Name: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 1 loaf
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups soft wheat flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 1/2 tsp mineral salt; 1 tsp Cinnamon; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1/4 cup Oil (I used coconut ); 1/2 cup turbinado sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 3 bananas, mashed; 3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

by Courtney Leave a Comment

8 Tips for Planting Bulbs in the Fall

Tips for Planting Bulbs in the Fall

Everyone enjoys the colorful beauty of spring flowers, like tulips and daffodils. There’s a reason they’re so popular with florists. However, in order to enjoy the springtime flower show, planting bulbs in the fall is essential. So why not tackle the bulb planting while the weather is pleasant and the leaves are falling? The variety of bulbs, shapes, and colors are seemingly endless, so plan out your flower beds and fill them with beautiful spring-time blooms.

Some popular bulbs to plant for spring blooms are:

Here are some tips for creating your own in-ground or potted spring blooms as soon as the leaves flutter from the trees this fall.

Tip #1- It’s all about the bulbs

For planting bulbs in the fall, or any season, always select bulbs that are firm and plump.

Tip #2- Location, Location, Location

Spring flowering bulbs need 3-4 months of cold temperatures to prepare them for blooming and should be planted in late fall for best results.
Select a location that will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.
Flower bulbs do best in loose soil that drains well.

Tip #3- Prepare for the Bulbs

Prepare the flower bed by digging down 6 inches and and creating a 50-50 mix of soil and compost to re-fill bed.
Dig a hole in prepared soil 3-4 deep.

Tip #4- Points Up!

Place one bulb per hole, pointy side up. If bulb does not have a pointy end, don’t fret, most bulbs will right themselves if planted upside down.
Cover bulbs with soil. Water thoroughly.

Tip #5- Don’t Feed Until Spring

Do not fertilize your planted bulbs until spring.

Tip #6- Prevention is Key

To prevent the bulbs from heaving (bulbs being pushed up and out of the soil by the freezing and thawing of the soil), add a thick layer of mulch on top of the soil. Straw, pine needles, or leaves will help keep the soil a constant temperature and prevent heaving.
To prevent squirrels from digging up flower bulbs, lay a piece of chicken wire on top of the soil before adding mulch. Spring flowers can grow up through the chicken wire, but squirrels can’t dig down through it. (Those pesky intruders will be thwarted!)

Tip #7- Use a Container if Needed

Use well-draining potting soil for containers, and plant bulbs the same way mentioned above.
Spring flower bulbs planted in containers can be kept as-is in any protected location, like a garage or patio, where the winter temperature will remain between 35 and 40 degrees.
Check containers periodically. If the top inch of soil is dry to the touch, add water.
In the early spring, place containers in direct sunlight to warm the soil and awaken the spring bulbs to bloom.

Tip #8- Plant Now for Gifts

Containers of spring flowers make an ideal gift, so consider planting extra containers this fall.
Plant one tulip bulb surrounded by several grape hyacinth bulbs in a small, decorative container.
A terra cotta pot filled with daffodil bulbs is the perfect gift to welcome spring.
Paper White bulbs are easy to grow in containers and will return for many future springs when properly cared for.

I hope this has inspired you to seize the fall and get your bulbs planted for fabulous spring blooms. Planting bulbs in the fall means a little work now (when the weather is pleasant), but it will reap big rewards come the spring. I’d love to know what bulbs you enjoy planting in the fall! Comment below and let us know!

by Courtney Leave a Comment

How to thin seedlings

If you’ve ever purchased a packet of seedlings, then you know that there’s more in a package than could actually grow in a small backyard garden. And if you’re not using the square-foot gardening method where you only use several seeds at a time, then you could find yourself with an abundance of seedlings in a small space. (Not familiar with square-foot gardening? Check out all the reasons it’s fantastic!)

This is where knowing how to thin out seedlings is so important. Thinning out seedlings gives the growing plants the room they need to get plenty of sunshine, water, and nutrients from the soil without competing with other plants that are too close to them. The process of how to thin seedlings is really quite simple.

How to thin seedlings

Step one: Go through the seedlings and find the smallest ones. They’re usually hiding underneath the larger seedlings. Pull them up by the roots and set them aside. Depending on the type of seedlings you’re thinning, you can leave 1 to 2 inches of space for smaller plants, or 4 to 5 inches of space for larger plants such as cabbage or kale. The seed package itself is a wealth of information for how far apart the plants should be spaced.

