The Scent of Freedom- GARDEN BLOG!

Goodnight and Goodbye Garden

2010-10-31T11:38:00.004-04:00

Ultra-moist Vegan Pumpkin Bread

2010-10-19T12:39:00.002-04:00

With fall comes pumpkins! And with pumpkins comes yummy pumpkin treats! Here is my recipe for an ultra-moist and vegan pumpkin bread....not the ultra sweet and oily kind that dries out in two days. Please try and enjoy, you won't be dissappointed!

Vegan Pumpkin Bread- makes 2 loaves

3 Tbs ground flax
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 oats
3/4 cup turbinado sugar (refined works too)
1-2 Tbs molasses
1-2 Tbs agave nectar (maple syrup or honey works too)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2-1 cup walnuts or raisins (optional)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Mix ground flax and water in large bowl, then add in sugar, molasses, and agave nectar as well as oil, applesauce, and pumpkin- stir
-In medium bowl mix flour, oats, spices, salt baking soda and powder
-Add dry to wet slowly
-Fold in walnuts or raisins if using
-Grease loaf pans lightly, pour in
-add a garnish of oats on top and pop in oven for about 55 min.
-let cool in pan for at least 15 min.
-serve plain or with cream cheese!

Little bit of life left...

2010-10-05T10:32:00.009-04:00

I apologize for the long stretch of time that has gone by without showing you any attention, but actually I haven't been very present to the garden either...so don't feel that bad.

I had to go and get married and do that whole thing so I've been putting the garden on the back burner. Yesterday, however, I found myself drawn to the outdoors even more than usual and realized it was time to get back to the plot. It was a crisp, overcast day, leaves were falling and I had nothing much to do besides write hoards of thank you notes. I needed a break so I gathered some envelopes, scissors, marker, tape, camera, harvest basket and boots.

Here is what I came across:

Besides the beets and lettuce shown in the pictures, the tomatoes, peppers, squash, and basil are all still producing. I harvested seeds from the marigolds, cosmos, zinnias, and cilantro. Next will be the sunflowers and basil. I plan to let the seeds dry out and then create my own little seed library to use for next planting season! Seeds, seeds everywhere!

2010-09-08T12:24:00.002-04:00

It's an amazing day here...76 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, and a light breeze to liven things up.
The garden enjoyed last night's rain shower but it surely wasn't enough to make up for the severe lack of precipitation otherwise. Although it is September and I expect a cooling off and a general slowing down of life...I did not expect to have a yard covered in leaves. The heat and dryness is causing a rapid and somewhat premature death of the leaves on the trees. When I visted St. Louis this past weekend, it was the same story there. Fall is on it's way!

Since the veggies in the garden are worn out, and the fall crops of lettuce and beets that I planted are no where near ready to harvest...I am left with little to do. Some dead-heading of the zinnias, grabbing a few tomatoes, and beholding the beauty of it all are about the only things I've been doing lately. Hope you are getting a chance to enjoy your garden and life as we all get ready to slow things down.

2010-08-22T19:11:00.004-04:00

The Moon and Stars Melons are a growin'

Spider on a Squash

This one is an Amish Melon

Lettuce for a fall harvest

They don't look that beautiful but they're still producing like mad!

Summertime and the harvest it easy...

2010-08-12T22:12:00.006-04:00

A baby buttercup squash

Tater collection II

A lemon cucumber

This is it for the green beans.

A Prayer for Growers and Eaters

2010-08-07T19:27:00.002-04:00

Just a little prayer I found in a lovely cookbook given to me as a wedding shower gift: Simply in Season

Hope you like it too!

A Prayer for Growers and Eaters

Generous God, Source of all we enjoy around this table,
thank you for the rich flavors, crisp colors, and simple foods
that fill us and please us.

We remember those who have labored long on our behalf.
For farmers near and far, for their households,
their land and their communities,
we ask your sustaining grace.

Give hope, health, and fruitfulness to your people who farm.
Fill us with the Spirit's generosity and joy
so that we may fittingly eat at the table you have set
and serve the world you have made. Amen.

-Jennifer Davis Sensenig

A Happy Garden

2010-07-27T11:33:00.005-04:00

Late Night in the Garden

2010-07-19T09:35:00.003-04:00

So it's pretty hot these days. So hot that just going outside makes me feel like I'm done working out for the day. A face full of sweat and shiny shins stay with you as loong as the sun's out. Thus, gardening is something I don't dare try until the sun is way down, and in the summer that's 9 o'clock.

Although it gets harder to see every little detail and you don't have the benifit of taking as long as you'd like, late night gardening is splendid. The bats and swallows swoop about the air, a breeze weaves through the rows, and the crickets chirp their nightly songs. Working at dusk in the garden can be nothing but peaceful, cool, refreshing. Its fleeting nature only heightens the experience.

Yesterday, however, I braved the heat for a basil harvest which I needed for a recipe. I also gleaned the first "real" tomato of the season and of course, tomatillos, cherry and yellow pear tomatoes. Mmm...mmm.

The recipe was for a Caprese Pasta Salad and it was delicious, especially because I used so many garden goodies! As usual, I made my own recipe from bits and pieces I had found elsewhere. Here's the deal:

-Cook about 1 lb. of pasta (I used penne) until just done- al dente is way better in pasta salad
-Let pasta cool at room temp (mix a bit of olive oil in to prevent stickiness)
-Dice about 3-4 tomatoes and a package of fresh mozzarella... set aside
-In small bowl, wisk together 1 tsp. mayo, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil as well as crushed sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
-Chop a handful of fresh basil leaves into 1/4 inch strips or pieces

-Mix tom/cheese into cooled pasta and add half of the dressing, stir gently with a spatula
-Add in basil
-Let sit covered for hour or more at room temp.
-Come back and taste- add more dressing, salt, and pepper if needed
-Makes a great summer side dish!

Going on a Treasure Hunt

2010-07-10T15:07:00.007-04:00

Now that I've returned to town for good, I can finally concentrate on the garden. I surveyed the damage and it isn't all that bad... Of course there are the weeds. Dried up cripsy leaves? you ask. Well, yes. Plants that probably hate me, yes. Peppers that could care less about growing, yes. Tyrannical flea beatles attacking my eggplant, definitely. But, like I said it's not all that bad. Completely salvageable.

Thus, I decided that first on the the to-do list would be a treasure hunt...a delicious potato treasure hunt. Start with locating the 'X'. Well, not exactly an 'X' but rather a dead potato plant marks the spot.

Next, slip pitchfork (really should use a potato fork with blunt edges so as to prevent dissecting one's precious potatoes) into soil at a 45 degree angle about a foot away from the base of the plant. Apply pressure downward and pry up the soil containing the potato plant.

After a little digging and sifting with your hands, you should behold your treasure!

Keep digging until you achieve basket o' taters!
Those are Red Gold and Austrian Crescent (fingerling) varieties by the way.

After playing pirate I harvested tomatillos, a few yellow pear tomatoes and green onions. I also tied up tomatoes, weeded as much as possible, dead headed marigolds and snipped me some zinnias for a small bouquet.

On watch: green beans with a possible case of rust, stupid peppers that wilt for no reason, and the eggplants with leaves of lace..thanks to those pesky flea beatles. No worries though.

See, I'm still happy.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T01:01:00.003-04:00

Not in the garden for a couple weeks....received update that things are wet, that the melons are still small and the peppers are still sad looking. Wishing there was better news to share.

In Virginia for the 4th. Hope you all enjoy the holiday weekend!

Summer Has Arrived!

2010-06-28T12:17:00.029-04:00

A windowsill full of yum

Birdhouse Gourds trellising themselves

Black Hungarian Pepper!

Tomatillo

What's wrong with my peppers?? Anyone?

Don't you just love Zinnias?

Dwarf Sunflowers in front of a big one

When the tomatoes start falling off the vine into your hands....you know summer has arrived. Along with some cherry tomatoes, I harvested my first peppers (one bell and one Black Hungarian) this morning and three tomatillos. I also grabbed some carrots and a few beets. The beets are currently boiling and the carrots were just added to some fresh cabbage picked up at the Madiera Farmers' Market. The scarlet skin of the red dragon carrots add something special to my typical coleslaw.

Last night, the power went out, my boots got soaked on the porch, and three and a half inches of rain fell. I wore my galoshes to the plot this morning, scattered blood meal about the tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos, grabbed whatever I saw and got out of there before the next thunderstorm rumbled through.

Too Hot for Broccoli

2010-06-23T16:21:00.002-04:00

So, as you have noticed, I've been absent. Chris and I were out of town for marathon wedding attending...Sandusky, St. Louis, then Colorado and back to Cincinnati. So much fun, but we sure did miss a lot on the plot.

We were elated when we arrived there for a few hours of work yesterday; I felt so at home taking care of our veggies. However, not everything in the garden was something to smile about. The radishes had all bolted (went to seed), the peppers are all limp, the eggplant are yellow, only two of the Amish melons germinated, and the broccoli died. It was too hot for most things in the cole family...cabbage, broccoli, radish. They prefer 60 to 70 degrees and it's certainly been hotter than that. The leaf lettuce is done for. The little that I harvested tasted quite bitter but the romaine is still pretty delicious so I'm leaving that in the ground for a bit longer. Along with the lettuce and some basil, I harvested 4 cherry tomatoes and 1 yellow pear tomato, as well as 4 red beets and 3 red dragon carrots; I had a terrifc salad for dinner.

Thankfully, my mother was willing and able to hoe and harvest while we were away. She reported a lot of rain which explains the yellow eggplant and plenty of heat which explains everything else. Also, the aphids which I forgot to mention are gone after spraying the tomatoes with a solution of 5 parts water, 1 part soap, and 1 part olive oil. Things are back on track even if it's too hot for broccoli.

Fruits of Our Labor

2010-06-09T07:55:00.006-04:00

LABOR

FRUIT

YUM

My Garden....where the grass is greener

2010-05-31T21:33:00.006-04:00

No Time for Tomatillos

2010-05-25T12:43:00.008-04:00

I won't complain about getting rain, but I will say that it is really hard to get a garden going with such soggy soil. Along with the rain delays, I am preparing to be out of town for 28 of the next 36 days and I'm feeling a little time crunched...there's just no time for the tomatillos! The poor tomatillos have been waiting patiently for weeks...they are almost a foot tall! I would love nothing more than to tuck them into their new home, but it's just too wet. One thing to be happy about is that the weed cover worked. We took it up yesterday to help the soil dry out faster and when we pulled it back, there was nothing there, only hundreds of wiggling worms! It was great to know no weeding would be necessary for this soil prep. However, I didn't feel like prepping mud so I put off transplanting for another day. I will also have to find room for all of the eggplants as the prolific tomatillos will be taking up the space I had allotted for both species.

