Several years ago, I was having some issues with...well... digestion, and decided to seek answers. I came across a site that explained what meat does as it moves through our system (I won't gore you with the details). The author suggested trying a vegetarian diet for 2 weeks and then eating meat once after, as a way to see if meat was the culprit. I won't lie. It was a tough couple weeks. That was a good 6 years ago and I haven't touched meat since! After meeting with my doc, we (he) decided that I should incorporate a little seafood into my diet as I was not tolerating a couple vitamin supplements.
I decided if I was going to be serious about a vegetarian diet then organic was the only way. I mean really...what's the point in eating "healthy" vegetables if you are only substituting the meat for chemicals and who knows what else! Well...It's a scary place out there! The grocery store has been a place of stress and anxiety for me. Eat this, not that. The ever changing rotation of what is considered good and bad for us. I was shocked at the lack of organic options in the local produce section (Even the local farmers market only has one organic vendor that is placed "conveniently" in the far back corner - a HUGE rant for another day!) Once I was able to find a few organic selections, I had sticker shock! You want me to pay you triple price for NOT using tons of expensive poisons? After much disgust, I decided the only way to be sure we were getting good organic, poison free, vegetables was to grow them myself!
Now you would think living in Southwest Florida that I would hit the jackpot with gardening and growing. You would be wrong. Apparently, most people in this area move here to retire and prefer purchasing their vegetables from the stores or the markets where they, like so many others, assume they are getting good healthy vegetables because it is laid out by ma and pa on a decorated table with all the ugly stuff and stems still attached. I searched and found a few blogs for gardens in more Northern parts of Florida but for my zone I appeared to be s.o.l ! I spent many hours watching YouTube videos and reading various sites. Searching for good heirloom seeds (that didn't cost me my firstborn child) also proved difficult. There are many now, but I found SeedsNow and have stuck with them. I tried different varieties of seeds and soil mixtures and the first year was a complete failure. The second a little better. Last year (my 3rd year experi-gardening) I found my niche and began to fill our plates (and freezer) with exciting colorful deliciousness! This year I have tried my first fall garden, and while not a complete failure, it has been a learning experience as well!
I always thought it was a waste to not share all my knowledge of what not to do, but never found the drive to share. I mean really...who would want to read my self deprecating, sarcastic take on gardening, vegetarian and pescatarian cooking, and other obsessions (such as my essential oil collection). During a house party a couple days ago, I was showing someone my current garden and my first "hmmm" hit as I noticed the crowd around me was growing as I spoke about how I tend my garden. Then a friend said "You should really start a blog! I would be your first follower and biggest fan" (Thanks Donna). The rest of the evening and all through the next day it pecked at me like a woodpecker with ADHD...and so here I am. I hope you learn from my mistakes, grow tons of good veggies, make some wonderful dinners, and maybe even get a laugh to go with it!
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