Farmgirl Blog-A-Thon- In the Garden

Tina who has the beautiful GardenGoose blog is running the farmgirl blog-a-thon that I have been posting about. She is such a sweet Farmgirl!

This week we are talking about "In The Garden"

Right now I am gardenless but only until this summer. We are moving and this summer I am going to share a garden with my mom.

Last year I created a garden from a weed infested strip of land while I was 8 months pregnant! it felt so good to be creating something that would nourish us with a little life inside of me. Sky -Dog of course was my constant companion. I think she was the favorite thing I grew in the garden:

I actually had just filled that pot with water so she could drink and she decided her feet were too toasty warm! So cute! I just HAD to get a picture!

Gardens are an amazing way to reconnect with nature- even if all you have is one little tomato plant. When I go out and pluck out all those weed seedlings it is almost as if I am plucking away every irritation that bothers me in daily life. It's a zen moment for me for sure.

I also feel amazingly strong and independent each time I harvest a tomato or carrot or anything from my garden. It feels wonderful to be able to eat the food at the peak of freshness- not some pale imitation of food that was harvested much to early just so it doesn't spoil in transit.


I love the ladies over at the MaryJanesFarm Chat Forum. They always have an answer to any gardening questions that might come up. They originally showed me the light when it comes to lasagna gardening! What a great tip to keep weeds down, amend your soil, and help conserve moisture! The most basic explanation is a layering of compost-able materials to a depth that prohibits weed growth. The layers slowly decompose so you have to continue to add more. This works great with raised beds, but can be done without raised beds as well. There are several fantastic books out there and many websites. And of course the experienced ladies on the forum!

Last year my apartment managers decided to re-roof our complex and the roofer ran over my garden- finishing off my lettuce well before time. Even though- I got plenty of peas, carrots, and tomatoes- when I had the chance to harvest!

I am so looking forward to the garden this summer. I already can envision it in my head and I can almost taste that very first tomato already!

Farmgirl Blog-a-Thon- Bliss in the Kitch

Since becoming a Stay at Home Mom, one of the joys of my day is to make sure I am feeding my family nutritious, wholesome, homemade food- on a frugal budget of course! We are on a bare-bones budget, so many times I have to forgo buying the organics that I normally would, but that aside, our food is quite wholesome.

I taught myself how to can tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spaghetti sauce this last summer/fall with the help of the ladies at The MaryJane's Farm Chat Forum, and with the aid of the Ball Canning book. I would have probably never had the courage to try had it not been for the lovely articles about canning in the MaryJanesFarm Magazine and the encouragement I received on the Forum.

Yesterday I made homemade bread, today I made another batch but to be used as the bread to surround my famous cabbage burgers (recipe below). I also made a MaryJane's bake over with her delicious budget mix! If you haven't tried it, you really should! It is so versatile and you know it is great because MaryJane only sells organic! Check her products out here: MaryJanes Farm Product Directory

A Healthy In-Hand meal is a traditional German Cabbage burger. Now before you shy away because you don't like cabbage and goodness forbid _cooked_ cabbage! Ick Ook Ugh! Actually- the cabbage absorbs the meat taste and adds a little spice but affidavits from sworn cabbage haters say that there is no cabbagey taste to these yummy burgers at all!

Cabbage Burgers:

(1) Make your favorite plain bread recipe
While your bread rises, start cooking the filling

(2) Scramble hamburger till browned, add minced cabbage- about half a head, add minced carrots, celery, onions, garlic and spice to taste. I like to add a little Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and leave it at that. Doug likes a spicy Mexican taste.

(3) After dough has risen, punch down and roll as thin as possible. Put cereal bowl upside down on the rolled out dough. Cut out circle, using bowl as guide, but cut 1 inch away from lip of bowl.

(4) Lay dough circle over bowl like lid. Use slotted spoon to put a dollop of meaty filling in middle of dough circle. Bring sides in and pinch bottom closed until you have a bread encased circle.

(5) Place roll pinched side down onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake according to bread directions until done (meat filling is already cooked). Enjoy! Great with ketchup!