Step two: Once you finish the initial thinning out, go back after a few weeks and make sure everything has a good amount of space to grow. If the plants need more room, repeat the thinning process. Depending on the kind of crop being thinned out, the small seedlings can usually be used as micro greens in a recipe. Or if the roots are intact, try replanting them in a different place. See my video at the bottom of this post for a look at thinning out arugula. I thinned once, then came back a week later to pull a few more.

Video of how to thin seedlings

As you’ll see in my video below, I am filling out my crop of arugula. I did not adhere to the square-foot method of only using a few seeds where I wanted the plants to grow. Instead, I used most of a package in a long line much like a row garden method. Since arugula can be eaten as a micro green, I’ll be able to use the thinned out seedlings on salads, a sandwich, or in a smoothie.

And as a general rule, you can always go back in to thin more. But if you thin too much the first time, you may be disappointed in the resulting crop. So thin lightly the first round, and let your plants grow a little bit more. Then come back in another week or so and assess whether you need to thin out any more plants.

I’d love to know what crops you are thinning out this garden season, and I hope you found this helpful. Have a great week and happy gardening!

by Courtney Leave a Comment

DIY Self-Watering Planter

I love a DIY self-watering planter. As the name implies, these types of containers make watering a cinch. Now, does the planter walk over to the faucet and water itself? No, but what most self-watering planters have is a reservoir at the bottom that holds water. This reservoir allows the plants to soak up water from the bottom up, just like in nature.

The Perfect Container Garden

One of my favorite self-watering planters is the Earthbox. Using an Earthbox is how I first started container gardening. Containers are notorious for drying out quickly, and if you’re not diligent about watering, your plants can suffer. You then have to worry about over watering plants once you finally remember about the whole watering thing. Well, a DIY self-watering planter takes the guesswork out of over watering, and it also cuts down on how often you need to water plants.

How Self-Watering Planters Work

Water Reservoir- Unlike a traditional flower pot or planter, a self-watering planter’s soil does not touch the bottom of the pot. Instead there is a barrier that keeps the soil raised above the bottom at least several inches. This reservoir beneath the soil holds the water.
Wicking Container- This wicking container is what will absorb the water and allow the plants to get water themselves.
Water Tube- This tube is put in place before the soil and allows the gardener to fill the water reservoir when it gets low.
Potting soil- A good quality potting soil will go a long way to a productive container garden! A trench of fertilizer is also a great idea in a self-watering planter. You can see how I put in a layer of fertilizer in my Container Salad Garden.
Landscape Fabric– If your soil and water separator is not a solid piece (mine had lots of holes in it) then landscape fabric can be added to keep your soil from falling directly into the water reservoir.
Optional Support- If the material you’re using to separate your soil and water reservoir is not quite sturdy enough, you can support this piece with small plastic containers (think 1/2 cup size or simply cut a plastic cup to 2-inch rings).

What You’ll Need:

Container- The sky is the limit. I loved the galvanized container I found at my local hardware store. You can find similar ones on Amazon. Any type of container will do.
Small plastic flower pot or container- this is fro the wicking container
Plastic plant flat or any larger piece of plastic that can be used as a barrier between soil and water reservoir. (Your local nursery or hardware store has these and would probably be happy to give you one.)
1-inch PVC pipe, cut to height of container
Potting soil (purchased or make your own)
Plastic cups or containers for extra support (optional)

Here’s a quick video breakdown before the detailed instructions:

