The Peas Are In!

It was an amazingly beautiful day and I could not let it pass without planting something. In the center foreground, under the unused satellite dish, is the pot that is now home to what I hope will soon be seven sugar pea pod plants. We haven't used the dish in about three years now, but this will be the third straight growing season it has provided a wonderful trellis-effect for my vegetables.

Peas can take some frost. Therefore, even if it turns off colder again, they will survive. If we have a hard frost threat, I'll just cover them over with some old sheets and they should be fine. 

Tomorrow is spring root vegetable day at my friend's house. Carrots, radishes and beets will all go in and hopefully be sprouting soon. I'll keep you posted.

Side note: The two pots in the background are the garlic I planted last fall. They haven't come back up yet but I'm hoping they survived the hard winter. The bottom corner left is some recycled celery that is doing great!

Now Taking Reservations For Tomato Plants!!

Doing some sunbathing on 4/17/14

Tomato plants as of 4/6/14

[Totals updated 4/17/14]

**All plants are now $3.00 each**

This is the original post from 3/29/14, that details how the plants were grown and when they can be potted or put inground. For current total numbers of plants, scan down to photos and descriptions of each variety.

Okay, okay...I think it's time to start reserving your tomato plants! [Can you feel my excitement?]

If you're a Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky local, I know the weather outside belies the fact that spring is coming, but I guarantee that as soon as that thermometer hits and stays above 65, everyone will be flocking to the home and garden stores to get first dibs on their summer plants. Wouldn't you like to have the comfort of knowing that yours are growing safely, warmly and organically in the home of a really nice person you know?!

Okay, you can see from the pictures that these beauties will be more than ready by the time you are. Average final frost date is May 10th around here and that's just six short weeks away. And if you're planting in containers, you can plant in late April or very early May and just move the plant into a garage or covered area if we are expecting a frost. I'd be happy to explain more on this if you need it.

Following this second photo, I will list what I already have available and if you're interested, please message me through Facebook or a.barthauer@gmail.com with the specific plant type and amount that you want. You do not need to pay until you pick them up, but here is the breakdown for cost. If you pick up before April 15th, you pay only $2.00 per plant. All sales April 16th or later will be $3.00 per plant. 

I need to move some of these out because I have more sprouting already. If I don't yet have what you would like, I probably soon will. There are a few things to keep in mind as you are shopping: 

• All plants were started from non-GMO, heirloom seeds from the SeedsNow company.
• To the best of my ability, all plants have been grown organically. I am, however, reusing and amending potting soil that I have utilized in the past. This original soil consisted of some organic, some conventional. All fertilizers, insecticides (if used) and worm castings have been organic, not conventional. Most have been purchased at Worm's Way and the castings are from my own wormery. We eat about 50-75% organically grown produce, so even the worm castings are mostly from organic food.
• Because all plants have been grown indoors, you will need to harden them before planting directly outside. When you make a purchase, I can give you counsel on how to do this.
• All reservations will be filled in a first messaged, first served order...but to have your order reserved, you must give me the specific type and number of plants you want.
• See the list of availability below. All photos and descriptions of varieties are taken directly from SeedsNow.com and are used merely to illustrate what the tomato should look like. Size and quantity may vary due to planting location, care given, soil used, etc.

Tomato plants as of 3/25/14

Cherry White,  1 available now: Very sweet; skin turns from white to pale yellow as they mature; high yield of tomatoes on one plant; crack resistant; great flavor and easy to grow

         

Black Krim,  2 available now:   Amazingly rich in flavor; skin turns to a reddish black color as it matures; interior is dark reddish green; very sweet; easy to grow

Cherokee Purple,  1 available now: Produces high yields of 6-12 oz fruits; very sweet and rich flavor; skin turns to a dark pink/purple color with a hint of green on top; easy to grow; extremely flavorful

Cherry, Chocolate,  0 available now: High yields; grows in clusters of 8; indeterminate plant height; high yield on one plant; crack resistant; great flavor and easy to grow

Rutgers,  1 available now: Excellent yields of bright red, medium-small fruits; vigorous vines; popular for cooking, canning, and paste

Tigerella, 1 available now: Rich tangy flavor; produces high yields up to three weeks earlier than other varieties; grows extremely well outdoors

Roma,  2 available now: Excellent yields of bright red, medium-small fruits; vigorous vines; popular for cooking, canning, and paste

Brandywine Pink,  2 available now: Produces large, up to 1 pound, pink fruits; excellent, exotic flavor; soft texture, creamy smooth flesh; easy to grow.

