Vegan MoFo ~ Fave Herbs & Spices

Just a quick post today but still sticking with the Vegan MoFo prompts...today's being...my favorite herbs and spices!  This one is probably going to be non-climatic because I pretty much like them all for different reasons.  So I guess I will point out a few individual ones to keep this months posts consistent!

Basil

I LOVE the way it looks, smells, tastes, and grows!

We've had a LOT of luck with Basil - both indoors, outdoors, in a rooftop garden, and on a window sill garden!

Turmeric 

One of the healthiest things you can consume - some say!  And my favorite Turmeric to buy by far is from The Raw Food World!  Turmeric is one of the most powerful therapeutic herbs on the planet – it is highly regarded in the ancient Ayurvedic healing tradition of India and one of the most popular spices in the world. Turmeric is used in traditional Indian medicine as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral*. This Raw Wildcrafted Turmeric extract is made of pure turmeric root harvested by local farmers in the wetlands of India, low temperature dehydrated and cold water extracted to a standard of 95% Curcuminoids.

Dill

Helps Digestion.  A teaspoon a day can reduce 80 percent of bloating in only three days.  Its antibacterial oils not only kill any possible stomach bugs but also help in the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins.  Plus I love the smell and taste!

Cayenne

It has thermogentic properties that increase your blood flow and metabolism. Individuals who only use cayenne infrequently also find it reduces hunger.  I just like to give my foods a KICK every once and a while and Cayenne certainly makes that easy!  I think the BEST quality Cayenne can be found online...HERE.

Curry

And you can't go wrong with Curry!  I mean...want can't you do with curry!  Check out some of the curry flavored products you can easily find online!  And of course with fall and winter near Curry is the perfect addition to many dishes!

Happy Mail & Crazy Color!

A bit more of back-log-blogging before I start posting about my WNY VegFest Adventures from the weekend.  I have some HAPPY MAIL and Crazy Color to share with you right now!

First up...Happy Mail from NuNaturals!  They repackaged the Oat Fiber and sent some more of the flavored stevia and syrups!  I will be doing more with these in the very near future that is for sure!

You may remember a few months ago that 52 Teas was doing a KickStarter Campaign to change hands from Frank to Anne.  Well, it happened and the new owners have taken over 52 Teas and sent the KickStarter perks to those you participated!  Here are the reblends I received and I am super excited about them!

PLUS the company will remain vegan and organic!  Woot!  Congrats and THANKS to Anne and her daughter for continuing this label or great teas!

I have already tried their Pancake Breakfast Black Tea and LOVE it!  I think it's more bakey-crusty tasting than before and I'm LOVING that!

This morning I received a surprise in the mail from OPAL!  She hand-made this amazingly beautiful knit hat and also send some embossing folders for my Cuttlebug Machine.

I really MUST get back into scrappin' and paper craftin'!

Maybe after fair is over :)

Again a HUGE Thank You to OPAL for these!

The hat will surely come in handy for the cold winters here.  She knows I LOVE LOVE LOVE hats!  And she's incredibly talented!  She is brilliant with fiber crafts!

In other news...

The rooftop garden is going very well!  We didn't do as much of a variety of things this year but what we are trying is doing well!

We started these peppers inside several months ago and actually these three peppers were indoor and window sill gardening attempts.  We didn't take these outside.

These are SUPER HOT!!!  I like spicy but I will be using these in moderation that is for sure!

They are about the length of my finger so they are pretty small but pack a powerful punch!

And I have been blogging about how we are gearing up for fair time and this is where this next photo comes into play!

This year we are going to have a Prize Wheel and here is what it looks like.  My father let us borrow it from his work and DH altered it.  Doesn't it look COOL!?  What CRAZY COLOR, eh?  Sure is colorful!  And we already have a LOT of prizes to giveaway!  That is above and beyond all of the travel mugs we are given to pass out from a local company and this year we also have about 300 bags of chips to pass out, too!  There will be 4 concerts in 5 days so that is where most of my time will be spent once radio life is wrapped up for the day!

