10 Foods You Must Know About For Skin Health

There are many foods beneficial for our skin, but few match the nutrient capabilities of the following in terms of cleansing, moisturizing, regeneration, antioxidant, UV protection, strengthening and rejuvenation.


1) LEMONLemon is a fruit of all seasons and almost always finds place on your kitchen shelf or refrigerator. With its vitamin C content, its juice will keep your skin beautiful. A

1 In 2 Children Will Have Autism by 2025, Warns Senior MIT Scientist

The overuse of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide on our food is causing glyphosate toxicity and it is now being considered as the single most important factor in development of autism and other chronic disease. At a recent panel discussion about GMOs, a senior scientist has stated that one in two children will be autistic by 2025. 


Glyphosate does induce disease and is a "textbook example of

We're Eating Only Grass-Fed Meats These Days...and They're Getting Easier to Find

Because I live in the Sierra Nevada mountains, my local Farmer's Market
is only open June through September.  We have a vendor at our market who
raises grass-fed beef about an hour north of us. It's delicious, but
expensive.  Even so, I feel it's worth it, during the months that I can
get it.



Thompson Valley Ranch, my Farmer's Market source for grass-fed beef.


The rest of the year,

Asian Chicken Soup with Shiitake and Zucchini "Noodles"

A wonderful warming treat if you're feeling a little under the weather.  Or not!!













Often Asian soups have noodles, but in this soup, the noodles have been replaced with zucchini "noodles".  This keeps the soup gluten-free, of course, great for anyone watching inflammation or healing eczema.  But the zucchini "noodles" are also pretty, colorful and tasty.  To make them, I use a

A Pretty Holiday Salad--And it's Packed with Super Healing Foods

This time of year, we're loving pomegranates!  They are packed with super healing powers, plus they add just the right festive color for holiday dishes.




 

 





There is so much rich food around during the holidays.  Why not simplify with a beautiful, health-promoting and delicious salad.  The best thing about this salad is that it is so holiday-right that you can bring it to a

Neonicotinoids and the dangers they pose to honey bees and insects

There is a huge fuss about neonicotinoids and the dangers they pose ...to honey bees, but remember that they are not native to North America. Everything in the insect world suffers from these chemicals, especially native pollinators, through ground dwelling cicada nymphs, to even our lovely monarch butterflies both as caterpillars and adults. The simple definition of neonicoinoids is that they

The Wonders of Chilli Peppers: They May Prevent Cancer and Extend Lifespan By 30 Percent

Capsaicin found in chili peppers is known to promotes fat
burning and increase metabolism, but researchers are now showing
evidence that they kill cancer cells and may even extend lifespan.



Can Chili Peppers Extend your Lifespan?


 Past research suggested that spicing food with chilies can lower blood pressure in people with that condition, reduce blood cholesterol and ease the

3 Vaccines That Should Be Banned And Never Administered To Any Child

Before following the advice of
your medical doctor on immunization (which is not synonymous with
vaccination), you may want to reconsider giving any vaccines to your
child until you have completed sufficient research on the risks, side
effects and actual causes of the diseases you are vaccinating against.
The following are three highly controversial vaccines that many experts
now believe

The 11 Most Significant Factors Guaranteed To Depress Your Immune System

From our environment, to our food, medicine and lifestyle, we are surrounded by things that depress our immune system. Knowing the culprits can make a big difference in how long and how often you encounter illness.


Get Healthy Learn what to Avoid




1. Sugar

Sucrose suppresses the immune system, leads to weight gain and leaches precious minerals from your body. Even in small amounts, sugar

Citrus Juices Found To Contain Antioxidant Capacities Ten Times Higher Than Previously Measured

The antioxidant activity of citrus juices and
other foods is undervalued. A new technique developed by researchers
from the University of Granada for measuring this property generates
values that are ten times higher than those indicated by current
analysis methods. The results suggest that tables on the antioxidant
capacities of food products that dieticians and health

10 Factors Affecting Your Metabolism

In spite of all the information and all the prescriptions offered by modern diets, people just keep getting fatter. This suggests that our knowledge about metabolism is missing something -- perhaps some of the old wisdom that kept hundreds of generations of people slender and strong. Of course, having access to modern scientific knowledge is enormously helpful too. The key lies in integrating

