Weekend Project-Gardening Apron

I need an apron to garden in. Normal aprons, as you know, only come to mid-thigh. That doesn't keep the dirt off the knees.

A lot of my gardening time last year was squeezed in between T-ball practice and work. I ended up changing my jeans numerous times a day or dragging a bath towel around to kneel on. That was waaaay too much laundry to do. So this year, I HAVE to have an apron.

My weekend project: Make an apron long enough to garden in. With all used items.

I have a pile of busted up jeans that I can cut up. I have an old waist apron I can use as a pattern. I bet I could even find some left over fabric to girl it up a little bit and maybe add pockets.

GMO and Monsanto

GMO----genetically modified, think Frankenseeds.

Monsanto--Largest seed manufacturer. Uses shady tactics in their quest to achieve world dominance. Also manufactures ROUND UP. Now why would a seed company also make a weed killer?

How to avoid GMO and Monsanto?
Don't buy seeds from:
Audubon Workshop
Breck’s Bulbs
Burpee
Cook’s Garden
Dege Garden Center
Earl May Seed
E & R Seed Co
Flower of the Month Club
Gardens Alive
Germania Seed Co
Garden Trends
HPS
Jungs
Lindenberg Seeds
McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers
Mountain Valley Seed
Osborne
Park Seed
Park Bulbs
Park’s Countryside Garden
R.H. Shumway
Rocky Mountain Seed Co
Roots and Rhizomes
Rupp
Seeds for the World
Seymour’s Selected Seeds
Snow
Stokes
Spring Hill Nurseries
Totally Tomato
T&T Seeds
Tomato Growers Supply
Vermont Bean Seed Co.
The Vermont Bean Seed Company
Wayside Gardens
Willhite Seed Co.

Now who can I buy seeds from? These are on the safe list:
Abundant Life Seeds
Amishland Seeds
Annapolis Valley Heritage Seed Company (Nova Scotia, Canada)
Diane’s Flower Seeds
Garden City Seeds
Heirlooms Evermore Seeds
Heirloom Seeds
High Mowing Seeds
Horizon Herbs
Irish-Eyes
Lake Valley Seeds
Livingston Seeds
Local Harvest
Mountain Rose Herbs
Organica Seed
Pinetree
Sand Hill Preservation Center
Seeds of Change
Southern Exposure
Sustainable Seed Co
Tiny Seeds
Uprising Seeds
Virtual Farm Seed Co
Wildseed Farms

Information found on
http://www.garden-of-eatin.com/how-to-avoid-monsanto/

Seed Review

I ordered a lot of seeds last year and haven't reviewed them yet. So here are my reviews! Items in ITALICS will be grown again this year.

From victoryseeds.com-(These are ALL heirloom seeds)~~No known data on GMO/Monsanto affiliation. My assumption is non-GMO/Monsanto since the Urban Homestead blog supports them.
-Kentucky Wonder Pole Green Beans~~Grew very well.
-Bull's Blood Beet~~I was amazed at how well these grew. Great for canning.
-Homemade Pickles Cucumber~~Grew well. Grew to normal cucumber size. Cucumbers are cucumbers, no need to buy special for pickles.
-Poinsett 76 Cucumber~~Grew well. Kept growing until plants were pulled out in November.
-Lincoln Pea~~Grew well.
-Stowell's Evergreen Sweet Corn~~Very disappointed. Grew tall stalks but ears of corn were only half matured.
-Beefsteak Tomato~~Grew well.
-Delicious Tomato~~Grew well.
-Saucy Tomato~~Grew the BEST!
-Anaheim Hot Pepper~~Produced very few fruits. Late frost may have contributed.
-Jalapeno Hot Pepper~~Produced many small fruits. Late frost may have contributed.
-California Wonder Bell Pepper~~Eh. Thin skinned fruits susceptible to sunburn.
-Cherry Belle Radish~~Grew HUGE!
-Red Burgundy (Bermuda) Onion~~Unsuccessful. Didn't grow.
-Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion~~Unsuccessful. Didn't grow.
-Waltham 29 Broccoli~~Took a very long time to grow. Very happy with end result though.
-Little Fingers Carrot~~Amazing. Grew well in clay dirt.
-Nantes Improved Carrot~~Amazing. Grew well in clay dirt.
-Chives~~Pot malfunction. No result.
-Coriander (Cilantro)~~Pot malfunction. No result.
-Dill, Mammoth~~Grew well. Made great tasting pickles.
-Oregano~~Pot malfunction. No result.
Subtotal $40.30 Shipping $5.20 Total spent $45.50

