then...
Our landlord comes over tonight to let us know he is moving the fence as he is selling one of the lots our house is on. It will reduce us from more or less an acre to more or less three quarters of an acre.
Le sigh...
So, I have spent the evening figuring out how to fit the garden beds into the front yard, how we can fence them off so the goats don't eat them, etc.
I can make it work...just appreciated that extra quarter acre!
I am so glad he told us before I started the actual construction of the beds or before I had pricey garden soil delivered and dumped there! Now, either of those would have been an absolute nightmare scenario!
So, I will have to scale back my garden a wee bit and refigure what goes where in the next few days.
******************************************
Geordi the goat still has the splint on his leg. I honestly do not think he will make it, due to the serious nature of the break. My only hope is that he is young enough that maybe his bones are still a wee bit *rubbery* and will heal well. I just don't see it happening, though. We can't butcher him out for meat as I would be too fearful of an infection in his system. He doesn't seem to be in pain and is hobbling about on three legs and nursing from his mama.
******************************************
The fella brought home two new chickens today. No names for them yet...I am thinking "Carmen" and "Miranda"...
I really think our chicken coop is at it's *carrying capacity* and told the fella so. He has promised not to bring home any more chickens. I am going to have to re-configure the roosting and nest box set up we currently have as it is.Another project that is necessary that I really don't have time for but I'll have to make the time for!
Thank goodness the Darlin' Man is now satisfied with the size of our little flock!
Whew!
Our hens have been laying plenty of eggs for us with some to spare!
******************************************
Another time consumer...I think since our backyard is getting *re-sized*, I will make it more *people friendly* rather than *critter friendly*.
Maybe put in a small fire-pit, fix up the patio a bit. Spring is looking us in the eye and summer will soon be here, so that means more time outdoors for all.We have a grill, but it is a small one and I like fire pits. Could also put in a water feature of some kind...? I know I want to get several humming bird feeders as we get those little airborne jewels flitting about in droves come summer! I love the humming birds!
******************************************
Well, that's the update from my little corner in the world!
Just goes to show, you never can tell what is being thrown your way when you make plans! They can change in an instant!
And then...
Our landlord comes over tonight to let us know he is moving the fence as he is selling one of the lots our house is on. It will reduce us from more or less an acre to more or less three quarters of an acre.
Le sigh...
So, I have spent the evening figuring out how to fit the garden beds into the front yard, how we can fence them off so the goats don't eat them, etc.
I can make it work...just appreciated that extra quarter acre!
I am so glad he told us before I started the actual construction of the beds or before I had pricey garden soil delivered and dumped there! Now, either of those would have been an absolute nightmare scenario!
So, I will have to scale back my garden a wee bit and refigure what goes where in the next few days.
******************************************
Geordi the goat still has the splint on his leg. I honestly do not think he will make it, due to the serious nature of the break. My only hope is that he is young enough that maybe his bones are still a wee bit *rubbery* and will heal well. I just don't see it happening, though. We can't butcher him out for meat as I would be too fearful of an infection in his system. He doesn't seem to be in pain and is hobbling about on three legs and nursing from his mama.
******************************************
The fella brought home two new chickens today. No names for them yet...I am thinking "Carmen" and "Miranda"...
I really think our chicken coop is at it's *carrying capacity* and told the fella so. He has promised not to bring home any more chickens. I am going to have to re-configure the roosting and nest box set up we currently have as it is.Another project that is necessary that I really don't have time for but I'll have to make the time for!
Thank goodness the Darlin' Man is now satisfied with the size of our little flock!
Whew!
Our hens have been laying plenty of eggs for us with some to spare!
******************************************
Another time consumer...I think since our backyard is getting *re-sized*, I will make it more *people friendly* rather than *critter friendly*.
Maybe put in a small fire-pit, fix up the patio a bit. Spring is looking us in the eye and summer will soon be here, so that means more time outdoors for all.We have a grill, but it is a small one and I like fire pits. Could also put in a water feature of some kind...? I know I want to get several humming bird feeders as we get those little airborne jewels flitting about in droves come summer! I love the humming birds!
******************************************
Well, that's the update from my little corner in the world!
Just goes to show, you never can tell what is being thrown your way when you make plans! They can change in an instant!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Big Day Tomorrow!
Tomorrow is my 54th birthday!
There are doctors, family members, friends, high school acquaintances, etc that all thought I would have kicked the bucket by now!
How wrong they were....
Not only have I survived various health crisis's, accidents, risky endeavors, stupid decisions, etc, I have THRIVED!
Today I am planting my winter garden...here in El Paso the weather is still warm, so my seeds will sprout and there is time enough for the greens I am planting to grow so that I will be able to harvest them for yummy salad greens and stir fry's. I ordered my seeds from Baker Creek seeds. I strongly suggest you check them out! Their seed catalog can be classified as "gardening porn" as the photography and descriptions are amazing. Check out the massive amount of heirloom tomatoes they offer!
Don't forget to order their FREE catalogue for 2011!
Tomorrow, for my birthday, I plan on doing as little as possible...I think I deserve a day off!
I will sleep late ....won't get up until, oh, maybe 6 am as opposed to my usual 4:30 am.
I will have a leisurely breakfast of chai tea and cream of wheat (my favorite) with a dollop of strawberry jam on top. Leftover beef stew for lunch.
I have informed the darlin' man that HE will be cooking my dinner!
Maybe that's a risky decision...but I think he can handle it!
So, one thing I do on my birthday is think about one or two skills I want to learn over the next year.
I set a few goals in areas of my life as well.
Kind of like New Year's Resolutions, except I do it on my birthday!
I find I stick to goals, etc made on my birthday better than New Years.
I also usually get myself a present. This year, unfortunately, the water pump on the car went kaput this week and payday for the darlin' man isn't until the first, so all the funds I had saved up in my paypal account I transferred to my bank account to help out.
I guess that gorgeous corset I found on ebay and the art supplies will wait!
So...here comes birthday 54 !
Since I plan on living to 108, I guess I am halfway there!
There are doctors, family members, friends, high school acquaintances, etc that all thought I would have kicked the bucket by now!
