Things I Loved in July

Things I Loved in JulyHello there! I hope you’re enjoying your summer so far.

Things have been so so here. My health issues continue unabated. But we don’t need to talk about that now; there was quite enough of that last month. If you take them OUT of the equation, though, things are pretty good. 🙂

This is a great time of year for FOOD! My garden is booming. We live in a duplex right now and have a pretty small backyard, most of which is devoted to our garden.

Right now I’m growing tomatoes, summer squash/zucchini, yellow pole beans, cucumbers, and herbs: basil, mint, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme and marjoram. Keira is having a grand time with the tomatoes. I have two cherry tomato plants that have been producing for the last few weeks, and she is out there several times a day picking the tomatoes.

Garden July 2016

The food at the farmers market is also fun. Cucumbers, bell peppers, melons, stone fruits,and plenty of tomatoes, whenever we don’t have enough from the garden. We tend to eat the same things over and over again, so one of my goals is to try to try some new produce and/or cook familiar things in new and different ways.

Updates from the Blog

In case you missed them, here’s what I wrote on the blog this month:

Grass-fed Butter Mints: Looking to add more grass-fed butter to your diet? These easy butter mints are a great way to add some healthy fat to an otherwise low-fat meal or snack.

How to Make Cashew Butter: Have you ever made your own cashew butter? It’s really easy, and it will save you a lot of money over buying pre-made cashew butter from the store. I use it to make these cashew butter cookies, but it’s also delicious with apples or straight off a spoon.

Cinnamon Cashew Ice Cream: After making chocolate cashew ice cream, I thought I’d try my hand at another flavor, so I decided to try cinnamon. This ice cream is so good! It’s made entirely from cashews, so it’s a great option if you don’t like coconut.

Posts I Enjoyed from Around the Real Food Blogosphere

Looking to add more anti-inflammatory foods to your diet? Try out Healthy Green Savvy’s anti-inflammatory smoothie recipe. It includes purslane, a very healthy weed that you may already have growing in your yard.

If you have an abundance of black currants in your yard, you should definitely check out Growing Wild Roots’s post on ways to use blackcurrants. I wish I had black currants so I could try some of her recipes.

Have you heard of hibiscus flower? According to Seeking Joyful Simplicity, hibiscus flower is a great herbal medicine that has a number of health benefits. Go see her hibiscus flower recipes here.

You all know I love using coconut oil in the kitchen, but did you know that coconut oil also has a lot of body care uses, too? Read this post from You Should Grow on why you should keep coconut oil in the bathroom.

If you’re a gardener, You Should Grow also has a couple of interesting posts on tomato hair and best tomato varieties. I may have to try some of her tomato suggestions in my garden next year!

Looking for a fun and different way to eat bananas? Check out Healthy Green Savvy’s tutorial on how to make dried bananas. They make a sweet but healthy snack.

A Modern Homestead offers some great tips for clean eating on a budget. If you’re really serious about cutting your food spending, you should also read her post on how she only spends $200/month on food by making a six month meal plan.

That’s it! How was your July? Tell me about it in the comments!

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