Lehman’s 2012 Cast Iron Recipe Drawing: Enter to Win a Gift Card!
Lehman’s-”the world’s purveyor of historical non-electric merchandise technology”- is hosting a drawing for a recipe which utilizes cast iron cookware in one of four possible categories:
- Main Dish
- Dessert
- Bread
- Breakfast
I want to point out that this is a drawing and not a contest to select a preferred recipe. All submissions/entries must be received by Lehman’s by February 1, 2012 at the latest, and the drawing will occur approximately one week later. One winning entry will be selected per each category, with each winner receiving a gift card, redeemable at Lehman’s for products they sell.
Once the winners are selected, their names will be posted on Lehman’s blog. Please visit Lehman’s.com for full details regarding the drawing, and GOOD LUCK!
Plowing New Ground
Yesterday we spent our Family Home Evening tilling up the old garden. Most of our food will be in the new square foot gardens, but we needed more space. Some items just take up a lot of space, and since we had the garden spot we used it. It was fun and the 5.5 horsepower tiller made short work of things. In this area we will be planting foods that need a lot of room such as squash, watermelon, corn, etc.
Square Foot Garden
We finally got our Square Foot Garden setup for this year. Our boxes are 4 foot wide by 6 foot long. I wanted to go 8ft, but the 6ft long 1×6 boards were a lot cheaper. We built 6 of these boxes. Plus we still have a regular garden area tilled and ready. This area will contain the vine type foods such as watermelons, squashes, etc.
Anyway, You basically fill 6-8 inches deep, 3 different ingredients evenly. Those ingredients are 1 part vermiculite, 1 part peat moss, and 1 part compost. If you have to buy compost, I hear mushroom compost is the best. We could not find any, so we just used regular compost. Once they are in the container, stir it around to they are all evenly mixed and start planting! As usual, we made this a family event.
We first cut small blocks to use in the corners. Then we attached all the boards to make an easy 4 ft by 6ft square that is 6 inches tall. This is minimum, 8-10 inches would be best.
Next we divided the boxes into three, and added equal parts of the above ingredients.
Once all the parts were all measured out, we mixed it all together.
Once everything was mixed well, we measured and placed nails every foot. We then sectioned each square off using simple string. As you can see from below this gives us 24 squares from each box.
Learn more about square foot gardening by watching this video below:
Vegetable & Fruit Gardening : How to Grow Eggplant
Eggplants are crops that hate the cold, so they should be planted in the spring after all danger of frost has passed. Grow eggplant and keep their soil free of weeds withhelp from an organic farmer in this free video on fruit and vegetable gardening. Expert: Jarrett Man Contact: stonesoupfarm.googlepages.com Bio: Jarrett Man created and runs Stone Soup Farm, an organic vegetable and fruit operation in Belchertown, Mass. Filmmaker: equilibriofilms Jenn
Plant Care & Gardening : When to Prune Blackberries
Blackberries can be pruned anytime because they grow so easily, and any branch to touch the ground will eventually take root and grow more berries. Hack away at blackberry bushes to keep them under control withadvice from a sustainable gardener in this free video on plant care. Expert: Yolanda Vanveen Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is a third-generation flower grower and sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash. She is the owner of vanveenbulbs.com. Filmmaker: Daron Stetner
Gardening Tips : How to Grow Bamboo
To grow bamboo, place a piece of the plant in the ground or in a container and provide it with plenty of sunlight. Grow bamboo withtips from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening. Expert: Yolanda Vanveen Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is a third-generation flower grower and sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash. Filmmaker: Daron Stetner
A Geodesic Greenhouse — Year-Round Gardening at 6000 Feet
Peak Moment 147: In Colorado it’s cold for much of the year, but inside this cozy dome greenhouse, the plants are growing happily. Take a grand tour with Buckhorn Gardens manager and permaculturist Breigh Peterson: the greenhouse structure with its interplay of light and water, warmth and air; curving raised beds of vegetables and flowers; fish tanks moderating the temperature; vertical trellises and shelves to use vertical space. Outdoors a huge garden of row crops and a young orchard are …
Gardening Tips : How to Grow Strawberries Indoors
Grow strawberries indoors by starting a plant that has a root and greenery, crowding the container with roots, providing a sunny window and watering the plant frequently. Never let the soil of a strawberry plant dry out completely, and consider more advice from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening.