How wrong they were....
Not only have I survived various health crisis's, accidents, risky endeavors, stupid decisions, etc, I have THRIVED!
Today I am planting my winter garden...here in El Paso the weather is still warm, so my seeds will sprout and there is time enough for the greens I am planting to grow so that I will be able to harvest them for yummy salad greens and stir fry's. I ordered my seeds from Baker Creek seeds. I strongly suggest you check them out! Their seed catalog can be classified as "gardening porn" as the photography and descriptions are amazing. Check out the massive amount of heirloom tomatoes they offer!
Don't forget to order their FREE catalogue for 2011!
Tomorrow, for my birthday, I plan on doing as little as possible...I think I deserve a day off!
I will sleep late ....won't get up until, oh, maybe 6 am as opposed to my usual 4:30 am.
I will have a leisurely breakfast of chai tea and cream of wheat (my favorite) with a dollop of strawberry jam on top. Leftover beef stew for lunch.
I have informed the darlin' man that HE will be cooking my dinner!
Maybe that's a risky decision...but I think he can handle it!
So, one thing I do on my birthday is think about one or two skills I want to learn over the next year.
I set a few goals in areas of my life as well.
Kind of like New Year's Resolutions, except I do it on my birthday!
I find I stick to goals, etc made on my birthday better than New Years.
I also usually get myself a present. This year, unfortunately, the water pump on the car went kaput this week and payday for the darlin' man isn't until the first, so all the funds I had saved up in my paypal account I transferred to my bank account to help out.
I guess that gorgeous corset I found on ebay and the art supplies will wait!
So...here comes birthday 54 !
Since I plan on living to 108, I guess I am halfway there!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Random Thoughts and Ideas for Today, Plus --DOGS!
Walked the dog to the store, making sure to walk her mainly on the grass. It is a hot day in Southeast Texas (heat index of 100+) and my doggie girl needs cool grass under her feet, not scalding asphalt !
Which brings me to...what the heck are people thinking when they walk their dogs on hot streets? THEY wear shoes, do they think that their dogs paw pads are impervious to heat or cold or cuts, etc.?
Yes, a dogs paw pads are a bit tougher than most peoples bare feet, but I have seen (when I worked at a vets) dogs who's paw pads got blistered from being walked on hot streets and sidewalks!
Similarly, I have seen dogs with frostbite on their pads from being walked in snow while their owners strolled along in comfy warm boots, oblivious to their companions suffering.
And since it is summer in Texas...always, BUT ALWAYS remember to have ample water for your dogs at all times, but especially in the heat!
Speaking of heat...I am working on container gardening for on my fire escape. Bad news...those suckers heat up to damn near thermo-nuclear levels during the day! So, while my seeds are sprouting inside...I am experimenting with methods to make the fire escape micro-climate more conducive to seedlings.
I put a bucket of soil out yesterday and jammed a thermometer in it to see just how hot the soil got during the day. At 2:00pm, the soil temp was 135.
OUCH!
So, this morning, I flattened out some cardboard boxes, put 2 layers on the fire escape landing, put the bucket of soil on the cardboard and waited. As of 1:00pm the soil temp was 100.
Not bad!
This may work....
Other problem I am now confronting...when I moved here, I found my box springs would not fit up the stairs, so they have been downstairs in the garage since I moved in and my mattress is on the floor in my room. Now, while I am not adverse to sleeping on a mattress on the floor as I did during my younger years, I find the comfort of my box springs to be very desirable at my age!
So...I have measured and considered, considered and measured...they won't fit in my window--even if I used a block and tackle to hoist them up here.
My final option...which I will attempt today---partially dismantle the box springs, move them upstairs, them reassemble them.
Wish me luck on that! Will attempt the endeavor around sundown...too hot to go out in the sun and do this!
Dinner tonight...crockpot! I love my crockpot during the summer! Doesn't heat up the house like the stove does.
I dumped in some navy beans, some chunked up ham, a few pinches of tarragon and will make a pan of cornbread to go with it later.
All my meals for the next few days will be crock pot meals. Today, beans...tomorrow those beans will be good leftovers to pair with a cool salad.
Monday, cabbage, sausage and apples in the crockpot.
Tuesday leftover cabbage/sausage and apples, slice up some french bread, grill it, add a slice of tomato and an over-easy egg.
Wednesday, wild rice and chicken soup in the crock pot
Thursday, add some more rice so the leftover soup becomes very thick, add some spices and roll up in tortillas, pour enchilada sauce over all, add some grated cheese and pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
Friday, Lentil chili in crockpot, serve with jalapeno cornbread
Saturday, leftover chili gets poured over tortilla chips...add grated cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and maybe some avocado slices and salsa for super nachos!
So there's my weeks meal plan!
Maybe my next posting I'll tell you how I used to make one chicken stretch for a weeks worth of meals....when I had a houseful of kids!
Which brings me to...what the heck are people thinking when they walk their dogs on hot streets? THEY wear shoes, do they think that their dogs paw pads are impervious to heat or cold or cuts, etc.?
Yes, a dogs paw pads are a bit tougher than most peoples bare feet, but I have seen (when I worked at a vets) dogs who's paw pads got blistered from being walked on hot streets and sidewalks!
Similarly, I have seen dogs with frostbite on their pads from being walked in snow while their owners strolled along in comfy warm boots, oblivious to their companions suffering.
And since it is summer in Texas...always, BUT ALWAYS remember to have ample water for your dogs at all times, but especially in the heat!
Speaking of heat...I am working on container gardening for on my fire escape. Bad news...those suckers heat up to damn near thermo-nuclear levels during the day! So, while my seeds are sprouting inside...I am experimenting with methods to make the fire escape micro-climate more conducive to seedlings.
I put a bucket of soil out yesterday and jammed a thermometer in it to see just how hot the soil got during the day. At 2:00pm, the soil temp was 135.
OUCH!
So, this morning, I flattened out some cardboard boxes, put 2 layers on the fire escape landing, put the bucket of soil on the cardboard and waited. As of 1:00pm the soil temp was 100.
Not bad!
This may work....
