Grow Your Own Organic Garden

If you’ve ever dreamed of having your own garden, now is the perfect time to start! More and more people are seeking out organic fruits, vegetables, and other foods. They are trying to avoid high amounts of pesticides, chemicals, and toxins. People want to know what’s in their food, where it’s coming from, how it was grown and produced. What better to know all the answers than by having you own garden? Being able to walk outside every day to harvest the most nutritious and freshest fruits and vegetables you can possibly get your hands on.

Fall is a great time to start growing cool weather vegetables right into the ground. That means onions, leeks, lettuces, collards, spinach, kale, carrots, peas, beets, radishes, and turnips. They are easy to grow, save you money, and trips to the grocery store. Growing organic can seem a little overwhelming and sometimes can be a lot of work, but the benefits and rewards are well worth it.

You don’t need a huge plot of land or a farm to grow your own food. A small area in your yard with plenty of sunlight at least 8-10 hours is perfect for any home garden. Don’t have a yard; grow your favorite vegetables in containers on your front porch. Growing a pot of tomatoes, potatoes in burlap sack, and an array of fresh herbs will make a huge difference in your food, health, environment, and even your wallet.

Items You’ll Need to Start Your Garden

• Pencil and paper to diagram and plot your garden
• Raised beds or Containers (make sure to drill holes in the bottom)
• Compost and Organic Garden Soil
• Seeds or Organic Seedlings
• A hose or watering can for water
• Natural Fertilizers
• Garden tools, spade, hand rake, hoe, gloves

If you don’t have a lot of room, some vegetables grow well with each other and some refuse to grow side by side. Save room and frustration by learning to “companion gardening.”  Here are a few that love to grow together and to keep in mind when plotting your personal garden.

Compatible Companion Plants

• Tomatoes grow well with basil, asparagus, celery, carrots, and parsley.
• Eggplants like beans, potatoes, and spinach.
• Carrots love pole beans, lettuce, onions, radishes, peas, and tomatoes.
• Cucumbers grow well with beans, celery, lettuce, peas, and radish.
• Onions love broccoli, strawberries, cabbage, and tomatoes.
• Melons like corn.

To avoid added toxins, chemicals, and fertilizers, learn to use some basic items straight from your home to add to your soil, repel pests, or boost a deficiency in your plants. Things that you throw in the trash on a daily basis can work wonders for your garden without contaminating your food source or harming your pets or family. And you can get the whole family involved with helping conserve used products and even get their hands dirty. (Kids are perfect for this!)

Natural Fertilizers

• Banana Peels- They are a mild fertilizer, so they won’t burn plants. They are a great source of Potassium and can be used for tomatoes. Use two peels per plant and place them one inch under the soil, about 6 inches from the stalk of the plant.
• Coffee Grounds– Also a mild fertilizer, high in nitrogen. They also help produce large yields.
• Epsom Salts– They are a fast acting source of magnesium and sulfur. Also a great fertilizer. Add a teaspoon into the ground before you plant your seedling.
• Seaweed– Used as a supplement, it helps keep plants green, stimulates root growth, and acts as a chelating agent.
• Beer– Kills snails and slugs. Fill an old pie container or plastic with beer and three drops of vinegar. Place near affected plants overnight, you’re guaranteed to find these slimy suckers in the container first thing in the morning.
• Egg Shells– Great source of calcium. They help produce large yields. Make sure to boil the shells to prevent Salmonella, then grind or crush them into a powder and sprinkle into the soil.

So whether you have lots of room for beautiful raised beds or just a sunny porch perfect for tomatoes and green beans. There’s nothing better than watching all your hard work pay off and know that what you’re growing is good for you and your family. There’s nothing better than walking out to your garden and plucking off a vine ripened tomato, still warm from the day’s sun. Slicing it open as its sweet juices pour out and then tossing it with some fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper for summer’s perfect dish! I’m drooling just thinking about it! Hope this spring inspires you to get out and start your own! Happy Gardening!!!

