Petite Inspirations

Cucumbers and flowers

2012-07-30T12:36:00.004-07:00

The weather this week is in the low 80s. It's actually nice and not too hot. Although the cilantro started bolting, the other hot weather veggies are loving it!

Cukes, curcubit, or cucumbers are the vegetable for this weeks harvest. Mr. Wonderful was surprised by them, in a good way. I was surprised too! If you notice those bumps on the skin, they have really small, but sharp thorns on them, something I didn't expect. This is the first time I really harvested cukes. I will be pickling them this evening and posting about it later.

Roses from the front yard were already put in when we purchased the house. I will definitely be keeping these. I place them in the restrooms and they make them smell so lovely, instead of you know what!

The zinnias I planted earlier this summer are starting to bloom. They don't really have a smell to them, but the have amazing color and are great for cut flowers! I'm hoping there will be more blooms when we have our housewarming party in a couple of weeks.

Hope all is growing well in your garden!

Weekly update

2012-07-24T00:37:00.000-07:00

Updates are difficult for me, so I'm making it my goal to at least update once a week, even if it's a short update. So, first on the list of things is the temperature for the week and the growing cucumbers. The weather looks like it's going to be a bit cooler this week compared to last week and the cucumbers are growing pretty well. There are so much flowers and tiny little cucumbers. so cute!

baby cucumbers

cucumber flower

The green beans are growing like crazy compared to everything else I've ever planted. This is the first time growing runner beans. I figure I would try to have it run on our patio gate. They're growing in the same pot that I've planted the lime trees and some marigold.

green beans in pot

The lettuce is still growing great. I can't believe they haven't bolted yet. It's been really hot the past 2 weeks. I'm not quite sure the varieties, they were from a lettuce green mix.

baby lettuce greens

baby lettuce green

Mustard greens are so interesting. The colors and the taste. I took a bite, and it tastes exactly like mustard!!, but not us strong. I love mustard!

mustard leaf

The tomatoes went into my stew tonight. There was a split on one of them.

tomato harvest from volunteers

The zinnias are growing bright and cute. They're tiny little flowers, only about an inch and a half wide.

zinnia lilliput


zinnia lilliput

Gardener Sues City of Tulsa For Cutting Down Her Edible Garden (UPDATE)

2012-06-21T15:04:00.001-07:00

Mr. Wonderful and I recently purchased our first home. We I have dreams of filling our yard, front and back, with edible plants. Being so sensitive to many of the processed foods out there makes it often times difficult to eat out because of the unknown ingredients in the foods. Even foods that are considered ‘healthy’, like fruits and vegetables are now tainted with pesticides, and who knows what type of soil they are grown in. It only makes sense to grow your own food, especially if you have a yard to do it in. Now new homeowners, Mr. Wonderful and I understand how expensive it is to own a home. Why not use the property your paying for (overpaying, if you live in california) to grow your own food to save money and in the long run eat healthy, fresh, produce?! It only makes sense.

So my resolution to this issue is to grow our own organic good on our property and try to be more self sustainable. I do however want to have it appealing to the eye as well, so I’m trying to incorporate flowers and decorative plants in combination with the edible plants in my design plan, especially in the front yard.
One gardener recently didn’t have much luck with her city officials. This story comes close to heart. I truly hope this would never happen to us or anyone else. Gardener Sues City of Tulsa For Cutting Down Her Edible Garden (UPDATE) : TreeHugger. A lady who at the time was unemployed, without health insurance, and has diabetes is suing the city officials who came to her property and mowed down her front yard, full of edible plants. Watch the full report from the local news station.

I understand and respect the decisions that officials have as well as HOAs, in order to keep peace and rules in effect. I’m sure there is probably more to the story than what was reported. Maybe, her front yard wasn’t as pretty as a lot of the manicured neighbors of hers, maybe it looked like no one had mowed the lawn in months, who knows?, but looking at the big picture, it just seems so asinine if you think about it. City officials coming over to chop down your front yard because you didn’t do it yourself. I think they crossed the line doing that. Hopefully, Denice will win her civil lawsuit and the city with have to pay to get her front yard redone, then both sides win. She’ll have her edible garden back and it will be pretty to look at if done properly!