From Gurneys.com (I don't know if these are hybrid or heirloom)~~Non-GMO/Monsanto!!!
-Mortgage Lifter Tomato~~Grew well.
-Elizabeth Blueberry~~Grew for 3 weeks then died.
-Large Leaf Italian Basil~~Pot malfunction. No result.
-Japanese White Hull-less Popcorn~~Grew tall stalks. Small ears but dried wonderfully.
-Jack-Be-Little Pumpkin~~Slow to produce fruits. Pumpkins weren't ready until November.
-Sweet Leaf Plant (Stevia)~~Pot malfunction. No result.
-Red Latham Raspberry~~Was dead on arrival.
-Evergreen White Bunching Onions~~Unsuccessful. Didn't grow
-Enz-Rot Blossom End Rot Concentrate Spray (as a filler to reach $50)
Subtotal $52.71 Shipping $9.85 Promo -$25.00 Total Spent $37.56

From Parkseed.com~~Will not be ordering from parkseed.com again. Associated with GMO/Monsanto.
-25 Strawberry Plants and 2 Topsy Turvy "Growin Bags"~~Growin Bags suck. Plants grew and produced flowers. Bags had poor drainage, even with extra holes poked in them. Plants drowned after first rainstorm.
-Celery Tango Hybrid~~Unsuccessful. Didn't grow.
-Lettuce Master Chef Blend~~Overabundance of lettuces. Very tasty mix.
Subtotal $18.25 Shipping 12.40 Total Spent $30.65

New Recipes

I have decided to give myself a goal of 1 new recipe a week.

This week, I decided to try Two Timing Pasta.
1 box of Penne Pasta
1 jar Marinara Sauce
1 jar Alfredo Sauce
2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to box and preheat the oven to 350. Meanwhile, mix the Marinara and Alfredo sauces together with the Mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Add pasta and mix well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 5 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Variations:
Add cooked chicken, either shredded or diced.
Add red pepper flakes to give it a little spice.
Add 1 can Rotel to give it a LOT of spice.

Bug Out Bags

It is summertime and that means wildfires, mudslides, rolling blackouts, hurricanes, floods, and windstorms. Even if this is the year that none of those things happen, it is better to be prepared.

This post is on Bug Out Bags. Bug Out Bags are filled with things to get you and your family through the first 3 days after a disaster. Why 3 days? Three days is the estimated time it will take to have emergency/disaster help set up.

You can buy pre-made bags online from e-bay or amazon but I feel it is better to build your own so that you can customise them to fit your family needs.

First you need a bag. A backpack is ideal but a duffel bag will work. The bag needs to be large enough to put the essentials in but not too large to carry. Each person in the family needs their own bag. It needs to be well made so that it doesn't rip or fall apart. Also recommended are outside pockets for things you might need quickly like a knife or flashlight.

