Gardening

Still gardening here in northeast Oklahoma.  We had frost this morning, but this afternoon it was 77°!  Last week I harvested the last of my cilantro, one carrot that survived among the dill, and one last red bell pepper.

I am now in the mode of preparing for next year.  I planted some garlic bulbs yesterday.  I’ve never grown garlic.  I know it’s a bit late to plant, but I thought it was worth a shot.  I’m also researching what seeds I want to buy for next year.  I plan on ordering from Baker Seed Company.

The past few weeks I have spent preparing my new beds for next year.  I’m excited to try square foot gardening next year.  You can check out the book, Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew, or the website Square Foot Gardening.com.

I went to the hardware store and intended on buying 1 x 6 boards, but the 2 x 6 size were actually cheaper.  I had them cut into 4-foot lengths and my husband built these for me (these are 4 x 4):

I have them spaced 3 feet apart, on all sides.  I put down a layer of newspaper (had to water the newspaper to get it to stay put) and then layered grass clippings on top.  (Note for future projects:  Do not do this on a windy day!)

I then layered some leaves into each box.  These are called lasagna beds.  This is a way to avoid tilling and digging.  The leaves and grass will decompose and provide lots of organic matter to enrich the soil.Then I layered what soil I already had, from my containers used last summer. I will buy some mushroom compost in the spring to layer on top.  Then each year, I will keep adding layers of grass and leaves and keep feeding the soil.

Further out in the yard, I have built a heap.  I laid some newspapers down and then I piled up my zinnias, the pumpkin vine, my basil branches, and pepper plants in a pile.  On top of that I shoveled all the compost I had (it wasn’t completely decomposed, but it has some good dark matter in it and it smelled good).  Then I layered some leaves on top.  In the spring I will add some mushroom compost and this will be my pumpkin hill.  I will plant a couple varieties of pumpkin and let them roam around the yard.  (You can see the heap in the foreground of this picture.)

I am in the process of building herb beds to line my patio.

And I would also like to expand the flower bed for next year.  This year I grew zinnias and marigolds (below), we’ll see what next year holds!

I’m so excited for next spring to get here!  How has your gardening gone this past year?

What Is It?

Water, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed oil, and less than 2% sodium caseinate (a milk derivative), natural and artificial flavors, dipotassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, mono- and diglycerides, cellulose gel, cellulose gum, color added, carrageenan.

 

Time again for the mystery “food.”  I put food in quotations because packaged food is fake food.  Let me know what you think this might be.  I will reveal in a few days.

Challenge Update

A little late on my report, but here it is.  I challenged you to abstain from nitrates for seven days.  You can read more here.

 

How did you do?  I don’t have a lot to report this time.  We didn’t eat any processed meat that week.  I’ve been trying to keep us stocked up on uncured hot dogs and bacon for when we are craving them.  And no surprise, they taste better!  Check into it for yourself.  Your family deserves the best.

Great Sale!!!

If you need coconut oil or cod liver oil, now is a great time to buy.  Green Pasture’s is having a great sale through Monday, the 16th.  Check it out!

A Reminder…

…to put your trust in the Lord.



It can get overwhelming when you dig into a subject, be it nutrition or anything else. Sometimes I feel a little helpless and want to throw up my hands. But then I’m reminded to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). I think it hit me when I was reading about how many toxic chemicals are out there that we breathe and eat and even absorb through our skin. I felt powerless in the fight to stay healthy. I think that was a good place for me to get to because I had done so much research I was starting to feel in control of my health. This is a hindrance, when we no longer rely on God, but feel we’ve got it under control.



I heard someone say about a year ago that there is a problem with being too intellectual. I bristled at this thought! I LOVE to learn and am always reading and trying to educate myself. But I see, now, what this speaker meant. The problem with intellectualism is that you feel like you know it all and can solve all your problems and as a result you lose a trust in God. There is nothing wrong with learning, we should in fact be learning all the time. But the problem comes when we lose trust in God. This applies to all areas – healthy eating, finances, raising kids, etc.



God was reminding me that first and foremost I must always put my trust in Him. So I started to dig into that passage that we’ve all heard so many times in Proverbs. I noticed something. The verse that tells us to trust in the Lord is prefaced by promises. Verses 1 and 2 tell us that if we keep God’s laws we will have a long and peaceful life. Verses 3 and 4 tell us that if we are merciful and truthful we will have favor with God and man. This tells me that God does not expect a blind trust, but rather faith in the promises in His word. So we must find out what His promises are if we are going to put our trust in Him. This will take a little study.



