When I was checking out my balcony garden, I noticed that one container looked pretty empty. After taking a closer look, I thought to myself…when did I plant aloe? Turns out it wasn’t aloe, but it was a container that used to be collard greens? Cabbage worms went to town on them and completely devoured them. By the time I noticed, it wasn’t even...
A single cucumber plant can spread out over 12 to 20 square feet when grown in traditional rows or hills. But one way to make better use of space and maximize yields is to grow cucumbers vertically – that is, to let the vines expand upward instead of outward, by supporting them on a raised structure. This is a perfect space-saving solution for anyone growing cukes...
Here’s what you’ll need: Handful of spinach 8-10 basil leaves Some parsley sprigs 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1/4 cup each of walnuts and sunflower seeds 2 cloves of garlic Dash of sea salt and black pepper Optional: 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast Optional: Get crazy and add 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese How to make: Add all ingredients to food processor. Pulse...
There was a post on The Healthy Home Economist called The Sticky Truth About Chewing Gum that got me thinking about alternatives. That’s when it hit me, I already have some growing on my balcony garden and so can you. Why you might want to consider popping that next piece of chewing gum Before I get into the alternative, I want to briefly discuss some highlights...
Your mint container is likely overflowing and ready to harvest. If not, it should be. There is a way that you can harvest it to encourage even more growth from the delicious herb. What you are going to want to do is pinch it from the top. What the hell does that mean? It means that you are going to have to find the sprig that you want and pinch it as close to the...
This is post that I was debating about writing or just letting it pass. I decided to write it because I have been so vocal about having sponsorships. I thought it was only fair. Last week, I wrote the post about Miracle-Gro being organic and how I didn’t care. In the comments of the Facebook thread, someone mentioned that one of my sponsors was selling Round-Up. If...
Here’s what you’ll need: Cucumber 1/4 red onion 1/2 lemon Tablespoon of olive oil Sea salt Teaspoon of raw honey Optional: Fresh or dried herbs of your choice How to make: Slice up cucumbers into thin discs. You can use a knife, food process or madnolin. Add cucumbers to your bowl. Cut up you red onion and add to bowl. Pour your olive oil and squeeze the lemon...
There was a great post on Cooking Up a Story titled The Unconventional Harvest: Conventional Dairy Farmer Art Thelen written by Nathan Winters. The Conventional Side of the Story Nathan stayed with a conventional dairy farmer, Art Thelen, in Wisconsin and had the chance to check out his farm and speak with art about his farming methods. Stories like this are great...
People often ask me if Miracle-Gro is organic. My response is usually, “Who cares?” The majority of Miracle-Gro’s product line is filled with chemicals and synthetics. They do have some product that is organic and certified by OMRI. Scott’s, the parent company of Miracle-Gro, is in bed with Monsanto and are the exclusive agent of Round-Up. For...
In the “WTF Food News”, I’ll highlight some food stories from the previous weeks that make you tilt your head, curl your brow, lift your shoulders and make that face like you thought you had to fart, but something else came out. Here is the July 2011 installment: Fried Kool-Aid a fair hit, Chicken Charlie says County fairs give us such health conscious...
It’s frustrating to say the least when you spend hours tending to your tomato garden and the tomatoes still aren’t as big and vibrant as they could be. The soil quality will determine your success with each plant, and the more organic material you mix into your soil (versus synthetics) the better the plant will grow! Chemicals Aren’t the Solution Most people do not want chemicals anywhere near their garden, family, dinner table, pets or the soil. They do not want exposure to dangerous toxins and once they contaminate the...
Here’s what you’ll need: 1/2 avocado Handful of fresh dill Tablespoon olive oil 1/2 lemon 1 clove of garlic Few pieces of red onion Sea salt Splash of water Optional: Raw honey How to make: Add all ingredients to food processor or blender. Blend down until smooth. Add more water if necessary to thin out. Serve over a salad or use as a dip. ...
There were a few posts that got me thinking about healthy and organic foods being affordable. The first one came from the New York Times titled A Look at How Many Calories $1 Will Buy. The article states, “One dollar’s worth of Coke has 447 calories, while $1 of iceberg lettuce has just 16.5.” First off, who really eats iceburg lettuce??! That pretty much summarizes the problem. The cheaper foods are the ones that aren’t the healthier options. On the same day, I saw another article on MindBodyGreen titled Why Americans...
When I wrote about having sponsors, some people mentioned that they wanted me to review the products. This is something that I wanted to get more feedback from you on. To give you my thoughts, a straight review isn’t something that I’m really that interested in. For the most part they are pretty boring. I will definitely be using the products of my sponsors...
Here’s what you’ll need: 1 head of cauliflower Tablespoon olive oil Dash of sea salt and pepper Any of the following are optional to season as you wish: fresh or dried herbs, garlic, milk, cream or nut milk. How to make: Boil up cauliflower in water until tender. Drain cauliflower. You can mash in a bowl or add to food processor (recommended). Add olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Blend down until smooth. To mine I added splash of nut milk, dried herbs and clove of garlic and blended again. Serve as you would mashed potatoes. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEBVtiOn9uA ...
There was an article in The Atlantic called The FDA Details Its Struggle to Regulate Imported Foods. In the article it goes into details about the current global food system, the reasons why the FDA cannot ensure it’s safety and regulate all of the imported foods. Here are some facts for you from the article: Between 10 percent and 15 percent of all food consumed...
It’s almost July. Crazy ain’t it?!?! Around the country most of you should be at least a month deep into your growing seasons. You should have already thinned out some seedlings after their true leaves shown and done succession plantings. You’ve already shared your spring garden ideas with me and last month you told me how your May gardening was...
I’d like to introduce Thrive as a sponsor of Urban Organic Gardener. I spoke with Heather, the Marketing & Customer Service Specialist for Thrive to learn more about the company. Here’s the Q&A. What does your company specialize in? We specialize in helping people live a more natural lifestyle! We’ve been working hard for years to bring sustainable...
Here’s what you’ll need: 1 large ripe peach Tablespoon of dried tarragon or some fresh sprigs 2 handfuls of walnuts 1/4 of a small red onion 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons of oil divided. You can use olive oil, but I used coconut oil. Bed of greens. Mine were red leaf lettuce and arugula. How to make: Heat up a pan and put the walnuts on it to dry pan roast them. Stir occasionally. Cut up your peach into slices and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the walnuts are slightly warmed. Remove them from the pan and set aside. ...
The main reason that so many people get behind chemical gardening and agriculture is the belief that it’s the only way to feed the world. This load of crap has been force fed to us by the same companies that are producing the food. What else do you expect them to say? They have all of us believing that with the rising population and our limited resources that organic methods of growing food couldn’t possibly feed the world. I have news for you – GMOs aren’t doing such a great job of it either. Here is why: Top...