Building Your DIY Self-Watering Planter

Begin with a container you love. My dad built his self-watering planters using rubbermaid tubs following directions he found on Grow A Good Life. They work really well for him, but I wanted a more decorative planter that I could use on the front porch. So feel free to get a large container that may not really be for plants.
Grab a plastic lid or plant flat for your separator between water reservoir and soil. I used a flat that plants come on. I cut the corners, since my container was not a rectangle and placed it in upside down. The existing edges could be used to support the weight of the soil. (If you use a solid piece of plastic for this barrier, be sure to put holes in it.) Next, cut a hole in the middle of your plastic for the wicking container (small flower pot) to go into. And also cut a hole or space in the corner for your watering tube.
Grab your small plastic pot and punch or drill holes in it all around. You want water to be able to come into this pot from the reservoir. Place the pot in the hole you created in the middle of your plant flat. Now add your watering tube. Be sure it does not sit flush on the bottom. Water needs to be able to get into the reservoir. (My container had ridges at the bottom, but you could set your tube at a slight angle, or place something small under the edge of tube to keep it slightly elevated.)
NOT PICTURED: Before we go further, you’ll need to grab a drill and make several holes in the side of your container. Use a sharpie to mark on the outside of the container slightly below where your separator is sitting. Drill a few holes side by side in this area. These holes will allow you to know when your water level is high enough. When water comes out of these holes, you’ll know your reservoir is full.
If your reservoir separator needs extra support for the weight of the soil, use small plastic containers (think sour cream containers) that are cut to 2 inches high and place them under your separator so there’s no risk of it caving in. Then lay landscape fabric over your separator and cut the fabric so the wicking container isn’t covered.
Fill your wicking container with MOIST potting soil. You want to pack that potting soil into the container before you fill the entire thing.
Now you are ready to fill your container with potting soil, adding in a fertilizer trench if you’d like, and give your plants a new home! Many self-watering planters include some kind of covering that the plants stick out of, but I just mulch around my plants to keep the moisture in. Here’s my planter three weeks after making it and planting some salad greens. And if you’ve seen my Container Salad Garden post, then you know that these salad greens looked pitiful when I planted them. Yay for self-watering planters!

by Courtney Leave a Comment

Uses for Neem Oil in the Garden

Ever heard of neem oil but weren’t sure what it was? Uses for neem oil in the garden are bountiful, and it can be a big help to gardeners everywhere.

Pests, every garden has them, and if I can avoid spraying my garden veggies with poison or toxins, I’ll go that route. One of the benefits of gardening in your own backyard is knowing exactly what touches the food you feed your family. And neem oil is something to keep in your gardening arsenal when pests are trying to take over, but you still want to maintain a natural approach to pest control. (Here are my natural cabbage worm maintenance tips.)

Uses for Neem Oil in the Garden

Neem oil is an effective organic product that has many uses, one of which is safely controlling pests in the garden. This oil has been used for centuries as a natural pesticide, but it’s also found in other products like soap, toothpaste and cosmetics. (I’ll bet you’ll be checking labels after reading this.)

Neem oil is harvested from the seeds and leaves of the neem tree. This tree is native to India, but can be found growing in most tropic and sub-tropic regions. It has many different applications, but let’s look at some of uses neem oil has in the garden.

Kills Pests

Spray neem oil on garden plants to kill pests at any stage of their life cycle. This organic oil will kill pests in the egg, larva, or adult stage of life. It will smother adults pests and disrupt hormones so developing pests cannot continue through to their next stage of development. This is obviously beneficial for halting a pest infestation in your garden. I’ve been using it lately to clear out a Japanese flea beetle attack. Here’s MIGardener talking about using neem oil in his garden against aphids:

Safe For All Plants and Pollinators

Neem oil kills all pests on all plants. No need to have several different types of insecticides and pesticides; neem oil will do it all and is safe for use on all food producing plants. And if sprayed in the correct concentration (see your bottle), then it’s also safe for pollinators such as honeybees and butterflies.

Above and Below

This organic oil will kill above ground and below ground pests. It’s very effective at killing nematodes, which live in the soil and destroy plant roots. Neem oil works by preventing nematode larvae from hatching.

Earth Worm Safe

While the oil kills soil-dwelling nematodes, it won’t harm beneficial earthworms. Neem oil actually encourages earthworm activity, which in turn improves garden soil structure.

Organic Fertilizer

When neem fruits, kernels and leaves have been pressed, there is a ‘cake’ left behind known as a neem cake. When used in the garden, these cakes will act as an organic fertilizer and help control nematodes, white ants, and grubs.

Excellent Fungicide

Neem oil kills a wide range of fungi that are common to garden plants. Use the oil to control powdery mildew, black spot, rust, tip blight and scabs on your indoor or outdoor garden plants.

Indoor Plants

It’s safe to use on indoor garden, herb and flowering plants. It’s also safe to use on tender seedlings in greenhouses.

Safe for Pets

Neem oil is non-toxic and bio-degradable. It’s safe for use around pets and wildlife immediately after spraying, and it remains safe after being absorbed into plants and soil. The oil degrades quickly after a rain and won’t cause a toxic build-up in soil or nearby waterways.

