Video Friday - Tout

Have you seen Tout yet?  It's basically Twitter for videos.  Each movie can only be 15 seconds long.  I post little bits around my home in La Jolla, traveling every other week and dancing, naturally. 
Follow my touts here!

Dig - DIY Bathtub Garden

Our rental in La Jolla came with a giant bathtub that was so unsteady we had to sign off in the lease we wouldn't sue in case it caused any bodily harm.  So after months of it sitting in the corner of our shower (our shower is larger than most NYC apartments) I asked the boys to move it outside.  I had been itching to plant carrots but they need a deep container.  The dogs and chickens eat anything we plant in the ground so a raised bathtub bed was the perfect solution! 

What you will need
- An old bathtub or large deep container.
- Good dirt, go for the organic stuff at your local nursery.  (Remember, you will be eating all this goodness and you wouldn't want to ruin it with cheap soil.)
- Compost from your kitchen and/or neighborhood chickens.
- Seeds.  Think about what you love to eat.  (I planted carrots, 2 types of kale and broccoli.  We feed the dogs carrots and I could eat kale 3 meals a day.)
- Gloves.
- Something to mix the dirt with, a shovel, stick or just your hands if you don't mind dirt under the fingernails.

Fresh picked kale from the bathtub

To do
1.  Find some large rocks or bricks for the bottom to ensure good drainage.

2.  Add a layer of dirt.

3.  Add a layer of chicken manure compost and/or store bought compost. 
4.  Mix it all together.

5.  Add another layer of dirt.
6.  Fill up your container a few inches from the top because the dirt will compress and sink in over the next week.
7.  Using a shovel or your hand create rows for your seeds.  Read the packaging labels for directions on spacing and planting seed depth.
8.  Add the seeds.  Cover with soil and water gently.
9.  Continue to water gently for the first few weeks.  Once the plants are set feel free to use the hose or your leftover pasta water (after it's cooled :).

age: 3 weeks

age: 5 weeks

age: 3 months

Have you planted in any crazy containers?  I would love to hear some ideas.  PS - My favorite seed catalog at the moment is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Dig - January Images from the garden

rainbow radishes

the chickens destroyed my bok choy, at least they eat healthy

taking a nap against the bean pole

yes we have a bathtub in the backyard, I planted in it, more later

our new blueberry bush

the chickens cuddling

From Backyard to Table

You may not believe me but we have been raising chickens in our backyard since August.  They started laying eggs while I was traveling and today I ate my first homegrown egg!  The yolk was electric orange, the shell a light orange sherbert and the taste incredible.  We have two chickens, 1 Brown Sussex and 1 black and white mutt.  I loved her feathers, I didn't care if she lacked a proper family name.  They are super easy to take care of, love to eat out of your hand and will produce 1-2 eggs a day for the next 3 years.  I hope our neighbors like eggs.

Shake it Saturdays - Kale and Hemp Shake

Ingredients
4 strawberries (frozen or fresh)
1/2 banana (frozen or fresh)
1 date, de-pitted
3 stalks kale, ribs removed
1/2 peeled cucumber
2 heaping tablespoons of Hemp or Brown Rice protein
1/4-1/2 c unsweetened milk of your choice (rice, soy, almond, dairy) to make it all blend together

Toss everything in the blender and pour in a tall glass.  It makes a big shake!
 
* Try to use all frozen fruit then you don't have to use ice to make it cold.  Who likes warm smoothies?  YUCK!
* What do to with your kale ribs or cucumber peelings?  Dump them in the composter or feed them to your backyard chickens.  Which reminds me, meet our fluffy new friends.  We've had them for 2 months and they are awesome!  By Thanksgiving we will be eating fresh eggs from our organic chickens.