Minimum to have in the Bug Out Bag:
Food- Non-perishables like canned tuna, and spam. Energy bars, kool-aid, dried fruit, and hard candies are also good to add.
Drinkable Water- At the least 2 liters per person, per day. 1 1/2 gallons would be needed for 1 person for 3 days.
Clothing- Comfortable closed toe shoes, comfortable clothing,and a jacket or sweatshirt.
Hygiene Items- toothbrush/paste, toilet paper, deodorant, and feminine products.
Cash and Credit/Debit Cards-ATMs may be out of order in some emergencies so cash is good to have on hand.
Vital Documents- Identification, and medical information.
Shelter- A large tarp at the minimum, a tent would be best if there is room. Sleeping bags or blankets are also needed.
Basic Tools- Flashlight, spare batteries, matches, small knife, hammer, folding shovel, small axe,
Medical Supplies- any prescription medication, latex gloves, bandaids, rubbing alcohol, ointment, sunscreen, an actual first aid kit, bug spray, and pain reliever.
Other- Compass, map of the area, portable radio, whistle, can opener, safety pins, and water purification tablets.


Don't forget about your pets needs as well. Pack food, water and a leash.


Other Tips:
Store things in plastic bags so that they stay dry.
Check food and water once a month. Replace supplies if necessary.
Don't pack more than you can carry. Pack children's bags lighter and adult's heavier.
Bring a comfort item for the kids and pets. A favorite toy or blanket helps ease anxiety.

Personally, I prefer Bug Out Boxes for a number of reasons. Stay tuned for the next post to learn more about them.

Trying To Post Pictures

Photobucket is giving me hell so I am trying something new.

This is what I started with.




Here are the boys helping me fill the peat pots with soil.

Now that I have figured out a way to get around photobucket, I will be posting more pictures. I have some newer shots of the garden area.

Starting Seeds

You don't have to use peat pots to start seeds. I used them but only because that is what was in front of me at the hardware store. Thinking about it now, I probably should have used seed trays or something. But they are working so far.

There are many many many different things you can use to start seeds in. I have seen seeds started in Mountain Dew cans, eggshells and even Styrofoam cups.

I ran across a blog post at Greenworld365. You can read it here. It tells about the different things you can start seeds in. I found it pretty interesting.

Weekend Update

We had a busy Saturday in town with T-ball and visiting friends from out of town so we didn't get any planting or gardening done.

But this morning, the boys and I were up early. By 9ish, I had enough coffee to function so we went outside before it got too hot and windy.

I finally got caught up on planting the seeds that needed to be planted. I now have 2 DIY greenhouses full of seeds (see previous post). We got 2 kinds of cucumbers, basil, pumpkins, and 4 kinds of tomatoes started. I also reseeded the seeds the boys started.

I am out of peat pots so it is time to get creative with what I start seeds in next weekend. Stay tuned for tomorrows post to see what I mean.

Seeds started so far:
Celery
Bell Peppers
Jalapenos
Anaheim Chili
Broccoli
Oregano
Parsley
Large Leaf Basil
Jack Be Little Pumpkins
Mortgage Lifter Tomato
Sweet Banana Pepper
Cherry Tomato
Slicing Cucumbers
Pickle Cucumbers
Delicious Tomato
Saucy Tomato
Beefsteak Tomato

Seeds Left to Be Planted:
Oregano
Popcorn
Sweet Corn
Lincoln Pea
Red Onion
Yellow Spanish Onion
Chives
Cilantro
Mammoth Dill
White Onion
Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean
Carrots
baby Carrots
Radish
Lettuce

DIY Greenhouse

Since I started my seeds in peat pots, I needed somewhere to put all those peat pots to keep them contained, warm, and out of the wind.

I thought and thought about what I could use. One evening I noticed that I happened to have some clear storage totes laying around taking up space. They were originally used to keep our camping stuff in them but I bought a couple of larger totes to put the stuff in.

I had an aha! moment. They were in good shape, no holes or cracks. They had lids. I could move them around. And they didn't take up much space. They were perfect.

So the point of this post is to look around your home for things you can use before you go out and buy something expensive. Be creative.

Powdered Milk

As a stockpiler, I seem to have quite a bit of powdered milk laying around that I don't know what to do with. I just happened to be reading on the Little Homestead in the City blog and came across a list of things to do with powdered milk.


