Ok, It's time to talk food!!

Manjula is one of my favorite resources for Indian vegetarian cuisine. Indian is one of my favorites!! I made this salad for friends one day. They gave it rave reviews! I was thrilled, and it tasted fantastic. It was so fresh and cool with basil, mint, and tomato and so satisfying with the beans! A perfect salad for any meal!!

The 30 day lettuce box!

The weather has turned cool here in Florida. Cool enough to actually not sweat when outdoors. Cool enough to grow lettuce!





Other than my little patio garden I enjoy helping others grow their own favorites. At my b/f's house I am able to grow a bit more than at my house, so I have been enjoying the opportunity. I recently commandeered a nice 1'x3' planter which I sectioned off with unused tiles that were in his back yard. I then planted 2 of the 4 sections with mixed leaf lettuce, 1 with arugula, and one with spinach.



Each of these varieties only takes 30 days till your first harvest. The spinach will also take 30 days, but you can take it to about 40-45 days for more mature spinach which is better for cooking with.

These leafy plants are also a great fast growing veggie for kids to grow (as they are about as impatient as me). They grow great in the cool winters we have here in Florida. I enjoy taking advantage of the year round growing season. In just about 30 days you too can enjoy an awesome salad like this. We added blueberries and pears... it was AWESOME! I have actually never tasted better arugula, so peppery and not overly bitter.

Just remember that after the initial trim, the leaf lettuce and arugula will grow more leaves providing multiple yummy SUPER fresh salads. I also have a yellow pear tomato planted to eventually go in my salad mix! :) Can't wait!!!

My secret garden. Dedicated to birds, bees, and butterflies!

I have a secret garden under old oak trees. It is a place to relax and breathe. It is a place where life begins, is sustained, and sometimes ends. Palms cluster tightly to hide me from strangers passing by. Slowly, the once barren earth gives way to a seething mass of roots which shoot stalks up high into the sky. These tendrils defy gravity as they climb higher deploying lush green solar panels called leaves. Just as the tangle begins to becomes wonderful, flowers appear and blow the mind like the stars can at night.

Butterflies and birds begin to notice what is happening. By careful selection a bee and butterfly garden has begun, natural, organic, sustaining...

I want to share the earth with people! I want people to see what I see when I see a boring yard or tiny patio. I see potential, the garden not yet dug. The patio garden not yet started, growing delicious crisp vegetables and aromatic fresh herbs. I want everyone who wants fresh homegrown vegetables to be able to have them. There is no greater pleasure I have found yet that beats gardening.

Watching butterflies land and nourish themselves on their favorite flower is wonderful. Watching them lay eggs that hatch and turn from caterpillar to butterfly again before your eyes is amazing!!
Also, with the decline in the number of bees I have been glad to see local bees enjoying my flowers. If only this patio were larger, the secret garden could go on forever, until it becomes known to all. We can all have our secret garden growing whatever we want. All we have to do is try!

St Petersburg, Florida. My home, my haven.

I am in love with nature.  That is the simplest way to describe me in all my fabulous forms (mind, body, and soul).  I would prefer to live off the land and farm for the rest of my days, however, living in an apartment only allows for small potted bits of joy.  On a good note, I do find that St Pete offers the nature lover a great deal of foliage, fins, and feathers to view.  Whether it is a simple stroll through the Sawgrass Park trails, a camp out at Fort Desoto's campground, or even sloshing over sandbars during low tide,  the nature enthusiast is never left with a dull moment. 

I am glad that after traveling to far exotic countries, tasting spicy delicacies, and meeting unbelievable characters, I am home.  Well, for now at least...