Indoor Gardening Journey

I've had some wonderful feedback about my Indoor Gardening hopes and dreams for this winter.  I've had a lot of interest in the topic with a lot of questions along the way.  So I figured I would start blogging about it now and keep you posted on the progress.  

Starting things off...with these 4 photos above.  The 2 plants on top in the green buckets are Sweet Banana Peppers.  We started them indoors and have kept them indoors this whole time.  They are doing quite well and we are seeing flowers and buds on two of the three plants.

The long thin leafy green lettuce is something that we've also done exclusively indoors.  It was one of the many Rosalita Lettuces we attempted throughout the season but this one looked way different than the other ones.  After a fashion the other ones had a stalk that budded seeds and flowers where this one has not and it's lasted much longer and the leaves are longer and thinner, too!

Next to that photo - in the blue bucket - was the best of the 3 Basil Plants that we brought inside.  It's still growing STRONG and making the production room smell wonderful.  I'm optimistic that we will be able to continue to grow the basil inside throughout the winter months.  One of the other Basil plants I gave to my husband's grandmother and the 3rd one we lost to frost about 2 weeks ago.

Then...in the red bucket is one of two Brussels Sprouts plants we brought in from outside.  They are still very small but I am not ready to give up on them yet.  Eventho we started from seed in April.

We are starting from seed a few other things we are going to try and do indoors during the winter months.  I will keep you posted on the progress there, too!

NOT Giving Up Because It's Snowing...

About 3 weeks ago I picked what was ready and left from the Rooftop Garden that we experimented with this year for the first time.  It was all a learning experience that is for sure!  Our office Manager said 'you have to pick these before the frost' so I did.  There are a few things left out there but not much.  I'm sad to see this end.  So Sam and I decided to try a few things INSIDE during the winter months.  I hope to take some photos of those soon.  So far we have some Sweet Banana Peppers that look like they are going to work as well as some more greens.  As for the items you see in this photo from outside...one of the tomatoes and one pepper...both of which didn't get very big.  We will probably not try tomatoes and regular bell peppers next year.  We may get a Tomato Hanging Basket instead and only do non-bell peppers since the larger one pictured here at the bottom is a Big Jim and we got 5 good sized ones out of the plants we did do.  Then...the Dragons Tongue Beans were one of the best things we did do this year...we will be doing them indoors during the winter and most likely again next summer, too!  Then we have a Contender Bean, too.  We had 2 plants that survived.  We didn't get many Contender Beans but what we did grow was tasty.  We still have a few Brussels Sprout Plants we are HOPING will make it to full size.  I'm tempted to bring them inside tho...eventho I have read that a little bit of frost will make them sweeter...I just don't want to lose them...afterall...we started from seed in April.  BUT...just a heads up...I will be switching from Rooftop Garden posts to Container Gardening and Indoor Gardening posts SOON!

Basil, Orange Peppers, and Tomatoes - Progress, Sort of...

These are 5 gallon buckets.  In these 5 gallon buckets are Basil plants!  The Basil Plants are about 3 and a half feet high so far.  I honestly can't believe how much basil these - once small plants - produced this year!!!  I know they usually do well - but had no idea they would do THIS well!

I'm very excited about this!  I have already done a few different pesto's out of the leaves I have plucked.  I hope to do more and very soon!

I will surely log - here on my blog - more about my near-future pesto adventures.

I think I might try and juice some and maybe add some to a few green smoothies, too, since I have so much!

But WAIT...there's more!  Yup!  You see correctly!  That's a 3rd basil plant!  This one isn't as big as the other two but still a very good sized plant. 

Oddly, this is the Basil plant I thought was NOT going to make it but it ended up pulling thru just fine!

In front you can see some of our cucumber plants.  They were slow at the start but I think we might see a few - thru to the end!

There are some Contender Beans next to the Basil - in this photo - as well.  We thought we were going to lose all of those, too, but we were able to save 2 of them.  One feel off and started growing next to it - in between the one Contender Bean and the Basil plant - all on it's own!

