Mom's Baked Squash with Applesauce

by Megan

I am a pretty big believer in eating in season and buying locally grown produce. I owe most of that to this guy and this lady. Not that I don't still buy ridiculous amounts of bananas every week but still I try and what I can. And I KNOW a little makes a difference. Anyhow, on to the point. Here is a GREAT food that can meet all of the important criteria. This recipe is something like the one from this book. I love to eat it on cold afternoons or in the evening with I'm trying to refrain from the amazing cookies my husband always bakes. It's like a great mix of apple & pumpkin pie - except really healthy!

Mom's Baked Squash with Applesauce

1 acorn squash
2 tablespoons of cider jelly, apple jelly, or currant jelly(I use apple butter)
salt
1 cup of applesauce
cinnamon & sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Half the squash from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds. Cut a small slice from the bottom of each half so the squash will sit flat as it bakes and place them in a casserole or baking dish with a lid. Brush the jelly over the flesh of each half and then sprinkle with a little salt. Cover and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the flesh is just tender. If liquid has settled in the cavities spoon it out and then fill with applesauce. Bake for 10 more minutes or until the applesauce is warm. Sprinkle with copious amounts of cinnamon and sugar and enjoy!

Did You Watch It?

Michael Pollan was on Oprah yesterday. I got many calls and emails letting me know about it, I appreciate them all! I hope that by his appearance on such a widely known show, it can further this movement by educating so many Americans.

I thought he did a fantastic job. What did you think?

It's a Family Affair

by Marisa

In the past, just Michael and I have enjoyed browsing through the Seed Savers Exchange magazine together. This year I have found my kids picking up the magazine circling and making little stars or hearts next to the produce they want to grow this year. I couldn't be more proud!!! It has been so fun to include them in this stage of the process. I hope that this will help them feel even more ownership in the garden.

Where do you guys get your heirloom seeds? We collected many seeds from our produce last year, and will be planing many of those this year, but we also like to try new things.

Question from a Reader: Vertical Gardening

Lauren has written asking about supports for her square foot garden, here is her question:

I'm new to blogging, and love what you are doing with your site. I have a question about the square foot garden. What types of supports do you like for heavy pumpkins and squash that can take up a lot of room? My garden space is about 4x10 and part of an urban organic garden. Any suggestions that you have would be greatly appreciated. I know it's early, but I'm so excited to start in the spring. Click here to see a picture of her garden.

Lauren, in my garden I have used 3 bamboo poles that I sunk into the dirt as far as I could and then tied at the top. I place one plant at the bottom of each pole and tie the vine up the pole as it grows. I have grown winter squash, pumpkins and melons in this manner. Click here for that article. In another article about peas, there is a diagram showing a few other options. Click here for that article. And now lastly, but surly not leastly, click here for a great video Dale put together about the trellis he made.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Leave a comment if you do!

Pollan and Oprah

Michael Pollan

will be on

Oprah
this Wednesday.

I'm sure you won't want to miss it!

Garden Goals

by Dale Johnson


I encourage everyone to set goals to change or expand your backyard farm this year. Perhaps you can add a couple of more pots to your container farm. Expand your garden another 100 square feet. Put up some trellises. Plant some new vegetables or fruits. Add some layers or broilers.

Look over the seed and poultry catalogs. Place your orders. Establish your timelines. Dream and do.

Here are my goals for expanding my garden this year.

• 5 Triple Crown blackberry bushes
• 5 Caroline raspberry bushes
• 5 Josephine raspberry bushes
• 25 Jewel strawberry plants
• 3 McDonald Rhubarb plants
• 4 new garden trellises
• 50 Freedom Ranger broilers
• 50 Cornish Cross broilers
• Build new portable layer house for pasturing my layers.
• 
  

I love staring out my den window at my dead backyard farm in January and making my big plans.

What are your garden goals for this year?

Who Am I?

Who am I? Like Derek Zoolander looking into a puddle after his friend died in a freak gasoline accident I often question who I am.

Not who I am as a person, but who am I as a food consumer? I’m not a 100% locavore since I buy products from all over the world but I try to buy local as much as possible. I’m not a vegetarian as I really like meat . I wouldn’t consider myself a member of the slow food movement as periodically I am tired and the only way my family will eat is if we buy fast food. There are a lot of food movements out there and I wish I could say that I always buy locally and eat organic natural foods but I find it hard to do this all the time. Maybe I should start a new food movement called the amibetterthaniwasayearagovore movement. Here is an example of my mindset for this new movement.

