Exotic Flowers in Boston

Just because they’re Hollywood starlets doesn’t mean that they don’t like getting down in the dirt for some gardening fun!  I bet you assumed that just because they wear fancy dresses and attend extravagant dinner parties that they don’t let their hair down once in awhile for some healthy outdoor activity?  Well even the rich and famous need to have fun too, even if that means rolling their Christian Dior sleeves up and getting a little messy.  Many are in disbelief as to why they would choose gardening as a hobby when there are more luxurious pastimes such as croquet, polo, sailing and hang gliding.  Well, I’ll have you know that several silver screen icons depend on their backyard vegetable and fruit beds to provide them with the healthy nutrition their bodies need!  They bank serious bucks on looking their best and that begins with having an A-List diet.  Sure, they could outsource this responsibility to someone else but what better way to micro manage your food than to grow it yourself?  Gwyneth Paltrow certainly falls within this category and has made it clear that fresh produce is a necessity, which describes in detail within her cookbook start.  Here’s the buzz on some more of Hollywood’s hottest healthy foodie actors!

Gwyneth Paltrow

This actress loves her fruits and veggies but her favorite is cantaloupe!  You might remember seeing the evidence of this a few months ago during her media frenzied trip to the supermarket.

Jenny McCarthy

This athletic actress loves her squash and she swears it’s a huge role in maintaining her fit and glowing body!  Her top picks include zucchini and butternut squash for tasty soups and grilled recipes.  

Tori Spelling

Ms Spelling is all about good food and she particularly enjoys the summer selection available during the month of August.  Rhubarb seems to be her favorite this year which she uses as the major ingredient in rhubarb pie and rhubarb chutney.  

Brad Pitt

I bet you didn’t know that Pitt goes bananas for bananas!  That’s right!  This hunky actor thrives on the yellow sweetest of the fruit but unfortunately has to cut back when training for films since they contain a lot of starch.  

Channing Tatum

This cutie is in great shape for sure but lo and behold he’s not exactly a fan of veggies at all.  He does consume green smoothies packed with spinach and kale plus he loves yams.  Looks like his diet is definitely paying off!

If you’re lucky, you’ve got tomatoes coming out of your ears right about now and you’ve even considered the possibility that you might have too many?  Bite your tongues!  You can never have enough of those beautiful, juicy red vegetables and chances are if you’re like me - you’ve found plenty of ways to use your crop efficiently and effectively.  There’s the marinara sauce, tomato pies, tomatoes on the grill, garden salads, ratatouille, fried green tomatoes, stuffed tomatoes and if you’re a clever chef- you can even make your own Bloody Mary’s.  

If the stove has already been burning making these delicious tomato based concoctions and your pile is still overflowing with your harvest, you might be getting nervous about the possibility of waste.  Pitching vegetables because they aren’t used in a timely fashion is a shame and is often looked upon as a tragedy by hard working gardeners who have nourished the plants since they were mere seeds.  

Well, worry no further!  Canning tomatoes are a popular procedure when farms produce a vast amount of one crop and need a back up plan for preservation.  Many are deterred from this method because they believe it’s more work than its worth but honestly, its pretty simple.  Follow these steps for jarring your tasty tomatoes and enjoy them all year round.

Step 1 Select Your Preferred Tomato Variety.  

Keep in mind that less water such as Roma will keep better than juicier tomatoes with a thinner shell.

Step 2 Sanitize Your Jars for Canning

You need to make sure that your containers are squeaky clean so place them in your dish washer then place them and their lids in a pot of boiling water for approximately 10 minutes.

Step 3 Prepare Your Tomatoes

Place the chosen tomatoes in a pot of boiling water and then immediately drain by putting them in ice-cold water.  You’ll be amazed how fast their skins peel right off.  You also want to discard any bruised or damaged vegetables as well because they wont preserve decently once canned.

Step 4 Fill Er’ Up!

Fill the jars with tomatoes leaving at least 1 ½ to 2 inches of space, which will then be filled with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the rest with boiling water.  Make sure all of the air bubbles have left the vessel and seal the lid securely.  If you’re feeling daring, add a sprig of rosemary or basil for seasoning.  

Step 5 One More Round of Boiling

You’ll need to boil the sealed containers in a pot of boiling water for about 40 minutes to make sure the contents will “can” properly.  Let them cool completely and then store in a cool place.  

Step 6 Bon Appétit Enjoy!  

