Tips for Mulching Your Garden: 3 Natural, Free Options

The first layer of grass mulch in the garden.

It's finally gardening season in the Midwest. I'm hoping last week was our final frost warning and it's safe to put a few veggies into the ground today.

For the last three years I've explored natural ways to keep weeds at bay and make tending to my garden less of a chore. I want to pick vegetables, not pluck weeds.

So far I've figured out three natural things that work great as mulch.

What is mulch? It's a protective barrier that keeps weeds to minimum, often times provides nutrients to the soil and helps keep moisture in the ground to nourish plants during dry weather.

3 Types of Free, Natural Mulch for Your Garden

 

Newspaper: The first year I decided to forgo weed barrier paper, I used old newspaper instead. I soaked each sheet in a bucket of water and carefully tiled the garden with the newsprint. Then I cut holes in the paper where I wanted to plant my seedlings.

Since the newspaper is biodegradable and printed with soy inks, it's eco-friendly and eventually disintegrated into the soil. There was one drawback though: wind. I ended up using a layer of grass cuttings and a few stepping stones over the newspaper to keep it in place.

Fall Leaves: Two years ago we ran out of leaf bags and decided to pile the dry fallen leaves in the garden. We planned to later bag them for curbside collection, but that never got done.

They surprisingly broke down over the winter from the weight of snow and created a nice 6-inch layer of mulch around my plants. Some weeds still popped through but over all, I'd say this natural mulch kept my garden 75 percent weed-free.

Grass Cuttings: Last year I decided to try using fresh cut grass clippings as a mulch. Much like the leaves, it works great, and that's what I'm using this summer.

However, after it rains, the grass gets clumpy and has a bit of an odor. And after awhile, the nice green color turns boring gray. But, it still works well to keep weeds to a minimum.

Do you know how to mulch your garden with other natural products? Or, do you use old newspaper, leaves or grass? Please share your tips an ideas in the comments below.


Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Goodnight, Garden. Hello, Winter!

My Iowa garden during winter.

Last week I put the garden to bed for the winter.

I removed the withered foliage and piled the stepping stones in the corner. Now the soil will rest and enjoy natural mulch from decomposing fall leaves and a long winter drink from the upcoming snowfall.

Next spring the garden will get rewarded with a fresh till and new seedlings to nourish.

I'm going to miss my summer garden. So, I've been brainstorming ways to maintain my healthy whole foods living lifestyle when fresh, locally grown produce is at a minimum in Iowa.

3 Ways to Eat Healthy During Winter

1. Enjoy garden goodies from the freezer. I have several containers of homemade applesauce and bags of frozen tomatoes ready to go.
2. Buy more fresh frozen fruits and vegetables than canned varieties to avoid added sugar and salt.
3. Shop at the local meat market which offers some locally grown greenhouse produce and fresh cheese during winter.

How do you make healthy eating decisions during the frozen winter months? Tell me in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

The Easiest Way to Preserve Whole Tomatoes

Photo Credit: morgueFile

You just never know what you're going to learn in yoga class.

Last week I shared some of the garden bounty with a few gals and one told me her favorite way to preserve tomatoes is freezing them whole.

That seems so much simpler than canning tomatoes or making several batches of pasta sauce and chili to freeze for the winter.

So, I gave it a test run.

She said to pick, wash, bag and freeze the tomatoes whole. When you want to cook with them, run the frozen fruits under warm water to loosen the skin. Then, peel the tomatoes, chop and cook.

She likes to use them in everything from soup to sauces. And, she's right! It was super easy and my latest batch of chili turned out fabulous made with the frozen tomatoes. I was worried about a grainy texture, but the tomatoes were perfect.

So, what's your favorite way to preserve tomatoes?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Tomatoes, Tomatoes Everywhere!

Cooking down the tomatoes. Photo by Angela Tague

The days feel like summer, evenings like fall. Welcome to October in the central Midwest.

