How Does Your (Herb) Garden Grow?

This crazy winter/summer weather in May had me holding off on getting my herbs in.  Too cold or too hot just isn't fun.  But finally we got the job done.  I had to replant almost everything because of the bitter winter we had.

(I can see at least 4 upcoming projects I need to work on in this photo!)

Basil

Of course this annual gets planted new EVERY year.  I put in a lot this time.  In the foreground you can see three lemon basil plants that were part of my auction lots.  I'm looking forward to experimenting with them.

Rosemary

My poor Arp rosemary is looking kind of pitiful.  Frankly I thought I had lost it to the cold.  But it is struggling back.  I think I'm going to plant a couple more (when I find nice ones) since we use so much of it.

Don't you love the butterfly?  Sis gave it to me.  Thanks Sis!

Chives and Garlic

Last year's garlic and this year's chives.  Himself will enjoy the chives in his cooking.

Oregano

I see more Italian cooking in my future!

Thyme

One of my favorites.  We use this a lot; it is especially yummy in scrambled eggs.

Sage

The two rows on the left are regular sage and on the right are pineapple sage.

I lost all my sage plants to winter.  The pineapple sage was also part of the auction plants that I am playing with.

Love the color on this sage plant!

French Tarragon

This one gets babied thru the summer.  I was happy to see it come back this spring as it is somewhat hard to find around here.  It does NOT like the TN heat what-so-ever!  And I'm sorry but Mexican 'tarragon' is not really tarragon.

Italian Parsley

It's not as pitiful as it is looking.  It's just a bit water droopy.  

Grape Tomato

Not sure what variety.  Last year I planted some beautiful fennel next to my tomatoes.  

They did NOTHING most of the year.  Nothing... like not even growing in height.  They were green and lovely but no growth and no tomatoes. 

I later found out reading about companion planting that fennel inhibits growth of tomatoes.

Boy does it ever!!!!!

We have tomatoes this time!

My biggest disappointment is my asparagus.  I have about 15 feet planted... and only about 6 sprouted.  This is their third year and I was so looking forward to plate after plate of fresh asparagus.  I've noticed neighbors aren't having much luck with their crops either.  I really hope I get a lovely surprise next spring...

(The cute chicken trellis was also a gift from Sis.  She's got great taste, doesn't she?)

I'm excited about my herbs and looking so forward to the cooking I'm going to be doing  with them!

Time To Pick The Berries!

Today is National Pick Strawberries Day!!  

And just down the road from us is a pick-your-own strawberry farm.

Can you guess what Himself and I are going to be doing very soon?

YUM!!

Please Pass the Bicarb

A while back I was having some issues with heartburn, particularly at night.  So I did a bit of research on the topic.  In clearing out some computer files, I found the information I had gathered.  It was helpful to me, so I’ve decided to do a post on it. 

There are several possible causes, including medical issues that are not fixable at home. 

Ones that you can have an effect on include: being overweight, eating too large of a meal – especially before bedtime, food intolerances, stress, and so on.  

So here are a few tips to combat that burning…

Decrease dairy products except fermented ones (like yogurt or Keifer).

Decrease sugar intake.

Don’t dilute stomach acid by drinking at meals.  Drink between meals instead.

Reduce caffeine. 

Red meats can cause heartburn.  Eat more chicken or fish.

Increase eating vegetables.

Pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and apples contain digestive enzymes that can help a sour stomach.

Don’t take medicines (unless so directed) or vitamin/minerals on an empty stomach.

Don’t over-eat.  Be really careful about buffets and potlucks.

Take probiotics.

If you’re already experiencing that hot coal feeling, you’ve probably taken an antacid.  There are some things that should be considered with that.

Antacids may be divided into two classes, those that work by chemical neutralization of gastric acid (sodium bicarbonate, Alka-Seltzer) and those that act by adsorption of the acid such as calcium and magnesium salts.