Cherry, Red (Small), 1 available now: Grows 1/2-inch small, sweet and firm fruits; Grows for an extended period of time; Very easy to grow

Beefsteak/Ponderosa Red, 1 available now: A great slicer; full of flavor; Easy to grow

Heritage Rainbow Mix, 1 available now: Produces good yields of great tasting beefsteak tomatoes; Chosen for wide-range of rainbow colors; very popular

Pear Yellow, 1 available now: Easy to grow; Excellent for canning and sauce; Produces small pear shaped yellow fruits.

Surprise!: 2 available now: These are two plants that came up "volunteer" and I am uncertain as to what variety they are. They will be one of the above varieties though.

***I may also have a limited number of Santa Fe, California Wonder (green/red) and Yellow Bell Peppers. Contact me for more information regarding these.***

That's it for now. I will continue to update quantities and availability as reservations are made. 

**Remember to message me through Facebook or at a.barthauer@gmail.com with the specific variety and amount that you want!**

As of 4/17/14, I have potted 5 plants here and 16 more plants have gone out to other gardeners. Four more are heading to Indiana to my nephew next week. There are only 16 left!

Now Selling Non-GMO/Organic Wheatgrass and Broccoli Sprouts

I'm going to start selling sprouts and wheatgrass. For $6.00 per container, you can pick up a standard salad greens-sized container filled with either wheatgrass or broccoli sprouts. I planted one container each of these and have been cutting the wheatgrass for over a month. I have harvested broccoli sprouts a minimum of 8 times and still have some left. 

As an added bonus is if you return the container filled with the remnants of your sprouts or wheatgrass and the soil when it is "spent" (a term that represents when the greens are done growing, you're done clipping them or they've become tough), I'll refund a $1 for the chance to reuse the container and to compost the remains of the soil and greens in my wormery.

The reason I took a photo of the seeded soil is because it will look like this...

in just a few short days. Actually, these are the container's I mentioned that we have used. I looked back and they were started the first (broccoli sprouts) and third weeks (wheatgrass) of February and I've been harvesting 4-6 times per week since then. The time has flown and I didn't realize how long I'd had them.

You must be local (Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati, Ohio area) to buy. I cannot ship these. And if you'd like to research the health benefits of wheatgrass or broccoli sprouts, click on the links below. There is a lot of buzz about microgreens right now. They are power packed with nutrition and ounce for ounce have more vitamins and minerals than the actual food. Wheatgrass can be juiced, both can be added to smoothies or placed in salads. Even if you're gluten sensitive, pure wheatgrass, without seeds, contains no gluten.

If all goes well, I'll soon be offering pea sprouts and red clover sprouts too. Contact me through Facebook, at a.barthauer@gmail.com or via Twitter (@AngelaBarthauer) if you'd like to place an order.

Link to benefits of wheatgrass

Link to benefits of microgreens like broccoli sprouts

Please Vote For My Photo

I submitted this photo in the SeedsNow photo contest where I could win a $100 gift card. I would greatly appreciate your vote! Click on the link and vote for a.barthauer

Thanks!

https://www.facebook.com/SeedsNow/app_181518015386164

Planting Greens

I planted some mesclun today.

Ahhh...the first of hopefully many warm days in succession. We've had a few here and there, but we're looking at temperatures above 50 for the next week...except for that pesky 44 degrees that I am just hoping is someone's idea of a joke.

Anywho, my planting genes are busting at the seams and even though I had a long day and was pretty tuckered out, I managed to get one container of Mesclun greens and some sprouts started for selling. The photo below are some greens that we've been eating from most of the winter and are the same as I planted today. The new planting won't look like this for a month or so, but I'll be able to harvest some baby greens in about two weeks.