 

 

 

 

Homemade Chai Tea

I love my Organic Chai Tea! Someone asked me if I had a raw recipe for it one day so I thought, “Hey, great idea!…Now, all I have to do is figure out how I can put it all together to make it into a recipe.” So here’s my yummy version of Raw Organic Chai Tea. Warning** too much ginger could cause serious burning in the nose and throat** Believe me I did it to myself the first time!! Yikes!! 🙂 Chai is great for the flu, sinusitis, and the common cold-info via my new herbalist friend!! So,  it’s perfect for this time of year! Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of organic unflavored almond milk (Or make your own! It tastes so much better!)
• 1 Tbsp of fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp clove (whole or ground)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from the bean
• 1/2 C Agave nectar

Directions: Mix all ingredients into a high-speed blender like a Vitamix. Let the blender spin for 3 minutes to warm up the mixture for a warm drink or add a couple of ice cubes  to make it cold!

Going Organic! Basil Pesto Recipe & A Week Full of Menu Ideas!

Going along with Isla Magazine and my “How to Go Organic Without Overwhelming Yourself” article for last week. I’ve included a weeks worth of organic menu ideas, a green juice recipe along with a video on how to make your own garden fresh basil and pine nut pesto.

I hope this makes going organic a little easier for a lot of you out there. I know it can be super overwhelming with all the conflicting information out there. But these organic menu ideas should take some of the work and stress out of preparing meals this week. Let me know how your week goes, what recipes you liked the best, any new recipes you invented, and if you have any questions!

***And I forgot to note in the video that pesto can be stored in the freezer for up to a year, just use a teaspoon as you need it and add a little more olive oil to help the paste become more creamy again.***

How to Go Organic Without Overwhelming Yourself

Walking into the grocery stores these days can be enough to send you into a full- blown anxiety attack. Row and rows of produce, meat, packaged foods, and frozen items can leave your head spinning. Not to mention the confusing marketing, everything from no artificial flavors, all-natural, sugar-free, fat-free, locally supported, no added hormones, no GMO, farm fresh, and of course organic. Today, there seems to be a misconception about “going organic.” Why wouldn’t there be with all this crazy talk and billions of dollars in marketing? Going organic is about making a decision to eat “cleaner” foods and choosing foods with no synthetic chemicals or fertilizers. Becoming organic is about living and obtaining a lifestyle, guaranteed to keep you healthier and living longer while preventing toxic chemicals from being absorbed into your body.

Here are some ideas to get you started. You don’t have to become 100% organic right away, especially when you’re just starting out, and demographically that may be exceptionally hard for a lot of us. Remember that buying from your local farmer ensures knowing where your food is coming from, it’s fresher, and will have more nutrients since it’s not being trucked across the country, and most local farmers use little to no harmful chemicals or pesticides. Another great thing to keep in mind when grocery shopping if you’re not sure if your produce is organic: check the PLU codes, organic produce will usually be a 4-digit code starting with #9 and genetically modified foods (GMO) will begin with the #8.

First, write out your grocery list. Pick the top 5 produce items your family consumes every week and start buying those organic. Then every time you go to the grocery store incorporate 1 or 2 more produce items. As time continues, you’ll be buying all your produce organic and not even thinking about it. Or you can start with the dirty dozen. The list of top 12 items that are the most contaminated with pesticides includes apples (they are the #1 fruit heavily treated), lettuce, celery, and strawberries. For the full dirty dozen list, visit www.farmfoodieandfitness.com/the-dirty-dozen-fruits-and-vegetables-with-the-most-pesticides.  

Another great place to start buying organic is with animal meats and byproducts. This includes, beef, chicken, pork, eggs, and milk. These are also great to buy local if you can’t find everything organic in your grocery store. Find a local farmer that butchers their own meats. You’ll be able to see their living conditions, what the animals are fed, and even ask the farmer questions. This is great for knowing where your food is coming from and how it’s being handled.

One last place in your grocery store to start buying organic is peanut butter. Choose organic or even try other nut butters like almond, sunflower, cashew, or pumpkin seed butters instead. Fungicides are used on peanut plants to prevent mold; these fungicides are highly toxic to our endocrine systems so choose organic or a variety of nut butters.

These simple ideas should be a great place to start if you’ve decided to go organic!

