End of the Garden

Our bountiful harvest

We didn't have much of a garden this year, but what we did have did pretty good once it started raining.Those pumpkins were enormous! I think one was somewhere around 70 pounds! The other 3 about 20-40 pounds. We got about a dozen watermelons, about the same on cantaloupes. There was only one row of beets and one of onions, but that was enough to keep us well fed for a couple months, as well as several cans of beets for the pantry. A neighbor supplied us with zucchini and chard, another with cucumbers, so in addition to eating fresh and fried squash and greens, I was able to put up a couple dozen quarts of pickles. I am not really a pickle person as far as store-bought goes, but I love my homemade pickles. I love to open a jar of pickled cucumbers or other veggies midwinter, to add some variety to our staples of rice, potatoes, carrots, onions and beans. 

Zucchini, cucumbers and onions ready for the pickling brine

As for the pumpkin, well, the largest went to our local library so they could use it for a fund raiser. If you're near Ash Fork, stop in and guess the weight for 25 cents a guess - the winner gets to keep the pumpkin and the library gets a boost to its budget. This little fellow grew right into the fence. We had to pick him before he got any more attached, but he seems to have ripened just fine.

A creepy halloween mutant

After giving away several more pumpkins, the last few will be eaten for the next few weeks and canned for later pies, breads and cookies. Sadly, we didn't plant any tomatoes. I can always use lots of jars of tomato sauce. Maybe next year...speaking of which, we will be on the road next year, looking for fresh, local produce and experimenting with our homesteading practices in a 28 foot RV and a 14 foot trailer. Should be very interesting. 

Thanks for stopping by.

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy these:

Farmer's Market

Rose Petal Jam

Tomato Tales

Worms!

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/10/homestead-barn-hop-132.html

Eat More Greens!

ready for lunch

Mrs. D is obsessed with eating greens lately.  Daily large salads were becoming a habit until the sub zero temps hit.  Then it was lightly braised greens on the side of a baked potato, squash or meat.

Greens are great to grow indoors.  They don't need to be pollinated, and there are several varieties that are easily propogated in pots in a sunny window.  Lettuces, collards, beet greens, kale and spinach to name a few of my favorites.  Don't forget the lentil sprouts, wheatgrass and chives.  Garlic also grows well in pots, and don't underestimate the delight of fresh herbs - oregano, rosemary, mint and basil. 

indoor lettuce - just harvested some for lunch

Check out this great video by Leanne at Saving Dinner on how to cook greens.

Many stores have great prices on lots of organic produce now, and our local health food store stocks beautiful seasonal greens.  Of course,  here in Arizona we can get most greens locally within 50 miles or so, year round.

lentil sprouts ready to eat

Simple greens are some of the most economical, healthiest things you can do to improve your diet.  Even cabbage, which is usually a great buy anytime.  Mrs. D enjoys the versatile cabbage year round, red or green, cooked, raw or brined into sauerkraut.  A few slices in a stir fry, or a big hunk steamed and served with butter, salt and pepper are both winners for chilly evening suppers. 

Here is one of my favorite ways to include cooked greens in my menu plan:

Mrs. D's Chow Mein

1 lb. cooked spaghetti noodles
2 cups chopped greens - mix and match cabbage, chives, collards, kale, chard, parsley, etc.
2 cups assorted fresh or frozen veggies, chopped
2 T. olive oil
4 T. soy sauce
pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, to taste
dash turmeric
1 cup or less of water, vegetable or meat broth

Heat oil, add noodles, stir fry 1 minute.  Add assorted veggies, then greens.  Add soy sauce, stir fry 1 minute, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water or broth until veggies are tender.  Add spices to taste.  Turn off heat, cover 2 min. to allow flavors to blend.  Serve and enjoy!
Eggs or meat can be added for a heavier meal, rice can be substituted for "Fried Rice".  We love to eat this with chopsticks!

Go Trybe

 

We live a very active lifestyle, caring for our livestock, hauling and stacking hay; growing, harvesting and preserving some of our food; hauling and cutting our firewood, etc.  So I wasn't particularly enthused about trying an online excercise program.  Once we got into it, though, it was actually kind of fun.  My 8 year old son really had a blast!

