Fresh Ideas

It was a great weekend filled with fun (well, not having to finish 2 assignments and 1 exam before midnight on Saturday, but all in all...).  Since we finished Once Upon a Time, we decided that it was a weekend for reading.  I found an awesome book at Costco called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  It is about a family who decided to go 1 full year with only eating locally grown foods, either from what they grew in their own garden or from local farmers markets and farm stands.  Although I am only a short ways into it, the book is very insightful and I can't wait to read more!

While reading this new book, a though came to me about gardening and how wasteful some companies are at trying to make their property look "appealing".  What happens (I noticed this especially at Carthage) is that every spring, summer, and fall, the flowers are ripped out of the ground before they die and new ones are planted in their place.  Not only is this damaging the earth and depleting it from nutrients, it is also extremely expensive!  Carthage alone goes through thousands of dollars every few months to change the flowers and keep them watered.  In my opinion, all campuses and offices should utilize wildflowers and other plants natural to their area to grow.  The plants would not have to be changed every couple of months, there would be little maintenance, and the cost would probably reduce 75%!

While we're on the topic of gardening, mine is coming along well.  I have a few little plants of zucchini and sunflowers (I can't remember what else I planted, and silly me did not label the seeds...).  As one who would love to one day supply her family with all of the fresh homegrown fruits and vegetables that they can possibly eat, I am a huge advocate for community gardens  If you have never heard of them or would like to know if there is one my you, visit www.localharvest.com Here you will be able to learn how to buy and sell practically anything you could ever want in your kitchen.  Community gardens and CSAs are some of the best ways to get fresh local produce into your family's diet (that, and JuciePlus...)

In addition to all of that fun stuff, I made a delicious mushroom soup yesterday!  It started with a base of sauteed garlic and onion in some olive oil, then came the mushrooms, thyme, salt, pepper, and a bit of water.  Once the mushrooms were cooked, a little mixture of flour and water was added to help thicken the soup.  Topped with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and this tasty soup was ready to eat in less than 10 minutes!

What recipes have you tried lately?

Luana ola!