Hopefully, before driving 6 hours tomorrow, I will get a chance to pop in as many plants as possible. Another hope is that I will be able to get a few things done in the garden on those 8 full days scattered throughout June when I return home.

I'm including photos of the growth so far...it is starting to look more like a garden each day!

These are those poor tomatillos I was talking about.

The first (and probably only) strawberry of the season.

Cilantro!

Mud that was under the weed cover

Leaf Lettuce

Soggy Peppers

2010-05-19T09:24:00.000-04:00

It's been four days since I've worked on any gardening...
The last thing that was planted were the peppers, and I probably shouldn't have even been in there for that. The weather was perfect for transplanting, but the ground was still rather soggy. I planted eight pepper plants in all. I have three green sweet bell plants, three red sweet bells, one black Hungarian, and one Corno di Toro, a sweet Italian pepper. I am anticipating plenty of salsa, stuffed peppers, and stir fry!

So beside the soggy pepper planting, I continue to weed and thin. I'm sure it will be quite the mini-jungle by the time I can get back out there. But, honestly, weedng is rather enjoyable. Maybe it's feeling like I'm helping to protect and nourish another living thing that I like. Or maybe it's because the repetitive movements and fresh air put your mind into a trance-like state. Either way, I've determined that rather than dread the inevitable work of weeding that comes when trying to be "all natural", I can look forward to the many days I will spend hunched over with my hands in the dirt.

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard

2010-05-13T15:43:00.001-04:00

Oh the lovely tomato!
What a happy Monday I had transplanting my precious tomato plants in the breezy 67 degree partly sunny weather! What a beautiful day for transplanting! The tomatoes still look happy and so do I!

I planted 12 tomatoes and 6 marigolds in all. We have 3 Sweet 100, 3 Better Boy, 3 Cherokee Purple, 1 Green Zebra, and 2 Yellow Pear! Their semi-fresh, semi-earthy frangrance covered my hands until I finally gave in to washing. It's hard to explain how delighted I am to have the tomatoes in the ground. Nothing compares to that homegrown taste.

Here are a few pics of the day!

The prepared bed.

When planting tomatoes, you can cover up all of the bottom leaves...this will help the transplant establish itself faster and be healthier.

Nothing else is really worth mentioning, but I'll share some more non-tomato snapshots anyway.

Barn swallow buddies

A baby sunflower!

The beginning of a strawberry I hope to savor some warm June day.

Weekly update

2010-05-08T09:49:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was my first real day of work at the plot this week. With all the rain of last weekend, I had to wait for the ground to dry up to get out there. Take a look at that sodden soil...there was no way I was going in there!

By Friday, the heavy winds and 80 degree days had done the trick, and I was able to plant corn and some flowers like cosmos and cornflowers. Along with thinning carrots, beets, and lettuce, I also weeded the big hulk weeds that have sprung back in preparation for more planting and transplanting.

Although all of that took some time, the biggest task yesterday was hilling the potatoes. Apparently, I should be doing this potato covering until the plants blossom. I estimate we are a few weeks away from that...I am certain to run out of soil and mulch by then. The hills or mounds are nearly two feet off the ground! I'm just hopeful that my efforts yield lots of yummy taters!

Another Rainy Weekend

2010-05-02T10:33:00.006-04:00

Another rainy weekend means time to delve into other endeavors like cleaning and cleaning....and cooking!

So, last night we had some Aloo Gobi ( an Indian Cauliflower and Potato Curry Dish- I add spinach and onions to mine), homemade naan, and mango lassis (a refreshing yogurt drink)! Unfortunately, none of my ingredients came from the garden, but they soon will!

Speaking of the garden, I had some time to do various calculations and determine the overall cost and specific breakdown of my farming expenses thus far. I figured I could share them with you to give you an idea of all aspects of this project.

SEEDS/PLANTS                                               SUPPLIES/RENTAL
51.00 - Seed Savers Exchange (SSE)                 52.00 - Home Depot
33.75 - SSE- potato seed                                 12.03 - Lowe's
12.97 - Lowe's                                                15.92 - Marvin's
31.45 - Burpee                                                34.00 - Tiller Rental
25.00 - Findlay Market - transplants

SUB TOTAL: 154.17                                         SUB TOTAL: 114.35

                     GRAND TOTAL: $268.52

The Week in Retrospect

2010-04-30T09:31:00.001-04:00

Well, we got our rain. I'd even consider it a good dousing; there was so much that we had puddles in the garden 2 days after the rain and haven't had to water since last week. However, conditions weren't exactly ideal for doing much work in the garden, not even walking. So, we had to leave it be for a few days.

But, yesterday we were back in action. The 2nd succession of spinach, beets, and carrots were planted. In this way, we'll make sure to harvest those veggies for a longer period instead of being inundated with one crop at a time. If Bubba wanted to be a farmer instead of a shrimp boat captain, his line might have read something like this: "Dey's uh.... raw carrots, cooked carrots, carrot cake, carrot muffins, carrots in salads, carrots in soup, boiled carrots, baked carrots..."

There is nothing like a fresh carrot from your garden, but I think our skin would have turned orange from all the carotene. Thus, plant in successions! I left 10 days between the spinach plantings, nearly 2 weeks between beet sowings, and almost 3 weeks for the carrots. I'm hoping to fit even more carrots under some tomato plants further along in the season. The shade of the tomatoes will keep it nice and cool for those carrots to live long and prosper.

Off to the plot for turnip and parsnip planting!

Rain, rain, come our way!

2010-04-23T20:15:00.001-04:00

So, we're nearing the end of April and we're missing 3 inches in rainfall! What's a farmer to do? Well, to be honest, we haven't done much. So far, watering at night or early in the morning has been just fine... at least in the sense that there are still signs of life. Other than keeping things moist with our tiny watering can, we wait patiently for the real thing. This weekend, we are supposed to get at least an inch of rain. That would be terrific and would also give our weary bodies a little rest. Hopefully, you get a nice little rest this weekend, too.

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.

Row of potato hills.

Zoomed in

Mini greenhouses made from halved plastic bottles...these are working like a charm on my broccoli transplants!

Baby lettuce that I had a kick hand weeding...no joke.

Our picturesque view from the plot.

A bunny buddy.

Proud

Photos for you to enjoy

2010-04-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

Here is the layout that I've been keeping from you.

Broccoli transplant

My hill for the birdhouse gourds...one of the plants I am most excited about! Don't worry, I've been taking my seeds out of the packets.

Oh, just watering.

And here we are.

Transplant Time!

2010-04-19T14:47:00.000-04:00

Woke up early to get to the plot before it got too warm and sunny to transplant. However, I spent two hours preparing and marking out the beds before I could even start on transplants. Nevertheless, the collards and broccoli are transplanted, and the spinach, baby choi, and green onions are all seeded. Just under half of the plants are in, and it's not even May. Hooray for early veggies!

I used some of this fish emulsion fertilizer mixed with water to assist my tiny transplants in surviving the shock of their new situation. I also made sure to water my plants while in the middle of covering them with soil. In this way, less H2O is lost to evaporation and more is left to take care of the plants.

Will update more with pics soon!

This past week in the garden!

2010-04-16T13:45:00.005-04:00

Our weather here in Cincy has been outrageous....it reached 84 degrees yesterday! We've been enjoying it every way possible, biking, reading on the porch, dog-walking, bonfires, eating every meal outdoors, and of course, gardening!

I've been over to the plot every day this week. Waiting, and hoping, and wishing, and praying that something...just one little something would sprout. And guess what?!? Today, I was blessed with that something. Actually 13 somethings! I counted 11 new sugar snap pea babies, 1 potato bud poking through, and 1 carrot sprouting forth. It made my day. Here are pics of the sugar snap peas:

Here is the potato!

Other than watching the garden in it's first stages of growth, we have been busy tending to the weeds, marking out new beds, adding compost, keeping things moist, and most importantly in April, planting. Chris and I managed to beat the rain and get in the beet seeds and my pathetic looking onion transplants today. You see, in my efforts to harden off the onions, I managed to kill about half of them. Thus, only 6 little onions were tucked in to the soil. However, I have quite a few (about 40) growing on the side of the house. I had planted those in the fall in a cold frame and there they grew (slowly) all winter long. I think we're set with onions no matter what happens with the 6 in the plot.

Next to the onions, I direct seeded some Tall Top Early Wonder Beets. Chris says the seeds look like chocolate clusters dipped in carmel...which beets don't taste anything like, but to me, are just as delicious! Beets and onions are good companion plants so I'm hoping the beets can help the onions along.

By next week, we hope to have all of the giant monster weeds out of the garden and get the brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, califlowers, turnips, radishes, etc.) planted. Although I'm dissappointed with my onions, and it might help the potatoes if we had some cooler and wetter weather...we are right where we need to be!

Tilling and Planting Potatoes

2010-04-08T10:42:00.008-04:00

So I've been busy.... the plot is tilled and the potatoes are in the ground along with the sugar snap peas!

Right before Easter weekend, we were blessed to receive free rental of a rottotiller by the land owner (which, for you curious folk, would be $34 for a couple hours). We made do with the semi-moist soil and quickly went over the plot twice. There were some corners we had to skip over due to them being a bit too sticky and my concern for damaging the soil.  It is especially important when working with clay soil to be careful not to work with it when it's too wet. Hopefully, we made the right decision ....I don't know when it would have been drier. Here are some photos of our first rottotiller extravaganza:

                       The plot, pre-tilled

                                               .

    The tiller and one of our mascots

All done! For now.

After enjoying the holiday weekend, we got back to work to plant the nicely sprouted potatoes. Chris measured out the bed, and using electrical fence flags to mark out the shape, we got to breaking up and readying the soil for planting. This included digging a 6-8" trench down the middle of a 30" bed. I have my beds spaced a bit closer than what is normal but not detrimentally close. We stuck in the taters sprout-side up and covered them with about 4 inches of soil, firming it lightly. We'll keep an eye (haha) on the potatoes as they grow, making sure to add more and more layers until a small hill is formed. This technique will prevent the tops of the new taters from turning green from the sun. Safety tip: If you end up with green potatoes, those parts should be cut off. That is because a harmful toxin, solanine, is present there and can only only be 'cooked away' through some methods and not others. Thus, to be safe, chop off the green and enjoy your potatoes in peace.

