Week of September 2 -- Wish List

Happy almost Fall!  Based on the seedlings available at my local farm, this is my almost Fall Tower Garden wish list:

Lemon balm – An herb in the mint family. Distinct lemon flavor. Use leaves for tea and salads.

Lettuce, red, Romaine – An old French variety with medium-red tinted leaves and excellent flavor. Good regrowth. Does best in cooler weather.

Rosemary – Pine-scented, ornamental evergreen.

Squash, Spaghetti – Yellow, spaghetti-like flesh. 3-5 lb. oblong fruit. Bake like squash or boil and fork out the flesh, then top the “spaghetti” with your favorite sauce.

What will you grow??

Week of August 26 - After Vacation

We left town for 8 days, unsure of how our garden would do on its own.  The morning we left, right before going to the airport, we gave the reservoir a good refill and hoped for the best!  I did have one nightmare sometime in the middle of the week, that all our plants had shriveled up...but that didn't happen.  Our garden really is so incredibly low maintenance and self-sustaining!

Not bad at all :)  I do think if we ever plan to be away for a longer period of time, we'll have someone stop by to add water and maybe spray for pests.

Do I love my tower garden too much?  Maybe! :)  Ready to order one of your own? Super cool!  You can find 'em right here!

See you next week ;)

August 12

Photos from the Tower Garden this week!  

We're really looking forward to eating all of these yummy tomatoes :)

Lots of eggplant! This has become one of my favorite tower crops.

And look at the wee baby watermelon!  We have three of these tiny pea-sized fruits. 

Today, I also added some new plants to the garden.  I buy seedlings from this farm.  They arrive quickly,and in rockwool pods, ready for planting.

Do I love my tower garden too much?  Maybe! :)  Ready to order one of your own? Super cool!  You can find 'em right here!

See you next week ;)

MMMonday Complete Shake Recipes: Cinnamon Banana Latte

1 scoop vanilla Complete

1/3 frozen banana

2 coffee ice cubes (strong coffee, frozen in ice trays)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

sprinkle of cinnamon

blend until smooth, and enjoy :)

Complete Shake Recipes: VeryThin Mint & Chocolate Berry Truffle

I've really been enjoying the Complete shakes..like immensely!  I try to make a new recipe each day, but a lot of times when I'm on the go I just throw a scoop of chocolate or vanilla in my blender bottle (with almond milk) and hit the road. Which is awesome too.  These plant based protein powders are no joke, yummy!

These yummy shakes can definitely help with weight loss!  Especially if you're like me and chocolate milkshakes are your BFF.  This is a great lower calorie alternative, and it's plant based!  So healthy!  It also works out to be about $2 per shake (plus whatever ingredients you add: milk, veg, fruit, etc)  Which is also great for my lil budget.

Okok so here are to favorites from this week!

(Very)Thin Mint Chocolate Cookie

1/2 scoop chocolate Complete

1/2 scoop vanilla Complete

1 big handful of fresh spinach

1-2 drops food grade peppermint oil

1 cup almond milk

4ish ice cubes

Blend it!

yum :)

Chocolate Berry Truffle

I have to be totally honest here...I'm not a berry smoothie/shake person at all...When I added the berries I thought "Great..I've ruined it"...but you know what?  I loved it SO much.  And think of all those antioxidants!  W00T!)

1 scoop chocolate Complete

1 cup almond milk (or rice/coconut/other milk)

3/4 to 1 cup frozen mixed berries

Blend it on up!

THAT'S IT!!!  So few ingredients and oh my, did it taste like a dessert!  It reminded me of See's raspberry truffle candies.

If you'd like to try the Complete shakes, shoot me a message and I'll help you get started.  It's been a great part of my healthy journey.

August 5 - Late Summer

Happy Tuesday!  Here's what's up in the garden:

A bunch more tomatoes, and pepper overload...  Green beans (which I'll add to tonight's dinner) two more eggplants, and several cucumbers have also made an appearance.

Even though it's late summer, and in most places I expect Fall is right around the corner, we're likely to have two more months of hot weather here in Georgia.  I'm already planning new Fall things for the garden though!  Pumpkins, spaghetti squash, cabbage, and broccoli are on the list.

I have two eggplants from last week, but I have no idea what to do with them!  Do you have a favorite eggplant recipe?  Please share in the comments!

Do I love my tower garden too much?  Maybe! :)  Ready to order one of your own? Super cool!  You can find 'em right here!

See you next week ;)

July 29 - A Fresh Tower Garden Start

About two weeks ago, we gave our tower garden a fresh start: we had come to the realization that it was not getting proper sunlight, and it needed to be moved. Obviously, being in insufficient light was keeping production low!  We moved the garden from the back porch to the front of the house and replaced a few of the original plants with new seedlings.

Now things are lookin' up for our veggies! :)  We've finally got some tomatoes making an appearance, soaking up all that yummy sun. Over all, the plants are thriving!!

(I also read this week that, in the hotter months, the tower garden doesn't need so much of the nutrient solution.) 

As the garden changes so much day to day (it grows SO fast!), I'm anxious to see how it looks next Tuesday!!  Do I love my tower garden too much?  Maybe! :)  Ready to order one of your own? Super cool!  You can find 'em right here!

See you next week ;)