tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16296333909509131292024-02-19T17:48:00.301-08:00Livin' In The Green Plants...can't get enough of them. This is about planting, growing, eating, drinking and enjoying all kinds of them with a mix of a few other things.
We live near the shores of Lake Erie and grow lots of vegetables and herbs in a small backyard space and community garden. Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-53434808328143339622014-03-13T17:01:00.001-07:002014-03-14T18:43:38.594-07:00One Amazingly Easy Container Vegetable to Grow This Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Years ago I planted a decidedly non-trendy</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>vegetable in the garden. </b></span> I'm not sure why I was compelled to grow something that I had no idea what it was, but for me that was typical in my early gardening years. I was in the experimental zone with the garden as my laboratory and this promising new veggie was one of the first of my discoveries. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomatillo "Toma Verde"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The plants grew. As a matter of fact, they more than grew.</b></span> They made their presence very well-known in my small garden space and I wasn't able to keep up with their fruits.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the end of summer, I was pulling up seedling after seedling of this alien vegetable which was determined to take over the <strike>world</strike></span>, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">er, my garden and tomatillo was its name...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I didn't even know what to do with them.</span></b> I made up some salsa with them but was too afraid to eat it. But the whole episode was not a loss. I formed a connection with these super easy to grow plants that were prolific to boot. I would be growing them again and I did but not until many years later.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomatillos in early summer.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Years later in the culinary scene,</b></span> salsas were becoming</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"all the rage" and tomatillo plants were now showing up in garden centers</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(on purpose!) I had begun to cook with them, actually buying them at the store for my <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-bean-chicken-chili/">White Chicken Chili</a> and <a href="http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=324">Roasted Salsa Verde</a>. So I decided to grow them again but realized I didn't have room for them in my small home garden and so I tried them at our community garden.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Early fruits and blooms</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>They grew well</b></span> but were infested by a caterpillar that destroyed practically every fruit. Bummer. I wouldn't spray my plants but decided to try them at our house again where the bugs weren't as voracious. This time I grew them in containers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Tomatillos are a member of the nightshade family and are a distant relative of our red tomato. They originated in Mexico and are heavily consumed there after being fried, boiled or steamed. With the hot pepper trend beginning in the U.S. over the last 10 years, tomatillos became sought after for their tangy, slightly citrus-y flavor and of course their amazing color. </span></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomatillos in containers; late summer</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tomatillo fruits are covered by a thin husk that the fruit actually grows into after a small yellow flower blooms.</b></span> The husks continue to grow until you get a nice golfball sized fruit that means it's perfect for picking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>When I started my seedlings, I use the same growing culture as for regular tomatoes</b></span> and grow them alongside them by starting them indoors at the same time. The leaves of the tomatillo are definitely different than that of a tomato so no problem telling them apart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why plant in a container?</b></span> <b>Two reasons</b> <b>for me;</b> first, I ran out of room in my garden and two, I didn't want their seedling volunteers to take over my garden then next year. Not that I don't love volunteers, but they are very happy to multiply when they are happy where they're grown. And besides, they grew very well in the 5 gallon pots I planted them in. I didn't do much, just watered and fertilized with an organic mix a few times over the summer and gave them lots of sun and heat. They did the rest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few pointers for growing them:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Make sure to plant more than one or two!</b> I only planted one container the first year and got all blooms and one fruit. They need more plants in order to cross pollinate. I also made sure the leaves and blooms all intertwined with each other so the bees would have no problems hopping from one plant to the other. Four plants gave me enough for fresh eating as well as lots for freezing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. To freeze them:</b> Pick the fruit when it fills out the husk but before it turns yellow. You can still use the yellow ones but the green ones are what you want. Peel the husks and compost. Lightly wash the fruit (they have a sticky substance on them) and dry. Then place in a freezer bag on it's side in the amount you need to use for a recipe. I used quart bags and filled them and placed a few hot peppers for instant salsa verde. They freeze unbelievably well and last a long time in a deep freeze. Just take them out to thaw, puree and cook when you need them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHs3vPLKdIgvD3w4J4rAJBA3aBiSjf0pT73XdO-6mIJuRMgAQN-JwpmfxDDBH1yC05-qRRnEOB0OmQiqxAlOOzo4EtO7Y0UdB0VIYOsHIER5pRq0u98v5tiA4DtCwpvaeWOU3FpmThYynW/s1600/SANY4807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHs3vPLKdIgvD3w4J4rAJBA3aBiSjf0pT73XdO-6mIJuRMgAQN-JwpmfxDDBH1yC05-qRRnEOB0OmQiqxAlOOzo4EtO7Y0UdB0VIYOsHIER5pRq0u98v5tiA4DtCwpvaeWOU3FpmThYynW/s1600/SANY4807.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So if you're a veggie risk-taker like me,</b></span> then you'll love growing these plants and more importantly, you'll love eating them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a great vegetable to add to your diet and perfect for a container garden! You can find growing guidelines here at <a href="http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/tomatillo-growing-guide?page=0,1">Organic Gardening.</a></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy planting and blessings!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties...<a href="http://hibiscushouse1.blogspot.com/2014/03/farmgirl-friday-149.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Farmgirl Friday</a></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-72849483655955010442014-02-11T17:18:00.001-08:002014-02-13T16:08:20.766-08:00How Gardening (Practically) Saved My Life...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yes, I know the title sounds extreme and dramatic</b></span> but let's face it; in the big picture of things it's true. Before gardening, my dinner plate was a literal world of tan and brown with no intention for change. I lived thinking that carbs were the new green and I embraced their ability to bring me comfort and joy. Vegetables were the enemy and the further away I could be from them the better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Oh, I embraced the perennial favorite, corn-on-the-cob and well, that was it.</b></span> Really. I know...so sad. It's not that I didn't want to be healthy, but hey - I was young and my body could take it! So, I fed it lots of comfort foods and when I ate a small amount of green beans or an occasional salad, I figured I was "doing my body good." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>It wasn't until I began to have digestive issues that I began to take my health more seriously.</b></span> I was convinced that I was dying and when the doctor told me that I just needed more fiber, I was insulted. How dare he say that what I had could be fixed by me eating better! So, I added more fiber to my diet...like the Metamucil kind until I learned how I could get all the fiber I need from vegetables and fruit - who knew?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Enter gardening. </b></span> I always liked to grow things when I was a kid...but these were of the flower nature. So I started to plant lots of flowers...I mean lots. I put them all over our small little yard and I still have a lot. Then I progressed to herbs...after all, they flowered too and I was fascinated by the fact that you could eat and drink them and they could help you too. Then I thought, why not plant a few tomatoes and a pepper plant or two as well? Once that happened, I decided to can what I grew and the garden jumped into life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So, I want to share with you how gardening is a practical way to "save" your life</b></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>and learn how to eat better. </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Gardening Connects You to Your Food.</span> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I know it may sound silly, but when you grow it, you feel connected to your food. You know the work and the effort that went into tilling and raking the soil, planting the seeds, and pulling the weeds. It's a lot of effort and it makes you appreciate what you've had just grown. It's way different than buying produce at the store. You didn't nurture that vegetable and you don't know where it came from - in other words, you have no emotional connection to it. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As strange as it may sound, planting the vegetables made me want to eat them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember always planting a small patch of baby carrots and pea pods for our then toddlers. I would tell them where "their" garden was and they would wander in and snack on them at will. I'll never forget the time when our younger son came into the house with a dirt ring around his mouth after pulling some carrots...I very quickly introduced him to the garden hose! The point is, he felt connected to his food and still loves those vegetables to this day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. "If You Plant It, You Must Eat It."</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> This is very similar to </span>the first reason; feeling connected to your food except in this case, it's more about feeling "responsible" for eating what you grow. Yep, it's true. I thought, "Wow, I just planted 10 rows of green beans and I really should can them and then eat them." I never liked green beans. I mean, I hated green beans. However, they are one of the easiest veggies for me to grow and I grew them like crazy. I had mountains of beans. I felt very successful as a gardener but in order for that success to make sense, I needed to actually consume what I grew. And I did, but I admit, very slowly! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also began to realize that if I actually ate what I grew, I could save some $$. The practical side of me responded to this very much and I began to experiment with the vegetables, trying to find ways to "hide" them in food so I would eat them. It eventually worked and I actually like green beans now and have fun growing lots of different varieties. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Gardening Introduces You to Unique and Different Vegetables.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything from tomatillos to Mizuna...gardening has expanded my mind and palate to new flavors and textures. After a while, growing just tomatoes, peppers and green beans radically expanded to new frontiers of vegetables like the vertical growing green; Malabar Spinach (which grew over 15 feet tall) to unique varieties of edible flowers. I was amazed at all of the vegetable catalogs and the wealth of vegetables which were available to grow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I began to include new and different varieties of the basic vegetables as well as including new kinds I had never tried before. I remember talking about eggplant with my 100% Italian brother-in-law. I began growing them, initially to give them to him and not realizing how many fruits they put on. I knew we needed to start eating them too and eat them we did...slowly at first and now I don't think they've missed a season in our garden since...and that's been well over 20 years! We grow them now because we love them and miss having them on our plates. I have grown many different varieties of them as well.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many other reasons why gardening has "saved" my life, like the fact that it's a super fulfilling and even relaxing hobby. I get so energized and yet still peaceful at the same time whenever I'm around my plants. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And my health? No more digestive complaints and I've been able to maintain the same healthy weight for over 20 years. I thank my veggies for lending a hand in all of this and look forward to gardening for many years to come. Most active gardeners live a long and healthy life! </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you are inspired to grow your own vegetables if you aren't already and maybe share how they helped to save your life as well!</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How has gardening impacted your life? </span></b><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties...<a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2014/02/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-61.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2014/02/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-108/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Capsicum...aka; peppers. </b></span> We've been growing them for years. All kinds, sizes and shapes, sweet, hot and in-between. They are a rewarding plant to grow as they usually produce lots of fruit. Especially banana peppers...they always make me feel like a garden genius. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>But what's inside of these savory fruits that make them so powerful?</b></span> One thing for sure is taste...they've been imported from all over the world and valued in many cuisines. They are reported to have been in existence for 9000 years and cultivated for over 7000 years. That's pretty amazing staying power for one vegetable!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Capsicums are believed to have
originated in regions of South and Central America. It was Christopher
Columbus who collected capsicums from the West Indian regions in the
1492 and took them to Spain. It was from there that capsicums spread
through the regions of Africa, Asia and Australia. Owing to the
adaptable nature of these bell peppers, they grew well in tropical and
temperate climates. Today, China, Turkey, Italy, Spain, India, Romania
and Mexico are among the leading producers of capsicum with almost 20-27
species grown across the world." 1</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Taste isn't the only thing that makes peppers powerful; they are also high in nutrition</b></span>...especially once they turn red. Remember, the green peppers are the unripened state of a pepper. They have lots of Vitamin A, E as well as niacin and many other vitamins and minerals. A really good vegetable to include in your diet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what about health benefits? Peppers </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <b>"contain antioxidants like beta
carotene (carotenoid), lutein and zeaxanthin (phytochemicals) and
vitamin C. After consumption of capsicum, the body converts beta
carotene into retinol, which is one of the most usable forms of
vitamin A." 2</b></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Capsicums are known to lower the fat
stored in blood corpuscles, called triglycerides, and thus help in
burning calories. This can vastly improve the body metabolism." 3</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Apart from these benefits, capsicums
promote cardiac health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
levels. It has anti-inflammatory properties, stimulates stomach
secretions and improves digestion." 4</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>But that's not all.</b></span> The reason I wrote this post is to share about a component in peppers; capsiacin. This chemical is the one responsible for the "hot" in hot peppers. It's also been found to help relieve pain when applied topically. I have used commercial preparations containing capsaicin for a good 15 years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"> "Topical ointments and creams containing capsaicin are helpful in
relieving pain from many different conditions, including arthritis,
fibromyalgia, nerve pain and lower back pain, explains the University of
Maryland Medical Center. While capsaicin is not a cure for pain caused
by these conditions, it does lower the amount of substance P, a chemical
that helps transmit pain signals to the brain, when applied directly to
the skin</span></b></span>.<span style="font-size: large;"><b>" 5</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I have used capsaicin faithfully for years</b></span> and I feel like it's been a life saver during bouts with pain. Capsaicin is not for the faint of heart though. It packs a whollop of heat and needs to be used sparingly. If my pain is intense, I am able to use quite a bit, but it's important to follow directions when using. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>However you slice them, capsicums are a powerful, pain-relieving plant</b></span> that deserve a place in your garden, diet AND medicine cabinet. Blessings!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you used capsicums or capsaicin?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://nutrition.indobase.com/articles/capsicum-nutrition.php">http://nutrition.indobase.com/articles/capsicum-nutrition.php</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <a href="http://nutrition.indobase.com/articles/capsicum-nutrition.php">Ibid.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.<a href="http://nutrition.indobase.com/articles/capsicum-nutrition.php"> Ibid,</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <a href="http://nutrition.indobase.com/articles/capsicum-nutrition.php">Ibid.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/342597-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-capsaicin/">http://www.livestrong.com/article/342597-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-capsaicin/</a> </span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties... <a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2014/01/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-104/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2014/02/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-61.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a> </span><br />