Planting it Forward. Turn your Christmas tree into a 100 year statement

We envisioned a Grove to lift your Spirit


It started out easy enough.  We have a beautiful ranch where we decided we wanted to plant a grove of trees that would last 200 years..... Thus started our journey so search out live christmas trees, rescue any orphan trees we came across that would grow in our area from the nursery sale piles and, buy en mass, any broken off problem trees on sale at

Not All Yogurts are the Same

Yogurt?  I make my own.  I know that sounds crazy, but I have my reasons.  And I think they're good ones.

It's all about gut health--  More and more nutritional healing research is pointing clearly in the direction of gut health.  Yes, gut health...not very glamorous sounding, but your overall good health relies on it.  Gut health refers to the delicate balance in our guts between good

These 9 Spices Decrease Triglyceride Levels By 30 Percent

Spices and Herbs improve your Health


Antioxidant-rich spices and herbs could help to
improve triglyceride concentrations and other blood lipids, according to
new research.






Published in Nutrition Today,
the paper analyses the metabolic effects of herbs and spice blends --
focusing in particular on the potential cardiovascular benefits of the
ingredients

Why You'll Want to Make Broth from Your Leftover Turkey - The Healing Power of Bone Broth

I don't know about your house, but mine has had the fragrant smell of turkey cooking in one form or another for several days now.  Due to some scheduling challenges, we had our family celebration on Wednesday, so I started then with the turkey and each day since there has been one form or another of leftover turkey.  Not only that, but I stuffedd and roasted a chicken last Saturday night

Mashed Potato Leftovers

Is your fridge brimming with leftover Thanksgiving offerings?  Mine surely is.  But so far, I've whittled down at least one dish--the mashed potatoes. 


Potato pancakes are always a delicious treat.  Once you have the mashed potatoes, the work is basically done.  Just drop in a couple of eggs and fry them up.  This is definitely one of the side-benefits of Thanksgiving leftovers.





I served

Study Tracking Over 100,000 People Finds The More Pasteurized Milk People Drink, The More Likely They Are To Die

Milk is the only beverage still aggressively pushed on children as a health promoting food when it is the exact opposite - a disease promoting food. Drinking pasteurized milk is not nearly as good for general health or bones as the dairy industry has made it out to be. In fact, this fairy tale of "milk doing a body good" is being exposed more frequently by many independent scientists and

12 Convincing Herbs That Will Help Reduce Your Dependence On Cholesterol Drugs

Our dependence on drug therapy to
reduce cholesterol is staggering and approximately 15% of the top
prescribed medications in the world are generic statins. The are NO
scientific studies ever documented which have proved through causation
that lowering LDL cholesterol prevents disease. It's more important to
manage your cholesterol with dietary herbs than it is to lower
cholesterol

Talkin' Turkey, Wild, Farm Raised and more...

Wild Turkey flock outside our Gate 

Who doesn't love Turkey?   We have a unique situation in that our farm is next to a 11,000 acre wild life refuge.  So we don't just have turkeys come by... we have herds of turkeys for neighbors.

What have we learned? 

Turkeys are the ultimate herd animal.  They will follow  in a line to cross a stream or driveway.  There can be 30 turkeys on one side..

Researchers Find That High-Fat Diets Postpone Aging

Avocados are a good source of natural Fats and are NON GMO




New Danish-led research suggests that signs of brain aging can be postponed through high-fat diets. In the long term, this opens the possibility of treatment of children suffering from premature aging and patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The research project is headed by the Center for Healthy Aging, University

I'm in the Mood for Soup!

With the first autumn cold weather, I find that my thoughts turn to soups and stews.  This week I've been cooking cold-weather soups that are so chock full of hearty ingredients that you could almost call them stews, if it weren't for the broth. 





Cod, Kale and Bacon Soup
You can serve a salad with this if you wish, but this healthy soup is really pretty much a one dish meal.  For ease, why

9 Tips for a Gluten Free Thanksgiving...and Other Healthy Suggestions

Who Loves Organic Turkey?  