If you would like to donate seeds to help Denise regrow her medicinal garden, or would like to donate to her legal fund to help her with the civil rights lawsuit she filed, you can send it to Lori Fulbright who will get it to Denise.

Lori Fulbright
C/O News On 6
302 S. Frankfort
Tulsa, OK 74120

What would you do if this happened to you?

Stone Plant Label

2012-06-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

I've seen this idea a lot from other bloggers and pinterest and I Love it!!! It's so cute! I only had one stone for now, but I'll be getting more, to label all my other plants.

All I did was get a really thin paint brush and some acrylic paint and paint it on the stone. Make sure you practice a bit first.

What labels do you use for your plants? I would love to see!!!

Weekly Planner - Free Download

2012-02-10T16:44:00.000-08:00

This year, like most years, I try to get a little more organized. I love perusing the isle with all the daily planners and schedulers, things of that nature that can help me keep organized. It's insane what some people pay for to keep organized.

I bought a Franklin Covey planner a few years ago. The design is clean and sleek and the size of the paper inside was about a 5x7, not too big and not too small. I had to get a refill for the upcoming 12 months and boy they're expensive!!! So I thought, I could recreate something for myself and incorporate what I liked and leave out what I didn't need.

I like the idea of having a weekly calendar so I can see what's coming up on a weekly basis. Also, I wanted a section where I can write down the menu for the week. This really helps in preparing what to bring out of the freezer the day before. A 'to do' list and a 'to buy' list was had to be in there somewhere, as well as a section where I can just write some notes down. So, here's what I came up with and I've been using it for about a month now. Feel free to download it if you like for personal use only and not for resale. I've made a few colors variations.

What other scheduling ideas do you have to keep organized?

No Hail to Junk Mail

2012-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, I really dislike junk mail. It's such a waste of so much time and energy. Starting from creating it, mailing it, delivering , sorting and trashing, then have it picked up in the trash. Everything about it is such a waste.

Similar to the 'Do Not Call List', I signed up myself and Mr. Wonderful to be opted out of receiving junk mail. Here's a site where you can be removed from the mailing lists. You can go to www.DMAchoice.org, and on the right hand side of the page, click on 'Get Started' or you can give them a call at 212-768.7277.

I just signed up today and I will give an update to see if our junk mail has reduced.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2012-02-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

I found this awesome recipe for homemade laundry detergent from Pinterest, (which I'm totally hooked on.) Here's the original post by Jillee. It was pretty easy in fact. The only thing I found time consuming was grating the soap, but that's it. Just mix everything else and you made really cheap laundry detergent. I'm going to do laundry tonight with the Mr. Wonderful (my husband) and will definitely share our findings. I really hope that it cleans and does a good job because this can save a lot of money in the long run.

Powdered Laundry Soap: (about 40 loads)
2 cups finely grated Fels Naptha Soap
1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda (Washing soda can be used instead as well)

Directions: Use 1-2 Tbsp per load.

Cost Breakdown. For about the cost of 1 of the name brand laundry detergents ($12 for 45 loads), I bought all the ingredients I needed to make this concoction PLUS a batch of dishwashing soap AND I still have enough of the Borax and Baking soda to make at least 5 more batches. I bought the items from a local grocery store. If I bought it online, I'm sure I could have found it cheaper.

Update: 2/2/2012
Mr. Wonderful and I did laundry last night. According to him, the laundry didn't smell like anything, just neutral, which is a good sign. I smelled a little of the soap. So, it looked like it worked. The one thing I did notice was that there were no suds at all. I've read up on some of the other blogs and did some of my own research on the net and found that the suds are NOT what cleans, but were put into the brand detergents to say to the consumer - yes look there's suds, so our product must be working- which is untrue.

Also, since this homemade detergent has low suds, in theory it should be fine for the high efficiency (HE) washers.

What I would do differently is to use 2 Tbsp for each load next time to satisfy Mr. Wonderful and I do like the smell of the soap. I want to also try using Washing Ash instead of baking soda the next time I need to make another batch and experiment to see if that does anything different.

