30 Days of Creativity - Day 11 Growing Pineapples

Did you know that you could grow a pineapple from the crown of the fruit that you buy at the grocery store?  I had heard about that ages ago but never tried it until recently when a friend was telling me that he had success with it.  Unfortunately, he let it go a day too long.  Apparently, it seemed ready to pick but he decided to wait another day.  In the night, an animal picked it for him.

I used this website as a basis because, honestly, I was about to just stick it into the ground without exposing the roots that I didn't know it had.  I planted one a few weeks ago and even though it's roots weren't nice and long like the ones in the pictures on that guy's site, it is now firmly rooted in the pot that I put it in.  Since things seemed to be going well with that one, I thought I'd start another one.  Figured it would be a good back up if an animal decided to harvest mine in the night, too.  This second one had better developed roots when I cut it, but again they didn't seem to grow that much with the water.  I'm not that worried about it based on the first one.  So, today I planted my second pineapple.  They should be ready for harvesting in about a year.  A year!  Sigh...

Raised Garden Bed Project: The First Layer of Timbers is Done!

We spent a couple hours working outside yesterday and...  we're another step closer!  The first layer of timbers is assembled for the raised garden bed!!

It has been some time since we last worked on it and it's rained, so our nice level surface wasn't nearly as level and quite a bit splattered so we needed to rake and tamp a little more.  Somehow, I managed to do something to my neck while raking.  =(  Also, the bugs are biting me like crazy, but not Scott.  Guess I need to make up some anti-bug bite juice for the next time we go out to work.

Anyway, once we got our ground level again Scott got to work on laying the timbers and staking them in while I went and assembled a few more (just like last time...).  We finally got the entire first level row assembled!

1. Full Sun End, 2. Partial Sun Middle, 3. Mostly Shade End

Remember that lantana plant that Scott accidentally weed whacked?  It's coming back.  Resilient little guy.

As usual, we came in slightly the worse for the wear, but feeling accomplished.  Next step in the process: assembling the second (and last) row of timbers (drilling the hinges onto them and then staking to the first level) and laying the landscaping fabric (to prevent the grass and weeds from growing through the dirt).

30 Days of Creativity - Day 10 Herbal Concoction: Ginger Syrup

I haven't featured one of my herbal concoctions here in a while...

I love ginger.  Not only is it delicious, but it's also an amazingly beneficial herb.  Ginger is antibacterial, an antiviral, a circulatory stimulate, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, antiemetic, antifungal, anti-clotting, carminative, antiarthritic, analgesic and antitussive.  Ginger is active against several food-borne pathogens, including E. coli, salmonella and shigella.  It helps us feel warm when we're chilled and will help prevent colds and flu.  It helps with coughs, is an expectorant, and helps with respiratory infections.  Ginger relieves pain, stimulates immune activity, reduces inflammation and stimulates sweating (which is how it helps with fever).  It's been known to help topically with burns as well as arthritis relief.  Internally,  it destroys parasites, stimulates white blood cells, aids digestions, helps with gas, and more.  I personally love to use ginger to prevent motion sickness.


All of the amazing attributes of ginger aside, I simply love the taste and wanted to make my own ginger ale.  A while ago, I used a recipe from Aquarian Bath and loved it.  I decided to try something a little different this time. I have a soda maker from Sodastream, which is really just a system of getting carbonated water, and use it all the time.  You can buy syrups for it that taste like commercially sold sodas, are less expensive, and have lower calories.  My brainstorm was to make my own syrup!


I decocted a cup of chopped ginger root in two cups of water and let it sit overnight.  

In the past, I've used sugar to make my syrups but I thought I'd give honey a go this time to increase the medicinal benefits of the syrup.  After straining the ginger decoction and returning it to the pot, I added a cup of honey and simmered for 5 minutes.  

I let it cool and then put it in an air tight bottle and stored it in the fridge.  

1-2 tablespoon of syrup per cup should be all you need; garnish with mint sprigs and/or lemon.  By the way, if you don't have a soda machine, just use club soda or seltzer.  Enjoy!

30 Days of Creativity - Day 9 In the Kitchen with Trinity Roots Rice

I had intended to make Trinity Roots Rice with yesterday's creativity, but couldn't due to lack of ingredients.  One trip to the grocery store today and I was ready to give it a try.  The thing that I like about the recipe for this is that it's very basic, so there's room for creativity.

The Trinity Roots in this dish are garlic, onions, and ginger.  Three of my favorites because they're so super tasty and so very good for you.  The recipe calls for basmati rice, but it's a little pricey so I stuck with the brown rice that I had on hand.  I used the ghee that I made yesterday; all of it actually.  The recipe calls for tomato plus 4-5 cups of assorted vegetables: I chose bok choi, carrots, and zucchini.  Here it is just starting to simmer.  It smelled so good!

My impression is that this is supposed to be a main course, but I couldn't do that to my Midwest, meat and potatoes honey so we're having it alongside some pork loins marinated in a sesame ginger sauce.

There was a ton of liquid in there, so I kept cooking it even though the rice and vegetables were already done.  Sadly, I think I overcooked it.  But, that's how we learn, right?

UPDATE: Yes, it was kind of mushy from being overcooked, but it actually did still taste pretty good.