How to Use Neem Oil in the Garden

Neem oil is not a traditional, chemical-laden insecticide, thankfully. Because it is an oil, and not poison, it can take neem oil longer to “work.” For those expecting neem oil spray to instantly kill any pests you see, you may be disappointed. The pests ingest the neem oil and it may cause them to stop eating and/or stop laying eggs, but the results are slower than chemical poison.

For application, spray your neem oil insecticide before pollinators are out and about. This would be in early morning hours or in the evening, and this reduces the risk of spraying any beneficial insects that visit your garden.

I’d love to know if you’ve used neem oil and how it has worked for you. Have a great week, and happy gardening!

by Courtney 2 Comments

Getting Rid of Cabbage Worms

As soon as the brassicas and kale start growing in the early spring or fall garden, the dreaded cabbage moth and her cabbage worms make their appearance. Getting rid of cabbage worms can be a non-stop battle, but over the years, I’ve discovered some helpful natural tips that fit almost everyone’s gardening style. And if you happen to have backyard chickens, they may benefit from your gung-ho, get-rid-of-worms attitude.

Getting Rid of Cabbage Worms

I take a live and let live attitude with some bugs in the garden, as long as they remember who’s in charge. However, cabbage moths and the worms that hatch from the eggs they lay can decimate greens and brassicas. And when I say decimate, I mean they can take a perfectly healthy leaf and devour it. My kids are cheering for the cabbage worms to eat up all of our kale, but not on my watch. Here’s one of our broccoli leaves that had recently become a snack for cabbage worms. If left unchecked, they would easily consume this entire leaf and others that were on the same plant.

Over the years, I’ve tried many methods for getting rid of cabbage worms. Here are the ones that I’ve found to be most helpful, and one that we’ve just started trying, so I’ll have to let you know how it goes. I do try to keep my gardening as organic as possible, so no Sevin dust or other chemical bug killers will be found in my list. To each his own in the garden, but with kiddos picking and eating freely from the garden, I want to keep things as clean as possible.

Methods for Getting Rid of Cabbage Worms

Seek and Destroy– As the name implies, this simply means going out, checking under leaves and in the base of plants, and picking off worms and eggs. It’s about as fun as it sounds, but interestingly enough, some kids LOVE it. I have a jar of soapy water handy and the worms get placed in the jar. If you happen to have chickens, put the picked-off worms in a little container, and then feed them to your little chickies. Obviously, there’s nothing you have to purchase for this method, but you do have to be vigilant about checking your plants.
Flour– A pantry staple and also an effective worm killer. Dust flour on leaves where you see worms present, and they will eat the flour. The flour dries them out, especially in combination with the warm sun, and boom, they’re dead. I have repeatedly used this method in the past, and while it is effective, it did tend to discolor the leaves of my plant. This isn’t a huge issue for cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts, but for kale and other plants where the leaf is eaten, I prefer to use something else. For application, take an old plastic jar, punch holes in the lid, fill it with flour, and then shake onto leaves. Very simple!
BT (Bacillus Thuricide)- Though I tend to think that names I cannot pronounce are automatically harmful chemicals, BT is actually a bacteria that is harmful to cabbage worms and other invasive worms. It does not harm humans or other beneficial insects. I first learned about BT from several garden Youtubers (is that a word?) whose channels I enjoy and trust. MIGardener and Epicgardening both practice organic gardening techniques and use BT sprayed on the leaves of plants to battle cabbage worms. The worms eat the BT off of the leaves and once in their system, the BT develops toxins inside the worm. This toxin causes the worms to stop eating and then eventually die. For application, use a garden spray bottle and follow the mixing ratio on the bottle. Plants will need to be sprayed every few weeks to keep the BT on the leaves.
Cabbage Moth Decoys– So, this is the newest technique I’ve discovered, and we’re just now trying it out in the garden. While seek-and-destroy, flour, and BT all solve the problem of getting the worms off your plants, this method tries to prevent the cabbage moths from laying eggs in the first place. I ran across this post on The Good Seed Company blog, all about how cabbage moths are territorial. This means, they don’t like to lay eggs where other cabbage moths are already present and “working.” The decoy, which can be printed from their page here, are hung on string and dangle near your brassicas and greens. Ideally, the moths will see these paper moths and choose to go elsewhere. It’s an interesting concept that I’m totally excited to see work. Time will tell, and I’ll update this post to see how they perform. I’ve already placed some in my Salad Container Garden to keep the moths away from the kale growing there. So far, no worms or eggs. (And since I’m a homeschooler, I did use my laminator to make these paper moths a bit more weather resistant.)