Update: 6/20/2012

So Mr. Wonderful and I have been noticing that our laundry doesn't stay as fresh and starts to smell dingy a lot sooner now.....yaaack. I've done more research and found that many people suggest to use Soda Ash opposed to Baking Soda. The Soda Ash is the ingredients that really cleans, while the baking soda is what neutralizes odors. I will be looking for a new recipe and posting soon!

I would love to hear your DIY tips for laundry detergents!

Bruno Mars - It Will Rain

2012-01-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

I'm really diggin this song from Bruno Mars.

It's so catchy and lovey dovey.

Gotta leave it to Bruno Mars to make another hit!

You can find the original post here.

C                      Em
If you ever leave me baby
C                         Em
Leave some morphine at my door
Dm                                     Am
Cause it would take a whole lot of medication
Dm                                       G
To realize what we used to have, we don't,

Have it anymore
 
C                              Em
There's no religion that could save me
C                                      Em
No matter how long my knees are on the floor, oh oh
Dm                                     Am
So keep in mind all the sacrifices I'm makin'
Dm                                      G
To keep you by my side to keep you from walking out the door



      F                 G
Cause there'll be no sunlight
Em            Am Gsus2
If I lose you baby
F              G
There'll be no clear skies 
Em            Am Gsus2
If I lose you baby
F              G        E7                 Am          
Just like the clouds my eyes will do the same
            Dm
If you walk away
                 G            G-once
Everyday it will rain, rain, ra-AAA-in

C           Em
Oooh, oooh, oooh
C           Em
Oooh, oooh, oooh


C -once                     Em -once...then mute    
I'll never be your Mother's favorite
C                                    Em
Your Daddy can't even look me in the eye, oooh
Dm                                       Am
If I was in their shoes I'd be doin' the same thing
        Dm
Sayin' "There goes my little girl
                 G
Walkin' with that troublesome guy"

            C                                   Em
But they're just afraid of something they can't understand, oooh
C                                          Em
But little by little watch me change their minds
                 Dm                              Am
And for you I'll try, I'll try, I'll try, I'll tr---y
                   Dm
I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleedin'
   G
If that'll make it right



      F                 G
Cause there'll be no sunlight
Em            Am Gsus2
If I lose you baby
F              G
There'll be no clear skies 
Em            Am Gsus2
If I lose you baby
F              G        E7                 Am          
Just like the clouds my eyes will do the same
            Dm
If you walk away
                 G            G-once
Everyday it will rain, rain, ra-AAA-in

C           Em
Oooh, oooh, oooh
C           Em
Oooh, oooh, oooh



              F                       Em
Oh, don't you say (don't you say) goodbye (goodbye)
          F                       Em
Don't you say (don't you say) goodbye (goodbye)
                   Dm
I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleedin'
   G
If that'll make it right


(*Single strum each chord, here on out*)
      F                 G
Cause there'll be no sunlight
Em            Am Gsus2
If I lose you baby
F              G
There'll be no clear skies 
Em            Am Gsus2
If I lose you baby
F              G        E7                 Am          
Just like the clouds my eyes will do the same
            Dm
If you walk away
                 G            G-once
Everyday it will rain, rain, ra-AAA-in

C           Em
Oooh, oooh, oooh
C           Em
Oooh, oooh, oooh

Links to Learn Crochet - Beginners Crochet

2012-01-13T13:54:00.000-08:00

Here are some links that I've collected for those of you interested in learning to crochet. Pretty soon you'll be crocheting like a pro!

http://learntocrochet.lionbrand.com/

http://crochet.about.com/od/crochetstitches/tp/basic-stitches.htm

http://www.crochetnmore.com/123basics.htm

http://crochet.about.com/od/learntocrochet/tp/crochet-for-beginners.htm

Crochet Owl Beanie

2011-12-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking long and hard for a cute gift I can make for my neice and newphews for christmas. So, I've been seeing a lot of beanies with animals on them. They're so adorable! I figure why not try to crochet one, and found a few good free patterns online. This my first attempt at these crochet animal beanies. I adapted the free pattern here from crochetville.org.