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-82491365610301054062013-12-17T17:44:00.000-08:002014-01-16T21:00:32.026-08:00Make Your Own Spicy Stone Ground Mustard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mustard. An American staple. </span></b>As a matter-of-fact, mustard is used in the cuisine of <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India">India</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean">Mediterranean</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Europe">northern</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_Europe">southeastern Europe</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia">Asia</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas">Americas</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa">Africa</a>, making it one of the most popular and widely used spices and condiments in the world.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_%28condiment%29">1</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Made from the simplest ingredients, mustard actually is good for you.</span></b> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the many vitamins and nutrients found in mustard seeds are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium" title="Selenium">selenium</a> and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_3_fatty_acid" title="Omega 3 fatty acid">omega 3 fatty acid</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_%28condiment%29">2</a> Mustard has also been used medicinally for generations as well. This is one condiment that is good for you. However, today's mustards have so many added ingredients that making your own can control what you put into it. And unlike its ketchup counterpart, mustard can be made very easily, with no cooking and not much fuss.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I found this recipe while watching PBS many years ago.</b></span> It was with Mary Ann Esposito and I have loved this mustard ever since. What can be better than making a condiment that not only tastes amazing but has health benefits as well? This recipe is hands-down the easiest gourmet mustard I've ever made and we think one of the tastiest too! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Prepared mustard dates back thousands of years to the early Romans, who
used to grind mustard seeds and mix them with wine into a paste not much
different from the prepared mustards we know today."</span></b></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This recipe uses two types of mustard...yellow and brown seeds. </b></span> You can use all of one or the other, but I really like the color combination of the two varieties. The brown tends to be a little hotter but they are basically the same. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>For this recipe </b></span>you'll need one cup of yellow (white) seeds and one cup of brown seeds. Put them both in a non-corrosive container such as a handy mason jar. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Add to the jar 2 cups of red wine vinegar.</b></span> (I also use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar to bump up the health benefits of mine.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now the easiest part. </b></span> Cover the jar with plastic if you're using a metal lid. Otherwise you can top with a plastic lid and let the seeds soak for two days. You'll be amazed at how much of the vinegar they soak up during this time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>After two days,</b></span> put your seed vinegar mix into a food processor and add 1/2 cup of raw honey, 2 tsp of fine sea salt, and 1 tsp of allspice. Pulse until they form a coarse grainy paste. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fill approximately six sterilized 1/2 pint</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">jars</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>with the mustard</b></span>. Cut out wax paper circles larger than the jar opening and place over the tops of each jar before capping them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Unopened, the mustard will keep indefinitely,</b></span> but once opened you'll want to make sure and refrigerate it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Need I mention that this mustard makes a great gift as well? </b></span> I gave a small bottle to friends one year and they raved about it so much that I ended up making them a quart of it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope you like this mustard and if you are looking for seeds to buy online, you can try <a href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search/search.php?refine=y&keywords=mustard+seed&x=0&y=0">here </a>and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.atlanticspice.com/store/SearchStoreResults.asp">here.</a> You may be able to find yellow mustard seeds any place selling bulk herbs and spices as well. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you made mustard before? What's your favorite additions? Blessings!!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties...<a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2013/12/waste-not-want-not-wednesdat-56.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2014/01/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-104/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b><br />
<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-90170372892633034792013-12-10T15:41:00.000-08:002013-12-12T08:59:44.329-08:00Pinterest Garden Inspired Christmas Decor!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdMG7nKkIn7VNbIIbZrAif-rtDgr4rlhpYt7QRYuYh1Ct8DbEJ91VugS6vMx6SORxuT2qAn2tX5NnA0ttcxqw3Djw2s_ZOur86i1qv9Itynlv65dEXct8Si_858j1edwsSvwh05lRJgds/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdMG7nKkIn7VNbIIbZrAif-rtDgr4rlhpYt7QRYuYh1Ct8DbEJ91VugS6vMx6SORxuT2qAn2tX5NnA0ttcxqw3Djw2s_ZOur86i1qv9Itynlv65dEXct8Si_858j1edwsSvwh05lRJgds/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>When it comes to decorating, the garden is my favorite inspiration.</b></span> I love the diversity of colors...from earth tones to vibrant that the garden offers. The garden also offers a huge variety of textures and shapes as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scanning Christmas Garden Decoration Ideas on Pinterest </b></span>yielded some really fun ideas for your garden this year. And...if you don't actually make them, the creativity they display is worth the look.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLwqsDJ7-7UZ5UifE8DYSJapEnFsC28PMjNWEtnZhDl6T_dFH-_JqE4uJDw4ebbPANB8HDXpHYTsXS3ZnE61Rv7rT_qHLJtKm3AwJv8Cwsp2bgLrBDNvp_0z5ZDx8Hd-XCHU9OOj_gZ3R/s1600/6fbe17ec974866f767944cbcc8c65059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLwqsDJ7-7UZ5UifE8DYSJapEnFsC28PMjNWEtnZhDl6T_dFH-_JqE4uJDw4ebbPANB8HDXpHYTsXS3ZnE61Rv7rT_qHLJtKm3AwJv8Cwsp2bgLrBDNvp_0z5ZDx8Hd-XCHU9OOj_gZ3R/s400/6fbe17ec974866f767944cbcc8c65059.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's perfect for the kitchen this season? </b></span> How about putting together a small edible wreath made up of herbs from the garden? Make it up a few days before gift giving and it's ready to use. Or you can give it to them at any time and allow it to dry. This wreath has bay leaves, sage, thyme and blooming oregano. This is sure to please the savviest of cooks!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee0gUb6tz_I77q6nPwQ-2Fn-2RarqspW0zA6casXBDXE2NxrlSMz7T6Dcd_BXQ6jV4q-qwrOISmrZV1m6KXVQlADvvBeXgaVtIUuXONW7nBJDz34teUo8yniLv0ua5lexOMMEz3zEdm21/s1600/Original_Brian-Patrick-Flynn-Holiday-House-Square-Moss-Wreath-Beauty_s3x4_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee0gUb6tz_I77q6nPwQ-2Fn-2RarqspW0zA6casXBDXE2NxrlSMz7T6Dcd_BXQ6jV4q-qwrOISmrZV1m6KXVQlADvvBeXgaVtIUuXONW7nBJDz34teUo8yniLv0ua5lexOMMEz3zEdm21/s400/Original_Brian-Patrick-Flynn-Holiday-House-Square-Moss-Wreath-Beauty_s3x4_lg.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hgtv.com/handmade/how-to-make-a-christmas-moss-wreath/index.html">Photo Source</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I love this beautiful Moss wreath for Christmas.</b></span> The colors, the textures and the square shape make it a show stopper. What reindeer wouldn't want to visit this house? Click on the caption under the photo for directions on how to make your own.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1tdqJtVf96-uQdlEIvH9Pz0tZh2uY9FUB-S240mBYAVimqg1OAljHmshUZAreeBNEFEvSUFLxaFmvbmKlz8bQlMSr6CP1eIDyY4otXH4p2BxtbgSZc2Hj1teiP5Etvd6znwfD12s-Qe-/s1600/orange+garland_thumb%255B6%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1tdqJtVf96-uQdlEIvH9Pz0tZh2uY9FUB-S240mBYAVimqg1OAljHmshUZAreeBNEFEvSUFLxaFmvbmKlz8bQlMSr6CP1eIDyY4otXH4p2BxtbgSZc2Hj1teiP5Etvd6znwfD12s-Qe-/s400/orange+garland_thumb%255B6%255D.jpg" width="287" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://bucketsofburlap.blogspot.com/2012/11/dried-orange-garland.html">Photo Source</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Simple is always nice.</b></span> This rustic garland made with dried orange slices and twine would look great on any mantel or Christmas tree. Make your own or buy them at a craft store for an instant garden look inside!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWigXu-9tGEPzu4fKz_26A7U424pMPOsZ-J-blZtYHT9L09u8_VQDzMM5zB-5mywKHXfk5rIo3oFCCuHYLpeXWwlst0yY-JfaHwGk7k4Ma6BNZjKqDuqpby7SQYqxlY63ioBZ3vlAgOVx/s1600/412_616_4259179_79283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWigXu-9tGEPzu4fKz_26A7U424pMPOsZ-J-blZtYHT9L09u8_VQDzMM5zB-5mywKHXfk5rIo3oFCCuHYLpeXWwlst0yY-JfaHwGk7k4Ma6BNZjKqDuqpby7SQYqxlY63ioBZ3vlAgOVx/s400/412_616_4259179_79283.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://decoracion.facilisimo.com/reportajes/ideas-practicas/ideas-economicas-para-decorar-tu-casa-en-navidad_607804.html">Photo Source</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Even the most craft-challenged person can put holly berry sprigs under a wine glass</b></span> with some tea lights on top. This is a beautiful table top decoration for a special Christmas meal or use a flame-less tea light to use all season long. A great way to use those crystal wine glasses tucked away in the cabinet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have pinecones? </b></span> Gild them with a quick spray of white paint and hang them from a rustic chandelier for a super outdoorsy, nature inspired holiday decoration! This one is simplicity at its best!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJplNKbb_UC3r03OwySErXsJbt694hPCLrC8GG51vhI50MgAsj_nskV4aTBYD-Vso2EDSZS8Ns5cmqkeYauqBU3P8JA3KHQx9SQK8deDdyQgBXHpeIpUF9SMCVK_sfMakBU2yvKFhCqnGB/s1600/Shepard's+Hook+Christmas+Decor+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJplNKbb_UC3r03OwySErXsJbt694hPCLrC8GG51vhI50MgAsj_nskV4aTBYD-Vso2EDSZS8Ns5cmqkeYauqBU3P8JA3KHQx9SQK8deDdyQgBXHpeIpUF9SMCVK_sfMakBU2yvKFhCqnGB/s400/Shepard's+Hook+Christmas+Decor+1.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://lovegrowswild.com/2012/11/jingle-bells-on-a-garden-hook/"> Photo Source</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>No need to put away those garden shepherd hooks this year!</b></span> Decorate them up with your own version of Christmas cheer! Check out the link below the photo for step by step instructions from the Love Gone Wild blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I couldn't resist this photo because it's just so clever! </b></span> Made up of driftwood, this gardener has Christmas cheer all year long with this rustic branch tree. It adds texture and character to the garden and I bet the birds like it too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's your favorite garden inspired Christmas decoration?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties... <a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/12/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-100/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://blackfoxhomestead.com/the-homeacre-hop/happy-holidays-at-the-homeacre-hop/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=happy-holidays-at-the-homeacre-hop">HomeAcre Hop</a></span><br />
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-8202127899743438862013-12-03T17:39:00.000-08:002013-12-12T09:01:21.715-08:00Gardener's Gift Guide for Christmas - 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Christmas is once again upon us and with it the time for gift giving. </b></span> When shopping for your gardening friends, it can be a bit challenging to decide what to give them...hopefully this gift guide will spark some ideas for you and your fellow gardeners!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.drugstore.com/burts-bees-doctor-burts-res-q-ointment/qxp45524">Burt's Bees Res-Q Ointment</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up, a great stocking stuffer and a product from Burt that I especially love...his RES-Q Ointment. Yes, I can make my own and have many times, but this little tin has lasted me a long time and is well worth the money. I use it as a lip ointment and it does the job without leaving the waxy residue other products can. </span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">" Bruises, burns, stings, and scrapes -- soothe and comfort your minor
wounds with the green magic of Mother Nature. Burt's Bees Res-Q Ointment
contains lavender oil, vitamin E, olive oil, and more."</span></i></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gardeners.com/Mirrored-Window-Birdfeeder/39-819,default,pd.html?start=14&q=bird%20feeder">Mirrored Window Birdfeeder</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I love this product! </b></span> I actually have used clear plastic bird-feeders for windows many times and they are by far my favorite kind. They are squirrel resistant and great up close fun! This one has a one way mirror in the back so the birds won't notice you creeping up to the window to watch them feed. Great for adults and kids alike!</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/cgi-bin/track/a3756045+82830-product.html?kw={keyword}&gclid=CM6C7K2vlbsCFYFhMgod7QkAmw#">High Tea Terrarium Kit</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What gardener does not love to garden even in the winter? </b></span> A terrarium can help fulfill the plant nurturing instincts even when the temperatures in most places are far from idea. This kit comes with everything and makes for a beautiful display no matter the weather outside.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1860808932697686063?q=compost+pails&client=firefox-a&hs=m81&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.57155469,d.aWM,pv.xjs.s.en_US.v-r5CthikH8.O&biw=1024&bih=629&tch=1&ech=1&psi=X3qeUs_qDdKlqQGFiIHYDQ.1386117735853.3&ei=ZXqeUrP-CoeirAGfrICYCw&ved=0CIwCEKYrMAg">Oggi Stainless Steel EZ Open Compost Pail</a></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.google.com/shopping/product/13139650307573293363?q=compost+pails&client=firefox-a&hs=DTh&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.57155469,d.aWM,pv.xjs.s.en_US.v-r5CthikH8.O&biw=1024&bih=629&tch=1&ech=1&psi=T3qeUv2fIIWnqQHg34GoCA.1386117720300.3&ei=VHqeUu_WH5LyrAGqlYHIAw&ved=0CNsBEKYrMAU">OXO Good Grips White Kitchen Scraps Compost Pail</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Don't let the great kitchen veggie scraps go to waste!</b></span> Collect them all in one of these modern and helpful compost pails. Stainless steel or sleek white plastic; they will hold your compostable gold in style! I love my compost pail and use it religiously all year long. It's a great item to use to fill your outdoor compost bin!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://products.cherrymoonfarms.com/productdetail.aspx?cobrand=CMF&pid=30078298&ssid=4&REF=CMFFeedGooglePLA&cvosrc=Shopping.GooglePLA.30078298&CAWELAID=1807291118&cagpspn=pla&tracking=plusbox&kw={keyword}&gclid=CKqY_vuvlbsCFfBDMgodJAkAvA">Deluxe Organic Fruit Box</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How about giving the gift of good organic eats?</b></span> I really enjoy getting a fruit basket and this one is perfect with all of its organic fruit! Yes, you can make your own for someone local, but this makes for a great gift for a friend or family member far from home. Try this one from Cherry Moon Farms for a great edible gift.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>That's my gardening gift guide for Christmas 2013.</b></span> Hope you'll find some of these goodies under your tree this year! Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>What was your favorite gardening gift? </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties...<a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2013/12/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-55.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/12/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-100/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> <a href="http://blackfoxhomestead.com/the-homeacre-hop/happy-holidays-at-the-homeacre-hop/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=happy-holidays-at-the-homeacre-hop">HomeAcre Hop</a></span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-36831893313159348672013-11-26T15:49:00.000-08:002013-12-11T21:45:22.923-08:00The Easiest No-Can, No Fuss Storage Vegetable!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqkqbyCUgPzbFJX7lAzy2ltSEQHmpHGFfMnxkgwBA-n-_UeL94JT95Vr7Mb-qtLlZavMZHKD_0eSD_qMUzcguNVp7zFU8n1ClLegU_22TMFxTsYXzkrgx_LkIscao1U2jBZDl1I50-nqe/s1600/squash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqkqbyCUgPzbFJX7lAzy2ltSEQHmpHGFfMnxkgwBA-n-_UeL94JT95Vr7Mb-qtLlZavMZHKD_0eSD_qMUzcguNVp7zFU8n1ClLegU_22TMFxTsYXzkrgx_LkIscao1U2jBZDl1I50-nqe/s640/squash.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://thebestgardening.com/winter-squash-and-their-flowers/">Photo Source</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> I have been canning, freezing and drying for at least 20 years </b></span>and if I can find a way to cut corners, I will. One of the ways I do this is by growing a vegetable that not only tastes great and is super nutritious but is also self-storing...that makes this veggie is a keeper!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And grow it I did, lots of them! </b></span> At the end of November, I still have a large supply and they are keeping quite nicely so far, thank you very much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What is this vegetable wonder?</b></span> Winter squash of course! Yes, I know you are able to can and freeze them, but why should I when most of them will be perfectly fine on their own? And right now with the holidays upon us, there is an abundance of winter squash available for sale and it's the perfect vegetable to keep for the months to come!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScxvD4cTYjjZMFhZspkOnPJvPr244VJm2VQy4kfleMXRD6ll4ZiNCEG6dF38t8y3WsG-2YGi79H8lcZCIDnsYh5r-l4zFPTWg4l3MHl145mVxA2S0qH3v259p0OjdPVkZ4ao4lo5Ujf3D/s1600/IMG_20130919_173928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScxvD4cTYjjZMFhZspkOnPJvPr244VJm2VQy4kfleMXRD6ll4ZiNCEG6dF38t8y3WsG-2YGi79H8lcZCIDnsYh5r-l4zFPTWg4l3MHl145mVxA2S0qH3v259p0OjdPVkZ4ao4lo5Ujf3D/s640/IMG_20130919_173928.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spaghetti Squash and Delicata Squash</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If you're not eating squash now or only at Thanksgiving, now is the time to reconsider.</b></span> Winter squash is a great source of the anti-oxidants, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. It also is loaded with Vitamin C (one-third of our daily allowance) and a very good amount of the antioxidant mineral manganese as well. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJmnC4rJNMFvyL86514e6HVFNjZokTWxe4hm8i-BJaPkXgHOYV7wKFeCwakRjuKUXMqrl8LAIYjLRNrXjaZNRosKVEs5Y_m8Vbe-vz3vuqY7H7-6gyxM4xF-te5d7Y9MEWABNoRNnNDvQ/s1600/raosted-acorn-squash97485446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJmnC4rJNMFvyL86514e6HVFNjZokTWxe4hm8i-BJaPkXgHOYV7wKFeCwakRjuKUXMqrl8LAIYjLRNrXjaZNRosKVEs5Y_m8Vbe-vz3vuqY7H7-6gyxM4xF-te5d7Y9MEWABNoRNnNDvQ/s640/raosted-acorn-squash97485446.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/roasted-acorn-squash-stuffed-with-mushroom-and-sage/">Photo Source</a></span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"While winter squash should not be treated as a high-fat food, it does
