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Showing posts with the label food

Zucchini Fudge Cake, Vegan and Delicious

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Yippee for summer! My Arizona garden keeps me in fresh veggies all year, but summer brings a glutton of squash, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. I pickle peppers and cucumbers several times over the summer,make sauces and can the tomatoes as well, but I can never find enough things to do with zucchini . Sometimes I can't even give it away! My husband is not a zucchini fan at all, or any other vegetable for that matter. He often doesn't even know when I sneak in veggies under his nose. It's much like issues moms of toddlers have, except mine will go head for the drive thru if dinner bombs. He will never turn down chocolate. Which brings me back around to zucchini! I've tried countless recipes for zucchini bread some with chocolate. Most are quite good for me and the kids, but my hubby turns his nose up at the little green specks and refuses to even try it. I have come up with a great fudgy cake recipe, a mish mash of "rejects" that turns out to be moist, choc...

WARNING! GMO Apples Are On The Way

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http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/ USDA has deregulated two types of GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) apples. These modified apples can now be grown with no restrictions in the US and Canada. "Arctic Apples" is the copyrighted name of engineered fruit that has been created to resist browning when cut. Because of lax labeling laws you will not  know when the fruit has been used in the juice you give your toddler or the apple pie you bought. Many European counties have made it mandatory for GMO foods to be labeled. The risks and effects of eating GMO foods is currently unknown and largely untested.   The suppressed gene that prevents the fruit from browning is the PPO gene (Polyphenol Oxidase) Polyphenols, which is one of the many things that make apples healthy could be radically changed. Is reducing the nutritional value and putting our health at risk  really worth a little darkening of an apple? Humans are not the only ones that may also be affected by GMO f...

Award Winning Hydrogarden Bottle

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I  I found these awesome grow bottles on  SeedsNow.com . This revolutionary hydroponic growing bottles are only $29.99!  "About the Grow Bottle  |  The Grow Bottle is an  upcycled-hydrogarden  that has been made completely out of hand-crafted and re-claimed wine bottles.  The Grow Bottle was winner of the 2011 NYIGF Eco Choice Award for Most Innovative Product.  This is the ultimate gift for any occasion and is the perfect gift for the person who has everything." Use the Code SAVE10NOW to take off 10%. Shipping is $4.95 or less and FREE on orders over $40. I love their seeds and have gotten excellent results from all varieties. SeedsNow.com  sells only NON-GMO seeds. 

Blueberry Chia Oatmeal, and a Moment of Brilliance

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I'm assuming you've heard Chia seeds, it's nearly impossible not to. My first experience with Chia was as a pet. As long as I can remember as soon as the holidays roll around the commercials start (Ch, Ch, Ch, Chia is echoing in my head right now). The drug stores and mega marts stock their shelves with the latest offering of magically growing friends. I can't help but to think of the awkward looking sheep like Chia Pet I got one year. Smearing the tiny slimy seeds then waiting for it to sprout and grow and turn into a bright green coat for that little naked sheep. Now we eat them? Who knew all those years we should have been eating instead of sculpting them in to pop culture topiary! High in Omega-3, flavorless and high on the food trend radar, these little buggers are everywhere. I've taken to sprinkling them in my morning oatmeal. The flavor is largely unchanged, the little slimy balls are nearly unnoticeable and an easy addition to my routine; however I ofte...

FREE Lettuce Growing Kit

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Picture is property of  seedsnow.com   For a limited time get a free lettuce seed starter kit with purchase from seedsnow.com!    Click on the banner on the top of Seeds Now's home page. Kit includes Tom Thumb lettuce, directions and a seed starting disc. Organic, Non-GMO seeds staring as low as $.99 a pack. Shipping starts at $1.99.  SeedsNow.com is a great source for Non-GMO and Organic seeds. They also carry a great line of growing gifts and seed starting supplies. Plant the lettuce in a sunny window and plant some Kale outside and enjoy fresh salads every day!  Happy Growing

Regrowing Veggies from the Root Up

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Usually I toss the scraps from my veggies into the compost bin. What about using them to grow new veggies to eat from the roots, cuttings and seeds? I was looking for something else and came across a very good article  on exactly how to and what yummy things can become new plants. We have tried many of these with some mixed success. Our most recent; the avocado pit. We got farther than we ever did before. I had a tiny tree, 6 to 8 leaves and about a foot tall. I moved it from my air conditioned kitchen to my very hot, but shaded back porch. By the time I did a walk through the garden pulling some weeds, it looked very sad and wilted. Twenty minutes was all it took to make all of the leaves fall off. I snipped the top off and waiting to see what happens. Staring a new one on the sill today. Check out this article 7 Fresh Veggies You Can Grow From Kitchen Scraps   for more ideas on what to try!

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