Show and Tell: Planting Edible Flowers

I was struck recently by the thought that blogging is a lot like show and tell when my 5 year old lovingly brought her empty seed packet to school. We got an assortment of edible flower seeds in the mail last weekend from my mom (who candied some violas for EGirl's birthday, as you may recall, and in whose honor we've all been crunching down yellow and purple violas and chive flowers over the last few weeks). Let's just say we're enjoying the edible nature of our lovely blooms, adults and children alike.

Chive flowers rock, by the way. They are so spicy! EGirl feeds them to me until my eyes water. They'd be great in a spring salad for those of us who like a little loosening of the tear ducts. The kids (not such big fans of the 'picy) love eating the violas (it makes CBoy giggle at the naughtiness of it). We had a blast planting the edible fleurs (and some non-edible cosmos, marigolds, and sunflowers). Actually, we had a blast planting them once we wrestled the wawa (hose) out of CBoy's viselike grasp. But I digress.

We also released ladybugs into the community garden together at dusk one night, a pretty satisfying way to reduce the number of pests, I'd say.

For our front stoop, we transplanted the birthday cake violas into planters with some shade plants I had languishing inside (Boston ferns and asparagus ferns) a great tip from Scribbit guest poster Like Merchant Ships. The idea being that you should repot your indoor plants and throw them outside for a bit to rejuvenate rather than buying a new annuals.

Of course, I had those specific plants in my kids' rooms because they are supposed to be effective at improving indoor air quality and removing toxins. (Don't forget to check to see if plants you use for this purpose are safe around pets and kids.) Sounds like opening your windows and ventilating may be more effective than keeping plants for this purpose, though, so I think we can go a season without them indoors.

Next up, we want to plant another round of lettuce since we've been so enjoying picking greens for our salads the past couple weeks. Even though it's a cool-weather crop, I am hoping I can sneak in another wave of salad greens. Plus, I really want to grow some pepperoncini and pickle them. Anyone know where I can get seedlings? Or a fresh pepper from which to save the seeds?

Happy Gardening! I'd love to hear the ways in which you've been getting muddy....


*photo courtesy of Woodsy at SXC Read more!

Kitchen Tricks

Today's post is all about the kitchen: recycling, reducing waste, and getting the most out of our food in the first place.

How about upcycling those annoying little produce stickers by mailing them to an artist in Colorado (via Emerald City) so he can make some more sweet Warhollian pics? Perfect project for little recyclers, eh?

Speaking of harnessing your trash, Terracycle's an eco-business that sells worm poop in recycled containers. You can sign up to sell them your used drink pouches, cans, yogurt containers, and energy bar wrappers. Sounds like a perfect school project. Or just a project for all of us with worthless recycling options. (via fellow DCUM WrekeHavoc)

Check out They Call You Mommy's post on produce to stop the crisper drawer rot festival (less waste plus more veggies + fruits in you!). Did you know you should store tomatoes stem side down? Basil at room temperature?

How to wash that basil? Those tomatoes? Whip up some homemade veggie wash with this recipe from The Dollar Stretcher.

Speaking of veggies, Culinate had an interesting piece a bit ago about how cooking some vegetables actually enhances their nutritive value. The research is incomplete, but the idea that all veggies are healthier raw isn't true across the board. Broccoli actually gains carotenoids and cancer-fighting compounds when steamed.

If you blow it and end up with some slimy green refuse? And your composter's still not assembled because your instructions decomposed? Where to put that wet trash if you've been using cloth bags? Hmmm? I know you faced this dilemma when you stopped getting bags at the grocery store! Here are two great threads that pose various solutions (biodegradable bags are generally agreed to be impractical for wet trash, hence the dilemma). One's at Emerald City (one commenter suggests keeping wet trash in a plastic bag in the freezer so it doesn't smell, hmmm, that spot's taken by my vegetable stock stash, thank you but maybe you folks have the room) and one's at Ask Metafilter. The AM thread has practical, helpful comments, including a breakdown (pun intended) of anaerobic decomposition and some complicated systems for balancing wet and dry trash.

Last but certainly not least, check out this supremely awesome Table of Condiments That Periodically Go Bad so you can have some clue how long that onion dip can sit in your fridge. (via bblog - 2 weeks.)

*photo courtesy of stickermanproduceart.wordpress.com
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The Great Big Vegetable Challenge

I love this blog; it's about a seven year old boy in England who loathed vegetables so much that his mother concocted an A-to-Z adventure for him. He gets to rate the vegetables. I may have to do this around here one day and the GBVC will be a perfect source of inspiration and recipes. Right now we are surviving the onset of four year old control issues by banning sssssspppiiiinnnaccchhh. Other vegetables are eaten without (too much) comment. Read more!

Top Organics List

I bet you have seen this list; I used to have it printed out to carry in my wallet but I keep giving it away. For easy reference, here is the Environmental Working Group's list of the Top 12 Foods to Buy Organic (you can cough up your email to get a printable guide to the foods most/least contaminated with pesticides. The site also provides a longer list adapted from pesticide residue research for your perusal).

CHEC (Children's Health Enviro Coalition) combines the EWG info with research from the Consumer's Union and gives in-depth info about which pesticides you're avoiding in their Green Guide list.

I've combined these sources below:

Dirty Dozen+ (Buy Organic)
Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes (Imported), Pears, Spinach, Potatoes, Cantaloupe, Tomatoes

Cleanest 12 (Lowest in Pesticides, Save Your Cash)

Onions, Avocado, Sweet Corn (Frozen), Pineapples, Mango, Sweet Peas (Frozen), Asparagus, Kiwi, Bananas, Cabbage, Broccoli, Eggplant

Care2 has a helpful list that provides alternative foods with the same nutrients to buy in case they don't have, say, organic strawberries (go for the vitamin C in blueberries, raspberries, oranges, grapefruit, kiwifruit, or watermelon instead).

Delicious Organics (some organic produce delivery company in South Florida) has a more exhaustive list that includes genetically modified foods, corn, and nuts (which are probably also smart to avoid since anything high in fat hangs onto toxins like dairy/meat/oils). DO seems to update their list so check it out; the EWG info is almost a decade old. But remember to consider the source (an organic delivery service company, which might benefit from consumers needing to buy, well, as many organic products as possible?).... Read more!