How Does Your Garden Grow Tuesdays

This could quite possibly be my favorite day of the week! Last week I started my weekly "How Does Your Garden Grow Tuesdays". If you have a garden or are growing your own veggies/fruits/herbs be sure to link up a new or old post to share!

I've said it before, but growing your own doesn't mean you need lots of land. You could live in an apartment and still grow healthy food as long as you have a window or patio! Every week I will try to give my advice on things I have wondered myself about growing plants! You'll see what's in my garden from start to in my belly!

Look who made their first appearance in my garden! My spinach! 

I was sooo excited, especially since it has only been a week and this is the first plant I have actually grown starting from a seed!

 hello, you are going to be so delicious with some strawberries and pecans one day. it is meant to be <3

 thank you rainy weekend for making sure they popped up! all three rows!

I also ran to Home Depot last weekend and bought two more strawberry plants and another cantaloupe plant. I couldn't resist! I have had 3 strawberries so far from my first pot!

How do I pick my strawberries? Where should I break the stem? Should I wash them before I store them in the fridge?

• I read you should grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
• Don't wash your strawberries until right before eating, or they are more likely to spoil.
• Strawberries do not continue to ripen after picking, so make sure they are really ready before you pick!

After how many days will I be able to harvest my spinach?

• After 40-50 days you can pick your spinach!
• Make sure to start picking leaves on the outside of the plant. Leaving the inner leaves to continue to grow and produce new spinach!
•  It is best to eat the spinach the same day after picking. Soak in cold water. If you want to store, only keep it in there for 3-4 days. The longer you leave it, the more nutrients are lost.

Want to grow spinach but live in an apartment? You're in luck!

• One of the best things about spinach is that it doesn’t have to grow fruit so it doesn’t need a large container to live in. It loves the cool weather and will appreciate not being out in the hot summer days!

It's your turn! Show everyone what is growing in your garden and link up! I'd love to see what you planted this season! 



BTW, have you entered my TheraPearl giveaway yet? You have until Thursday night so leave a comment for every entry and you could win!

Painkillers and Nachos

“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”

I am officially almost half-way done my week. I have off the next two Fridays and I am so looking forward to a nice 3-day weekend! I can hardly wait!

Luckily CL (yup, that's the bf) had off this entire weekend so we were able to go out for a date night Friday and spend family time on Saturday with both his and my parents. I almost forgot what it was like to have the whole weekend uninterrupted to spend together!

Sunday rolled around and my friend Stacey and I met up at the Baltimore-Annapolis trail for our weekly run. Personally, I can run longer distances on a treadmill than I can outside so I am thankful to have someone to push and motivate me out on the trail. But I think it is about time I invest in new running apparel since my pants are starting to become see through (whoops!) from all the wear and my shoes are about to die out on me. Yup, I got a blister on the top of my big toe - I have never even heard of that happening from a 3 year old sneaker. Hint taken.

Most of you know that after running you become extremely hungry... almost unbearably hungry. Apparently I thought it was a good idea to wait 4.5 hours later to eat... which resulted in the most amazing plate of nachos ever. period. game over. this one is a winner.

 

Even the ducks flew out of the water onto the dock to join us...

How could you have this view at lunch and not instantly be in a great mood (not good, but great)...

And of course nobody goes to lunch on a Sunday without a drink...

It was a perfect weekend. Sun, date night, drinks, fish tacos (mmmm) and CL. That's all I need to make me happy.

On a foodie note - if you have never tried store-made organic guacamole... go buy some right now!! Seriously, I love making my own but not when avacados are 2 dollars a pop. This was cheaper and convenient and tasted soooo good on top of my Faux Chipotle Burrito Bowl that I made for dinner last night. I don't know how guac makes everything taste delicious, but it does it's job well!!

If you visit their website they have a $1 off coupon when you sign up for their updates! I have an email address just for when I sign up for promotions! Best decision ever - especially since I just printed out a free app coupon for my girls lunch on Saturday.

Have you liked Chic Meets Healthy on Facebook yet? You can by clicking here.
Also! Don't forget tonight at 10pm is when I am pulling a winner for my Love Grown Granola giveaway! Enter here!