how does your garden grow?

Today’s Notes

June 30, 2015 by zeelemons

Dear Beau: I love that you sometimes make me giggle as we are trying to fall asleep. Hearing you describe me as a Chopped basket of ingredients never gets old (I’d be Lucky Charms, Good Humor ice cream bar, cow’s heart and durian by the way). Dear tomato plant: Thank you for the cherry-sized bites of deliciousness, even though I’ve neglected you over the past couple of weeks. I promise to keep you plenty watered from this day forward. Dear Facebook: Today is the start of my new relationship with you. I’m going to set my boundaries for a couple of months before I come back to say hello… that is, if I decide I want you back in my life. I guess only time will tell.

As I was typing this out, I realized my childhood best friend is due in 38 days with her first baby (boy) and I’m most likely going to miss out on those photographs. While we don’t communicate regularly, I’ve been following along with her pregnancy online. Miss Nancy if you’re reading this, please email me and I’ll give you my number (though, it hasn’t changed since high school). I’m sending positive vibes to you!

“Where focus goes, energy follows” is a mantra I’m keeping close to heart these days.

my favorite summer smoothie.

July 5, 2013 by zeelemons

The beau and I have been trying new recipes almost daily in our Vitamix for both breakfast and dinner. Because I’ve already shared with you our favorite “cheese” recipe, I figured I’d share with you my favorite breakfast smoothie. It’s cool. It’s sweet. It reminds me of being on vacation because it tastes like a pina colada. And you get three servings of fruits and veggies.

Summer Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup of frozen pineapple (I love the bag of pineapple bits from Trader Joe’s)
1-2 cups of chopped raw kale
3/4 cup of unsweetened milk – Tempt is my brand of choice
1 teaspoon of chia seeds, added before or after blending

Blend and enjoy! I personally like to add the chia seeds after blending because if you let it sit for 10-15 minutes, it gets gelatin-like and I enjoy that texture. If you add them before, they’ll all be blended up and you won’t be able to even tell they’re in there; they don’t have a flavor. Can’t feel guilty about this breakfast option!

p.s… yes, those are two different days worth of smoothies and yes, that is my favorite spot to photograph my meals lately (the steps leading out to our porch garden). Stay cool and healthy my friends!

p.p.s… those flowers are edible!

a random update.

June 30, 2013 by zeelemons

This is that post where I apologize for not posting a lot over the past two weeks; I’m sorry for not posting a lot over the past two weeks. Not only have I been extremely busy helping the beau and his business, but we officially don’t have internet in our apartment. I’ve never paid for it living on my own and refuse to start now. It stinks not being able to pull up Netflix or Hulu at the end of the day, but I did have time to read another book this week, despite the craziness.

This is also the post in which I admit that I didn’t take a photograph of our weekly Field Goods delivery; the first time since joining. And I don’t like it. Everything is still bagged in the fridge, waiting to be uncovered and enjoyed.

In this week’s bag:

strawberries
garlic scapes
kale
swiss chard
english shelling peas
lettuce

Yesterday was National Vegan Pizza Day! We celebrated by making a pizza with garlic scape pesto and sautéed lemon kale with a little bit of shredded Daiya mozzarella. It was delicious! I should also note that we used the garlic and herb pizza dough from Trader Joe’s and although I didn’t really rise or fluff, it was tasty.

In other news, my hiking/backpacking trip in New Hampshire was call off because Paula’s knee isn’t 100% since our last hike. It’s been giving her trouble lately and we both agreed that rest is best, rather than becoming a rescue case in the middle of the New Hampshire wilderness. Because of this, I’ll now have five days off in Troy. The top item on my list to do: eat clean! With being so busy, the beau and I were eating out constantly and gosh do I feel it. My attitude has been poor, my waist seems a little larger, and my energy while running seems depleted. This will be the perfect opportunity to prepare each meal, fresh and hopefully as raw as possible. There’s nothing better than raw meals during the hot summer months.

Tonight for dinner I’m going to make a salad of spiraled FG carrots, chickpeas, home-grown scallions, sprouted wild rice, FG peas with dill and a mustard dressing. My plan is to start soaking various seeds so that we both have fresh sprouts to munch on, either in salads, on sandwiches or by the handful… because they’re that good! The strawberries have been used in our morning shakes and I may toss some into a chilled lentil salad later in the week.

Oh em gee! Last Sunday after my long-ass day of hiking (I will also share that story this week, I promise), the beau made me the most delicious “cheese” sauce ever. I mean, after six months of being vegan, this has been the closest thing to cheese that I have tasted and the best part about it, it’s made of veggies and cashews! It was so creamy and perfect, we ate it with tortilla chips and pickled jalapenos like nachos; next time it is going to become macaroni and cheese! The beau can’t wait to make a chipotle version with soy chorizo!