Last Saturday we went to an Indoor Farmers market at Tony Caputo’s Deli in downtown Salt Lake City. The market had less farmer’s produce and more people selling their seasonings, and sauces that they made locally. While we were there I tried some Prosciutto di Parma which was amazing so I bought some. Then I thought that it would go great with pasta but Marisa was busy all day so I knew that she wouldn’t have time to make her wonderful homemade whole wheat pasta. I bought some locally made pasta instead. I needed a little cheese as well so I bought some parmesan cheese. I brought everything home, fried some prosciutto with butter and garlic, added some of the sun dried tomatoes we made from our garden, threw in some frozen peas from our garden and abracadabra we had a meal better than anything you can get at a restaurant.

Let’s talk about what I did that was both “positive” and “negative.”

Positives: Bought locally made pasta, added peas and tomatoes from last years garden, supported local farmers or food stuff sellers.

Negatives: Prosciutto and Parmesan were imported from Italy so definitely not local with a high carbon footprint. Garlic purchased at Winco not locally produced as well. Pasta was not whole wheat.

Verdict: As a amibetterthaniwasayearagovore I succeeded. Two years ago I would have gone out to eat at Macaroni grill. Instead, we bought some of our ingredients locally and used some of our own produce. I did better than I would have done in the past. We are improving our habits as consumers. We aren’t perfect but we are trying to do better and to me that is what is the most important. If we all improve we can make a big difference while taking small steps. Maybe next year I will grow my own garlic for the meal. Maybe 2 years from now I will raise my own pork for bacon. The key is that next year I am doing better than now.

What do you guys think of this philosophy? Am I just justifying some of the bad habits that I have? Or on the other hand am I making the process of improving my consumption habits more manageable so I don’t give up altogether?

Tomato Quiz Answers

Thank you to those who played! We did not have a winner in the quiz, but because 5 of you were adventurous and tried, you are all winners! Please send your name and address to us and you will each receive a packet of my harvested heirloom seeds.

Send your address to backyardfarming{at}gmail{dot}com

1. Tomatoes are native to what continent?
a. Asia
b. South America
c. Europe
d. Australia

2. In what year did the U.S. Supreme Court rule that the tomato is a vegetable and not a fruit?
a. 1800
b. 1999
c. 1893
d. 1776
The case was NIX v. HEDDEN, May 10, 1893. Imported vegetables were subject to a 10% duty; fruits were free. Mr. Hedden was the tax collector, and Mr. Nix, after paying duties on tomatoes under protest, sued him for a refund, reading in evidence the dictionary definitions of "fruit", "vegetable" and "tomato." The court found that for purposes of trade and commerce, "the common language of the people" was to be followed rather than botanical definitions. Tomatoes, like potatoes, carrots, parsnips and other vegetables, are served with the main part of the meal; fruits generally as dessert. The plaintiff got no refund.

(Information found here)

3. You should store your tomatoes
a. in the fridge
b. at room temperature
c. in the attic
d. in the doghouse

4. When the French first were introduced to the tomato, they called it
a. the apple of love
b. apple of paradise
c. nasty
d. perfect for french fries

5. About how many varieties of tomatoes are there?
a. 5
b. 100
c. 1000
d. 10,000

(if you answer A, you need to get out to a farmers market!)

6. Which country produces the most tomatoes?
a. America
b. China
c. Italy
d. Chili

7. The largest documented tomato weighed
a. 3 lbs. 4 oz.
b. 7lbs. 12 oz.
c. 9lbs. 1 oz.
d. 5 lbs. 8 oz.

8. Botanically speaking, a tomato is a fruit
True
False

I Say Tomayto, You Say Tomahto...Quiz

Okay, here are the rules. You have to make your best guess, no cheating and looking up the answers on the internet!

1. Tomatoes are native to what continent?
a. Asia
b. South America
c. Europe
d. Australia

2. In what year did the U.S. Supreme Court rule that the tomato is a vegetable and not a fruit?
a. 1800
b. 1999
c. 1893
d. 1776

3. You should store your tomatoes
a. in the fridge
b. at room temperature
c. in the attic
d. in the doghouse

4. When the French first were introduced to the tomato, they called it
a. the apple of love
b. apple of paradise
c. nasty
d. perfect for french fries

5. About how many varieties of tomatoes are there?
a. 5
b. 100
c. 1000
d. 10,000

(if you answer A, you need to get out to a farmers market!)