Here is a photo of the 'E' shaped bed we created. It is about 10' x 12', doesn't look like much but holds 42 seed potatoes spaced about a foot apart:

Here I am shaping the trench

Now the potatoes are tucked away.

Next...more weeding then onion, beet, lettuce, and spinach planting.
Frost-free date coming soon: April 15th!

Progress

2010-03-31T13:55:00.001-04:00

Here are the promised photos of seedling progress:

My setup in the dinning room. It works.

Baby Eggplant

The potatoes are sprouting nicely. These are the Austrian Crescent.

I should be tilling by the end of this week. It's supposed to stay warm, dry, and beautiful for the next few days. Check back soon for more!

Floating Row Cover Is My Friend!

2010-03-25T23:16:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Chris and I ventured out to a garden center I have known of for awhile but never had a reason to drive out and visit, until now! After numerous phone calls to local plant nurseries, garden, home and landscaping stores, and even a Tractor Supply Co., I succummed to the realization that no store carried floating row cover-an item of utmost importance to my farming project. However, after one last go at scouring the net, I came across Marvin's Organic Gardens in Lebanon, Ohio. I determined (after a month's worth of weekly phone calls to check the shipping progress of this most-coveted item) that they did indeed sell row cover or frost cloth. I'm not sure why Cincinnati garden centers don't carry this item and very surprised that big box stores don't bother with it either. In my thinking, this prime gardening product would be everywhere, but most places I contacted didn't even know to what I was referring. So, I figured I could at least fill you in!

This product is something I did without for my first gardening venture last year in MO, but have every intention of utilizing this time around. Floating row cover is a great aid for the organic gardener. Since I didn't personally take advantage of this plant protection but watched as my fellow apprentice farming friends did and subsequently harvested delicious produce, I can easily attest to the postive outcome of its use and the negative results I experienced. This 'garden blanket' of sorts looks almost like a giant dryer sheet (sans fresh scent), can let light, air, and water in but prevents pests, extreme heat, and frost from bothering your veggies! It is laid atop the plants and needs no support from below but should be weighed down on the edges. It can be used over and over again if treated properly and allows gardeners to create a mini greenhouse effect for young plants or seedlings transplanted outdoors earlier than usual. One word of advice....remember to take off the cover once your plants flower so they can be pollinated! By then, they should be hardy enough to withstand most pest attacks.

I plan on using my row cover to protect my young eggplants from pests. I gleaned ZERO eggplant during last season; flea beetles made lace work of the eggplants' leaves and thus, made it nearly impossible for the poor things to bear fruit. This year will be different, and I'm already daydreaming of making my favorite eggplant parmesean dish or my potato and eggplant curry !

So, if you're planning on setting out some fragile transplants or want to start your veggies earlier or protect them from the heat in the middle of summer, I highly recommend buying yourself a resuable sheet of row cover. Try your local nurseries (hopefully, your luckier than me) or resort to paying for S&H and buy yours online. I bought the exact product that I've linked below. I spent $15.00 and did have to drive a bit farther than I would like, but I got to support a local, family business and enjoy a drive out to some true farm country!

Eggplants, Tomatillos, and Broccoli....Oh, My!

2010-03-24T10:12:00.002-04:00

So I am moving on to starting my second round of seedlings...the eggplants and tomatillos. When I mention broccoli I'm referring to my ongoing attempt to salvage what few seeds and sprouts I started after the first broccoli failure. I think I may have solved my problem seeing that I now have a 2 inch broccoli sprouts reaching high into the sky! Those were the ones that I had seeded directly into the pots while the ones I let germinate in moist paper towels and plastic bags were planted today. What I decided to do this time around was add a bit of potting soil with my seed starting mix (about half and half) and also more vigorously tamper down the soil after planting. So far, things are looking good. I am hopeful that the little tweaks I made will prevent air from drying out my babies as they seemed to do to the last broccoli I had started.

Here are some photos of the process:

Those are my homemade newspaper pots and the new starting mix I made. I followed a video on E-How to make my pots; they are very simple and there is a lot of other information and how-to's online.

This is the paper towel/plastic bag germination method.

Here are the tomatillo sprouts!

Using my marker as a hole puncher (soil tends to stick to my finger tend more than the slippery butt end of the marker). Give it a try!

Ready for the seedlings!

Tampering down the soil and hopefully, eliminating any trapped air pockets.

There you have it! I will take pics of all my seedlings soon!
Off to the garden center for goodies!

Getting to the bottom of this...

2010-03-19T13:59:00.007-04:00

Today is beautifiul here in Cincinnati! Despite my horrible allergy congestion and a hazy mind, Chris and I set out to the plot with rakes, wheelbarrel, and my new stirrup hoe for our first on site preparation! Our goal: clear out the masses of straw and garden waste that had accumlated and place them....somewhere. I'll tell you what we came up for a solution after a few images so you can better understand the land we are working. Here are the 'before' photos:

The plot: 30' x 50'

STRAW MANIA!!!

Since this plot is not located on land that I own, I don't exactly have an area to place my excess straw outside of the garden. Thus, I made a quick decision that should solve several issues that I was going to have to deal with at some point during the growing season. We started a compost pile!

Ok, so right now it's more of a waste straw pile and doesn't contain the proper ratio of carbon to nitrogen or anything to help it actually morph into beautiful, rich compost, but it will; just wait and see! So, I solved the immediate issue of what to do with 5 wheelbarrows full of straw mush and the other dilemma of having a poorly drained corner in the garden. Instead of trying to grow food in that utra mushing section or just letting it sit fallow, I will utilize it as my compost heap and thus, maximaze all of the space I have. The final positive outcome of this decision is that I now have a moist and fertile space that will be the perfect home to grow my squash (Buttercup, Yellow, and Zuchinni). Even though this wasn't my original plan, I find it comforting and also exciting to get a chance to see how this old-fashioned method can work to keep my squash watered and supplied in nutrients!

Here is an 'after' photo:

The taters have arrived!

2010-03-18T21:24:00.008-04:00

Well, the potatoes are here and I am ecstatic! Those were the last of the seeds to arrive. I purchased the majority of my seeds from Seed Savers Exchange...at least the important ones that I knew of which I would want the special heirloom varieties. I got a total of 5 lbs. of seed potatoes, half Austrian Crescent (a variety of fingerling I grew and ate while working on the farm in Missouri) and the other portion Red Gold. They are beautiful all perked upright in my homemade chitting (a new word I learned for 'sprouting') crates. Take a look for yourself!

I wanted to use egg cartons, but alas, today the recycling got picked up. So, I found some boxes Chris had been hoarding and proceeded to cut small holes with a utility knife and stick the 'rose end' or 'seed end' up. In case you're new to this like me, the 'seed end' has all of the eyes or little dents, and that's where you are trying to encourage the sprouting. I will place these boxes of spuds in a room with adequate natural light and wait until the sprouts get over 1/2 inch before taking them out to plant. I may be a bit behind but no worries...it's not like I have the plot tilled, yet!

Now, I just have to get that land worked. I'm currently waiting on consecutive warm and dry days to warm up and drain the land. The area I will be working in (it has farmed before and comes complete with a very tall fence and water on site-so I shouldn't complain) is on a slight slope and also seems to be in a soggier area of the land. I am also still determining my layout but hope to have that finished very soon.

Until then, I will be enjoying the sunshine, and I think, tomorrow I will take a trip to the plot to study the weeds and contemplate a course of action.

Photos for you!

2010-03-17T20:30:00.010-04:00

It's a quaint scene...but this is the beginning of the failed broccoli.

Here is a close up of the germinated broccoli...

this is its most glorious moment.

Broccoli Failure

2010-03-11T23:51:00.012-05:00

Each day, when I decide to sit down to complete my official garden plot layout (scaled on graph paper and everything!) I find myself feeling inept or maybe it's lethargy that I feel. Either way, I feel somewhat stuck or hesitant. I have drawn up a few sketches and I have a list of the plants I'm growing, but I'm not completely sure of how I want to approach this project. I know I will be doing several succession plantings (is that redundant?), and I will be trying my hand at some companion planting (ya know, marigolds with tomatoes...) but I'm still not set on my layout. Any suggestions?

But, what I can expand on (to an inappropriate extent) are my broccoli seedlings and the broccoli tragedy I've experienced as of late. You see, my seed germination had been going rather well and honestly, now that I'm writing this down, I can see how this could seem rather trivial, even silly. But, even in just a few weeks of buying, germinating, and starting seeds the seedlings have become family; they are my babies. Why else do you think they call it a nursery? I feel like a mother and feel that it's my duty to see my progeny succeed...or at least live!

The collards, marigolds, onions, and dianthus are all looking fresh, green, and perky. My broccoli, the same, until a week ago. It started with the poor little 1 inch green seedlings just looking a bit droopy, like a bed of sad puppies. I watered them a little extra and moved the flat away from such harsh sun. Then, they were wilty like old lettuce, so I just watched and waited. And finally(I guess I waited too long), they were all black and crunchy like raisinsfound under a car seat. I tried to salvage the little buddies for another week but to no avail. They are gone for good, and it's a true broccoli failure.

So, today I planted some more....and life goes on! I'm doing a bit of a mini-experiment; I planted half of the remaining broccoli seeds strait into the starting mix in little pods while the rest went into a moist "envelop" made of paper towels resting in a shallow dish and slid into a plastic baggie. I am curious to see which will grow faster or which will last longer than two days(which is the current record for broccoli in my makeshift plant nursery).

So as not to get too down about the broccoli and to remind myself that it's not too late, I've been concentrating on all of the other plants I'll be getting to grow this year. I thought I would share them with you. Hope you enjoy this list as much as me!

Since I am using this blog as my gardening journal there will also be information that may seem superfluous to some of you but vital to me. Next to some of the plants you will notice the date I started germination or planted the seedling indoors...it seems I am running a little behind but better late than never!