We've been picking them as they are ready and munching on them as snack - while at work!

This is a photo I took of our one sweet orange bell pepper last week but I'm happy to report that it's even more orange today.  The leaves are a little limp but we worked in some more soil and such to see if that helped.  I think a few bags of soil we bought were crappy.  One had too much 'wood' and the other was like mud/cement.  Live and learn - I guess, eh!?

Next year we will know not even to try the root veggies and I think we will nix the broccoli next year, too!  Eventho our broccoli plant was HUGE - it seemed to take MONTHS and ended up not producing ANYTHING.  Oh well.  This year was our first year and we will apply that to following years and go from there.

It was slow-going or should I say slow-GROWING with our Rosalita Lettuce but we were able to get a few of them to produce some greens.  We learned if we let them go too long they produce weird 'shoots'.

It's been VERY 'hit and miss' with our tomato attempts so far.  We have these two and another one that seem to be doing well but that's about it. 

Next year we might not do tomatoes.

We really tried to bring these guys back from the 'brink' with a little bit of 'lime' that Sam's father gave us.

I'm hopeful with our 3 Sunflowers - more on those in the near future - fingers crossed!

We might try and experiment with indoor container growing in off season months, too.  Nothing major just a few things we can try in the front room that has large windows.

I know there seem to be a lot of things that aren't really going our way but I want to keep trying!  There are other things that we are having success with - I assure you!

Gardening Journey ~ Container/Rooftop Progress

I've had a couple of comments and emails asking to post some progress photos of the containers we are starting INSIDE to then take outside for our Rooftop Garden.  Well, ask...and yee shall receive...

First up...

GREENS!  Here's a look at our lettuces, leafy greens, even some Kale (the one smack-dab in the middle).  ALL of the greenery has sprouted.  Some more advanced than others but that is expected because of the maturity lengths being different.  We are FOR SURE going to have to thin out and space the one on the left...that's the Rosalita Lettuce.  Those grow into 'heads'.  The others are more loose and leafy.  The Kale is already getting their 'second leaves/sprouts' so that's pretty neat.

Some of the other seeds are sprouting, too!  Here's a look at the Broccoli!  There are 2 sprouts here - one is stronger than the other, tho!

We have the Broccoli in a 1 and a half gallon bucket.  Some of you already read on previous posts that we are reusing CD Jewel Case Holders for the lettuces that are pictured above.

We have another bucket like this one - but it's red - that contains the carrots we are trying to grow from seed, too!

I was beginning to wonder if we got 'duds' on the carrots until we came in yesterday and saw these wonderful sprouts!  Aren't they awesome!

I can't wait to see what they all do next!  I think that is part of my problem...PATIENCE.  I need more Patience!

Now here are our Brussel Sprouts!  We started them from seed but in 'starter sections' and they are doing REALLY well!  We will have to transplant them very soon!  So far 17 out of 18 have sprouted nicely.  I was hoping for at least half of them to survive but look at these babies GROW!  And most of them have 2 to 3 sprouts per section!  Sam and I figured we have 34 of them right  now.  Karen and I were the only ones who knew that Brussel Sprout PLANTS have a large self-supportive stalk and each plant produces MANY Brussel Sprouts!  So even if HALF of these continue to grow we are going to have a TON of Brussel Sprouts!  YAY!  Could you imagine...34 Brussel Sprout "Trees" on a roof?  that makes me giggle!  I hope it works, tho!  Did you know that each plant/tree can grow up to 2 and a half feet tall!?  that's FANTASTIC!

Pups & Plants of the Weekend

I have two posts today!  Be sure to scroll down for my first one regarding FOOD OF THE WEEKEND.  This one will be a bit longer but it's specifically about Furkids...Pups to be exact...and progress on the plant life at the office.

This first photo my sister took of me with my parents Puppy Lexi.  She's doing really well!  She's a very good girl...very sweet and VERY smart!  She loves to slow dance as you can see here.  Yes, I even got some puppy kisses!  Another thing you may (or may not) notice is that their floor is different.  Yup!  My father totally re-did their kitchen floor in less that a day!  It looks SHARP!  He did a GREAT JOB!

