Get the Kids Involved!

As a child, one of my favorite activities was going to grandma and grandpa's farm in Allen, Michigan. Allen was a small town (population 500) back then, and even smaller today (population less than 300). But it was the "at" place for the Donnelly grandchildren. And because of that experience, this is one child who grew up eating and liking vegetables. I am convinced there are two reasons for this.

First, I did it myself. I podded the peas, I shucked the corn. And I LIKED doing it! Go figure. But I think doing it myself connected me to those veggies and I was far more likely to taste them than if I had never done anything.

Second, and most important of all, homegrown veggies taste better. I think we all want children to eat their fruits and vegetables. But do we ever wonder why they don't eat them? Well, I have eaten one too many mealy tomato so I know why they don't eat them. They don't taste good when the most important thing about them is how long can we make them last. Homegrown veggies don't need to last as long as the ones from California and Mexico. And that's why they taste better. If they taste good, children are going to eat them.

Anyways, that is the gist of the vegetable gardening presentation I did for the Child Care Providers workshop conducted by the Public Libraries of Saginaw. This was a new venture for me, but I am hoping I convinced a few people that if they didn't have a vegetable garden it was about time they put one in!

Ordering Seeds

If you haven't ordered your seeds yet, let me assure you, it isn't too late to do so. I haven't started my peppers or tomatoes yet so you really do have time to get those last minute orders in. This year I am trying some different colors of larkspur, an annual that has been coming back for me from seed reliably for many years now. This is the poor man's delphinium. If you have trouble with delphiniums, you might want to give it a try.

I am looking forward to trying these peppers called Ancho Gigantia. I bought my vegetable seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange this year. There are so many varieties of heirlooms it makes my head dizzy. How to choose? I have no answer to that question. Perhaps eeny meeny does it.

I was at the Home and Garden Show at the Pontiac Silverdome and attended a presentation on environmentally friendly gardening presented by the Union of Concerned Scientists. I feel pretty good about what I am doing outside. Now if I can get beyond this next snowstorm that is on the way maybe I can get outside and start planting!

More on the Michigan Herb Associates Conference

One of the activities at the Michigan Herb Associates annual conference is the plant auction. This auction raises money to support the 4H Children's Garden located on the campus of Michigan State University. If you have never been to this garden I strongly urge you to make a visit. This is a garden that is wonderful for children of all ages, including many as old as myself.

There is always an educational display created by the many different herb associations located across the state of Michigan. I love browsing through the displays and discovering the many creative ways herbalists use the herbs from their gardens.

Learning how to make herbal liqueurs was one of the many workshops offered at this year's conference Who knew there were so many options for using the herbs we grow? Now if only spring would come!

2011 Annual Conference of the Michigan Herb Associates

I know that spring is not far away when it is time for the annual conference of the Michigan Herb Associates. Yes, this is Michigan and there is still snow on the ground, but it won't be long before I will be looking for the first sign of my horseradish plant which happens to be the herb of the year for 2011.

And even though I told myself that I wasn't going to buy any plants at the conference this year, I just couldn't resist. Woe is me. I just don't know what gets into me. I am not really ready yet and the likelihood is these plants will die before I ever get them outside.

I couldn't resist this lettuce mix. Eating a salad with my own lettuce sounds good to me right now. I intend to plant this into a larger pot, water well, try to give it plenty of light in this house of mine that tends to be dark, and some good organize fertilizer. Perhaps it will be salad time next week.

The rosemary I was trying to winter over from last year died on me of course. I just don't have a lot of light inside and I don't have much luck keeping this plant alive over the course of the winter. But I am hopeful this little plant will survive long enough for me to get it out into the warm sunshine of summer.

I usually try to be patient and wait until later in the year to start growing basil as when I start it too early it tends to die on me before I get it into the ground. Basil in an annual and will die after setting seed. But Lori May from Raker & Sons, a wholesaler of seedlings, convinced me that I just had to have this variety of basil called Floral Spire. Now If I can just keep it alive. Stay tuned!

This is not the U.P.

This past week in mid Michigan we had one of the worst snowstorms I hav ever seen. Most people who know me would say she is glad since she likes to ski. Most people would be correct in that assumption. But skiing is not the only good thing about the white stuff. It gives great insulation to my butterfly bushes. And for that I am grateful.

One winter, not too long ago, it was beastly cold here, but without a lot of snow. Both the butterfly bushes I had died on me that year.

So when you are cursing the white stuff, remember, it gives good protection to those plants you cherish.

Dried tomatoes among other things

Yes, I know. I have written about this before. But I am talking about tomatoes so of couse you get to hear it again. These dried tomatoes really added zip to my tossed salad, no lie. They are so much better than the mealy ones I have bought at the store (long time ago of course, I gave up on tomatoes in January). Worth it, worth it. I highly recommend it. And my Minnesota cousin can testify that you can even sun dry them in the frigid north. So what's not to like? Why not do it?

In Michigan, (well I know sunny Saginaw is in Michigan, but what can I say) getting a food dryer was well worth the expense. I hope to use it for many years to come (the same way I use the foodmill for making tomato sauce)

What else to say? These tomatoes were homegrown in Michigan in Saginaw (which is not always sunny even though my sister thinks it is) and they are to die for! At last, a tomato for January in Michigan.

Pizza Pizza!

Sigh. I used my last tomato this weekend making vegetable pizza. I think this is pretty darn good, eating fresh tomatoes from the garden in January. Just wish they would have lasted even longer. I am definitely planting Golden Treasure tomatoes next year and hoping for a repeat of long lasting tomatoes.

I did have pizza again the next day and guess what! If you dry tomatoes you can add them to your vegetable pizza. No, they are not as good as fresh, but they are a lot better than you can find in the grocery store at this time of year. I don't regret buying my food dryer at all. I can still look forward to tomatoes that taste great through spring.

Vegetable Pizza

I buy whole wheat pizza crust and use pesto for the sauce. The pesto includes basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and salt. I tend to do the by guess and by golly cooking method here. Pick what vegetables you wish to add, onion, pepper, broccoli whatever. Saute them in a little olive oil. Spread the pesto on the crust, add the sauteed vegetables, fresh tomatoes (or dried) if you have them, a little feta cheese and bake at about 375 degrees for ten minutes. A friend of mine, Elise Brooks, first made this for me three years ago and I have been making it ever since. It is simply yummy!