One industry that’s beating the Great Recession is the business of selling seeds, specifically vegetable seeds. As I’ve written in this blog before, growing numbers of families are starting gardens, learning to grow their own food to save money and eat healthier, more trustworthy fare.
And to grow our own food, we all start with the [...]
If you use pressure canning to preserve fruits and vegetables, don’t forget to take your canner top in for an annual checkup before you start using it this year. Think of it as a pap smear for canners — nobody wants to do it, but it could save your life. Seriously.
If your pressure canner [...]
So the garden’s not a novelty anymore. The kids have helped plant the seeds and maybe even water them a few times, but the new is wearing off. It’s like the new puppy that your kids promise to feed and water every day, and forget about after the first week.
But if you really want [...]
Everyone’s in search of the perfect tomato. Even before vegetable gardening got groovy again, it seemed like just about every other household had a few tomato plants in pots on the back porch. I’ve heard plenty of non-gardeners passionately argue the benefits of Better Boys, Early Girls, or some other favorite tomato variety.
And just as [...]
My husband, kids and I spent most of yesterday in the car on the way to the beach. After almost seven hours in the car with a four-year-old and a two-year-old (and thankfully a DVD player), we made it to Orange Beach, Ala., where we’re soaking up sun and playing in the sand before the really big crowds [...]
Last summer, my husband and I were the only thirtysomething couple we knew who had a vegetable garden in the backyard. None of our friends spent late nights shelling peas, shucking corn or canning tomatoes after the kids were in bed.
But this summer is a different story. A few weeks ago, I was in a [...]