I grew these inside under my grow light all winter and moved them to the patio greenhouse a few weeks ago. See links below for the grow light and greenhouse information.

It is time...finally...to get busy growing your food!

Gardman greenhouse review
Hydrofarm 4 foot light review
Planting with the phases of the moon link

Worm's Way, Erlanger, Kentucky

Okay. There are only about three stores right now in which I could spend significant amounts of time and money. Oddly enough, they all revolve around food. My local Kroger Marketplace is basically my second home and the Ace Hardware down the street from Kroger is still small (which is a bonus that there is always close parking!), never busy and the employees are friendly and helpful. Ace is my go-to place for odds and ends for our home and garden (albeit an apartment-sized home and garden).

But the one store where I could truly get lost and come back out to face reality several hours later is Worm's Way. I stumbled upon this gem within a few months of moving to Kentucky. It was a great place to visit, but at the time I thought it was mostly hydroponics systems. I had no interest in hydroponics six years ago, so I just thought, "Wow! What a great place, if I'm ever interested in hydroponics."

Then two summers ago, my friend Lori told me she'd stopped by Worm's Way to pick up some organic pest control for her garden and my interest was definitely piqued. Since last fall, I've made a handful of purchases at Worm's Way, but after last week, I foresee this increasing exponentially.

I love to just wander around and look at everything they're growing hydroponically and aquaponically (using fish to fertilize and feed the plants). The staff has always been helpful and kind, but they completely won me over last week when my friend Kari and I went in...with soil analysis in hand...and Ron spent upwards of 15 minutes or more helping us decipher the numbers and sort through what would be best for her garden. And I knew he wasn't just trying to sell us stuff we didn't need. When I mentioned some home grown options like using coffee grounds for nitrogen and banana peels for potassium and making my own compost tea from worm castings, he was open to those ideas and acknowledged their efficacy as readily as any products they had to offer.

We still made a few purchases and I have no doubt I'll be back. I felt good putting in a word of praise for Ron with The Boss, but my experience has been that any of the employees would have taken the same amount of time. What's even more rare is that if you have a question to which they don't know the answer, they will quickly research it or call upon the knowledge of another member of the staff instead of pretending like they know what they're talking about.

Spring is coming and if you want to grow organically and wisely discern that you probably won't get the best tools for the job at Wal-Mart, Target or your local farm co-op, check out Worm's Way. And don't let the prices throw you for a loop. They use high quality materials and many of the items are concentrates that will be diluted. There are only six states with stores, but they have everything available online as well.

Recycling Plastic Gift Cards

I've been doing this for a few years now, but as you can see from my stash, I'm a little behind in mailing out my plastic cards for recycling.

I stumbled upon this company a while ago and began mailing small packages of gift cards. You can actually get several in a standard sized envelope before you go over the weight limit for the cheapest postage. Up until the point that I found this information, I had just been throwing them away...which is also what stores do when you allow them to keep an empty card.

Local recycling companies don't take this type of plastic. Today, I googled the generic "recycle plastic gift cards" and Earthworks is still the only company that comes up even after about four years.

So yes, it will cost me a few dollars to mail all of these out, or I can do them a few at a time, but I'll have the assurance of knowing that they are definitely going to be recycled. And before you ask, yes...the best way to reduce the amount of cards in landfills is to simply reload them. The problem with that is I purchase them solely because my Kroger store gives gas points and discounts per gallon of gas when I purchase gift cards. Over the years, we have saved hundreds of dollars on gasoline simply by budgeting our purchases through gift cards.

I also found another site on ideas for reusing empty cards. I didn't see anything I could personally use there, but if you're crafty...and evidently have better scissors than I do...she offers several possibilities.

Wicked, Cincinnati, Ohio

Last night, I had a chance to see this musical for the first time. It definitely lived up to the hype. The score is beautiful, the acting was flawless and the singing talent was remarkable.