Heirloom, Organic & Hybrid. Knowing the Difference

Ever wanted to know the difference between organic, heirloom, and hybrid? Seed companies have started marketing hybrid organic seeds. I thought to myself how is that possible? Then the more I thought about it, some one has an incredible marketing team! I need them for my businesses! They’re taking a hybrid seed and growing it organically so they can technically say it’s an “organic hybrid.” Brilliant! Except your technically being fooled. So for all your gardeners, shoppers, farmers market wanderers, and the curious. Here is your mini guide to knowing the difference.

Heirloom- The seed has been saved for a period of years, preserved, and then passed down. Heirloom seeds have been grown from earlier periods in history, usually before World War II. After 1951, hybrid seeds were introduced into commercial seed trade. Heirloom seeds have to be open-pollinated which means they can not be cross pollinated by insects, birds, wind, or other natural mechanisms. Growing plants must be maintained in a controlled environment such as a greenhouse or isolated field to keep them from being cross pollinated.

Hybrid: The seed can be made artificially by man or naturally cross pollinated by the wind, animals, and insects. Most times hybrid seeds are designed to improve characteristics of the plant including a better yield or disease resistance. Hybrid seeds are more appealing to the commercial and mass agriculture to help feed the world of over 7 billion people. Hybrids are categorized by generations, such as F1, meaning the first generation from crossing 2 parents varieties in the same species.

Organic: A seed that is grown without using any synthetic chemicals, drugs, or hormones. For products to be sold as “organic” they must be certified by one of the many certifying agencies. An organic seed must come from a growing organic plant.

Hope this guide helps the next time you choose those perfectly red ripe tomatoes at the farmers markets or when you’re flipping through all those beautiful, glossy seed catalogs this fall or early next spring as you plan your garden.

What’s In Your CSA & How Do You Cook It!- Spring

Even with my huge garden, I decided to join a CSA from a local organic farm this year for the extras that I don’t have enough room for or that I can’t get to grow before the squirrels and raccoons steal it from me. (Believe me I am beyond frustrated when it comes to those furry thieves!) Every Monday I help with the CSA drop and see all the smiling, excited faces that rush to the door to collect their bag of goodies. I watch intently as most members dig through their bags and look up completely puzzled and ask “What is this? Or how do I cook and eat this?” So this inspired post is for everyone that has joined a CSA or gone to a farmers market and had no idea what to do with what is staring back you.

Spring is filled with all the good for you greens and root vegetables that usually make it a little harder for us to think up of recipes or different ways to cook or incorporate them into our everyday diet. These yummy veggies are loaded with nutrients, vitamins, fiber, and  antioxidants. Dark leafy greens are actually the number one vegetable for fighting and cancer prevention. So load up on them!!

So in my big brown bag of goodies for the past couple of weeks I’ve had Swiss Chard, Curly Kale, Luciano Kale (Italian), Turnips, Squash, Zucchini, Carrots, Radishes, and  Spinach. Lets start with Turnips! Turnips seem to baffle a lot of people but they are super simple to cook and since they are a root vegetable they tend to be on the sweet side so they pair well with carrots, beets, and parsnips.If you’re not big on vegetables but want to start incorporating them into your diet, start with the sweeter root vegetables. You can bake them in the oven, just add salt and pepper and any kind of herbs, fresh or dried you like. You can also roast them on the grill in some foil with olive oil. Add them to soups, bake them, or puree them down like mashed potatoes. If you’re looking for a good root vegetable recipe, here is my recipe that was published in “Charleston Home Magazine”  in 2009, page 113.

Here come the greens! Swiss Chard, Curly Kale, Luciano Kale, and Spinach. A lot of people are turned off by greens but they can be prepared in so many ways and the benefits are endless. Saute them, add them to soups, make green juice, use them in salads or slaws, even steam them. Mix greens with other vegetables, smother them on top of quinoa, wheat berries, or lentils for a filling and healthy meal. Juicing and including greens in soups can mask the taste if you’re not too fond of them but still want to get all the nutrients and minerals from them. Check out my Green Juice Recipe.

Squash, Zucchini, Carrots add them to salads, soups, roast, bake, saute, grill, mix them together, throw in some onions and garlic, even enjoy them raw! Keep checking back for other seasonal vegetable recipes throughout the summer, fall, and winter. If you have any questions about any vegetables, how to cook them or you want to share your recipes, experiences, or comments. I’d love to hear from you! Eat Local & Happy Cooking!