Healing with food is not always easy around Thanksgiving time.  Especially for those of us that are trying to stick to our gluten-free diets. Stuffing, pie crust,...yikes!  And if we're also trying to be sugar-free and dairy-free, the entire meal is full of land-mines.  



Here are nine tips you can use to get through the meal without compromising your

12 Natural Remedies For Eczema, Rashes and a Range of Persistent Skin Conditions

Use Natural Remedies for Eczema


Eczema is a catch-all term for a variety of ailments that cause the inflammation and irritation of the skin. It now affects more than 20% of infants and about 5% of adults and children although those numbers appear to be increasing due to dietary triggers and environmental pollutants. The standard treatment for the medical community for eczema is

Grass Fed Cattle and the Future of Farming

Raising cattle on natural pasture is not a new way of ranching. Its the oldest form and the truest form. And lucky for us, its making a resurgence. More than a decade ago, there were less than 50 pasture ranches in the U.S. and today, there are thousands. There are many reasons for the shift in getting back to basics, I like to think its mainly because we, as consumers, have learned that we

How to Find the Best Grass Fed Beef

Buying Grass Fed Beef seems like a simple thing, you go to a store that carries it or you join a CSA, perhaps you buy at the local Farmers Market or order it online from a Farmer. The act of purchasing Grass Fed Beef is an easy one; you swipe the credit card and voila, you go home with yummy meat.  But how do you know which Grass Fed Beef to buy? How do you know if its Pasture Raised Grass Fed

3 Reasons Why the Grass is Greener for Pasture Raised Beef

Grass Fed Beef, the Best of the Best kind of meat. It’s delicious, it contains better vitamins and minerals for you, and the meat comes from healthier cattle! Right? Well, maybe.

All cattle eat grass in one form or another, so what does “Grass Fed Beef” really mean? According to the USDA the definition of Grass Fed Beef is “grass and forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime

VERTICAL HERB PLANTER (and it can work in Winter too!)

Keep Herbs Tidy in Containers year Round

We all love the taste of fresh Herbs.   Vertical Herb planters are a fun way to let you
grow in Winter in a sunny window or outside in good weather.  The trick is finding something  that is compact and simple to move  indoors or outdoors as the
seasons change.   We think the easiest vertical planters are ladders in a sunny corner by a sliding door in

Magnesium Rich Foods Offer 5 Critical Health Benefits

Magnesium is an essential mineral for staying healthy and is required for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Multiple health benefits of magnesium include transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth. 


Eat Foods High in Magnesium like Almonds





More Foods High in

20 Amazing Health Benefits of Tomatoes That Should Make Them A Daily Staple In Your Diet

Just one serving a day of tomato-based foods can have an incredibly beneficial effect on your health. 



Not only can they reduce heart disease, but they could potentially prevent and reverse dozens of diseases if eaten daily. This is one fruit you don't want to leave out of your diet. 


1. REDUCE HEART DISEASE
According to Tufts and Boston University researchers, the highest average intakes

Food Gardening in the U.S. at the Highest Levels in More Than a Decade

According to a Report by the National Gardening Association;


35% of all households in America, or 42 million households, are
growing food at home or in a community garden, up 17% in five years
Largest increases in participation seen among younger households - up 63% to 13 million since 2008
2 million more households community gardening -- up 200% since 2008

 


Growing food at Home 
or in

25 Questions That Establish Your Health and Nutrition I.Q.

We often get so caught up in the promotion of
specifics on health, nutrition and disease prevention, that we forget
there are many people who have a very limited understanding of even the
basics. We know many of you struggle to keep up with current
information because our authors typically do not reintroduce factoids
they know and take for granted. Whether you are just awakening to the

Growing in Containers - 3 Tips for Successful Fruit and Veggies

There is something wonderful about plants and containers.   Put the plants in and watch them quickly grow and expand to fill up all the nooks and crannies.  Since you should always use good soil in containers as long as you remember to water you get a sense that the entire thing is a win win for all...    Vegetables and fruit trees in containers will provide the same easy satisfying result...