The chemical antacids show the most rapid onset of action, but may cause "acid rebound," a condition in which the gastric acid returns in greater concentration after the drug effect has stopped.

Taking an antacid is putting a band-aid on the problem.  They have side effects with long term, frequent use (particularly the chemical ones).

They can affect your digestion in all sorts of negative ways.  Bloating, diarrhea, decreased absorption of nutrients, they can increase food allergies, there is an increased risk of digestive tract infections, and the stomach starts compensating for the reduced acid by producing even more.  Another major concern is for the kidneys.  They can contribute to kidney stones!

I’m happy to say that I’ve pretty much overcome my heartburn issues.  I’ve done that by losing weight, eating smaller meals with the evening meal being the lightest, when possible not eating after 5:30pm, drinking a lot of water, and eating more fiber.  (Those last four things have also really helped with the weight loss!)   

Non-medical heartburn isn’t something you have to live with.  

Salud! at Whole Foods: Romancing Rome (with recipe Spaghetti Carbonara)

On Valentine’s Day, Himself and I volunteer worked a class at Whole Foods called “Romancing Rome: Wine and Dine Like a Local”.  

The tables were elegantly set up for the couples who were taking the class.  The rain that evening seemed to make the room feel a bit cozy and romantic.

Several recipes were prepared by the students.  My favorite of the evening was spaghetti alla carbonara. 

The trays for each recipe were set up and waiting for the students.  

It is a speedy recipe once you get your prep work done.  

A quick mix to bring it together.

And dinner is served!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks at room temperature

1 oz (about 1/3 cup packed) grated Pecorino Romano, plus additional for garnish

1 oz (about 1/3 cup packed) grated Parmesan

1 Tb spoon olive oil

4 oz pancetta and/or bacon, sliced into pieces about ¼ inch thick by 1/3 inch square (use good quality bacon).

12 oz spaghetti

salt and coarse ground pepper

Pre-warm serving bowl with very hot water.  Set to side to end of food preparation.

While water is coming to the boil, whisk together eggs, yolks, Romano and Parmesan in a mixing bowl.  Season with a pinch of salt and generous black pepper.

Then in large skillet on medium heat, add pork and sauté until the fat just renders from the meat…crisp but not hard.  Drain off excess fat.  Set aside.

Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Cook until almost at al dente.  (While pasta is finishing, you warm the pork but don’t overcook.)  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and add to the skillet with the pork over low heat.  Stir for a minute or so.

Empty serving bowl of water and dry.  Add hot pasta mixture.  Stir in the egg-cheese mixture, adding some of the reserved pasta water if need for creaminess.

Serve immediately, dressing with a bit of additional Romano and pepper.

http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2014/03/foodie-friday-march-28th.html 

This Protestant Is Observing Lent

I’ve been thinking about Lent and what it is supposed to be for.  Growing up Protestant with Catholic friends, I had a decent idea of the practice of Lent.  But since my church didn’t follow the practice, I didn’t either.  In fact, many of my church friends made fun of the observance; “What are you giving up for Lent?”  “Brussels sprouts!” 

So I have not given Lent much thought over the years that have passed.  That is, until a few years ago.

Out of curiosity I studied on the Catholic practice of Lent.  Why they believed and did as they did.  There was some powerful stuff there.  Then I studied what I could find on Protestants observing Lent. 

I’ve been mulling on this for a long time now.

And I have decided to observe Lent. 

Not as a ritual, not following man-made rules (there is no Biblical requirement to observe Lent), not half heartedly.

I am going to observe Lent as an ‘adjustment of my sails’ so to speak.  As a time of thinking of Jesus and what He’s done for me.  And how He wants me to live for Him.  

There will be fasting… but not of something frivolous (and in my opinion insulting to God) like sweets or sodas.  That is one of the things that has always disturbed me…all the way back to the words of my snarky young friends.  Lent is supposed to be contemplation of Jesus’ suffering and dying for us, and we honor it by giving up candy bars for 40 days???

