by kathilipp | Apr 25, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Hey ladies – I have spent the week working with Roger getting our Salsa Garden planted. I love the whole dirt digging process and the salsa that results in the in end.
I wanted to share the joys of gardening with all my readers but know that I am woefully unqualified. So I asked my friend Ann to share some of her gardening joys with y’all as well as telling us all how to create our own salsa garden. I plant everything in containers (as I only have a back patio,) but the results are fab. We will be spending the whole week on this little process, and, for everyone who comments during the week, you will be entered into our drawing for a $25 gift card from Home Depot to get your own salsa garden started.
What’s More Locavore Than Your Own Container Salsa Garden?
By Ann Stea
The easiest vegetable garden in the world is the one your favorite kindergartener colors for you using paper and crayons and tapes to your refrigerator. The second easiest might just be a Container Salsa Garden.
This is the legal disclaimer part my lawyer says I must write (not really but you should know) I’m not a professional gardener, nor am I an expert or Master Gardener so you may take what I have to offer with a grain of salt. Or you can try this out and add a grain of salt to your end result. It’s your choice. I highly recommend you try because there is nothing better than salsa from your garden, or eating a tomato that is truly ripe and delicious. In fact I challenge you to give this a try if you’ve never planted a garden, are afraid to try or don’t think you have the time or space. Gardening is a very satisfying way to have organic, local foods. What’s more local than your patio or yard?
My friend Kathi has started a container salsa garden. I thought about the hours and sweat and tears and sometimes blood that has gone into my little family’s garden over the past 13 years and realized, Kathi may have the right approach to this whole green thumb thing. After all you really only need four plants and a shaker of salt and some red wine vinegar, or a lemon borrowed form the neighbor’s tree. Why my husband and I feel the need to grow four tomato (which is a major reduction from our previous seasons), 15 pepper (Italian, Jalapeno, Habanero, and Cayenne), two zucchini, three butternut, a few pole bean and two Big Max pumpkin plants is always a wonder to me.
Then I realize it’s in my husband’s blood. It has to be. His parents live on a ¾ acre parcel which has never seen a lawn. Fruit trees, vegetables, fava beans and almond and olive trees some old time flowers and roses are all over the land. There have been years when they have planted nearly 20 to 30 tomato plants and over a hundreds of fava bean plants. We canned the tomatoes, fried the peppers and shelled the favas. We even shelled them the weekend before my wedding but that’s another story.
The same principles apply in the yard, a planter box, or small containers. Plant in good soil, water, protect from pests, and eventually pick. Okay that’s my dream garden. I live in San Jose, California, it was called The Valley of Hearts Delight long before it was ever Silicon Valley. We are blessed to live in an area where it is easy to grow things. I still have trouble with many plants that just don’t work in our summer heat or suffer for lack of a freezing dormant period. My best advice is to find the kinds of vegetables that work well in your area for your best success. I have found the local Master Gardeners and the folks at the local Farmers Markets to be an excellent source of information about which varieties of peppers and tomatoes grow best in your area. In fact I enjoy purchasing my vegetable plants from the Master Gardeners’ sales in my area. I know the plants started here and will do well here. Additionally I am helping to support my local growers. I guess that makes me a locavore of sorts.
Tomorrow – I will be talking about containers for your salsa garden.
Kathi here – So here is my question for you – what area of the country do you live in and what do you love to grow? Ann and I live in the Silicon Valley where things love to grow, but I would be interested to hear what the rest of you have success with. Leave your answer in the comments and I will enter you in the drawing for the $25 Home Depot gift card!
by kathilipp | Apr 22, 2010 | Uncategorized |
I have an opportunity to work on a project about organization (from the point of view of someone who will never be naturally organized, but has learned how to make it work.)
My question for you is this: If you are not naturally organized, what is your biggest challenge with staying on top of life – is it the house, your family, your schedule. If so, can you tell me what it is? It would be a big help to my project and it is always great to know that we don’t suffer alone…
by kathilipp | Apr 21, 2010 | Uncategorized |
If you are a winner of one of the “My Husband is a Hottie” bookmarks, just e-mail my assistant Kimber@kathilipp.com with your mailing address and she will get it sent out to you.
Oh – and if you were one of our enterants for the 1000 Dates Contest – we are announcing the winner of the Flip Camera next Tuesday!!!
That’s it – see you tomorrow.
Kathi
by kathilipp | Apr 19, 2010 | Uncategorized |
OK – How Cute is that?
If you tell me in the comments something sweet, encouraging or downright flirty (let’s keep it PG ladies) and tell me in the comments either in yesterday’s post or today’s and you are one of the first 25 to do so, I will send you this bookmark (that you should so not use as a bookmark – it should be put up on the fridge where it can make him blush…).