He started right off creating his avatar, then went to trying out the different workout videos.  When he discovered that he earned points to spend on clothing and accessories for his avatar, he was "off and running".



Go Trybe is a fitness and wellness program for all ages, but focused on children and teens, with an aim to combat childhood obesity.  Children sign in and create their avatar, choose workout videos to complete, learn about nutrition, wellness and motivation and answer questions correctly, and earn points to spend on their avatar.  Favorite workouts can be saved or pre-built workout sessions can be used.  Workouts cover warmups, cardio, strength and flexibility training.

Three tribes address the needs and abilities of different age groups:  ZooDoos - up to 5th grade; Trybe180 - 6th-9th grade; Nextrybe - 10th-12th grade.  Trybers can make and message friends, post bulletins called "shout outs", and earn badges at various point increments.  Trybers with the highest points in each division make Trybal Leader.  The kids fitness blog posts the latest Go Trybe updates, and also provides a link to the trybal store where members can purchase shirts and other gear with the Go Trybe logo. 




For parents and other adults, the blog features tips, recipes and other resources to help encourage a healthier lifestyle.  Go Trybe also hosts forums to address members specific questions or needs.  There is even an opportunity for trybers to participate in Go Trybe video shoots in Tennessee by becoming a Trybe Athlete.

My only disappointment with this program is the immodest dress (so prevalent in our culture, especially in sports).  Parents with concerns, especially for helping their sons to keep their thoughts pure, should definitely make use of the FREE TRIAL, to evaluate whether this is something you want to use with your children, who will be watching it over and over...

To try Go Trybe for one day for FREE, go to the sign up page and enter the promo code GETFIT.  If you want to continue after the FREE TRIAL, the cost is $19.95 a year (regular $39.95).   The kids fitness blog is offering membership for only 99cents a month for a limited time, use promo code KIDSFITNESS.  There is also a discount for AAU members. 

See what other Homeschool Crew Members have to say about Go Trybe.

We received a free limited time membership in Go Trybe in exchange for posting our opinions and experiences with it.  No other compensation was received for this review.

Nutrition 101: Choose Life

I love this book.  Ever since I was in high school I have been reading everything I could get my hands on about health and nutrition.  My parents liked to tease me about being "the healthiest corpse in the graveyard", but I didn't care.  I've always thought that what life we do have we should try to enjoy fully.  I've also always had a strong suspicion that what we eat has alot to do with how we feel.  And at Growing Healthy Homes unbelievable as is may seem, are four people who agree with me. 

Based on sound scientific research and flavored with a Biblical perspective, Nutrition 101 is chock full of information on each of the body's systems and each one's specific nutritional needs.  This is a text that can be used year after year for health class in all grade levels.  With young children, you may just want to touch on the basics of each chapter, and do one of the fun activities and make the power recipe.  Older children can study in more detail, delving into such areas as the Nervous System and amino acids, diabetes, heart disease and natural and artificial sweeteners and their effect on the body.

My personal favorites were the alkaline/acid food charts in the Appendices, and the menu ideas.  I printed out copies of the "Food Pyramid Serving Checklist" and found out I wasn't doing nearly as well as I thought I was in trying to include more vegetables in our daily menu.  This has become a favorite reference for my weekly meal planning.

Nutrition 101 will help you to raise healthy eaters as children learn and understand how food is processed, what preservatives do to our bodies, advantages and disadantages of natural vs. artificial sweeteners.  There are lots of fun projects and a power recipe incorporated into each week's lesson (see activity guide starting on page 285).  In the very first chapter, The Brain, children make guacamole and sprout an avocado seed.  High schoolers study the effects of ethylene gas (from and apple) on the ripening process.

The initial investment in this product does seem a bit high, at $79.95 for CD, $99.95 for the book, and $129.95 for the combo, but keeping in mind that it is designed for repeated use, year after year with all grade levels, and that works out to about $10 a year for just one child, less than that for more children!  When you find yourself and your family actually eating better, likely there will also be a substantial savings in health care as well.  An extra bonus the company has offered to Homeschool Crew readers - that's you! Is a special 15% off.  Just go to their website and enter the coupon code at checkout:  TOScrew11.

See what other Homeschool Crew Members are saying about Nutrition 101.

We received a special download edition of Nutrition 101:  Choose Life for review purposes.  No other compensation was received for this review.