With the first notes that Glinda sung, I could not believe they range and beauty of her voice. This is no easy part to sing and I'm certain there are not many good actress with the range required. Afterwards, Abbey mentioned that Gina Beck (who played Glinda) is her favorite Christine Daae to perform in Phantom of the Opera (also coming to the Aronoff this year...minus Gina Beck, apparently). That just made sense. There aren't many quality actresses with the vocal range required for that role either.

Overall, the staging, lighting, special effects, dancing, singing, acting and on and on and on, were flawless. That happens rarely in live theatre...but it is magical when it does.

********************************

As far as I know almost all performances are sold out for the rest of this three week run, but they are holding ticket lotteries if you're interested. You can contact the box office at the Aronoff Theatre for more information.

It's Been a Long, Hard Winter

And yes, that would be my 10 year old in a tank top in 46 degree weather.

Oh...but it's sunny, she says!

At least all of her little neighbor friends are in flip-flops.

Basil Quinoa with Red Bell Pepper Recipe

I found this recipe through Pinterest last night because Meijer had a great deal on red bell peppers and I had six of them to use up. One more reason I love the internet (especially Pinterest). You simply search by ingredient and "voila!" instant recipe.

Now...here's the thing though...most of these I want to "vegan-ize". So I do have some parameters with which I am working when I hunt out the next great dish to prepare. I also only took one photo because just the night before I prepared a vegan version of this Irish Apple Cake recipe that looked amazing...but didn't quite taste like it. I painstakingly took photos throughout the process and then it was a little disappointing to say the least. I'll probably attempt it again another time.

But back to the quinoa.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup quinoa

1 1/3 cup 

1/4 teaspoon salt

*Rinse quinoa well and drain. Combine quinoa, water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

More Ingredients:

1 cup fresh basil, washed

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 Tablespoons raw cashews

3 cloves garlic

*While the quinoa is cooking, prepare your "pesto" sauce by placing all ingredients in a small food processor. Process until smooth. 

Note: This will probably be smoother if you soak your cashews for at least an hour prior, but it is not necessary. Also, 3 large cloves was a lot of garlic. You can reduce or increase this to taste.

 Even more ingredients:

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

*Prepare these three items and then combine the quinoa and basil sauce gently. Next, toss in the pepper, onion and sunflower seeds.

If you like pesto, you'll love this. To give it even more "cheese" flavor, you could increase the nutritional yeast by an additional tablespoon.

Enjoy!

Do You Know the Thoughts of God?

As I was completing my bible study lesson last week, there was a passage in I Corinthians that the author, Mary Englund Murphy, asked us to look up for reference. This is how it reads:

"For to us God revealed them* through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (I Corinthians 2:10-13)

First of all, the "them" that I stuck an asterisk next to is found in verse 9, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."

In other words, if you have the Spirit of the living God residing inside of you...which occurs when you trust Jesus as your one and only Savior, there will be "things" that come to your mind, your heart and your very soul that could have come from nowhere else, but that very same Spirit. For years, I have pondered this as I've had the random thought of a person pop into my head and I've felt I needed to pray for them and later finding out that at that same moment they were experiencing something for which they've needed prayer. I have also been the recipient of this.

Being prompted, "out of the blue" to say or do something that just makes no sense to my rational brain, or receiving the perfect words to say when you think there is absolutely no way you are equipped for the moment you find yourself in are other examples. Just this morning, I heard someone express this as, 'When it's the absolute last thing you want to do, but you know you have to do it.'

Yep, those are all from God's Spirit.

And there were two things that struck me anew or maybe even for the first time. As I have always been amazed at this when I have attempted to ponder exactly how God does it...this, the first wireless network, designed by God himself...I never knew the answer was right there in I Corinthians all along. It is the very thoughts of God!

God...who is so holy and blameless that He cannot even gaze upon me in my sin...became human and sacrificed himself so that by His Wonderful Counselor (aka the Holy Spirit)...didn't just think that leaving a list of do's and don'ts was enough; no...He determined to give us His thoughts.

Wow! Speechless...about sums it all up right now.