Here's a photo of all three of our dogs - together!  This was shortly after they ate dinner.  One of the things they enjoy doing after a meal is to 'wash' for some reason.  That's what Suzie and Riley are doing anyway.  Paco has his eye on something else in the next room, I guess.

This weekend was COLD...especially yesterday and on to TODAY.  It was only 10 degrees when I parked my car this morning!  The dogs don't like the cold either...it's not just me!  Eventho it was bitter cold at least we had nice sunshine that shined thru the windows!

Some sad news from last Friday...my mother-in-law lost her last of 3 dogs.  Wally was a 9 year old Boston Terrier.  He wasn't feeling well Thursday Night or Friday Morning and she took him to the vet.  They found a mass in his stomach that was larger than a softball. She lost her other 2 dogs about a year ago to other cancers, too.  And before that her 1st dog to Mouth Cancer...that dog was also a Boston.  She says she's 'done' with pets and decided to give all of her stuff away.  She wanted us to have some large dog beds and after she cleaned them she gave them to us to bring home.  Both Suzie and Riley LOVE them!  Paco tried to pull the other one around the house until I folded it and put it infront of the TV.  I hope he warms up to it as a bed and not a toy.  Time will tell.  I feel really bad for my mother-in-law - it was VERY hard for her.  MY Mother text messaged me this morning and told me one of their cats was sick so we are waiting to hear back regarding her text results, too!  AND...Charlie has a vet appointment for Friday because he split open that wound on his tail again...I thought it was doing so well, too!  Grrrr!

On to the plant and planting news! 

We are still rolling along with the Container Garden which will then transform into our Rooftop Garden if all continues to go well! 

Here's a photo from this morning!  It's our very first sprout of Brussels Sprouts starting!  YAY!  We thought we would start small and then transplant them if all continued to progress!  We tried about 12 of them, I think.  I will keep you posted on the progress!

And speaking of 'first time sprouts'...here's a look at the very first signs of life from our Broccoli!  We have the Broccoli started in a 1 and a half gallon bucket.

Did you know that Broccoli is part of the Cabbage Family?  Broccoli is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber; it also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as diindolylmethane and small amounts of selenium.  A single serving provides more than 30 mg of vitamin C and a half-cup provides 52 mg of vitamin C.

Now...on to the updates and progress of our "GREENS"!!!

We now have signs of life from all 6 of the 'greens' that we started!  5 lettuces and kale!  Here's a look at the Grand Rapids Lettuce.  I am aware that some of these lettuces we will most likely have to transfer and transplant into another area or space them out a bit more but some of the lettuces are said to 'thrive' in various conditions such as in more confined spaces.

That's NOT really the case with the Rosalita Lettuce you see here.

Rosalita is a 'head' lettuce...so we will have to replant these and space them out better.  Oops!  Live and Learn, I guess, right!?

This is our ROCK STAR so far, tho, so perhaps it will 'transfer' alright.

I just LOVE how it looks like they are reaching for the sun!  I told my co-worker that I thought they were dancing too...she giggled at me and called me a 'hippie'...but from her that is a compliment and fun little joke her and I have going!

We are still waiting to see 'movement' on our Carrots as well as our 3 onions.

I do realize that onions take longer.  With the 3 that we are trying first...one is about 70 days, another 80 to 110, and the other about 180 days.  Of course the "Ron Burgundy" onions take the longest LOL...inside joke...see previous gardening posts for more on that!

So...gardening buddies...what do you think so far?  For a first timer!?

First Sprouts For 4 Lettuces Appeared!

I told you about how we started our indoor planting last Saturday the 15th.  Well, yesterday on the 20th we noticed these!

SPROUTING of 4 different kinds of GREENS!

YAY!