Other problem I am now confronting...when I moved here, I found my box springs would not fit up the stairs, so they have been downstairs in the garage since I moved in and my mattress is on the floor in my room. Now, while I am not adverse to sleeping on a mattress on the floor as I did during my younger years, I find the comfort of my box springs to be very desirable at my age!
So...I have measured and considered, considered and measured...they won't fit in my window--even if I used a block and tackle to hoist them up here.
My final option...which I will attempt today---partially dismantle the box springs, move them upstairs, them reassemble them.
Wish me luck on that! Will attempt the endeavor around sundown...too hot to go out in the sun and do this!
Dinner tonight...crockpot! I love my crockpot during the summer! Doesn't heat up the house like the stove does.
I dumped in some navy beans, some chunked up ham, a few pinches of tarragon and will make a pan of cornbread to go with it later.
All my meals for the next few days will be crock pot meals. Today, beans...tomorrow those beans will be good leftovers to pair with a cool salad.
Monday, cabbage, sausage and apples in the crockpot.
Tuesday leftover cabbage/sausage and apples, slice up some french bread, grill it, add a slice of tomato and an over-easy egg.
Wednesday, wild rice and chicken soup in the crock pot
Thursday, add some more rice so the leftover soup becomes very thick, add some spices and roll up in tortillas, pour enchilada sauce over all, add some grated cheese and pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
Friday, Lentil chili in crockpot, serve with jalapeno cornbread
Saturday, leftover chili gets poured over tortilla chips...add grated cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and maybe some avocado slices and salsa for super nachos!
So there's my weeks meal plan!
Maybe my next posting I'll tell you how I used to make one chicken stretch for a weeks worth of meals....when I had a houseful of kids!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Back to the work at hand...
Well, after giving everyone a week to let the bad news about the economy sink in, I have been making plans here among the tree-tops (third floor apartment, I look down at the trees!)
First things first. Going to be doing some container gardening and there is a small patch in front of the house and another beside it I can use. I have also found some vacant land down by the railroad tracks that would be great for some "guerilla gardening".
Whatever gardening I did back at the rooming house was abandoned when I had to move and I understand that the new manager thought the plants were weeds and cut them all down...ah well...
I have a huge fire escape here and I am thinking of using containers + fire escape for trellis to grow some late vineing cherry tomatoes and other like minded veggies.
Herbs can be easily grown in containers, too. I have plenty of containers...my room mate works at a fast food joint and brings home 5 gallon buckets!
Plenty of seeds as well.
All I need is dirt! Plan on investigating that later today. There are quite a few vacant lots around, a large expanse of land down by the tracks and other assorted places I can go to dig up a bucket or six of dirt to start my endeavor.
I will post progress reports on my gardening!
First things first. Going to be doing some container gardening and there is a small patch in front of the house and another beside it I can use. I have also found some vacant land down by the railroad tracks that would be great for some "guerilla gardening".
Whatever gardening I did back at the rooming house was abandoned when I had to move and I understand that the new manager thought the plants were weeds and cut them all down...ah well...
I have a huge fire escape here and I am thinking of using containers + fire escape for trellis to grow some late vineing cherry tomatoes and other like minded veggies.
Herbs can be easily grown in containers, too. I have plenty of containers...my room mate works at a fast food joint and brings home 5 gallon buckets!
Plenty of seeds as well.
All I need is dirt! Plan on investigating that later today. There are quite a few vacant lots around, a large expanse of land down by the tracks and other assorted places I can go to dig up a bucket or six of dirt to start my endeavor.
I will post progress reports on my gardening!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Gardening Stuff
Gardening thoughts...
Started seeds today.
Tomatos, bell peppers, other goodies,
I am about to have about half the front yard tilled up (gasp!) to put in a garden.
I know for the lawn junkies out there, this sounds like blasphemy!
Here's the deal:
What good is a lawn?
Can you eat it, sell it, profit from it in any way?
Didn't think so.
So, some pepper plants will go out there, along with tarragon, lavender, chives and basil.
My oregano and rosemary are going in the back yard...where I am also going to till up a fair sized patch for my veggies.
My watermelon patch is probably going in a sunny spot in the side yard.
I won't be able to grow EVERYTHING I need here in town, but I am going to try my best to grow as much as I possibly can!
I strongly suggest everyone get in as big a garden as they possibly can this year.
Indications are that winter wheat crops and other crops that over winter did not do well. Other indications are that the crops from Florida and other areas in the US that normally provide cheap produce are faltering. The cold weather and even snow that hit Florida did not help the citrus crops!
In fact, weather trends for this growing season indicate there will be drastic increases in the prices of many foods, especially fresh produce and meats.
The cost of transportation has gone up. That hamburger meat you buy at your grocery store may have come from 1000 miles away...or more! Please, if you have a local butcher or small grocer that buys meat from local ranchers, pay a wee bit more and support them! We need to support LOCAL businesses that buy from LOCAL suppliers--not multi-national *box stores* that buy honey from China (that may have contaminants), grapes from Chili (that may be sprayed with pesticides banned in the US), beef from Mexico (which may have been fed hormones and chemicals not allowed in cattle feed in the US) and so on.
Yes. I am talking about the store so many seem to rely on...Wal-Mart. I don't shop there. I discourage others from shopping there. I used to work at one, so I know it from the inside a bit.
If you care about your health, if you care about your community, SHOP LOCAL. Grow as much of your own food as possible.
Now...get those seeds started--if you live where it is time to do so.
Till up those useless lawns.
Get to gardening.
Oh, yeah...and boycott *big box stores* in favor of local businesses!
Started seeds today.
Tomatos, bell peppers, other goodies,
I am about to have about half the front yard tilled up (gasp!) to put in a garden.
I know for the lawn junkies out there, this sounds like blasphemy!
Here's the deal:
What good is a lawn?
Can you eat it, sell it, profit from it in any way?
Didn't think so.
So, some pepper plants will go out there, along with tarragon, lavender, chives and basil.
My oregano and rosemary are going in the back yard...where I am also going to till up a fair sized patch for my veggies.
My watermelon patch is probably going in a sunny spot in the side yard.