You know...I don't want most people to know my thoughts. But not only does God know all of mine, He graciously grants His to me through His Holy Spirit. This does not make me a god...no...it just allows me to "know the things freely given to us by God" (verse 12).

How can I know God, His plans for me, His grace, His mercy, His Love? Through His own thoughts for me.

I am humbled, for sure.

Did I say humbled? Whatever the word is for "lower than humbled", that is what I felt after I read verse 13. Paul has just written that God freely gives us the things we can know by the indwelling of the Spirit. Then he writes, "which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."

Yikes! Just that day I had been complaining to someone about people who have hurt me or my children. Part of this played into the lesson I was learning about liking people in spite of themselves. I really am weary of all the petty stuff that goes on amongst Christians in the west. But my gossiping about it just compounds the problem. I needed to repent of my unclean lips (see Isaiah 6:5) and apologize to the person who listened to my ranting. In other words, I wasn't anywhere near the neighborhood of speaking "spiritual words", so I must not have been conveying God's "spiritual thoughts" either.

I must say, I have been challenged in the past regarding my tongue, and to the credit of the teaching of the Spirit, I have improved over the years...but when I read this passage, something new resonated in me. It's not just about disciplining my tongue, stopping gossip and dissension. Honestly, I can't manage those in my own strength. Instead, what I can hope to remember is that when I am listening, God gives me His perfect thoughts. I'm absolutely famished for that, aren't you? Don't you long to have what verse 16 goes on to call "the mind of Christ"? He reminds us in verse 14 that it will seem like "foolishness" to the non-Spirit filled, "natural" man. 

If being a fool for Jesus is what it takes to be able to 'appraise all things, yet be appraised by no one'...to never have to worry, connive, manipulate, strive, labor to the point of exhaustion and collapse under the load of self-doubt again...then sign me up!

Abba, Father...You are good. You are holy. And yet, for some unfathomable reason, You want me to have your very thoughts embedded in my life. I am humbled. I am awed. I am filled with the ravenous desire to know You more and to know You deeper. I surrender my thoughts, my pride, my reputation and my sense of fairness so that I will be willing to be a fool for You. Alice thought that Wonderland was backwards, forwards and upside down. But You came and turned this world and everything we knew in it on its head. Wow! How amazing that the holy Creator of the universe would not rest until He could place his very thoughts inside the mind of a sinner like me. May I never seek to have anything stand between Your thought and life-giving Spirit and myself. When You help me recognize there is a hindrance, help me swiftly bring it to You for removal. Help me Abba! I just need more of You!

Amen!

They Love Me In Spite Of...Me

I am in a Bible study small group with a wonderful generational-blend of ladies from various backgrounds. This is how church, for me, should be. When I look around the room, I see women who were born in Germany, women who have to move frequently with military spouses, new moms and women who have been empty nesters for decades.

There are women who probably were in church the first Sunday after they were born and those that never stepped a foot in the door until Jesus was their only hope. We've had women still in college, women that were professionals for many years and women that have sacrificed careers to stay home. We have laid back and uptight. We have hungry, new learners and women that could quote most of the holy scriptures to you.

Mostly...we have Jesus. And apparently, He is all we need.

Because here's what happened last Thursday, and I've been chewing on it ever since: I have often disagreed with these ladies, challenging them with my weird, unconventional way of thinking and yet, after our luncheon, they began walking up to me and telling me they loved me, they appreciated that I think differently and I'm not afraid to speak up. They hugged me, patted my cheek and basically, just spoke love into my life. [Have I ever told you that I'm a "words of affirmation" love language person? Knowing that will help explain why this meant so much to me.]

Now, here's what I've been chewing on...this is how Jesus prayed for us to live. (see John 17:13-21) He didn't pray that we would all think alike, dress alike, forsake makeup alike and say the same words alike. No...He prayed that we would have unity. We are also told that "They will know we are Christians by our love" (see John 13:35) and that as "iron sharpens iron" (see Proverbs 27:17), we keep each other sharp. Not coincidentally, our pastor is currently preaching a series on being "One".

