Practice Makes Perfect -- Gardening Series

This is the last post in our gardening series.

Once your garden has had time to grow, it's time to harvest some of those veggies.  Children love to help in the garden and really enjoy trying the foods that they help to grow.  Have a healthy snack with the foods that you harvested by making a garden on a plate.  Below is a recipe for some veggies and dip that you can arrange on a plate like a garden and can be a "practice run" for your planting.

Garden on a Plate

Ingredients
4 celery or carrots or baby carrots, washed
4 tablespoons refried beans or hummus
2 tablespoons canned corn kernels, drained
2 tablespoons shredded reduce fat cheddar cheese
6 broccoli florets, washed
1 jar salsa (optional)

Directions

1. Place carrots sticks on the plate in the shape of a rectangle.  This represents your garden bed.
2. Fill the rectangle with beans or hummus.  This represents the soil.
3. Place corn kernels evenly spaced over the surface of the soil.  This represents the seeds that are planted in a garden.
4. Cover the surface of the beans (or hummus) with cheese.  This represents mulch that will keep the plants moist and prevent weeds.
5. Place broccoli florets upright in the soil.  This represents the plants that grew from the seeds.
6. You can "water" your garden with salsa, if you like.
7. Eat your garden by dipping the broccoli and carrots into the beans.

Create a Top-Down Garden with Your Kids

A great way to get your kids to eat more vegetables, reduce waste and start a low-cost indoor garden is to start your own top-down garden. A top down garden uses the top of root vegetables like beets, carrots or radishes to sprout greens.  These greens will not grow new root veggies but the greens can be eaten and fun to grow!

The next time you are planning a meal with carrots, beets, or radishes, buy them with the greens still attached.  To plant a top down garden, re-use a food container such as a pie pan or plastic food container with no holes.

1. Cut the carrots, radishes and/or beets (the part that you would eat), leave some of the vegetable (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch) attached to the top.  Save the cut carrots, radishes and beets for a salad or snack later!
2. Place the veggie tops with leaves attached, cut side down in the container and fill with just enough water to cover the remaining vegetable.
3. Put the top down garden in a warm, sunny window and check daily to make sure the cut side is in the water.  Change the water if it becomes cloudy.  Top down gardens look great when you have several tops in one container. 
4. Keep your garden growing by replacing tops as they are used or start to look droopy.  You can also dress up your garden by adding decorative rocks or marbles.

Once your garden has sprouted new greens, it is time to starting thinking about harvesting them. Baby radish greens are delicious and high in nutrients.  They can be added to salads, sauteed with mustard seeds, added to smoothies, and so much more!  Carrot tops are also high in nutrients and are great in soups, salad, or infused to make a tea. Finally, beet tops are "tops" in salads, but can also be sauteed in olive oil and garlic, or roasted.  If you are growing all three tops in your top-down garden, put them together in a salad for a tasty treat.

Your kids will have fun growing top down gardens and will have the chance to try new foods!

Water -- Gardening Series

This is our 5th post in our Vegetable Garden Planning blog series.

Each plant needs a different amount of water to grow.  Some plants, like a cactus, needs a little bit of water every once in a while.  Most plants that are in the house need to be watered every two weeks.  Vegetable and fruit plants need a lot more water.  Each plant is different but most vegetables like about 2 inches of water per week.  Try watering your garden for about 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times a week if there has not been any rain.  Another tip is to leave a plastic cup in your garden to see how much rain the plants may have gotten when it does rain. 

Vegetables plants need moist soil that is not too dry but not soaking wet either.  You want to make sure that the water has been able to get down to the roots and is not just at the top of the soil.  Try sticking your hand or a stick down a few inches into the dirt to see if there is water getting to the roots.  Using a mulch (woodchips, newspapers, landscape fabric) can help to keep the water in the soil and prevent the soil from drying out.  This is also a great way to save water!

For more great online resources for learning more about vegetable gardening visit:

• Grow It Eat It Maryland:  http://extension.umd.edu/mg/about-program/giei
• Home and Garden Information Center: http://extension.umd.edu/hgic
• Free Master Gardener Workshops.  Check this link to free vegetable gardening classes by the Master Gardeners for each county:  http://extension.umd.edu/mg

Physical Activity for Spring

 

Spring has arrived and it's time to fill up a water bottle, put on a pair of comfortable shoes and get moving!  After all, the warm weather and extra daylight is a great time to get outdoors and get active.  Getting physical activity into your family's daily routine will help to reduce stress, boost your family's energy levels and improve your overall health!

Here are some ideas to get you moving this spring with fun and easy physical activites:

1. Have a day at the park.  Go to a local park and fly a kite, find a walking trail, play baseball or kickball, jump rope, take the dog for a walk, or throw a Frisbee.  Bring a picnic lunch and large blanket for everyone to sit on for a family meal.
2. Plant a vegetable garden.  Growing and eating from your own garden can be very exciting.  Kids love to see how food grows and they have fun helping to pick their own veggies. If you have limited space at home, try growing lettuce, tomatoes, or fresh herbs in pots that can sit on your porch.  Kids love to eat the foods that they have helped to grow.
3. Turn off the TV and go for a walk.  Limit your family's screen time and go for a walk around the neighborhood instead.  The sunlight helps your body get Vitamin D.  Being out in the sun also helps to improve our mood and energy.
4. Create a routine with family and friends.  Find a friend or family member to be physically  active with on a regular basis. Create a routine such as taking a walk after dinner at least 3 times per week.  This will give you something to look forward to and you can support each other's physical activity goals.

As you become more physically active this spring, you'll boost your energy level and find yourself needing a cool treat.  Try a Yogurt Berry Parfait for a healthy treat to help cool you down!

