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Food Fitness and Fun – ByCandace

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Food Fitness and Fun – ByCandace

Tag Archives: #meyerlemons

How-to: Grow a Meyer Lemon Tree (Part 3)

21 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by ByCandace in General

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

#growingstuff, #growyourown, #lemons, #lifeisagamble, #meyerlemons

  • Part 1
  • Part 2

Where we left off…..

A friend of mine and my cousin told me that I’d have to graft them in to another plant, because their root systems on their own aren’t strong enough.

WHHHHHHAAAAAAAT!?!?!

whaaaat

The research began…..

  • The best time to graft lemons is between November and April.
  • Meyer lemons can be propagated easily from cuttings, or grafted to sweet orange or rough lemon rootstock.

I initially grew 8 plants from seed. Once they started getting big enough to continually go into bigger and bigger pots, I decided to pick the 4 strongest plants and repot them into the latest larger pots. I now have 4 strong plants that are about 1.5 years old. From what I’ve read this is about the time that they need to be grafted.

Lemon Trees 1
Lemon Trees 2

I think at this point, I’m going to have to find a professional to graft these trees for me or give them away to someone who can do it and grow these plants into fruit producing trees.

Out of My Depth

UPDATE: I was recently told that they do not need to be grafted, just planted in the ground. I’m not sure if my current house and backyard is an ideal location for lemon trees??

Perhaps I’ll do both….I am going to give two of my trees to my step-mother who is already experienced and has producing Meyer lemon trees. And maybe go ahead and plant the other two in my yard….?

While this started as an experiment that has been somewhat successful, I’m out of my depth on this…..I guess we’ll see how it goes….

Resources

Citrus Plant Fertilizers

  • Citrus & Fruit Tree Food 7-3-3
  • Citrus and Avocado Fertilizer

How-To Articles

  • How to Grow Meyer Lemons and Other Citrus Trees in Containers
  • Growing Meyer Lemon
  • Meyer Lemon Tree Care
  • How to Graft a Meyer Lemon Tree
  • Grafting Trees: What Is Tree Grafting

 

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Fresh Produce

15 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by ByCandace in General

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

#bellpeppers, #eatfruit, #eatyourveggies, #freshproduce, #fruit, #growingstuff, #growyourown, #meyerlemons, #veggies

Food Deserts

A big topic in the real food community lately is “food deserts”. Being defined typically as urban areas that do not have grocery stores within a mile from homes (people not having automobiles), only having quick-marts, gas stations, and fast food in the area. The online dictionary says “urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food”.

 

I go back and forth on this topic, I understand that areas like this exist…..what I do not understand is why the people with automobiles aren’t helping those without get real groceries? Are people not asking for help? Why are people not using public transportation to get to a grocery store? Amazon also has a service called Amazon Fresh,  which ironically isn’t available in my area, but seems as though folks can get fresh food delivered to their door-step. If someone can get to McDonald’s, I tend to think that with a little more effort they can get to a grocery store. Also, note that McDonald’s now offers salad, albeit probably not the best quality every, but better than the other stuff on the menu, ask for lemon juice and forgo their salad dressing.

Honestly, I do not fully understand this whole situation.

The three closest grocery stores to my home are within 1.8 – 2.9 miles of my house in three different directions. I also have a Jack’n the Box on the corner about 0.20 miles from my house. I’m pretty certain that I would walk myself down to one of the grocery stores that is further away, rather than go to eat fast food because it is closer to my house. I would certainly get all my steps in. Our current American culture, unless very deliberate about it, doesn’t move enough and walk enough during the day.

Alternatively, folks can grow food in containers in their house or window seal or on their porch, steps, or fire escape. Vertical gardening is a very good option for high-density cities where space is limited. I also have heard of people doing community gardens on roof tops and creating a CSA. People can learn how to grow food on the internet. That is what I have to do. One of my favorite webpages is called Bless My Weeds.

Why is this important?