My garden is slowly dying down and I'm in the process of figuring out what to do with all of these tomatoes! I have red, yellow and orange goodies to put to good use.

Two weeks ago I made a batch of spicy red pepper pizza sauce. Last weekend it was homemade pasta sauce with mushrooms, bell peppers and onions thrown into the mix. I also froze some peeled tomatoes for a future batch of chili or tomato soup.

How do you like to use your end-of-season garden tomatoes?

If you have any tips for making good use of the green tomatoes still on the vine, please let me know. It's to dip down into the 30s this weekend, and I don't want the tomatoes to go to waste!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Feeling a Little Pickled?

Homemade pickles! Photo by Angela Tague

These hot, rainy summer days have made my garden spiral out of control. The acorn squashes are all ripening at once. My tomato row is speckled with red and yellow orbs of deliciousness and the cukes--oh the cukes!

Over the weekend I spent a few hours creating a new pickling recipe to use up my wealth of cucumbers. The first batch I made was too tart. I love pickles, but not when they make me pucker like a blow fish.

My next batch was much better. Instead of following a recipe, I decided to wing it. I started with 2 cups of white vinegar, 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill, 2 teaspoons of diced garlic and 1 cup of raw sugar.

Warning: Raw sugar will turn your brine a pretty/dingy/uncommon caramel color.

After a good stirring to dissolve the sugar, I gave the pickling liquid a taste. It was a touch sweet so I added maybe another 1/2 cup of white vinegar. The pickles are in the fridge now. Hopefully they will be delicious in just a few days!

Have you been making pickles too? What are your tips and tricks? And while we're at it, what should I do with my impending bumper crop of tomatoes? I'm thinking of making homemade pizza sauce to freeze for winter pizza making.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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If Cabbage and Broccoli Got Married...

I'm lucky to have friends who also love to dig in the dirt. Recently a girlfriend gave me a bag brimming with garden-fresh goodies. But, one of the treats looked strange, foreign and unrecognizable.

Kohlrabi at the farmer's market. Photo by Angela Tague

"What's this?" I asked.

I found out it was kohlrabi, a new vegetable to add to my palate. YES! 

I think my last big culinary venture was eating a pummelo, a tropical fruit which isn't easy to find in the Midwest.

How to Eat It!
So, let's get down to business. If you stumble upon a basket of kohlrabi at the farmer's market, grab a few bulbs. This root-like vegetable comes from the cabbage family and looks like a light green or purple turnip.

The University of Illinois Extension office suggests choosing smaller bulbs. The larger the kohlrabi, the more woody and tough the texture. Although I only ate the bulb part of the plant, young leaves can be cooked like other leafy greens.

So, for my first attempt at enjoying kohlrabi, I washed, peeled and sliced the bulbs. I added the crisp, light green vegetable to the top of a chopped salad and it was delicious. The flavor of kohlrabi reminds me of a mild cabbage mixed with broccoli. It was flavorful and complemented the carrots and celery in the salad perfectly.

Have you ever eaten kohlrabi? How do you like to prepare it? Whole Foods Living readers and I love cooking suggestions! Please share below.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

O'Hare's Little Green Secret

Fresh produce for sale at O'Hare. Photo by Angela Tague

When you think of O'Hare International Airport in Chicago do you envision hallways packed with travelers, the sound of jet engines firing up every few seconds and the dreaded TSA security checks? I do.

On a recent business trip to Boston, with a layover in Chicago, I discovered something I never knew about the world's busiest airport. It has an aeroponic garden.

In 2011 the soil-less garden was installed on the mezzanine level of the O'Hare Rotunda Building. This is located in Terminal 3. The garden has a series of 26 vertical towers with over 1,100 planting spots. The greens are misted with a nutrient solution and no chemical fertilizers are needed.

Read more about this amazing garden HERE on the airport's website.