Stress Free Snacking when Working on Taxes

 

The tax deadline, April 15th, will be here before you know it.  Are you still trying to finish your taxes.  Do you find yourself snacking on unhealthy foods and drinks, just to get you through? We can't help you with your taxes, but we can offer some ideas that might save you some unwanted weight gain (and the stress that goes along with that)! 

Snacks and Drinks
First, plan ahead.  You might not take time to eat a healthy breakfast and lunch (though taking time to eat them would  be a great idea), so have plenty of healthy snacks on hand.

• Don't reach for a bag of chips; snack instead on a handful of lightly salted almonds or some air-popped popcorn, seasoned with chili powder or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
• Cut up some low-fat cheese and put it on a whole grain cracker for a treat that will keep you full longer.
• Crunch on an apple, peel an orange, or pop some grapes. Be sure to wash fresh fruit before you eat it!
• Get a satisfying crunch by eating celery.  You could even spread some peanut or almond butter on it for a filling snack.  Drop some raisins or dried cranberries on it for even more flavor.
• Drink plenty of water and skip those sugary sodas; cut a slice of lemon or lime in the water to give it a special boost.

Move!
If you know you're going to be stuck in one spot, shuffling through papers or staring at a computer screen, give yourself a break.  No, really -- plan breaks in your day.  For every hour that you are sitting, schedule a 5-minute break.

• Get up and walk around.
• Go outside, if you can, just for those few minutes.  Not only will the change in scenery do wonders for your mood, the change in focus will help your eyes.
• Walk up and down the stairs, if your house has them, to stretch your legs.

Speaking of stretching, raise your arms above your head and stretch every half hour.  Tip your head towards your shoulders, one at a time, and stretch out your neck.  Twist from the waist to each side, and lift your legs, one at a time, as you sit.  Keep those muscles moving!

Space to Plant Your Garden -- Gardening Series

This is our 4th post in our Vegetable Garden Planning blog series.

It's now time to think about the space needed to grow our seeds and seedlings.  Each plant needs their own space to grow.  You will want to think about  how deep their roots grow into the soil and how wide the plant will grow.  It is very important to plant your seeds in the ground in a way that gives them the right amount of space.  If they do not have the right amount of space they will be unhealthy and may not produce any food.  The back of the package will usually tell you exactly how to plant seeds and how much space they will need.  The package tells you how many inches deep to plant and how much space to leave between seeds.  If you are planting in containers or flower pots you will want to make sure you pick a container that is the right size for the plant.  You can find detailed information for each plant including its space, temperature and nutrient needs on the Grow It, Eat It website.

      Understanding Seed Package Space Requirements

The back of a cauliflower seed package

 What does the terms on the back of the seed package mean?   



• Planting depth: How deep to plant the seed.  On the above package is 1/2" which means to plant it half an inch deep.
• Seed spacing:  This is how far you need to plant it away from other seeds.  Sometimes this tells you how many seeds fit into a pot.  Sometimes it might say 6" -- this would mean that each seed should be at least 6 inches away from another seed.
• Spacing after transplanting: This refers to how much space the baby plant, or seedling, will need.  This is only needed if you plant seeds indoors that you will later plant outside (transplant).  The example shows that cauliflower plants need to be planted 18 inches (1& 1/2 feet) away from each other.
• Spacing between rows:  This is really for farmers or those with big gardens.  It refers to how big the path needs to be between rows of certain crops.
• Days until harvest:  This tells you when you will be able to eat your food.  YUMMY!

Venture into the Protein Group -- It's More than Just Meat!

Meatless meals is a trend that's been around for the last couple of years.  It encourages families to include meals that contain other protein sources like eggs, nuts, beans and peas in addition to meals with meat.  There are benefits to cooking up a few meatless meals each week -- check them out below:

1. Focus on Fruits and Veggies -- Make your fruits or veggies the "main dish".  These food contain all those health promoting vitamins and minerals... and there are tons of them!   Check out this fruit filled recipe Winter Fruit Salad.
2. More Fiber -- Vitamins and minerals are not the only hearty parts of fruits, veggies, nuts and beans.  They're also filled with fiber.  Great for keeping you feeling good on the "inside" and you feel full for longer which can help you to eat less.  Here's a high fiber recipe to try!
3. Less Cholesterol -- Beans, peas and nuts have no cholesterol.  These foods are great for your heart!  Whip up this low cholesterol recipe tonight!
4. Cost Savings -- With grocery prices rising, meat may be too expensive to have all the time.  A 32 oz. bag of dried beans is about $2 -- and that will last you for at least a few weeks.  Same great lean protein - just a lot less dollars.  Try this low-cost recipe your whole family will love!

Making a meatless meal can be simple and easy.  Here are a few ideas to make some of your most common meals without meat but still have a lot of flavor!

1. Burgers.  Try making burgers with beans like lentils or black beans.  Mash the cooked beans, add breadcrumbs and an egg to bind the mixture and add your favorite herbs and spices. Bake for 10 minutes for a quick and easy meal.
2. Pasta sauce.  If you are making your own pasta sauce, start with low sodium tomato juice and add herbs like thyme and basil for flavor.  Try adding veggies like chopped carrots, cauliflower, squash and zucchini for extra veggies.  Veggies can also be added to store bought pasta sauces too.
3. Pizza.  Pizza can be made very tasty by adding veggies like peppers, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms.  Your pizza has a variety of flavors and colors.
4. Lasagna.  Try using veggies in place of meat when layering your lasagna.  Try using frozen or canned veggies and add to pasta sauce when layering lasagna.  Your family will love it!