Summer days are winding down but we still have a few precious weeks to fill before our kids are back on the busses and headed to school.  The end of August can sometimes be challenging for parents to find activities that are both affordable and entertaining for their children.  After all, we want them to have fond memories of summer 2015 so it’s our job to figure out a plan before its too late!  Fortunately, we live in a wonderful city chalk full of things to do and New England in general has a plethora of hidden haunts perfect for family fun.  Don’t let the dog days get you down with boredom and pick one of these great places to visit before autumn arrives!

Zoar Outdoor

7 Main Street / Route 2 (Mohawk Trail)

Charlemont, MA

If you haven’t been here yet-now’s your chance to rip down the rapids of Deerfield River in canoes, kayaks and rafts!  If the fast track isn’t your taste, rest assured that they also offer zip lining and biking through gorgeous trails.  The breathtaking view of cascading mountains and edge of your seat excitement will make this a favorite summer time spot for years to come.  

Quassy Amusement Park

2132 Middlebury Road (Route 64)

Middlebury, CT

Massachusetts has many amusement parks that are filled with wild rides but if you’re looking for something a little quieter, you might want to check out Quassy Amusement Park of Middlebury Connecticut.  This charming festival of fun is rated on the low-key side with traditional rides that are suitable of younger children or those with sensory issues.  Carousels and a Ferris Wheels are some of the attractions as well as a full list of delicious carnival foods.  

Ogunquit, Maine

Along with our lobster and clam chowder, New England is also famous for its stunning coastal waters.  From the Cape to New Hampshire, each state has a long list of pristine beaches to visit.  One of our favorites is Ogunquit Maine where dunes line silk strewn sandy shores.  Bring your appetite too because this area also offers a multitude of seafood eateries that are top notch and live up to their reputation for serving fabulous cuisine.  

Growing happens to be one of my favorite things in the whole world to do during the summertime.  The sun, the seeds and particularly the dirt all add to the pleasures of farming.  Not only are you producing your own food for your family but you’re also saving a heap load of money.  Other incentives to start a vegetable garden can also include starting healthy eating habits, exercise and most of all knowing that you’ve created a chemical-free harvest.  

So what’s stopping you?  Worried that your green thumb (or lack there of) doesn’t have what it takes to grow edible fruits and veggies?  Not to worry because here is an option that not even the worst gardener can fail at-potatoes!  

Potatoes are one of the greatest beginner plants to try for several reasons and the biggest is the fact that they are fun to dig for!  Simply grab and old potato and wait for the eyes to start sprouting tiny vines.  Place the bottom half in a cup of water to hasten the pace or just wait for the spud to do its thing naturally.  Once it’s aged a pair of healthy legs, place it in the ground and cover with dirt about four inches deep.  Not before long (maybe two weeks depending on soil, quality) a green stem will protrude through the earth.  

Now potatoes take a little time to mature but on the positive side, they take little work.  Occasional watering is needed and if at all possible, select a location with more shade than hot sun.  It takes approximately three months for the veggies to be ready to dig up and the best time to plant the host spud is early June.  Once the plant spikes a little white flower and the stalk begins to die, that’s when its right for the picking!  One plant can grow anywhere from three to ten potatoes so make sure you search the ground well to avoid missing any.  After you’ve gathered your harvest, store in a cool dark area and use when needed.  Growing fresh potatoes will not only last longer than store bought bags but you absolutely won’t believe the difference in taste-they’re delicious!!

Try out these dishes that make great potato based meals:  mashed potatoes, loaded baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes, Shepherd’s pie and German dumplings!

It’s summertime and this season tends to be the time when we put a little extra “oomph” into reading more.  Although our schedules slow down and we’re apt to take some vacation time, it’s the perfect opportunity to stimulate our minds with material that we can enjoy and learn from!  Mystery, suspense, thriller, romance, historical, sports and a thousand other genres pique the curiosity of avid book lovers which all offer the gift of both educating, entertaining and exciting whoever browses through their pages.  Ordinarily, I’m a James Patterson or Elin Hilderbrand fan but lately I’ve been experimenting with dramatic fiction including the titles, “Lost in the Sun”, “Fangirl”, “Eleanor and Park “ and my recent conquest, “Sure Signs of Crazy”.  This last one I really enjoyed (although the others are fantastic too), because for one thing, it was incredibly well written (author’s name is Karen Harrington) and second, the main character’s best friend just so happens to be a plant!  If you’re confused I’ll fill you in a bit…

“Sure Signs of Crazy” is a story about a twelve-year-old girl named Sarah who struggles with the tragic truth of having a mentally insane mother.  Ten years ago, she was institutionalized for murdering Sarah’s twin brother at the age of just two by drowning him in the kitchen sink.  The main character survives the incident but is now left with an alcoholic father who is vacant at best and incapable of realizing his daughter’s need to come of age.  That all changes during the summer going into seventh grade when our heroine takes control and forces her family to cope with the past and move on.  Now this might seem a little depressing but here’s the interesting part…

