Really really ugly carrot

Yesterday, I was too tired to write, but I did get my 60 minutes! I went to our community garden plot (we have a grand total of 400 sqft intensely farmed veggie beds) and finished my fall cleanup. I eliminated the last row of hills left from this summer´s three sisters, and composted the remaining sqash and bean vines and corn stalks. It is good that cleanup is done now, because the compost is almost flowing over. After taking out the old plants, I dug the ground with my favorite garden tool, a spading fork, added horse manure, which I picked up for free from a lady with horses, and rebuilt a narrow raised bed (only 2 feet wide). My final act yesterday was to seed parsnips in that raised bed. Parsnips look like a cross between carrots and celery roots (think really really ugly and wrinkly pale carrot). I had actually never eaten them before this year, when we tried out a recipe for roasted root veggies from hubby´s Mayo Clinic Cookbook. It was delicious and easy to make, and I was hooked. I´ve also been badgered ever since to plant some parsnips by said hubby. Well, here they are now, I´ve done my part to give them a nice bed to grow in, and best of luck to the little things.

Today was locavore dinner day. We had braised greens (collard and russian kale) from our garden. When I harvest sturdy winter greens like kale, collard and cabbage, I wash, cut, and freeze them in a ziplock bag. The freezing doesn't hurt them, I think it even makes them less bitter. Then, I just saute an onion, add the greens straight out of the freezer and some braising liquid, and braise away. Today I used chicken broth, maple syrup, mustard, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes and raisins for a sweet and hot finish. Bacon and beer, or white wine and sweet cream, are also favorites.

60minutes

That's it. I've done it. Finally. I've started to blog.

60minutes will be a blog about life, for myself. For 60 minutes each day, I will do those things that are important to me but for which there is never time. I live and work in a place of craziness, surrounded by overachievers and laundry mountains. It's time to slow down, sit with the baby, have a cup of tea with the husband, and do the things I love. Like gardening. Creating a healthy lifestyle for my family and myself, one that doesn't send the planet to hell in a handbasket. Like making meals for my friends, and sitting down with them and sharing. I might even sneak in some arts and crafts, who knows? The opportunities are endless, and I've got 60 minutes every day.