Grandma's Garden

We packed the girls up Saturday morning for an impromptu visit to Grandma’s house; she hadn’t seen them in over a year, I wonder who was more excited. Daddy got out of bed way too early, the girls asked the whole way (2 ½ hours), "Are we there yet?" and Grandmother must have awakened at the crack of dawn—when we arrived the aroma of baking permeated the walkway.

If you walk away from my husband’s childhood house hungry it would be your own fault—Emily doesn’t call her the "Cooker Grandma" for no reason. For lunch Grandma prepared fried chicken, homemade mac-n-cheese, macaroni salad, mashed potatoes, gravy and zucchini bread. For desert she made us a fruit pudding with zucchini… I hesitated, but, once I tasted it I discovered it really was to die for. I suppose I aspire to be like my mother-in-law in the kitchen; basking in the nurturance of her children through her many kitchen creations.

After we finished this magnificent bounty, we went out to Grandma’s garden. Don’t let the concept of a grandmother gardening fool you. We harvested lettuce, red cabbage, white cabbage, red potatoes, red tomatoes, green tomatoes, green beans, sugar snap peas, green peppers, and cucumbers… the harvest was luscious and plenty. My husband jumped right in and started obeying the instructions his mother gave while Emily followed every move her grandmother made.

Sahara didn’t have much interest in the garden, but did find complete pleasure in running through an acre of land without anyone barking at her to stop or constantly reminding her of her boundaries. Her spirit was free and the land fed her soul! (The city girls still have the country innately in them that is for sure.) I think one of the things I miss about the country is the sense of freedom it offers.

I found quiet pleasure watching my husband not have a care in the world; for a day the autism seemed obsolete, computers did not need fixed, employees did not demand his time, and money was not a concern. The country air enveloped him as he educated his girls about his childhood stomping ground, including the cemetery down the lane where is father was laid to rest. The girls carefully pranced around his headstone telling their grandfather stories of a life he missed.

It was sad to leave and head back to the city. But, I presume, that if we didn’t we wouldn’t appreciate it as much as we do.

It’s June!

June brings an explosion of festivities; the kids are out of school, summer greets graduates who are preparing for their next adventure, June brides have their marriages commenced, expectant mothers are pampered with baby showers, and father’s honored with a day of rest and relaxation.

June is referred to as the “door of the year”; a gateway to transformation. All of life assembles to create new opportunities and abundance. Not only do people experience colossal changes, but the earth as well; vegetation thickens, trees stand tall, and the sky glistens above.

June the month of many things:

Adopt a shelter-cat month
Children’s awareness month
Fireworks safety month
Gay & lesbian pride month
International men’s month
People skills month
Perennial gardening month
Accordion awareness month
Rose month
Rebuild your life month
Student safety month
Vision research month
Bless-a-Child month
Dairy month
Skin cancer awareness month
Entrepreneurs marketing month
Turkey lover’s month

Money Saving Tip #4: Shop Smart While Buying More Organic and Healthy Foods

Managing a healthier home may seem overwhelming when embarking upon this new lifestyle. When we started changing the foods we ate, I used to argue it was too expensive to eat all organic and healthy food. Now I have learned to shop smarter. Here are my top 10 ways to save money while shopping organic:

1) Buy only what you need by creating a week’s menu. Check the pantry and refridgerator for what is on the menu for the week and make your list accordingly. This will prevent purchasing more than you need and result in fewer things ending up in the garbage from spoilage.

2) Freeze left over's- they make great snacks, lunches or meals for those busy nights.

3) Buy bulk or a share from a local farm. If this is too much product for you look for another family to share the food with.

4) Comparison shop. Take an afternoon and go to the stores you purchase from and find out which one has the better deals on specific products. (This might surprise you.) Use the flyers that come in the mail to see what is on sale, even the regular stores will advertise which organic or natual products are on sale.

5) Take cash. Only commit to spending the allotted amount with you. This will force you to stay on the list and within budget.

6) NEVER shop hungry. I sometimes wonder if that is why they have those tasting stands. The customer comes in hungry looking for samle and ends up purchasing more than the intended... it is all about marketing.

7) Give the children their own list. This will give them something productive to do while learning life skills (instead of impulse shopping for you).

8) Avoid processed foods. These foods are have with no true nutritional value. Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables instead.

9) Don't wash produce before storing- that will increase the rancidification process.

10) Get coupons. Yes, there are coupons available for healthy foods too.

Manage your Garden Safely (Without Harmful Chemicals)

Let’s be real… the practices of conventional farming frightens me, but what options do I really have?

Creating an organic garden takes time and labor. However, by just implementing a few steps using other organic life your garden can be protected from those unwanted creatures.

1) Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum) -- You can either crush it into a powder or make it into a tea tonic to be sprayed. Either way this is safe and nontoxic to you and your pets, but toxic to those unwanted soft insects and cold blooded vertebrae.

2) Mexican marigolds -- These plants can be scattered through your garden to protect from unwanted weeds saving you time from pruning. They also ward off unwanted creatures while being very pleasing to the eye.

3) Garlic -- This aromatic herb has been known to ward off Japanese beetles and other insects. It has even been reported to ward off mosquitoes. What's the harm... fresh garlic will be the results of your labor... Yum!

4) Lavender Oil and Lemon -- This mixture is effective in warding off moles, mice, and other unwanted creatures.

Happy Gardening!