Listada de Gandia Eggplant (March 12th germination)

Peppers (purchasing transplants)

Tomatoes (purchasing transplants)

Tomatillos (March 12th germination)

Early Fortune Cucumbers

True Lemon Cucumbers

Black Beauty Zuchinni Squash

Golden Zuchinni Squash

Icicle Short Top Radishes

Dragon Carrots (Sown in cold frame 3/6)

Spinach-Double Choice Hybrid (Sown in cold frame 3/6)

Romaine Lettuce-Parris Island Cos

Grand Rapids Loose Leaf Lettuce

Georgia Southern Collards (March 1st germination)

Baby Choi Cabbage

Genovese Basil

Cilantro

Rosemary

Sage

Harris Model Parsnips

Purple Top White Globe Turnips

Burpee's Golden Beets

Early Wonder Beet

Austrian Crescent and Red Potatoes

Yellow of Parma Onions (Feb. 25th germination and sown in cold frame)

Evergreen Long White Bunching Onions

Sugar Bon Snap Peas

Provider Green Beans

Fiskeby Soy Beans

Buttercup (Burgess Strain) Squash

Butternut Squash

Amish Melon

Moon and Stars Watermelon

Birdhouse Gourds

Sweet Corn-Perfect Picnic Hybrid

Marigold (March 1st germination)

Dianthus (March 1st germination)

Scabiosa

Sunflowers

Butterfly Flower

Babys Breath-Covent Garden White

Cosmos

Aster

Zinnia

Cornflower

Petunia

Larkspur

Calabrese Broccoli (Feb. 25th(failed) and March 11th germination)

Something to chew on...

2010-03-06T21:16:00.014-05:00

Today, I learned that out of the funds my parents have spent on 20 years worth of home upkeep and remodeling, a tenth of those monies have been used toward landscaping and maintaining the yard. This amount includes but is not limited to all mulch, fertilizer, plants, pots, soil, seed, and decorative components used in the yard. It does NOT include any garden-specific tools, machinery, or the watering of said landscaping. While it could get much more extravagant than this percentage, it is still a decent amount of money and shouldn't every homeowner examine his or her spending?

My point in bringing up my parents' personal finances? Well, it's all relevant....they're using money, time, and space to create a beautiful and, I'll agree enjoyable facade. It's even something I know they enjoy spending money and time doing, but, nevertheless, it is still a facade. OK, maybe they plant some herbs or even a tomato plant for the fun of it, but they don't concentrate on farming for food or what I would call 'landscaping for life'. They get their food from the grocery and haven't, until recently, thought much beyond what day of the week they'll get to the store. They are ornamental horticulturalists by education and thus, concentrate on making their lawn and landscaping look beautiful for themselves, for their property value, for guests, for the neighbors...for the sake of social norms. Those may all be valid, lovely reasons, and I can personally say that I understand each one. However, I can't completely rectify spending so much of everything with not much to show for it besides 20 years of having a nice yard and having the approval of neighbors. If you take a moment to meditate on 20 years worth of watering, fertilizing, purchasing, decision making, and maintaining a facade of responsibility, organization, and beauty....it's quite disgusting. Besides, if one is trying to make one's property appear pure, beautiful, and I'll assume, natural, (since we are dealing with items found in nature) it is pretty ironic, disappointing, and pitifully disrespectful to consider how truly forced, phony, and disruptive landscaping for looks truly is. I suppose if there were no other way to develop one's lawn then I wouldn't have a problem with ornamental landscaping. In fact, I would see it as a respectful nod of recognition and admiration to the natural beauty of plants and earth. But, the problem is, there is something else that can be done to our lawns that is less boring, less intrusive, and less wasteful. Why plant lawns when we can plant food?

Maybe you think I'm being too harsh, especially since I used my own parents as a springboard for this tirade. And I understand... I've thoroughly enjoyed running around on our plush lawn, helping my mom plant spring flowers, or trimming hedges with my dad. I even think these experiences shaped who I am and specifically shaped me into someone who loves the outdoors and working in the dirt to produce beautiful things. The difference is what we're producing....just something to chew on.

The Adventure Begins...

2010-03-05T22:08:00.009-05:00

An opportunity has presented itself. For this growing season, I will be taking on a new gardening project. Although I won't be working at markets or attending weekly enrichment sessions like my last organic garden undertaking with EarthdanceFarms, this time is going to be just as challenging and just as enriching. This time, I will be in charge of EVERYTHING.

Through the generosity of a neighbor and my determination to be my own boss, I have taken responsibility for 1500 square feet (30x50) of prime farm land. I will be embarking on a personal journey filled with a lot of hard work, numerous trials and probably even more errors and hopefully, a lot of growth by both vegetable and human.

So, although I have a decent understanding of how to grow things and enough confidence to risk my time and money on my own plot, I only know a fraction of what I could about gardening. I'm a pretty normal gal that has gotten herself into something she knows she wants but will take some time to figure out. For example, I don't really understand the ends and outs of "amending the soil" or know when I should start my seeds without having to refer to the packets in which they came. I certainly don't have all the right tools, and I already know I bought way too many seeds, but that's part of the fun of it all. I'm giving myself permission to get caught up in the giddiness of making plans and the excitement of anticipating all the delicious treats to come(God willing). Knowing all the potential knowledge to be acquired makes me all warm and fuzzy which leaves no room for hesitancy or fear. Things are certain to happen that won't be ideal, but the hypothetical issues I foresee will, in themselves, be a blessing and next year, I'll try to prevent or fix those issues. If I succeed, I succeed. If I fail, I succeed...eventually.

However, I do take comfort in knowing that every gardener, no matter age, background, or experience has difficulties or issues that arise each year that have nothing to do with personal ability or personal effort. Weather, seed failure, poor soil quality(OK so, I suppose these can be controlled or corrected to some extent...but you get my point) all affect the success of a garden and the morale of the gardener and are things that can't be completely determined or righted with human efforts. I guess I like knowing that it's not ALWAYS going to be my fault if something goes wrong.

Thus, my plans for the plot...

To be continued...

Coming Soon

2010-03-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

Coming soon will be a new category on our own adventure into sustainable farming.....

Countries Struggling

2010-02-20T15:54:00.001-05:00

Countries struggling with new ozone restrictions:

Bonner Cohen from the Heartland Institute

Honest IPCC Scientist Tackles Climategate

2010-02-20T15:47:00.003-05:00

Andrew Breitbart Blasts Rachel Maddow

2010-02-20T15:43:00.004-05:00

Website

2010-02-04T16:36:00.000-05:00

Revamping the Website. Daily updates should continue.

Bernanke Must Go

2010-01-25T16:53:00.003-05:00

Currently, the Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, is campaigning for himself by calling Congressmen in hopes to sway people's minds so he can get confirmed for a second term. The Scent of Freedom says no!

Bernanke has done some good but the bad is overwhelming. Many commentators believe Bernanke should be reconfirmed because he saved the country. Bernanke, did save the day, but he also caused the need for someone to save the day. It's kind of like breaking a window and then fixing it. You get all the credit for fixing it but what about punishment for breaking it? Bernanke with his loose money policy is destroying the dollar and needs to get the heave-ho!

God Bless America

2010-01-20T19:16:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Scott Brown for his election in the Senate race in Massachusettes. It is quite unbelievable that a conservative, albeit, a pro-choice conservative would even be competitive in one of the most liberal states in the Union.

2012 Candidates

2009-12-08T13:09:00.004-05:00

Three guys come to mind...

Sen. Thune (SD), Gov. Daniels (IN), Gov. Perry (TX)

Just throwing it out there.

CO2's

2009-12-08T13:03:00.004-05:00

I think we should pump more and more CO2 in the air. The more CO2 in the air, the better plants and trees grow. The better they grow, the more food there is. The more food there is, the less starvation occurring. Sounds like an idea. There is no evidence to prove that a rise in CO2 causes more ice melt. Even if it did, maybe beaches on Greenland wouldn't be so bad afterall. Some polar bears might die but more tropical fish would thrive. Just some thoughts...

Global Warming?

2009-12-08T13:00:00.003-05:00

When the globe stopped warming recently, liberals stopped using the term "Global Warming." They changed the term to "Climate Change." They espouse ideas to stop "Climate Change." That's funny, I never knew the climate was supposed to be static. Who would have thunk it?

Another thing...How in the world did the Ice Age come to an end without humans polluting the environment to cause "global warming?" Could it be that the earth heated up with help from the Sun? Hrmm.....

Sustainable Government

2009-12-08T12:49:00.003-05:00

One must be a conservative to believe in sustainable living. Think about it...First why does conservative and conservation share the same base word, conserve? Conservatives believe in conserving life...all aspects of life.

A conservative government is a sustainable government. A conservative government will not spend money the country doesn't have. Yes, some republican presidents have done that. Just because some one is a republican, it doesn't mean they are conservative. I say that but you must realize some presidents need to spend more money when wars are occurring (i.e. Reagan - Cold War, Bush I - Gulf War, Bush II- Iraq, Afghanistan). In order to win a war, you must provide the troops everything they need to be victorious. That means spending money.

A liberal government who doesn't care about spending money is not sustainable. They spend money they don't have. Our country and government is going bankrupt. To be sustainable, it is essential to be conservative...economically and environmentally

Definitions

2009-12-08T12:48:00.001-05:00

Why is a liberal called a liberal and why is a conservative called a conservative?

Answer:

Liberals want a "liberal" amount of government in their lives.
Conservatives want a "conservative" amount of government in their lives.

The more government in people's lives = less freedom individuals have.

Past Month

2009-12-08T12:40:00.002-05:00

Afghanistan - I support the President and his plan. Give the generals what they want and need so we can be victorious. We're not their to build up Afghanistan. We're there to fight for our national security.

Jobs - Job summit = joke! President Obama is just acting like he cares about jobs.

Health Care - House passed their bill late on a Saturday night. The Senate is working through amendments as I type. They are currently debating the abortion language in the bill. This bill is a job killer not to mention a disaster for American health care.

Climate Change - Most countries are convening in Copenhagen for the summit. It's a giant sham. The leaked e-mails just proves that the "deniers" are right. Liberals are using the environment to push their agenda. If they really cared about the environment, they wouldn't have a giant convention that will put more CO2 in the air than the whole country of Morocco in one year.

WHAT??

2009-11-07T23:58:00.003-05:00

When was it the business of the United States Congress to do business at 2100 hrs on a Saturday night? This is ridiculous!!!

Thank God we live in a great country and have checks and balances. Hopefully the senate will have more sense and reject this monstrosity.

Election Results

2009-11-04T10:41:00.002-05:00

Va Governor:
Bob McDonnell is victorious. Great to see. Creigh Deeds is a good guy but just overmatched in this election. Four years ago, Deeds and McDonnell squared off in the Attorney General election and McDonnell won but a mere 650 votes or so. This time, McDonnell won by 17%. Is that a referendum on President Obama? Is it that Creigh Deeds was not eloquent in his points? Is it that McDonnell was a better candidate? I believe it was a combination of all three. McDonnell is one heck of a candidate and he can be penciled in as a potential presidential nomiee in the next few Presidentail elections.

