WHAT ARE YOU EATING THIS WINTER?

It's February in Michigan. And winter just keep dragging on. It's that time of year when I'm tired of looking at icicles hanging from the eaves and tramping through dirty snow. I like to sit in front of the woodstove, pouring through seed catalogs and wondering what I should grow in our little acre. Normally, I'm thinking of summertime, with luscious tomatoes and golden squashes on the vine. I don't usually think about, "What will I want to eat this winter?" But that's what I'm thinking today. Maybe I should be growing the best foods to eat this winter.

I think I should be growing more beets. Beet greens are lovely in a spring salad. And I love making "Sweet Beets" for my family. They're like Harvard beets but they're not pickled. They sit in a thick sauce, made from beet and orange juice, with a little honey and touch of lemon zest. It's a great side dish once in a while. But I'm taking a 2nd look at beets because I've just discovered they're high in nitrates, which means they help transport oxygen to my brain. A recent study from Wake Forest University showed that people who eat foods high in nitrates showed greater activity in their frontal lobes. That's the part of our brain where we make moral decisions. So that grabbed my attention right away. Plus the authors suggest that nitrates may help to ward off dementia in the 'golden years.'  I've seen what dementia has done to my mother, so that's definitely something I want to stay clear of.

Then there's cauliflower. I loved this veggie as a kid, especially when I could cover it with a thick, cheesy sauce. But lately, I've been passing it by to eat broccoli, which I love any way I find it. But I think I need to take a 2nd look at cauliflower because it's loaded with tryptophan. No other veggie comes close. If you're fighting insomnia or dragging yourself from home to work or vice versa, it could be you're low in tryptophan. This essential amino acid plays a big role in balancing mood and sleep patterns. And even better--it helps to curb our appetite! Wow! Definitely a friend if you're trying to shed pounds in the winter like me.

Of course, there's my all-time favorite--garlic. I can't imagine cooking without it! Every soup, casserole and pasta dish must have a sprinkling of this delicious seasoning. It's a must in my Picket Fence garden. And my favorite way to eat garlic is freshly roasted on a cast iron griddle or minced in a handy garlic press. Fresh is so much better, not just for taste but also what it does for my family's health.

You see, garlic is one of those amazing vegetables that can keep winter colds away. It has an ingredient called allicin which seems to stimulate the production of white blood cells. The more white cells we've got going for us, the stronger our protection against winter colds and viruses. It's nice to know that something I love to eat anyway is so good for me!

When I sent my seed order in last week, I wasn't thinking about what I'd like to eat next winter. These cold winter days, when I tend to hibernate inside, have really opened my eyes. I think I better make some more room for cauliflower and garlic in my kitchen garden.

WINTER WARMUP

It seems a funny time to start a blog on Backyard Gardening. But usually this time of year, my head always leans toward the garden. The holidays are behind me and the cold and ice drags on. I long for a little patch of green to bring sparkle to the landscape and to get my hands back in the cool earth! So this is a time for dreaming and a little planning. How can I make my backyard into a little farm? It's always been my goal ever since we moved in our new home. Gardening is in my blood. Somewhere there must be a farmer in my family tree! 

I am determined, more than ever, to be a backyard farmer. I don't have acres of tilled land in front of me (though I live only blocks away from farms that do). But with raised beds and intensive gardening methods, I know I can grow enough to feed our family through the summer, fall and winter...if I work at it. 

This year, I've joined the thousands of Americans who are staying clear of genetically modified foods. Health has always been a big consideration in how we eat. We see it as the smart way to go, choosing the best for building strong bodies and clear minds--to have more vitality for the long haul.  We're also a Christian family, so we want to serve the Lord with all we have and greater health means more years to help others and live for God. So what we eat matters. That's why we've become an organic family, eating a plant-based diet that's rich in anti-oxidants, flavor and fiber. 

I can buy a lot of healthy food from our local grocery store--they stock quite a bit of organic foods. But I'd like to have more say in the variety of foods I cook for my family. All the conflict over safe and honest labeling makes me want to eat less of processed foods and more from our own gardens. Plus, I just love to be outside, digging in the dirt. There's just something that unwinds inside me when I'm sitting in the garden, pulling weeds, and planting seeds. Like I said, there's just got to be a farmer somewhere in my family tree! 

So, I'm dreaming these days of our own Green Acres in the backyard. When 2016 rolled around, I opened up my computer and my handy Printmaster program. I use the shapes and clipart to map my kitchen garden behind the picket fence. I plan where I put my spring and summer crops and even garden flowers. It helps me keep track of my crop rotations from year to  year. It's like a farmer's journal--all rolled up in one easy format. 

It's helped me dream as the snow flies outside. And to send in my seed order. So now I'm dreaming of setting up the "Germination Station" in the basement--as I grow my own tomatoes, peppers and broccoli from seed. No more late sowings for me! I'm going to be right on time this year because I'm growing this garden--from start to finish. 

It will be something new for us--using only organic seeds, with some heirloom varieties thrown in. Maybe I'll start being a seed-saver too! It's gardening all the way from now on! And someday this whole backyard will be transformed into our little farm, our Garden of Eatin'! I can hardly wait!