Here's the biggest reason why this all affected me so deeply though: I have had Christians walk away from or at a minimum back off from relationship with me for some very petty reasons.

It's sad really.

I have multiple examples I could share, but Holy Spirit is deeply challenging me about my use of words. Suffice it to say that some no longer speak to me, or have even turned their backs to me when I walk into a room. Remember...I am highly discerning. It doesn't take a genius to discern grievances when you position your back to me, or stop calling, or can never find time in your schedule to get together anymore. And some of these "disconnects" happened at a time when our world was caving in all around us and we desperately needed some hands to help hold us up. Financial assistance was always helpful and appreciated, but a brother or sister listening to our doubts and confusion was what we needed even more.

I don't throw all of this out there to try to make anyone feel guilty. I am hoping to draw the sharp contrast between someone not liking my sense of humor (an exaggerated example, but pretty close) and these women who still love me despite our disagreements on biblical interpretation, theology and discernment of the Spirit.

So yes...they love me in spite of...me! But more than this, they're teaching me to give this same gift to others. I know putting this out there means it will soon be tested in my life. My tongue and my attitude are both in need of some purification and if these ladies can love me when I challenge them to the core of all they have believed, I think I can attempt to let go of my petty grievances because you just don't like me anymore.

Not there yet...but it's a start.

I Think I Have a Problem

Hello. My name is Angela and I have an addiction to growing things.

I by no means am poking fun at anyone with an addiction. I really do think I have a problem. Yesterday after blogging about my new greenhouse, I ran out and bought another one. Like many addictions, I am blaming this one on my mother (she says facetiously!). It's all her fault.

I was on the phone with her when the UPS man brought my awesome purchase. I told her, "And I only paid about $42 for it on Amazon." Her reply? "Oh yeah...Menards had one in their Sunday ad for $19.99 and you get a $10 rebate, so it's only $9.99."

What the???

I debated with myself for the next hour...throwing my kids into the back and forth of my melee of "do I go?" "I can't go." "I wanna go" and "Where the heck is a Menards around here anyway?"

Well, I found one and it's an amazing, fairly new, two story model and of course they had the shelf. [I had checked online for availability first.] And if you know Menards, the rebates are in the form of a merchandise voucher for more stuff in their store. So yes...I will be making another trip soon.

The quality isn't as great as the Gardman model, but for half (or possibly a fourth, depending on your math) of the price, it will do. Mostly though, it was fun to get out and drive on a beautiful Spring day, visit a store I have missed dearly since we moved from the Indy area, have some time with Abbey dreaming up graduation and fundraising plans and then coming home and starting new mesclun, bloomsdale spinach, cilantro, Belgian endive, salad bowl leaf lettuce, gourmet salad mix and ruby red chard.

So there it is: I have an addiction. I definitely need to monitor my expenses and obsessive behaviors, but having a salad of fresh greens and broccoli sprouts for lunch on Sunday reminded me why I do this.

Not only is it a passion, it is a gift to my and our family's health. It tastes pretty yummy too!

Gardman 4-Tier Greenhouse, Product Review

Have I mentioned how much I love gardening?

Today, my latest purchase arrived, that I hope will not only provide protection for greens, celery, onions and other cold weather vegetables, but will also give me a head start on tomato and pepper seedlings. While this is a good enough reason to purchase it, the added bonus of going vertical with my greens for the summer makes better use of the limited space I have.

The box arrived via UPS at about 10:30 a.m. and by 10:45 a.m., my 10 year old that had assisted in the set up, was helping me move the completed greenhouse out to our patio. The zippered plastic obviously adds protection since the temperatures are still in the 40s and 50s around here, but I read on the product description from Amazon, that with a fleece cover, all plants would be protected to -8F. I think we're safe until next year. And if temperatures dip below -8F again this spring, it's not going to matter because I will be packing up and heading south!

The plastic is sturdy and the only other plastic parts are the shelf cross members. all frame pieces are made of metal. I also like the openness of the shelves so that water won't accumulate and draw mosquitoes or other pests in the summer. 