If you attended the event this weekend and already have one of these collector bookmarks, I will send you another little prize.
I have to tell you that these little bookmarks are a hit with the hubbies. He’s going to love it.
by kathilipp | Apr 19, 2010 | Uncategorized |
I consider myself to be one tough cookie (hey, I was a single mom for a few years, and have been a step-mother for five years, so when a challenge comes up I can pretty confidently say “Bring it on!”) but I got to meet some pretty amazing women.
I had the best weekend hanging out with the hero-wives at Ft. Lewis Army Base in Washington state. At one point during my weekend retreat for The Husband Project I asked the ladies how many of their husbands were currently deployed. I would estimate that 3/5s of the women raised their hands.
What really blew me away was the passion these women had about showing their men that they are loved. These are women who bring the phones into the bathroom when they shower because they don’t want to miss a call from Iraq.
These are women who mow the lawn when they are eight months pregnant and kill all the spiders in the house.
Their big question to me was “How do we let them know that everything is OK at home – they have enough to worry about when they are in combat – but still let them know that we miss them and need them?”
I had some ideas, but I have to share with you something that one of the wives shared with me about how she let’s her husband know that she is all good – but still is missed. After our Friday night session, she went home and texted her husband. She told him that she just wanted to say thank you for all the times he had brought in the groceries when he was home. It was just a little thing, but it made his day. He was blown away that she would be so grateful for such a small thing.
I know that most of the women who read this blog are pretty self sufficient women. You bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan. But is there one thing that you could thank your husband for today that lightens your load.
- Bringing in the groceries
- Bringing home a paycheck
- Loving your kids
- Getting the oil changed in the car
- Mowing the lawn
- BBQing
The first 25 women who tell me the sweet encouragement they texted to their husbands will get a very cool prize that I promise will encourage your husband. Leave a comment about what you texted to your man and I will let you know on Tuesday what your prize is.
And if you know a military wife? Go give her a hug (and buy her a Dark Cherry Mocha today!)
Oh – and the winners of the two books from last week?
The Winner of I’ll bring the Chocolate is:
Denise says:
April 13, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Oh… I’m blonde and didn’t say why I need girlfriend time…. because God blesses our women relationships and we need encouragement and LOTS of laughter to go with the Sugar Buzz…. my favorite Chocolate…would be truffles, M&M’s, Reeses Peanutbutter cups, etc…. etc….!!!!!
And the winner of Plain Jayne
Karen says:
April 14, 2010 at 8:46 am
‘Plain Jane”: four kids 9, 8,8, 5 yrs. – Homeschool Mom – Women’s Ministry Coordinator – MOPS Council Coordinator = Not much time alone!!
Email me at kathi at kathilipp.com with your address and we will get them out to you!!!)
by kathilipp | Apr 13, 2010 | Uncategorized |
We have two great giveaways this week – you are going to love these:
First, we have fellow Harvest House author Hillary Lodge with a great fiction read. Plain Jayne is the story of a journalist who has lost her edge (um, there are many days I can relate to Jayne life just with that one little fact,) and so to regain some perspective she goes to live in an Amish community for three weeks. I love Hillary’s straightforward writing and her meshing of two worlds. To find out if your as big a fan as I am, check out the first chapter here.
Karen Porter is a national retreat and seminar speaker, the author/co-author of six books, and a successful businesswoman. You can check out her website at karenporter.com
Karen says her marriage to George is her greatest achievement. Karen’s favorite activity is continuing her life-long quest for the perfect purse.
Karen’s book is I’ll Bring the Chocolate: Satisfying a Woman’s Craving for Friendship and Faith. About her book: Stimulating. Satisfying. Tantilizing. Delicious. Chocolate is that sweet “something extra” that infuses anything ordinary with delectable flavor and zest. In the same way, loving friendships can sweeten a woman’s life and make almost any situation — good or bad — taste even better. Blending true stories and several original choclate recipes with rich biblical examples, Karen Porter explores eight ways that friends can help one another enjoy life — and point each other to the God who made every good and perfect gift — especially chocolate!
So you have multiple chances to win today.
- To win Plain Jayne, leave a comment below telling me in 25 words or less why you need some me time with a good book.
2. To win I’ll Bring the Chocolate, leave a comment about why you need some good girlfriend time this month (oh – and your favorite kind of chocolate!)
3. For three more chances to win Karen’s book, read my newsletter and follow the instructions to win.
4. All entries for the blog giveaway must be posted here by Friday at 8:00 PM – winners will be announced next Tuesday.
Hey ladies – I have spent the week working with Roger getting our Salsa Garden planted. I love the whole dirt digging process and the salsa that results in the in end.