I want to be absolutely serious about this.  I want this Lenten season to bring me closer to God and Jesus.  To refine me. 

To that effect, I will be fasting pleasure time on the computer.  The computer will be only a tool…not a form of entertainment.  I will replace that time with different ways of serving Him.  Getting my home in order.  Entertaining others in my home.  Participating in mission-hearted activities.  And whatever else He brings to the table.

Also there will be a fast of attitude.  This one will be the hardest.  I will be fasting from negativity. 

Yeah…

No snarks, no gritching, no hissy attitudes.  

And there will be repentance.  I believe that this is the ultimate outcome of Lent.  To become aware of your failings and to apologize and to turn away from them.  That is what repentance means… turning away.  Stop doing it.  “Go and sin no more”. 

This is the heart of Lent.

51-derful: Supplementing A Healthy Diet

I’ve posted about my move to a healthier lifestyle with my eating habits.  But we all know that life sometimes gets in the way and you don’t eat exactly the best way for yourself.  Because of that, I take a variety of dietary supplements to make up the lack in my meals.  

I start off with a good women’s multi vitamin with a high B and D doses.  It meets almost every dosage level I want.

The high B is because of the great benefits and the fact that deficiency is fairly common.  A word of warning with taking vitamin B… especially if you take a separate supplement.  The instructions will warn you to “take with food”.  DON’T ignore that!!  Last year I forgot to take my vitamins at meal time.  A few hours later I remembered and thought it was close enough to my last meal.

Bad thought…

A few hours later… these vitamins I’d been taking for a while… turned on me.  It started with nausea and turned into pain.  It felt like I had burned my stomach.  There was a point where I thought I’d be heading to the urgent care center!  And it took days before the tender feeling went away.

Also, B6 increases neurotransmitter activity and can cause some vivid dreaming… so take it early in the day!  You don’t want a restless night’s sleep.

Vitamin D helps ensure strong bones by increasing the rate that minerals such as calcium and magnesium are deposited into bones. It’s also crucial for the absorption of calcium from food.  At 51, it’s time to make sure my dense strong bones stay that way.

I take a vitamin C supplement largely because it helps combat colds.  With the babies in my life… I need all the help in that area I can get.  Preschools are germ factories!!!

Next supplement is my Omega 3-6-9 complex for the cardiac benefits.  Again… being 51…

I take Magnesium for its calming effect on nerves and muscles.  It makes it easier to wind down for sleep.

For my tired ole bones, I take Glucosamine with chondroitin.  Himself has been taking this for a long time and it helps him.  (Twenty two years of jumping out of airplanes is hard on the body!)  I can tell the benefit in the knees coming up and down our stairs.

Finally, I take Coenzyme Q10. It is needed for basic cell function. CoQ10 levels decrease with age… again, that darn 51…

There is one more ‘supplement’ in my arsenal.  It comes in a bowl rather than a pill.  Most mornings I have a high fiber cereal.  Usually about 18-ish grams serving.  (Make sure you build up to a high fiber regimen!!)

These additions to my diet are proving themselves helpful.  I have more energy and feel all-around better when I keep up with them.

Time To Rest

Ever since turning 50, I’ve been working on creating a lifestyle and habits that will make life even better than it has been.

One of those changes is that I have started observing a day of rest.

God wants us to rest, He knows we need it.  “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.”  He is very serious about it:  “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.”  Exodus 23:12 and 34:21.

It didn’t take long until people nit-picked it to death…added to it… gave it their own interpretation… until it was unrecognizable.

Then Jesus came.  He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:11,12)

And because we humans can be a bit dense,  He also has told us: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  (Mark 2:27)

And so I have started observing a Sabbath rest…a true rest for body, mind, and soul.  In Colossians Paul tells us not to be bound up by rules but to observe the Lord’s rest in freedom.  I have picked Sunday to be my day of rest.  But if there is something major going on, I can rest on another day.