Truth About Organic Gardening, Overview, Tips, Advice
Truth About Organic Gardening, Overview, Tips, Advice Organic gardener and Author Jayson Patrick gives you an overview or what vegetable gardening and fruit gardening the organic way is all about. Whats the difference between conventional gardening and organic gardening? Is organic food really more safe to eat than conventionally farmed foods? What are some good organic gardening tips? Here is some gardening advice. Is organic really not healthier? Can you grow organic good, organic tea and …
Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden
www.howdini.com Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden What does it mean to grow vegetables organically? Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine shows how to plant and nurture an organic vegetable garden. Keywords: organic gardening organic garden organic vegetable gardening organic gardening tips
Make Gardening a Family Event
Show them how much you enjoy gardening. Spend time in your garden. It is especially easy to stimulate a child’s interests when they see you having fun.
Make gardening easy. Don’t expect a perfect garden. Allow your family to work at their own pace and within their attention spans and age range, especially children.
Dig it! Kids love to dig. This is a great way to teach the basics while letting them play and just have fun.
Let them play an active role in planning. Take your children to the local nursery and let them pick seeds or transplants to start their garden. Take your time and let them browse and enjoy all of the beautiful plants.
Grow a theme garden. This is a great way to let your children use their imagination and express their creativity. The sky is the limit. Some great ideas are gardens that coincide with the holidays, alphabet gardens, a garden themed in their favorite colors, a sensory garden where you can experience different smells, tastes, textures and sights, or a “Freedom Garden”.
Give children their own “kid sized” tools. They don’t have to be expensive. You can go with an old spoon and a bucket that you have around the house or you can venture down to the garden center and purchase garden tools made for children’s hands.
Give them a space to call their own. It doesn’t have to be big. This will teach them ownership and responsibility, and your children will be able to take credit for their own little space.
Get crafty! Press or dry flowers to make a beautiful arrangement, make potpourri, or make a pomander ball. Children love making things and will be amazed at the crafts and gifts that they can make from the garden.
Grow a vegetable garden. Your children will be amazed that they can grow their own food. Be sure to use organic pesticides.
Use gardening to brush up your children’s math and science skills. Let them count the seeds they are planting, or teach them how plants are living things. Not only will you capture their attention, you will be polishing their skills as you go.
Have a contest. Kids love to be rewarded. Be sure to give each child a reward; the biggest tomato, the prettiest flower, or perhaps the best tasting herbs (a little Spray-N-Grow will help!)
Don’t try to do it all! Pick a few of these tips that you know are best for your family and have fun with them. After all, gardening is meant to be fun and easy. And with a little help, something the whole family can enjoy.
Survival Gardening Part 1 peak oil, food storage, TSHTF
In a new series of video we discuss and will show methods of gardening “when it counts.” The first 3 short videos detail some of the pitfalls and perils to the common survival/preparedness thinking of “when my storage food runs out I’ll just grow a garden.” Intermixed throughout the first three videos are also invaluable tips on gardening and food production for the homestead, survival retreat or backyard in suburbia. The first step in planning to truly grow your own food is to recognize the …
Mel Bartholomew – Introducing Square Foot Gardening
Square Foot Gardening (SFG) is a great way to convert that boring suburbia grass lawn into a sustainable produce isle. Don’t have a lawn? That’s cool- SFG can be done practically anywhere. Mel was kind enough to send me this DVD which gives a quick intro into SFG. This method is great for the absolute beginner who might be a little overwhelmed by starting that first organic garden. For more information, including including Mel’s popular book & instructional DVDs, check out: www …