Simple oil and vinegar dressing

A simple oil and vinegar dressing

To a blender add the following :

4 TBSP balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

Blend a few seconds and slowly drizzle 1/2 c of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Tinker around with the amounts to your taste. 

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

 

 

Making your own detergent not only saves you money, it also leaves you and the planet less toxic!

 

 

Ingredients and Supplies

 

1/2 c Borax

1/2 c Washing Soda

1/2 c Castile Soap

 Hot Water

Where Do You Get Your Protein From If You Don't Eat Meat?

Where Do You Get Your Protein From If You Don't Eat Meat?

  It's a common question posed to vegetarians, so where is the protein?

Here is a list of common protein-fuled foods

Beans and Peas!
Lentils, Split Peas, Lima Beans, Chickpeas, Butter Beans, Black Beans, Mung Beans

Grains!
Buckwheat, Quinoa, Oats, Brown Rice

Seeds and Nuts!
Flax Seeds, Peanuts, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pecans, Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts

Vegetables!
Broccoli, Cabbage, Spinach, Kale, Cauliflower, Green Pepper, Artichokes, Potatoes, Mushrooms

Soil Testing

Garden Soil Test 

  We have noticed in our yard that we have what appears to be very good, fertile soil. We don't have any issues with things growing in our yard, we have tons of worms, but our plants will flower, and never produce any fruit, or veggies!  We know that means something is off in the soil.

 So, we decided to run a few tests on the soil, in order to determine what could be missing in the equation.  We purchased a tester from Lowe's that will analyze the conditions of the soil. The kit was around $10. Here are the results.

Heart garden soil test 

Soil ph... 7

Nitrogen... low

Potassium... medium

Phosphorus... medium

Now that we know our soils nitrogen is low we can increase it in one or more of the following ways.

Ways to raise nitrogen

Nitrogen fixing plants

Organic fertilizers, fish emulsion

Compost

Composted manure

Green mulch

Tomato garden soil test

Soil ph... 7

Nitrogen... Low/med

Potassium... High

Phosphorus... Low

Now that we have this handy information we can increase the phosphorus by adding rock phosphate.

Yummy fruits and veggies soon to come!

Raw Cabbage Salad

Raw Cabbage Salad

This is a simple recipe for a quick side, I haven't met anyone that doesn't love it!

Ingredients
Cabbage cut into thin strips or small chunks
Lemon
Salt
Olive oil


Cut Cabbage and place into large bowl
Salt the cabbage (this helps to break it down a bit)

If making other dishes, set this aside until ready to eat

Just before eating:
Coat with olive oil and lemon juice (usually about 1/2 a lemon will be enough for a standard salad bowl)

Serve cold, add more lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste

Yum!