contain fats, including the anti-inflammatory omega-3s. One cup of baked
winter squash will provide you with approximately 340 milligrams of
omega-3 fats in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)</span></span></b></i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>."</b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butternut Bush Variety</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nutrients in<br />Winter Squash<br />1.00 cup baked (205.00 grams)<br />Nutrient%Daily Value<br /><br /> vitamin A - 214.1%<br /> vitamin C - 32.8% fiber - 22.9%<br />manganese - 19% vitamin B6 - 16.5% potassium - 14.1%</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> vitamin K - 11.2% folate - 10.2%<br />tryptophan - 9.3% copper - 8.5% vitamin B - 28.2%<br />omega-3 fats - 7.9% magnesium - 6.6%</span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spaghetti Squash - Small Wonder Variety</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Winter squash is pretty great for you and worth keeping through the winter. </b></span> How long does it last in storage? Here are a few tips when buying squash for storage:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Make sure the fruit is bruise (no soft spots) and blemish-free. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. The winter squash with the hardest skins will generally last the longest.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the varieties and their storage times:</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pumpkins at 50% to 70% humidity and 50 to 55 degrees - 2-3 months</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Acorn at 50% to 75% humidity and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 50 to 55 degrees - 5-8 weeks</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butternut </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at 50% to 70% humidity and 50 to 55 degrees - 2-3 months</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hubbards at 50% to 75% humidity and 50 degrees - 5-6 months</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spaghetti Squash </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at 50% to 70% humidity and 50 to 55 degrees - 2-3 months</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>However, I have kept all these squash with the exception of pumpkins WAY past these dates..</b></span>.especially spaghetti squash which I was able to keep all the way through spring with no loss of eating quality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>AND...I keep them in my 65+ degree utility room and not outside.</b></span> I do lose some but if I rotate them once in while and keep them fairly separate, they seem to do well. I just watch for fruits that are beginning to get bad spots, refrigerate and use them up right away. </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGaha8zRvPOH8XvSBqzT5qkfzAvK_5am8zLhBSCZ8fsEj-0r22pDhxD4lwvxP1UQ1gXsX5cy1KybOBGCXkkzcLPwtNl2QvRwO8peLHw5HV_8SXcykD-4PVmT-5e6j0W30agiR6tQkvllN/s1600/03607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGaha8zRvPOH8XvSBqzT5qkfzAvK_5am8zLhBSCZ8fsEj-0r22pDhxD4lwvxP1UQ1gXsX5cy1KybOBGCXkkzcLPwtNl2QvRwO8peLHw5HV_8SXcykD-4PVmT-5e6j0W30agiR6tQkvllN/s400/03607.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.jungseed.com/dp.asp?pID=03607">Photo Source</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I also choose small varieties </span></b>(like the small Blue Hubbard pictured above) so I can cook one up fast and have about 4-6 servings</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">depending on the variety. If I were to buy the monster sized ones, I hate to process them because it takes so long, but the small ones I can peel or cook quickly and eat them every week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I am loving our winter squash </b></span>and have been cutting them up, sauteing them and including them in soups, stews, chilis and even our spaghetti sauce. We love them and here's hoping you'll be able to store some of your own this winter...Blessings!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's your favorite winter squash? </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">References:</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1.<a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=63">http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=63</a> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">2.<a href="http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-24-c.html">http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-24-c.html</a> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">3.<a href="http://cedarcirclefarm.org/tips/entry/winter-squash-storage-tips">http://cedarcirclefarm.org/tips/entry/winter-squash-storage-tips</a> </span><b> </b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Linked to these amazing blog parties...<a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2013/11/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-54.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/12/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-100/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> </span></span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-11416850779833439972013-11-19T18:57:00.000-08:002013-12-11T22:01:49.473-08:00How Did They Grow? Reviewing Five New Garden Varieties in 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhjwexqJ5bhy7FkHwK28iE7AWDj-jWazlfKbVAnJOw3wSJYGYtVyo-ELTd-06zi6Kho9Rq5VHbhXMK-5AvSNJ921KST3jiEbs1fjk2CNETWfYLR4bl3Bqn3Z4FPGjBs4qLxrC0XD3t-0R/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhjwexqJ5bhy7FkHwK28iE7AWDj-jWazlfKbVAnJOw3wSJYGYtVyo-ELTd-06zi6Kho9Rq5VHbhXMK-5AvSNJ921KST3jiEbs1fjk2CNETWfYLR4bl3Bqn3Z4FPGjBs4qLxrC0XD3t-0R/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every year I like to pick out new garden varieties to try out for the following season. It keeps gardening interesting and allows me to experience different vegetables and compare them to what I am already growing. For 2012, I chose 5 different plants that I picked based on productivity, uniqueness and compactness. You can read my original post here where I picked them - <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/02/one-way-to-beat-garden-boredom.html">"One Way to Beat Garden Boredom."</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here were my picks with the garden packet photo on the left and my produce on the right...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMEXLP6uIUKdGOppXyLJRFET97FAEBSrZVTpTZ6jlm3co40qNU_98bpxnludt-nGObKe1LrMAr_SJi-6CI7LHoHbHqfisA5korzLM0RvkQSz16RipAUtjvCj9kk5ZG2wnoWGMb3L6gp6D/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMEXLP6uIUKdGOppXyLJRFET97FAEBSrZVTpTZ6jlm3co40qNU_98bpxnludt-nGObKe1LrMAr_SJi-6CI7LHoHbHqfisA5korzLM0RvkQSz16RipAUtjvCj9kk5ZG2wnoWGMb3L6gp6D/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. </span></b><b><a href="http://parkseed.com/product.aspx?p=87734-PK-6&gclid=CPiB7KanoLUCFYpDMgodfjMASg"> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summer Green Tiger Zucchini</span></a></b></span>: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I chose this zucchini because it was a compact plant and because it was described as having a pleasant nutty flavor. What was the result? I would give this squash an A+ for productivity, compactness, disease resistance</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and delicious flavor!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It tasted great no matter what size it grew to and we gobbled this zucchini up all summer. I had one plant that withstood all the fungus our wet and cool summer provided and it was faithful to give us lots of zucchini! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My small amount of beans are located in the right photo, bottom middle.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/beans/shell/bean-shell-bush-dragon-s-tongue-wax-prod001102.html;jsessionid=E7EF719EED3831BB5E0ACFAE3B289764?catId=3006&trail=&_requestid=8512205">Dragon Tongue Wax Bush Bean:</a></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This yellow wax bean caught my eye because of its unique markings and that fact that it was an heirloom made it a fun try in the garden. What was the result for 2013? I would give this bean a B - as it was a good tasting bean but it germinated very poorly even after two plantings. Of course, some of this could be the season or it could have been the seed lot, but it was very spotty in germination and I had a lot of blank spaces in the garden. The plants that did grow were semi productive. This was a fun plant to try but I don't think it'll make it to the garden in 2014.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMg5s_noCzonVqdXEx7z_oQwmP56BGRCl-Bbghz4rt0LubohYEM3huEiM4NKhnNt57lG88pdI71xzLiz6yUrwALgp_pWXuddcV7dXRYxPRrY3r1eHLJ3I2fCzXcUaQLYoEufNVhRuxomO3/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMg5s_noCzonVqdXEx7z_oQwmP56BGRCl-Bbghz4rt0LubohYEM3huEiM4NKhnNt57lG88pdI71xzLiz6yUrwALgp_pWXuddcV7dXRYxPRrY3r1eHLJ3I2fCzXcUaQLYoEufNVhRuxomO3/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://parkseed.com/pepper-sweet-pickle/p/v1091/">Sweet Pickle Pepper:</a></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This little pepper plant looked adorable in the seed catalog and its little fruits were too hard to resist! How did it grow in my garden? Well I planted some in the garden and some in containers. I would say they both grew equally well. How did they fare? I would give them a B. They weren't as productive as the catalog photo but they did put on a decent amount for fresh eating. I didn't get enough to can even though I grew at least 8 plants. The taste was okay, not too sweet, the skins a little tough but not bad. I will grow these again because I like having snack peppers to eat while working outside. I would classify these as a novelty plant and not a heavy producer.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Tumbling Toms got hit by late blight.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>4. <a href="http://parkseed.com/product.aspx?p=87734-PK-6&gclid=CPiB7KanoLUCFYpDMgodfjMASg">Tumbling Tom Yellow Tomatoes:</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I grew these because I love how they are made to tumble and what fun to grow them in containers too. The yellow variety was a nice change from the usual red tomatoes. How did these little gems do? These tomatoes get a C as a grade. Unfortunately, they were difficult to germinate as well and the plants that did make it succumbed to blight and leaf spot. They managed to give me quite a few tomatoes, not as many as in the seed catalog photo, but enough to enjoy them. Our wet cool summer wasn't a help for these tomatoes, but I am willing to try them next year hoping our summer temps next year will produce better results. I really want to grow these as I loved growing vegetables in a vertical space. Stay tuned to see how they work!</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4rj_LD4QT0GcNsjE57XkEQuDVCw_n535s3JkAq7neBTkzIRc0T2yfdOxwY9ACTWpmC1uuXDyMN5lSEszJUSYDJ83hpxvDbmoqE1eDKZ3dIOVjo9uKqML7sNFQSOf2SUG001bT16i1H-A/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4rj_LD4QT0GcNsjE57XkEQuDVCw_n535s3JkAq7neBTkzIRc0T2yfdOxwY9ACTWpmC1uuXDyMN5lSEszJUSYDJ83hpxvDbmoqE1eDKZ3dIOVjo9uKqML7sNFQSOf2SUG001bT16i1H-A/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://parkseed.com/squash-small-wonder-hybrid/p/05675-PK-P1/">Small Wonder Hybrid Squash:</a></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last but not least was this smaller variety of spaghetti squash. I grew it for its relatively compact vines but especially its smaller fruits. It was listed to be very productive. The result? This one gets an A+!! I have so many of these squash ranging in size from a softball to a small pumpkin. They taste great and they did very well in the garden. They held up well despite the fungal disease going on because of the wet weather and I have more than enough for winter. I loved these and am going to include them again for 2013! It was a rough year for many garden crops because of the weather and whatever made it through is definitely a keeper!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61OSD01gMjOQ-jIX4ikytMkYrWJNWkvoUaO96dAmhR2a7tVZGz1milRZfJpRskL6wKEBSsHZYlmA1HctMNmGtxMDQKvF3RvQWebF5egyNY2aw3fUwMEaHZ__lRnGrpoqtQhfrA4ddT6zm/s1600/IMG_20130822_113334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61OSD01gMjOQ-jIX4ikytMkYrWJNWkvoUaO96dAmhR2a7tVZGz1milRZfJpRskL6wKEBSsHZYlmA1HctMNmGtxMDQKvF3RvQWebF5egyNY2aw3fUwMEaHZ__lRnGrpoqtQhfrA4ddT6zm/s640/IMG_20130822_113334.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And that was the results of my 2013 Garden Trials. </b></span> Overall, I was very happy with my newest additions and most of them will be making a comeback in 2014. It's great to keep a record of your garden plant varieties so you can make the best choices when it comes to planting time. It's hard to believe, but you don't always remember what plants grew the best in your garden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What was your favorite garden plant for 2013? </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessings!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties.... <a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2013/11/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-53.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/2013/11/natural-living-link-up-97.html">Natural Living Link Up</a> <a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/11/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-99/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/small-footprint-friday-sustainable-living-linkup-112213?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Sustainable Living Link-Up</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-14414327796051914782013-11-12T15:18:00.000-08:002013-11-18T07:37:45.883-08:00Natural Headache Remedy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Headaches. We all get them and some of us more than others.</b></span> I fall into the second category as being a chronic headache sufferer. Tension headaches and the worst of all...migraines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I have been searching for years for a natural remedy or relief from headaches in general. </b></span>Looking at everything including my diet, exercise, sleep, caffeine usage, herbal remedies including feverfew and homeopathic remedies, etc...I have been pursuing a way to naturally relieve them and prevent their onset. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">To be honest; I had just about given up trying until</span></b> I recently attended a women's conference and the speaker chose to talk about health one evening. She quickly mentioned about how she would take "a couple of Omega 3's" at the onset of a headache and it would take care of them immediately. I jotted down what she said and forgot about it later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>However, the very next day</b> </span>I was feeling the onset of a headache that was destined to become a migraine. I remembered what the speaker had said and quickly took two fish oil pills (Omega 3's) and didn't think much about it until later when I realized that I ended up not getting a headache OR a migraine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wow...this is pretty amazing stuff</b>!</span> I was a bit surprised because I was used to trying everything to avoid one and nothing seemed to work. So, all week I took two fish oils in the morning and two at night before bed because those were the times that I would tend to get them. I would feel a bit muscle "achy" but I never got a for two weeks. When I did get a mild one, I would take two fish oils or Omega's and they would keep the headache at bay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Omega 3's seem to have eliminated my constant headaches</b></span> to the point I am able to work out with weights again. However, I have had two days of migraines since then but I woke up with them in the morning and wasn't able to take anything to prevent them. I did use fish oil with other remedies including pain reliever and valerian to help relieve the pain. The fish oil seemed to help but I did need the extra boost of pain relievers to get through the headache.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">So they seemed to be the most effective when</span></b> taken before a headache comes on and it's important to be able to "read your body" on when you think this is happening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>How does fish oil or Omega 3 supplements work? </b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a great question and to be honest, the medical community is not completely sure how it works exactly but they do know that this type of oil does have benefits that may contribute to migraine relief.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can use fish oil to help and or other supplements that include, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, chia seed oil, borage seed oil, extra virgin olive oil. Food that are rich in Omega's include, walnuts, winter squash, kidney and black beans, and wild rice. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"According to the American Heart Association</span> the ingredients of fish oil
help reduce inflammation, reduces blood clotting, lowers blood pressure
and steadies the heart rhythm. These actions, particularly the reduction
of inflammation or swelling, may be helpful in reducing the head pain
and other migraine symptoms of migraine attacks because it may reduce
migraine head inflammation."</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>1</i></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Some research suggests </span>that since Fish Oil prevents constriction of
blood vessel, it can prevent the actions in the brain that lead to
migraine attacks." 2</span></i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">"A 2002 study of 27 adolescents</span> who took fish oil found that they had
fewer migraines, shorter headaches and less severe migraine headaches." 3</i></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>"<span style="font-size: large;">Omega-3 fatty acids </span>do decrease inflammation and relax blood vessels.
