Home Gardening

Last year, I built a raised garden bed and I had a garden for the first time. I think it went pretty smoothly and I grew lots of great - chemical free vegetables...

This year, it is not going as good. ha! You would have thought I would have learned and improved, and I have but the tree behind my garden has grown and is shading my garden for most of the day. Plus, Indiana has not had much rain since May and I am doing my best to water it.

Last year, I planted three zucchini plants and two survived and produced A TON of zucchini.
This year, I planted one zucchini plant hoping to have just the right amount of zucchini. Well, my plant is struggling.
* note to self: plant more than one plant next year! Maybe even plant the zucchini's on a huge mound of dirt, since they thrive on lots and lots of great dirt.

Last year, I planted 6 tomato plants, all the same, all got diseases.
This year, I planted 3 different tomato plants and all are doing great and producing a lot of tomatoes!!! I also planted a basil plant next to the tomato plants. The tomatoes thrive on basil and love basil plants being planted next to them.

Last year, I experimented EVERYTHING!!!
This year, I experimented with new plants and seeding.

This year, I used trellis, for my spaghetti squash and cucumbers. My poor spaghetti squash has root rot and I am going to try to revive him with some new dirt!

Have you garden at your house??? What are some things you have learned???

Make them extra sloppy

Gotta love being pregnant and craving and wanting everything I see!!! 

A few weeks back, my friend PW posted a status update about her surplus of sloppy joe mix and she had not made sloppy joes in 10 years!!!  Thanks for putting sloppy joes on my mind! 

Then yesterday, another friend, JS posted a picture that made me hungry and made me want to make sloppy joes... SO I DID!!! 

 I did not have seasoning mix, which I am thankful because I came up with a WONDERFUL combination and WOW was it AWESOME!!!

The Sloppy Joe Sauce:
1 can of tomato paste
1 TBSP 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (that is all that was left in the bottle!)
1 - 2 TBSP Coconut Aminos (Soy Sauce or Braggs Aminos would do!)
a dabble of Maple Syrup (I think I did 1/ 2 tsp)
1 - 2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all the ingredients together and taste and add what you think. Mine needed a little more garlic powder so I added just a little bit more!

The Directions:
Add 1 TBSP Olive Oil to frying pan. Saute 1 small onion for 3 minutes and then add 2 garlic cloves minced ( I used 1 HUGE garlic clove). After 2 minutes add 1 lb ground beef and brown. Drain and light rinse the ground beef. Add seasoning and mix in well. Cook on a low heat until the sauce is warm.

Yellow squash - I used cut the squash by hand instead of using my handy mandeline. In a boiling pot of water cook squash for just a few minutes or the squash will become to soggy and taste mushy.

We served green beans steamed for 5 - 10 minutes and seasoning with a little Olive Oil and Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute!

This meal hit the spot and I am thankful for the two hints from two great friends!!! :) Might I also add that this meal besides seasoning was all from local farmers!!! :) I love when that happens!

I hope you ENJOY!!!

Part of : Miz Helen's Country Cottage - Full Plate Thursday
GNOWFLINS - Simple Lives Thursday
The Nourishing Gourmet - Pennywise Thursday

Granola

Well, I tried to make a new and improved nut bar this week but it turned into a granola snack! :) It was still delicious but I was really hoping to improve my nut bars take 1, and nut bars take 2. I was trying to add coconut cream and take out a lot of the sugar (molasses, honey, etc!)

I guess without them the bars just will not stick together. :)

Once again, I forgot to take a picture and the granola did not last long!

The Ingredients:
Almonds, chopped
cashews, chopped
walnuts, chopped
sunflower seeds
cranberries
chai seeds
5 dates, pited, chopped
1 TBSP Sunflower seed butter
1 TBSP Coconut Oil
1 TBSP Coconut Cream
1 TBSP Coconut Butter
1 TBSP Raw Honey

The Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x9 glass dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Let cool and then ENJOY!!!