I won't be able to grow EVERYTHING I need here in town, but I am going to try my best to grow as much as I possibly can!
I strongly suggest everyone get in as big a garden as they possibly can this year.
Indications are that winter wheat crops and other crops that over winter did not do well. Other indications are that the crops from Florida and other areas in the US that normally provide cheap produce are faltering. The cold weather and even snow that hit Florida did not help the citrus crops!
In fact, weather trends for this growing season indicate there will be drastic increases in the prices of many foods, especially fresh produce and meats.
The cost of transportation has gone up. That hamburger meat you buy at your grocery store may have come from 1000 miles away...or more! Please, if you have a local butcher or small grocer that buys meat from local ranchers, pay a wee bit more and support them! We need to support LOCAL businesses that buy from LOCAL suppliers--not multi-national *box stores* that buy honey from China (that may have contaminants), grapes from Chili (that may be sprayed with pesticides banned in the US), beef from Mexico (which may have been fed hormones and chemicals not allowed in cattle feed in the US) and so on.
Yes. I am talking about the store so many seem to rely on...Wal-Mart. I don't shop there. I discourage others from shopping there. I used to work at one, so I know it from the inside a bit.
If you care about your health, if you care about your community, SHOP LOCAL. Grow as much of your own food as possible.
Now...get those seeds started--if you live where it is time to do so.
Till up those useless lawns.
Get to gardening.
Oh, yeah...and boycott *big box stores* in favor of local businesses!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Community Gardening
I live in a residential area of a mid-sized city on Texas' Gulf Coast.
My neighborhood has houses on decent sized lots.
We also have vacant lots in the neighborhood.
Recently, our neighborhood association went to the city and asked for permission to take over the care and upkeep of one vacant lot. It had reverted back to city ownership due to taxes and the like and the city crews occasionally came through and mowed it.
The city, happy to be relieved of the burden, agreed.
We (the neighborhood) are in the process of planting a community garden.
It will not be neatly fenced off plots for each neighbor, it will be an attractive, small *pocket park* with flowering trees, pathways and benches.
But, the big difference will be that everything planted will be edible varieties.
Lemon, lime and orange trees. Blueberry bushes. A strawberry patch. Walkways edged with kale and collard greens. A patch of herbs here and there. Tomato plants. Peppers.
An edible garden.
Still attractive, but with a purpose.
Anyone that wishes to can harvest from the garden, whether they contributed to the labor and upkeep or not.
It has been shown that in areas with *edible gardens*, crime went down. Community involvement went up.
Our neighborhood community is doing this in an attempt to encourage other neighborhoods to do the same.
We want to see every vacant lot in town to become gardens where people can raise food and harvest food.
With as much vacant land as there is in most towns, there is ample room for gardens.
Even small patches in urban areas can be changed from useless green spots of grass to USEFUL green spots planted with carrots or Swiss chard. Still attractive, but with a far more practical nature.
Think of the possibilities!
Highway median strips...miles long. Normally planted with grass, they could be planted with grains---which, after all, are simply more *domesticated* grasses.
The landscaping around public buildings, time consuming, water needy, could be planted with fruit trees and shrubs instead.
There are a lot of hungry people out there. Food banks are currently over burdened. Prices continue to rise and there is no end in sight. More and more people are becoming unemployed.
Many of these people are not prepared. Still, that doesn't mean we (who are prepared) should simply shrug our shoulders and say "Must suck to be you". It also doesn't mean we should hand over our food to them.
Community gardens and edible landscaping can be part of the solution to hunger.
Tent cities are springing up around major metropolitan areas, with the unspoken consent of the urban planners and metropolitan governments. There is simply no other place for many of these people to go. Charities do their best to provide the denizens of these make shift housing areas with food and water and other necessities of life. Wouldn't it be sensible to have edible gardens planted adjacent to these tent cities?
Even if you have your own garden and are prepared, look around. Are there places in your community that would benefit from having an edible garden?
Remember, there is a huge benefit to neighbors, even if you, yourself do not harvest from the garden. In every neighborhood this has been tried in, CRIME GOES DOWN.
Prostitutes and drug dealers do not want to stand on a corner where people are apt to be coming and going to work on or harvest from the garden.
Vacant lots breed crime...with a well-tended garden, this is not as likely to happen.
It also gives the neighborhood a *vested interest* in that vacant lot.
If you see a drug dealer going into the bushes of a vacant, overgrown to make a deal, you are apt to turn a blind eye.
If you see a drug dealer going into a garden that you have helped tend...well, I expect most people would either call the police or get a few like-minded neighbors to go over there and let that dealer know his enterprise should be relocated to a different neighborhood, and quickly!
In the old colonial villages they had the Village Green. Animals could be grazed there and crops could be grown there.
I think it is time we returned to this concept.
We can start with common gardens.
Maybe later we can re-introduce the animals!
My neighborhood has houses on decent sized lots.
We also have vacant lots in the neighborhood.
Recently, our neighborhood association went to the city and asked for permission to take over the care and upkeep of one vacant lot. It had reverted back to city ownership due to taxes and the like and the city crews occasionally came through and mowed it.
The city, happy to be relieved of the burden, agreed.
We (the neighborhood) are in the process of planting a community garden.
It will not be neatly fenced off plots for each neighbor, it will be an attractive, small *pocket park* with flowering trees, pathways and benches.
But, the big difference will be that everything planted will be edible varieties.
Lemon, lime and orange trees. Blueberry bushes. A strawberry patch. Walkways edged with kale and collard greens. A patch of herbs here and there. Tomato plants. Peppers.
An edible garden.
Still attractive, but with a purpose.
Anyone that wishes to can harvest from the garden, whether they contributed to the labor and upkeep or not.
It has been shown that in areas with *edible gardens*, crime went down. Community involvement went up.
Our neighborhood community is doing this in an attempt to encourage other neighborhoods to do the same.
We want to see every vacant lot in town to become gardens where people can raise food and harvest food.
With as much vacant land as there is in most towns, there is ample room for gardens.
Even small patches in urban areas can be changed from useless green spots of grass to USEFUL green spots planted with carrots or Swiss chard. Still attractive, but with a far more practical nature.