These may also reduce the tendency of platelets -- blood cell fragments
that play an important role in clotting -- to clump together or
aggregate. Some studies link platelet clumping to the migraine process,
and many standard migraine drugs serve to decrease the tendency of
platelets to aggregate." 4</i></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So far, they are taking care of most of my migraines.</b> </span> I am also learning how to regulate my hormones so I can eliminate the migraines associated with them as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can use fish oil to help and or other supplements that include, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, chia seed oil, borage seed oil, extra virgin olive oil. Food that are rich in Omega's include, walnuts, winter squash, kidney and black beans, and wild rice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What to do when you feel like a headache is coming on?</span> </b> Take a couple of fish oils or Omega 3's and see if you notice a difference. Our 17 year old son took a couple when he had a mild headache and it went away for him. If it works then you've just found a great simple, low cost remedy! If it doesn't, keep trying as it may not work with hormonal headaches the same way it does for tension ones. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all...it's certainly worth trying. I am so thankful!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you found a natural cure that works for you to eliminate headaches?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Be blessed (and headache-free!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Here's a link to another great post from an M.D. about eliminating migraines. He has some more suggestions on symptoms and treatments that are valuable to know. You can read it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/how-to-eliminate-migraine_b_451311.html">here.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">References:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/natural-remedies/fish-oil-for-migraine-headaches/">1. http://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/natural-remedies/fish-oil-for-migraine-headaches/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Ibid.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Ibid.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. <a href="http://headaches.about.com/lw/Health-Medicine/Conditions-and-diseases/Dietary-Supplements-and-Botanicals-for-Migraine-Headaches.htm">http://headaches.about.com/lw/Health-Medicine/Conditions-and-diseases/Dietary-Supplements-and-Botanicals-for-Migraine-Headaches.htm</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Linked to these blog parties: <a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2013/11/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-52.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/11/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-98/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> <a href="http://jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/2013/11/natural-living-link-up-96.html">Natural Living Link Up</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/11/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-136/">Homestead Barn Hop</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-91095274097727888012013-10-17T06:45:00.000-07:002013-11-18T07:39:24.774-08:00Celebrating the Harvest 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As a gardener, the most important outcome of the garden season is the harvest.</span> That is what all the digging, weeding, planting, sowing and weeding is about; the harvest. I'm always amazed when I begin to fill bowl after bowl of vegetables from a picking - it's really gardening "nirvana."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So I decided to put together a post</span> featuring some Instagram snapshots that captured this years harvest. It's a quick look at why we do what we do in the garden. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This past 2013 season was certainly no disappointment either.</span> Besides the fact that we had so much rain and cool temps, we still managed to bring in haul after haul of garden produce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sure our peppers languished for the early part of the season, </span>but September proved to be a great month with nice mild temperatures; more sun and less rain. All of a sudden our peppers really began putting on lots of fruit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have scores of them and mostly hot peppers at that.</span> I'm not sure when I'm going to learn how to not plant SO many hot varieties. Yes, we love them hot, but we do have our limits. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">By the way...if you ever want to learn how to eat hot peppers</span> - start growing them and you'll soon find ways to use them. I never ate a hot pepper 20 years ago, now we have a slight addiction to them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, our tomatoes didn't fare as well.</span> They always suffer from Septoria Leaf Spot (a fungal disease which affects the plant) in our garden at home, but I usually still get a decent crop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We did manage to get enough tomatoes to can this year,</span> but many were under-ripe and very small. All the rain and cool temperatures wreaked havoc on those temperamental Mediterranean plants. It may not make the best sauce this year but at least it's our tomatoes with no added pesticides; thank you very much! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Despite a bleak outlook in the beginning, </span>most everything did well and we had more than enough to eat, preserve and share. Which, I think, is really what it's all about. I really love the harvest, it makes me feel so wealthy and successful. I guess that's what it's supposed to do. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How was your harvest this year? Blessings! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shared on these blog parties...<a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2013/11/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-52.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/11/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-98/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> <a href="http://jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/2013/11/natural-living-link-up-96.html">Natural Living Link Up</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/11/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-136/">Monday's Homestead Barn Hop</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-86100589324648405032013-10-03T15:48:00.000-07:002013-11-14T06:40:00.856-08:00Eating Well in the City: West Side Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One thing is for sure; the city offers some amazing spaces, great architecture and interesting places.</span> We live only 40 miles away from Cleveland and manage to go downtown every once in a while. When we do, discovering the food it has to offer has to be top on our list. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The food doesn't have to just come from a restaurant either. </span> As a matter of fact, visiting its city market is one of my favorite places to go. With roots going back to the 1840's - this market boasts of not only great food, but is full of history as well. I end up feasting with my eyes as well as my appetite. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is home to over a hundred vendors and believe me, they sell everything.</span> It's an eater's paradise. The variety is endless and begs of repeat visits to at least get a glimpse of all that is for sell.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This leads me to my next thought...</span>Eating well in the city is actually easier than I would have thought. Sure, you have to walk past all the racks and displays of cookies, pastries, cakes, and candy (it's really ok to nibble along the way) to find some vendors that offer artisan breads, cheeses, and produce. </span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A city market does so much for the local economy.</span> It provides small businesses great opportunities to thrive and grow. It provides an outlet for small farmers and gardeners who need to sell produce. It encourages artisanal foods and recaptures old world methods of growing, baking, cooking and eating. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It also is a vast artistic display that encourages creativity not only in food but in the way we think about food.</span> There's no way I'm thinking about french fries and pizza here...too many other great foods to discover and explore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It really is a center and a gathering place for young and old alike to celebrate ethnic heritages, great food and learn new traditions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With this constant traffic flow of produce and food from the burbs and countryside, it ensures the quality of food for many urban dwellers. </span> I am almost thinking that it's a bit easier for them to eat well at least when it comes to having more healthful choices. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know we ate really well that day and came home with some prizes too.</span> With new vendors selling Black Tuscan Kale and other organic produce, I felt as if I was walking through a garden. Looks like city pavement owners have their own bit of livin' in the green as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's your favorite town or city market space?</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more info on the West Side Market, click <a href="http://www.westsidemarket.org/about.html">here.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties... <a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/10/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-93/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways ,</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/10/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-131/">Homestead Barn Hop</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2013/11/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-52.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesdays</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-23823347118995863342013-09-09T08:13:00.000-07:002013-09-17T09:02:56.302-07:00Helping Monarchs: Plant Your Own Milkweed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over Labor Day Weekend, we enjoyed a great visit to a neighboring <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-geauga-county-fair-a-fair-to.html">fair.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of my favorite exhibits there is a parks area where all kind of natural living is exhibited, everything from choosing a great hunting dog, making maple syrup, archery and wildlife shows. This year we happened to attend a butterfly tagging workshop for Monarchs. Like many of you, I love butterflies and try to plant as many flower varieties as I can to attract them. I found out that this year though, the butterfly population was way down. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found out that it was because of two reasons. The first is loss of habitat. That of course is understandable because of cultivation, building, herbicides and so on. The second is because our weather pattern in the northeast last year was very dry and it led to the lack of enough plant material to host the monarchs. So, the weather last year affected the population this year, including the monarchs overwintering in Mexico.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do they know about the populations and where the monarchs travel? It comes from the tagging program. Basically tagging monarchs is putting an ID sticker on one of their wings which doesn't interfere with their flight and helps other naturalists to track the population and it's health. Who tags them? Anyone who would like to... I'm in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obviously not everyone wants to chase butterflies with a net and place a sticker on them, so how else can we help? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, that takes us back to the first problem facing the monarchs...loss of habitat. This is an easy remedy. There's only one plant the monarchs need as a host plant and this is milkweed. Milkweed comes in many different species including, tropical, swamp, showy, purple, as well as common milkweed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Milkweed gets its name from the white latex type sap that comes when you break any part of the plant. This sap must be milk to monarchs because it's their number one caterpillar food of choice! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of two caterpillars we found at our community garden.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can help the monarch by including Milkweed in your garden space. We don't actually plant ours because as it is a weed, it comes up by itself. We just let it some plants come up in our community garden space for the butterflies. Remember, common milkweed is a, well, a weed. It will get very invasive if it's left to itself in fertile soil. So, we keep some around but weed the rest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year, we actually found some monarch caterpillars on our milkweed! Not just one, mind you, but two bit fat caterpillars! It's the best kind of nursery to have...we really did it by not interfering with nature's process too much. Allow a few plants to grow and bloom and let the butterflies do the rest. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This monarch caterpillar is just about ready to pupate!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Experts suggest if you would like to grow your own common milkweed, try planting it in pots so it doesn't get take over your garden or buy some more exotic varieties that aren't quite as vigorous to reproduce. You can find some more info <a href="http://www.joyfulbutterfly.com/articles/milkweed-plant.html">here.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for us. we have found the perfect balance by letting it grow where it's already at and enjoy helping out these amazing butterfly wonders. Here's hoping you can help you too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>First</b>: Identify milkweed in your area or property and allow some to grow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Second:</b> Purchase some special varieties of milkweed to grow in your garden space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Third</b>: Plant lots of flower varieties like zinnias, marigolds and echinacea to feed the mature butterflies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Fourth:</b> Limit your use of any herbicides or pesticides in your garden space to encourage these winged wonders.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK0jE09XG5WT9PbnbXCcgRlwv6iL7ZbQHQo2_5ZzeXcI2NMhfBqNdwlZJ7QWsSjdB3FKqKQIht-E8mVo4Yd1gm6ymFUd8-HnEEU6sxp_Oc-FZ0Tuve1PfpIUr7lCmhtBw4iTK-H7xbNak/s1600/IMG_20130902_152913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK0jE09XG5WT9PbnbXCcgRlwv6iL7ZbQHQo2_5ZzeXcI2NMhfBqNdwlZJ7QWsSjdB3FKqKQIht-E8mVo4Yd1gm6ymFUd8-HnEEU6sxp_Oc-FZ0Tuve1PfpIUr7lCmhtBw4iTK-H7xbNak/s640/IMG_20130902_152913.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading!! To find out more about tagging Monarchs, go to <a href="http://monarchwatch.org/">http://monarchwatch.org/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to order tagging kits and nets. Be blessed!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you noticed many Monarchs in your area? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog hops....<a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/09/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-89/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/09/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-127/">Homestead Barn Hop</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-82481635120458339772013-08-25T17:18:00.001-07:002013-09-11T17:59:49.441-07:00Easy and Natural Bee Sting Remedy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7nw5RoHEi2Mm3sNh_iC9aDqVJYSdWtfl75ujQfduPfADrbcCf_3wsJr2LfZ4Ow7FwXcdb63pM7DCsIWTvenx_HVzn4NDSxJqWy_EKrvyDTvauTZXdxecT0ZTdeHC4jZwui5EU-iBN4yw/s1600/SANY4733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7nw5RoHEi2Mm3sNh_iC9aDqVJYSdWtfl75ujQfduPfADrbcCf_3wsJr2LfZ4Ow7FwXcdb63pM7DCsIWTvenx_HVzn4NDSxJqWy_EKrvyDTvauTZXdxecT0ZTdeHC4jZwui5EU-iBN4yw/s640/SANY4733.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bee stings...they're bound to happen to everyone sometime in their lives. </b></span> We live with nature and nature includes stinging things; which means bees and wasps. My own stings only amount to three which is pretty amazing considering how much I'm around them in the garden. The interesting fact is that only one of my stings was connected to gardening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This goes to show you how mild-tempered most honeybees and bumblebees are.</b></span> They are very occupied in gathering nectar and pollen and are very uninterested in human beings for the most part. Most stings that occur from them are connected to their hives or if they feel like you are going to harm them. Case in point: One of my stings was from gathering some leaf mulch in the spring while not wearing gloves. A honey bee was in the mulch and I kept disturbing it until it finally stung me. Ouch. Learned a lesson there. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ICBsUt6iw66fqNFSaHpAEI_xGLvRmLMMOEDyH8AaDCWz3dDu4-w7nMvXrBwlsgrzc0CTE-8VJp4SSsZmtuiO5nBpgxo1NKyRHj3Ad5sNxRgH0-xdx9gx9-4QF1wFYjQnf1o1IVjO3Oq3/s1600/SANY4729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ICBsUt6iw66fqNFSaHpAEI_xGLvRmLMMOEDyH8AaDCWz3dDu4-w7nMvXrBwlsgrzc0CTE-8VJp4SSsZmtuiO5nBpgxo1NKyRHj3Ad5sNxRgH0-xdx9gx9-4QF1wFYjQnf1o1IVjO3Oq3/s640/SANY4729.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The next one was from me walking barefoot (I think it was the only time too) in the yard. </b></span> There was white clover all around in the grass and that's where this honeybee was hanging out. Needless to say, I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">limped for a bit that day.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEmgMuNYkLv78cnFxGNuDlUYSJ7VdyUyMkysACt6fAIcmeV-Fs92C4mkgbh8Nhil3Ee8hyphenhyphenFYnbr5v1xqEOzFuJfYzuYfq30ieu7QXaJQVQ0u5STNNmOUJkLtdffiQ7QkItLfPOMTiSGFa/s1600/Southern_Yellow_Jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEmgMuNYkLv78cnFxGNuDlUYSJ7VdyUyMkysACt6fAIcmeV-Fs92C4mkgbh8Nhil3Ee8hyphenhyphenFYnbr5v1xqEOzFuJfYzuYfq30ieu7QXaJQVQ0u5STNNmOUJkLtdffiQ7QkItLfPOMTiSGFa/s640/Southern_Yellow_Jacket.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The most obnoxious sting was from yours truly (pictured up above.) </b></span> I was minding my own business, sitting on our front door stoop when this yellow jacket kept hanging around my hand. I did what I could to deflect it but it chose to sting me right then and there. I think it was attracted to my shiny wedding band...at least that's my theory. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So what did I use for all these bee stings?</b></span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWflHCQ_imHtFWtg9nOjrblfvCGeyKgCD-NmwZ9HKhzSoiuxmfBab13TxScmB9Ik4rmI0UbR1Z4cPCzjKCKwVtIeS9q3e4FUhh8xt2vWq7iSdaNh5HnLGRk-PMB3NXuh-hoyXZW1JcW8c/s1600/SANY4722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWflHCQ_imHtFWtg9nOjrblfvCGeyKgCD-NmwZ9HKhzSoiuxmfBab13TxScmB9Ik4rmI0UbR1Z4cPCzjKCKwVtIeS9q3e4FUhh8xt2vWq7iSdaNh5HnLGRk-PMB3NXuh-hoyXZW1JcW8c/s640/SANY4722.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yep. Plain old, free, readily available, all natural mud. </b></span>The very best remedies of all are the easiest ones and this does not disappoint. I've used it for all my stings, my husband's stings, and our two sons who seemed to get stung quite a bit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yes, I know you can use baking soda, cornstarch and flour</b></span> (to name a few) but I was always stung outside, usually away from our house with no resources to these items. (Oh, and if you have bee allergies...use the mud but also use your EpiPen!