Chicken and vegetables

I was so hungry last night that I forgot to take a picture of our dinner!!!! It was delicious!!!! :)

My friend Jaime, at Make-It-Healthy posted a similar picture and recipe so if you want to see a picture head over to her site!!! Then stay awhile and look around! :)

I am really bummed I didn't take a picture because this dish was awesome! Before I start, let me tell you that besides the seasonings this entire meal was LOCAL. Local meat and local vegetables!!! :)

The Ingredients:
2 chicken breast
1 to 2 cups of green beans
1 zucchini cut small pieces
3 new potatoes cut into pieces (optional)
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP Aioli Garlic & Mustard Sauce
1 TBSP Coconut Aminos

The Directions:
In a 9x13 glass dish, spray with Olive Oil or Coconut Spray. Add rinsed chicken breasts. Mix Olive Oil, Aioli Garlic & Mustard Sauce and Coconut Aminos. Pour half the mixture on the chicken. Add the vegetables and add the rest of the mix. You may want to add a little extra coconut aminos.

Bake at 3575 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. The vegetables will be cooked perfectly and the chicken will be cooked all the way through.

You can do any vegetables you want!!!! :) Possibilities are ENDLESS!!!

We sided ours with Brussels Sprouts!

ENJOY!!!!

Zucchini Spaghetti with grilled chicken

I have made this before... super quick and easy and a great way to enjoy the summer zucchini

2 zucchini's sliced with mandeline. You can do it by hand. 

2 chicken breast, marinaded and grilled

1 jar of tomato sauce

seasonings

In boiling water add sliced zucchini. Cook for only a few minutes (5 - 10 minutes) you need to watch it because if it goes to long it will be mushy. 

Drain the water and add the sauce. Once chicken is done cut chicken into pieces and add chicken and zucchini to the pot. 

ENJOY!!! 

SUPER EASY SUPER QUICK!!! 

Egg Salad and Chicken salad

I have been so excited to share these two great summer recipes with you... INTERNET has been down since Monday and finally got fixed today! YAY!!! Thanks to helpful neighbors!!! :)

A few years ago, I remember hearing how wonderful Avocado was. I was already a huge fan but I remember hearing that if you were trying to lose weight to switch mayo to avocado. Avocado has the same texture and taste as mayo. I have been adding mixed avocado to sandwiches or salads that once called for mayo.

This weekend I made one of my favorites!!!!

EGG Salad with Avocado

 So easy and so quick! You can make it real smooth in a food processor or you can leave it chunky and just eat it out of the bowl or top some lettuce and if you want even make a sandwich on bread or lettuce. Whatever you want to do with this mixture -- possibilities are endless!

The Ingredients:
Hard boiled eggs
Avocado
Olive Oil
Pepper and a tiny bit of salt

I made a large batch. 8 hard boiled eggs and one avocado.

The Directions:
Chop up the hard boiled eggs and add in avocado and continue to mash and mix. Add Olive Oil to help smooth and seasoning with salt and pepper.

If you want a smoother mixture use food processor!

Another summer favorite --- Chicken and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
Chicken pieces
1 avocado
lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper

The Ingredients:
First cut the chicken into the size pieces you desire. Slice and cut the avocado. Mix both in a bowl and add Lemon, Olive Oil and seasonings.

You can add red onion in here but I do not always have red onion on hand.

Again, the possibilities are endless on these two quick summer lunch/dinners.

ENJOY!!!!

Part of: Full Plate Thursday

Pesto!

The last couple of weeks, I have stocked up on Fresh CSA Basil. Each week I make another batch of Pesto! I made a lot of pesto last summer and we were able to use it all summer and fall. I ran out for winter, so I plan on making enough to last through winter!

Making your own fresh pesto is so quick and super easy!!! 

The Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


The Directions:
In the food processor start with the garlic. I like to start with the garlic because it gets it minced evenly and you are not left with big pieces of garlic. Once you have the garlic minced, add the basil and pine nuts. Slowly add in the Olive Oil. 


You can enjoy this pesto on anything... I love pesto!!! 


ENJOY!


Here are a couple of other recipes!!! 


Thanks to The Clothes Make the Girl for the suggestion of  tossing zucchini noodles in pesto! 

I topped mine with some toasted roughly chopped pine nuts!


Also - Last summer here are a couple other pesto recipes I did. 
Arugula Pesto
Asparagus Pesto

Potato and Green Bean Soup

We are apart of a CSA food share and get to weekly food on Wednesday. This past week we had green beans and new potatoes. 