NJ Governor:
Chris Christie is victorious. Great to see. Christie used his weight to squash Corzine. Corzine raised too many taxes in and the people had enough. I believe this was more about NJ than national politics. President Obama made several trips to NJ to campaign and Corzine embraced him but I still believe this was NJ saying no to Corzine. Looks like Dagget supporters wised up and voted for Christie.

NY district 23:
Disappointed in the results. I believes Dede Scoffaracvae took votes away from Hoffman. The republican candidate, Scozzafava, drops out right before the election and endorses the democrat? Come on, seriously? Hoffman should have won. If the district would have had a primary, Hoffman would have faced Scozzafava and the issue would have been settled between the two of them. Since there wasn't, Scozzafava took votes away from Hoffman. Oh well, there's always next year.

Endorsements

2009-11-03T12:09:00.006-05:00

The Scent of Freedom has the following endorsements for today's election:

VA Gov: Bob McDonnell - Has the better plan - Jobs, transportation, education
NJ Gov: Chris Christie - Won't raise property taxes amongst other things.
NY District 23: Doug Hoffman - Fiscally conservative - Won't attempt to spend taxpayers dollars for nonsense

Potato Eggplant Curry

2009-10-11T13:39:00.002-04:00

I recommend making this before fresh, local eggplant succumbs to the first frost in your area and potatoes are still readily available and delicious! I ate this savory dish with toasty sliced bread but think naan (Indian flat bread) would be more appropriate and better compliment the flavors. It would also taste good with rice if that's what you prefer.

-2-3 cups eggplant (chopped bite-size)
-2-3 cups potatoes (chopped bite-size)
-1 medium onion (diced)
-1-3 medium tomatoes diced (fresh or canned)
-3/4 cup green peas
-1/2 cup diced carrots
-any other veggies of choice
-2 TBSP olive oil

-2-3 tsp chili powder
-2 tsp turmeric
-1-2 TBSP curry powder
-handful of feenugreek leaves (fresh or dried)
-2 tsp ground mustard
-1 tsp dried cilantro
-1 tsp ginger
-1-2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp ground fennel seed
-salt and pepper to taste

1) heat oil in large pot- add in curry, mustard, and fennugreek
2) add onion & sautee until translucent
3) add potatoes-sautee 5 mins.
4) add eggplant and carrots-sautee 5 mins.
5) add tomatoes, peas, and remainder of spices
6) add oil or water as necessary to prevent burning
7) cover and let cook until veggies are done and mixture has thickened-checking and stirring often (less time for a crispier veggie)
8) add a little flour if needed to thicken
9) add salt and pepper to taste

Olympics part deux

2009-10-02T11:56:00.003-04:00

Chicago was the first out. Tokyo was second. That's great news!

I bet the IOC (International Olympic Committee) didn't appreciate the Obamas coming to save the day for Chicago. The Obamas thought if President Obama could speak to everything, then Chicago would get the Olympics in a heartbeat. To his astonishment, not everyone is wooed by his words. Good for the IOC. Good for Brazil.

Olympics

2009-10-01T18:54:00.003-04:00

Give them to Rio! They need to be in South America.

Japan recently had the winter olympics. Spain had the summer olympics in Barcelona not too long ago. The US also recently had the winter olympics in Salt Lake City not to mention Canada and this upcoming winter olympics. They need to be somewhere new.

Creamy Veggie Soup

2009-09-30T18:56:00.002-04:00

This soup is very forgiving....you can add everything mentioned or just a few things; either way, it will be delicious and satisfying! I recommend doing plenty of tasting while you cook to find the taste you love!

-3-5 cups worth of assorted chopped veggies of choice such as: onion, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, potatoes (microwave taters until mostly tender)
-1 TBSP butter or olive oil
-1 1/2 cup milk, cream, half n half or combo
-1 1/2 cup water or veggie or chicken broth...add more water if additional liquid is needed (a splash of white wine works well too!)
-pinches of each of the following if desired: sage, thyme, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, mustard, and oregano
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/4 cup flour(to thicken)
-1/2 or more shredded cheddar cheese, Parmesan, Swiss or combo of all

1) saute all veggies together in the butter or olive oil in large pot
2) add a little water or more oil if needed to prevent burning and cook until tender
3) add in 1 1/2 cup water or broth
4) slowly add in the milk, cream, or half n half and stir well
5) add more liquid if needed to cover veggies or if you like it more soupy
6) add in herbs and spices now
7) stir in flour over medium-low heat until thickened
8) add cheese and stir until thoroughly melted
9) heat through and until you're hungry!

Tastes great with a sprinkle of cheese and some crusty bread!
Also works well blended if you like a creamier soup!

Butternut Squash Soup

2009-09-29T13:10:00.004-04:00

I made this smooth 'n creamy, slightly spicy and very nutritious soup after picking up a beautiful squash from Findlay Market in downtown Cincinnati and fresh Fuji apples from an orchard stand in Laurelville, OH. This soup is perfect for those first nippy days of fall and for reheating on a frigid day in the dead of winter.

-2 TBSP butter or margarine
-1 small onion, chopped
-handful of chopped celery leaves or 1 stalk celery(finely chopped)
-1 medium carrot chopped or shredded
-1 or 2 medium potatoes, cubed (any type works)
-1 apple, peeled and cubed
-1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
-water, milk, chicken, vegetable stock or a combination (enough to cover veggies)
-1/4 cup sour cream
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. ginger
-1/2 tsp. nutmeg
-1/2 tsp. paprika
-1/4 tsp. garlic powder
-1/2-1 tsp. curry powder (optional, but recommended as it seems to accentuate the other flavors!)
-1/4 tsp. chili powder
-salt and black pepper to taste

1) Melt the butter in large pot
2) Cook onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, apples, and squash for about 10 minutes or until softened and slightly browned
3) Poor in enough liquid to cover veggies and bring to a boil
4) Reduce heat to low, stir in sour cream along with herbs and spices
5) Cover and simmer about 40 mins. stirring occasionally
6) Transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth- careful, it's hot!
7) Taste test and perfect to your liking

CNN and First Lady

2009-09-29T09:00:00.003-04:00

Lead story on cnn.com is "First Lady says 'gloves are off' in bid for Olympics." Here's the link: Obama on Olympics

""It's a battle -- we're going to win -- take no prisoners," the first lady said with a smile at a roundtable discussion with reporters in the White House State Dining Room...."And our view is, we're not taking a chance," she said. "We're just not going to assume that the bids -- that the decisions are made, and so that no matter what the outcome is, we'll feel as a country, as a team, that we've done everything that we can to bring it home.""

I read that and I thought it was great...they're committed to bringing our soldiers home from Afghanistan after victory.....but then I realized it was about bringing the olympics to Chicago. We have soldiers on the ground dying and Mrs. Obama is saying that the battle is on and that she'll take no prisoners. She should tell that to our soldiers fighting in rural Aghanistan. It's a shame.

Honduras Update

2009-09-29T08:49:00.004-04:00

Former President Zalaya is back in Honduras hiding in the Brazilian embassy. The current Honduran administration gave Brazil a deadline to turn over Zalaya but still refused. The deadline has past. What now? Here's an article to understand the mess by William Ratliff from Forbes.
Understanding the Mess in Honduras

Say No to Soda Tax

2009-09-28T09:14:00.003-04:00

A soda tax was recently passed in San Francisco as an attempt to promote healthy living. Although, it sounds good in theory, we are opposed to such an act for several reasons. First, it is a pilot program for liberals who want a national tax on soda and other sugary drinks. This is just the beginning of a long stream of similar taxation on various other aspects of our private life. The Federal Government should not have the power to dictate what we eat and drink. If it's going to be discussed then keep it as a state issue, please, right there in California.

Secondly, this tax is going to hurt poor people the most; what's new? Who drinks and eats the most unhealthy food and foodstuffs? The poor. Why is this? It is because of a lack of education, a lack of funds, and a lack of convenience and availability. How many Whole Foods set up stores in lower-income areas? It's tougher for most families who are looking for convenience and low prices to place value on buying organic, local, or more nutritional food items. Those items tend to cost more, are harder to find, and not everyone understands the disparity between real food and food products. When saving money and filling stomachs is the bottom line it's a lot easier to purchase that $0.99 two liter of coke over the $5 bottle of organic 100% fruit juice. Put a tax on that soda and the price will increase, but because it's still cheaper than some of the healthier beverage choices, the poor will continue to buy it but now at higher prices. It's very similar to the cigarette tax. Who smokes the most cigarettes? The poor. I thought the democratic party was for the "working and poor classes." If that were true don't you think they would make that $5 pack of cigarettes cheaper?

Back to the soda tax. The final and most important point is that once you start a precedent of taxing certain items in the name of health, you start a troubling trend. From there on, where does the government stop? Cup cakes? Ice cream? Donuts? Ice tea? If the government believes they can dictate what you can and cannot eat, then they gain more control over your life. It's seems quite reminiscent of the issues surrounding nationalized health care. In a nationalized health care system, the government can dictate what health care services can be provided. You smoke?.....no services for you. You don't work out?.....no services for you. You eat red meat?.....no services for you. A soda tax is just a starting point for most liberals who want more control over everybody else. They believe they can garner such control in the name of healthy eating.

I say it would be better if the San Francisco City school district taught about nutrition in health class at school. Served fresh, local produce, meat, and dairy to the children. Developed school gardens, eliminated all soda from vending machines. Showed them first hand the importance of healthy eating. Those sound like good ideas, ideas that can help a community and a population make better choices and over time, become all around wiser and healthier. Through education, people learn and understand. You don't have to hurt the poor and gain more control in the name of health. If a person is fat, that's their prerogative. That's their decision. Not the government.

No to the soda tax.

Joe Wilson was Right

2009-09-28T09:02:00.003-04:00

Who would have thought?

Mr. Obama misleads on 20 items in joint session of Congress.

Michael Pollan's Lecture

2009-09-28T08:54:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, we attended a lecture by Michael Pollan at Xavier University. In case you haven't heard of him, he's the author of several books about food ethics and politics such as, The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and The Botany of Desire. All of which, we recommend.