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>While driving with the windows down to a trip to a local park,</b></span> a bee came into our car and promptly stung our youngest son. While everyone contemplated going home, I had my husband pull over to the side of the road where I gathered as much loose soil as I could find. We had a water bottle in the car and I made up the mud and applied it...wall - la! In a matter of 2-3 minutes he was feeling perfectly normal. He washed off the mud with soap and water when we got to the park and we had a great afternoon together.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDO4NFPA-sQ4jBmTb2brx1mnPTJC4N0EaTxphDlIqG9YYNyxpQhioKdvOpiUMZVJXrEnheICQGnpZhi8zqjOXXFQi4IXxfFBVb40dOr1_jXlW14sJzOijoz-UdkIPYrnuu7Ieq-8ZOODxE/s1600/SANY4726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDO4NFPA-sQ4jBmTb2brx1mnPTJC4N0EaTxphDlIqG9YYNyxpQhioKdvOpiUMZVJXrEnheICQGnpZhi8zqjOXXFQi4IXxfFBVb40dOr1_jXlW14sJzOijoz-UdkIPYrnuu7Ieq-8ZOODxE/s640/SANY4726.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Another sting occurred while hiking during a camping trip</b></span>. First I applied <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/07/summers-1-plant-remedy-for-cuts-and.html">plantain</a></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to the sting but the pain didn't go away. So, we went to the mud poultice and within a very short time, the pain and the swelling were gone. The faster you apply it, the less swelling and pain you'll encounter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why does this work? </b></span> Well, mud has amazing "drawing" abilities and it actually draws the poison into itself. We've used this remedy countless times and it's simple...tried and true.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Okay, there's no rocket science here</b></span> but I was able to take care of screaming kids on a playground within a minute from yellow jacket stings all from the most humble remedy of all...mud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's your favorite bee sting remedy? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog hops...<a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/08/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-125/">Homestead Barn Hop</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/08/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-87/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-33589801099102050782013-08-16T21:19:00.000-07:002013-08-21T14:53:22.313-07:00Hydrangeas: Amazing Color for the Shade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I have to admit that I'm a diehard hydrangea fan.</span></b> Not because they're the easiest plant to grow but because I'm mesmerized by their fluffy ball of petals and their unique and intense colors...they really can be a show stopper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">If you live in the right location, they also can be a beautiful plant for the shade.</span></b> Their deep green foliage and intense shades of pink or blue captivate you quickly and make you look more than once. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2y8Rn8J6HEQKVsVPDWyEPPrRw2SSdf5cLL8JJlcAUsrg9ewEVEyKgQGHa9rnD57J1370s7RkQD2GJFm-B9gggBe-zGrWQ85Xc-W-dSxaQUETGg5lLMkfsEwH6T-TS63n5YJ7g4XsvfJhg/s1600/SANY4669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2y8Rn8J6HEQKVsVPDWyEPPrRw2SSdf5cLL8JJlcAUsrg9ewEVEyKgQGHa9rnD57J1370s7RkQD2GJFm-B9gggBe-zGrWQ85Xc-W-dSxaQUETGg5lLMkfsEwH6T-TS63n5YJ7g4XsvfJhg/s640/SANY4669.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>There are different varieties of hydrangeas and they look quite different from each other. </b></span> I'm going to be talking about the mophead/bigleaf (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Hydrangea macrophylla)</i> and lacecap varieties in this post although the oak leaf hydrangeas are gorgeous in a more understated way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>There are two main colors in the mopheads and lace caps</b></span> being the pinks and blues but I often see light purple flowers and different shades of blues on some bushes. If the soil ph varies too much this can cause the flowers to change in shade although pink varieties will stay pink and blues won't necessarily turn pink. That being said, it's best to buy the color hydrangea you would like and don't worry about changing the colors around by amending the soil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hydrangeas are not made for deep shade, but I've found that planted on the east side of our house, they do much better in the shaded areas.</b></span> They grow beautifully if they are in rich moist soil and I actually lost a few plants last summer because it was so hot and it was relatively dry. My hydrangeas will often wilt during this kind of weather so I would water them as much as possible to keep them healthy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>They also bloom in early summer for weeks at a time</b> taking over the blooming from your spring bulbs and perennials. They really fill in the gap for extended blooms in your perennial bed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>They also didn't put out leaves or bloom well during the last dry summer.</b> That means I'll need to put down extra mulch and be dilligent about watering the next time our summer is hot and dry. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A photo of one of my own hydrangeas in early bloom</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>They will do better in warm climates if planted on the north side of the house or at the edge of a woods.</b></span> Hydrangeas are not shy about letting you know if they aren't happy where they're planted. Their drooping leaves and lack of blooms will let you know right away what they need.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I told you they can be fussy. </b></span> But in the right spot, in rich moist soil in indirect sun, they are a thing of beauty. I snapped all these photos taken on one of my walks along the lakefront. We have four bushes at home too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This lace cap variety</b> had fertile flowers on the inside surrounded by large showy flowers on the outside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What I also love about these mophead/lacecap hydrangeas </b>is that they are only 4-6 feet tall and perfect as a landscaping plant. It's one of the reasons I picked it to put in our front flower beds.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a neighbor's bush and I LOVE the blue color. I have pink myself but the blues always draw me too.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I've even cut the flower heads off when they get close to being done blooming</b> (the flowers begin to fade a bit) and just bring them inside in a vase (no water) and let them air dry. You'll want to do this NOT on a humid day so the petals don't wilt. You may want to try one flower and see how it drys to make sure you don't lose them all. I would make a wreath completely out of the blooms...gorgeous!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If you haven't grown these beautiful plants before,</b></span> you may just want to check them out and see how much they can brighten the loneliest spot in your garden! Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you grow hydrangeas? Which is your favorite color? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out this link for more info...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/hydrangeafaq2.html">http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/hydrangeafaq2.html</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties: <a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/08/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-124/">Homestead Barn Hop</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/08/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-86/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> <a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/101st-wildcrafting-wednesday/">Wildcrafting Wednesday</a></span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-54791811669376842592013-08-09T18:24:00.000-07:002013-08-20T08:23:28.193-07:00How to Make Your Own Echinacea Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>It's August already and that means fall is around the corner as well as the seasonal onslaught of colds and flu</b></span>. However, if you have this plant growing in your garden, you can make your own arsenal of flu-fighting goodness for pennies a cup!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Echinacea Purpurea is the above mentioned flower that is used for this medicinal AND delicious tea. </b></span> This North American native flower is wonderful to include in your garden for many reasons and you can read more about that <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/03/echinacea-3-reasons-to-grow-this.html">here.</a> When I first began learning about herbs 20 years ago, this was one of my go-to plants for my family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I first began using it primarily in conjunction with ear infections.</b></span> If our boys had an infection, I immediately put them on this tea to help fight it off and to boost their own immune system. I would use my <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2012/10/garlic-ear-oil-remedy-does-it-really.html">Garlic Oil Ear Remedy</a> to get rid of the infection and used this as a "chaser" to keep the infection away. Our boys began drinking this out of bottles and then sippy cups. They loved it and it is still one of their favorite herbal teas to drink.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How to make this? It's so simple if you have the plants.</b></span> If you don't, you could always buy the plant parts from a reputable company. The roots of this plant have the strongest medicinal effect, but the leaves and flowers are medicinal too and mild enough for the little ones. I don't want to sacrifice my plants for the roots, plus the work in digging them up, cleaning, drying and cutting them up is a lot of work. I use <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/01/raw-garlic-cold-and-flu-fighter.html">raw garlic</a> as the main antibiotic and anti-viral fighter and echinacea to build our immune system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Locate your plants and find the topmost leaves that are free from brown spots, insect bites and anything else.</b></span> I always use the uppermost leaves as they are newer and less bitter. Select flowers that are the newest blooms. Cut the stem completely away. Place in a dehydrator tray or even a cookie rack that has a grid pattern on it. Put the cookie rack on a cookie sheet to give some air circulation between it. I often just let the leaves air dry in a dark, fairly cool place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You can use your dehydrator if you like or I've heard of using your car to dry your herbs as well because let's face it, if your car is outside, it gets to be an oven in there. It's so easy to dry your own herbs that it's well worth the effort.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I based my recipe off of the original "Traditional Medicinals Echinacea Tea" by Rosemary Gladstar.</span></b> So, I also add spearmint and lemongrass to my echinacea. I just so happen to grow a delicious spearmint, so I'll add this to my tray of leaves and flowers to dry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>You can dry the plant parts separately</b></span> and mix them or dry them together and put them in a nice tin or glass jar when dry. If the jar is clear, make sure to store in a dark place so the herbs don't lose their potency.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I buy lemongrass to add to the mix for flavor,</b></span> however, I grow <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2012/06/tea-licious-with-lemon-balm.html">lemon balm</a> so this would be a nice addition to the blend as well. The main idea is to have more echinacea than the other herbs in order to get the most benefit. I find the spearmint is just enough with a hint of lemongrass. I found some lemongrass at an Asian market and will dry my own for the blend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a basic recipe using dried plant parts:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Echinacea Tea</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">1 part echin<span style="font-size: small;">acea parts, leaves, flowers, roots</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">4</span> part lemon grass</span></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 </span></span></span></b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>part spearm<span style="font-size: small;">int lea<span style="font-size: small;">ves (or to taste)</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stevia leaves to<span style="font-size: small;"> ta<span style="font-size: small;">ste</span></span></span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mix and brew at the f<span style="font-size: small;">irst sign of cold or flu. Based on<span style="font-size: small;"> the <span style="font-size: small;">Traditional Medicinal recipe<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>There you have it. </b></span> Your own stash of Echinacea Tea from your own backyard to brew at the first sign of a sniffle during the dark days of winter. I think you'll find yourself going back to this tea time and time again; even if you don't have a cold...blessings!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you grow and make your own teas? Do you use Echinacea Tea? </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties....<a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-make-your-own-echinacea-tea.html">Homestead Barn Hop</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/08/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-85/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> <a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/100th-wildcrafting-wednesday-celebration/">Wildcrafting Wednesday</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/2013/08/natural-living-link-up-83.html">Natural Living Link-Up</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/08/the-homeacre-hop-32.html">Homeacre Hop</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/08/the-homeacre-hop-32.html">The Homeacre Hop</a></span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-91140663022676548372013-07-24T11:03:00.003-07:002013-08-25T17:14:54.081-07:00Summer's #1 Plant Remedy for Cuts and Scrapes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitICxsMBZHGV6Yb3aMF2dXl7QB6mkQa0ALUZUz07t4ysPTGKwlSV_70HbZYWJ99pY0TBP46fjPekVP9Xd2HKaivN9Vensrnd3BbyhIjD-TqY0jM36fECEAUtzcpdyl9q7MudCf_0FeXjtM/s1600/SANY4695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitICxsMBZHGV6Yb3aMF2dXl7QB6mkQa0ALUZUz07t4ysPTGKwlSV_70HbZYWJ99pY0TBP46fjPekVP9Xd2HKaivN9Vensrnd3BbyhIjD-TqY0jM36fECEAUtzcpdyl9q7MudCf_0FeXjtM/s640/SANY4695.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summer seems to be the season for cuts and scrapes as the weather causes us all to spend more time outdoors.</b></span> Between gardening, swimming, and all kinds of sports and camping - these small injuries are bound to occur.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>That's where this herbal remedy comes in for these minor problems.</b></span> This plant is abundant, free and effective...my favorite combination for herbal cures. You don't have to order it or do any special prep (in the summer) as it's most likely underfoot in most grassy locations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What it is you ask? </b></span> It's the humble plant, "Plantain" or officially known as "Plantago Major" or "Plantago Lanceolata." I'll be focusing on the first variety as it's very easily found in rural, suburban and even urban neighborhoods. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_29apFhtIY1hBbWCGewjhPL2tcrKAfFwYSvhaeMi4KWVrPMMTaapf9T_JQZA34u__F1zYg11EmCXkycjjlDzChyUtOpA-QzZtULJfROf5hUHkoHs3C2gFm86DWmk-RHwS2ImjHO17Loj5/s1600/SANY4693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_29apFhtIY1hBbWCGewjhPL2tcrKAfFwYSvhaeMi4KWVrPMMTaapf9T_JQZA34u__F1zYg11EmCXkycjjlDzChyUtOpA-QzZtULJfROf5hUHkoHs3C2gFm86DWmk-RHwS2ImjHO17Loj5/s640/SANY4693.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The flower of Plantain. Its flowers and seeds feed butterflies and even birds.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My first introduction to this amazing plant was from my mom.</b></span> Years ago she told me how when she was just a girl, had gotten a huge gash in her big toe from a hatchet that had fallen on it. Now, this was in the depression and years before antibiotics were discovered. My grandmother found some plantain leaves, made a poultice from them and applied them to the carefully washed gash. It took a few applications of this plant but the fairly deep wound healed beautifully and with only a minor scar. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My mom wasn't into plants or herbs at all but she remembered the story</b></span> and the plant and showed me what it looked like. I was so intrigued by her memory and tucked it away into my memory until I had a chance to use it myself. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OV5B046f3RUwbG2d2dz31aK4oV1XzdLeuzGGoKdqOJ6ov8H6lxvCWtM-zai9rQnyaiXarQG2t692thxpIHBvi7hzJsrR0QJauxBg7W8ZR_V3RYJjXlM0bLyyndGv-egglcesqMblO5QQ/s1600/SANY4701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OV5B046f3RUwbG2d2dz31aK4oV1XzdLeuzGGoKdqOJ6ov8H6lxvCWtM-zai9rQnyaiXarQG2t692thxpIHBvi7hzJsrR0QJauxBg7W8ZR_V3RYJjXlM0bLyyndGv-egglcesqMblO5QQ/s640/SANY4701.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plantain thrives in dry poor soils</span>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>That chance came some time later </b></span>when I was changing out a storm window for the screen and the window fell heavily against my finger and gave it a nasty cut. It was summer and my mom's story came back into my head, so I quickly located some leaves of the plant and made a poultice (where you mash the clean leaves of the plant by crushing and bruising them) and placed it on the gash with a bandage to keep it in place. I did this a few times over the next few days and my cut not only healed beautifully, but with no scar as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I was impressed.</b></span> Since then I have used it several times for cuts, bruises and scrapes. I clean the area and place a poultice of mashed leaves on the area and then bandage to keep the leaves in place. I've even just wrapped leaves around the wound area and secured with masking tape if I couldn't find a band-aid...worked like a charm.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaD4_dYCycf405UmZaqUbGmaIxefBooQsJNAITidEhRY7MxSKYMD-uIqM8CDi8HtAOg1-PwoVlH5RU81Rq7cbv6mTR5lMMswRZ6vCC48YHJqXHfjI-3pKyxiRVJh9LZZ5GEkvtBC6xWy2/s1600/SANY4700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaD4_dYCycf405UmZaqUbGmaIxefBooQsJNAITidEhRY7MxSKYMD-uIqM8CDi8HtAOg1-PwoVlH5RU81Rq7cbv6mTR5lMMswRZ6vCC48YHJqXHfjI-3pKyxiRVJh9LZZ5GEkvtBC6xWy2/s640/SANY4700.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It loves the edges of roadsides and its leaves are resilient to foot traffic</span>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Europeans understood its value enough to bring it to the New World when they settled here. </b></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>"Plantain was brought to the US and also to New Zealand by European settlers who valued it for it's culinary and medicinal properties. The settlers seemed to leave the plant wherever they went, thus earning it the name "White Man's Foot' or "Englishman's Foot" by the natives of both countries."</b> </span><b>1</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some interesting facts about this plant are as follows... </span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>"Plantain is very high in beta carotene (A) and calcium.
