Garden Fuss

Minnesotans all over love to talk weather. Today I am not only sounding off about 70 degree weather in Minneapolis; I am also super stoked about winning seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Overall I am not a "lucky" person when it comes to winning things. Sure I can hold my own during the tricked out squirt gun games at the state fair, but lotteries, raffles, and Lord know auctions are all stacked against me. All that being said I have finally won what I am calling an uber green thumb package of awesome seeds from Bakers Creek Heirloom Seeds. I have been dragging my feet on finalizing my seed order this year since having some health issues crop up. This and other home projects had me thinking about buying only seedlings for the first time ever. Now,all I know is there will be cauliflower this year for sure and I can't wait to taste a Stupice Tomato. 

Happy Planning or planting if you've gotten aroundto it before me. Just don't forget to get out and enjoy this ...

Catalogs, Applications, Phone Calls, Rough Drafts, Sketches, Notes, Emails...... You name it I've been doing it in preparation for spring 2012. Not only have I decided to participate in a local food resource hub in my neighborhood, I've decided to try my hand at vending at a local farmers market after 4 years off. A whole lot has changed since I was last a vendor. There is way more paperwork than I remember, as well as insurance requirements that are proving to be more difficult than I first thought. After several phone calls and research online I'm hoping to have finalized what I need to do business at the market by later today. The issue is whether the policy should be a commercial policy or an attachment to the personal home-owners policy since the product is homemade. *sigh* Responsible people do the right thing and I've always labeled my food with dates and ingredients. I figure most people who give the gift of food do to some degree, and I am all about safety ...

Last year was such an awfully long, cold, and hard winter full of sick kids and parents. We had planned on having a skating party with more kids than you could count and the best birthday cake ever. With all that being said we had a small intimate party for my baby boy which included a hot bowl of chicken soup for everyone, nebulizer treatments, no cake or sweets what so ever, and shoveling (lots of shoveling). The snow was never ending and all we could do was dream of warmer days and phlegm free breaths of air. This year we prepared the best we could for an "actual birthday party" as my son reminded us to do daily. So what better way to celebrate than with friends, a movie, gifts, pizza, chocolate strawberries, a sleep over, and a fabulous Kirby cake? Nothing I say, and I better have at least a movie and chocolate strawberries for mine this year! Speaking of this year we more than made up for the debacle of last year and we were able to feed, entertai...

It is time for some Football...... The food has been prepared the beverages are cool. (nobody wants warm water or juice lol)
I am bound and detrmined to meet my personal weight loss goals so there is variety in our supper tonight. Healthy options include sonoran tilapia with baked potato wedges, and kymchee rice. The not so healthy options include sinful sweet cinnamon rolls, and fried chichen wings. I must ay it is very nice and even comforting when Everyone in the house pitches in with a meal. The hubby had to have Chicken wings which he prepared. My daughter kicked in the kymchee rice (not pictured) and the lil man of the house stayed out of the way while I made his requested cinnamon rolls. Well that is not all true, he did get the measring cups out and that was a big help to me. I hope you all have a Super Superbowl Sunday. For me the best time is Commercial time... Unless the Packers are playing then I will call for delivery and stayed glued to the Television.

A big part of why I do this blog is chronicle what works and doesn't work in and around my garden. Mostly because it ultimately will end up on our table or our neighbors and relatives tables. So I can't just fly blindly into the garden and just dig aimlessly at the crusty earth. I have to plan and prepare before I begin sometimes doing some testing of the area I plan to plant in. I have to research and decide what plants can successfully grow in my area... yada yada yada! I could go on and on about my process but for now I won't bore you. Gardening and it's larger counterpart Farming are usually learned skills. I have a knack and my husband would say insatiable desire to learn. This is why I'm posting information today about a great opportunity for those interested in expanding upon what they currently do or for those interested in dipping a foot into the field (so to speak) of farming. Years ago I participated as a jelly/jam vendor in a local farmers market here...

I have been contemplating for weeks how to start off this new year's blogging. I've thought about talking about the weather, the soups, the stews, the DIY projects I have planned. Ultimately I decided 3.5 seconds ago to talk about the countless seed catalogs that have been finding their way to me for the last several weeks. I am not complaining at all, and I so look forward to reading each of them at least three times before deciding which ones to order from. However, I do have issues with some of the names that are being chosen for the same exact plants. Maybe it's the region or the companies themselves are just trying to make things more interesting. All I know is that if I want to try something new I'd like to know it's origins and maybe the scientific name would be helpful to include so if a person like myself finds the same plant/seed and it has an alternate name(s) we can be assured of what it is we are trying to grow. Seriously is a Winged Bean a Pea or not...

So I went to the gym yesterday for a last of 2011 workout. I'm sure I lost some calories, but I also picked up a nasty bug. I've had fever chills and shakes since 8:00 pm yesterday and all I could think about having was kymchee rice. Thanks to my loving daughter my first meal of the new year today is her flavorful healthy and Delicious rice. The best part is I didn't have to attempt to make it myself. Somehow my rice overcooks and is too sticky but she gets the grains perfect and I relish the tart then saltiness of the fermented turnips and radish. It is just so good I have to get off of this blog here to indulge. Happy New Year World!! May there be plenty sowing of seeds and goodness this year. PEACE UP!