Balancing These 10 Minerals Is Crucial To Your Health

Together, minerals make up a mere four percent of your body, but their role in its effective functioning is critical to your health. Any imbalance or deficiency of the following minerals can result in illness until that balance is restored. It is nearly impossible to lack minerals with the right diet.


Often the most frightening symptoms are traced to an imbalance of little-known minerals.

3 Things if Chickens Could Talk - 'You are SO NOT in my Club'

We love Chickens.  And each and every one has a unique personality.  Here are 3 things we have learned that they say over and over again in their unique way.

What we hear them say........








Bossy Chickens


'You are SO not in my club'   Chickens come with temperaments and unique personalities that  they  keep for their lives.   So you have the nice ones, the meek ones, the ones who always

10 Reasons To Skip The Wine and Stick To Grape Juice

Although wine has been
credited for a wide range of health benefits, little is said about
primary constituent. The consumption of wine is not necessary to
benefit from all the wonder nutrients in grapes. Grapes are rich in
health-protecting antioxidants, including resveratrol and
flavonoids. These antioxidants are found mainly in the skin, stem,
leaf and seeds of grapes,

Soft Drink Consumption Will Age You As Fast As Smoking - 10 Reasons To Avoid Them

The
message to stop smoking issued by public health officials has been
nothing less than paramount, repetitive and consistent in the last
several decades. What about soft drinks? Daily consumption of just a
half-liter of soda is linked with 4.6 years of additional biological aging, effects comparable to that of smoking, finds a new study.




Drinking Soda Ages You




The
study

15 Facts Most People Don't Know About Fluoride

Advocates of fluoride say its use in
municipal water systems poses no adverse health concerns, however
results from investigations clearly state the
opposite. There has been considerable research done on
fluoride regarding cancer, birth defects, and risks
to the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary

10 Food Facts That May Surprise You

From the color of foods to their fat content and nutritional value, there are facts about what we consume, their origin and manufacture which is not common knowledge and rarely promoted as truth. Here are 10 food facts that still surprise the majority.


1. Orange Tomatoes May Be Healthier Than Red OnesUsually, deep color in fruits and vegetables indicates abundant antioxidants - compounds

14 Things People Probably Do Not Want To Know About Their Favorite Foods

There are hundreds of food industry facts that are sheltered from consumers and only made public by food scientists if absolutely necessary. The following are 14 of the more well known industry insider secrets that have been exposed now for some time, but still not common knowledge to millions of consumers.



Many consumer watchdogs have found that food label claims such as ‘pure’, ‘fresh’,

Pomegranates in Your Yard. 3 Things to Know

We love pomegranates.  Our chickens love pomegranates.  The wild birds and bees love pomegranates.  Introduced to California by Spanish Settlers in 1769 there are now thousands of acres planted and Pomegranate is considered a Super Food.  Good news for all of us...it is  easy to grow.




Pomegranate Trees are pretty landscape trees

Three Great things to know about Pomegranates

1.  Pomegranates

2 Things Broody Hens and Road Rage Drivers have in Common

What to do with a Henzilla....

We are the first to admit we have a THING for chickens.  They are funny, smart and very helpful in their daily garden bug eating chores.  Chickens come with all kinds of personalities and just like with people you can get the one from time to time that is just a pain.

Enter the Broody Hen...

You can't plan ahead to NOT end up with a Broody Hen.  A hen goes

In Praise of a Herb Garden... 5 Things you Need to Know

Dry herbs by hanging upside down in a dark spot

On our farm we have herbs gardens we have planted  AND we have herbs
that self sow and grow perennially as part of our landscaping.   Herb
gardens have been around as long as people have been cooking or using
them for healing.   Traditional old knot gardens often had different
herbs for cooking in one part of the knot and others for healing

The ONE secret to a great Free Range Chicken Dinner

Nothing is better than Fresh Farmers Market Chicken

There is  nothing as amazing as a Chicken dinner that is cooked just right. Everyone has a recipe and everyone has a secret ingredient or technique including us so read on....

Our local Farmers Market makes a compelling case for never buying any meat that isn't fresh, local and humanely grown.  The animals are healthier and the meat just

Fall is in the Air and Squash is at the Markets!