It also provides ascorbic acid (C), and vitamin K. Among the more notable
chemicals found in plantain are allantion, apigenin, aucubin, baicalein,
linoleic acid, oleanolic acid, sorbitol, and tannin. Together these constituents
are thought to give plantain mild anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihemorrhagic,
and expectorant actions. Acubin has been reported in the Journal Of Toxicology
as a powerful anti-toxin. Allantoin has been proved to promote wound healing,
speed up cell regeneration, and have skin-softening effects."<span style="color: black;">1</span></b> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">It also is very edible and reputed to be good for the lungs as this modern study indicates.</span>..</span></span></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #339966;"> <span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Medicinally,
plantain is astringent, demulcent, emollient, cooling, vulnerary, expectorant,
antimicrobial, antiviral, antitoxin, and diuretic. Plantain is approved
by the German Commission E (a sort of German "FDA" that studies
and regulates herbs and herbal uses) for internal use to ease coughs and
mucous membrane irritation associated with upper respiratory tract infections
as well as topical use for skin inflammations. Two Bulgarian clinical trials
have suggested that plantain may be effective in the treatment of chronic
bronchitis."<span style="color: black;">1</span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIhDdtPAMUxCKU0r3ud1wxE8eT7oCOJew0Ib0ypwoU1TN7jtPB9_VC40FjtPAgoe8eO32MmLuu0wEwhh9BFHN7hT2a7CKcn-mW_FGqSJ_m06LLk9exuEHHu2DxBQ1GVXtXCz3IsCr8TCB/s1600/SANY4696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIhDdtPAMUxCKU0r3ud1wxE8eT7oCOJew0Ib0ypwoU1TN7jtPB9_VC40FjtPAgoe8eO32MmLuu0wEwhh9BFHN7hT2a7CKcn-mW_FGqSJ_m06LLk9exuEHHu2DxBQ1GVXtXCz3IsCr8TCB/s640/SANY4696.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The leaves of this plant are highly medicinal. Try to locate leaves away from roadsides and areas where it could be sprayed. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Plantain can be found along</b></span> the edges of trails, paths, rocky areas and many times in sidewalks and urban locations. It's often found in lawns as well and the large rosette of leaves are easily located. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I believe people's first hand stories and experiences lead to our discovery of plants as valuable remedies.</b></span> Sure, you can use antibiotic cream on your cuts, but learning first hand what these plants can do give you valuable personal experience with the plant and what it does. If you're on a hike, camping or out somewhere with no first aid available, having plant knowledge can go a long way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This is also so valuable to pass along to your kids and other generations </b></span>so this highly medicinal plant's practical use doesn't get lost. When I was looking up information on Plantain, I found it listed on many sites as a weed and a plant to kill. And true, while it does grow in places I don't always want it too, I never weed this plant without realizing its beneficial qualities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope this helps and you'll be able to discover how helpful plantain is...blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What have you used plantain for? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />References:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.prairielandherbs.com/plantain.htm">http://www.prairielandherbs.com/plantain.htm</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More info can be found here as well: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.<a href="http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/placom43.html">http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/placom43.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. <a href="http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/July05/healingwise.htm">http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/July05/healingwise.htm</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties... <a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/07/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-82/">Frugal Days and Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/07/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-121/">Homestead Barn Hop</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-28786222236425853132013-07-15T18:03:00.001-07:002013-08-12T06:18:19.394-07:00A Community Garden Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMuYSO-Y6hd_goCcjjy3siQ31o0TDnwqTeEbAyvvvhwEbsDIDrzbkBhttjC2hoOE1OBaN-AoX6_FBEet7lTnltQfE6ZRtfuM5oDnVQGw20rYdB6iLE1f0KQNxO1oOO9JaJd_-mIDnCBY/s1600/SANY4543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMuYSO-Y6hd_goCcjjy3siQ31o0TDnwqTeEbAyvvvhwEbsDIDrzbkBhttjC2hoOE1OBaN-AoX6_FBEet7lTnltQfE6ZRtfuM5oDnVQGw20rYdB6iLE1f0KQNxO1oOO9JaJd_-mIDnCBY/s640/SANY4543.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We've had at least one plot in our community garden now for five years.</b></span> It's an ongoing learning process that we've really enjoyed. We actually gardened for another five years in a few other friend's spaces so using a plot here was a natural move for us especially seeing as this garden is only five minutes from our house. (The other gardens were each about 30-40 minutes away.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzno0CH-huKLAJPrRp52xXNyrzWav3xcIj8Zcrx50jhfitQZgJ58WY_YvIA76lpajsqQjidauHq2uQPPc_xELl6KbXFkua9UJYK8tVpR99cNvS19kB4ULph_bL7KR4rMlXyN4masaV798/s1600/SANY4541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzno0CH-huKLAJPrRp52xXNyrzWav3xcIj8Zcrx50jhfitQZgJ58WY_YvIA76lpajsqQjidauHq2uQPPc_xELl6KbXFkua9UJYK8tVpR99cNvS19kB4ULph_bL7KR4rMlXyN4masaV798/s640/SANY4541.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Since I've not shown any photos of this garden at all yet in my blog,</b></span> I thought it would be a great time to give you a very quick tour of what a community garden looks like</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wrote about the pros and cons of a community garden <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/02/community-gardens-few-things-to-consider.html">here</a> and I'm really happy with this shared garden space. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Yxu7DtYQhNt7qq0PR1BAvjwN1gEnojqenKxJBCYYO-31smoEe6kADYcnYVHMoS-W5MGZir6ndDc2w40PdSWZfk-7U9cX4IJeyaaKNTHgOiZqyiKOEh7gbHqiGOyU7LXwLBsWzurE5bA/s1600/SANY4553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Yxu7DtYQhNt7qq0PR1BAvjwN1gEnojqenKxJBCYYO-31smoEe6kADYcnYVHMoS-W5MGZir6ndDc2w40PdSWZfk-7U9cX4IJeyaaKNTHgOiZqyiKOEh7gbHqiGOyU7LXwLBsWzurE5bA/s640/SANY4553.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our garden is behind a large church and was initiated by a Master Gardener as a community project.</span></b></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She's done an excellent job in organizing and coordinating a very large garden space into one in which countless gardeners can enjoy a large enough plot to feed a family of four (at least!) She now has raised up other volunteers to help organize this large area. All the garden spaces were taken this year...it's great to know that people are so interested in gardening in suburbia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We have a lot of freedom in this garden space. </b></span> We can put up fences (there are deer who like to browse) if we want and can plant perennials such as strawberries and asparagus as well as annual plants. This is because we own the plots year round. We only need to confirm our garden space every year. We had two plots one year but found out that it was way more than we could manage. We are back to one and this fits our needs perfectly.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our plot is right next to the road and water.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We like to plant vegetables which seem suited to this garden's location.</b></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We've figured out what grows well and what doesn't. Since we garden naturally, this is a great way to garden without pesticides.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We plant primarily squash</b></span>...specifically <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/02/one-way-to-beat-garden-boredom.html">summer and winter varieties.</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We love them and grow several different kinds. Yes, I am afraid I am guilty of <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-top-five-garden-mistakes.html">over-planting and crowding</a></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">them again this year; but planting them late and in a rush didn't help me either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also planted a smattering of heirloom beans, kohlrabi, poblano peppers</span>, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a tomato plant and carrots this year</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, the beans have refused to germinate with all the rain we've had and we now have only a handful of them. I have already replanted with a variety called "Masai" which take only 47 days to produce. We'll see if these beans decide to come up with this spell of hot weather we're having right now.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSbb_FePQGCl2jsmdlk7XRlNtntWlH1780WtvdRWYzY7KFOl_e1W72NBd4rQ8PEq0_ASFAtNz7u0qsjNsuUMzFQb26gB8el02xbGaAn7elPq_XVAa2w4VCXdmyXO7612CXQM_liDdhWI/s640/photo%25283%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Garden in June</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The perks we have at this garden are pretty amazing.</b></span> We have access to lawn mowers, rototillers, free water, free mulch/manure and a compost bin.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the mulch you see around our garden is courtesy of a donation from a garden member. Wheelbarrows and other miscellaneous garden tools are also available to use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We actually had fellow garden friends</b></span> place manure on our plot as well as rototill for us</span> - <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">gardeners are really generous people. It's no wonder when you consider how rewarding a garden can be. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lQ6TMvpPIf-fjn9sWdlNhfF0mH07uEjN-EkthOuZmuKZDb6MIkxqELuWVnnEervgBe0kt34XP717WV2bThyLx6wlSi_-e3cRwo4yvmd6HpfybMfJuoQFIDqU2vArHUjkD5Z2Fy-QJAM/s1600/SANY4545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lQ6TMvpPIf-fjn9sWdlNhfF0mH07uEjN-EkthOuZmuKZDb6MIkxqELuWVnnEervgBe0kt34XP717WV2bThyLx6wlSi_-e3cRwo4yvmd6HpfybMfJuoQFIDqU2vArHUjkD5Z2Fy-QJAM/s640/SANY4545.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our Giant Compost Bin</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This fenced compost area is for garden weeds and waste.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> Anyone is welcome to use the soil as needed. It's not a maintained compost area, so there can be weed seeds in the soil, but the idea of composting is being shared and I really like this.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We have a water tank right by our garden...perfect.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Other garden members donated</b></span> food grade tanks and pumps in order to bring in water from a run-off stream nearby. This is a huge perk! Our first few years here we had to hand haul water from this little creek, bring it in ourselves or go to a small weedy pond in the back. This has been a lifesaver.</span> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Garden in early July</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Well, there you have it.</b></span> Lots of plots, lots of ideas and lots of great gardening</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is an extra effort to garden away from your own space...but well managed community gardens make it an excellent experience. Plus, I love being around other gardeners too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you garden in a community space or have you visited one? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessings! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Linked to these blog parties...<a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/96th-wildcrafting-wednesday/">Wildcrafting Wednesday</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/07/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-81/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.stonecottageadventures.com/2013/07/from-farm-blog-hop.html">From the Farm Blog Hop</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://hibiscushouse1.blogspot.com/2013/07/farmgirl-friday-blog-hop-117.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/07/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-121/">Homestead Barn Hop</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-37888631249449171972013-07-10T12:02:00.000-07:002013-09-03T11:32:36.653-07:00My Top Five Garden Mistakes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bT0ZQsfAS69E3mi2zFdj2IaQImuniKcAw7EFuz6L-4ecpi8d95U_Ytk1gow7tpsBY6SBlGAQ4FboaCVxo287hHui0Vr_7Qz2qbV8O93chGP12PFk2_OA-Y3vUTNobhGMZiPBAyCLEeQ/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bT0ZQsfAS69E3mi2zFdj2IaQImuniKcAw7EFuz6L-4ecpi8d95U_Ytk1gow7tpsBY6SBlGAQ4FboaCVxo287hHui0Vr_7Qz2qbV8O93chGP12PFk2_OA-Y3vUTNobhGMZiPBAyCLEeQ/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /> </a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></b></span><span style="background-color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
- Albert Einstein</span></span></b></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Whenever we start out in learning something new, we tend to make mistakes...a lot of them. </b></span>But that's ok. That's the "learn" </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">part </span>in learning. I have definitely made a large share of them in gardening over the last 20+ years either by ignoring great advice or through simply not knowing enough about the plants. While it's impossible to know everything about gardening, we can avoid a few mistakes along the way. I'm sharing my top five mistakes and hope this will help curb the gardening learning curve for you.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably way too much zucchini and summer squash planted again this year!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Over-planting</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This sounds like such a simple mistake to avoid but I have found that I've made this mistake over and over again in the veggie and flower gardens. For some plants, it has taken me years to cut back on the amount I feel we need to grow. Why is this? Well, one of the first temptations is...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>a) Free plants </b>- those freebies from friends or in my case, from a local nursery. I managed to plant over 20 sage plants in my very small yard. I love sage, but really, did I need that many plants? Now I have to manage them with pruning, weeding and harvesting. It's good to think ahead and plan for your needs now and in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>b) Extra seedlings</b> - We've all been there when we only want 20 plants but have 35 instead. I have to harden my heart and restrict my planting to the chosen few. The others are given away or composted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>c) Not knowing if you're planting enough </b>- It's always great to start with a few plants if you just want to add a few fresh vegetables. You can always add more the next year if you find it's not enough. I've found that 20-25 tomato plants take care of our fresh eating and canning for a year depending on the weather. I've stuck with this number and it's really helped in me managing the vegetables...unlike the few years we planted 50+ tomatoes - it was way too much for us to manage and our yields were the same as 25 plants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>d) Just because we are able to do it </b>- When we first started planting flower beds, I thought more is better. Now some years later, I'm wondering why I thought I needed so many? We've downsized over the years now and doing so has worked great for us. We would rather plant an amount of flowers and gardens that we can maintain and keep beautiful than to over-plant and lose control of the beds.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Remember...less is more!</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYogORi2GhJD6LOyiVAYAPdRUZJTIhj1eXIPD4A6PDRhyphenhyphenHkwkBRUHifbU3DgnEeX6gMXP-5xDwF8vRI95OhelDTc5OFYPEjgF_s4GiJnXm05Xm9lO-3wx8p_46MAfIJQCgiInwwsUQPhI/s1600/SANY4574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYogORi2GhJD6LOyiVAYAPdRUZJTIhj1eXIPD4A6PDRhyphenhyphenHkwkBRUHifbU3DgnEeX6gMXP-5xDwF8vRI95OhelDTc5OFYPEjgF_s4GiJnXm05Xm9lO-3wx8p_46MAfIJQCgiInwwsUQPhI/s640/SANY4574.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 2. Crowded plants</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>When I first started out, I was undoubtedly an overenthusiastic gardener. </b>I wanted every plant and lots of them. So I made this mistake with perennials especially. The plants looked so sparse and bare in their flower beds. I read the tags saying how to space them but forgot how much growth they still had to go through. I planted many of them very close together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>There's a saying for perennials...</b>"the first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap." It's better to follow all the spacing requirements for perennials and fill in with annuals while they're still small. You'll be shocked at how enormous some perennials can grow to...listen carefully to the planting information. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Morning glories are beautiful but prolific seeders.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 3. Planting invasive species</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Will I ever learn?</b> I planted everything everyone gave me and I am still weeding some plants years and years later. I am still trying to tame our south side flower bed from invasive plants including the herb oregano. Reading up on the plants you want to put in your gardens is a must AND asking friends if a plant is a happy re-seeder or ground cover is essential. As a matter of fact, the word "groundcover" means "invasive." I would use it selectively in confined areas and give it it's own space. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>My mints are all in pots and this helps to keep this highly invasive plant contained.</b> If you do plant easy spreaders, try to limit your amount of plants and keep them pruned and make sure to get rid of their seed heads if they spread easily that way. <i>Chives, echinacea, perennial forget-me-nots, artemisias, morning glories, oregano (some varieties)</i> are just a few that I am constantly weeding. I still grow many of them but have learned to manage their growth. Any others are sacrificed to the compost pile if I can't keep up with them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 4. Lack of weed control</span></b></span><br />
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<b> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's so important to have a plan on how to keep down the weeds in all your gardens.</b> I am a fan of heavy mulching...I use coffee grounds, newspapers underneath straw and mulch, grass clippings and leaves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I didn't get to our community garden in time to mulch and it was smothered in LARGE weeds.</b> After hand hoeing the whole garden, I have been very diligent in weeding once a week and continually applying mulch. I don't mind hoeing a small area, but not a large one. Determine your will power and garden accordingly...I know some people who enjoy weeding while I most definitely don't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Not labeling new plant varieties </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, I have been so lazy over the years with labeling and have grown some great plants only to not remember the varieties I planted. I have been really good about saving the stores flower labels and turning them over to use the blank side and label them with a Sharpie. So many times I thought I would remember a plant only to have completely forgotten what it was. I also try to journal the plants I've grown and that's helped out a lot. I now try to limit the different amounts of varieties so I don't feel overwhelmed by the labeling. I am learning to know my gardening strengths and weaknesses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well...I feel better after all that confessing. I have made plenty more mistakes and will continue to make more, but I feel like I've learned so much from other gardeners as well. After all, making mistakes always accompanies risk...and trying new methods and plant varieties is well worth it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What's your biggest gardening mistake??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties...<br />