Think of the possibilities!
Highway median strips...miles long. Normally planted with grass, they could be planted with grains---which, after all, are simply more *domesticated* grasses.
The landscaping around public buildings, time consuming, water needy, could be planted with fruit trees and shrubs instead.
There are a lot of hungry people out there. Food banks are currently over burdened. Prices continue to rise and there is no end in sight. More and more people are becoming unemployed.
Many of these people are not prepared. Still, that doesn't mean we (who are prepared) should simply shrug our shoulders and say "Must suck to be you". It also doesn't mean we should hand over our food to them.
Community gardens and edible landscaping can be part of the solution to hunger.
Tent cities are springing up around major metropolitan areas, with the unspoken consent of the urban planners and metropolitan governments. There is simply no other place for many of these people to go. Charities do their best to provide the denizens of these make shift housing areas with food and water and other necessities of life. Wouldn't it be sensible to have edible gardens planted adjacent to these tent cities?
Even if you have your own garden and are prepared, look around. Are there places in your community that would benefit from having an edible garden?
Remember, there is a huge benefit to neighbors, even if you, yourself do not harvest from the garden. In every neighborhood this has been tried in, CRIME GOES DOWN.
Prostitutes and drug dealers do not want to stand on a corner where people are apt to be coming and going to work on or harvest from the garden.
Vacant lots breed crime...with a well-tended garden, this is not as likely to happen.
It also gives the neighborhood a *vested interest* in that vacant lot.
If you see a drug dealer going into the bushes of a vacant, overgrown to make a deal, you are apt to turn a blind eye.
If you see a drug dealer going into a garden that you have helped tend...well, I expect most people would either call the police or get a few like-minded neighbors to go over there and let that dealer know his enterprise should be relocated to a different neighborhood, and quickly!
In the old colonial villages they had the Village Green. Animals could be grazed there and crops could be grown there.
I think it is time we returned to this concept.
We can start with common gardens.
Maybe later we can re-introduce the animals!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tonight at the Improv...
And I am all happy with my gardening efforts (so far).
My watermelon patch is in the front yard. Spinach is planted on the side of the house in a shady area with the hopes it won't bolt to seed.
Cabbage is similarly in an area that gets plenty of shade and I am going to the nursery to grab some marigold plants this weekend to ward off cabbage moths.
All my plants are in their various beds, scattered about the yard, tucked into corners, a few in containers.
I found more seeds---non-hybrid at that!---at the local Family Dollar store. One dollar for five packs of seeds!
I couldn't afford to buy more chicken wire to put on a fence to support my snow peas (my original plan), but I did have a bunch of nails and some fishing line. So I planted my snow peas and put up a bunch of nails on the fence (in a pattern) and then strung my fishing line on the nails in a sort of lattice pattern. As my snow pea vines grow, they will have plenty of support!
Improvise, people, improvise!
Improv example...my neighbor had a yard sale. Mainly kids clothes and some dust collecting knick-knacks. But she had one big curtain. 100% cotton lined with muslin. Gorgeous print. She had never hung it, as she bought it on sale at J.C.Penny's and it didn't fit her window (always measure, write down the measurements and take said measurements with you when shopping!).
She wanted one dollar for it. I bought it, as I had an idea. That curtain, to me, was fabric. Pure and simple fabric.
I have a stash of patterns as I sew and enjoy sewing.
I took my find home and as I spoke to my darling man online, I ripped out the lining and all the seams and hems on the curtain. 5 minutes work.
Later, as I waited for my laundry to finish washing, I pinned the fabric to a pattern and cut it out. 10 minutes work.
I put my clothes in the dryer, came back in (laundry is in the garage) and while I waited for my laundry to dry, I sewed the dress together. 45 minutes work.
One dollar + One Hour = One Dress! (Sorry about the lousy pic, I use a very inexpensive web cam to take pictures)
I have already worn the dress several times and received many compliments on it. A couple of women wanted to know where I bought it!
My point is...look for other uses for things you may already have or that you can get cheaply.
Fishing line has dozens of uses besides fishing and beside holding plants up!
A curtain can be a curtain...or a dress. (Remember Scarlett O'Hara?)
A flower pot can be a baking dish, a utensil holder, a part of a wind chime...
As they are fond of saying in the corporate world...Think outside the box.
Here's some homework for you:
I know you are at your computer reading this (or perhaps outside on your laptop).
Look around you and pick one item.
A drinking glass, an old vitamin bottle, a pencil, a lap quilt...whatever.
Now, think of three things you can do with that item---besides the usage it is intended for.
Get creative, get silly...just let your imagination run free!
Improvise!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Veggies Not As Healthy As They Once Were
I found this article on yahoo news this morning...
Eating Your Veggies: Not As Good For You?
Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What Is the Evidence?
By Donald R. Davis
Journal of HortScience; February 2009, 5 pp.
The Gist:
If the economy isn't grim enough for you, just check out the February issue of the Journal of HortScience, which contains a report on the sorry state of American fruits and veggies. Apparently produce in the U.S. not only tastes worse than it did in your grandparents' days, it also contains fewer nutrients - at least according to Donald R. Davis, a former research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. Davis claims the average vegetable found in today's supermarket is anywhere from 5% to 40% lower in minerals (including magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc) than those harvested just 50 years ago. (Read about Americans' Incredible, Edible Front Lawns.)
Highlight Reel:
1. On the Difficulty of Comparing "Then" and "Now:" Davis is quick to note that historical data can sometimes be misleading, if not altogether inaccurate. Take early measurements of iron in foods: because scientists failed to sufficiently remove clinging soil, iron levels appeared unusually high in certain vegetables like spinach, (which gave rise to the myth that it contained exorbitant amounts of the mineral - a myth further propagated by the popular cartoon character, Popeye). Then again, good historical data provides the only real-world evidence of changes in foods over time, and such data does exist - one farm in Hertfordshire, England, for example, has archived its wheat samples since 1843.
