Winter Storm 2016 - I'm ready for spring growing!

Good afternoon to our growing peeps! We hope you're staying warm, cozy, bellies filled, and enjoying the extra family time that winter weather often brings!  Personally, I do not like snow or ice, but I do enjoy watching the joy it brings others like my sweet daughter, who in her youngness can't see all the inconveniences that winter weather can bring. I mean the internet could go down, we could be without cable for a few days, our cell phones may not work, we're not going to be able to just run to the store to pickup what we forgot, and there may not be pizza delivery for a few days! And then I think, "are being without these conveniences for just a little while really that bad?" Nope, in my personal opinion it's not. Don't get me wrong I enjoy these conveniences, but can definitely go without them atleast for a while!

Actually, my daughter is more focused on the joy and excitement of life standing still for a just few hours or several days, rather than the hardships or inconveniences of life happening through a disrupting storm. She makes a very valid silent argument here!

Winter Storm 2016- Our little fantasy farm sleeps!

 

     Even though our garden is forced into a deep sleep right now in this winter season, I'm excited that seasons change, people! If you're in an extended winter like I am personally, then be encouraged, spring always comes as the winter season ends! And, praise the Lord when spring comes, newness begins to appear as winter slowly fades away! And I can tell you that I am so very ready for a spring in my life! I am ready for a spring slap full of newness and new growth! In February, in the coldest part of winter, here, where we are, beautiful fresh chives begin to poke through snow and ice with vibrant green blades while everything else is still wet, soggy, nasty, dead, dreary, & frigid! If you're a gardener your favorite herb is chives! It is mine and not due to it's fresh flavor! Chives are my favorite herb to grow because chives signals spring newness is coming even when I can't see spring physically anywhere in sight with my own eyes, but those tiny sprigs of green that reach up through such adverse conditions renews my faith that spring is indeed near even though I can't see it yet.

Organic Chives-Feb 2014 with snow on the ground

Organic Chives- March 2014 growing through ice

Organic Chives- May 2014 with old winter no where in site

     I really hope your family will consider picking up chive starters to transplant in your first garden or a great addition to your current family garden this year! Once established your chives, which are perennials, are going to come back every year and they come back much thicker every year. Chives multiply all by themselves! And you too will have your own secret indicator that spring freshness is almost here even when you can't see it yet!

     I recommend both transplanting chive starters, and sowing lots of chive seeds in the spring after all danger of frost has past. It's always good to learn to germinate your own seeds of each vegetable even if you buy starters for conveniences. Sometimes you bank on your starters taking right off, but sometimes their growth stunts at first or the starter just doesn't make it at all. This can be rather discouraging especially during your first year and first gardening attempt!

     When sowing chive seeds don't freak out if you don't see the sprouts immediately they can take 7-14 days to germinate! I'd sow no deeper than 1/4" and make sure to gently sprinkle potting mix or light weight soil over the top to cover. Pack down the soil gently but firmly with your hand (for the injured/ill just walk across the row lightly toe to toe to the end of the row), then water gently in and keep the soil moist until all have sprouted! Your outdoor soil really needs to be consistently 60 degrees or higher to germinate well.

     Last night as the winter storm was inching closer to us I always get to work pre-making several conveniences that will warm up quick and easily either on our gas grill or on top of our wood burning stove. Generally, I make extra and divide a few portions out in the event we need to take our elderly neighbors a hot meal if need be. Two years ago we had a knock at the door from one of our elderly neighbors who didn't have an alternative heat source, so she came here knowing we keep them in mind and have a wood burning stove.

     When you see me preparing ahead of a weather storm, it's not because I'm afraid or freaking out because I work daily to keep us prepared ahead of the need as God provides. I'm actually preparing ahead to feed more than my own family if the need arises! God will and does supply all of our needs and most of the time He's done that several months in advance, but He may call on us to supply someone else's needs during the unexpected events so we like to try and be ready.

     One of those quick and easy meals we began preparing ahead was homemade BBQ shredded pork tenderloin & homemade potato salad. I let the pork tenderloin slow cook all day yesterday with a whole chopped onion, and garlic, pink salt only. Last night I shredded it up with a fork and poured BBQ sauce over it, tossed, and then turned the crock pot up on high just to get the BBQ sauce to adhere. After the crock pot cooled we divided, some went to the fridge, and some went to the freezer broke down into smaller freezer bags.  I'd planned on making the potato salad today since I was too tired last night, but my sweet husband decided he wanted to learn how to make what I call "church picnic potato salad". I love it when someone wants to learn something, it means they get the opportunity to grow just a little more in that moment. Today daddy grew a little bit, as he now knows how to make my church picnic potato salad on his own! It will go nicely with the BBQ shredded pork tenderloin sandwiches I think?

          

   

Video (for his grandmother) of daddy finishing up his first church picnic potato salad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfS0CZEul8k

 

 

Yeah my daughter was all like, "Snow? We may not be able to leave? Hot brownie bites?" You can see how unfazed she is by all the inconveniences this winter storm has dealt out. And the most exciting part was we were all home together which is what life is all about anyway!

 

 

 

 

I learn so much from her daily like don't sweat the small stuff and just pass the brownie bites! LOL 

 

And as always we pray that you will continue to take every opportunity to grow in what God has for you and your family in 2016, because for me ijustwannagrow!