A great way to have a healthier holiday is to include fruits and vegetables, with their important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Any of these three dips would make a great addition to a potluck or holiday party. Thanks to the Mt. Zion District Library for hosting us for a hands-on class...
I have been composting yard and organic material for a while now. However, when I have just a few food scraps, sometimes it can be inconvenient either to carry them outside to the compost pile, or to save to do later.
Deciding to add options to my repertoire, I thought I'd give worm composting,...
Coming this week, our Buckets, Bales, and Bushels blog will become Know How, Know More. Don't fret, the new Know How, Know More will have the same great content, just with some additional avenues of learning...
I enjoy meal prep with minimal equipment. It means fewer dishes to wash, and many times, less time getting from cooking to eating. In this post, let's explore some different vegetables that do not require a knife to prepare. If I missed some of your favorite no-cut veggies, let me know in the...
For us here in Central Illinois, it appears as though a hard frost will finally reach us this week, which means it's time for gardeners to bring any plants worth saving indoors. Whether that means the houseplants we put on the patio for the summer, or the geraniums we want to try and overwinter for...
Fall is here and with it comes apples. October is National Apple Month. Did you know that the average American eats about 17.5 pounds of fresh apples each year, and an additional 30 pounds of apples in other products such as juice; canned and frozen products; and dried.In 2016, Illinois had over...
The leaves are falling and the days are gorgeous outside! You know, in the vegetable garden, its best practice to clear away all plant material to reduce risk of over-wintering fungal and bacterial diseases, correct? So clear away to your hearts content, and feel good. But, as unpopular as this may...
A fun thing about being a dietitian is learning about new foods. Pawpaws are certainly not a fruit I was familiar with, so a big thank you to Local Foods Small Farms Educator Doug Gucker for bringing in a pawpaw for me to sample and photograph.
From what I experienced eating a pawpaw, I thought...
When fall rolls around, it is easy to just be done with gardening for the season. You've worked all season long to water, weed, and keep things looking great and the idea of more gardening may not sound so enticing anymore. Don't give up yet though, there really are numerous fall gardening...