The flowers this week were a small little bouquet wrapped in a scrap piece of brown paper bag; my favorite kind of bouquet. I gave them some fresh water in a mason jar and placed them next to my pillow; my favorite location these days.

Speaking of flowers, my nasturtiums have begun to bloom! These orange blossoms are edible and will be tossed into our salads. Nothing better than a little pop of color in your greens!

I think that’s enough for this random post; I’m going to move on to a couple others that will automatically post throughout the week, despite me being disconnected. Hope you all have been staying cool with this heat and humidity and dodging the raindrops during all of the random downpours. Have a great holiday week!

{field goods}

May 10, 2013 by zeelemons

In this week’s bag:

portobello mushrooms!
dirty parsnips
dirty carrots
golden delicious apples
hydroponic lettuce
fresh spinach fettuccine*

*Unfortunately this pasta is not vegan and I’m going to pass it along to someone who is non-vegan… my mom!

To say that I have been busy this past week would be an understatement; I’ve been swamped. Between work, my second job, personal issues with a previous landlord, a barfing cat and dirty dishes- I feel like I’ve done nothing but run in circles. And because of this, we’ve both been absent in the kitchen. My body is craving a good, home-cooked, green meal to perk up my spirits and these mushrooms are calling my name! I’ll most likely brush on a little coconut oil, grill ’em up on the George Foreman, and enjoy over a salad.

Speaking of salad, our greens are big enough to eat! I harvested enough yesterday for lunch- fresh is always the best! Both the kale and broccoli are growing in size, and the nastoriums have sprouted and are about two inches tall. I can’t wait to add those to summer salads and baked goods.

The carrots will be cooked as my all time favorite carrot soup topped of course with a tahini sauce and crunchy chickpeas. The best thing about these dirty carrots? They last a long time in the fridge, meaning I can wait until things calm down before having to worry about using them up.

As things calm down I’ll also have more time to spend on here, sharing some stories and life happenings. I realize all I talk about these days is regarding food and hiking, but I can’t help it; they are the two things that keep me sane. Heres to happy weekend spent with our moms and mom-like people in our lives; be sure to give plenty kisses all around!

field greens and a trip to the farm.

May 3, 2013 by zeelemons

In this week’s bag:

arugula
chives
crimini mushrooms
gourmet mix baby lettuce
red, white and blue potatoes
shallot
golden delicious apples

Even though the chives don’t have roots attached, I’m going to still try growing some by using this method. It would be wonderful to be able to plant them on our porch if they do grow; if not, hopefully they’ll stay fresh longer.

The beau was pretty happy to see the heaping bag of arugula- that’s his favorite salad green! He said that it’s pretty good in pasta as well, so I’ll have to pick up a box this weekend. Nothing better than a simple bowl of pasta with greens, good olive oil, fresh black pepper and basil. And speaking of basil, I’ve moved the plant out on that back porch aka our little garden. Along with the salad greens and violas, I’ve planted broccoli and kale seedlings that seem to be doing well. The cat grass is taller than ever for kitty and may need a little trimming. The bird feeder is hung and the bumble bees are buzzing around our new hanging plants. I was only planning on buying one but the Sunny Susy just looked so darling with it’s orange climbing flowers, I couldn’t resist and can’t wait to see in what direction it grows.

I got the beautiful hanging baskets from Engelke Farm. If you remember, this is also the same farm where we picked out our pumpkins. Well, the greenhouses are filled with life and smell of Spring. Amanda and her brother were a big help helping me choose the right basket that would grow in the shade. It was an added bonus that the flowers were blue, pink and golden in color- did you know that honeybees recognize yellow and blue hues? They do and within five minutes, bumbles had found the new flowers. I like doing what I can for the bees. Back to the farm- I got a special tour of the pig pen and saw Rosanne again (the pig), along with the baby goats. Abby Cadabby was born last week! (I didn’t get a photograph of this little white goat- she was far too quick!) I loved watching them get a JOLT of energy, hop in the air, and peel out across the yard. Baby animals are the best ever.

Strawberries will be the first crop to be ready this season, most likely the first week of June. It was odd to see the farm “empty;” I’m use to seeing it all green and plentiful with food. I’ll be happy to return in June with my glass berry baskets to load up, snack on, and freeze them for the upcoming winter. I love fresh, local strawberries, but I think I like picking them better. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I know, but I love spending time in the fields picking my produce. That small act reassures my conscious that I am eating the healthiest foods that are available to me. From farm to plate. If you get a chance this season, stop by and say hello to my farming friends. The baskets are a wonderful gift for all the mothers out there, or the back porches and window boxes in your lives/homes.

The Troy Farmer’s Market will be outside tomorrow on River Street- I LOVE when it’s on the street. Stop in and see me, I’ll be at the store organizing cards, folding tees and socializing with my community. Happy sunny weather my friends!