On the short list of neat-o gifts I got for Christmas is the Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer.  I ran out of bags, so I can’t play with it anymore until I make a trip to restock, but I am really impressed with this gadget!  It is a little hand held sealer, which comes with batteries, that sucks the air out of the package so ice crystals won’t form as quickly on frozen foods.  I used it to freeze sausages I bought at Whole Foods Market (see previous post about that trip) but I can’t wait to see how well it works on the veggies from the garden next summer.  This should help out a lot with my efforts to eat locally.

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill on a clear and frosty day-after-Christmas night.

I just got the greatest cookbook, called Food to Live By, the Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook, by Myra Goodman.  (Thanks, P!)  What a wonderful bunch of recipes for cooking veggies and fruits in a fresh and healthy way.  And the beginning of the book has a section describing the early days of the then mom-and-pop business that is Earthbound Farm Organics.  (And you know that mom-and-pop businesses and anything involving the growing of healthy vegetables and fruits are close to my heart.)

You’ve seen that name before– it is on most of the packages of organic mixed salad greens that are sold in your local grocery stores.  I’m all for buying locally when possible, and that means Ebberts’ and Rockwell’s and all the local Farmers’ Markets in season.  But in the dead of winter, the next best choice is Organic from the USA.  Check out the story of the farm here.  And buy a copy of the “beautiful cookbook” to whet your appetite for fresh veggies you can grow for yourself next spring and summer.

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill on Christmas Eve day in a tiny bit of peace and quiet before all the activity begins.

It’s 8 minutes into Christmas Eve Day.  I finally have all my Christmas shopping and wrapping done.  Next year, I swear I am not going to leave everything to the last minute.  Too much stress!

We at Ferda’s hope you have a safe, enjoyable, peaceful Christmas!

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill where the night is clear and cold, and a light dusting of snow has covered the ground.

Bob and I just came back from a day trip to the Whole Foods Market in Shadyside (near Pittsburgh.)  I immediately went into sensory overload.  The colors of the fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, wonderful piles of fresh fish and seafood, loaves of fresh baked breads, cheeses and meats… so much food, so little time!

It takes a while to get there; it isn’t a quick trip by any means.  But definitely worth it.  It makes me so jealous that some folks have a market like that in their neighborhood, where they can just drop in at 5:30 after work and pick up ingredients for dinner.  Our son Jeff lives in a neighborhood in Chicago where a Whole Foods Market is between his apartment and the bus stop.  Life just ain’t fair!

What the trip did accomplish, though, was to renew my resolution to grow (and use) more of my own fresh herbs and veggies next year, and to frequent the farmer’s market in St Clairsville as often as I can. 

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill where the night is frosty and cold, and Christmas is approaching, fast!

I read a statistic today that says that over 50% of people like to receive gift cards.  (That means that almost 50% of people don’t, but we’ll ignore that for a moment.)  A gift card is an easy gift for someone who really has enough “stuff,” or someone that you need to give a gift to, but you really don’t know their taste.  Probably not a good gift for your significant other, but a great one for your daughter-in-law’s folks, or for the dog groomer. 

So, try to come up with a meaningful gift first, but when that plan falls through, come in to Ferda’s and pick up a gift card in whatever denomination you choose.  It doesn’t expire or lose value, doesn’t come in sizes or colors, never needs exchanged.   How simple is that?

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill where a winter weather advisory is in effect.

I could really appreciate the snow today… if it weren’t for the fact that I had plans for a shopping trip and an event I was looking forward to that was cancelled because of the weather.  But if I overlook the inconvenience, it really looks pretty.  Thick and quiet, soft and cold.  I went out and took some photos, trying to enjoy it in spite of the disrupted plans.

It does get me more in the mood for Christmas, though.  So, since I couldn’t physically go out and shop, I did some shopping online.  Isn’t online shopping convenient?  We are making plans to introduce limited online shopping on our web site in 2008.  Watch for details.

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill on a quiet, cold, snow-covered night.

Can you feel it? A change, it is a comin’. Everywhere you look you see articles about being green, eating locally, simplifying. That is good for independent garden centers like Ferda’s Garden Center. We have the means and the information you need to grow some of your own food—organically if that is your preference, or with the assistance of commercial fertilizers and remedies.

Even if you don’t have the space for a garden, or your back won’t take the bending, you can grow lettuce, tomatoes, peppers—just about everything but sweet corn—in a large pot in the sun on your patio.

 
Sustainability. That’s the buzz word now. What it means for you and me is that we do what we can to leave our little part of the earth a better place (or at the very least, not a worse place) for the next generation. To put it in more personal terms, better for our kids… and their kids. That means using organic methods in the garden, recycling when possible, reducing our carbon footprint. “Our carbon what?” Our carbon footprint. Just like you leave actual footprints where you have gone walking, you leave a carbon footprint where you have gone living.

You can’t avoid it, but maybe you can reduce it a little.

 Instead of buying vegetables shipped across the country from California, or worse, across the border from Mexico, how about shopping at the local Farmers’ Markets next year, or growing some of your own produce?

We can help.  Watch the web site and blog for more information on what you can do here in the Ohio Valley to make your life more simple, less stressed. healthier, more earth-friendly.

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill where the weathermen are calling for SNOW.

December 1st already? How can that be?  Just yesterday I was getting ready for Thanksgiving… and it’s been over a week since then!  Time flies even when you are not having fun.

If you, like me, have not done your Christmas decorating yet, stop in to the Garden Center and pick up an idea or two and the materials to carry them out.  Patty and the rest of the design crew have been working like little elves getting it all ready for you.  If you have an idea, but just don’t quite know how to accomplish it, Patty can help you work it out.  Or, if you have no clue what you want, she can give you some great ideas!  When I give her an assignment, I always tell her to “work her magic” on it.  She really has an eye for what looks good!

Don’t forget about Ferda’s Garden Center gift cards for those hard-to-buy-for folks on your list.  We’ll be busy while we are closed for the winter getting everything ready for Spring, and we’ll have some great stuff that the cards can be spent on.  Gift cards are a great gift choice– no colors or sizes to worry about!

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill where it is sunny and cold.