Here are some ideas for using Dry Milk:
1. Add to pancakes.
2. Mix in muffin batter.
3. Add to scrambled eggs before cooking.
4. Mix in biscuits.
5. Mix dry milk ahead and refrigerate for drinking.
6. Cook hot cereal in dry milk.
7. Prepare hot chocolate.
8. Make Rice Pudding.
9. Make easy vanilla pudding.
10. Make cold chocolate milk.
11. Make the night before to pour over breakfast cereal.
12. Whiz a milk shake.
13. Prepare macaroni and cheese.
14. Make cream of potato soup.
15. Mix in bread dough.
16. Mix in casseroles.
17. Mix in cornbread.
18. Use in cake batter.
19. Add extra dry milk powder for added protein and calcium.
20. Add two tablespoons to fortify liquid meals with more protein and calcium.
21. Add to mashed potatoes.
22. Make into buttermilk.
23. Add to hot drinks instead of creamer.
24. Use in cookie recipes.
25. Take on trips to use for breakfast cereal.
26. Take camping.
27. Take backpacking.
28. Add to master mix for baked products.
29. Make a cream sauce for pasta.
30. Reconstitute and add to regular milk to reduce cost.
31. Make potato soup.
32. Make evaporated milk: one cup dry milk mixed with 2/3 cup water is the equivalent of 1 can of evaporated skim milk.

Pantry Challenge

My mother-in-law is bringing us something like 30 lbs of hamburger and a whole bunch of elk at the end of the month.

The problem is, is that I already have a full freezer. Like full to the brim. Sigh. It looks like it is time to get creative with cooking again.

I am getting a list together of what has to be used up and will post tonight or tomorrow.

Weekend Update

On Friday we got our wonderful 70 mph winds again so nothing got done.

On Saturday we woke up to snow so nothing got done.

On Sunday the weather was great. No wind, no snow. It was a little chilly but it wasn't anything a light sweater couldn't fix.

The boys and I made it to Walmart for some potting soil before the place was packed. I found bags of top-soil for under $2 so I picked up 3. When we got home, we went right to work on planting stuff. First, I restarted some seeds. The only thing that had grown in 3 weeks were 3 broccoli so I replanted seeds for more broccoli, all my peppers, oregano and celery. Then I moved on to getting all the plants in some dirt. The strawberries are all planted in their Growin Bags and the raspberries are in a pot.

I had planned on getting the tomatoes, pumpkins, beets and basil started but the boys were getting bored. Hopefully Stevie won't be too tired from school and we can get it done tonight.

Progress Update

I have gotten ALL my seeds and plants except the Stevia plant which should show up today.

I have even started some seeds: Anahiem peppers, bell peppers, jalapenos, broccoli, celery and oregano are in peat pots. The broccoli has already sprouted in 4 peat pots and there is 1 oregano. By this weekend, I should be able to tell which seeds were duds and will re-seed the non-growing pots.

The tomatoes will be started this weekend and if the garden is ready, some seeds planted directly in the dirt.

I ran out of topsoil trying to fill up my strawberry Growin Bags so I am buying some more tonight after work and finish potting up the plants. So far I only have the blueberry planted and have a raspberry and 25 strawberries waiting on me.

The garden has been tilled for the 2nd time and the big rocks have been removed. If the weather is nice enough, I am going to work on getting stuff added (like manure and what little compost I have) tonight.

While we were at Home Depot last weekend, we found kids gardening kits. They both picked out which ones they wanted. Sammy picked out cherry tomatoes and banana peppers and Stevie picked out basil and parsley. They both got a watermelon too. Those have all been started and set in the kitchen window sill. They check them every day to see if anything has sprouted.

Seeds!

The seeds I ordered from victoryseeds.com were in the mailbox yesterday. That was FAST! They were packaged in a bubble envelope and a little note was included.

I am very impressed with them so far.

The wind was horrible yesterday so I didn't get anything done in the garden. Maybe I can get some leveling done today if it isn't too cold. If the weather is crappy, I need to figure when to start my seeds indoors so that they are ready to plant on Mother's Day.