6. Which country produces the most tomatoes?
a. America
b. China
c. Italy
d. Chili

7. The largest documented tomato weighed
a. 3 lbs. 4 oz.
b. 7lbs. 12 oz.
c. 9lbs. 1 oz.
d. 5 lbs. 8 oz.

8. Botanically speaking, a tomato is a fruit
True
False


Leave your answers in a comment. Yes, there will be a winner. The first person to comment with all the correct answers will win a packet of my favorite heirloom tomato seeds. Answers will be announced Wednesday January 20th.

Remember~No cheating! Cheaters never win...well, sometimes they do. Just don't cheat.

~marisa

Question from a Reader

My friend, former college roomie, and Backyard Farming reader Karen, had 2 questions that I didn't know the answer to. BUT, I know that my trusty readers out there in blogland have lots of great ideas, so I thought I would ask you. Here are her questions:

I'm slowly switching out my cleaning products.

1. Do you have a good recipe for window cleaner that DOESN'T include vinegar? I hate the smell of it. I just made some that used lemon essential oil. I put a few drops extra in hoping to overtake the smell of the vinegar but the scents strangely were separate so I'd either smell the vinegar or the lemon.

2. I'm also looking for a good recipe for laundry detergent that doesn't call for soap flakes. I prefer powder detergent and I've had a hard time finding soap flakes or the solid castile soap bars so I could grate my own. I may just have to switch to liquid laundry detergent. :(

Thanks in advance
Marisa and Karen

I Can Feel it, Can You Feel it?

Spring. It is getting close, and I'm getting excited. There is so much to look forward to in the garden during the warmer months. Here are some things I'm excited about:

Freshly picked strawberries.

Power Rangers protecting my garden.

Filling my kitchen with greenery.

Freshly picked melons.

When the kids ask for a snack, I just have to send them out to the garden.
This is Reece munching on a raw beet.

FRESH VEGGIES and HERBS!

Making forts in the garden.

What are you excited about?

~marisa

Haiti

I'm so torn up about the earthquake in Haiti, it is so sad to see the devastation there. My husband spent two years in the Dominican Republic (the country that shares the island with Haiti) he has such love for the people and culture there. Here in America we have all been blessed so much, many of these people live on about a dollar a day. There are many great organizations that you could donate to, here are just a few.

Doctors without Borders
International Red Cross
Partners in Health
LDS Humanitarian Services 100% of your donation goes to those in need, the church uses other funds to cover the administrative costs.

~marisa

Featured Reader

Kalena from Atlanta wrote to us here at Backyard Farming, thanks for writing, we love to hear from our readers! Last year her garden was 50 square feet, and this year she is expanding to 110 square feet. Way to go!!!

This is what she says about her blog:
I began this blog to learn about veggie gardening for a healthier way of eating, but I gained so much more. If you're someone who seeks to find out what it's like to enjoy life and find happiness, you found the right place. Enjoy!

She just started some seeds, you can check out her blog by clicking here.

Recycled Gift Bow Tutorial

How About Orange has a great tutorial on how to make a gift bow from a magazine. Not only are you reusing, but they are really cool.

There Was a Farmer Who Had a....

What animals are on your backyard farm?

If you want to be a backyard farmer, it is useful to know some animal terminology. Here are the names for various types of barnyard animals. Teach them to your children. Use them in some educational games with them. Get your children out to some farms to see them. Explain the process of how we eat them. Grow them on your own backyard farm if you have the room.

Chicken - Gallus

· Rooster or cock – Male

· Hen – female

· Chick – juvenile

· Cockerel – male juvenile

· Pullet – female juvenile

· Capon – castrated male

· Layer – chicken raised for eggs

· Broiler or fryer – chicken raised for meat

Sheep – Ovis

· Ram or buck– male

· Ewe or yoe – female

· Lamb – juvenile

· Wether - castrated male

Goat - Capra

· Buck (Billy) - male

· Doe (Nanny) - female

· Kid – juvenile

· Buckling – male juvenile

· Doeling – female juvenile

Hog – Porcus

· Boar – male

· Sow – female

· Shoat or pig - juvenile

Cattle – Bovis

· Bull – male

· Cow – female

· Calf – juvenile

· Steer – male castrated as a juvenile

· Heifer – female juvenile

· Ox (draft animal)– male castrated as an adult

· Dairy – cattle raised for milk

· Beef – cattle raised for meat

Horse – Equus

· Stallion or stud – male

· Mare or dam – female

· Foal – juvenile

· Colt – male juvenile

· Filly – female juvenile

· Gelding – castrated male

Interesting tidbit - a mare is a female horse but there is no analogous phrase for a cow. The following is a fun website for children. You can even find the name for a juvenile oyster.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml

