Due to the economy hitting me hard below the belt (in the wallet, specifically), I haven't been keeping my finger on the pulse of what's been going on around here socially or culturally, even. In fact, I haven't really left the house much.

However, one thing that I'm learning that anyone can do in her own back yard is plant a garden. And growing ones own vegetables is a good way to beat rising grocery prices, AND get healthy. It's also a fun and meditative activity. I've also bonded with some old friends via facebook in our discussions about gardening.

Another plus, it's the one physical activity that gets my mother off the couch (I think she's depressed a lot). It's good exercise, and soon my fella and I are going to prepare a garden space for his mother so she can get some sunshine and physical activity.

Here are two Oklahoma web sites on gardening that I really like. I've been known to become intimidated by the lights, tools, supplies, frames, edging etc. gardeners use, as I have very little to spend on my garden. I don't let that stop me, though: if gardening wasn't easy enough for anyone, our species wouldn't have survived this long.

Wisdom of the Trowel
http://wisdom-of-the-trowel.blogspot.com/

Oklavore
http://oklavore.com/


Personally, I'm discovering that my aversion to food as a young adult was really just an aversion to salt, meat and grease. I found that I love dishes with interesting flavor combinations. I never thought I could cook, until I bought my house. Now I'm in my sunny kitchen all the time, sampling, smelling, testing, drying or freezing. This is another reason why I can't wait to have my own vegetable garden...all the freshness and taste combinations.

Also, a cookbook that I really like is called The New Laurel's Kitchen: a Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition. It's organized by vegetable, and not only lists recipes, but also says how you can cook a vegetable to best retain its nutrients, as well as naming the vegetable's nutrients.

Another new thing for me is making a compost bin. Since I use a lot of vegetables, grains and tea in my in diet, I have a lot of good stuff left over that I don't want to just throw in the trash. I got this $15 32 gallon trash can with lid at Home Depot. I drilled holes in the sides and the bottom. I filled it halfway with alternating layers of cheap gardening soil, dry crushed leaves from the lawn and organic refuse from the kitchen. I have a little spatula next to the compost pile so when I add stuff, I can stir the mixture around. When it's done, I'll have some nice rich soil for gardening that my veggies and flowers will love!