Unfortunately I didn't get to see the garden itself, but I did pass by a "farmer's market" style food shop where you could buy some of the fresh produce. A few of the restaurants in the airport even use the greens in their dishes.

Now that's some locally grown whole foods! Way to go, O'Hare!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Growing Whole Foods: It's Garden Season!

Acorn squash plants in my garden. Photo by Angela Tague

What better way is there to eat healthy than to grow your own food?

I've fussed with a garden of some sort ever since I was a kid, and this spring is no exception.

Over the long Memorial Day weekend I added a few more goodies to my small garden and can't wait for the growing season to really get underway.

Do you plant a garden? What do you like to grow?

This year I opted for a few varieties of tomatoes, yellow-green bell peppers, cucumbers, acorn squash, cantaloupe and onions. I might still do a container garden of herbs and scope out a place for strawberries.

In addition to munching on fresh fruits and veggies throughout the summer, I simply love getting outside and playing in the dirt. There really is nothing better than soaking in the sun and fresh air after a long day behind a computer screen!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Arugula and Avocado Salad

My mouth-watering arugula and avocado salad.

The one good thing about these hot, dry days of summer is enjoying treats from the garden.

Thankfully a few of my friends are avid gardeners and love to share their produce.

(Thanks, Mandy & Jess!)

The other day I decided to play around in the kitchen with some fresh arugula. I've had the leafy greens in salads made with a blend of various lettuces, but this was the first time I've enjoyed arugula solo. It's sweet flavor with a peppery finish is definitely an acquired taste.

After playing with a few ingredients, I settled on making an arugula and avocado side salad to go with dinner. After rinsing the greens I added cubed avocado and slices of mozzarella cheese. Then I dressed the salad with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a drizzle of olive oil. The creamy avocado was a perfect match for the arugula.

So, have you tried arugula? How do you like to eat it? I still have a few handfuls waiting the refrigerator, so I want to use it up soon!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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The Farmer's Market is Open!

Freshly washed butter crunch lettuce. Photo by Angela Tague.

Have you ever shopped in a store where every display seemed to call your name?

Handcrafted beeswax lip balm? Yes, please!
Spinach speckled with local soil? Bring it on!
Glistening jars of crimson berry jams. Yum!

Our local farmer's market opened this morning, which means I can barely get this written between taking bites of my locally grown lunch. Heck, my editors are lucky the market isn't open all day, or I may have missed a few deadlines today!

Since it's early in the season, our local market was plentiful with fresh spring greens, radishes, rhubarb and asparagus.

But, the true find of the day was a head of butter crunch lettuce. The velvety texture, mild flavor and pale color truly means summer is just around the corner. Since this is one of the first lettuces of the season to grow in the midwest, it's always an early garden-season treat.

Is your farmer's market open for business? What local whole foods are you enjoying?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Garden Pasta

If your garden has an abundance of end of the season tomatoes, try this quick late-summer lunch for two. This recipe is vegetarian friendly and loaded with healthy whole foods.

(Photo by Hotblack, Morguefile.com)

End of Summer Garden Pasta

2 Tbs. olive oil

6 sliced shallots (or 1 cup chopped onion)

2 Tbs. minced garlic

1 cup chopped green, yellow or red sweet peppers (whatever grows in your garden!)

3 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes, including the skins

3 cups cooked whole wheat pasta or whole grain rice

Measure olive oil into a non-stick skillet and warm to a medium setting. Saute sliced shallots, minced garlic and chopped peppers until the shallots are opaque. Add the chopped tomatoes and allow the mixture to simmer and reduce for approximately 10 minutes.

For a more hearty sauce, add 1 cup of sausage-flavored soy crumbles (I like the Morningstar Farms brand) to the simmering tomato mixture.

Spoon the sauce over a bed of whole grain spaghetti or whole grain rice.

Serve the pasta with a fresh tossed salad.

Until next time,

Choose Healthy!

Angela
Whole Foods Living

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