Today is greens and herbs planting day. Along with the plants I moved from inside already (pictured in the photo above), the shelf may be full by dinner!

Hydrofarm Jump Start 4 Foot Light, Product Review

Just after Christmas, I purchased this wonderful light and frame to assist me in growing greens and other vegetables inside throughout the winter. It's almost time to set the greens outside and then I'll continue to use the light for tomato, pepper and other seedlings.

What's great about this light is that I can lower or raise it depending upon my needs. Seedlings need close, intense, directed light and as the plants grow, I can simply raise the light. Even with plants of different heights, the light can be adjusted accordingly.

Other than needing four feet of space to place this, I really can't think of a down side to the Hydrofarm Jump Start Light. If four feet is too big, there is a two foot model available and if you need more, there is an extension kit to provide additional height as well.

I have an awesome south facing window that provides sunshine all day, but as the daylight hours have lengthened and its intensity has increased, some of my cool weather plants have been getting too much heat. The Hydrofarm light system provides the perfect balance of light and heat. It also has full-spectrum light for flowering and non-flowering plants.

With reasonably priced models such as this, if you want to grow food year round, there really is no reason why you can't. One suggestion though: Prices are at their peak right now as gardeners are attempting to get seeds started inside. You will probably find better prices in the summer months when we are all gardening outdoors.

Mexican Rice

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and vegan. It's almost too good to be true!

Ingredients:

1 can (14.5 oz) undrained diced tomatoes

2-3 cups water or vegetable broth

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups short grain brown rice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1-2 teaspoon cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can yellow corn, drained

sea salt, to taste

cilantro (optional)

Instructions:

1. If you're using dry black beans, instead of canned, cook according to directions on the package. I add a 3.5-inch piece of kombu* to shorten the cooking time.

2. Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid. Add enough water or broth to make 3 cups; set aside.

3. Heat oil in 4-quart heavy saucepan with tight-fitting lid.

4. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic; saute' briefly.

5. Add rice, cayenne and cumin (to taste); stir.

6. Add the 3 cups reserved liquid.

7. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes

8. Add tomatoes.

9. Cover and continue cooking 20 minutes.

10. Remove from heat; add drained beans and corn. Mix gently a little.

11. Let stand in covered pot for 10 minutes.

12. Fluff with fork. Add sea salt and cilantro to taste.

Note about ingredients:

*Kombu is edible kelp. A 3.5-inch piece has 2% of your Calcium RDA and 6% of your Magnesium RDA. It also has trace amounts of protein, Vitamin A, beta-carotene, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, and B9, Vitamins C, E and K. As a sea vegetable, it also contains iodine, glutamic acid, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Adding a 3.5-inch strip to your dried beans for cooking helps to "predigest" the beans. This natural tenderizing renders the bean easier to digest and less likely to cause bloating and/or gas. According to this article, kombu can reduce blood cholesterol and hypertension too. Once the beans have completed cooking, you can simply remove the kombu and throw it in your compost pile. If it has completely dissolved into the beans, your family will never even notice and you will most likely have to add less sea salt to the final dish. If you're uncertain if you'd like the kombu to end up in the recipe, simple drain and rinse your beans and it will be your little secret as to how your beans turned out so well.

This is the brand I purchase. It is now more widely available and may be in your local health food store.

Neither Useless Nor Unfruitful

This week in our study of the life of Joseph, son of Jacob, author Mary Englund Murphy asked us to read 2 Peter 1:3-10. This passage greatly encouraged me and I knew there were probably three or more blog posts worth of material to be found within. Please click on the link to read it. I expanded my reading to include verses 2 and 11 to not only understand the context, but because they complete the thought Peter is expressing perfectly.

Contained in this passage is a list that Peter says will allow us to be "partakers of the divine nature" to help us escape "the corruption that is in the world by lust." Being raised legalistically and being highly analytical and logical, lists just make sense to me. Give me a list and I can check it off, right?

So what's on this list?