<a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/07/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-80/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/96th-wildcrafting-wednesday/">Wildcrafting Wednesday</a></span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-78240054469540824932013-07-03T21:27:00.000-07:002013-07-10T07:27:55.316-07:00Floral Flag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYRMU_D9Vf6sj6GzEyHhqlW4YysUM3-MzEkc6I0r_1nPnzZstysHXrsvaJx1GMiasBqyZH0klj67y0UwHJV-HnSFc9s6tObFYNtNS33DDkMId3f26Xwjs-8mPzgxy_QOOzRhW5qpzMls/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYRMU_D9Vf6sj6GzEyHhqlW4YysUM3-MzEkc6I0r_1nPnzZstysHXrsvaJx1GMiasBqyZH0klj67y0UwHJV-HnSFc9s6tObFYNtNS33DDkMId3f26Xwjs-8mPzgxy_QOOzRhW5qpzMls/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Fourth of July brings an abundance of blooms and I couldn't resist featuring them here in my patriotic ode to Independence Day.</b></span><b> Not only are these flowers blooming right now, they also happen to be the colors of red, white and blue.</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bachelor's Buttons, an annual flower that is a true blue in the garden, represents the blue: Feverfew, an herb known for helping to ease migraines, stands for the white and Monarda with it's spiky firecracker type petals proclaims the red of Old Glory. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seems like even the flowers will be celebrating this day...</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Fourth and blessings!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Linked to these amazing blog parties... <a href="http://hibiscushouse1.blogspot.com/2013/07/farmgirl-friday-blog-hop-115.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Farmgirl Friday</a></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/95th-wildcrafting-wednesday/">Wildcrafting Wednesday</a> </span> </span></b></span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-78758760360839697502013-07-02T22:12:00.000-07:002013-08-12T06:19:00.246-07:00The Importance of Pollinators in Your Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbN_2oavpZuNtFBKupuu_wsjAXUREyPb8K7nsgkbOfD-LCj_v_xDsiNo1UpQJeEN2KyiVyNs2dx46JEMdWgXC5v9DfcMn2d2V94xDv0GFoWB9ThooGjxYhzc1wBQyPgROEzXJL2vKnOQ/s1600/SANY4375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbN_2oavpZuNtFBKupuu_wsjAXUREyPb8K7nsgkbOfD-LCj_v_xDsiNo1UpQJeEN2KyiVyNs2dx46JEMdWgXC5v9DfcMn2d2V94xDv0GFoWB9ThooGjxYhzc1wBQyPgROEzXJL2vKnOQ/s640/SANY4375.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>There's nothing like seeing lots of beautiful flowers and an overflowing garden of produce. </b></span> But what's the secret behind this fruitfulness? That would be where pollinators come in. Most flowering plants depend on bees, butterflies, animals (hummingbirds and bats) and even flies and wasps for pollination. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What is pollination?</b></span> It's basically the act of moving pollen from the male stamen to the female stigma and fertilizing the plant which then causes it to set seed. Insects and animals help to do this in your garden. Pollinators are called "Keystone Species" because they are species on which other species depend. In other words...if you want zucchini and tomatoes, you want pollinators.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calendula flowers in the Garden</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We need pollinators and they need our help. </b></span> <i>"Pollinators are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems. They are essential for plant reproduction and produce genetic diversity in the plants they pollinate. The more diverse plants are the better they can adapt to the changes in the environment."1</i></span><i> </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfH_1tUb99ZA5Mw-RCIgBNuez5cBkxwer44fZXuql3eB0Fh1zRULAXp-laWvrtjtfbWWyKC0mII2tck07ArtJAA6YOGY6B8IYAS604C5YEZrx3CodLG6p4oQk11aW_ETtaP1xcCT6a5Y8/s1600/SANY4378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfH_1tUb99ZA5Mw-RCIgBNuez5cBkxwer44fZXuql3eB0Fh1zRULAXp-laWvrtjtfbWWyKC0mII2tck07ArtJAA6YOGY6B8IYAS604C5YEZrx3CodLG6p4oQk11aW_ETtaP1xcCT6a5Y8/s640/SANY4378.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An Uncommon Black Parsley Swallowtail Caterpillar</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butterflies are pollinators too.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How can we attract more pollinators to our gardens? </b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a great question and fairly simple to do. Many gardeners are doing it already without knowing it. I know I began to learn about pollinators after watching them in action in different flower beds.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Plant a rich diversity of flowering plants in your flower beds and garden. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Seems like a simple plan but it does help to get some ideas by seeing which plants attract what insects in your garden. I was able to observe this firsthand and found that mints are a huge pollinator attractor. I mean huge. It's worth planting some in a contained area just for this alone. Plant pollinating attracting plants in the garden around the vegetables too. It will give the bees and other insects lots of pollen variety. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Also, by planting diverse plants and flowers, we are offering different sources of nectar (which of course attracts pollinators) and different bloom times which will provide food sources and pollen all season long. Don't forget simple species such as marigolds and classic zinnias. They are always drawing bees as well as butterflies to the garden.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwGidFK9q8krgpG5RjON4OHamzZZtWwO5vKkl1ECRjD1fykNOBEm2EdkFVyXLxKU_3Qij8kFVMnVnsFrvkmp28vCcbHRlpg6n9EuQp7wrQVMZNO38IqQrbnDsd07zKu-PUHHar4JgolQ/s1600/SANY4439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwGidFK9q8krgpG5RjON4OHamzZZtWwO5vKkl1ECRjD1fykNOBEm2EdkFVyXLxKU_3Qij8kFVMnVnsFrvkmp28vCcbHRlpg6n9EuQp7wrQVMZNO38IqQrbnDsd07zKu-PUHHar4JgolQ/s640/SANY4439.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This pollen-rich Sweet Alyssum attracts a pollinating fly.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Plant lots of native perennial and annual species. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ever notice that some plants seem to have LOTS of activity around them? These are the species you'll want to plant. In the northeast United States, Echinacea, Bee Balm (Monarda), Gaillardia, Rudebeckias and daisies seem to be big attractors. Don't forget herbs as well. Lavender, thyme and mints are totally loved by bees and other insects alike. I've even seen hummingbirds amongst my sage flowers drinking the nectar...who knew?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QCfYZRNy50ulyWeH1djPbJWZBSNoIBnl31Dn6U4d32THQtke22oUeMYz8KisjAEKiSQ7AYJXEffUHvUzgeruUin_q3owatuPsNk8LPfBznsKocCKwiFwxM-05a-NQmK8JQSdcREvMsg/s1600/SANY4441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QCfYZRNy50ulyWeH1djPbJWZBSNoIBnl31Dn6U4d32THQtke22oUeMYz8KisjAEKiSQ7AYJXEffUHvUzgeruUin_q3owatuPsNk8LPfBznsKocCKwiFwxM-05a-NQmK8JQSdcREvMsg/s640/SANY4441.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pollinators include all kinds of bees and wasps.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 3. Don't use pesticides in your garden. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This seems like the easiest step to help out the pollinators...no spraying. I try to garden and plant vegetables and plants that are very insect resistant. If it's very fussy...I won't grow it. If I do ever spray, I use a plant-based biodegradable spray that will break down eventually. Also spraying on a non-windy day helps. I prefer to rarely use any kind of spray though and will hand pick offending insects whenever possible. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFxKx3Gz4dirys_3DbHSXhzgBNkSAwFEM-6Etr6qDkv-wDrzbhpbUSc602GbzVa1eEZSoBlcvEpUFXALGohuOYLpbmXYchK6AGFkHH3f_O245WHRJSwLVK1wjpkohe84bqxuJJQ1cUCE/s1600/SANY4374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFxKx3Gz4dirys_3DbHSXhzgBNkSAwFEM-6Etr6qDkv-wDrzbhpbUSc602GbzVa1eEZSoBlcvEpUFXALGohuOYLpbmXYchK6AGFkHH3f_O245WHRJSwLVK1wjpkohe84bqxuJJQ1cUCE/s640/SANY4374.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flowers that have an open petal face are great landing spaces for pollinators including butterflies.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Habitat loss is one reason for the decline of bees and other insects.</b></span> So no matter what size space you have, you can plant for the pollinators!</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A container full of lush zinnias or herbs will create a great resource for them and give them some fast food on their journey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Planting with pollinators in mind is a win-win situation.</b></span> You'll be creating a safe micro-environment for them and they will be happily pollinating all your vegetable plants and flowers - perfect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What plant attracts pollinators the most in your garden?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/wildlife/plants_botany/docs/National_Pollination_v3.pdf">http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/wildlife/plants_botany/docs/National_Pollination_v3.pdf</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties...<a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/07/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-79/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://hibiscushouse1.blogspot.com/2013/07/farmgirl-friday-blog-hop-115.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Farmgirl Friday</a> <a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/95th-wildcrafting-wednesday/">Wildcrafting Wednesday</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/2013/07/natural-living-link-up-78.html">Natural Living Link-Up</a> <a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/07/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-80/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.stonecottageadventures.com/2013/07/from-farm-blog-hop.html">From the Farm Blog</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/07/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-121/">Homestead Barn Hop</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-34622287440910099182013-06-26T11:43:00.000-07:002013-07-10T19:11:03.024-07:00Make Your Own Moroccan Mint Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoelKi7zBPukSXsHH2Zplqx9NdesNgGwHpTYwT_9LkyK3Sndwqwij9dlFd-FMrCQEU_uloGKsPSZBmwoRNYoTNnUyxRHmSuiATscVTa0U4Sy6Bjsv1ge_Sd2hvvr08a044Kl_uT7I7LE/s1600/SANY3249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoelKi7zBPukSXsHH2Zplqx9NdesNgGwHpTYwT_9LkyK3Sndwqwij9dlFd-FMrCQEU_uloGKsPSZBmwoRNYoTNnUyxRHmSuiATscVTa0U4Sy6Bjsv1ge_Sd2hvvr08a044Kl_uT7I7LE/s640/SANY3249.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The heat of summer has definitely rolled in here</b></span> and with that comes the need for a great refreshing drink and Moroccan Mint Tea comes quickly to mind. Although it's a great 4 season tea, it really comes across best iced in the summer (at least to me!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>When you hear the word "Moroccan,"</b></span> images of a busy and crowded open air market amidst hot temperatures immediately comes to mind. It's no wonder that spearmint is the refreshment factor in this very famous tea.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6lX7oOd9gAnqeEp0HfSBpwIeO-QG_wpjPi7OT6u8fouY41NCUdNtTgeb9z8jXxQy_m7qJ5YccvT8e24VTwERpOUK1meYq0avoJe9DTVpHfWYmjmiJfdMnEeOHIQVZoCV09mUiznoCfk/s1600/SANY2368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6lX7oOd9gAnqeEp0HfSBpwIeO-QG_wpjPi7OT6u8fouY41NCUdNtTgeb9z8jXxQy_m7qJ5YccvT8e24VTwERpOUK1meYq0avoJe9DTVpHfWYmjmiJfdMnEeOHIQVZoCV09mUiznoCfk/s640/SANY2368.jpg" width="640" /><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">In North Africa, in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia specifically, this tea is served all day.</span></b> It is considered a drink of hospitality and is served whenever visitors arrive as well as at mealtimes. Shop owners will greet you with a cup of this tea when you enter their shop. </span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Best of all, this tea is made from very simple and basic ingredients.</b></span> I really enjoy using <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2012/11/bulk-loose-tea-three-reasons-why-to-buy.html">bulk tea</a> for the Gunpowder, but even a green tea bag will work. You can also use spearmint fresh or dried, depending on what you have on hand. Again, a spearmint tea bag will suffice if you want to give this a try. I like using the best ingredients available to get the best flavor, but feel free to experiment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>To get to the actual preparation,</b></span> I will give you a recipe by the glass and for a teapot amount. You'll probably want the teapot version because this tea will be addictive!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the Cup:</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp of Gunpowder Green loose tea. (Use a quality green teabag if you don't have the loose tea)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-2 nice sized sprigs of fresh spearmint. (Use a teaspoon of loose dried spearmint or a teabag of a quality spearmint tea)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1 tsp of sugar (traditionally it's sugar, but you can use Stevia or honey if you like)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1 to 1/2 cups of boiling water (depends on the size of your mug or glass.)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steep tea leaves, mint and sugar in boiling hot water for 3 minutes. Gunpowder is a strong tea so if you oversteep it, it can become bitter. Save these tea leaves for at least one more steeping as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To mix the tea, pour into another glass and then pour back into the original glass. This also aerates the tea. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Garnish with a sprig of fresh spearmint to serve. Drink hot (like they do even in summer) or serve over ice for an amazing refreshing drink.</b> </span><br />
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<b> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the Teapot (1-1/2 quart):</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp of Gunpowder Green loose tea. (Use a quality green teabag if you don't have the loose tea)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4-5 nice sized sprigs of fresh spearmint. (Use a teaspoon of loose dried spearmint or a teabag of a quality spearmint tea)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3-4 Tbsp of sugar</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steep tea leaves, mint and
sugar in boiling hot water for 3 minutes. Gunpowder is a strong tea so
if you oversteep it can become bitter. Save these tea leaves for at
least one more steeping as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour your first cup of tea out and then back into the teapot to mix and combine well. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (If you're feeling very Moroccan, then when you're ready to serve, pour your tea into tall heat resistant glasses and pour from as high as you can manage with out spilling. (Do not hold the glass and place on a tray to catch spillage.) This</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">will aerate the tea and create a froth on top...yum. Not a necessary step</span>, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but very North African if you're are daring with your tea experiences.)</span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gHyaMQ_cVutkYhhJRizVUC6oaWh2CEAOBMEkoVHrzi3s__XgU25hg_XQOOi3BfAy6Svd2cYRoDgfoUEqGgMqsaiyj0AuICxtZFxxiNLcbcTq0s039Mi-OBNVcpDI7OU7UUboycFQQmg/s1600/Minttea.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gHyaMQ_cVutkYhhJRizVUC6oaWh2CEAOBMEkoVHrzi3s__XgU25hg_XQOOi3BfAy6Svd2cYRoDgfoUEqGgMqsaiyj0AuICxtZFxxiNLcbcTq0s039Mi-OBNVcpDI7OU7UUboycFQQmg/s400/Minttea.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccan_tea_culture">Photo Source</a> </span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sip, enjoy, repeat. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I make a dry mix for winter use as it's one of our son's favorite teas. </b></span> Just a mix of half gunpowder and half spearmint. Use a tsp and a half or to taste. Makes a great gift as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two great tastes combine for one amazing refreshing tea. And of course, this tea is full of <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-health-benefits-of-tea.html">health benefits</a></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading...Blessings! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties....<a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/06/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-78/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://hibiscushouse1.blogspot.com/2013/06/farmgirl-friday-114.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Farmgirl Friday</a> <a href="http://sunnysimplelife.blogspot.ca/2013/06/from-farm-blog-hop_28.html">From the Farm Blog Hop</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/2013/07/natural-living-link-up-78.html">Natural Living Link-Up</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-19507331222359100682013-06-19T12:03:00.001-07:002013-06-25T12:26:59.654-07:00How to Store Fresh Ginger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0d9TVvBy7xSsQC6elkwmc6535qlZN3YqSePUt1cjFXQEid7N1-kcbnjn3UWBLQ5xt5zsUCHj3Bu9FO-pJy-uzzuyQyClKQ83mgkTu5h4A-426TDm_kuUcHcZykAS8GmfG__w-xbx2Oo/s1600/SANY4348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0d9TVvBy7xSsQC6elkwmc6535qlZN3YqSePUt1cjFXQEid7N1-kcbnjn3UWBLQ5xt5zsUCHj3Bu9FO-pJy-uzzuyQyClKQ83mgkTu5h4A-426TDm_kuUcHcZykAS8GmfG__w-xbx2Oo/s640/SANY4348.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Fresh ginger.</span></b> It's really the ultimate way to use this ancient kitchen and medicinal root. Native to Southeast Asia, it is renown for its aromatic qualities, not to mention it's tremendous use as a medicinal spice. And fresh ginger is not only superior in flavor but contains higher levels of gingerol as well as ginger's active protease (it's anti-inflammatory compound.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Typically fresh ginger will last 3 weeks in the refrigerator if left unpeeled.</span></b> However, I tend to not use it that quickly at times. So, if you want to be be sure of keeping your fresh ginger "fresh," then here's a method I found from somewhere on the internet that has been working well for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I needed a method of storage that would work long-term and wasn't too fussy.</span></b> There are many methods out there and I've tried a few, but this one seems to fit the bill for me. So far, my ginger has been storing well using this method going on a month and half. It still is looking good too. So without further adieu, here it is...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">First</span></b>, get a clean paper towel. Lay your ginger root at one end of it and start to tightly roll, forming the paper towel to the ginger. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Once that's done</span></b>, get a piece of plastic wrap and starting at one end, roll your paper-towel wrapped ginger root. Again forming the plastic to the shape of the root as you roll.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">You'll want</span></b> to get it as tight as you can in order to keep out the air.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Wha-La...the finished package</span></b>. Yes, it looks like a spider web wrapped cocoon of some type but that's okay. It's supposed to look this way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Store your wrapped ginger root on a shelf in the refrigerator where it can be seen and maintained if the plastic wrap comes loose.</b> You will also want to rewrap it everytime you use the root. Make sure to change out the paper towel if you notice it becoming too damp. I wasn't doing this and found some mold on one of my roots. I just cut out the mold parts and rewrapped in a fresh towel. Also make sure to rewrap it so it stays airtight after every use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">That's it.</span></b> Pretty simple yet it has really been working for me the best. Hope this helps you as well. Blessings!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>What's your favorite way to store fresh ginger?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog hops...<a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/06/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-77/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span></div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-1929708059718404482013-06-10T16:32:00.003-07:002014-01-25T14:48:38.270-08:003 Amazing (Heat Tolerant) Summer Greens for Your Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>There's no doubt about it. <span style="font-size: small;"> Springtime means lots of great lettuce, spinach and various other summer greens. </span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> This year I planted Broccoli Raab, Arugula, Mizuna and Giant Red Indian Mustard. There's no doubt that these greens are wonderful during these cool springtime temperatures</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but as soon as the heat of summer sets in, these greens have bolted and finished. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still will have kale growing but eventually it also will succumb to the cabbage butterflies who love to use their leaves for their voracious young. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This does not work for me.</b></span> I don't spray the garden. I don't want the pesticides, $$ and expensive as well as the labor involved. Ultimately I'm a lazy gardener who wants plants who don't need to be coaxed, babied or pampered to produce. That's where these 3 greens come in. Easy to grow, very heat resistant as well as vitamin dense, these top performers deserve consideration for being grown in your garden. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Swiss Chard.</b></span> <b>I mention this green a lot because it deserves attention.</b> Most people are unfamiliar with it unless they have grown it themselves and that's too bad because it's one of the most reliable greens to grow. It germinates very easily in pots or directly sown in mid-spring and that's about all the work you'll need to do. Love. It also comes in a variety of colors including, yellow, white, orange, and red. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Health benefits? Lots of them. </b></span> Swiss Chard is a great source for vitamin C and vitamin K. Vitamin K is believed to help with bone formation and strengthening as well as helping to limit neuronal damage to the brain. This means it's thought to be useful as a treatment for those with Alzheimer's.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It
