Have you heard about Home Depot’s Garden Club? If you plan on growing a family garden this year, Home Depot has you covered. I just signed up for their Garden Club and received a coupon on my next shopping trip there. I already see some ideas for expanding our family garden this year.  And to make it simple, they have cedar raised garden beds perfect for those just starting out.

By being a member of the Home Depot Garden Club, you’ll not only receive coupon savings but also great tips and advice on the best ways to build your garden whether it’s small or large, herb gardens, and helpful how-to videos.

Plant a vegetable patch in your new garden. Kids will have tons of fun caring for their seedlings as they mature. And what better reward is there for a garden well tended than a crisp carrot straight from the earth (washed, of course) or a nice ripe tomato right from the vine.

Go ahead, get your family garden growing!

The joy you get from an herb garden partially comes from being able to snip a few leaves whenever you want some fresh herbs in your lunch or dinner. Most of your herb plants will grow bushier for having been snipped back at regular intervals. This past weekend, I was able to spend a little bit of time in our family garden tending to herbs in the garden.

If you cut back a half to two-thirds of the herb plants, most of them will produce a second or third harvest. Always harvest your herbs into a paper bag or an open basket, and not in plastic, which could cause overheating and deterioration or possibly cause them to mildew. After your harvesting of the herbs, immediately start the washing and drying process to keep your herbs at top quality.

In this month’s newsletter, A Busy Mom’s Kitchen, subscribers learned how to harvest your fresh herbs from the garden and what if you’re producing more herbs than you can possibly use?

Mix chopped fresh herbs with melted butter, olive oil and garlic and freeze in ice cube trays.

All herbs can be frozen. Package small quantities in moisture-vapor proof containers. I like to use the tupperware ice trays I have with lids for this.

Why I Freeze Herbs?
 
Just about every soup, saute or sauce begins with the combination of these things: butter and/or olive oil and garlic.  With some herbs adding to the flavor, you’ve got yourself an easy base to many of your recipes.

Our younger chickens just started laying last week. They are producing the cutest little eggs compared to Big Mamma our older hen eggs which are much larger.

Now That’s What I Call Fresh!

There are very few foods that are as delicious as having fresh vegetables just picked from your garden or from the local farmer’s market. As I mentioned earlier in the week, growing your own foods such as fruits and vegetables, has amazing rewards. To preserve all the nutrients, flavor and color, freezing is the best way to go. Freezing allows you to take advantage of the quality and quantity of seasonal vegetables and have them on hand all year round.

Preparing the best quality frozen vegetables involves following certain procedures depending on the type, composition and texture of the produce.  Here are some steps to freezing your vegetables.

1. Choose the freshest young, tender vegetable possible:Peas, corn and starchy vegetables are best if slightly immature.
2. Wash vegetables in cold water;rinse with fresh water at least twice:Remove leaves and stems, don’t let vegetables soak–vitamins may be lost.
3. Sort or cut vegetables into similar sizes for efficient packaging:Use quart or gallon zip-loc freezer bags depending on your meal plans for the week.
4. Prepare and label freezer bags prior to beginning:note contents, portion sizes and use by date.
5. Pack freezer bags in portions for favorite recipes and meals.
6. Follow suggested freezing methods as shown below for best results.
7. Remove air and freeze immediately.

Preparation and Methods For Freezing:

There are different preparation and freezing methods for vegetables, each designed to preserve the best flavor and quality of the vegetable.

Raw-pack– Vegetables such as onions and green peppers that will be used primarily as seasonings in cooking can be frozen raw. Peeled and/or chopped vegetables and herbs can be packed directly in freezer bags, or frozen in ice cube trays, then packed in freezer bags.

Blanching– Briefly steaming or boiling your vegetables before freezing. Most vegetables are blanched before freezing, to stop the enzyme action that can cause spoilage. There are several blanching methods including: water blanch, steam blanch and microwave blanch. You can use whichever method you prefer.

Just remember, Care For Your Veggies; if your food is properly frozen, it will last months in your freezer.  In my future posts, I’ll share more on freezing methods and how to prepare your foods for freezing. This is a great starting point if your new to freezing your foods.

We’ve been raising chickens for the past four years now. Raised strictly for their fresh eggs, they are a joy to have;especially if raised from chicks.  I love how they fit into the cycle of growing and life.  

Our Little Farm Is Growing

I just recently picked up a couple more roosters (Tony Hawk and Melbourne) who are brothers. They are silkie frizzle (Sizzles) and are quite a pair. They take turns crowing back and forth. This morning it started around 4am. If you’re someone who’s not used to the crowing in the early hours of the morning, this can ruffle your feathers. Personally, I don’t mind it. I get up early every morning, so it’s like having an alarm without the snooze button. To go along with them, I also picked up 8 more hens. They are around 6 weeks old. We haven’t named any of them yet, however one reminds me of Gonzo from the muppets.

Raising Chickens

The new chickens will be introduced to the rest of the flock within the next few days. The chicks will stay separated for awhile longer until they are big enough to defend themselves if needed. Newers chickens usually spend most of their day hiding in the corners and learning fairly quickly to run and move quick if passing by another chicken. Chickens really do have a pecking order and everytime another chicken(s) is added to the flock they need to re-establish this order! It kind of reminds me of watching a new kid in school. Which group approves you to hang out with them and not get picked on. I’m hoping they’ll fit in nicely with the rest. We’ll keep a close eye on them for a week or so until they become familier with their surroundings. This year, I’m not allowing them to “free range” as much because of the coyotes and raccoons.

So we will see what today brings…hopefully a great day for them all!!