A Garden Experiment

By mid July here in south Texas, the garden tomatoes are spent.  The plants have given up all the fruit they are going to and start to die back.  Usually I just cut them back to about a foot from the ground and they will come back with a (very mediocre) fall harvest.  But this year I think I'll try something different.

On my days off from work, I usually sit in the recliner with a homemade vanilla latte and watch garden vloggers on YouTube.  Yeah, I know I'm a nerd in need of some serious help, but I REALLY look forward to those mornings!  Anyway, one of the home gardeners was saying that he clips off some of the new growth, puts them into water to root, and then plants them once the roots are a couple of inches long. 

 GENIUS!

So that's going to be my garden experiment for this year, to see if I can get a better fall harvest this way.  I'll keep you updated!

These clones are from my favorite two tomatoes of the season:  Dr.Wyche and Hungarian Heart

And if you're looking for some awesome information about home gardening, check out some of my favorite YouTube gardening channels:

Roots and Refuge Farm

The Rusted Garden

Art and Bri

Sow the Land

Justin Rhodes

I think that's enough to get you inspired to grow something of your own!  And if you already grow things, it's a wealth of information and a wonderful "community" to become part of!

BoneBroth

When I had my surgery, my low carb way of eating went out the window.  I ate what I wanted. And because of that, I ended up feeling like crap and gaining weight.  Since returning to work, I finally feel like I want to take control of my life back.  That means drastically cleaning up my diet again.  It's so much more than just cutting carbs and sugar, it's about eating more nutrient dense foods for health.  One of the most nutritious foods you can eat is bone broth.

Here's how I make it.

Place 12-15 organic chicken legs in a crock pot and any combination of onions, peppers, celery, or carrots over them.  Add chopped garlic and seasonings like black pepper, poultry seasoning blend, rosemary, or thyme.  Cover with water and cook on low for 8-12 hours.

Strain the liquid into a large bowl and de-bone the chicken.  Place all the bones, skin, and cartilage back into the crock pot.  Cover bones with water and add 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar.  Cook on low 12-24 hours.  The longer you cook, the more the vinegar has time to leach the nutrients from the bones. 

Combine the broth from both batches, salt well with pink or grey salt, and store in quart or gallon sized jars.  This recipe gives us just shy of one gallon of broth. If that's too much for you, the broth can be frozen or used in your favorite recipes. 

 Sip a cup or two daily for a boost of collagen, micro-nutrients, and pure comfort!

Some of the many benefits of bone broth:

Helps to fight inflammation.

Aids the body in wound healing.

Strengthens bones and teeth.

Heals the lining of the gut.

Supports healthy skin, hair, and nails.

It contains over 19 easy to absorb essential amino acids.

It is the BEST source of collagen and benefits every part of your body from your brain to your gut, muscles and ligaments.

The Lazy Days of Summer...

Color Street nails with my sweet girl.

Grillin' and chillin'

Sunsets on the back porch.

Binge watching Netflix.

And the bounties of the garden!

What are some of the things making you happy this time of year?