This first photo is a shot of the Spicy Mix Lettuce.  Mesclun.  It says it should start sprouting 7 to 10 days in with Maturity at 28 days!  This was day 5!  The most interesting part...we had not even watered them yet!  The reason we waited was because of the flow of people in the office this week.  But we watered them right after I took these photos!    Oddly, the Sweet Mix of Mesclun says maturity in 30 days and we have yet to see any sprouts for that one.  I took these photos yesterday and they have doubled in size since!  It's so great!  It's like we have little babies!

Now...this 2nd photo is the progress of the Grand Rapids Lettuce.

Again, this photo was taken yesterday and it's looks so much better today!  I figured I would wait until next week before posting more progress photos, tho!

A stock photo from the company/description I used in my last post on which lettuces we were going to start here.

Incase you missed my longer explanation of what we planted them in...you can find that here.

This next photo is of the first sprouts of Kale!  I'm VERY excited about this one as I use a lot of Kale and would use even more if I had it readily available!  This has progressed nicely since yesterday, too!  I haven't posted about the Kale "hopes" yet so this in the first time.

Kale, also known as borecole, is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. A leafy green, kale is available in curly, ornamental, or dinosaur varieties. It belongs to the Brassica family that includes cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

And here's the 4th "Green" that we have seen activity on already!  This is the ROCK STAR so far!  This is Rosalita Lettuce.

According to Burpee Seeds Website...Rosalita is Medium-sized, heat resistant heads are deep red with a blanched heart. Sow in average soil in full sun in early spring for first crop, in late summer for fall crop. Sow thinly in rows 12" apart and cover with 1/4" of fine soil. Firm lightly and keep evenly moist. Seedlings emerge in 7-10 days.

I'm a bit nervous as we "sprinkled" them around the container and didn't space them out in rows of 12-inches apart.  Depending on how this progresses we might be transplanting it.  I'm very impressed and excited with our Rosalita so far!  She's in "first place" if it were a sprout race!

Indoor Gardening & Container Gardening - Getting a Game Plan & Starting

(I originally had this as a schedule post for tomorrow - but - I decided to move it up to today - and will tell you WHY - in the very near future!)

It has begun!  The Indoor Gardening Process for our Rooftop Garden at work!  YAY!  Last Saturday - 3 of us came in and started our 'game plan'.  We also started our first 'flight' of indoor 'from seed' attempts.  As I mentioned in previous posts - we are reusing many items for this project.

In this first photo you will see that we are using 3 long and narrow wooden boxes.  In these 3 boxes we are doing 3 different kinds of onions.  One in each box.  We are jokingly calling the middle one our "Ron Burgundy Onions" - they are really called RED Burgundy Onions...but all three of us thought they same thing.

We obtained these wooden containers from our 'junk room' at work.  Prior to the 'junk room' these wooden boxes were holding old 45's.  Since we will never be using those again since everything is digital we decided to reuse them and put them to work.  The place I work is inside a very old building.  A few rooms that are being used as storage and not for public use because I doubt they are up to code - are gems in themselves.  There are OLD 'leftovers' from pre-1940 in there.  One of the items is an old retail display case with plastic drawers...big enough to fit shoes in.  There are roughly 30 of these.  We used some of them in the photo above to catch the drainage water from the boxes.  We also used them to prop up the wooden boxes so they could get more sun from the window.  If you look in the 2nd photo you will see some small sections we are trying to start.  If they work - we hope to transplant them.  They are Brussels Sprouts.  In the empty space between the two - we ended up putting two 1.5 gallon buckets.  One with Carrots and the other one with Broccoli.  We drilled holes in the bottom of each of those and put them in those clear plastic drawers as well.
On the other side of the room we are using old CD Jewel Case Holders - with holes on the back/bottom for drainage - and put in the clear plastic drawers.  So far - mostly - in these we are doing various greens!  Lettuces - all different colors and kinds - and Kale.  We hope to have these indoors for about 4 to 6 weeks and then harden them off and take them outside.  We have TONS of other plans but are going to space them out.  As for the set up indoors...we ended up reusing old wood and surfaces to make the "tables" and hugged them up to each window.  I will keep you posted on any progress!