This is important because eating fresh vegetables and fruit, ideally organic (good reason to grow your own), is critical to have, create, and maintain a healthy body. Conventionally grown vegetables are still better for you than fast food or packaged/processed food-like products. There are populations of people who do not obtain and eat fresh produce, at all. Many children cannot even identify and name various vegetables and fruits (you can see this on Jamie Oliver’s TV show called Food Revolution, much less know what they taste like. This is bad folks!

People are getting sicker and sicker. Children are getting sicker and sicker. The majority of disease states (what is called lifestyle diseases, like Type-2 Diabetes) that are plaguing our population can be either or both controlled and or reversed by changing the inputs going into the body.

While I do think that eating animal meat (ideally well sourced) is important, I think that eating lots of vegetables and fruit is important too. While the Keto Diet and the Carnivore Diet is taking the world by storm (right now), there is nothing like yummy fresh produce. The exception and the extreme diets, I find can work under specific circumstances, as a therapeutic diet for a period of time. I also consider Veganism as an extreme diet just like I do the Carnivore Diet. I tend to sit in the middle and advise a balanced diet with lots of veggies, fruit, meat, and whole food starchy carbohydrates and healthy fats for most people. The ratios of all the food groups can be adjusted to fit individual needs.

Fresh Produce

Shout out to my gurl Ursula for this topic. I may have gone off in a direction she didn’t anticipate and frankly neither did I, but…..to the topic at hand…..

Eating lots of veggies and fruit is so very important. They provide vital minerals, vitamins, fiber, and water that your body needs and craves (keep in mind there are also highly bioavailable minerals and vitamins in meats that your body needs as well). They also taste delicious when treated properly. Eating them raw, steamed, roasted, and grilled are all fantastic ways to eat them.

The bottom line is that you get out of your body what you put in it, so put in the good stuff. The fresh produce. Give your body foods that it can identify and know what to do with.

I am fairly certain that it isn’t a mystery that eating vegetables and fruit is healthy for the human body.

Resources & Reason to Eat More Veggies

Dr. Terry Wahls is one of my favorite examples of someone who took her healthy into her own hands. She went from being in a wheel chair to riding a bike in a year! Why!? Nutrition! Her case is unique and maybe a bit extreme, but her healing journey is a shining example of the healing power of healthy food. She eats a large amount of fresh vegetables every day.

  • Dr. Terry Wahls
  • The Wahls Protocal
  • The Whals Protocol Cooking for Life

Don’t Be Scared of Fruit

This seems like it should go without saying, but I’ll be a monkey if there are not people out there that are afraid of eating fruit! They think that fruit will make them fat! WHAT!?!!? NO. Just no!

  • 5 Reasons You Should be Eating Fruit
  • Does Fruit Make You Fat?

You CAN Grow Your Own

I totally get that the idea of growing your own vegetables and fruit seems daunting. And it is quite possible that initially you may not yield much or at all. However, with not much money and not much space, you can learn in a short time and start supplementing your diet with homegrown produce or completely eat your own produce instead of buying it at the grocery store.

For urban areas, I like vertical gardening and container gardening; Google to your hearts content on how to do this. You can do both with scraps and imagination. You do not have to spend a ton of money. My grandparents use to grow food in old cut-up milk jugs and buckets. You can also grow food from scraps, in water, in jars, and glasses in your house. Again, Google away on this.

Check out the book All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space

 

If you have a little more space, like me….I have a small backyard. I can probably fit a 4-foot wide by 6-foot long raised garden bed in my backyard. My parents have a raised bed made from large Here are a couple of more articles that can be helpful, one and two. Which is my intention.

 

I’ve been growing bell pepper plants in pots and 4 herbs in the corner of my flowerbed.

Bell Pepper Plants 2
Bell Pepper Plants 3
Bell Pepper Plants

Here is a picture of my first container garden of herbs.

Bell Pepper Plants 5
Bell Pepper
Bell Pepper Plants 4
Bell Pepper Plants 3
Bell Pepper Plants 2
Bell Pepper Plants

First Herb Pot Garden

If you have more land, which most don’t, but I love Diana Rodger’s book The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook: Over 100 Delicious, Gluten-Free, Farm-to-Table Recipes, and a Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Healthy Food.