A small project update, I have started collecting empty beer bottles. I have a couple people saving them for me, and I have emptied a few myself. Hopefully I will have all I need in a couple of weeks.

It Has Started

We finally had a nice spring-like weekend (with no plans) so I took full advantage of it to get a few things done.

The garden area has been tilled. We decided against building boxes this year so Andy broke out the tiller and dug up a 8x12 ft area for me to plant in.

The garden area has been planned out. I sat down and drew up plans for what I want to plant and where. I ended up getting my list of things to plant narrowed down well enough that I have an entire 2x15 ft area in another part of the yard just for the boys to plant whatever they want in.

Projects planned-
1) Start collecting (empty) beer bottles. I recently read about someone that used inverted wine bottles as a garden border. Brilliant idea except we aren't really wine drinkers. Aha, beer bottles! They would work just as well.

2) Make garden area level. Having the garden lopsided is driving me nuts. I keep thinking about how the water won't stay where it is supposed to and will pool in one area and it is driving me insane.

3) Build garden border with beer bottles.

4) Find and buy 2 large non-Styrofoam planters for blueberry and raspberry plants.

5) Wait for seeds and plants to be delivered. Get plants planted ASAP. Put seeds away and don't forget where I put them.

6) Clean out gardening/camping shed. Figure out some kind of organization system that the boys can stick with.

7) Gather up ALL the gardening tools and put in shed or somewhere.

8) Start some seeds indoors.

I have until Mothers Day (that's when our growing season starts) to get this all accomplished. That is only 7 weekends, plus whatever I can fit in after work and after all the other household stuff I have to stay on top of. But, somewhere in there I lose quite a few days for 2 birthdays, Easter, Little League Opening Day, and T-ball games.

Ordered My Seeds and Plants

I finally narrowed down my seed and plant list and ordered them on Monday.

Here is my final list:

From victoryseeds.com-(These are ALL heirloom seeds)
-Kentucky Wonder Pole Green Beans
-Bull's Blood Beet
-Homemade Pickles Cucumber
-Poinsett 76 Cucumber
-Lincoln Pea
-Stowell's Evergreen Sweet Corn
-Beefsteak Tomato
-Delicious Tomato
-Saucy Tomato
-Anaheim Hot Pepper
-Jalapeno Hot Pepper
-California Wonder Bell Pepper
-Cherry Belle Radish
-Red Burgundy (Bermuda) Onion
-Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion
-Waltham 29 Broccoli
-Little Fingers Carrot
-Nantes Improved Carrot
-Chives
-Coriander (Cilantro)
-Dill, Mammoth
-Oregano
Subtotal $40.30 Shipping $5.20 Total spent $45.50

From Gurneys.com (I don't know if these are hybrid or heirloom)
-Mortgage Lifter Tomato
-Elizabeth Blueberry
-Large Leaf Italian Basil
-Japanese White Hull-less Popcorn
-Jack-Be-Little Pumpkin
-Sweet Leaf Plant (Stevia)
-Red Latham Raspberry
-Evergreen White Bunching Onions
-Enz-Rot Blossom End Rot Concentrate Spray (as a filler to reach $50)
Subtotal $52.71 Shipping $9.85 Promo -$25.00 Total Spent $37.56

From Parkseed.com
-25 Strawberry Plants and 2 Topsy Turvy "Growin Bags"
-Celery Tango Hybrid
-Lettuce Master Chef Blend
Subtotal $18.25 Shipping 12.40 Total Spent $30.65

Grand total spent $113.71 for 29 packets of seeds, 29 plants, 2 Topsy Turvy "Growin Bags" and 1 bottle of blossom end rot spray.

Meal Plan

2/28 through 3/4

Monday: Hamburgers and fries

Tuesday: Pancakes and bacon

Wednesday: BBQ Beast

Thursday: Meatloaf

Friday: Leftovers

The only thing I need to buy are the hamburger buns. Everything else comes from the pantry or freezer.