I'm always a little sad to see summer end.  But then I start to think about all the great fall experiences, like watching the leaves change color and blow about in the wind, pulling out cozy sweaters for the first cool weather, and warm, hearty fall cooking.



Squash is at the Farmers Market


I love the autumn squashes which are starting to turn up at our local markets about now.  These are

5 Things you can make with Apples that are Amazing

 It is apple season.  For us that means the sharp tart apples that make great pies and apple juice.

On our ranch we have a bunch of OLD apple trees.  They keep producing and producing so we feel each year we have to do something.   

5 Things to do with Apples....



Apples are delicious and easy!


1.  Make Apple juice and cider  This is easier than you think.  We do it in two stages.  The

Healthy ribs...really??

 There's no doubt about it.  Ribs are an all-American favorite.  However, if you're healing with foods, you may have given up sugar and pork, which means that ribs--tasty, succulent and slathered in a sweet and spicy sauce-- may be a food you're wishing you could still eat.

Of course, we're not advocating that anyone eat ribs frequently.  A few times a year is probably as often as anyone needs

Water Water Everywhere and not a drop to Drink

5 Things for Water Sustainability and Home Gardening



We are all aware of the drought in California and the long term implications of water. This is an article on what every family can do to be water and food sustainable.   Today most of us can get water at the turn of a faucet.. and it is cheap.  But if you have a choice consider and incorporate these 5 things to be more water thrifty.

5 Benefits of Rosemary (and 75% Memory improvement from a Sniff is just one!)

Rosemary has many health benefits

Rosemary is an herb that has been a mainstay of cooking and healing for centuries.  A fragrant evergreen herb native to the Mediterranean, it is used as a culinary condiment, to make bodily perfumes, and for its potential health benefits.

The herb not only tastes good in culinary dishes such as rosemary chicken and lamb, but it is also a good source of iron,

The Best (I GIVE UP!) Home Made Tomato Sauce EVER

We laughingly call this our "I GIVE UP" sauce here on the ranch.   What that really means is we have Tomatoes, bellpeppers and every other veggie coming out of our ears AND we have had the first hint of cooler weather.

Since the farmers market tables are brimming over  what does that mean?  Time to make a one time push, make a pile of sauces and can.   We are all about no work here so we do it a

Make Your Own (easy!) Compost Pile

It's the time of year to start thinking about building a Compost Pile. For best results, you will want to use a mixture of types of ingredients. The right balance is something learned by experience, but what we do is use equal amounts by volume of Greens and Browns, and layer them.


A Good layered Compost Pile can sit unattended  and will do its work automatically


Some things, like grass

Get to Know Rapini (what?)... only at Farmers Markets...

The BEST part of farmers markets is discovering food you haven't' tried before.  For many in the USA, Rapini would make that list.

It is in the same species as Turnips and is well known in Europe where it is  called Broccoli Raab.  It hails from Italy where it is known as Cime di Rapa which means Turnip tops.



Rapini, in the turnip family can be eaten flowers, leaves and all




Rapini has

Bee the Change - 10 Bee Friendly Companion plants that deter pests

While you are  planting a veggie garden or a flower garden, plan to plant companion plants that go to work.  Some deter pests, some attract Bees and some do both.  Here is our favorite list.  Tuck these plants in everywhere or do like we do and make a strip of  area by your garden  or around your garden a flower delight.  The bees will love you and the pests will stay away!  Ours is perennial

Organic Chile Verde... Done Right!

If you grow up on a cattle ranch in California you get a taste for Real Mexican home cooked food.  I have a lot of favorites... but this one is by far one of the best.



 Organic Pork Chili Verde


 
Start with Heritage Pasture raised pork. It just tastes better.  If you don't have your own pig handy then get it at your local farmers market or Trader Joes.  I like to use picknick shoulder but

No Peel Plum Jam

It is that time of year and we have eaten all the fresh plums we can handle.  So into the canning process they go.



No PEEL Fast Plum Jam



This is a super simple recipe we have been using for years.