~Dale

Fairy Gardens

After reading Cameron's article about interior landscaping, I was looking for some options to make a "living" center piece for my kitchen table, and I came across fairy gardens. There is just something about miniatures, I love them. I'm not sure it is what I'm looking for as a center piece, but I REALLY want one for my yard.

How fun would it be to have it tucked in a corner of your yard for visitors to discover?

Has anyone made a fairy garden? I think my daughter needs one....ok, I need one.

I found the pictures here, here and here. The third link has information on making your own.

~marisa

REAL FOOD and REAL good advice

Last year I read both "In Defense of Food" and "An Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and even did a week long eating experiment based on them. And even though I try and keep it up I am finding that time has faded my memory of the recommendations and guidelines set out in the books. That's why I was so happy to find this book at the grocery store the other day.

It was great because I went through the produce section, picked up some bananas, carrots, and apples and then moved on to the rest of the store. It was on my way to the meat that I stopped to look at the books and saw this. I grabbed it, thumbed through it, and asked my oldest son to read the chapter headings out loud to me as we shopped. The book is laid out in small chapters; each one listing a guideline with an explanation following. As we walked the aisles he was saying things like, "If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't" and "Eat only foods that will eventually rot" and it made us all really consious of what we were buying and it also made us really anxious to go home and eat some good REAL food.

Needless to say, because of the book, we turned around and spent a lot more time in the produce section of the store. I love Michael Pollan's work and if you do too than this book is the perfect thing to keep hanging around in your kitchen or in your bag to remind you of how we really need to eat. And to remind you that how you eat shapes what the landscape around you looks like.


p.s. go check out that last link to Michael Pollan. His website has some great links and info on it.

Interior Landscaping

Recently we have had some friends over as we near the holidays and thanks to my wife’s great decorating, a bit of cleanliness and one little trick a lot of people have complemented us on having a nice little basement apartment. We are so accustomed to noticing pictures and decorations in a home, but do you ever notice the green… or lack of green in someone’s home?

After some friends left I mentioned to my wife…” I bet they never noticed that we have a bunch of plants in here. It creates an atmosphere that they appreciate, but I bet they never really acknowledge that there are plants in here.”

There are too many benefits of interior landscaping to not put at least a simple planter in your home:

-Studies have shown a higher productivity rate… up to 12% increase in attentiveness in a certain workplace that a study was done with and without interior plants. Imagine doing 12% more of your cleaning or doing it 12% faster! I’m sure every mother would be happy with an extra few minutes to watch their favorite show, read a book or take a nap.

-Here in Utah the temperatures can get pretty high in the summer, and in the winter the air gets extremely dry. Wherever you live, plants will regulate both the temperature and humidity of the home. Because plants cool through a process called transpiration, they can decrease air temperatures drastically. In addition, transpiration releases moisture into the air and creates the perfect humidity level for humans (30-60%).

-Tight on money? ….. “According to the International Society of Arboriculture, the net cooling effect of one young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. According to literature from the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, proper selection and placement of plant materials can lower heating and cooling costs by as much as 20%.” Plants at Work.

-This time of year we open our doors just fast enough to get in or out and shut it quickly to keep all of the warm air in. Our windows are sealed and never opened. Think about all of the bacteria, mold and “stuff” in the air! Research shows that plant-filled rooms contain 50-60 percent fewer airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants. That dirty air can be food for indoor plants… they will pull it in and feed your house with naturally filtered air.

- With all of the variety of plant materials you can make your home really beautiful and enjoyable! My wife and I were at an interior landscaping expo in Las Vegas a few months ago and scored some cheap pots that we have scattered throughout the apartment, filled with a few varieties of plants and we love our indoor “jungle”.

Not convinced? I guarantee you can go to a local hardware store or even some grocery stores will sell the most common Pothos plant for very cheap. These plants will live through anything (extremely low maintenance/ watering)… and you will see how much you enjoy having a little bit of green… then you can branch out and broaden your plant material in the home.

~Cameron