I garden for the way it makes me feel. The food tastes better. There is a small part of me that likes that it is cheaper and that it’s organic. I am not trying to contribute to some revolution, or save money, or grow “safer” food. I just feel very full spiritually and physically when I grow food. And my balcony is prettier with plants.
I bought this book off Amazon.com, Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. This is book is no joke. The time estimation that they give is truly accurate: 15 minutes of prep to make the dough and 5 minutes to shape the loaf. It takes about 20 minutes for the dough to rise and 30 to bake, so you have to stick around.
My first loafs turned out beautiful with nice, crisp crust and a moist yummy center. My husband and I ate on of them right out of the oven.
The book has more than just bread recipes too, not mentioned in the dust cover or on Amazon reviews. They have tips for getting the most out of your bread. There are several recipes that use stale bread so your (little) hard work doesn’t go to waste. There are 5 chapters before you even get to a recipe. The authors describe the method, equipment, trouble shooting, types of flour and how they effect the rise and texture of the bread. It has a good balance of technical and practical instruction.
The authors have a few youtube videos so you can get a good visual if you need: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFJZPm-_2-M
Not yet. I might end up building a trellis for my cucumbers because I haven’t found something that I like that would work. Because I’m growing them in a pot I am limited in what will fit.
During the summer I probably spend a couple of hours watering and pruning and gazing. In the winter I spend much less time because there is less growing and they don’t need watering as frequently.
In honor of 3.14 here are some HEALTHY Pie pictures and links to their recipes.
- Chocolate Fudge Pie
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/06/the-ultimate-chocolate-fudge-pie/
- Deep Dish Cookie Pie
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/31/deep-dish-cookie-pie/
- …
I’ve kind of always been around it. My grandfather owned a farm. I have many fond memories of snapping green beans, collected fallen pecans, and spitting watermelon seeds with my cousins. My mom has always done some gardening, but mostly ornamental. I think most of my desire to go my own food has come from visiting u-pick farms and wanting to have that in my own backyard. I hope to one day own a large lot of land where I can grow lots and lots of food and not be bothered by HOAs (my biggest fear in buying a house).
Some if it is, some of it isn’t. I like to grow organics. It’s much more important to me that I grow things that are not GMOs. (You can find a scary article about them here)
Not really. Although I like to think of my garden as a Victory Garden.
Currently? Rosemary, thyme, carrots, chives.
In a week I will have:
I’ve given things away, but not as a real “gift”. I give away herb cuttings and spare veggies when ever I can. I will be starting a basil plant for a friend this year. She is horrible with plants. But I don’t mind sparing the few seeds to encourage her to try.