2. On the So-Called "Dilution Effect:" Today's vegetables might be larger, but if you think that means they contain more nutrients, you'd be wrong. Davis writes that jumbo-sized produce contains more "dry matter" than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations. In other words, when it comes to growing food, less is more. Scientific papers have cited one of the first reports of this effect, a 1981 study by W.M. Jarrell and R.B. Beverly in Advances in Agronomy, more than 180 times since its publication, "suggesting that the effect is widely regarded as common knowledge."
Less studied, though, is the "genetic dillution effect," in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and as many as six minerals in one study of commercial broccoli grown in 1996 and '97 in South Carolina. Because nearly 90% of dry matter is carbohydrates, "when breeders select for high yield, they are, in effect, selecting mostly for high carbohydrate with no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield."
2. On the "Industrialization" of Agriculture: Thanks to the growing rise of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are being harvested faster than ever before. But quick and early harvests mean the produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil, and minerals like potassium (the "K" in N-P-K fertilizers) often interfere with a plant's ability to take up nutrients. Monoculture farming practices - another hallmark of the Big Ag industry - have also led to soil-mineral depletion, which, in turn, affects the nutrient content of crops.
The Lowdown:
If you're still not buying the whole "organic-is-better" argument, this study might convince you otherwise. As Davis points out, more than three billion people around the world suffer from malnourishment and yet, ironically, efforts to increase food production have actually produced food that is less nourishing. Fruits seem to be less affected by genetic and environmental dilution, but one can't help but wonder how nutritionally bankrupt veggies can be avoided. Supplementing them is problematic, too: don't look to vitamin pills, as recent research indicates that those aren't very helpful either.
Eating Your Veggies: Not As Good For You?
Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What Is the Evidence?
By Donald R. Davis
Journal of HortScience; February 2009, 5 pp.
The Gist:
If the economy isn't grim enough for you, just check out the February issue of the Journal of HortScience, which contains a report on the sorry state of American fruits and veggies. Apparently produce in the U.S. not only tastes worse than it did in your grandparents' days, it also contains fewer nutrients - at least according to Donald R. Davis, a former research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. Davis claims the average vegetable found in today's supermarket is anywhere from 5% to 40% lower in minerals (including magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc) than those harvested just 50 years ago. (Read about Americans' Incredible, Edible Front Lawns.)
Highlight Reel:
1. On the Difficulty of Comparing "Then" and "Now:" Davis is quick to note that historical data can sometimes be misleading, if not altogether inaccurate. Take early measurements of iron in foods: because scientists failed to sufficiently remove clinging soil, iron levels appeared unusually high in certain vegetables like spinach, (which gave rise to the myth that it contained exorbitant amounts of the mineral - a myth further propagated by the popular cartoon character, Popeye). Then again, good historical data provides the only real-world evidence of changes in foods over time, and such data does exist - one farm in Hertfordshire, England, for example, has archived its wheat samples since 1843.
2. On the So-Called "Dilution Effect:" Today's vegetables might be larger, but if you think that means they contain more nutrients, you'd be wrong. Davis writes that jumbo-sized produce contains more "dry matter" than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations. In other words, when it comes to growing food, less is more. Scientific papers have cited one of the first reports of this effect, a 1981 study by W.M. Jarrell and R.B. Beverly in Advances in Agronomy, more than 180 times since its publication, "suggesting that the effect is widely regarded as common knowledge."
Less studied, though, is the "genetic dillution effect," in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and as many as six minerals in one study of commercial broccoli grown in 1996 and '97 in South Carolina. Because nearly 90% of dry matter is carbohydrates, "when breeders select for high yield, they are, in effect, selecting mostly for high carbohydrate with no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield."
2. On the "Industrialization" of Agriculture: Thanks to the growing rise of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are being harvested faster than ever before. But quick and early harvests mean the produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil, and minerals like potassium (the "K" in N-P-K fertilizers) often interfere with a plant's ability to take up nutrients. Monoculture farming practices - another hallmark of the Big Ag industry - have also led to soil-mineral depletion, which, in turn, affects the nutrient content of crops.
The Lowdown:
If you're still not buying the whole "organic-is-better" argument, this study might convince you otherwise. As Davis points out, more than three billion people around the world suffer from malnourishment and yet, ironically, efforts to increase food production have actually produced food that is less nourishing. Fruits seem to be less affected by genetic and environmental dilution, but one can't help but wonder how nutritionally bankrupt veggies can be avoided. Supplementing them is problematic, too: don't look to vitamin pills, as recent research indicates that those aren't very helpful either.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Seeds, Seeds, Seeds and Grocery Stores...
Okay, I put in my seed order at www.rareseeds.com (I highly recommend them!) and here's what I am getting:
Long White Cucumbers: From the site "A rare heirloom cuke. Very large, smooth white fruit are very crisp and mild. Can grow to 6 lbs, one of the best for fresh eating, delicately flavored and unique looking."
Corn Salad - Dutch
"This old-time favorite has a mild nutty flavor. Tender leaves are excellent in salads, and also excellent as a cooked green."
Wild Rocket - Arugula
"Has a more pungent taste than regular arugula, leaves are deeply lobed. An Italian favorite."
Lau's Pointed Leaf Lettuce
"This variety was collected from Lau, a Chinese farmer in the highlands of Malaysia. It produces star shaped plants with long, thin, bright green pointed leaves. The flavor is sweet and very tasty. This variety was the fastest growing and most vigorous of the many lettuces grown by the managing editor of our magazine. Rare!"
Lollo Rossa Lettuce
"Very curled leaves are light green with stunning bright red edges. Mild and tasty. A most beautiful lettuce - it is superb for market."
Carentan Leek
"Long, thick (2" across) vigorous and fast growing, delicate, deliciously mild flavor, great fresh or cooked. The Carentan leek was mentioned by Vilmorin in 1885. An old European favorite that is becoming rare. Very adaptable and yields are good."
Lemongrass
"(Cymbopogon citratus) The famous, tropical lemon-flavored herb of Thai cuisine. It has long, slender, pale green stems that are thick and fleshy. I just love the wonderful flavor this herb adds to soups, curries and stir-fries. We enjoy cooking with it often. This perennial must be grown in warm weather or inside to keep from freezing. We are pleased to offer this rare and much requested seed."
