March, Week Two Healthy Food Budget: $36.83 spent Great week. I tried very hard to keep my spending to a minimum, and it worked! We got take-out Chinese on Saturday and I picked up a few items at Whole Foods on Monday. March Food Spending Total $205.89 After spending $36.83 this week, it brings the [...]
Posts Tagged ‘tomatoes’
Boycott Florida’s Tomato
Previously, I wrote about a fascinating new study I read on NPR.com. The gist of the research claims organic tomatoes are stressed from natural pests, so they produce more nutrients. The NPR article also included quoted disputes by Harry Klee, a tomato researcher from the University of Florida. When I noticed he was from UFL, [...]
Organic Tomatoes Are Stressed, But More Nutritious
Yesterday, I read a fascinating article at NPR. There is a new study suggests that organic farms grew tomatoes that were 40% smaller (than conventional), BUT were actually significantly higher in vitamin C, sugar and lycopene. Their reasoning is because organically farmed tomatoes are “stressed-out” more than conventional due to less pesticides. The organic plants [...]
Whole Foods Wake-Up: GMO Ketchup
I admit I was one of the biggest Whole Foods Market groupies. Visiting to one of their stores was like going to church. But the delusion is over, at least for me. I still shop there, but my eyes are open and I diligently read labels. I think what really set me over the edge [...]
Gardening Diary: Canning & Preserving the Harvest
Wow, this year, surprisingly I found that I really enjoy the craft of canning! It’s a lot of work, but once you get 2 or 3 batches under your belt, there’s confidence and organization that makes the process a little bit easier. The rewards will outweigh the work! There was a lot that I was [...]
Gardening Diary: Tomato Frog (Toad)
I’m so behind on my gardening updates. I’ve been shooting a lot of photos, but I just don’t have the time to update the blog! But I wanted to mention another fascinating bit of nature. Back about a month ago, I was in my garden in the morning, and I was pleasantly surprised to see [...]
Gardening Diary: True Vine Ripened Tomatoes
Having a garden really opens your eyes to how produce naturally grows, and it’s a lot different than what’s found at the store. Grocery stores offer “vine-ripened” tomatoes, but as I recently learned, even those are not truly ripened while attached to the tomato plant. The branch is cut, but the tomatoes are still attached [...]
Gardening Diary: Preserving Tomatoes by Freezing, Oven Drying & Canning
My garden will never produce as many tomatoes as I’d like…even though I’m getting full bowlfuls every couple of days, it is never enough! Tomatoes are the perfect food. I adore them! I’d love to someday grow enough tomatoes so I’d never have to purchase another can/carton of commercial tomatoes again, but that is not [...]
Tomato Hornworms and the Awesome Braconid Wasp Super Hero
We were in the garden Sunday morning, and while I was glancing at my in-ground tomato plants, I noticed what looked like white spikey roots growing out of a tomato leaf. Mind you, my eyesight is not great, but I immediately thought about how weeks before, I noticed low branches were beginning to develop roots [...]
Gardening Diary: Busy Bees Buzzing
I was weeding the vegetable garden this morning, and it made me so happy to hear the sound of working bumble bees buzzing in my blossoms. A few whizzed by my ear, and it’s funny but it didn’t scare me or make me flinch. Oh how times have changed. I’m in the thick of it, [...]