Here is another book you may enjoy, Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on ¼ acre.

You can buy seed online and have them delivered to your house. I think it is worth the money to purchase heirloom seeds and plants. At the end of the day, do what you can do. I find that planting plants vs seeds are more gratifying in the short-term. Talk with the local nursery, Lowes, or Home Depot plant / garden manager is tremendously educational and they can steer you in the right direction by how you are growing and what you are growing. Once you get food producing you can harvest in such a way, that it keeps growing back or use the scraps to regrow, per the above.

Not Food Yet….

I’m also attempting to grow Meyer Lemon Trees. I totally don’t know what I’m doing. But they started growing and now I can’t give-up on them.

  • How-to: Grow a Meyer Lemon Tree (Part 1)
  • How-to: Grow a Meyer Lemon Tree (Part 2)

I haven’t written part three yet, because there is nothing significant yet to say….

They are now 1 year and 4 months old. Here is my picture progression.

Bucket of Meyer Lemons
Meyer Lemon Seeds
Meyer Lemon Seed Sprouts
Meyer Lemon Trees 1
Meyer Lemon Trees 2
Meyer Lemon Trees 3
Meyer Lemon Trees 4

I hope the information I provided in this post is useful and encouraging. I hope that it opens your eyes to what you can do for yourself, your family, and for others that are less fortunate than you.

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Recipe: All-In-One-Meal – Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

30 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by ByCandace in Food

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

#bonebroth, #cabbage, #grassfedgroundbeef, #kettle&fire, #maindish, #meyerlemons, #onepotmeal, #recipe, #rice, #tinstarghee

Tools:

  • Chopping Board
  • Knife
  • Large Deep Pan w/ Lid
  • Spatula and or Large Spoon

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 2  Lemons  to taste
  • ½ – 1  Cup of Broth
  • 1  Can Tomato Sauce
  • 1  Can Diced Tomatoes
  • 1  Head Green Cabbage or Savoy Cabbage
  • 4  Cloves Garlic
  • ½  Large Bell Pepper (color of choice)
  • 1  Yellow Onion
  • 1 lb  Ground Elk or Bison
  • 1 lb  Ground Grass-fed Beef

Seasonings:

  • Butter or Ghee
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Lemon Pepper
  • Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

Chop onion into small even sized pieces and saute in pan with butter or Ghee, season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder over a medium-high-heat. While you onion is cooking, chop bell pepper into small even sized pieces and mince garlic cloves.

Pan
Tin Star Ghee
Veggies
Frozen Lemon Juice
Ground Meat

Once the onion is ½ way cooked, add the bell pepper with a little more salt and garlic powder. Once they are soft and have some color on them (de-glaze pan with broth or lemon juice) add the ground meat and season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if you desire). Add in any seasoning or herb to the meat you prefer, the more flavor the better.

Onion & Bell Pepper
Add Meat
Meat

While the meat is cooking, chop the cabbage into large long strips. (Cooking Tip: Because cabbage cooks down, if you cut the pieces too small they will dang near disappear in this dish.)

Once the meat is cooked through and is nice and brown, add in the minced garlic and cook for a few mins. Add the chopped cabbage, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice of two lemons (I used previously frozen lemon juice), and more of each seasoning. Place lid.

Browned Meat
Cooking Down
Lid On - Wilt Cabbage

Reduce to medium-heat and cook for approximately 20 minutes; after this time the cabbage should be wilting and easier to mix/stir. Stir well and if more liquid is needed to continue the steaming of the cabbage add in bone broth or white wine and maybe a little more lemon juice and salt and place lid back on and continue to cook for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you so choose, this dish is served well over rice. This is the time to make rice, with approximately 30 – 35 minutes of cook time left. I personally like to cook rice in bone broth and a couple of dashes of salt instead of water to add in nutrients and flavor.

Rice & Broth

Cooking Tip: As you may have noticed, I season each layer as it goes in the pan, this allows for the flavor to build as the dish progresses through the cooking process, if you do not the dish may turn out bland.