How to Shop Seasonally

 When you walk into the grocery store are you suddenly overwhelmed by the rows and rows of produce? With all the talk of GMO’s, Imported Produce, Natural, No artificial Ingredients, Fat-Free, Sugar-Free, No added hormones, Organic, Locally Supported, Farm Fresh, and ever other marketing word the big companies throw out us. How do we really know what we’re buying? It’s all pretty confusing so the best way to learn to shop is seasonally. And yeah it’s hard in the winter cause there isn’t as much to choose from and but now that our growing season is in full swing and summer is officially only three weeks away you can buy now and stock up for winter by preserving, canning, and freezing for the winter months.(Coming soon to another post!) And yes sometimes we do need to buy out season and that’s perfectly fine!

Why shop seasonally? In season fruits, vegetables, and herbs are cheaper, better tasting, picked at their peak of ripeness to get all their possible nutrients, they’re easier to find, and not trucked across the country or world saves on greenhouse gas emissions and freshness.

You can shop seasonally easily at farmers markets, local grocery stores will often sell produce from local farms, or most health food stores carry local produce if a farmers market is not close to you. You can start you own garden and if you don’t have enough room in your backyard, you can always grow in containers. Garden growing in containers has gotten easier and easier over the years, There are even specific kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers perfect for container gardening and herbs are easily grown in containers. You can even join a local CSA. (Community Supported Agriculture) Normally local farmers use little or no pesticides on their farms, making it a better choice for you and your family.

Here is a list of how to shop and what to buy seasonably. Some produce may vary to your location and region. And some seasons overlap and you can find them in multiple seasons throughout the year. Bonus!

Seed Saving From Your Garden

Now that the growing season has officially begun and we are in full swing of gardening season, we all watch hopeful and excited as the peas, rhubarb, strawberries, and asparagus finish their last rounds of harvesting. And summer’s incredible bounty begin to grow in the spring rain, warming sun, and rising temperatures. Next year seems so far away, but how exciting and interesting would it be to be able to prepare your garden for next year, by saving this years seeds to be planted right back in for next spring and summer? Not only will it save you money on seed purchases but also “by selecting seeds from just the healthiest plants, you will overtime select for and create a special sub-variety of crops that will especially adapt to your backyard’s climate and soil.” http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening? Sounds like a lot of work huh? Not necessarily…

A Few Things to Remember:

• Don’t waste your time on hybrid varieties. They will be labeled on the seed packet as hybrid or F1 hybrid.
• Stick with true, pure breeds.
• Cross pollination can happen by insects and the wind-leaving you with uncertain result of your plant variety.
• Beans and peas self-pollinate and are the easiest to save and store.
• Keep your garden as far away from your neighbor’s to avoid cross-pollination (as much as possible)
• Remember root crops, parsley, cabbages, and Brussel sprouts are biennial-meaning they don’t form seed pods until their second year. And most of these varieties aren’t cold tolerant so they won’t survive the winter. Best to buy these seeds every year!

Collecting the Seeds:

• Tomatoes, squash, and melons should be picked when their ripe. Scoop out the seeds and spread them to dry in a well ventilated area.
• Beans and peas should be left on the vine until the pods begin to crack and break open.
• Other seeds should be fully formed and hard.
• Always collect from multiple healthy plants, not just one or two.

Seed Storage:

• Label and store seeds as soon as possible after harvesting.
• Envelopes work well for containers for small quantities of seeds.
• Glass jar are great for large quantities.
• Best way to label each seed-vegetable, the variety, when it was bought, month and year of harvest.
• Store in a cool, dry place. Avoid moist areas it will cause your seeds to sprout and mildew.
• Potatoes, onions, and garlic can be stored in open boxes- root cellars are the best for storing.

Longevity of Plants in Years: (info from www.motherearthnews.com)

Asparagus  4, Beans, string 2, Broccoli 3, Cabbage 3, Carrots 4, Cucumber 5, Lettuce 5, Onions 2, Peas 2, Pumpkin 6, Radish 3, Spinach 5, Squash 4, Tomatoes 3, and Turnips 3. But some can last up to 10 years if properly stored.