Having incredible writing skills (Sarah pens letters to Atticus Finch from “To Kill A Mockingbird” for a school assignment which ends up being therapeutic to her deeper understanding), she lacks ease with verbal communication and naturally befriends a plant.  Now you’d think the plant would just sit there and wilt but the author brilliantly personifies it to have opinions, likes and dislikes.  Harrington introduces situations where the plant is exposed to alcohol and feared to become “sick” as well as neglected and “lonely”, all things we know a pe plant was a real person.  My favorite example of this is seen when Sarah attempts to run away but is fearful of the needs of her plant.  She decides to dig a hole in the ground for her friend and describes this procedure where she clearly identifies with the plant as having human physical features:

“I placed her into the hole and pressed the old dirt around her waist.  I kneel at her new spot and try not to cry.  Tell her all the cool things she will be able to see from this view.”  (page 225-226)

As the book continues, she begins to open up to more person to person connections including her neighbors, grandmother, father and even her mother.  We learn through unpeeling the layers surrounding the little girl’s life that she is not the meek character from the beginning and in fact is a strong young woman who the world eagerly awaits to read her own words.  The reader is probed into believing that her friendship with the plant is at least partly responsible for this breakthrough.

Do you have zucchini coming out of your ears? Is your squash challenging you to come up with new recipes that are fun, healthy and inventive?  Look no further. This year’s harvest of the delicious legume has been wildly successful making it imperative to whip up several different ways to utilize the crop.  Since zucchini is a tough vegetable to freeze (although possible) the smart way to handle an abundance of one vegetable is to get creative with your culinary options.  You’ll be pleased to know that squash can be used in a wide variety of dishes offering delectable taste at a low calorie intake.  Even the fussiest eaters will dive right in to these suggestions that have become my summer go to recipes during zucchini picking season.  Give them a try and watch this veggie become your family’s favorite!

Grilled Zucchini

There’s nothing more delicious than veggies cooked straight on the grill.  With minimal seasoning of salt, pepper, olive and rosemary, you can turn an average side dish into the main attraction.  Mix with other varieties such as carrots, peppers or potatoes and give yourself a break to make cooking easy!

Zucchini and Couscous

I love this side, particularly with salmon because the flavors compliment one another with texture and color.  All you have to do is dice zucchini in small triangles and sauté in a pan with olive oil.  Follow the directions to a Near East couscous package (the parmesan box is so good) and once it’s ready, mix the squash together and let sit for 20 minutes.  If you also have tomatoes growing at the same time, throw those in too for a little added decadence.

Zucchini Focaccia

This might take a little longer than the others but boy, is it worth it!  Roll out two squares of pizza dough and slather a layer of soft garlic cheese over the top.  Place the top square over the other and dust with olive oil.  Seal the edges by gently pinching the sides to capture the flavors.  Layer strips of zucchini and red onion in rows and season with salt, pepper and another serving of olive oil.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Slice like pizza and serve immediately. YUM!

As flower and plant lovers, we often associate them with décor, landscaping or centerpieces when in fact we are limiting our interpretation by not realizing that flora and fauna play active roles in our environment.  For instance, some species encourage the breeding of other imperative vegetation, insects and in some circumstances animals.  They supply the needed nutrients for critters as well as provide shelter and habitats for millions of different varieties of life.  Yes, plants and flowers capabilities move far past their characteristics of beauty and provide essential food, warmth and shelter for many of the earth’s inhabitants.  Since their role is so imperative to maintaining a healthy ecological system, it made me wonder if they possess the necessary defense mechanisms that other moving life may have.  Surprisingly, I found several examples of plants that not only have the capability to protect them from danger but can also use insects and animals to act as their personal weapons.  I know it sounds wild but there are actually some examples of growing vegetation that are gifted in this sense and can actually fight off potential harm by befriending other members gifted by Mother Nature, the most impressive being a flower called the “Black Mustard Plant”.

Black Mustard is a seemingly pretty, yellow, wild flower that commonly grows in bulk across fields and cliffs closely situated near the sea.  Also called, Brassisca Nigra, this flower is a customary meal for butterflies and their offspring, the caterpillar.  Butterflies use the plant stem and leaves to lay their eggs until they’re ready for hatching.  Once the ova matures, a caterpillar is born and is conveniently brought into the world laying right next to it’s primary food supply, the Black Mustard plant.  Caterpillars have long been the enemy of this species because they have historically, wiped out entire crops just by munching up and down the leaf stock.  