So now you have four different tactics to combat the dreaded cabbage moth and cabbage worms. I’d love to know if you have any other techniques for getting rid of or preventing these plant-loving eaters. If someone could develop some ant decoys… I’d really be in garden heaven. Have a great week and happy gardening!

by Courtney Leave a Comment

Hurricane Florence Update

The past week has been full of all kinds of busyness. First, preparing ourselves for the arrival of Hurricane Florence: bottles of water, bread, snacks… and more snacks. Because if the weather is formidable outside, what else should you do but eat, right? We take “comfort food” to a whole new level here in eastern NC.

And if you follow me on Instagram, then you would have also seen all of our backyard preparations. You never know how much stuff you have in the backyard, until you’re trying to secure it all in a garage or storage building. All of the trellises, tomato cages, stakes, etc all had to come out of the garden, as well as non-ceramic planters and patio furniture. Let’s just say, I got my cardio and strength training in. And while the projections for Hurricane Flo kept steadily decreasing in intensity, we wanted to be prepared. Nobody wants a flower pot coming through a window, right?

Florence Arrives

Y’all, I really can’t complain about the storm itself. Yes, there were strong winds and rain, but most of the strong weather we received came during the day. If you’ve ever been in a hurricane, then you know this is a big deal. Trying to sleep during a hurricane or see outside to assess the tree situation is all but impossible in the dark. Thankfully we were able to keep an eye on things Friday, and had power for most of the day.

During Hurricane Matthew, two years ago, our crawl space flooded and this is where a majority of our duct work is for our HVAC unit. It all had to be ripped out and replaced at that point, and it was only 4 years old. So, shortly after Matthew, we had gutters installed to keep water from pooling near our crawl space door and the foundation of the house. In preparation for Florence, I’d picked up sandbags to put around the crawlspace door just in case.

Come 9pm on Friday night, my husband comes inside to tell me that the crawlspace was again full of water. Unbelievable. This led us to assess where the water was actually coming from, since the gutters had done an amazing job of keeping the water from the roof away from the foundation. The area around our crawlspace door was dry. What we began to realize is the water was coming up through the ground and also from one area next to the house. Unfortunately, this area was next to the garden.

Our Garden Area

Our kitchen garden is about 8 to 10 feet away from the side of our house, and over the last four years, we’ve slowly added beds and a raised bed fence around them. This fence works so well to keep out critters, but as we discovered a few days ago, in times of torrential rain, it actually traps water between the garden and the house. I was literally standing in at least 10 inches of water in this area Friday night. And unfortunately, that water was contributing to our crawl space flooding. Fun times!

So there are now discussions underway, between the hubs and me, about relocating the garden to the side of the house, and regrading this area to flow water away from the house. It sounds like a good idea, and I’ll keep you updated on how we’ll move it all. So all in all, we fared well. So many people lost (or will lose) so much more, and we are counting our blessings and helping those who need it.

River Rising

The town that we live in has a river that flows through it, the Neuse River. During Matthew, she overflowed her banks in a major way, a 100-year flood, that had last occured in 1999 during Hurricane Floyd. I know you can do math as well as I can, and there certainly were not 100 years between 1999 and 2016. After Hurricane Matthew, our town watched for a week while the river slowly rose to its unbelievable flood level. The bridge below usually has at least 20 feet of clearance between it and the river, even when it’s high. (This is from October 2016, after Hurricane Matthew.)

We are now experiencing another such flood, so I think the descriptor of 100 year flood no longer applies. Here are some images from our city posted by a local news source, Neuse News. You can see the same bridge I posted above, and one of the parks my little gardeners love to play at:

And here’s another video published by the News and Observer:

Many of our neighboring towns, New Bern, Fayetteville, and Wilmington, have been significantly impacted as well. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated, and we know many states and organizations have sent help in the form of workers, supplies, and funds. So, thank you! If you would like to contribute to Hurricane Florence relief efforts, please follow this link to the American Red Cross which has established shelters and other helps for victims of the hurricane and subsequent flooding.