This is my first jotting down a pattern. It is also untested, so if you find any mistakes please let me know!

Materials
I hook
Scissors
Tapestry needle
Worsted Weight Yarn
Colors: Main Color (MC) Tan. A bit of yellow, orange, off white, and black.

Hat
In MC creat (Magic Loop) Chain 3. slip stich on 2nd chain from hook.
Work 10 dc. Join. (10 st)
RND 2: Ch 1. 2 dc in each st around. Join. (20 st)
RND 3: Ch 1. *1 dc in the same st, 2 dc in the next, repeat around. Join. (30 st)
RND 4: Ch 1. *1 dc in the first 2 st, 2 dc in the next, repeat around. Join. (40 st)
RND 5: Ch 1. *1 dc in the first 3 st, 2 dc in the next, repeat around. Join. (50 st)
RND 6-11: Ch 1. dc around, Join. (50 st)
Finish off. Sew in tail.

Ear flaps
Join to a st on one side of hat, keeping the seem to the back. Repeat for the second earflap on opposite side.
Ch 1.
Hdc in the next 9 st. (9 st)
RND 1: Ch 1, turn. Hdc decrease in the first 2 st. Hdc in the next 5 st. Hdc decrease in the last 2 st. (7 st)
RND 2: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in each st across. (7 st)
RND 3: Ch 1, turn. Hdc decrease in the first 2 st. Hdc in the next 3 st. Hdc decrease in the last 2 st. (5 st)
RND 4: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in each st across. (5 st)
RND 5: Ch 1, turn. Hdc decrease in the first 2 st. Hdc in the next st. Hdc decrease in the last 2 st. (3 st)
RND 6: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in each st across, finish off. Sew in tail. (3 st)

Border
Join MC in the back of hat, ch 1 and hdc around the entire hat. Join, fasten off and sew in tail.

Eyes
(3 parts) Make 2 of everything.

Off White:
Magic Loop.
ROW 1: Work 6 hdc into loop. Join. (6 st)
ROW 2: Ch 1. 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (12 st)
ROW 3: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the same st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (18 st)
ROW 4: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the first 2 st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (24 st)
ROW 5: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the first 3 st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (35 st)
Finish off. Leave long tail for sewing.

In yellow
Magic Loop.
ROW 1: Work 6 hdc into loop. Join. (6 st)
ROW 2: Ch 1. 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (12 st)
ROW 3: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the same st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (18 st)
ROW 4: Ch 1. *1 hdc in the first 2 st, 2 hdc in the next, repeat around. Join. (24 st) Finish off. Leave long tail for sewing.

In black
Magic Loop.
ROW 1: Work 6 hdc into loop. Join. (6 st)
ROW 2: Ch 1. 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (12 st)
Finish off. Leave long tail for sewing.

Sew the black circles towards the edge of the yellow circles, then sew them both to the off white circles towards the edge.

Beak
Row 1: Chain 9. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 dch in each stitch. Turn.(7 st)
Row 2: Ch 1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (6 st)
Row 3: Ch 1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (5 st)
Row 4: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (4st)
Row 5: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (3st)
Row 6: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (2st)
Row 7: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (1st)
Finish off. Sew in tail.

I pinched the tip of the beak and tied it with some yarn to give it that pointy tip.

Owl Ears
Row 1: Chain 9. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 dch in each stitch. Turn.(7 st)
Row 2: Ch 1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (6 st)
Row 3: Ch 1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (5 st)
Row 4: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (4st)
Row 5: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (3st)
Row 6: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (2st)
Row 7: Cha1. Decrease. 1 hdc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 hdc in each stitch. Turn. (1st)
Finish off. Leave a long tail to sew onto beanie.
Cut 2 pieces each of tan, off white, and black yarn. Pull through the loop of the yarn pieces through the chanin and then pulling the ends of the yarn through the loop.

Sew eyes, beak, and ears onto the front of the hat, use photo for placement.

