What's New in My Garden This Year: Herbs Galore & Some New Fertilizer Options

Spring has FINALLY arrived here in Southern Ontario, and the planting has begun!

I have a surprising number of new additions to the garden this year - it wasn't something I really planned on, it just kind of happened :) The photo above is calendula seedlings which I was thrilled to see coming up; I was given a calendula plant by a local herbalist last summer and it did very well for me. I was hoping it would reseed itself vigorously and it seems to have done just that! If most of them thrive, I may actually be able to give a couple away myself. I dry the flowers all summer long to use for making salves and balms.

You may recall that I tried 2 new food plants last year: sorrel and ground cherries. While I loved the taste of the sorrel, it hasn't come back up this spring :( (it was a division from a friend last year). The ground cherries were a bit of a bomb, they didn't seem to ripen properly before the husks went all brown on me (they were probably in a less-than-ideally-sunny location, which may have contributed to the problem). They also took up a lot of space, and given that we didn't adore them, I don't think I'll grow them again.

Onwards to 2014 - here's a quick tour of what's new in my garden this spring:

Lots of herbs!

 On the top row are lavender and sage and the bottom are thyme and lemon mint (which was subsequently planted in the clay pot before putting it in the ground so it doesn't take over the entire bed!). The sage and thyme I picked up at the Mustard Seed seedling sale; the mint and lavender came from William Dam.

The lavender, sage, and thyme are all planted in my front bed that gets plenty of sun so I've got fingers crossed that they all thrive there! And I'm hoping these perennial herbs will finally fill out the bed along my front walk that's been looking a bit scruffy the past few years. The calendula seedlings are in the same bed with all these herbs, so I'm looking forward to a robust and great smelling herb garden along my front walk as all these plants fill in.

The lemon mint was selected by my 14 year old son - he requested a few plants of his own to grow this year and fell in love with this mint when we were at William Dam. He also picked out a few jalapeno pepper plants which are now in one of our raised beds. He has committed to doing all the care for these plants - we'll see how long it takes for him to get tired of the weeding and watering routine :)

I decided to give garlic a whirl last fall, and while it looks like critters got at a lot of it, I have 3 plants coming up strong. I was also given some lemon basil seeds by my lovely friend Roseatta, so a bunch of them have gone in the ground and I'm anxiously waiting to see how many of them germinate! The photo on the far right shows some of the perennial onions we were given last year by a colleague of my husband's. These are VERY robust - even after the brutal winter we had, they popped right back up in early spring and as you can see they are already producing huge amounts of green onion tops for us (which is good, because I put them in just about everything that isn't dessert).

For the first time ever, I broke down and got some lettuce seedlings so we could start enjoying our lettuce harvest a lot sooner. I picked these up at the Mustard Seed sale and I believe the variety is "Red Flame", but don't quote me on that because I have a terrible memory for that sort of thing :) I have direct sown some lettuce seed as well, so if all goes according to plan we should have a steady lettuce harvest for quite a few weeks (of course, things seldom go entirely according to plan in my garden!)

I was also gifted some strawberry plants, so in the ground they have gone, and a welcome addition they were, too. I haven't been tending to my strawberry patch very well since I transplanted them to another raised bed a couple years back, and the plants are looking far from robust. I am going to work on getting these guys back to good health this summer!

New Fertilizer Options

The plants aren't the only new thing in my garden plans this year. I'm going to be trying a few new ideas for fertilizing (something I've typically been not so great about). I have three new options I'm going to use, two of which are free and the third extremely inexpensive.

First up is this milk and molasses plant food recipe - super easy to whip up and something I might actually remember to do on a regular basis!

The next option is Freebie Fertilizer #1 and I might add I was quite relieved to discover this tip! As many of you know, I have been brewing kombucha for a couple of months now, and I am starting to get overrun with scobys (that's my scoby hotel on the left in the photo above). Of course, I am happy to give them away to friends who want them, but there are only so many takers (especially when each person who takes one starts getting overrun with them too, and my whole circle of friends is swimming in scobys). You can imagine my excitement when I discovered that people have had great success using them to fertilize their plants. Here's hoping my strawberries, tomatoes, rhubarb and raspberries all benefit from a little "scoby" treatment. Apparently many chickens go nuts for scobys, so if you are also overrun with them and know someone who has chickens, that might be another great alternative. I may just offer some to our egg farmer!

Photo courtesy of pd4pic.com

Freebie Fertilizer #2 is another one I just discovered after being given a comfrey plant (my plant is still looking a little worse for wear after being transplanted, so that's a stock photo). Comfrey can be used for fertilizer in a variety of ways; here's a good summary. I'm most likely going to go with the mulch option as it's the least involved and I am, after all, a pretty lazy gardener :)

I'll be sure to share how my fertilizer experiments work out later in the season!