A few observations from his speech:

1. Don't listen to nutritionists ("It's a young science.....kind of like surgery in 1650"), food studies reported on TV, and food commercials that make health claims .
2. Eat real food. Don't buy things in boxes or "food" that needs a label.
3. Eat until you're about 80% full. Until you no longer have hunger (which comes way before feeling "full")
4. Eat mostly plants.
5. Only eat pasture-grass fed meats.

In essence, he said to act like you're living in an earlier era and that's how you should eat. Go back to nature.

Worst Foreign Policy

2009-09-23T10:35:00.005-04:00

Mr. Obama and his foreign policy: Worst Foreign Policy Ever

"Then there is the catalogue of Mr. Obama's embarrassing moments on the world stage, a list which includes: giving England's Queen Elizabeth II an iPod with his speeches on it; giving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a collection of DVDs that were not formatted to the European standard (by contrast, Mr. Brown gave Mr. Obama an ornamental desk-pen holder made from the oak timbers of Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, among other historically significant gifts); calling "Austrian" a language; bowing to the Saudi king; releasing a photo of a conference call with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which the president was showing the soles of his shoes to the camera (an Arab insult); saying "let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel's"; saying the United States was "one of the largest Muslim countries in the world"; suggesting Arabic translators be shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan where Arabic is not a native language; sending a letter to French President Jacques Chirac when Nicolas Sarkozy was the president of France; holding a town-hall meeting in France and not calling on a single French citizen; and referring to "Cinco de Cuatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when he meant Cinco de Mayo. Also of note was Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton giving Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a "reset" button with the Russian word for "overcharge." "

Mrs. Obama

2009-09-22T10:39:00.003-04:00

Mrs. Obama and farmers' markets. Read the article and I'm sure you can come to your own conclusions.

Mrs. Obama's Carbon Footprint for some kale

Honduras Update

2009-09-22T10:29:00.005-04:00

Why is the United States still meddling around with the Honduran transitional government? Just recently, the US revoked all visas from the transitional government personnel. That's a shame because everything the Honduran Congress and Supreme Court did was correct under their own laws; their actions were not a military coup. Read this editorial by the current Interim President of Honduras and you'll understand. Here's his quote describing the effect of President Obama's policy on the Honduran people: "We are, of course, disappointed with the position of the United States and the European Union, both longtime friends. We look forward to continuing dialogue with the United States, the European Union and the rest of the international community to prove our commitment to democracy and the Honduran people's love of freedom. Coercive action directed at our nation will only harm less fortunate Hondurans, whose hospitals, schools, roads and other institutions rely greatly on our friends' generous assistance, for which all of our citizens are immensely grateful." Here's the whole article: Strengthening Democracy

Missle Defense Program

2009-09-17T11:22:00.007-04:00

In 2007, President George W. Bush made a deal with Poland and the Czech Republic to install a missile defense program to knock out ballistic missiles from Iran and North Korea in order to protect Europe and America. Today, President Obama has decided to scrap that deal in order to propitiate Russia. Russia, who always sides with Iran, and who recently stated that it would not go along with tougher sanctions with the Iranians in the United Nations, complained how the defense program would destroy relations between the United States and Russia. President Obama decided to give a middle-of-the-night call to two of our staunchest allies in central and eastern Europe to let them know that the US would change their plans. It's great to know Mr. Obama would sell out our allies to appease Russia while also allowing certain threat to our own country's security and especially the security of our European allies.

The President smears the facts about the missile defense system. "YOU LIE!!!"
Smears the Facts

A quote on cnn.com supports my statement, explaining the reason for Mr. Obama's change in directions, "The U.S. reversal is likely to please Russia, which had fiercely opposed the plan".
In other words, let's help out the Russians who recently invaded one of our allies, Georgia, and shaft Poland and the Czech Republic who are supporting our endeavor in Afghanistan.

Here is former democrat, Joe Lieberman's response to Mr. Obama's decision:
Lieberman's Response

Compare that to Nancy Pelosi's response:
"I think this is brilliant...bilateral relationship with Russia is very, very important...I congratulate the administration."

I wonder who Mr. Obama listens to for foreign policy advice. Obviously not moderate Lieberman.

Sad day to be an American when our President turns his back on two great allies.
Sorry Poland. Sorry Czech Republic.

Update:
Bolton on the defense system: Pre-emptive Capitulation
Romney on the defense system: Decision is alarming and dangerous

Health Care and Abortion

2009-09-16T16:52:00.005-04:00

*Update from yesterday's post: Here is a number for you to consider- each family would have to fork over an extra $1,750 a year if cap and trade passes......here's a new article on the issue: Cap and Trade

Republicans have made the claim that the health care bill currently in the House of Representatives (Bill HR 3200) will indeed provide federal funds for abortions. President Obama stated in his joint address to Congress that what republicans are saying about the health care bill is untrue. Let's take a closer look. First, Pres. Obama is correct; the bill itself does not allow for abortions to be federally funded. However, his semantics are completely misleading because an amendment was passed that does provide federal funds for abortions. The amendment is known as the Capps Amendment. Here are the allowances specifically stated in the amendment, " 3) Coverage under the public health insurance option - The public health insurance option shall provide coverage for services described in paragraph (4)(B).
(4) Abortion services -
(B) Abortions for which public funding is allowed - The services described in this subparagraph are abortions for which the expenditure of Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is permitted, based on the law as in effect as of the date that is 6 months before the beginning of the plan year involved."

Looks like federal dollars will be spent on abortions after all.

This morning,Representative Stupak (D) from Maryland had a snippet on Fox News stating that if this bill comes to the floor with that language, some democrats will join with the republicans to stop the bill. That sounds like a fantastic idea. Here's the clip.

Federal funds, also known as OUR MONEY should not be going to support abortions. Americans are in the business of saving lives and promoting a better standard of living. The last thing we need is a government that wants(proven by the amendment) to spend our tax dollars on a naive 14 year old who wants to get rid of a human being so she isn't "punished with a baby," so famously stated by the one and only, President Obama. Here's that clip.

Cap and Trade Effect on Farmers

2009-09-15T14:45:00.003-04:00

Great article by Ed Morrissey on Hotair.com about a Texas A&M study on the effects of the Cap and Trade bill in Congress. The House passed the bill with a complete partisan vote. Good thing the bill is stalled in the Senate.

Here's Ed Morrissey's piece: Hotair
In the study it states that corn and soybean farmers will prosper the most from the bill. Pretty much all other farmers are going to suffer setbacks. We all need more corn and soy!!!...I kid.

There's another great article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch; I urge you to read it. It's about the democrats beginning to oppose the cap and trade bill in the Senate. Here's a snippet.

"Cap-and-trade is too volatile, complex, and susceptible to manipulation to sustain the needed investment milieu. Because of these inherent problems, even "green" groups like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace came out against the bill.
It's simply at odds with our self-interest.
By imposing arbitrary caps on carbon emissions from traditional energy sources, a cap-and-trade system would drive up fuel and electricity prices. The bill's national building code would drastically increase the price of new construction, making home ownership a pipe dream for millions of working-class Americans.
Just to meet the emissions cap set for 2020, we would have to achieve the equivalent of doubling the fuel efficiency of every car on the road or building more than 100 new nuclear power plants."

Here's the complete article: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Tariff on Chinese Tires

2009-09-14T14:00:00.003-04:00

Sounds like a good idea, right? I mean you put a tax on tires imported from China so Americans will buy American tires, what could be wrong with that?.......Let's take a closer look.

First and foremost, this was a political decision. President Obama is losing support amongst his widespread union backers and imposed these tariffs to make the United Steelworkers Union happy. You can even see this in a New York Times article on the issue. Here's the quote, "Mr. Obama cannot afford to jeopardize his relationship with major unions as he pushes Congress to overhaul the nation’s health care system." Here's the link: New York Times . Pres. Obama wants and needs the unions to continue to support him to get his agenda passed through Congress.

Besides the fact that the imposed tariff was a political decision, it is also a bad idea because it's going to make American consumers pay a higher price for tires. Think about it....why would the President want to impose a duty on Chinese tires? Too many people are buying the Chinese tires because they're cheaper, then, the union gets upset. They plea with the Obama administration who appease them by imposing a duty. Now, consumers must go to the tire store and buy expensive American tires or very expensive Chinese tires. In the end, American consumers will be hurt by the tariff.

In conjunction with the rise of tire prices, the Obama administration is teetering on agitating the Chinese, who happen to control the majority of the American debt. Even the NY Times agrees when they write, "But China is certain to be antagonized by the decision." If they understand the serious implications of this tariff, our president should have enough tact to realize the significance of such a decision. If Mr. Obama continues to enforce such tariffs, the American economy is going to suffer more. Protective tariffs are bad for economies. In most cases, the opposing country will impose retaliatory tariffs that would really hamper the country's trade. If we stop buying Chinese tires, maybe they'll impose a tariff to make our goods too expensive so they stop buying our goods. American companies that trade overseas will be hurt.

Tariffs on imports are not going to help our economy. Stay away from protective tariffs. The last thing we need is a replay of 1930 and the Hawley-Smoot Act. If you're not up on your early 20th century history, this act, a protective tariff, was an integral reason for the continuation of the Great Depression. Basically, the stock market crashed and most people were suffering, especially businesses. So, President Hoover passed the Hawley-Smoot Act which was the highest protective tariff in our country's history. In response, every other country followed suit by passing protective tariffs and the American manufacturing businesses failed.

To recap:
1) pure politics
2) bad for American consumers and the economy
3) ticking off the Chinese
What does that add up to?
BAD IDEA

Hummus

2009-09-14T13:31:00.004-04:00

Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans(chick peas)
1/4 cup black beans(optional)
1 TBSP lemon or lime juice
2 TBSP tahini(sesame seed paste)
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2-1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper

other delicious options:
cilantro
basil
sun-dried tomatoes
artichokes
roasted peppers
olives
pine nuts

1)Blend all ingredients in a food processor until it is smooth and thick or until desired consistency is met- add more oil, juice, or tahini if it is too dry
2)Serve w/ tortilla/pita/sliced veggies or on sandwiches and wraps.

Must Read

2009-09-11T14:49:00.005-04:00

Victor Davis Hanson writes a wonderful must-read peice on American foreign policy since 9/11.

Our National 9/11 Schizophrenia

Few Thoughts

2009-09-11T14:01:00.004-04:00

1. Pres. Obama repeatedly states that the health care bill will not "require" you to change your health care plan......however, he will make it impossible for a company to provide health care at their current costs. He won't require you to change but he will make sure that keeping your current health care coverage will bankrupt your company.