Have a great week!

by Courtney Leave a Comment

Container Salad Garden

Planting a container salad garden is a quick and easy addition to your porch or patio that also provides delicious lettuces and greens!

Salad, the types and varieties are endless. With a large selection of lettuces and greens, paired with an innumerable amount of toppings, every person can have their own preferences for what makes a great salad. My hubs loves a crunchy romaine topped with bacon, cheese, and sunflower seeds. I, on the other hand, love the peppery bite of arugula with chunks of feta, thin-sliced red onion, and fresh tomatoes. (Or strawberry salad, delicious!)

I’m willing to bet you also have your preferences for how a salad is constructed. Luckily, salad greens are some of the easiest things to grow in the garden and in containers. Whether growing from seed or plants from a local store, planting a container salad garden is fun and easy!

Planting a Container Salad Garden

For those without garden space, or who just want to try their hand at a small salad selection, planting a container salad garden is the perfect solution. And if you’ve struggled a bit with a black thumb in the past, growing a container salad garden can help to ease you into gardening success! Here’s what you’ll need for your container salad garden:

Medium to Large Container (I used this fabulous metal tub) If you use a tub or bucket, be sure to drill holes in the bottom for drainage.
Quality Potting Soil (I made my own, and here’s the quick DIY Potting Soil recipe.)
Granular Fertilizer (Espoma or an organic fertilizer is my pick.)
Seeds or Plants (My favorites: Romaine, Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Mesclun, Spinach, Buttercrunch, and Mizuna greens)

Creating Your Salad Garden

Begin by making sure your container has adequate drainage. If you purchased an actual “flower” pot from the store, you should be good to go. If you’re using something that wasn’t intended for plants, you may need to grab a drill and make some drainage holes in the bottom. (For my steel tub, I actually made it into a self-watering planter, which I’ll post about later in the week.) Once you have your container chosen and ready, begin by filling 2/3 of the way up with potting soil.
Place fertilizer in the middle of your container. The amount of fertilizer depends on the size of your container (the fertilizer bag will have proportions). I put fertilizer in the middle, and once filled, will plant my greens along the sides, so the roots aren’t sitting on the fertilizer, but it’s still being released to the plants.
Fill your container the rest of the way up with potting soil, covering up your fertilizer.
Now comes the fun part, planting your salad! For seeds, simply follow the packet instructions for depth and spacing, and for plants, choose the varieties you like best and place them around the container, being aware of where your fertilizer is. Choose plants based on color, too. A variety of colors and heights will make for a beautiful, and tasty, container salad garden! (Here I am using Red Russian Kale, Buttercrunch, Mizuna Greens, and Swiss Chard.) Space your plants out so they have plenty of room to grow. You can always come back and add more later if there is room.
Water your seeds or plants, being careful to avoid wetting the leaves. Finally, if you’ve used plants, mulch around them, because this helps retain moisture, which is important when planting a container garden. If you have used seeds, you can sow thickly enough that the plants themselves will help to shade the soil and keep in moisture. Now sit back and watch your little babies grow!

Here is the container salad garden three weeks later! Harvest as the leaves get large enough and be sure to keep your salad well watered, but not swimming. I’d love to know what you choose to grow in your container salad garden!

Here’s a video of how I planted my container salad garden:

by Courtney Leave a Comment

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Banana bread, an American staple, because what else would you make with those bananas quickly darkening in the fruit bowl? While not an ancient recipe by an stretch of the imagination, banana bread has been loved by Americans since the Great Depression. And while my chocolate chip banana bread isn’t what the housewives of the 1930’s were making, it’s still a cultural connection to the American past.

The History of Banana Bread

By the 1930’s bananas were commonly found in American kitchens and so was baking powder, a new and readily available leavener. Quick breads gained popularity, because you didn’t have wait for yeast to rise. And you probably remember from history class that the 1930’s put American in the dark period of the Great Depression. No food would go to waste, including black bananas.

Thus the banana bread loaf was born. King Arthur Flour published a wonderful article on the history of banana bread, and the writer went through and baked recipes from each decade from the 30’s to now. It’s amazing how different each one is, and how each recipe is affected by the economy of the time. You can grab a slice of chocolate chip banana bread and read it here.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Just like bakers in the 1930’s, I’m not willing to let dark bananas go to waste. They are moist and sweet, the perfect addition to a quick bread loaf. Add to that freshly ground whole wheat flour and dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, and you have a winner that still packs nutritional goodness. I love when chocolate meets health food, ha!