What new and exciting things are happening in your garden this year?

 

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

RECIPE ROUNDUP: Rhubarb, 2014 Edition

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

I have a special place in my heart for rhubarb - I think it's a very under-appreciated foodstuff! It's easy to grow yourself, and if you don't have your own patch, you probably have a neighbour or friend eager to unload their excess - and free food is a good thing. Rhubarb is also easy to freeze (simply chop and portion into freezer bags or containers) so you don't have to let any surplus go to waste.

Way back in 2011, I shared some of my favourite rhubarb recipes, and I thought it was about time to share some more! These are all recipes I have my eye on to try this growing season:

Lacto-fermented Rhubarb Chutney

Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

Rhubarb Smoothies

Rhubarb Marmalade

Pineapple Rhubarb Jam

Pickled Rhubarb

Roasted Rhubarb Salad

Spring Salad with Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Caramelized Rhubarb Pork Stir-Fry

You can also substitute rhubarb for half of the blueberries in my Easy Blueberry Oatmeal Squares or use half rhubarb and half strawberries to make strawberry rhubarb squares instead.

For a tangy breakfast treat, try adding about a cup of chopped rhubarb to my Baked Oatmeal recipe.

And if you happen to have a copy of my book, definitely make the Rhubarb Cinnamon Crunch Cake - it's one of my family's favourites!

Do you have a favourite way to cook with rhubarb?

 

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

7 Tips for Feeding Teenagers Without Breaking the Bank

Images courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

 I was chatting with a woman at a networking event recently when she happened to glance at the cover of my book and exclaim “I spend $400 a *WEEK* on groceries – I have two teenagers to feed!”

Now, when you do what I do for a living, a lot of people confess their grocery bill to you :) and this is one of the largest grocery bills I've yet encountered in my neck of the woods. The thing is, I really got the feeling that she felt there was no way she could do better than that. I run into a lot of moms who appear to accept without question the fact that their grocery bills are going to be out of control during the years they're feeding teenagers (especially if they're blessed with boys!)

While it certainly takes more focus to keep your food budget under control during these years, it's entirely possible to do so without resorting to beans and rice every day! I recently shared that our per-person food costs are the same as they were 20 years ago, and I'm now feeding 14 and 16 year old boys (a.k.a. perpetual eating machines). All of the tips I provided in that article apply to feeding teenagers, too.

Here are a few more thoughts on feeding this budget-challenging age group:

1. Junk food is a luxury, not a necessity! Nothing runs up a grocery bill faster than piling tons of snack foods into your cart. I know the pressure can be on to keep the house stocked with pop, chips, and other munchies (especially if there tends to be a whole gaggle of boys hanging out at your house like there is at my place!) I've made it clear throughout my boys' lives that we just don't buy those foods, except very occasionally for birthday parties and the like (after all, not only are they expensive, they're not the healthiest choices, either!) Now that they're teens, when they complain that we don't have pop and chips, I remind them that they are welcome to spend their OWN money on those items if they want them that badly. We always have plenty of popcorn around for stove top popping, and I will buy a bag or two of my favourite good-quality organic tortilla chips when they go on sale, so there are always inexpensive alternatives available to them.

2. Keep beverage consumption under control: Teenage boys are thirsty critters and if you're not careful, they can guzzle away several dollars a day in juice, sports drinks, pop, etc. As mentioned above, we just don't buy pop except as an occasional treat. Teens do love fizzy drinks, and we now have two inexpensive and healthful homemade options in our house: water kefir and kombucha (for those of you who are skeptical that your teens would go for something this "alternative”, I offered a glass of lemon ginger water kefir to a close friend of my boys the other day, and as I was walking away I hear him say to them, “I wish my mom would make stuff like this!”). We have a limit of a 4 ounce glass of juice each per day, and 8 ounces of milk (we get tons of other dairy in our meals). I have trained my family to drink lots of water so when they're thirsty it's the first thing they reach for.

3. Go easy on the meat portions: Just because they are “growing boys” (or girls), it doesn't mean they need insanely-sized portions of meat. Four ounce portions are about the maximum I typically serve at a meal. Yes, they will still get enough protein! Dietary surveys have shown that even teenage boys easily meet their protein needs (in fact, they typically get about double the protein they require) so don't feel like you need to provide massive meat portions to make sure they're adequately nourished.

4. Stock up on inexpensive, high protein snacks: While there's not much likelihood your teens will be deficient in protein, providing some lower-cost high protein snacks will help them feel full longer so they won't eat everything in sight. Scrambled eggs or omelettes, toast with nut butters, sunflower seeds, and roasted chickpeas are all great options that work well in our home (and the last two are great portable snacks for teens on the go). If you have a few minutes to whip together a batch of Chocolate Powerballs, your teens won't even realize they're having a nutrient-rich snack, they'll just think they're enjoying a chocolatey treat :) This recipe is actually simple enough that your teens can make them by themselves!