Golden Cal Wonder Bell Pepper
"78 days. Colorful golden bells that are very sweet and tasty. Gold peppers are superb for fresh eating, great for kitchen or market gardens."
Mini Red Bell Pepper
"60 days. Oh, so cute! Tiny, red, bell peppers are only about 1-1/2" tall and wide. They have thick, red flesh that is very sweet and great for stuffing. 2' tall plants produce loads of these little winners and early, too."
Purple Beauty Bell Pepper
"75 days. Purple peppers are always a favorite, as they are so colorful. This variety produces loads of beautiful bells on compact, bushy plants. Crisp texture and mild, sweet flavor makes this one popular with everyone. I even believe Peter Piper picked a peck of these purple peppers and I don't blame him."
Paul Robeson Tomato
"90 days. This famous tomato has almost a cult following among seed collectors and tomato connoisseurs. They simply cannot get enough of this variety’s amazing flavor that is so distinctive, sweet and smokey. 7-10 oz. fruit are a black-brick color. Named in honor of the famous opera singer star of ‘King Solomon's Mines’, 1937. Paul Robeson was also a Russian and Equal Rights Advocate for Blacks. This Russian heirloom was lovingly named in his honor. We are proud to offer such a wonderful variety."
White Tomesol Tomato
"80 days. An amazing heirloom that is bursting with fragrance and natural goodness that's hard to beat. The cream-colored fruit are beautiful, smooth and weigh about 8 oz. each. For taste, it's one of the best I have tried, being both sweet and rich. The vines set heavy yields of this rare treasure that is sure to become a favorite of gourmet growers. Popular at our 2004 "Heirloom Garden Show"."
Pink Grapefruit Tomato
"75 days. A really unique tomato of medium size. Beautiful yellow fruit are blushing pink inside (hence their name). They have sweet-tart taste that does have citrus overtones. A productive, round tomato that is a winner."
Gold Baby Watermelon
"75-80 days Sweet flesh is a beautiful creamy-lemon color. Fruit weigh around 5 lbs, and are perfect for small gardens. They have thin, green-striped rinds, vines produce well, and the fruit are quite colorful; very rare."
Orangeglo Watermelon
"85 days Beautiful, deep orange flesh; very sweet, excellent, almost tropical flavor! The best-tasting of ALL orange varieties we tried -- the favorite of many who tried it at our place. High yields. Very resistant to wilt and insects; strong healthy vines. These will sell at roadside stands & markets!"
Canton Bok Choy
"The typical Nai-Pe-Tsai type pak choy. Semi-upright plant produces thick white stems and deep green leaves. Good for warm areas as it is heat-tolerant."
Giant Noble Spinach
"This is the giant of the spinach clan, plants spread to 25"! Tender leaves are great for canning, steaming or salads, for those who want quantity and quality, introduced in 1926."
Now, I plan on other things in my garden, but I will be buying the seeds or plants locally.
My potato sets are almost ready to plant. I got them at....THE GROCERY STORE!
Yes, right there in the produce department, no problem at all!
I could have ordered potato sets online and had the hassle of paying shipping and handling, be worried about them drying out before they got here, etc. But I long ago figured out the easiest way to get *almost free* potato sets.
We have all had potatoes sprout, no matter whether they were in a cabinet, pantry, under the sink, where-ever.So you know they will sprout and grow under the right conditions.
This happens less frequently if you buy potatoes at some place like Wal-Mart (may that place burn )because the potatoes there are sprayed with a type of *sprout retardant* chemical, so they will last longer on the shelf and in the dark environs of the average consumers cabinets. (Please, people, if you get potatoes from a major grocer, wash them to within an inch of their potato-y little lives before you consume them. You cannot sprout them, but PLEASE wash them or peel them before cooking!)
I buy my potatoes at two stores. One is a local Hispanic/Mexican grocer and the other is a "Whole Foods" type organic grocer. We don't have a "Whole Foods" market here, but if you have one near you, get your potatoes there!
At the organic grocer, I was able to find my blue potatoes, my red-all-the-way-through potatoes, my fingerling potatoes. I got my *regular taters* at the Hispanic grocers.
I purposely picked potatoes that had good *eyes*. In fact, at the organic grocer, I asked if they had any sprouted potatoes in the back that they were discarding. They did and they GAVE them to me! (I was also able to score some sprouted Spanish Red onions! YAY!)I had already bought some regular taters at my Hispanic grocers, so I just picked out a couple of likely looking *sprouter* candidates and helped Nature take her course.
Here's how you nudge Nature along...
First and foremost, DO NOT WASH your sprouting potatoes.
Pick out 2 to 5 potatoes with plenty of eyes or tiny sprouts already on them.
Place them in a dark plastic bag (thank you Hefty trash bags!), tie up bag and put in warmish corner of your pantry or in a cabinet that gets a little warmer than the others.
Wait one week and untie the bag. Should be some sprouting going on!
Hopefully, your sprouts will be an inch long or longer. They are READY!
Cut potato in four quarters with a good sprout on each quarter.
Plant!
I generally plant at least 3 chunks o' sprouting potato in each one of my Potato Towers.
Onions and garlic can be handled much the same way.
Happy Planting!
(Will let y'all know when my seeds get here and I HOPE to be able to borrow a camera to take some pics of my garden-in-waiting to post)
Long White Cucumbers: From the site "A rare heirloom cuke. Very large, smooth white fruit are very crisp and mild. Can grow to 6 lbs, one of the best for fresh eating, delicately flavored and unique looking."
Corn Salad - Dutch
"This old-time favorite has a mild nutty flavor. Tender leaves are excellent in salads, and also excellent as a cooked green."
Wild Rocket - Arugula
"Has a more pungent taste than regular arugula, leaves are deeply lobed. An Italian favorite."
Lau's Pointed Leaf Lettuce
"This variety was collected from Lau, a Chinese farmer in the highlands of Malaysia. It produces star shaped plants with long, thin, bright green pointed leaves. The flavor is sweet and very tasty. This variety was the fastest growing and most vigorous of the many lettuces grown by the managing editor of our magazine. Rare!"