I start my day by heading over to church.  Sometimes we will go out for lunch with our Sunday school class or sometimes we come home.  Once we are home I don’t ‘work’ on Sundays.  No cleaning, no paperwork, no laundry.  But I can, if I chose, engage in a relaxing hobby or read a book.  I’ll write my sponsor kids; encouraging them.  I’ll work on something for a dear missionary family I’m getting to know. 

And I usually take a nap.

I noticed a change immediately.  I became more focused thru the week, less stressed.  I’ve gotten more done in less time.  I feel more peaceful.

Guess that is why He wants us to rest…

You Are What You Eat

 “If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff.”  ~ Remy in Ratatouille.

 

I’ve been working towards healthier eating habits this summer, starting with getting a lot more vegetables and fruits into my diet.  The weekly CSA farm box has been a big part of getting this process going.

 

 

A box like this keeps me going all week.  Plus I really enjoy the surprise of what is in there each week.

 

I decided to dig a bit deeper and do a bit of research.  I stayed away from questionable sites, opting instead for those of some reputation.  I suppose the first thing people think about regarding healthy eating is the ‘food pyramid’. 

 

 

So my first stop was at the Dept of Agriculture where I found out there is no more food pyramid!  It’s been replaced by “Choose My Plate” (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ ).   Then I moved on to major health institutions such as Harvard School of Medicine (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramid/ ) and others.  

 

Most encouraged a plant based diet with half of your meals being fruit and veggies.

 

As far as protein, it is suggest that one gets as much of your protein from plants as possible.  For meat, limit red meat to twice a week, opting instead for fish or poultry.  Stay away from processed meats of any kind.  Research is now showing that up to one egg a day is fine in a healthy diet.  

 

For oils, select vegetable oils such as olive or canola instead of margarine or butter.  One suggestion was to add a bit of butter or bacon fat to vegetable oil if you just must have the flavor.  

 

Switch from white (refined) to brown (whole fiber) pastas, rice, and breads.  Use steel cut or old fashioned oats instead of instant. 

 

“Children and adults need at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber per day for good health, but most Americans get only about 15 grams a day.

 

Fiber comes in two varieties, both beneficial to health:

 

•Soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, can help lower glucose levels as well as help lower blood cholesterol. Foods with soluble fiber include oatmeal, nuts, beans, lentils, apples and blueberries.

 

•Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water, can help food move through your digestive system, promoting regularity and helping prevent constipation. Foods with insoluble fibers include wheat, whole wheat bread, whole grain couscous, brown rice, legumes, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes.”

 

 

Reading up on water consumption was the big shocker.  Most sources state that 8 glasses a day is NOT enough water, and that 10 should be the minimum for women…more for men.  One site suggested a person should consider only water for hydration and other drinks as a treat.  

 

Many people are chronically dehydrated; with the effect of low energy, headaches, trouble concentrating, and trouble losing weight.  Also your body will cue hunger in an effort to get moisture if you are not drinking enough. 

 

I bought a container that holds 80 liquid ounces so I know how much I have to go by the end of the day.  

 

Be careful with fruit juices as you are getting a whole lot more fruit sugars with juice.  One orange will yield two OUNCES of juice… so with that standard glass you are in taking four oranges!  Wow.  I’d never thought of it like that.

 

Something that has been working very well for me is to eat a breakfast of high fiber cereal with some fruit or yogurt around 7 to 8 am.  Noontime lunch is the largest meal of the day, and mostly plant based.  Dinner comes early – absolutely no later than 5pm.  It is extremely light.  Fruit, soup, or a smoothie.  

 

My only issue is that it is very hard for me to maintain when I am away from home.  But I’m working on that, mainly with portion control.  (Don’t ask about my last visit to my family; birthday treats are a weakness and I was completely unrepentant.  I paid for it too!)

 

But I guess the fact that I do feel it when I ‘fall off the wagon’ means something is working…