2. ACORN needs to be abolished. The videos at http://www.biggovernment.com/ are eye-opening. It's amazing that our tax dollars are going to provide services through ACORN. It's a sham!!!

3. 9/11 - Prayers go out to all the men and women in service and to all those who were victims on 9/11....... Never Forget!!!

4. Van Jones is gone. He should never have been allowed into our nation's Capitol. It's a shame Pres. Obama would hire and allow a race-baiting communist into the White House.

5. Bring back DDT to kill mosquitoes so humans can rid malaria. It's unbelievable that we have the power to destroy malaria but the propaganda that Rachel Carson espoused in Silent Spring became the main essay on why DDT should be eliminated. Read Iain Murray's book and you'll know why. Really Inconvenient Truths

6. Joe Wilson for President!!

August

2009-09-02T09:59:00.005-04:00

It's been a while since our last post. Congress went on recess; who can complain? They should go on recess more often. Maybe they'd actually stop spending money and get the country's finances in check. I say the federal government should have every other month off for recess. What's the point of having OUR representatives(representing OUR opinions) away in Washington missing what their constituents have to say?

A few comments on everything that has happened recently.

- Lockerbie bomber - Should have stayed in his jail cell in the UK. My heart go out to the victims' families of the plane bombing, all 270 of them.

- Health Care - I enjoy seeing what's happening at the town hall meetings. It's great to see the faces of the congressmen and women when they actually get questioned on what they're doing. The health care bill is around 1000 pages and uses jargon that only a few can understand. How in the world can these congressmen and women speak like they know the bill? It's not like any of them have actually read it. I wish I could have done what the politicians are doing when I was in school...skip all the reading and tell my teacher that it was just too long and I needed to make quick decisions on the questions that go along with the book. It's all a sham. Scrap the health care bill! Introduce a tort reform bill to drive down health insurance costs. Oh, by the way, for health care being so unaffordable, I just signed up for a $42/month plan with an insurance company. Even being unemployed, I can manage to pay that.

- Ted Kennedy - Growing up, I was always told that your real character is shown by what you do when no one is watching. What did Kennedy do when no one was watching? He let Mary Jo Kopechne suffocate to death in a trapped car underwater by first driving the car into the water and then leaving the scene to sleep the accident off at his hotel. He never notified any authorities. Enough said.

- Clash for Clunkers - I think the government should stop subsidizing items. They're giving money to people to buy their own products....GM cars. Too bad for them more foreign cars were bought. It does prove, however, that when you give the people money or incentives, the people will take advantage of that...... tax cuts.

- President Obama - He plays quite a bit of golf. Pushing 20 times now since he's been inaugurated. What did the media say when George W. Bush played a round here and there? Nothing good if I recall.

- Dick Cheney - No qualms with what he's saying. I support the CIA. Attorney General Holder needs to go into his office and quit fighting the CIA.

- Gov. Sanford - Shut up and resign.

I should be updating this a little more often from now on. Stay tuned for some sustainable posts as well.

Crunchy Nutty Granola Bars

2009-08-08T22:31:00.003-04:00

Serving Size: approx. 15-25 bars

-2 1/2 cups rolled oats
-1/4 cup steel cut oats
-1 cup chopped almonds, walnuts, and/or pecans
-1/4 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
-2 TBSP. flax seeds
-2 TBSP. sesame seeds
-1 tsp. sea salt
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1/4 cup honey
-1/4 cup peanut butter(or any nut butter)
-1/4 cup Nutella(hazelnut, chocolate spread)-optional but gives a great flavor!
-1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 cup raisins or any dried fruit
-1 TBSP. melted butter
-parchment paper

1)Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2)combine 1st 6 ingredients and spread on baking sheet
3)toast in oven for about 10-15 mins. (don't expect it to turn brown)
4)during the toasting, combine the remaining ingredients, leaving out the dried fruit and butter
5)place in a saucepan over medium/medium-low heat
6)stir until mixed thoroughly and smooth (about 5 mins.)
7)mix this hot "syrup" w/ the toasty oat mix in a large bowl
8)add the butter and stir more, taste and add extra seasoning if desired
9)pour the mix into a parchment paper-lined baking pan of desired size/depth (9x13 works for a typical granola bar thickness)
10)smooth out, press down firmly with fingers, push into corners/flatten so there are no gaps
11)place in oven for about 25 mins. (don't expect it to be hard-it will still give a little until hardening)
12)remove and let cool for 30-40 mins. (if you wait too long they are a bit hard to cut and will crumble)
13)cut with a sharp knife and store in plastic bag for up to week or freeze for future snacking

Back story: I've made these many times and change up the recipe each time since I don't always have all the ingredients at hand...I recommend trying it a few times until you get the flavor you are looking for, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Disclaimer: They do crumble more easily than store bought bars, but when this happens I turn it into cereal or use it to top my yogurt!

The Best Breakfast Burrito!

2009-08-08T22:17:00.004-04:00

Serving Size: 2
-2 whole grain tortillas
-half can black beans or refried beans
-3 eggs (I include milk, salt, and pepper w/ my eggs)
-sprinkling or handful of colby jack(or cheese of choice)
-2 TBSP. homemade salsa
-2 TBSP. sour cream
-handful fresh cilantro

1)scramble eggs
2)heat tortillas w/ beans in microwave for 30 secs.
3)place cheese on warm eggs and place on top of heated beans
4)top with salsa, sour cream, and cilantro
5)YUMMY!

Back story: This is such a perfect meal; I make at least one of these a week. Don't let the title stop you from making this all day and night long!

Snow Day Split Pea Spectacular

2009-08-04T18:06:00.008-04:00

1 lb. split peas
1/4 lb. lentils (optional-I like the texture these provide)
1/4-1/2 cup ham, cooked bacon, or even pepperoni, chopped finely (optional-but it does give that smoky flavor most enjoy)
1/2 can pureed pumpkin
15 oz. chicken or veggie broth
2-3 TBSP. olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (if desired)
1 med. onion, diced
8 oz. container mushrooms, sliced and cut in half
2-3 carrots, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tspn. sage
1 tspn. garlic powder
1/2 tspn. cumin
1 tspn. paprika
1/2 tspn. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Use one big soup pot from start to finish
1)Saute small bits of your meat of choice until just turning brown-about 5 mins.
2)add in olive oil/white wine
3)add in onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery and sautee until tender- about 10 mins.
4)add in broth-stir
5)add all of split peas and lentils
6)bring to boil
7)reduce heat to low
8)add all herbs and spices now
9)cover and let simmer until everything is tender, stirring occasionally
9)add pureed pumpkin, stir until mixed in and heated through-add more seasoning as needed
10)Enjoy with a slightly sweet bread (I recommend my honey rye bread recipe)

Back story: Made this on a snow day in January. Throughout the entire day, our chilly apartment was filled with the wonderful warm aroma of onions, peas, bacon and broth. The extra kept in the freezer quite well, and, with some crusty bread, made for a comforting lunch later in the winter!

Trying to make a few dollars

2009-07-30T18:16:00.003-04:00

In the previous post, we discussed Joel Salatin's view and experience on sustainable agriculture and government involvement. I thought it would be good to illustrate an example so you can figure out how the expanding government is hurting want-to-be small farmers.

To better understand what it means to be a small-scale, sustainable farmer in today's America, I think every American should try to make and then sell a jar of homemade salsa at a farmer's market. Start with preparing the soil and planting the seeds and watch your veggies grow. While you weed and water your crops you'll also need to worry about putting up the money to rent or build your own commercial kitchen in order to meet one of the requirements for selling low-acid canned goods, such as salsa. Then, fill out the packet of bureaucratic paperwork required to be able to sell your goods in a retail situation, which includes everything from a farmers' market, to Whole Foods, to your local grocery store chain. Don't forget to keep records of each batch made. That way, you'll be ready when the various health departments that you are required to appease show up to scrutinize your procedure and recipe, the same recipe that your great grandmother has been using for 100 years. After doing all of that work and jumping through the hoops necessary to sell about 75 jars at $5 each, we can then see if you still want more expansion of government, the same expansion that caused the numerous superfluous issues with which you are currently faced. I have a feeling that these same liberal readers who don't know the extent of government control in agriculture are also some of the main proponents of ethanol and hybrid cars. Hopefully, these well-intentioned readers educate themselves and realize how wasteful ethanol is, not to mention how bad of an idea it is to grow food and not use it to fill people's bellies. But that's another story...

Conservative Sustainable Farmer?

2009-07-30T13:14:00.012-04:00

If you've read Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, then you have definitely heard about Polyface Farms Inc. in Virginia. The Polyface Farm is an ideal example of how to practice sustainable agriculture. The farm's founder, Joel Salatin, rotates his livestock about the pastures to provide constant, natural, and practically free fertilization(minus any supplemental feed and care for cows) optimizing the health and life cycles of both the grass and cattle, not to mention sustaining the health of the soil. For more detail about his farm operations and mission, I point you to their website, http://www.polyfacefarms.com/.

It may come as a surprise to many who have read The Omnivoire's Dilemma, but Joel Salatin is a known libertarian. What? You mean to tell me that a major aspect of a Cal-Berkeley professor's book is a libertarian who supported Ron Paul for president? What? You mean to tell me that The Omnivore's Dilemma, a book espoused by the left as the bible for sustainable agriculture and sustainable, green eating touts the life and work of a man who is certainly right of center politically and wants absolutely no government in his business? How ironic that the majority of Pollan's readers are left of center but Joel Salatin, a role model of sustainable living and sustainable farming practices is the opposite. Is it because the readers who are supposedly left really don't understand the influence that government has on farmers and the current state of the farming that goes on in our country?

Mother Earth News recently published an interview with Joel Salatin and it is worth reading. At the bottom of this post is a link to the interview.

In brief, Salatin has no use for the government in his business. Here's a passage from the interview discussing his biggest problem in farming, "Anyone familiar with me would have to smile at this question, knowing that my answer would be and continues to be the food police. The on-farm hurdles we’ve faced, from drought to predators to flood to cash flow, are nothing compared to the emotional, economic and energy drain caused by government bureaucrats. Even in the early 1970s when, as a young teen, I operated a farm stand at the curb market, precursor of today’s farmers markets, the government said I couldn’t sell milk. The first business plan I came up with to become a full-time farmer centered around milking 10 cows and selling the milk to neighbors at regular retail supermarket prices. It would have been a nice living. But it’s illegal.....I think it’s amazing that in a country which promotes the freedom to own firearms, freedom to worship and freedom of speech, we don’t have the freedom to choose our own food. If I can’t choose the proper fuel to feed my body, I won’t have energy to go shoot, preach and pray anyway."