Lollo Rossa Lettuce
"Very curled leaves are light green with stunning bright red edges. Mild and tasty. A most beautiful lettuce - it is superb for market."
Carentan Leek
"Long, thick (2" across) vigorous and fast growing, delicate, deliciously mild flavor, great fresh or cooked. The Carentan leek was mentioned by Vilmorin in 1885. An old European favorite that is becoming rare. Very adaptable and yields are good."
Lemongrass
"(Cymbopogon citratus) The famous, tropical lemon-flavored herb of Thai cuisine. It has long, slender, pale green stems that are thick and fleshy. I just love the wonderful flavor this herb adds to soups, curries and stir-fries. We enjoy cooking with it often. This perennial must be grown in warm weather or inside to keep from freezing. We are pleased to offer this rare and much requested seed."
Golden Cal Wonder Bell Pepper
"78 days. Colorful golden bells that are very sweet and tasty. Gold peppers are superb for fresh eating, great for kitchen or market gardens."
Mini Red Bell Pepper
"60 days. Oh, so cute! Tiny, red, bell peppers are only about 1-1/2" tall and wide. They have thick, red flesh that is very sweet and great for stuffing. 2' tall plants produce loads of these little winners and early, too."
Purple Beauty Bell Pepper
"75 days. Purple peppers are always a favorite, as they are so colorful. This variety produces loads of beautiful bells on compact, bushy plants. Crisp texture and mild, sweet flavor makes this one popular with everyone. I even believe Peter Piper picked a peck of these purple peppers and I don't blame him."
Paul Robeson Tomato
"90 days. This famous tomato has almost a cult following among seed collectors and tomato connoisseurs. They simply cannot get enough of this variety’s amazing flavor that is so distinctive, sweet and smokey. 7-10 oz. fruit are a black-brick color. Named in honor of the famous opera singer star of ‘King Solomon's Mines’, 1937. Paul Robeson was also a Russian and Equal Rights Advocate for Blacks. This Russian heirloom was lovingly named in his honor. We are proud to offer such a wonderful variety."
White Tomesol Tomato
"80 days. An amazing heirloom that is bursting with fragrance and natural goodness that's hard to beat. The cream-colored fruit are beautiful, smooth and weigh about 8 oz. each. For taste, it's one of the best I have tried, being both sweet and rich. The vines set heavy yields of this rare treasure that is sure to become a favorite of gourmet growers. Popular at our 2004 "Heirloom Garden Show"."
Pink Grapefruit Tomato
"75 days. A really unique tomato of medium size. Beautiful yellow fruit are blushing pink inside (hence their name). They have sweet-tart taste that does have citrus overtones. A productive, round tomato that is a winner."
Gold Baby Watermelon
"75-80 days Sweet flesh is a beautiful creamy-lemon color. Fruit weigh around 5 lbs, and are perfect for small gardens. They have thin, green-striped rinds, vines produce well, and the fruit are quite colorful; very rare."
Orangeglo Watermelon
"85 days Beautiful, deep orange flesh; very sweet, excellent, almost tropical flavor! The best-tasting of ALL orange varieties we tried -- the favorite of many who tried it at our place. High yields. Very resistant to wilt and insects; strong healthy vines. These will sell at roadside stands & markets!"
Canton Bok Choy
"The typical Nai-Pe-Tsai type pak choy. Semi-upright plant produces thick white stems and deep green leaves. Good for warm areas as it is heat-tolerant."
Giant Noble Spinach
"This is the giant of the spinach clan, plants spread to 25"! Tender leaves are great for canning, steaming or salads, for those who want quantity and quality, introduced in 1926."
Now, I plan on other things in my garden, but I will be buying the seeds or plants locally.
My potato sets are almost ready to plant. I got them at....THE GROCERY STORE!
Yes, right there in the produce department, no problem at all!
I could have ordered potato sets online and had the hassle of paying shipping and handling, be worried about them drying out before they got here, etc. But I long ago figured out the easiest way to get *almost free* potato sets.
We have all had potatoes sprout, no matter whether they were in a cabinet, pantry, under the sink, where-ever.So you know they will sprout and grow under the right conditions.
This happens less frequently if you buy potatoes at some place like Wal-Mart (may that place burn )because the potatoes there are sprayed with a type of *sprout retardant* chemical, so they will last longer on the shelf and in the dark environs of the average consumers cabinets. (Please, people, if you get potatoes from a major grocer, wash them to within an inch of their potato-y little lives before you consume them. You cannot sprout them, but PLEASE wash them or peel them before cooking!)
I buy my potatoes at two stores. One is a local Hispanic/Mexican grocer and the other is a "Whole Foods" type organic grocer. We don't have a "Whole Foods" market here, but if you have one near you, get your potatoes there!
At the organic grocer, I was able to find my blue potatoes, my red-all-the-way-through potatoes, my fingerling potatoes. I got my *regular taters* at the Hispanic grocers.
I purposely picked potatoes that had good *eyes*. In fact, at the organic grocer, I asked if they had any sprouted potatoes in the back that they were discarding. They did and they GAVE them to me! (I was also able to score some sprouted Spanish Red onions! YAY!)I had already bought some regular taters at my Hispanic grocers, so I just picked out a couple of likely looking *sprouter* candidates and helped Nature take her course.
Here's how you nudge Nature along...
First and foremost, DO NOT WASH your sprouting potatoes.
Pick out 2 to 5 potatoes with plenty of eyes or tiny sprouts already on them.
Place them in a dark plastic bag (thank you Hefty trash bags!), tie up bag and put in warmish corner of your pantry or in a cabinet that gets a little warmer than the others.
Wait one week and untie the bag. Should be some sprouting going on!
Hopefully, your sprouts will be an inch long or longer. They are READY!
Cut potato in four quarters with a good sprout on each quarter.
Plant!
I generally plant at least 3 chunks o' sprouting potato in each one of my Potato Towers.
Onions and garlic can be handled much the same way.
Happy Planting!
(Will let y'all know when my seeds get here and I HOPE to be able to borrow a camera to take some pics of my garden-in-waiting to post)
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