Cut a bowl of plums in half, remove pits
Cover with 4 to 4 1/2 cups of sugar
Mix and let sit at room temp for1hour
Cover with Water, bring to boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 min

Not Your Church Potluck Potato Salad

Potatoes for Sale at my Local Farmers Market


Potatoes are plentiful in my local farmer's market this time of summer.  I love to boil up the tiny new ones and use them in various potato salads.  Serve them with some simple sliced summer tomatoes, corn on the cob and something from the BBQ and you have the quintessential summer menu.



Fresh Organic Potatoes



Not Your Church Potluck Potato

Yummy Healing with Anti-Inflammatants: Ginger, Turmeric and Garlic

Lately we've been doing some research into healing Psoriasis and Eczema with foods.  As with so many other diseases, inflammation is one of the problems that leads to these two uncomfortable conditions.  There are so many great foods that help reduce inflammation.  In particular, super greens, herbs and cruciferous veggies, as well as most other vegetables and fruits.



However, there are three

For Quick, Fabulous and Delicious Cauliflower...Roast It!!

My sister tells me she has a hard time getting her family to eat cruciferous vegetables.  (Cruciferous veggies include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.)  In contrast, my family seems to really enjoy them.  Of course, I'm not above resorting to a cheese sauce if that's what it takes to get kids to eat broccoli.  And often, that's exactly what it takes.



How to Eat Cruciferous

12 Best (and Pretty) Companion Plantings to Control Pests

Organic or not organic? ... Whether you grown organic or semi organic you will always face the question of what do do about pests?  They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that is particularly true with growing a garden. 



Plant the right Companion Plants and reduce pests Automatically

 

Certain plants when planted as companions create natural

6 Steps for a DIY Home Seed Germination Test

Before you go to all the work to plant Heirloom Seeds you have purchased or plant the seeds you collected from your garden this do this easy test to make sure your seeds are good.  In general as long as your seeds are properly stored, they can remain viable with a high germination rate for years. It is important however, before you sow your seeds , to know how healthy and viable they really are.

Some New Greens from the Farmers Market...Quinoa and Ammaranth

Last week at my local Farmer's Market, I picked up some greens I've never cooked with before, quinoa and amaranth.  The farmer I purchased them from informed me that they would be great added to salads and also could be cooked up like any other green.  I washed them up, broke off their stems at the intersection with the leaf and tossed them in a pan.  Evaluation:  delicious!!



Sesame Greens

5-Minute Farmers Market Summer Cucumbers

I'm loving cucumbers right now.  We've had them every other night for the last few weeks.  And ... I have a confession to make.  I serve them the exact same way each time.  It's fast, it's easy, it's delicious.  Why mess with perfection?

Here's what I do:


 5-minute Summer Cucumbers








2 small summer cucumbers from the garden or farmer's market
olive oil
champagne vinegar
pink

Peppers from the Farmer's Market

Jimmy Nardellos at the local Farmer's Market









This past month we've been really enjoying the skinny mild red peppers called Jimmy Nardellos that have been showing up at our local farmer's market.



Slim Red and Mild




They are perfect for the summer BBQ season.  We just coat them in a little olive oil, sea salt and ground black pepper ... and onto the grill they go!



Long, slender

Zucchini Like Crazy - Load up at the Farmers Market

Farmers Market at Lake Tahoe, Right on the Lake!

It's zucchini season and the tables at my local farmers markets were laden with it this week.  If you're growing it in your garden, you're probably ready for some good zucchini recipes to help you deal with the surplus.



Fresh Summer Squash--Ready for Easy Cookin'


My husband loves zucchini and all the summer squashes.  He's often begging

Think Italian with the late summer harvest: eggplant...tomatoes...basil

Picked up a couple of eggplants from the farmer's market yesterday
along with the usual armload of summer tomatoes and basil.  There's a
reason the Italians combine these flavors together.  Not only do they
taste wonderful with each other, but they all come to harvest at the
same time, making them a summer farmer's market natural.






 





 I also picked up this gorgeous torpedo

5 Reasons to Grow Fruit Trees... even in Little Patio Pots

There was a time when every home had at least one fruit tree.  And at the turn of the century every rural property had an orchard.. What happened?

