Spring is in full swing, the weather is warmer, and we are all excited to get out of the hot kitchen and have a much cooler, lighter fare. Spring salads are the perfect solution to your seasonal dilemma. Here you'll find a bunch of recipes that are quick, easy and will leave you lots of time in your day to lounge by the pool or do a little spring cleaning! /1/ Fennel and Citrus Salad - This salad is filled with a yummy combo of both sweet and spicy. If you're someone who eats a Paleo diet, this recipe is perfect for you! /2/ Sweet Orange and Pineapple Salad - This salad would be beautiful on a plate with Simple Skillet Cooked Salmon or a roasted chicken dish. /3/ Greek Green Bean Salad - Need a light and tasty dish to take to your next potluck? Voila! This green bean salad will be … [Read more...]
Community Gardening – A Beginner’s Square Foot Garden – Part One
I joined a community garden this year. Growing vegetables and herbs is something I’ve thought about for a long time. But digging up the back yard to create a garden was never high on anyone’s list at my house. In a matter of happenstance, In April I noticed an advertisement in the local paper for a new community garden and knew this would be my chance. I enlisted a good friend to share the plot so that both of us would have the ability to take summer vacations etc without being tied to tending a garden. Community Gardens are a great way to garden. Not only will you have a dedicated space for growing but you’ll have the resources of experience from other gardeners. Already I’ve found it fun to see what everyone else has planted and watch their plants growing too! My garden … [Read more...]
10 Slow Cooker Recipes that WOW
Sometimes it's nice to have dinner taken care of early in the day so you can simply enjoy your family at the end of a long day. Today I'll give you ten recipes that will taste as amazing as they look. Wouldn't it be nice to come home to this amazing dish after a hard day at the office? This recipe is not only good for tonight's dinner but, you can freeze a batch for next week too. It's a win-win! Roasted vegetables are normally tricky. Kate shows us how easy they can be in the slow cooker. Serve warm over rice or chill your roasted veggies and serve over a bed of lettuce. Taco Night is a quick and easy meal most any time. After all, you can brown and season the meat the evening before. The meal falls short at the canned refried beans. Alaska from Scratch gives us a … [Read more...]
Community Gardening – Summer Maintenance and Harvest of a Square Foot Garden
Hurry up and wait. That’s what this first month of the garden has been. After planning and building and filling the raised bed, there was plant purchases and reading and actual planting. Now we wait. Planting in late May, we chose to skip seeding for the most part and chose organic plants to transplant into the bed. The good news – almost all of them have taken hold. We did lose the cilantro almost immediately – this wasn’t much of a surprise as I’ve never had much luck with cilantro even in containers on the back porch. We built a trellis for the cucumbers and staked the tomatoes. With tomatoes, you ultimately have 2 varieties – determinate and indeterminate. Basically – those are plants that will either produce one time a set amount (determinate) or continue to produce … [Read more...]
Tips for a Healthier Thanksgiving Meal
Let's talk Thanksgiving! With turkey day just a couple weeks away, it's time to get your meal plans together. It's better to be organized so that you won't be overwhelmed when the big day arrives. You can even create a timeline for Thanksgiving day so you know what your making all throughout the day, making sure you'll have everything ready by dinner time! And since I'd like to only have to run a 5K to work off all of that ridiculously delicious food, let's make a few small changes to make Thanksgiving dinner a little healthier this year! Turkey - I've never made a turkey myself, but I'd imagine that baking the turkey would be the healthiest way to go. Let's just bypass the deep fryer, shall we? There are tons of recipes for your main turkey dish just like these turkey … [Read more...]
Easy 3 Bean Vegetarian Quinoa Chili – A Fall Food Favorite
Fall. There’s everything to love about this season (ok except yard clean up). Even those dreary, drizzly days are a great excuse to just sit on the couch, organize your closet, read, or watch football AND put a pot of this delicious Vegetarian Quinoa Chili on the stove. Loaded with veggies and great flavors, this easy, hearty chili will satisfy everyone around your table. We’re raving about it – you will too! 3 Bean Vegetarian Quinoa Chili Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod Serves 10-12 Ingredients ½ cup quinoa, rinsed 1 cup water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 medium zucchini, … [Read more...]