is also rich source of
omega-3 fatty acids, B-complex group of vitamins, and minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese and
phosphorus.</span></b></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Need I say more? This summer green can stand the heat, is very insect resistant and doesn't bolt. If left to overwinter, it will come up in the spring and produce leaves before it finally bolts. I manage to harvest as many as I can before my new plants have gotten big enough to harvest. This green is a win-win.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Mustard Spinach.</b></span> <b>This is a new green for me. I grew this one year in the garden and it not only grew well and quickly but was also hardy and very heat resistant over the summer.</b> It's not a mix of two greens but rather a mild Chinese mustard and native of east Asia. This ancient green is making a comeback with the emerging trend of nutritious greens being fashionable on the dinner plate once again. Its mild flavor makes it popular as a cooked green. I found my seeds in the grocery store seed rack and not in a seed catalog. Don't worry if you can't find the seeds easily, one packet should be enough. I planted mine once and had LOTS of volunteers the following spring. You won't want to let this go to seed if you don't want lots of it around. I like mine to set seed as it's a great way to get your seed for next year. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>It's also a very fast growing and large leafed green.</b></span> You won't need too many of these plants as the leaves of one or two plants as these plants become quite jungle-like in nature. That's a bonus for me, it's less leaves to have to wash and more to cut up in soups, stews, as well as sauteing in garlic.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>.This green is also loaded with vitamins C, A, Folate and B-6, Calcium and trace minerals. </b></span> It packs a big bang in the nutrient department. This is a great green on its own or to mix with others.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. New Zealand Spinach. </b></span> <b>This isn't a true spinach either but rather a long vine-like plant that produces edible leaves. </b> It was said to have first been introduced by Captain Cook from his South Seas expedition. It has a mild flavor as well and has thicker more succulent type of leaves. It likes a moist environment and will thrive under those conditions even with the heat of summer. Mine grows in an area with some part shade which might explain why it loves to grows so well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>It's said to be difficult to germinate so you may want to soak the seeds for 2-8 hours before planting.</b></span> I however had no problems getting mine started and once established in the right environment, it needs no maintenance except for harvesting. I planted mine five years ago and I haven't planted it since. It reseeds itself readily and I often end of weeding it out of the garden. This could be called invasive, but I call it handy because it has shallow roots which make it easy to remove. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>New Zealand Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C, A, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus. </b></span> It also contains antioxidants which adds to its already rich nutritional profile. I like it because while regular spinach is gone with the heat of summer, this green grows steadily on for months through the fall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There you have it</span><span style="font-size: large;">, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">three amazing greens that are easy to grow, withstand the heat of summer and are loaded with vitamins and nutrients like their spring cousins. </span><b>Did I mention these greens are highly resistant to insects and pests too? Another great bonus as a garden vegetable. There are more great summer greens for your garden, but this is a good place to get started now...happy eating!</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessings! </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties...<a href="http://www.greenideareviews.com/2013/06/10/living-green-tuesdays-link-up-06112013/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Living Green Tuesdays</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.backyardfarmingconnection.com/2013/06/the-backyard-farming-connection-hop-36.html">The Backyard Farming Connection Hop</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/06/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-76/">Frugal Days and Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com/2013/06/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-2-week.html">Waste Not, Want Not Wednesday</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/92nd-wildcrafting-wednesday/">Wildcrafting Wednesday</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://deborahjeansdandelionhouse.blogspot.com/2013/06/farmgirl-friday-blog-hop-113-and-shabby.html">Farmgirl Friday</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/06/from-farm-blog-hop-37.html">From the Farm Blog Hop</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/06/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-115/">Homestead Barn Hop</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">References:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/swiss-chard.html">http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/swiss-chard.html</a></span><br />
<a href="http://2./"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <a href="http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrient-listing-mustard-spinach-vs-spinach-3672.html">http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrient-listing-mustard-spinach-vs-spinach-3672.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <a href="http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/new-zealand-spinach-nutrition-1220.html">http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/new-zealand-spinach-nutrition-1220.html</a></span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-53855360792211054922013-06-01T09:54:00.000-07:002013-06-17T06:35:32.079-07:00Perennials for Your Garden: Armeria (Sea Thrift)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QEbzLORs2CGJbMcIdTGzXDLAROPz9S5yMLM6k3vtUe_-eiPrvQwBQNA4GuJ-s8WtKmXJmaoXCGkuZL94eyAAU1Y3X7Q2WtcOytLKgXVxxf0uSBrd4raBhV2KAdjdvQFtKgsKQHysYUI/s1600/SANY4192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QEbzLORs2CGJbMcIdTGzXDLAROPz9S5yMLM6k3vtUe_-eiPrvQwBQNA4GuJ-s8WtKmXJmaoXCGkuZL94eyAAU1Y3X7Q2WtcOytLKgXVxxf0uSBrd4raBhV2KAdjdvQFtKgsKQHysYUI/s640/SANY4192.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Over 20 years ago I was a budding gardener with lots of enthusiasm and a new little yard that was begging for flower and herb beds</b>.</span> I knew quite a bit about annual flowers, but I soon learned about the kind of plants that didn't need replanting year and year and soon became infatuated with flowering perennials. Since then, my garden has shifted over the years and I've seen which plants have done well and Armeria is definitely a surprise favorite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Perennials DO come back year after year but generally bloom only once a year.</b></span> Many bloom in spring. The trick with perennials is to plant a variety of them in one flower bed of varying heights and blooms times. Armeria is a low growing, spring-blooming perennial. It's definitely meant to be planted in the front of the border. </span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Armeria,"</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Thrift," or "Sea Pink"</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>is so named because it is commonly found along coast lines and originates from the Mediterranean. </b></span> There are over 100 species but there are only a few types that you'll find in garden catalogs. The colors are mostly in pink but they also come in white. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The plants themselves struck me as odd-looking as they are best described as "tufts of grass." </span></b> They are perfect "grass" as they never grow beyond their short height of 4 or 5 inches. In the early spring they send up tall stalks of little cushions of pink flowers that are exquisite to look at. I love them planted along with <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2013/05/why-you-need-to-grow-chives.html">chives</a> and their beautiful globe shaped flowers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What makes this a great plant for your garden?</b></span> It's easy to grow as long as you have the right growing conditions for it. What's nice about this is that because it's a Mediterranean plant, it likes rocky, infertile dry soil. I love this. This basically means that you don't have to pamper it, fertilize it, water it or baby it. In fact, I've done nothing to them over the years and they've slowly spread and fill out. Armeria spreads very slowly and is great as a ground cover. It also has no serious insect or disease problems. Perfect. Dead head the flower blooms for more flowers in the spring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Find this perennial anyplace where they are sold and also online.</b></span> I found mine at <a href="http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/search.html?mv_search_map=%0D%0A%09%09mv_searchspec%3Dsearchcoup%0D%0A%09%09mv_searchspec%3Dsearchdisc%0D%0A%09%09mv_searchspec%3Dtop_searchtext%0D%0A%09%09&mv_session_id=qPa3E2zH&mv_click=Clearsearch&user_specified=1&co=yes&mv_sort_field=genus%2Cvariety&mv_sort_option=f&st=db&sp=results_2012&mv_matchlimit=20&sf=is_coupon&su=0&op=ne&sf=disc&su=0&op=ne&sf=%3Acode%3Aname%3Acommon_name%3Ashort_desc%3Adescription3%3Alistid%3Agenus%3Avariety%3Aspecies%3Amsearch&su=1&op=aq&searchfromtop=1&searchcoup=1&searchdisc=0&top_searchtext=armeria">Bluestone Perennials,</a></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a local online/catalog nursery which also sells to the public. They even offer a red Armeria as well. Nice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Armeria, or Sea Thrift</b> (go by the Latin name when researching) is a great flower choice for your perennial flower garden...enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blessings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">References:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/w970/armeria-maritima.aspx">http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/w970/armeria-maritima.aspx</a></span><br />
2.<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armeria">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armeria</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Linked to these amazing blog parties...<a href="http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/06/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-113/">Monday's Homestead Barn Hop</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.greenideareviews.com/2013/06/04/living-green-tuesdays-link-up-06042013/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Living Green Tuesdays</a> <a href="http://frugallysustainable.com/2013/06/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-75/">Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://deborahjeansdandelionhouse.blogspot.com/2013/06/farmgirl-friday-blog-hop-112-and-shabby.html?showComment=1370623608358#c2828968095053983227">Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop</a> <a href="http://www.backyardfarmingconnection.com/2013/06/the-backyard-farming-connection-hop-36.html">Backyard Farming Connection Hop</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/92nd-wildcrafting-wednesday/">Wildcrafting Wednesday</a> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629633390950913129.post-41169568601355768102013-05-28T18:30:00.000-07:002013-06-07T09:48:58.767-07:00Why You Need to Grow Chives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chives...kids seem to love them.</b></span> Maybe because it's like eating grass except it tastes better. I'm not sure what it is, but I know our boys liked them and my seven year old nephew loves them too. It's the one of the herbs you can eat right away like a food, unlike some of the stronger flavored herbs. After eating them outside, I would send the boys over to the parsley patch and have them eat a few leaves to help kill the onion odor. I called it the "parsley chaser."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">And if you enjoy onions; you'll really like chives. </span></b> These hollow tubes of onion-ness are sure to please the gourmet in all of us. Here are a few reasons why you'll want to include them in your herbal garden...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Chives are Ridiculously Easy to Grow. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I personally think this is always a great reason to grow something. If it's easy and grows well, it makes us look like a garden genius (which is always good!) </span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously, it is easy to grow and virtually maintenance-free. It's equally easy to grow by seed or by division. I've done both. If you don't dead-head the flowers, you'll have lots of chive seeds and new plants next year. When you do plant them, it's good to give them some space to spread out because they will. Not obnoxiously, but will reliably spread over time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Buy seeds at the store or online.</b> Find the plants at a nursery, or better yet from a friend. Plant the herbs or sow the seeds in a sunny location or part shade (although I have some in quite a bit of shade and they still do well) and water when needed. You can also start the seeds indoors earlier if you want. Chives grow to about 12 inches in height and you will want to think about dividing them every 3-4 years to prevent any root disease. I have to be honest in saying I have never divided one patch and my container plant I only transplanted twice and haven't had any problems....these little guys are hardy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. They Make Excellent Container Plants.</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have a large pot of chives right outside my side door. What makes this great is that they are a few steps away when I'm cooking. I don't have to weed them, feed them, or baby them. They are perfectly happy in their little home. I started with a medium sized garden pot, probably a 12 inch and moved up to the next size (transplanted) some years later when I could tell they were very pot bound. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>When you want to harvest them,</b> just grab a handful of them and cut them close to the roots. I leave about a half inch to an inch behind. They will quickly regrow in no time. In fact, it's reinvigorates them when they are harvested so don't be shy about using them...they like it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. They Grow Beautiful Flowers.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even if you don't like onions or chives, they are so worth growing for the purple flowers in spring. I have a large stand of them in my front yard and I absolutely love them. The bees love them too...another eco-bonus for your landscape. As a matter of fact, there are different alliums which are grown entirely for their flower. I know because I've bought them over the years. Having an edible landscape/flower garden is a win-win idea. Let these flowers dry on the plant to collect the small black seeds. They are small but easily recognizable. You can use these seeds to start new plants indoors over the fall. Chives need a dormancy period so it's best to grow new plants for winter as your summer grown plants will need the winter to rest. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I love to use the flowers in salads and as garnishes </b>by pulling apart the individual florets. You can also make <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2012/05/making-chive-blossom-vinegar.html">Chive Blossom Vinegar</a> with them and use the vinegar for salad dressings and marinades. </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Chives Do Have Some Surprising Health Benefits! </b></span> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>These little onions are called alliums </b>because they contain "allicin" the compound that garlicand regular onions are known for. Allicin is known to help reduce cholesterol and also is known for its anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. <br /><br /><b>Chives also contain more Vitamin A</b> than any other allium relative."100 g of fresh leaves contain 4353 IU of vitamin-A or 145% of daily recommended levels." 1 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <b> <br />" In addition, the green leaves contain</b> other flavonoid-phenolic antioxidants such as carotenes, zea-xanthin, and lutein. Together, these compounds offer the human body protect from lung and oral cavity cancers." 2 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>These little strands of green goodness really pack a punch</b> when it comes to flavor AND health benefits. Not too shabby for this modest and easy to grow perennial herb you're sure to enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How do you use Chives?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Use the leaves of this plant</b> by harvesting and chopping them into small pieces. I use chives to top every meal I make including soups and stews. They lose their flavor with cooking so it's best to use them fresh at all times. They also don't dry well. I've found the best way to preserve them is by making them into an <b>herb butter</b>. All you need is a stick of softened butter and chopped chives. Add as many or as little as you like. Stir to combine well and shape into a roll on a piece of waxed paper, roll to close tightly, wrap in plastic and freeze in an airtight container. When using, let the log thaw gently and cut into little coins to serve. Yum...delicious! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>That's all folks.</b> Chives...an herbal garden hero. Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">References:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.<a href="http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/chives.html">http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/chives.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Ibid.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Additional Source:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/407900-health-benefits-of-chives/">http://www.livestrong.com/article/407900-health-benefits-of-chives/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15180825921954547094noreply@blogger.com18