One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 1716 of 2143 - I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

Mavis Garden Blog – Grow Light Set Up and Pictures of Seedlings

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 23, 2013 · 9 Comments

Several of you have been asking me to post a pictures of my grow light set up. It’s nothing fancy. Just 3 sets of grow lights {2 were purchased last year} sitting on a few old tables in my office next to the computer. If the Handsome Husband had his way, these grow lights would be set up in the garage, in the greenhouse, or pretty much anywhere else out of sight.

But the thing is, I wouldn’t be able to SEE my seedlings everyday and track their progress if they were far away {out of sight out of mind}. Plus, I’d probably forget to water them as well, which of course, would not be good.

Take a look at the artichokes! I planted these on January 2nd and their true leaves are just now starting to appear. I think it’s amazing how the packet of artichoke seeds I planted costs $1.99 each and I now have 51 little artichoke starts {I planted 3 packets}.

Most grocery stores sell 1 single artichoke for around $2.50 each. Holy cow batman! All I have to do is give these babies a little TLC and by the end of summer I will have saved a fortune. It’s pretty crazy when you break it down like that.

The Mesclun lettuce was started on January 8th and is looking sharp. The lettuce will need to be divided up and transplanted to larger pots soon. I love that I can grow lettuce indoors anytime of the year.

The onions were planted on January 1st and still look like aliens.

And HELLO wheatgrass! This is my second planting and I had no idea wheatgrass was so awesome in smoothies. I should totally open my own wheatgrass juice bar.

Well, there you have it. That’s how I am starting my seeds indoors this year.

How and when are YOU starting your seedlings this year? Or maybe you’re not starting seeds, but buying starts at a local nursery this year instead. Either way you look at it, gardening is rad.

Peace Out Girl Scouts,

♥ Mavis

Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre By Brett L. Markham

Looking for a great gardening book?

Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family’s food on just a quarter acre—and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require.

Even if you have never been a farmer or a gardener, this book covers everything you need to know to get started: buying and saving seeds, starting seedlings, establishing raised beds, soil fertility practices, composting, dealing with pest and disease problems, crop rotation, farm planning, and much more. ~ Amazon

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How to Grow Your Own Food – 2013 Garden Tally

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 23, 2013 · 10 Comments

mavis butterfield garden blog {Tomatoes and Basil – August 2012}

This year I’m on a mission to grow 4,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in my suburban backyard. In 2012 I was able to grow 2,028 pounds, and in 2013 I’m going double or nothing. I have absolutely no idea if I’ll be able to achieve my goal. But, as with any adventure, half the fun is getting there. ~Mavis

Here is what I have harvested so far this year:

Beets – 14 ounces

I finally got a round to cooking those beets and made a lovely Roasted Red Beet & White Bean Hummus. Does anyone know if you can freeze hummus? Because if you can, I think I’m going to have to add a few more rows of beets to my garden plans.

egg count 2013

Egg Count – 59 {2.5 per day average}

Our dear sweet Jersey the not so Giant chicken died about a week ago. Everything about it was sad, especially since she died of natural causes. Jersey was also one of our best egg layers so not only did we lose her, but we also lost about 5 eggs a week when she passed. Luckily 2 of the baby chicks we brought home last September have begun to lay. We also have another 5 chickens that have not started laying yet so once that happens, it’s going to be egg city around here.

cool kitchen scale

Potatoes – 2 pounds 9 ounces

I found these babies while I was clearing out one of our raised garden beds. If every winter was as mild as this one has been, then I’d totally plant winter potatoes every fall. Seriously, harvesting potatoes in January? That is just crazy!

bean sprouts

Sprouts – 6 ounces {I’m currently growing some more alfalfa sprouts right now in the kitchen}

Wheatgrass – 2 ounces

Not only is growing wheat grass cool, it’s good for you too. Does anyone know the street value on wheat grass? Do they sell wheat grass at a regular grocery store, or do you have to go to a specialty store to purchase some?

Total Food Harvested in 2013: 3 pounds 15 ounces

Total Eggs Collected in 2013: 59

How is YOUR garden planning going so far? Is the ground still frozen? If so, when does it usually thaw?

~Mavis

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Easy Appetizers – Roasted Red Beet & White Bean Hummus

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 22, 2013 · 5 Comments

A big thank you to reader Kim who suggested I make a batch of beet hummus with my found winter beets that were hiding under the soil a while back. I slightly adapted the recipe she sent in and absolutely love the way this hummus turned out! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

2 medium beets, roasted
1 15 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained {thanks Mrs. Hillbilly!}
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

After you have scrubbed and peeled your beets, cut them in half and toss with a wee bit of salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast beets in the oven until tender {about 45 minutes}.

Place cooled beets, peeled garlic, lemon juice, beans, olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper in a blender {or food processor} and blend until nice and smooth.

Serve with fresh vegetables or fancy crackers.

Looking for a few more awesome dips? Check out the book Skinny Dips by Diane Morgan, it rocks!

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How to Grow Leeks {Start to Finish}

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 22, 2013 · 22 Comments

This morning I planted a packet of American Flag Leek seeds and placed them under grow lights in the office {I’ll show you my set up tomorrow}. I tried to grow some leeks last year, but the chickens gobbled them all up shortly after I transplanted them outside. Booo! So I’m back at it again. Since I already know I can grow onions, I’m thinking growing leeks are going to be really easy as well. That is, if I can keep the chickens away.

Brief description: Leeks are in the onion family. They have a thick stem, but do not form bulbs like traditional onions.

Where to Plant Leeks: Plant in a sunny spot, with fertile, well-drained soil. {If drainage is an issue in your garden, mix pearlite in with the soil when you plant} They thrive in garden beds, raised beds, or even tall containers.

Planting Seeds: Plant in a group of 4 seeds 1/2″ deep, every 4″. Row spacing should be about 12″. Thin to one plant every 4″ when plants are about 1″ tall.

Growing Tip: Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Plants are very hardy and low maintenance.

How to Harvest: Harvest when stems are about 1″ in diameter. Dig around the base of the plant to loosen the soil and then pluck them right out of the ground.

White Bean Chili With Winter Vegetables – Bon Appetit

LKFLKU (Little known fact, little known use): The Roman emperor, Nero, drank Leek soup everyday, because he believed it would enhance his singing voice. Hmm, maybe a singing career is in my future?!

Will YOU be growing leeks in your garden this year?

~Mavis

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.