While some of my veggie plants may be struggling with all this rain, for the most part many of my herbs are not. Another food that’s doing pretty well are the chives – which is great for me because I love putting them in just about everything. Their low-maintenance needs for growth are perfect for a container garden. As part of my summer garden series, I’m going to share with you just how it easy it is to have fresh chives on hand all the time. Continue reading
CLT to the ATL: Part 1
It was so wonderful to have my friends Lindsey and Dan come for a visit last weekend with their sweet baby Adeline and their dog Nya. Lindsey and I have known each other since middle school, but have become much closer over the years, especially since she lives in Charlotte, NC and it’s not far for visits a few times a year.
The bf and I were busy all week re-doing the guest bathroom, so we were more than happy for a weekend of fun! When they arrived on Friday evening, the dogs went crazy! Stella and Nya are BFFs, and Chelsea was more than happy to get in on the play. Continue reading
Summer Garden Series: Cucumber
I’ll admit it – with all the rain we’ve had in Atlanta this summer, my plants are struggling. The herbs are doing fine, but the veggies are struggling to produce good fruit. The one plant that seems to be doing far better than others is my cucumber plant. I’ve had one large, delicious cuke already with about four more on the way. I’m not particularly sure why it’s been this successful, but I’m going to share what I’ve done in this post as part of my summer garden series. Continue reading
Why Voting With Your Wallet Is Hard (And Why You Shouldn’t Give Up!)
Voting with your wallet is hard because there is such an illusion of choice that makes it difficult to know where your money is actually going. Now, I’m not a “know-it-all”…but I strive to continuously learn new things. One area I’ve learned a lot about over the past year and a half is my food – where it comes from, who owns it, what’s in it, and the larger biotech industry that’s changing it.
I often talk to my friends and family about how to change their habits to be more aware and how to influence change by voting with their wallets. I also constantly mention that we’ll never know everything – nor will we know it all once. We can’t compare ourselves to others, or judge ourselves too harshly for not eating completely organic or grabbing the (likely GMO) corn chips at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Continue reading
Summer Garden Series: Mint
When I was a little girl, I would play in my backyard and have the smells of fresh, wild mint accompany me as I climbed the fence into my neighbor’s yard. I remember my parents thinking it was something of a nuisance, but I always thought it was wonderful.
As I grew older, I discovered more uses for this herb than just pleasant smells (although mint candles, soaps, lotions and shampoos are still my favorite) such as in teas, salads, and sauces for lamb. It’s no surprise, then, that I decided to grow mint in my own garden, and that it’s now the focus of this next post in my summer garden series. Continue reading
Mint Mojito Recipe
I had my first mojito at a great restaurant and bar on High Street Kensington in London appropriately called “Cuba”. It was delicious, and I went back several times to watch how it was made – muddled mint leaves and limes, rums of all kinds, shakes, stirs, splashes of club soda…perfection.
I decided to learn how to make mojitos myself, and having fresh mint growing on my balcony has made it easier to try more often. 😉 Continue reading
A Birthday, Sushi, Beer, and a Lake
We had an epic birthday weekend for the bf, which all started with some gourmet chocolate chunk cookies I baked him. I also got him a new Capsule wallet and some sweet Bluetooth headphones. It was his first time celebrating his birthday with me, and I wanted it to be special. Continue reading
Summer Garden Series: Lettuce
Lettuce is a key part of a garden, in my opinion – it lets you have fresh salads often which is an easy way to eat up all the other yummy vegetables grown in the garden. Most types of lettuce offer a variety of nutrients, and aren’t difficult to grow. I’m going to focus on how to grow, harvest, and use lettuce in this newest post in the summer garden series. Continue reading