Now here’s where things get interesting…

Once the plant has detected a caterpillar egg, it releases a chemical through its pods, which signals its ally, the wasp.  Nearby wasps will instantly pick up on the SOS signal and locate the Black Mustard plant that is in distress.  The stinging insect then assesses the stem and leaves until they’ve found the butterfly’s eggs and then proceeds to destroy the contents.

Now this is where things get even more interesting…

Instead of leaving the remains, the wasp in turn uses the material for her own eggs!  Carefully, the new eggs are deposited inside the caterpillar shell and will successfully provide the needed home for the baby wasps.   Although the mustard plant and the wasp are an unlikely pairing for friendship, together they have managed to protect and nourish one another in their natural habitats.

Isn’t nature something!  

Freezing Blueberries for Winter Enjoyment

Recently, I took my five-year-old blueberry picking to one of Boston’s superb farms.  He loved it because not only could he choose which berries he wanted to take home with him, he was able learn where food comes from.  We collected those gorgeous sapphire spheres for an hour until our arms were full of cartons spilling over.  On the way home, we happily popped dozens into our mouths for a delicious yet healthy afternoon snack.  I envisioned packing baggies of blueberries for camp lunches, tossing handfuls into their morning breakfast and even possibly baking a blueberry pie.  But as many of us have, my ideas were too big for what I was able to accomplish within the needed timeframe.  Sure, the kids grabbed plenty out of the refrigerator when they wanted them but in the end, I just had too many to handle all at once.  I couldn’t bare to witness our picking efforts wasted in the trash.  There must be a way to save these juicy morsels so that we can enjoy them before rotting!

Freezing berries is a technique that every New Englander should learn since our warm summer days and necessary growing temperatures are contained within only a few months.  It is imperative that we use freezing as a way to utilize the fruit throughout the year which will save us money, not to mention quality in taste.  If blueberries are not properly handled, there’s a high chance of disappointment when we go to thaw a freezer burned bag of tiny prunes.  Follow these steps and you’ll be able to munch on your own picked blueberries long after the snow begins to fall again in New England.

Blueberry Freezing Instructions

1. When you bring your fresh berries home –resist the urge to immediately wash them.  Sogginess can result making them messy and squishy.

2. Find adequate storing containers such as Tupperware that have strong lids that can defend against burning.  If you don’t want to use this type of storing vessel, grab some freezer ready Ziploc bags.  They work just as well and can be discarded after use.  

3. Place DRY berries in their freezing containers making sure there is as little air as possible trapped inside.  Air will age the berries stealing their freshness and tart taste.  

4. Store in the freezer and allow enough time for the berries to harden.

5.  When you are ready to eat them, either leave them out to naturally warm to room temperature or stick them into a colander and rinse with cool water.  

New England has its fair share of blizzards but lucky for us, we also get to experience the warmer side of the weather spectrum during July and August.  Although temperatures in the metro Boston area commonly subside within the mid to low eighty’s, we can sometimes experience the occasional heat wave.  Since most of us are more accustomed to the chillier days of the year, a day of ninety-degree weather can sometimes make us a bit uncomfortable and dare I say-anticipating January and February once again.  But did you know that our flower and vegetable beds crave the heat causing seedlings and fruit to germinate at a healthy rate.  With the necessary watering, gardens can boom to three times the expected size during a season of muggy humidity.  Still not sold on the importance of steamy July and August months?  Take a look at these varieties that will make you thank Mother Nature for an extra fiery summer in New England!

Amaranthus

This is a fantastic flower to grow during the blazing New England summer months because it is both draught and heat resistant.  They are best started by seed indoors and then can be transplanted to a regular garden once the fear of a frost has passed.  When they’re ready, make sure you place them in a full-sun location since they’ll only grow taller and bigger with this type of environment.

Cosmos

Cosmos are the #1 first choice for my garden because even if I’m having a lousy growing season, I can always depend on cosmos to be spectacular!  Having the capability to re-seed itself, they can grow extremely tall so staking the stems may be necessary.  Be sure not to over water and allow full sunshine to increase bud productivity.

Lantana

Lantana is the answer to your prayers if you have a place in your yard that has difficulty providing the right outer elements for successful growing.  Craving little moisture, this fuss free plant is a knockout in the scorching temperatures and comes in a wide variety of stunning colors.  Another bonus of this plant is that critters such as rabbits despise the scent so you will find it beneficial to place the flower around your vegetable crops.