So whether you want to change your eating habits or are believing for healing in your life, first put your trust in God and do not lean on your own understanding (intellect). Acknowledge the Lord and He will direct your path (verse 6). God wants to direct our path in all areas, not just the big life decisions, but our everyday life as well. And finally verse 7, do not be wise in your own eyes – never reach a place where you think you have it all figured out and you’ve got it under control and don’t need God’s help. As Barnes commentary puts it, “The great hindrance to all true wisdom is the thought that we have already attained it.”



As you do your research, know this, man does not have all the answers. The doctors and scientists have not figured it all out yet. Our bodies are intricately engineered machines and only our Creator knows everything about them. So trust in God’s wisdom as you learn more about nutrition. Test all things against the Word of God.



We are obligated to do what we know to do. I try to make the healthiest choices I can. Sometimes, I’m sure, I’m ingesting toxins and don’t even know it. God promises us protection from unknown toxins in Mark 16:18 – “If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them”. So rather than be overwhelmed by the knowledge of countless toxic carcinogens out there, I will trust that God will protect me from them if I am unknowingly in contact with them. I will make healthy choices based on what knowledge I have and know that my life is in God’s hands and He cares for me (I Peter 5:7).



Find out what God promises you in His word and put your trust in Him.



This article was originally published on this blog on August 6, 2007.

Drink Orange Juice?

It is time for another post about a recommended read, but this came across my desk today.  This is a video clip, but I think the book mentioned will be my recommended read for this month.  I know I want to check it out.  This is a prime example of my basic philosophy–that processed food is not as nutritious as we are led to believe and it certainly isn’t equal to the unprocessed counterpart.

 

Check it out.

 

November Challenge

Time again for a 7-day challenge.  Can you go seven days without eating nitrates or nitrites?  Ni-what?

 

Processed meats like bacon, sausages, hot dogs, pepperoni, ham, lunch meat, and more contain nitrates and nitrites.  According to this source, they are what make the meat pink, rather than an unappetizing gray.  They have been linked to colon cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, decreased lung function, and for children born to mothers that eat a lot of processed meats–brain tumors.

 

So, check your labels, look for SODIUM NITRITE in the list of ingredients.  This is where turkey hot dogs aren’t necessarily better for you.  They have it, too.

 

But the good news is that at some stores you can find uncured products.  They don’t have nitrates and nitrites.  I’ve been buying my family bacon and hot dogs from Whole Foods and they taste great.  In some parts of the country you will find uncured items in your regular grocery store.  I haven’t seen them in mine, here in Oklahoma.

 

I will check back in at the end of 7 days and report on my findings.

 

Why Avoid Nitrates and Nitrites

About.com – Nitrates and Nitrites

Passed Out

Sunday night, 9:00pm, I passed out on the couch. There was no waking me. You would have thought I had drank a full bottle of wine, or perhaps a 6-pack of beer…NO, just some homemade peanut brittle!!!

I woke at 10:15pm and was very disoriented and felt sick. I was bloated, had swollen hands, and a slight headache. I went to bed, regretting my indulgence.

Why did I do this to myself? The thought that comes to mind is, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) My flesh is weak for a few things, one being my homemade peanut brittle. I even had some more last night. Not as much this time, but I did regret it and went to bed not feeling too great.

And wouldn’t you know it, I woke up this morning feeling a bit weird in my throat and a tiny bit stuffy.

You see, sugar weakens our immune system. It seems that the only time I get sick is when I slip and indulge in some sweet treats.

I thank the Lord for things like kombucha and coconut oil. By lunch time I was feeling 100% again. No more sugar for me, for a while.

How many of you are sick and tired every single day? Feeling bloated, groggy, headaches, lacking energy, etc.? This is what the wrong kind of food will do to us. It’s time to pay attention to what our bodies are telling us. Kick the junk and make some healthy changes.

This treat knocked me out because I don’t eat like this often, it really is rare. It’s when we eat like this all the time that we don’t realized it’s the food that is making us sick. Cut back on the sugar, eat good fats, like butter and coconut oil, cook your meal from scratch, and see if you start feeling better.

New Look

It was time for a change–I was bored of the old look. Hope you like the new look. Now I need to work on my own photo for the header.

October Links

There are some really great articles around the blogosphere this month.



Food Renegade has some excellent information about butter and margarine.  Click here.



Concerns about the swine flu?  We can always count on Dr. Mercola to give us the truth!



Natural mole removal?  Who would have guessed?  Check it out here at Cheeseslave’s site.



I found a new health blog (new to me), check it out — Just Making Noise: Sound Bytes From a Deaf Mama.  Marilyn Beard is a missionary, with her husband, in Costa Rica.  She is into Nourishing Traditions, homebirth, kombucha, kefir, and more!



And last, but certainly not least–Kelly the Kitchen Kop is hosting a giveaway–Beef Tallow from US Wellness Meats–a $99.95 value!