Well...it says that by applying diligence, that in my faith I should supply moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. And each of these are linked one with the next. My first thought upon reading it was that Paul taught in Galatians 5:22-23 that the fruit of the Spirit begins with love. Do they contradict one another? I don't think so. Instead I choose to look at them as bookends of a sort. Everything we do and live should begin and end with love. Period.

But back to the list. I could easily get bogged down in how to help myself have more moral excellence and have known many a Christian with a long list of don'ts that apparently feel the same way.

Dieting is my supreme manifestation of self-control...but it only lasts for a time. Knowledge? Yep...love that one. Perseverance? Okay...not my strong suit...but if I could only grin and bear it a little while longer, right? And on and on and on.

But here's why I fell in love with this passage: verse 8. That was it. Verse 8

"For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

See...I've been at this Christian thing long enough to know I will never be perfect at it. Tucked away in this amazing nugget of pure gold is God's reminder that it's okay that I won't. All He wants is improvement.

Will I mess up? Absolutely! Will I embarrass myself? Yes! Will I let others down by my conduct? You betcha!

But God never said that a fail in the moment would render my life useless or unfruitful. No...once again, He's reminding me that He's in this for the long haul...and I should be too.

You have to know there is so much more...right?

Verse 9 is just the humility I need when it's been awhile since I've messed up and I'm staring down my nose at the person whose dirty laundry just got aired to the world. "For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins."

Yikes.

What are the promises that result from an increase in the knowledge of Jesus and living out moral excellence, etc.? Verse 10 states that "as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble." That is wonderful. That is blessing enough. I dearly wish I would never stumble again, although I know the reality is...I will.

But verse 11 is the promise, the hope, the encouragement and the prize for which I await. Practicing these things in increasing measure as I live out His calling in me (see verse 10) is the way "the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."

Amen!

Want to experience a little Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven? Then be certain of His calling and choosing you. Don't doubt it for even one nanosecond. And then...with increasing...little by little, as He equips you to do so by the power of His Holy Spirit (see verse 3) live a morally excellent, knowledge-filled, self-controlled, persevering, godly, kind and loving life.

This is how we "escape the corruption of this world" (verse 4).

This is how we partake in His divine nature.

This is how we know Jesus and see His Kingdom now!

 

Time to Transplant

The tomato plants are growing well and today, it was time to give their roots some space to grow. I've been attempting to save butter dishes, salsa containers and anything else I can get my hands on, but I still don't have enough. Oh well. Eventually, they'll all get moved to larger quarters.

For today though, I was able to move about 17 of the tomatoes. Rutgers, Beefsteak, Brandywine Pink, Black Krim and Cherokee Purple are all growing well and out of their confined planting spaces.

One of my favorite experiences about growing tomatoes, aside from eating them fresh from the plant, is when the seedlings first smell like tomato plants. It's a distinctive smell, and one that reminds me of summer. 

Around here, we'll take any hint of summer we can get!

Mr. Owita's Guide to Gardening- A Book Review

Given my affinity for gardening, I jumped at the chance to reserve a copy of this book from Penguin Publishers. I was not disappointed.

The author, Carol Wall, crafts not only a story about learning to love the art of gardening but how our human experience is interwoven with lessons from nature, if we only stop to take notice.

With chapter titles like "A Rose Between Two Thorns", "Anticipated Blooms" and "Frail Magnolia", the journey to becoming a "green thumb" mirrors well the path to acceptance of her past, her pain and the uncertainty of a life that is as delicate as the flowers for which her passion has not yet bloomed.

Amidst the lessons of life and gardening, sits a blossoming friendship with her tutor, Mr. Owita, a humble, quite, yet deeply thoughtful man. Differences in culture and background melt away in the shadow of a camaraderie that sinks deeply into the soil of time and is tilled with patience and love.

Jesus taught many of his parables and lessons using examples from the creativity of nature that is all around us. In our hectic lives, we would do well not only to "stop and smell the roses", but plant, nurture, train and prune them also. As Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening reminds us, all life is fragile and the delicate balance of our health, our time we've been given and the relationships with which we have been blessed should be tended with as much care and precision as any beautiful azalea would require.