Before you write me emails or comment below, I know that potatoes are not Paleo/Primal. I know the conditions that these potatoes were grown. I also do not like to waste food. 

My husband grew up on a ham, potato and green bean soup... Well - I made it healthy and boy was it delicious!!!! 

 I do not eat ham so I changed out ham with beef bacon....

Instead of cream or half-n-half, I used coconut milk.

The Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cups green beans

2 cups potatoes, cut into big pieces

4 pieces of Beef Bacon, chopped

1 can coconut milk

coconut rue (3 TBSP coconut flour and coconut oil/water)

4 cups chicken broth

2 tsp parsley

pepper

The Directions:

Add coconut oil in bottom of pot and saute onions and cook beef bacon. As soon as the onion is done add coconut flour and mix in water until smooth.  Add chicken broth, slowly and continue to mix. Add potatoes and green beans and bring to boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Add coconut milk, parsley and pepper. Mix well and ENJOY!!!!

New and Improved MEATBALLS!

What a week, last week... I am feeling human again and I am feeling the urge to cook! YAY!!! I do not like the feeling of not cooking. I enjoy it. I feel creative. I love providing my family with delicious nutritious food. 

This weekend I made meatballs!!!! You can enjoy the meatballs on Spaghetti Squash, Zucchini or tradition noodles or bread. Whatever your choice, these are good!!! :)

The Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
2 tsp Coconut Aminos
1 egg, mixed
2 tsp parsley

The Directions:
Mix the ingredients together. Cook the meatballs on a frying pan with melted coconut oil. Do not over crowd the meatballs. Brown all the sides and add to a pot of tomato sauce (another homemade recipe to come!) Bring sauce to boil and cook until meatballs are cooked all the way through.

ENJOY!!!!

MIA

This has been a tough "food" week. 

Food has not been my friend. It is funny that each pregnancy has been so different from one another. 

Pregnancy 1 - morning sickness once

Pregnancy 2 - morning sickness through 2nd trimester but could eat. Didn't spend much time over the toilet. 

Pregnancy 3 - I am spending a lot of time here. Thought of food. Smell of food. Food in general is not my friend.

I feel like this... 

Pretty sure my boys belong here!!!! :)

I have been trying to get in a smoothie a day but sometimes I can't get it down. I have a very sensitive gag reflex currently and it is making it hard to do anything. Brushing my teeth. Changing a diaper. Extra spit in my mouth...

I will take this symptoms ANYDAY!!! Symptoms = Healthy Pregnancy!!!! :)

I promise to be back with some recipes next week!!!! :) I have two HUGE bags of zucchini's, thatnks to my CSA, to get through. It might just be ZUCCHINI week!!! :)

We are expecting!

This has come as a great surprise but we are expecting baby #3!!!! Hubby and I had just started to talk about #3 and when we thought it would be best to try, since it takes me a long long long time to get pregnant.

HISTORY -

3 year old - we tried for a year + and had 2 miscarraiges. We struggled but were so excited and blessed that 3 year old came when he was meant too!!!

18 month old - we first started to talk about trying right about 3 year old turned one. We quick being careful and nothing... After 8 months of trying, we were pregnant!

This time - We barely had the coverstation that #3 would be loved and welcomed but maybe in a few month start the trying process.... NOPE pregnant when we weren't even trying!!!

The difference...... DIET!!!! My Hashimoto and thyroid levels are normal. I eat a lot more vegetables and fruits and I eat A LOT less grains... Diet must have been the factor that allowed this baby to come so quickly! :)

If you have noticed my recipes have been limited... I have been having some terrible ALL DAY sickness and food has not been my friend. I attempt to eat every meal every day but sometimes the only thing that I can keep down are crackers.... I have been making smoothies daily making sure I get some quality nutrition in but those too have been hard to keep down. I am hoping this is behind me!!! I miss cooking! I miss eating healthy delicious FOODS!!!!

With that being said... I plan on blogging on pregnancy and food!!! :) Posts may be spread out but I will post!!!

Happy 4th everyone!!! and Healthy Eating this Holiday weekend!!!