One of my favorite passages from his interview was his take on vegetarians, "I will answer this in two parts. The first has to do with the people who think a fly is a chicken is a child is a cat — what I call the cult of animal worship. This would include the people who think we’ve evolved beyond the barbaric practice of killing animals to some cosmic nirvana state where killing is a thing of the past. Rather than indicating a new state of evolutionary connectedness, it actually shows a devolutionary state of disconnectedness. A Bambi-ized culture in which the only human-animal connection is a pet soon devolves into jaundiced foolishness. This philosophical and nutritional foray into a supposed brave new world is really a duplicitous experiment into the anti-indigenous. This is why we enjoy having our patrons come out and see the animals slaughtered. Actually, the 7- to 12-year old children have no problem slitting throats while their parents cower inside their Prius listening to 'All Things Considered.' Who is really facing life here? The chickens don’t talk or sign petitions. We honor them in life, which is the only way we earn the right to ask them to feed us — like the mutual respect that occurs between the cape buffalo and the lion. To these people, I don’t argue. This is a religion and I pretty much leave it alone."

Anyways, read the interview by clicking on the link below and you'll understand why the icon of sustainable agriculture, Joel Salatin, is far from being a Democrat. Here's the link; http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Joel-Salatin-Interview.aspx

Delicious Chocolate Beet Cake Recipe

2009-07-28T11:11:00.008-04:00

1 c. margarine, softened
1 1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs at room temp
1-3 oz. dark chocolate (depending on how much chocolate flavor you are looking for)
5 medium beets or amount to equal 2 1/2 c. pureed beets
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour or 1 cup of both white and whole wheat flour
2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
confectioners’ sugar for dusting- cream cheese frosting would also work well

1)Make the beet puree by cutting off the stems and quartering them. (I leave the bottom of the roots on until I peel them in hopes that more of the beety goodness will remain inside during cooking)
2)Place in pot of water that covers the beets and bring to a boil.
3)Let them simmer for around 45 mins. or until a fork can be easily pushed into a beet.
4)While you are waiting for the beets, mix your other ingredients as follows.
5)In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and the brown sugar.
6)Add in eggs and mix well.
7)Back to the stove...once beets are done, drain off remaining liquid and rinse beets in cold water and let cool until you can handle them comfortably.
8)While you are waiting for that, melt your chocolate with remaining butter(1/4 cup) and stir until smooth (microwave works just fine for this-watch and stir when needed) Cool it a bit before blending into the mixture but don't let it get too stiff to work with.
9)Back to the beets...slide off the skins and put the beets in a blender or food processor until you've created a smooth puree.
10)Let the puree cool some more before using it.
11)Now, blend the chocolate mixture, beet puree, and vanilla into the creamed mix.
12)Combine your flour, baking soda, and seasonings in separate bowl them add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
13)Pour into greased pan of desired size. 13 x 9 works well.
14)Bake at 375 degrees for around 50 mins. Test the center with a toothpick if you're not sure.
15)Make sure to cool it in the pan for 15 mins. or so before removing to cool on counter or rack.
16)Topping of sugar or frosting can be used once cake is completely cooled.
17)Enjoy this amazing cake!

Back story: I made this cake to share with my fellow farming apprentices during a presentation I was giving about growing and using beets. I adapted the recipe from various ones I had found online and in cookbooks. It was gobbled up in no time and people are still asking me for the recipe. It's a moist cake(thanks to those nutritious beets!) and has a slight earthy flavor that is complimented by the sweet yet, rich dark chocolate addition. It's like nothing I've ever tasted before and can't wait to taste again.

Green the Capitol Initiative

2009-07-27T15:26:00.004-04:00

The "Green the Capitol" initiative is a program in the House of Representatives under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi to make the capitol the first carbon neutral legislating body in the world. The link at the bottom of this blog connects to a great article by Mark Hemingway from National Review on the why the initiative is a bad example to go by. In short, not everyone can have an everlasting supply of money to do what they want whenever they want to. In essence, going "green" is expensive and the initiative uses more and more taxpayer money each year. I think taxpayer money could be used for other things such as education, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, national defense, and a whole host of other issues. I think a good idea would be to invest that $20 million used in 2008 and create an education program. One area in which most people in the United States need to be educated is the reality of where their food comes from and the impact of making poor daily dietary choices on themselves but also on the environment and the economy. Maybe it would be a good idea to spend that money to educate and better the citizenry of our country at the core rather than hoping that people will follow an expensive example.

Here's the article: "Greening the Capitol"

Minimum Wage Increase

2009-07-24T17:33:00.003-04:00

Tonight the minimum wage is going to raise to about $7.25 because of the bill that passed in Jan. 2007. Approximately 2.8 million Americans work on minimum wage. If passed, this bill will force small businesses to cut about 300,000 jobs. That's not good. It's especially not good because the people who work minimum wage jobs are teenagers and those in their young twenties trying to get started in their careers. If they lose their jobs, I wonder what they'll do.

Why is raising the minimum wage bad? hrmmmm......Just a little common sense will help. I believe if you raise the minimum wage, small business owners are going to have to pay their workers more. Because of that they'll have to do one of two things; raise their prices on goods to make up the difference......or.....cut jobs to have enough money to pay the bills. Especially those raising energy bills because of that "cap and tax" bill in congress. That's a-whole-nother topic. Anyways, keep the minimum wage as it is. Heck, if you lower it, you might even get a few small businesses that would hire a few more workers. Sounds like a pretty good idea.

Obama and Zelaya

2009-07-24T17:03:00.008-04:00

For those of you who don't know, Manuel Zelaya was the former president of Honduras. He was kicked out of the country by the military ordered by the Honduran Supreme Court. What happened next was interesting. First, Hugo Chavez comes to Zelaya's back and cries foul. Next comes in President Obama on his high horse and wants Zelaya to be put back into the presidency. This is, by the way, the same President who waited and waited to condemn the Iranian attacks on their own people the previous few days. Let's take a better look at who this Zelaya fellow is....

Zelaya was the president of Honduras and his best friend is Hugo Chavez. That first should tell you that he is not a fan of the United States. Secondly that should tell you that he's quite the leftist. In Honduras, the president can only serve one term of four years. Zelaya wanted to amend the constitution so he could run for reelection. He first needs the people to pass a referendum. The Honduran congress rejected Zelaya's request. Zelaya pushed on. The Honduran Supreme Court then agreed with the congress and said that Zelaya didn't have the power or authority according to the Honduran constitution to have a referendum. Zelaya pushes on further. He decides he'll run the referendum himself and asks the military to help. The head military leader says no and Zelaya fires him. Zelaya then took over a military post to get the ballots for the referendum. The Supreme Court then orders the arrest of Zelaya. The Honduran congress then legally votes to kick Zelaya out of office and elect an interim president. By the way, Zelaya's party is the ruling party in the Honduran Congress and the interim president is in the same party. Now Zelaya is trying to get back to Honduras and is threatening action if he isn't put back into his presidency. All this and President Obama agrees with Chavez and Zelaya. What!?

Why on earth would President Obama be "meddling" in the Honduran affairs when this Zelaya character was breaking the law. He was legally kicked out by the Congress and Surpeme Court. Why is President Obama supporting this guy? Who knows? Not me but I do know, I only wish he would show the world that the United States is going to support those who support democracy and freedom. Honduras was only following their constitution so a new president would come to office next January. How hard is that to understand? President Obama needs to stop pushing for Zelaya's return to the Honduran presidency.

Here's an Op-Ed peice in the LA Times of all newspapers. Check it out if you don't believe me.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-estrada10-2009jul10,0,1570598.story

Late Night Penne

2009-07-23T16:25:00.002-04:00

*LATE NIGHT PENNE*

4-6 servings

-2-3 cups penne pasta
-olive oil
-1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1 cup sliced mushrooms
-2 TBSP flour
-15 oz. can pasta or tomato sauce
-1 cup milk or half n half
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts
-2 tspn. garlic
-1 tspn. chili powder
-1-2 tspn. dried basil
-1-2 tspn. dried oregano
-salt and pepper to taste
-grated cheese of choice (Asiago, Romano, Parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, feta)

Pick some or all of these to add:
-1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
-1/2 cup chopped green peppers
-3/4 chopped or crumbled firm tofu

1) cook penne pasta (preferably al dente)
2) drain and set aside (leaving lid on pot)
3) sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil- on medium in large skillet
4) add some or all of these: artichokes, green peppers, tofu
5) stir occasionally until cooked through adding white wine or olive oil as needed
6) add about 2 TBSP flour/stir until thickened
7) add equal parts pasta or tomato sauce and milk or half n half (make sure it’s enough to just cover food in skillet)
8) stir a bit more often to prevent bubbly milk (turn heat to low-medium)
9) cook about 3 minutes, stirring often- adding in any spices now
10) add ¼ - ½ cup chopped walnuts or other nuts
11) stir in grated cheese until it melts
12) turn off heat but leave on burner, adding pasta to the sauce mixture and stirring well
13) serve with fresh layer of grated cheese and walnuts
14) ENJOY!

Honey Rye Bread

2009-07-23T16:21:00.001-04:00

*HONEY RYE BREAD*

-1 packet. Active dry yeast (2 ¼ TBSP.)
-2 ½ cups warm water
-2/3 cup molasses, maple syrup or honey (pick one or mix to make right amount)
-5 cups bread flour
-2 cups rye flour
-1 TBSP. salt
-¼ cup veg. oil
-¼ cup cocoa powder
- baking or pizza stone

1) dissolve yeast in warm water w/ the molasses - Stir – let sit for 5 minutes so yeast grows
2) add all other ingredients (leave out 3 cups of bread flour) – add salt last (Kills the yeast if added directly to yeast and molasses)
3) mix with a wooden spoon
4) mix while adding the remaining bread flour a cup at a time
5) knead dough 5-7 minutes until it is smooth and elastic
6) Cover and let rise in bowl 1 ½ hours – in a dry place (Oven/Microwave)
7) remove from bowl and form into desired free-form shape
8) let rise 30 more mins. (keep covered with damp towel to prevent drying out)
9) bake at 400° free-form on baking stone for about 35 mins.