Here’s what you’ll need for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread:

1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour (soft wheat, spelt, etc.) (Mill your own, or buy it here.)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp mineral salt (or fine kosher)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)

1/4 cup oil (I use coconut)

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

The Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt) in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
In a medium sized bowl, combine oil, egg, and sugar. Whisk to combine. Stir in vanilla and mashed banana. Add wet mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Add the chocolate chips, and gently fold into the batter. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan, and even out the top.
Bake loaf in oven until golden brown and cracked on top, about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for at least five minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack. Slice and serve warm.

This banana bread is the perfect breakfast with a hot cup of coffee or a fabulous gift for a new neighbor. Enjoy the goodness of whole grains and the rich chocolate-banana combination. And if the loaf happens to survive more than a few days, slice it up and use it for french toast!

I’d love to know if you grew up eating banana bread, and if so, what made that recipe unique? Have a great week and happy baking (and gardening)!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Yum

Whole grain flour, moist bananas, and rich chocolate chips come together in this delicious banana bread loaf.

CuisineAmerican

Servings	Prep Time
1 loaf	10 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
1 loaf	10 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Yum

Whole grain flour, moist bananas, and rich chocolate chips come together in this delicious banana bread loaf.

CuisineAmerican

Servings	Prep Time
1 loaf	10 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
1 loaf	10 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups soft wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp mineral salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup Oil I used coconut
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Servings: loaf

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt) in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
In a medium sized bowl, combine oil, egg, and sugar. Whisk to combine. Stir in vanilla and mashed banana. Add wet mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Add the chocolate chips, and gently fold into the batter. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan, and even out the top.
Bake loaf in oven until golden brown and cracked on top, about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for at least five minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack. Slice and serve warm.

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by Courtney Leave a Comment

How to Freeze Blueberries

Ever wondered how to freeze blueberries successfully? Frozen blueberries are versatile, delicious, and easy to grab and use at a moment’s notice, so stay tuned for how to freeze blueberries quickly and easily.

Blueberries, naturally attractive

Did you know that blueberries are the only blue food? Natural blue food that is. There are certainly plenty of artificially colored blue items out there, and when given the choice, my kids always lean toward anything blue. Gatorade, freezer pops, and ice cream… it baffles the mind! But according to research, people are drawn toward brightly colored food. I just wish it was always brightly colored REAL food. I digress…

Are blueberries really blue?

In truth, even blueberries aren’t actually blue. They’re dark purple! True story. Blueberries contain a pigment called anthocyanin, which is what gives them their purple/blue color. The darker the berry, the more anthocyanin is present, and the sweeter the taste.

The Healthy Fruit

While fruit is across the board considered healthy, blueberries in particular are always a great choice. They are naturally high in antioxidants, and in comparison to other fruits, they are low in sugar. In fact, berries in general are low in sugar, making them a fantastic choice for those who may be diabetic or on a low-carbohydrate diet. Blueberries have the most sugar of all berries, but the sugar content is still much lower than other types of fruit.

Blueberries also contain around 4g of fiber per cup. This is the same amount of fiber found in a cup of collard greens, and I’d rather eat blueberries (no prep and easy to grab)! These are all great reasons to stock up on blueberries when they’re in season. Or better yet, a great reason to plant blueberry bushes in your yard! They can easily be incorporated into your landscape.

How to Freeze Blueberries

Begin with “dirty” (unwashed) blueberries. Pick off as many stems as you can because this will pay off in the long run. Spread out unwashed blueberries on a sheet pan in a single layer.
Place sheet pan in freezer, and leave for at least six hours. I usually end up forgetting and sometimes leave them for several days… they’ve ended up just fine! Either way, you want the blueberries frozen through.
Once the blueberries are frozen, take them out of the freezer, and use a scoop to place them in freezer bags or containers. I have used both in the past. Freezer bags are nice, because they lay flat, and don’t take up much space. Containers are easy if you’re planning to use a few at a time. My kids like to eat rinsed, semi-frozen berries with lunch. So the containers make it easy to take off the lid, pour a few into a strainer and close them back up.
To use your frozen berries, simply remove them from the freezer, rinse with lukewarm water in a mesh strainer or colander, and you’re good to go!

Frozen blueberries are perfect for muffins, smoothies, and of course, blueberry pie (see the recipe in the link)! I’d love to know if you’re preserved blueberries this way, and if you had a great blueberry harvest this year! Have a great week and happy gardening!

by Courtney 4 Comments

DIY Weed Killer

Not sure how to make DIY weed killer? With only 3 ingredients, and no long list of unrecognizable ingredients (I’m looking at you, store-bought brands), making your own DIY weed killer has never been easier.

Weeds, Weeds, Weeds

Weeds, even the name sounds like a nuisance. Every yard, flower bed, and lawn has them. And to be honest, they’re not all bad! My opinion of weeds, particularly dandelions, has changed since I saw them for sale at The Fresh Market a few months ago. Who knew I could have been harvesting fresh dandelion greens from my own yard?

Weeds are simply plants that we don’t want growing in a certain spot, and some, if left to their own devices, can quickly take over a space. In our yard and walkways, we struggle to control crabgrass and some form of Bermuda grass that loves our garden paths. I don’t worry too much about these things in the lawn itself. If it’s green and mows like grass, we pretty much let it live. But in other places, such as walkways, the driveway, and flower beds, I like to control what could potentially take over.

Weed killers and Gardens

The main reason I sought how to make DIY weed killer is because of my love of backyard gardening. I’m hesitant to spray or put something on the ground that has a list of ingredients I cannot pronounce. This is the same rule of thumb for what seems good to eat. The classic blue and white bottled weed killer at the hardware store is adding who knows what to my property, and if it gets on me during application, I’m a little freaked out.

Several years ago, I tested a DIY weed killer recipe my dad gave me as well as plain boiling water. Both methods worked well, and you can see my full results here. If you’ve seen the article, then you know that boiling water did an amazing job of killing weeds. However, carrying the kettle in and out of the house and waiting for it to boil in between wasn’t the most time effective method. By tweaking the DIY weed killer recipe, I was able to make up a large batch, and hit all of the weeds in one session. Win!

As a note, I do not use this DIY weed killer, or any other, in my raised garden beds. If there’s a weed in the garden, I pull it by hand. I do use this on my garden paths, and I have had no ill effects from using it there.

How to Make DIY Weed Killer

For this recipe, I used a lot of the common ingredients for DIY weed killers: vinegar of some kind, salt, and soap. The soap helps to cut through any oils the plant’s leaves may have as protection, and the salt and vinegar do their jobs of drying out the plants and killing them. There are variations and substitutions that can be made, and I’ll list those below. For the recipe, you’ll need:

1 gallon white vinegar (You could use another type of vinegar, but white is the cheapest and easiest to buy in large quantities)

2 cups Epsom salt (I like the garden variety found in local garden centers, but I have a friend who used iodized salt… I’m not sure about the long term effects of this.)

1/4 cup Dish soap (Dr. Bronner’s castile soap can also be used for a more natural option.)

To make the DIY weed killer, combine the ingredients in the order listed in a large garden sprayer.

Replace the lid on the sprayer, and gently swirl around the ingredients. You don’t want to shake it so vigorously that the soap foams too much.

Pump up your sprayer, and wet the weeds with your DIY weed killer solution. You should be able to see a difference within 8 hours of spraying the DIY weed killer.

Weather Conditions

Ideally, a sunny day (or at least a dry one) is perfect for applying DIY weed killer. This will ensure that your solution can soak down and do it’s job. So if rain is in the forecast for later in the day, I would wait to apply your DIY weed killer until the weather has cleared up and the ground has dried.

Check out my video below of exactly how to make DIY weed killer and see how effective it is at killing weeds on our driveway!

Tips for Planting Bulbs in the Fall

Tip #1- It’s all about the bulbs

Tip #2- Location, Location, Location

Tip #3- Prepare for the Bulbs

Tip #4- Points Up!

Tip #5- Don’t Feed Until Spring

Tip #6- Prevention is Key

Tip #7- Use a Container if Needed

Tip #8- Plant Now for Gifts

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Excellent Fungicide

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Blueberries, naturally attractive

Are blueberries really blue?

The Healthy Fruit

How to Freeze Blueberries

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Weeds, Weeds, Weeds

Weed killers and Gardens

How to Make DIY Weed Killer

Weather Conditions

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