5. Get into the bread making habit: We typically go through a loaf of bread a day in my house these days, and that can really put a dent in your grocery bill fast! Even if you're buying sale-priced bread, you can save over $40 a month by making your own. It's very simple and convenient to do so using my Whole Wheat Refrigerator Bread Dough (seriously, I don't know what I'd do without this recipe.) No bread maker required! Added bonus: You can use this dough for pizza crusts and to make homemade "pizza pockets", which will make your teens really happy while keeping your budget in check :)

6. Make your own yogurt: If you have a lot of yogurt lovers in your house, it's well worth the modest effort to make your own yogurt, too. You absolutely don't need a yogurt maker or any special equipment to do so – I use this method and my complete detailed instructions can be found in my book (I've had MANY people tell me they had success making yogurt using my method; they are always so surprised by how easy it is!)

7. Granola is your friend: I've heard many horror stories about teenage boys polishing off an entire box of cereal for a bedtime snack. Boxed cereals are another budget-buster, and aren't very nutrient-dense for the cost. Homemade granola is much more filling and nutritious – especially when paired with some homemade yogurt and/or some fresh or frozen fruit, it's a very satisfying snack. My basic granola recipe is so quick and easy, we often get a batch in the oven while we're cleaning up the dinner dishes.

Hopefully, I've convinced you it's not necessary to just throw up your hands in despair and resign yourself to spending $350 a week on groceries during the last few years your kids are at home.

Do you have any great tips on feeding teens on a budget? Or maybe a challenge I haven't addressed? Let me know all about it in the comments!

 

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

My Family's Rewarding New Evening Ritual (+ Can You Do Me a Big Favour?)

 Images courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that sometimes the simplest changes we choose to make can be some of the most rewarding. Many moons ago when I still outweighed my boys by a considerable amount, there used to be that natural evening rhythm of snuggling up with a lapful of freshly washed, footsy-sleepered boys and reading them a story or three before tucking them into bed.

As the boys went and got bigger, and we all got involved in more evening activities, that ritual fell by the wayside. As I feel the clock ticking ever louder towards the day when one or both of the boys will no longer be living with us full-time, I realized I really missed how we used to all gather together at the end of the day. 

I wracked my brain trying to figure out a way we could all reconnect at the end of the day in a way that felt easy, fun and not forced - something we would ALL look forward to. Then one day I thoght about how much we all enjoy playing games together around the campfire on our family camping trips, and how seldom we seem to play games when we're NOT camping.

Thus, our new routine of spending 30-45 minutes playing games together was born! We decided we'd commit to doing this Monday through Thursday, as on Friday and Saturday evenings the boys tend to spend time with their friends and Joe & I with ours (or each other) and Joe plays hockey on Sunday nights throughout much of the year.

We have a standing "appointment" at 9:30 p.m. for each of these four evenings, and each night a different person gets to pick the game. We also agreed that ALL screens would go off for the night prior to our commencing game time, which has been good for all four of us (and given that late-night screen time is supposed to disrupt your sleep, we're probably all sleeping better because of it).

It's ended up being so relaxing and fun, and great "bonding" time with some good (and usually very entertaining) conversation. We all look forward to this time together, and it just feels like the perfect way to wind down the day.

So, what are we playing? I'll admit we're a little short on good 4 player board games right now.  Our favourites are tile rummy, Uno, President and Whoonu, with the boys often requesting trivia games (we have a Harry Potter trivia game and Star Wars Trivial Pursuit). We do have a Scrabble set, but no one else in the the house wants to play with me because I'm pretty much going to win :) I'm going to keep my eyes open this yard sale season to see if I can find some other good games, and we really need to learn more card games, too!

I can't believe how much this simple idea has enriched our family life - and it didn't cost us a thing except the willingness to make this time commitment to one another.

Do you have a favourite family ritual you do with your older kids? Or do you have a good 4-player game to recommend?

While you're here, can I ask you a favour? I know many of my blog readers have been some of my book's biggest supporters, and I am so grateful for all of you that have purchased the book and helped spread the word about it. If you do have a copy of the book (or even if you've read a friend's or a library copy) would you consider reviewing it for me on Amazon? I'm doing a Book Review Campaign right now with the goal of adding 15 new reviews to the several wonderful ones that are already there. You don't need to have purchased the book on Amazon in order to review it there!

You can find more details on why this is so important to me, and how to do an effective review, by clicking HERE (this will open up a PDF file). Thanks to all of you who are willing to take this on (it should only take about 15-20 minutes of your time). 
 

Love what you read here? Click HERE to see the ways you can help support this blog (many of them won't cost you a thing!) 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to sign up for my Cook with Karen newsletter (max 2 emails a month)

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest 

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking