Today, I worked for most of the day, and I also decided to switch out my blog header—and threw in some beets from last summer’s garden. Partly because the picture wasn’t fuzzy, and partly because it reminds me of summer. You know, that time of year when the sun comes out in NY! My plan is to just change the header picture when I come across one I’ve taken that will fit and that looks pretty–a good plan, eh?
Remember our garden?
We’re planning on growing more veggies this summer since we’re closer (last year it was an hour drive to the garden, this year since we moved it’s only 20 minutes or so). Joe’s parents are really nice to let us plant our garden on a corner of their farm—it’s an area that isn’t used for anything now (but after our veggies grew so amazingly well without much attention, we found out the cows used to hang out there all day…).
This year, I really want to grow peppers—have you noticed how expensive they are? I’m perpetually oblivious to produce prices (I’m afraid if I pay attention to how much things cost, I won’t be able to justify the expense…and I don’t want to have that happen), but I did notice that the organic peppers are about $3 each. It’s cost prohibitive for me—especially since the last time I bought one, it was moldy on the inside.
Today, I roasted brussels sprouts with purple onions for lunch. It’s very simple, but because I’m trying to post more useful information on my facebook page, I did a little background check on the sprouts.
Cancer prevention, vitamin K and C, fiber, anti-inflammatory effects, cell detox support, and protection from environmental toxins are a few of the perks involved in eating brussels sprouts.
They’re also cheap, and they taste great with onions (which are also cheap and have their own amazing benefits—I choose the purple/red ones as often as possible because they have extra quercetin, which is a powerful immune booster and cancer preventor).
The last ingredient in my lunch was coconut oil. In fact, it was the most magical coconut oil I’ve ever had—I’ve always bought the brands sold in local stores, but now I’m quite certain that (unless I’m using it for a moisturizer) I’ll never buy anything except Wilderness Family Naturals again (I’d consider Tropical Traditions based on what I’ve heard about them, but I’d have to find some good reason to switch now).
Full disclosure: I could have eaten about twice the amount shown.
I’m going to spend the rest of the evening reading—fun, but work-related books. By Friday, I should have the fertility-nutrition post done, and by sometime next week, I’ll have the anxiety and food post ready to go. It’s a process—I like to get immersed in the topics, and I have a great case study to share!
Will you plant a garden this spring? I’m looking forward to it this year (maybe a little too much…but hey, I have to have something to look forward to in this weather!).
Are you getting wound up for the weekend yet? I’ll be in yoga training all weekend, and I’m looking forward to two things: (1) the yoga practice and (2) that it’s the last weekend of the training.
The garden looks awesome! ahhh… Summer 🙂 We start planning in the Winter to keep ourselves sane too. We’ll start seeds in a couple months. We had brussel sprouts the other night and my oldest was so excited to try them, unfortunately they didn’t live up to his expectations, but next time he says he will just try them raw 🙂
Love the new header!!! And I wish we lived closer so you could give me stuff from your garden…since I have no backyard and totally failed at trying to do a balcony garden.
Yes..peppers are SOOOOOOOOOOO freaking expensive! I love them, but can not justify buying them ever. Waaay too much.
Full disclosure. Michael and I will kill like a pound o f roasted Brussels sprouts per person
So, the house we might be moving into doesn’t have nearly the size of backyard as we have now, but Ry thinks we should have adequate space for above grounds and smaller version of what we have before. The new house is only a block from the one we’re in now and I would love more than anything for our old neighbors to allow us still to grow in the plot we had this year. I also have a hard time looking at produce prices because I don’t want to have to put them down. 🙁
So, the house we might be moving into doesn’t have nearly the size of backyard as we have now, but Ry thinks we should have adequate space for above grounds and smaller version of what we have before. The new house is only a block from the one we’re in now and I would love more than anything for our old neighbors to allow us still to grow in the plot we had this year. I also have a hard time looking at produce prices because I don’t want to have to put them down. 🙁
all we have is a concrete patio- but if we can get a couple of potted plants for tomatoes and peppers we might try it!
Mmm- brussels are my favorite vegetable-so darn good!! I am thinking about planting a garden. We are going to have to plant low maintenance stuff. Not a lot of time wit the baby. So ready for the weekend
i do like the new header, lisa! (although i don’t like beets, haha!) but they are very pretty to look at!
so nice to be thinking of gardening season! that is great that you will be a lot closer to the farm this year. i don’t garden, being in a condo, plus it’s not really my thing…but i agree that the money saving is awesome!!
this week is flying by!!
That is one beautiful beet!
We’ll do a garden again this year too. We just have two small raised beds in our small city back yard (plus a strawberry bed and a line of raspberry plants) and I’ll fill the beds first with peas, spinach and kale in the spring, then other veggies will replace the harvested greens as summer grows closer. Not sure how much time I’ll have to tend to it once the baby is here in mid June, but I’ll get it started at the very least!
Good luck growing peppers, I have NOT had good luck with them in all the years I’ve tried them. They are always really small and have thin walls. We fill the beds with composted soil and most of the vegetables are beautiful… except those dang peppers! Hopefully you’ll have better luck since you’ll be planting in super fertile soil!
first of all, i love your new beetroot header!! just had a tasty grated beetroot and goji berry salad with tahini dressing for lunch and your header keeps me in the beety mood 🙂
I wished i could plant my own garden but i live in the city and am not even able to sustain a basil plant due to the little amount of light we get in our apartment!
Yay to gardens! Rinaldo & I had our first garden last summer and we loved it! We actually added on to it and made it twice as big this past fall when we had some patio work done. So excited to plant double this spring!
I never added purple onions when roasting brussels sprouts so I’m going to try that soon since I LOVE purple onions!
I love the IDEA of having a garden. I just have to figure out how to keep up with all the work. It would be easier if JP were interested, but he honestly doesn’t care at all about gardening. So if I’m going to do it, it’s going to be me. Next year, I’m thinking about using flower boxes to create a container veggie garden on the back deck. It’s a bit less daunting. I love the header with the beets! Beets and brussels sprouts…two of my favourites.
I’m a huge fan of Tropical Traditions, but I totally want to check out the Wilderness Family stuff.
I have two avocados in the fridge that are begging to be turned into pudding. 🙂