Ties
Cut 3 pieces of 20" of 3 different colors of yarn. Pull each color through and fold in half to make 6 pieces of yarn per color.

Fold ear flap in half to find the middle of flaps.
Attach yarn by pulling the loop of the yarn pieces through the chain and then pulling the ends of the yarn through the loop. Braid each set, keep length even. Tie off. Trim ends.

I would love to see your creations!! Send me a link! Happy Crocheting!

Long Beach Comic Con - Oct 29, 2011

2011-11-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

This was my first experience at a comic con. I wanted to see what the hype was about. No doubt, there were tons of people dressed up in character. I've compiled my own trading cards (above) with some of the characters I got a chance to snap. If you're wondering what who the girl in the middle is supposed to be Amy Winehouse, zombie version. I know she's not part of the comic series, but I needed one more space filled. Next years cards will be much better for sure!

I took a bunch of photos I decided to start with the artists! Can you believe it, I found 3 Filipino and 1 Chamorro artist! Whoot Whoot!


The cute filipina girl, Kamilla Portacio, is the daughter of Whilce Portacio, a famous artist that draws for DC and Marvel. So amazing how young she is and already a good artist!

Tone Rodriguez, artist who has drawn for the
Simpson, Zorro, and Ecape from LA just to name a few.

Tone Rodriguez' artwork.

More of Tone Rodriguez' artwork.

Stan Sakai, author and artist of Usagi Yojimo.

Jesse Mesa Toves. I was surprised to find an
islander on the other end of the table. Good Job!!


Jesse Mesa Toves artwork.

It was great to see some female artists in this male dominant field.

Tiffany Ho, artist.

Some of Tiffany Ho Artwork.

Now for the vendors! I found some great handmade items. Something I didn't expect at Comic Con. The first store I found was Apple 8 Store. I couldn't believe what I found. It was a diamond in the rough. Amazing artwork!!

Handmade crochet animal beanies.

More beanies. The one on the right has it's brains coming out! So creative!

The owners of Apple 8 Store!

Wire wrapped handmade jewelry. Love, love, love these!

Amigurumi. Looks like little candy.

Not your average shirt. Most if not all were designed by the owners.

2 headed Curious George, from Carlyfornia.

Owner of Carlyfornia.

Handmade corsets from Miss Carlyfornia.

An assortment of rings from Miss Carlyfornia.

Retro Outlaw Studios, LA California.

Retro Outlaw Studios. Punks not Dead shirt.

Retro Outlaw Studios. More shirts.

Zombie Walk!

Just a portion of the zombies getting ready to do their walk.

At the end of the Zombie walk was a fair and an attempt to have the Guiness record for the most zombies for a walk.

Mens Crocheted Spiral Beanie

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

This textured beanie was a request from the other half. Ramon wanted something to keep his head warm when he went fishing on those cold mornings at the lake. I was looking for something a little more masculine than a traditional beanie, and the spirals on the pattern turned out great! He seems to be enjoying his new head gear. You can get the free pattern here from Nancy Smith from www.nlsstitches.com.

Breakfast Quiche

2011-10-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

I love me some eggs! They're packed with protein to help you feel fuller longer, choline which contributes to fetal brain development and aids in brain function in adults. They also contain a small amount of lutein and zeaxanthin that can help prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness. More info on eggs here.

Serves: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
handful of button mushrooms, diced

1/4 cup bacon, cooked and diced
1 handful of spinach
9 eggs, scrambled

WHAT TO DO
1 Heat the oven to 350º F and prepare a muffin pan with a little dab of coconut oil. If you have a nonstick pan, you can skip this step.

2 Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions for about 2-3 minutes.

3 Add the garlic and and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms reduce down a bit.

4 Add the bacon and spinach and cook for another minute.

5 Divide the mixture into the 12 cup muffin pan.

6 Divide the scramble eggs into the cups as well and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

TIP
I cook this up at the beginning of the week and every morning get one out of the fridge! A quick breakfast out the door.

Do you have any quick tips for breakfast?

