Usually, this time of year, I am monitoring my garden, watering and looking forward to a June harvest; however, due to breaking a bone in my foot at the end of April, I have been limited on what I can do. My plot garden never was tilled and nothing was planted. Until recently, it was not even mowed. I am grateful I purchased and planted several tomato plants, some herbs, a pepper plant and some lettuce before I injured myself. Doctors told me, I broke a bone attached to two tendons in my foot; resulting in an extra long time of healing. After four weeks of limited mobility, struggling with…
-
-
7 Tips For Spring Edible Gardening
It is almost April 15th and where I call home, it is time to begin my spring edible garden! I kinda get a chuckle, at my expense when it comes to gardening. When I was much younger, in grammar school, my parents had a garden. We grew corn, beans, and a few other vegetables. We had a huge apple tree and prosperous grape vines; so I grew up knowing where food comes from. When I was 10 years old, we moved and no longer had a garden at our house, however, my grandparents still had thriving gardens. They enjoyed all sorts of greens, beans and squash. During my teenage years,…
-
Raw Food Means a Better Mood
The Department of Food Science Research at the University of Otago in New Zealand has linked our consumption of raw fruits and vegetables to our mental health. A total of 281 young adults completed an internet-based daily food diary for 21 consecutive days. Researchers concluded participates consuming a higher intake of raw produce (5 times per day) had fewer symptoms of mental illness or depression, and improved levels of well being or satisfaction with life. After eating canned or processed produce, the mental health benefits were significantly reduced. Foods Associated With Better Mood Researchers particularly mentioned carrots bananas apples spinach These foods displayed significant benefits towards your mental health, as…
-
Streamline Your Cooking With Frozen Vegetables
Have you ever considered buying frozen vegetables? Frozen vegetables are a convenient, time-saving short cut when preparing meals at home. Perfect for soups and stews (where the vegetable is NOT the primary ingredient), these packaged foods sometimes hold flavor better than their fresh counterpart, especially when the vegetable is out of season. I would never recommend using frozen vegetables in a fresh salad; or frozen onions in a French Onion Soup, however, they work well in hearty dishes cooked in a slow-cooker, such as the Bachelor Beef Stew below. Which frozen vegetables are the best to buy? Not all vegetables are worth buying from the frozen food department. Vegetables with…
-
7-Day Eliminate Processed Food Challenge-Follow Up
On May 12, I started a 7-day challenge to eliminate processed foods from my daily caloric intake. Read the challenge info here On the letter grade scale – I would give myself a C. If you recall…my challenge rules were as follows: No refined grains, only 100% whole grain No refined sugar Ingredient list must be real foods, no chemicals, no words I cannot pronounce No deep-fried foods Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, my ONE cup of coffee daily. Heavy on fruits and vegetables I definitely did not have any deep fried foods at all in the 7-days. I limited my beverages to water and one…
