Food, Gardening, Health

Why do you garden?  To grow your own food?  To have a pretty yard?  To let your mind be peaceful?  To cut down on expenses?  To avoid harmful chemicals?

Digging in the dirt gives us all of the above and so much more.  Knowing where our food comes from is so important.  We live in a time where food is shipped for 1000's of miles to reach a supermarket shelf.  Sometimes it is shipped from other countries, where we have no idea what might go into the growing process.

Eating locally has become a big trend.  Understanding the relationship that local food brings into our homes is so important.

It takes a commitment to ourselves to make sure we are making sound choices in our purchases and in what we choose to eat.  It is not easy.  It is so worth it.

Now as I write this I feel like such a hypocrite.  I want to make zucchini bread today.   I want to make a pot of split pea soup, with ham hock, onions and garlic.  I just found a recipe for an upside down apple gingerbread cake!!  I love to eat.  I love to try new recipes.  I love to cook.  I love junk food.  I love good food.  I love food, period.  I want to change my views towards food.  I want to be healthy.
Wow, just writing that made me overwhelmed!  Ha, ha.

How far do you think this food traveled to market?  I have no idea, I just love the image.  It makes you feel like you are getting something fresh. I can't imagine the boat vendor ran down to Costco to stock up for a busy market day!

This last weekend we went grocery shopping.  I do not want to say where, but it is probably not a good choice.  There are two choices really for food in our little country town. Is that really an ok excuse for buying food that probably is laden with chemicals?  I don't think so, but yet I did that very thing.  Yikes!

I want to believe that the food I prepare for my husband and myself is healthy.  When I am not obsessed with sugar, we usually do pretty good.  We eat protein, veggies and

good carbs.  Last night we made burritos with london broil, pinto beans and brown rice.  All leftovers, easy, but not a veggie in sight.  All homemade, but what happened to the vegetables?  Lazy, I was lazy.

I stared out this morning to write about saving our own seeds for the garden.  I went on the Seed Savers Exchange website to do a little reading and see what inspired me.  I have wanted to learn for a long time and I try my own little experiments, but do not feel very successful.  Last year we managed to save seed from basil, marigolds and zinnia for replanting.  That was thrilling.

This year I have sunflower seed saved, marigolds, basil and that is it from our garden.  I fell down on the job!  I learned alot from our gardens this year, but I feel like I failed in the securing of seeds.

Each spring comes and my list of "What I really, really want in the garden & flower yard" is so very long.  We are always on a budget and the reality is the more I can save, the more I can grow!  This is so important.

On their website was an article about a Seed Saving School.  They offer all sorts of classes and information.  If you are not familiar with it, you should check out their site.
www.seedsaver.org

Anyways, this is seed saving steps from start to finish:

garden planning

plant isolation

hand pollination

seed harvesting

seed cleaning

storage

seed sharing

Wow, do I ever want to take the class. 

I guess it really boils down to time, money, yes sadly money is involved and effort. Money needed for taking classes or workshops is so well spent.  Books, magazines, online articles, and webinairs also provide information that can make all the difference in our learning curves.

Yesterday we were out in front cleaning up the front yard for the coming winter.  I saved a bunch of orange marigold seeds.

A Cookie Sheet of Seeds!

 

This whole process of learning to become more self-reliant is a challenge.  It makes you think of your choices all the time.  It makes you cringe when you fail.  It makes your heart sing when you actually manage to complete something, even a little thing like marigold seeds for next spring.

Sometimes it makes you just want a Hot Fudge Sundae!

 

I am thrilled with our progress.  I am grateful for the help of friends.

I am hopeful for the next garden and look forward to learning more each year!

Here is to our Healthy Choices!  Salud!

Oh, yes, I am making the pot of peas, the upside down apple gingerbread cake and some zucchini bread!  Remember the Mantra!

Baby Steps, just Baby Steps!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"One can get lost in their garden and the world ceases to exist, if only for a while.  Anger dissipates with every shovel of dirt moved, pleasure is found in the simplest forms, excitement is felt as each tiny plant matures and then triumph with the harvest of the first tomato of the season.  The love of gardening never goes away.  Even if someone is unable to garden themselves, they enjoy the gardens of others."

 

Renee Hogan