Done. Eat. Enjoy.

Unstuffed Cabbage Over Rice

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Thrive Market allows you to shop for all the healthy food items you know and love at discount prices, because they cut out the middle man, and it gets delivered to your door so it also saves you time. Not only to you save money, but for every paid membership Thrive Gives a membership to a family in need.

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How-to: Grow a Meyer Lemon Tree (Part 1)

20 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by ByCandace in General

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

#gardening, #growingstuff, #How-To, #meyerlemons

My mother-in-law surprised me one day with a bag of Meyer Lemons and Meyer Lemon seeds she had harvested.

I’m not much of a green-thumb, so I was quite intimidated by this! However, I LOVE lemons and really really want my own Meyer Lemon tree. I had previously read and saved an article on how to grow them in pots and in-doors.

My mother-in-law and my step-mother both have Meyer Lemon trees planted outside in the ground. Both of their trees were 4 to 6 years old before they started producing. Sooooo right off the bat this is a commitment.

 

I figured it wouldn’t hurt anything to attempt to grow my own from the seeds my mother-in-law gave me….I mean really….what’s the harm in trying….right??

The research began…….I found a couple of articles that I liked….one and two.

This is what I did….

  • Purchased high-quality composting soil from my local nursery down the street
  • From the first article: Soak the seeds in water for 2 to 3 hours
  • From the first article: Let them dry on a paper towel
  • From the first article: Gently peel the outside shell off the seed and place the seed in a cup of water
  • I mixed my composting soil (1/3) with my potting soil (2/3) and made sure it was moist.

I didn’t know how many would sprout so I planted all of them; see article one’s pictures, that is how I placed them in the pot. About 23 seeds in a medium sized containers; see article two for more information on this.

  • From the second article: I placed my seeds in the pot and covered with about ½ an inch of soil and gently watered.
  • From the second article: I covered each pot with parchment paper, secured with a rubber band, and poked a few holes in the top so they can breathe. Covering it creates a mini green-house.
  • From the second article: I put them inside (because I planted them during winter months) near a window that gets light from outside all day but afternoon direct sun for an hour or two.

After a couple of weeks I checked the soil to make sure it was still moist and it was because the soil I used was really good and it was covered. Nothing happened!!!!! So, I checked again after another week and gave them some more water. Nothing happened!!!!! After a couple/few more weeks….nooooooothiiiinnnngggg happened!!!! So…..I gave up and decided I was going to buy a tree in the coming spring that was already going and established. I put them in the garage stacked up on each other.

 

Then a couple of weeks later as we were leaving for a long holiday weekend trip….my husband says LOOK!!! They grew! I didn’t know what he was talking about! Hahaha – I went over to see what he was looking at….and I’ll be dang! If they didn’t grow! I had five sprouts. So, I unstacked them and left them there while we were gone.

When we got home they were bigger so I took them inside, removed the covers, gave them water, and put them back in the window. As you can see four of them are bitter than one….but….whatever! I got FIVE! I’m waiting for them to get a little bigger and stronger before I transplant them into their own pots.

meyer-lemon-sprouts

In the meantime in Huntsville, TX in January we had a couple of days in the teens and despite her best effort of covering them, adding a heat lamp, and bucket of water the leaves froze. My step-mother had to harvest all the lemons off her trees.

The bucket-o-lemons below was so big and heavy it had wheels.

bucket-o-lemons

She gave me 15 or 16 lemons (some the size of oranges) and I took them home to juice them and freeze the juice for future use……meaning that I had a bunch of seeds to share with others.

lemon-seeds

I promptly posted on Facebook that I had some seeds if anyone wanted them, I’d happily pass them along. A few people responded and I’m going to send them seeds.

Then a friend of mine and my cousin started telling me that I’d have to graft them in to another plant, because their root system on their own aren’t strong enough.

WHHHHHHAAAAAAAT!?!?!

The research begins…..

As the journey continues, How-to: Grow a Meyer Lemon Tree (Part 2) to follow….

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