Pruning Happy

2011-08-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

I recently borrowed a couple of pruning books from the library to give me more of an idea on how to prune my plants, especially the bay laurel tree I've had for a couple years now. So I read up on it the night before and the first I did when I got up was head to my back patio with my pruning shears in hand and started cutting. I think I might have gone pruning happy! Before I knew it, the tree looked like a storm passed and all left were a few twigs and some leaves. Ooops! I'm sure it'll be fine. The book mentions that the only way to learn is to just do it and cut! I can't wait until more leaves start developing. Well, at least I have tons of dried bay leaves for cooking. Happy Pruning!

Any pruning advice or anecdotes you can give on pruning for the faint at heart?

Air Plant

2011-08-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Air Plant hanging off the side of a pot.

My auntie Vicky gave me some of her Air Plants. Actually, I asked if I could have some. She told me to get as much as I wanted because they grow so fast. She had a whole gazebo covered in it before she threw most of it out.

This plant is so interesting! I originally wanted it to just have to soften up some of my pots and to just have to add to flower arrangements in the future. Now I'm thinking I can use it to line my wire basket instead of moss and fill it in with compost. That will be shown in another post just as soon as I get more air plants. They seem to be growing pretty good....and fast, so it shouldn't be too long. I put mine out in the sun and it pretty much burnt. So, all it needs is water and a shady place.

What kind of interesting or unusual plants do you have?

More Green Onions

2011-08-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Instead of using the whole green onion that you bought from the store, cut about an inch or so above the roots and just stick them in water. Soon, you will notice more roots forming after a few days. You can transplant this to your garden and voila, you will have more green onions that will grow that are 'cut and come again'. I can usually get about 2-3 time more green onions this way. It's such a fun and easy way to get more out of what you paid for.

What other plants do you think you can do like this?

Somethings going on with my herbs....and it's not good

2011-08-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

My herb pot that has thyme, oregano, parsley and garlic chives were doing really well until I noticed that the leaves were getting spots on them. So, the first think I did was chop off all the discolored leave knowing that the herbs will easily grow back. It seemed to work for a bit, but now that the herbs are getting fuller, the spots came back. I'm suspecting it's a type of plant disease. yuck! I'm going to try again and hack the herbs down, fertilize with more of worm compost and cross my fingers.

Any suggestions on how to alleviate this problem?

Worm bin update

2011-08-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

The picture here is another level on the worm condo that I started. I really should have taken a picture of the first level that I initially set up the bin. I've been using the worm castings from that bin to supplement all my plants. This picture is somewhere in the middle of being finished, maybe another month then it will be good to start using as fertilizer. The seeds that I placed in the worm condo sprouted! I didn't mean to sprout them. I just added it to the bin to get eaten by the worms. I was so surprised to see that they were growing. Well, then again the whole thing is a bin full of worm casting (fertilizer) and worms. I found some other seeds that have sprouted in there. Having seen how effective the worm casting is on seeds, I've been adding a little scoop of it to the seeds that I've been starting. I've noticed a difference that they have been sprouting up earlier than usual.

I finally put the worm bin outside. Originally it was under a table in the kitchen, but the plastic resevoir holding the tea cracked a little, so now it's permanently home outside. I hope the worms can stand the heat and our so-called winters here in SoCal. If you notice, it's a little wet underneath the front leg of the condo. I eventually put an old pie pan there to catch the worm tea and usually dump the tea in my watering can and add extra water, and feed my plants that way.

Where do you store your worm bin?

Creamy Avocado Dressing/Dip

2011-08-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a recipe from from myrecipes.com, to spice up my salad dressing. I made some major alteration as I was missing some of the ingredients, but it turned out really good. Say good-bye to boring salad dressings. This is really good as a dip too! Tastes very similar to cilantro hummus.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: none

INGREDIENTS

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 persian cucumber
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 cup cilantro
2 green onions
Fresh juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

WHAT TO DO
1 Puree everything in a blender or preferably in a food processor.

2 Add 1/4 cup water at a time to your desired consistency.

TIP
Leave it thick by not adding the water and use it as a dip for your veggies.