Test Your Germination:

• Place seeds on top of damp cotton or newspaper- I’ve used paper towels before!
• Place in a covered dish or plastic bags also work.
• Leave at room temperature for 3 days up to a week
• Count how many seeds have germinated to see if most of your seeds are viable.

Seems simple enough, right? Pretty cool to try out and see how your seeds survive the winter. Testing you seeds for germination can also give you a jump-start on your seedlings or for planting them directly in the ground. I use this method every year and give my seeds a little head start. And since I don’t have a root cellar. (I do have a pseudo way to make one though, I’ll save that for a future post one day!) But I will say I have placed seeds in separate envelopes, put them in a small plastic accordion file and stored the file on the top shelf of my refrigerator and all my seeds have come back year after year! Comment or message me and let me know your successes or frustrations in the months to come. Good Luck and Happy Gardening!

10 Secrets to a Perfect Garden!

Want a perfect garden this summer? Here are 10 of my secret tips to using kitchen waste and household items to make your garden grow, reach higher yields, have juicer fruits and vegetables and do it safely without the chemicals and pesticides!

     1. Banana peels They are a mild fertilizer, so they won’t burn plants. Great source of Potassium and can be used for roses and tomatoes.Use two peels per plant and place them one inch under the soil and about 6 inches from the stalk of the plant.

      2. Egg shells They are a good source of calcium. They help produce larger yields for veggies and house plants. Make sure to boil or microwave the shells to prevent Salmonella and grind them or crush them into a powder and sprinkle into the soil.

     3. Coffee Grounds- Also a mild fertilizer, high in nitrogen. They also produce large yields.

      4. Seaweed- Used as a supplement, it helps keep plants green, stimulates root growth, and acts as a chelating agent.

       5. Garlic- Because of its strong odor, placing 1 or 2 cloves into rose bushes will prevent aphids and other insects from eating your roses.

6. Jell-O – Sprinkle Jell-O on seeds with a salt shaker to start them off disease free. Lemon flavor repels bugs. gelatin will help absorb water and sugar feeds organisms in the soil.

        7.Beer- Kills snails and slugs, fill an old pie container or plastic with beer and 3 drops of vinegar and place near affected plants overnight, you’re guaranteed to find these slimy suckers in the container first thing in the morning.

8. Baking Potatoes – Planting a new tree? Line the newly dug hole with potatoes. They will hold moisture and provide the new tree with nutrients as they decay.

9. Epsom Salts- They are a fast acting source of magnesium and sulfur. Also an excellent organic fertilizer. Add tablespoon into the ground before you plant your seedling.

     10. Hydrogen Peroxide- It’s a general fertilizer that controls mold and mildew and helps with sprouting seeds faster and stronger. Just dilute with water and you have your own cocktail perfect for your seeds, seedlings, and plants.

Let me know if you try any of these this year for garden and let me know how it works out! Happy Gardening!

The Dirty Dozen

Seems like we’re all fed up with the government and big corporations telling us that our food is safe. But in reality, they are pumping us and our children daily with GMO’s, processed foods, produce covered in deadly pesticides, and how could we possibly forget about all the “pink slime” we’ve been consuming for years! So, we’ve decided as a country to take a stand and fight back for our health, family, children, and lively hoods, but with that comes a higher cost to our pockets and piggy banks. But for most of us, the economy makes it tougher to buy all organic, no processed foods, and higher cuts of meats. So since we can’t always buy organic then try to buy organic from the “dirty dozen.” These fruits and vegetables contain the most pesticides…

• apples
• celery
• kale/collards
• strawberries
• peaches
• spinach
• imported nectarines
• sweet bell peppers
• imported grapes
• potatoes
• lettuce
• domestic blueberries

And then there is the “Clean 15.” They contain the fewest pesticides

• onions
• pineapples
• mushrooms
• watermelon
• cantaloupe-domestic
• sweet potatoes
• cabbage
• kiwi
• sweet peas
• mangoes
• avocados
• asparagus
• grapefruit
• sweet corn (***not too sure about this considering 80% of our corn is genetically modified. I would buy organic corn instead!)

You can find more information about buying organic and finding cleaner foods at http://www.ewg.org/foodnews.