The first Tomato of the year- the weekly challenge update

My First tomato of the year, off my robin tomato plants

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge- Year two, week 8

1. Plant something: Some “watermelon" radishes- a different variety than what I am use to; cherry belle radishes, transplanted hot pepper plants, some lettuce and some mesclun greens; “kent beauty” oregano – an herb whose flowers attract butterflys; transplanted a Hungarian pepper plant, Started some Sweet Potato slips , 2. Harvest something: India Mustard greens, Arugula, Beet Greens, and Dandelion, Basil, My first tomato!

3. Preserve something: Made and froze pasta and sauce for lunches and suppers; froze some basil cubes, bought one of those ziplock freezer vacuum packers with freezing bags to go along with my seal a meal; made a batch of strawberry jam (and before I get comments and emails on using jars not meant for canning, the large jar is one I put in the fridge immediately after for immedieiate consumption); froze the rest of the berries using Grandma's freezing trick
4. Reduce Waste (recycle, reuse, reduce, repair or compost something): Used a 5 gallon and a 3 gallon bucket to make a self watering planter; Used a big jar that had pepperoni sticks in it that I won in a raffle years ago to store homemade instant oatmeal in.Used some pizza boxes as weedblock for the potted plants in the front yard. The usual recycling, composting, vermi-composting.
5. Preparation and Storage: Obtained a case of jelly jars and a case of canning jars and lids; Checked the food in the freezer- need to start eating the guinea hens and other frozen food in there! Made a batch of Instant oatmeal, recipe found on Cheap Like Me’s blog stored in a big jar originally fully of short pepperoni sticks, reused for this purpose
6. Build Community Food Systems: Shared how I make Self watering planters on my blog; (ok a stretch, but it works for me); Volunteered some time and labor with SuBu creating a demo garden for community gardening at the B/ias(Burien Interim Art Space) in Burien
7. Eat the Food: India Mustard, Arugula, and Beet Greens, Dandelion greens in a salad with strawberries and feta cheese; Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil dressing; some Apriums (a plum and apricot mix) Used leftover salad in a wrap;
8. Cook or eat something new: India Mustard, Arugula, Beet Greens, Dandelion greens in a salad with strawberries and feta cheese; Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil dressing, Apriums and crème (well not crème- non-fat rice milk); Made a sugar free version of Chocolate Mug cake; Made some home made instant oatmeal following Cheap Like Me’s recipe

Melinda’s Growing Challenge: Showed how I make Self Watering Planters on this blog; Transplanted a Hungarian pepper, started some sweet potato slips; Volunteered some time and labor and donated some plants with SuBu creating a demo garden for community gardening at the B/ias(Burien Interim Art Space) in Burien




Melinda's Buy Sustainably Challenge: Bought Romeo a handmade chew toy from the Strawberry Festival and Sammy a Catnip Bird from the same and bought some Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar and a couple of jars of bell pepper sauce from vendors Sunday at the festival. FOUND OUT THAT FRED MEYER SELLS BULK ITEMS!!!-I bought rolled oats in bulk to make instant oatmeal. Saving $$$ over prepackaged instant oatmeal using Cheap like Me’s recipe ; bought a half flat of local strawberries at the Burien Farmers' Market