About the time we got lawn mowers and track homes rural homeowners decided to go for 'ornamental' or landscape trees with an emphasis on shade trees.  And, while many fruit trees make great shade trees the fruit that fell had to be dealt with,

What IS it about Backyard Chickens? Why you should start Raising them Right now.....

There is a movement afoot to bring poultry back into Urban Yards.  Yes Chickens are cute but is there more to it than that?



5 Important Reasons  to have Chickens right now.....


1)  The Eggs are safer and better from your own chickens.  It is a fact.   The chickens you raise are healthier, they eat free range so you know what is making the eggs.  

 Consumer Reports,  in a 2013  study,

Collecting Seeds and World Pea(ce)....

So what does collecting seeds have to do with World Peace?
As it turns out collecting seeds is a good pay it forward that is easy to do.  And it is a habit the entire world can use.. so why not?
Being a little more serious, given that we have a world bee problem sowing Seeds can help the pollinators do their part.  And, food security is always a good thing.


So how to make a difference? And

4 Things you can do with Mustard

Mustard is an amazing plant and is one of the easiest to grow. Just broadcast the seeds out in the fall.  It likes cold weather and makes a wonderful cover crop or early winter greens in your garden.   The plant is beneficial to the soil and in fact can kill various soil diseases and acts as a fungicide.  You often see mustard between the rows in vineyards planted as a soil and root defense

Three Things you Didn't Know about Chickens and Tomatoes

Chickens and tomatoes.... How do they go together?   



1.   Chickens and Tomatoes at the Compost pile   Chickens are smart and they go where the bugs are.  The compost pile is a favorite spot for chickens to find the latest scraps and bugs that like them.   Given free run chickens will do the hard work of aerating your pile.  We take advantage of this by using a rotating part of our garden

3 things you can grow (and eat!) that also improve your soil

Photo by Craig Rippens Marin Farmers Market

When you garden in the ground you must continually work to improve your soil and rotate your crops.  OR, you can grow in raised beds and buy packaged dirt and fertilizers... but both require you either buy MORE fertilizer each year or replenish the soils somehow  A win win is to grow crops (you can eat) that also improve the soil.     These work

Best Cabbage Salad We have Ever Had

Photo by Craig Rippens  Marin Farmers Market

There are salads and then there are amazing salads.  Pick up the greens at the Farmers Market.

Grammy Browns Cabbage Salad


1 Head of Cabbage Shredded
1 Bunch of green onions chopped
1 TBSP Sesame Seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 Package of Organic Ramon Noodles crushed (they make them google it)


Dressing


1 cup virgin olive oil
8 TBSP Seasoned

10 EASIEST VEGETABLES FOR BEGINNERS

Photo from Craig Rippens Marin Farmers Market

Growing vegetables doesn't get any easier than this...  give it a try. 1) CARROTS
Find a plot of soil (or a deep pot) that is deep enough to handle this
root vegetable. Carrots are ready for harvest when their tops extend
above the soil line. If you start running out of time in the Fall, you
can harvest early as baby carrots. Scarlet Nantes,

Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

We love farmers markets (of course) and we love the farm tours where there are goats!  So what is better than goat cheese farmers market salad.


This one is super easy..



1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil whisked with 2 TBS of fresh lemon juice and a little bit of sugar added.
Thyme, pepper and a dab of Dijon mustard to taste in the dressing
A bowl of your favorite farmers market greens -

What to make with Tomatoes

It is that time of year. Tomatoes everywhere.  We love to pick them right off the vines and make a delicious salad.  Of course you can get heirloom tomatoes at your local farmers market too.

Here is our fav salad at the moment.



Fresh tomatoes
Basil or small sliced onions
Red onion 
Extra Virgin Olive Oil whisked together with 1/2 tsp lemon drizzle with a pinch of crushed thyme








Or

Creamy Spanish Dip for Chips or Veggies

Sometimes you run across something that is truly amazing. This dip is flavorful and easy. It can be made ahead and is good both cold and at room temp.  The secret is in the blend of blue cheese, garlic and butter.



1 stick of salted butter
1/4 cup of softened blue cheese
garlic to taste



Blend well and serve at room temperature or cold.  An easy rule of thumb is to use about as much blue