William's Pecan Tree

Here is William standing by the pecan tree he planted when he was 10 years old. "I planted two but the mule ate the other one," he laughingly remembered. This tree is now 60 years old and still produces pecans. It is on the "old home place" which is now owned by William's sister, Lillie.

Tree Giveaway

This Saturday, April 23, Lowe's will be giving away, while supplies last, free trees in honor of Earth Day. So get up early and head on out to Lowe's for your free tree. When something is free it goes fast!

More Thoughts for Earth Week

Whether on a balcony, or a half-acre lot in a subdivision, or a small family farm, or a thousand-acre farm, people everywhere can contribute to preserving our earth. Just start right where you are now. Clean up your corner of the world. Pick up trash even if it's not yours. Plant a few flowers. Collect and use rainwater to water those flowers. Create a compost bin. Plant a tree. Grow your own vegetables and herbs. Enjoy, appreciate, and protect God's green earth. It's the only one we have.

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it; to tend and watch over it; to take care of it; to cultivate it; to till it; to guard it; to work the ground and keep it in order. (Genesis 2:15)

Why I Use My Own Bags

With this being Earth Week I thought I'd share reasons why I use my own bags. The bag in the far right below is one I've had over 20 years. Underneath the word "EARTH" it reads "Every American's Responsibility To Help".

With these big bags I have fewer trips back and forth to the car to unload the groceries.

Just look at how much this bag holds...and it is not even full! Imagine cramming all this into one plastic bag, and no...the bag is not too heavy to carry.

 

Love this little bag. I actually have two this size. They are vinyl and perfect for meats. I help fill the bags at the store and package like items together. It helps save time putting things away when I get home.

Most cloth bags are machine washable, and vinyl bags can easily be wiped clean, making them last a really long time.

Lastly, no plastic bags accumulating in the cabinet underneath the kitchen sink, or eventually filling up the landfills. Makes me feel like I'm doing my part.

Spring Onions

If only this picture was scratch and sniff. These fresh spring onions smell incredible! What to do with them? Roast them with your favorite cut of meat. Toss them into a garden salad. Cook them with garden peas. Throw them into a stir fry. Can't wait to taste-test!!!

Mixing It Up

What's a mother to do when her child won't eat vegetables? Why, mix it up, of course. Simply puree a little spinach and mix it into the soup. Or, add a heaping tablespoon of sweet peas to the dinner casserole. Or, mix finely chopped green bell peppers into the pizza sauce.

I tried this trick last week by mixing cooked rutabagas into a small bowl of cream potatoes and melted cheese on top. One of my daughters actually tried the dish, even after I told her that it was rutabagas and potatoes, and admitted, "It's not that bad."

Well, it's a trick for us grown-ups too. Whenever you want to introduce a new vegetable to your diet, try mixing it with something you like. The flavors will blend together, and you just might discover that you like it. And, if you don't, that's okay. But you will never know until you try!

This week's challenge - Try a new vegetable. Mix it in your salad, stir fry, or rice. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes.

Blue Eggs

Blue eggs? It's no April Fool's joke, and no...these eggs haven't already been boiled and dyed for Easter. Are they robin eggs? No, but they are from Robin's farm. So, I asked her, "Why blue eggs?" Here's her reply.

"I asked this very same question myself....apparently, there is a genetic abnormality in this breed of hen, whereby they only see the color blue....since they only see blue, they only forage and consume blue-hued plants, flowers and bugs. Since they only consume blue feed, the only pigment they have to lend the shells is blue. The more greenish colored consume some grasses along with the more blue feed, it would seem they may be slightly color blind. Your average brown-egg layer is not too discerning, she will consume any and all feed stuffs before her. Just like in painting, when you mix too many colors, the result is a rather drab brown. And as to the white egg layers, they are generally an albino chicken, pale in feather as well as egg - they cannot process color at all."