Selecting Fruit Trees for Southern California

2011-07-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

My cousin has given me permission to help her with getting her garden started. So, I've been doing some research on the type of fruit trees to get for our area. Having several fruit trees in your property is a great start for your garden! You plant them once and enjoy the bounty for many years to come.

Decide what type of fruits you like. You wouldn't want to grow anything you won't eat. It's a waste of time and energy. So, she's decided that she wanted a nectarine, cherry, lemon, and a lime tree.
See what varieties grow best for your area. In this case, in Southern California. I've decided to go with Snow Queen Nectarine, Minnie Royal Cherry & Royal Lee Cherry (you need the two different varieties to pollenate each other), Meyer Lemon, and Bear Seedless Lime.
Find the nurseries around your area or online stores that carry those varieties. I've found a few places that offer the fruit trees that I'm looking for around our area. Here's a list that can get you started.

Four Winds Growers - Enjoy perusing their site of over 60 varieties of fine Citrus trees, including a selection of rare and unusual Citrus that may not yet be available in retail nurseries.
Bay Laurel Nursery - Browse through the hundreds of varieties of high quality fruit trees, shrubs and vines we sell online.
Tropical Fruit Trees - Located in Nornthern San Diego County in Vista, California, you can find tons of subtropical and tropical fruits trees.
Dave Wilson Nursery - One of the largest growers of deciduous fruit, nut and shade trees in California. Their growing grounds are located east of Modesto in the Sierra Nevada foothills, near the town of Hickman.

Lemon Tree in a pot at a restaurant! Beautiful!!

Apple Tree

What fruit trees are you growing in your garden? If you have a picture that would be even more wonderful!

Sweet and Salty Glazed Salmon Salad

2011-07-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

You'll love this light, sweet and salty fish dish that helps promote the production of healthy stomach acids. The sauce tastes similar to the ponzu sauce you would get at a sushi restaurant, but a lighter version of it.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's, Soy-Glazed Salmon with Watercress Salad.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 Tbsp gluten-free light soy sauce
4 Tbsp honey
2 oranges, peeled, flesh cut into segments, and juice squeezed from membranes (about 4 tablespoons)
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tsp rice vinegar
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
1 bag (6 oz.) organic baby spinach
1 small carrot, sliced in strips
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

WHAT TO DO
1 In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, 3 tablespoons honey, and orange juice; season with salt and pepper. In a larger bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons glaze, rice vinegar, and oil; set dressing aside.

2 Heat broiler, with rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

3 Season salmon with salt and pepper and broil for 5 minutes.

4 Remove fish from oven, brush with glaze, then broil until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes, brushing with glaze once more. You can reserve some of the glaze to pour over the fish on the plate.

5 Add orange segments, spinach, and carrots to dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

6 Divide salad among four plates and top with salmon. Sprinkle everything with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Seed Saving

2011-07-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I had the best squash in my opinion the other day with my food. It's called Kambocha Squash. I've decided to save some of the seeds and attempt to grow it.

Does anyone want to swap some seeds? (open pollinated or heirloom varieties please)

I'm drying the seeds off on top of some old newspaper.

First bean harvest

2011-07-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

My first bean harvest of 2011. Not too bad for the first year at an apartment. I may have picked them too soon. Harvesting is the funest part of gardening. I got harvest happy. Although, I do like my green beans and other greens on the younger, more tender side.

I wanted to weigh them but I keep forgetting to buy a food scale. Know of any good ones?

Pretty Butterfly

2011-07-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Look what I found fluttering around my beans yesterday, but a lonely butterfly, or is it a pretty moth?! I don't like moths much after finding a bunch of holes in my sweaters, but if this was a moth...there were no moths harmed in the photography of this insect.

Beans beans they're good for your heart

2011-07-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

The green beans are starting to get bigger and should be ready to pick in a few days. They look so cool. I think I could have planted them earlier for a longer harvesting period.

You can see the twine and wire I had prepared for the beans. I planted them in the wrong spot...in the center of the patch of dirt in my patio. What was I thinking?! I thought these were going to be pole beans, but they are the bush type beans. I was real lucky this time.