Pantry Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 medium sweet peppers
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 c. instant rice
1 medium onion chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cans 14 oz. diced tomatoes; do not drain
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. dried basil

Brown ground beef and onions and drain. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except peppers. The mixture will be sloppy. Discard tops and seeds and wash peppers. Fill peppers with mixture and set aside. Pour remaining mixture into large casserole. Arrange filled peppers in the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until firm.

Everything except the bell peppers came from my pantry or freezer!

Pantry Unfried Rice-Modified

The Unfried Rice recipe I promised that I would try and tweak has been tried and tweaked. This recipe makes a WHOLE lot of rice. It was enough for 3 meals for my family of 4.

Here is the recipe with my changes in italics.


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 Small Flank Steak (cut into bite size pieces) --I used 1 cup cubed ham
* 2 Bags Steamfresh Brown Rice
* 1 Bag Steamfresh Broccoli Florets
* 1 Small Can Water Chestnuts --I used the Medium size can
* 2 Large Carrots Shredded --I used a can of carrots, quartered
* 1/2 Cup Frozen Peas (about 1/4 of the bag) --I used half a can of peas
* 2 Cloves Garlic Crushed --I used 2 Tbl jarred already chopped garlic
* 2 Eggs Scrambled
* 1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce --I used 1/2 cup regular Soy Sauce
* 1/4 Cup 365 Organics Soy/Ginger Sauce (from Whole Foods) --I skipped this altogether

DIRECTIONS:

** I have found the best method for making fried rice or stir-fry is to have everything ready. Once you put the meat in the pan, this recipe goes very quickly so my directions are in the order that I do it.

1 – Cook the rice and broccoli in the microwave according to the package directions and set aside.
2 – Cook the eggs and set aside.
3 – Drain and rinse the peas and set aside.
4 – Open and drain the water chestnuts and set aside.
5 – Heat one tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the meat and one tablespoon of the soy sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through.
6 – Turn the heat way down (I use a medium-low heat at this point), add the garlic and carrots and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
7 – Add the broccoli, water chestnuts, peas, rice, eggs, remaining soy sauce.
8 – Stir constantly until ingredients are mixed well and heated through.
9 – Taste and adjust for seasoning. Salt, pepper or more sauce…whatever you like.
9 – Serve immediately.

All The More Reason

Take a peek at this msnbc article: Extreme weather pushes food prices higher.

This is just one of many reasons I am going to grow my own food. Sure, it is easier to just go to the grocery store but what happens if the prices at the grocery store are so high that nobody can pay it?

Scary, especially when you read that China is thisclose to buying up a huge chunk of our corn and wheat.

Pantry Peanut Butter Banana Bread

If you are anything like me and hate to waste expensive produce, you probably have a few over-ripe bananas in your freezer. Well, I looked last night and discovered I had 8, yes 8, black bananas in the freezer.

So I made banana bread. For the very first time! I am not much of a baker but the recipe I found last night was so easy. Plus it was kid friendly and, as always, I had everything I needed on hand.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

* 1/2 cup butter, softened (only 1 stick)
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup mashed ripe banana
* 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup sour cream

1. In a mixing bowl (I used my sexy Kenmore Elite Mixer), cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and peanut butter; mix well. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and sour cream; add to creamed mixture.
2. Transfer to a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf ban. Bake at 350 degrees F for 70-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

I accidentally melted 2 sticks of butter so in order not to waste the butter, I doubled the recipe and made 2 loafs. The baking time and temperature stays the same.

Pantry Unfried Rice

I was blog hopping and came across a recipe this afternoon for Unfried Rice. I will post the actual recipe and then you can tweak it to what you have in your pantry or to what your family will eat. The post is found here and the actual blog is called Saving Everyday.

I am planning on trying it out this weekend. I will report back with my changes, if any.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 Small Flank Steak (cut into bite size pieces) $1.89
* 2 Bags Steamfresh Brown Rice $0.20 each after coupons
* 1 Bag Steamfresh Broccoli Florets $0.40 after coupon
* 1 Small Can Water Chestnuts $0.97
* 2 Large Carrots Shredded (I finely shred them in a small food processor) $0.20
* 1/2 Cup Frozen Peas (about 1/4 of the bag) $0.40
* 2 Cloves Garlic Crushed $0.20
* 2 Eggs Scrambled $0.25
* 1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce $0.20
* 1/4 Cup 365 Organics Soy/Ginger Sauce (from Whole Foods) $0.50

DIRECTIONS:

** I have found the best method for making fried rice or stir-fry is to have everything ready. Once you put the meat in the pan, this recipe goes very quickly so my directions are in the order that I do it.

1 – Cook the rice and broccoli in the microwave according to the package directions and set aside.
2 – Cook the eggs and set aside.
3 – Rinse the frozen peas with hot water and set aside.
4 – Open and drain the water chestnuts and set aside.
5 – Heat one tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the beef and one tablespoon of the low sodium soy sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through.
6 – Turn the heat way down (I use a medium-low heat at this point), add the garlic and carrots and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
7 – Add the broccoli, water chestnuts, peas, rice, eggs, remaining soy sauce and soy/ginger sauce.
8 – Stir constantly until ingredients are mixed well and heated through.
9 – Taste and adjust for seasoning. Salt, pepper or more sauce…whatever you like.
9 – Serve immediately.

Pantry Chili and Cornbread

The temperature was in the negatives last night and I really didn't want to drag the kids out in it to go to the store for dinner stuff so I had to shop in my pantry. We had chili and cornbread for dinner, all made with things I had on hand. Here are the recipes:

Chili
1 lb hamburger (I used 80% lean. If you use leaner meat or substitute with different meat, add 1 Tbl oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbl chopped garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans
1 cup water

Brown hamburger and onions. Don't drain fat. Add everything else. Bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes.

Sweet Cornbread
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs

Mix all dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil and eggs. Pour into greased 9 inch rectangle baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

It turned out very well. The kids liked it and it should feed us for at least 2 meals. I made up the chili recipe as I went and found the cornbread recipe on cooks.com.

The Dirty Dozen and The Clean 15

Here are a couple of interesting things I ran across today regarding buying organic veggies at the grocery store.

The Dirty Dozen-A slideshow on the 12 foods with the highest pesticide contamination, additives and hormones. If you are going to selectively buy organic food, these are the 12 they recommend as musts. On the list: meat (more specifically the meat fat), dairy products, and of course fruits and veggies. An interesting fact I learned: scrubbing and peeling doesn't always get rid of the chemical residue. My suggestion? Grow them yourself instead of buying them!

The Clean 15-This slideshow is on the 15 foods that have the lowest pesticide exposure and don't necessarily need to be purchased organic. On the list are onions, peas, and broccoli. These are all also pretty easy to grow in the backyard garden.

GMO, Hybrids, Organic or Hierloom?

What types of seeds do you plant? Do you know?

I feel it is VERY important to know where your seeds come from and what kind of seeds you use. I suggest that you do some research on the companies you buy your seeds from.

I am going to try and stay away from GMO (genetically modified) and hybrid seeds this year. Why? The biggest reason is that I want to save my seeds from this year to plant next year. It will be a pretty large initial investment but unless something goes horribly wrong I won't ever have to buy seeds again. With GMO and hybrids, you can't really be sure that the seeds you save from a tomato this year will produce the same type or quality of tomato next year or even grow at all. I'm not even sure that organic seeds will either.

Plus doesn't "Genetically modified" make you think of scary man eating plants????

Seed Catalogs

I got the first two seed catalogs of 2011 in the mailbox yesterday. They both have coupons in them.

Gurney's has a free $25 offer on the front page. It is a unique code otherwise I would share.

Burpee has a free shipping offer on orders of $75+ between pages 20 and 21. It is universal so I will share. FSHP if anyone is interested.

Planting Zone-September To Dos

I just found out that I am in Zone 6. Interesting.

According to the Burpee website, it is time to plant lettuce, radish, spinach, beets, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, blueberry, raspberry and grapes.

Since nothing is ready for all those things to be planted yet, we are either going to have to take a risk in planting them late (next month is supposed to be the "last chance") or have to wait until next September.

I figure that even if we bust our asses getting the yard cleaned out and the beds built, the dirt still won't be ready to plant anything in. I would rather do all this the right way (even if it means missing out until next year) instead of rushing around and doing it wrong just to get it in the ground this year.

Planning pt. 1

When I got home from work last night, Sammy and I took the tape measure out to the part of the back yard that I am going to take over. I needed to get dimensions so I could start thinking about how I wanted it to look. Like where I was going to build raised beds, where I was going to put up trellises, where the walkways were going to be and so on. Sammy held the end of the tape measure while I pulled it as far as it would go and wrote down numbers.

Our property is a rectangle but the way our home is placed, the yard is odd shaped. It is like the letter b. According to my figures, I have just under 3000 square feet in my part of the yard. It seems like that is way too high of a figure. I am horrible at math so I need to have Andy double check my figures later.

The boys and I sat down after dinner to make a list of the fruits and veggies they like to eat. We came up with a very long list. Now I need to find out if it all will grow here in Northern Arizona or not.

Our list of veggies: corn, green beans, peas, tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, radish, asparagus, carrots, broccoli, potatoes, onions, garlic, squash, jalapenos, bell peppers, Anaheim chili, spinach, cucumbers, rhubarb, cabbage, avocado and celery.

Our list of fruits: strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, pumpkin, grapes, cherries, peaches, pears, oranges, lemons, limes, raspberries, bananas and plums.

Our list of herbs: cilantro, mint, lavender, basil, chives, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme and dill.

The boys keep telling me to add things to the lists every so often so they will probably be updated a couple of times before it is time to plant.

Goals

My long term goals:
I want to grow most of our produce.
I want to have solar and wind energy powering our home.
I want to buy at least 5 acres to enjoy.
I want a few animals like goats, pigs, and chickens.
I want to learn how to make my own soaps and lotions.
I want to make a living by selling my surplus produce and goods. This is very realistic since there is a restaurant in town that (I think, not 100% sure) uses locally grown (or the closest thing to locally grown) products.
I want to get my extended family (definitely my sisters and probably nephews, brother, and in-laws) and neighbors involved.

And short term goals:
I want to learn to can.
I want to learn how to cook with fresh ingredients.
I want a functioning compost bin/barrel/heap.
I want half of our current back yard for gardening.
I want to get my husband and kids involved in the gardening.
I want to cut down our meat consumption.
I want to learn how to sew minor things, like t-shirts, aprons, bedding and curtains.

These are just brainstorm ideas for now and I will keep updating them as I make progress or change any goals.

About Us

Let me tell you a little about us.

The family currently consists of Me (Samantha), my husband (Andy) our 2 boys (Stevie who is 5 and Sammy who is 2), and our 2 dogs (Duke, a black lab and Molly, a blue heeler/terrier mix).

We live in teeny town Northern Arizona. Right now, we live in a cozy single wide mobile home. Andy works for the railroad and I work at a body shop.

I have been dabbling in growing produce for a few years now with very little success. The only thing I seem to be good at growing is tomatoes. This year I decided to focus on only growing tomatoes. I planted 30 plants and only 2 have died so far. I am pretty impressed with how well they all are doing.

The Inspiration

This weekend I came across a blog that hopefully change the way I feed my family.

Little Homestead in the City

Quick run down of the information found on that blog: A family in California has turned their run down property into something magical. They are almost completely self sufficient. They grow their own produce, raise their own animals and have a vegetable stand on their front porch.

Amazing. From the very first post I read, I was hooked. Becoming self sufficient is something I have only dreamed about and now I realize that it is, for the most part, possible.