Tips for Planting the Summer Vegetable Garden and Deep Mulch Gardening

This post is an updated version of one that was originally published in April 2011.
 
We've passed our last frost date here in southern New Mexico, so it is time to plant the summer garden! I'm excited for the year ahead, and hoping to try a few new techniques this year. I have a couple new raised beds for more planting space this year, and I'm going to try out deep mulch gardening in some areas instead of my usual method. The keys to a happy garden are good soil, the right amount of water, and plenty of sunshine.

Plan it Out
Before I planted my first summer garden a few years ago, I drew up a little plan of my garden and mapped out where I would plant everything.  Then I actually planted things and learned that the "plan" was totally off. These days, I still like to do at least a bit of planning ahead for plant placement. I do the following:

• Take stock of old seeds - If you've previously planted a garden, you may still have some old seed packets.  Figure out what you've got and what you still need for this year. I only had to buy a couple seed packets this year. 
• Plan for companion plants - For instance, tomatoes will benefit from being planted near parsley and dill, and would enjoy the afternoon shade offered by sunflowers.  Basil likes to be planted near tomatoes. For more ideas, check out my post on companion planting with herbs.
• Get a rough idea of plant placement - Make sure to find a nice, sunny spot for your plants.  To reduce pests and diseases, it is a good idea to make sure you don't plant the same type of plants in the same location year after year.  I also need to re-think plant placement a bit each year because my compost heap changes locations and other plants (like strawberries) have taken over more area in the garden.

Prep the Soil and Add Compost
Good soil is key to a flourishing garden.  The ideal soil will have plenty of nutrients for the plants, will drain away excess water to prevent root rot, and will also retain enough moisture to keep the plants from drying out too much between waterings. Even if you have great soil, at a minimum you'll still want to turn over the dirt in your garden annually (unless you want to try the deep mulch gardening technique, which I will describe later in the post). This ensures that the ground is not too hard-packed so that roots can easily grow.  It also helps to mix nutrients evenly into the soil since certain areas may have been depleted by previous plantings.

If you don't have very good soil, you'll need to amend it to make it better.  Overly sandy soil drains too quickly and the plants will dry out too much.  In some yards, there is clay soil which is problematic since it drains very slowly and is very compacted (which makes it hard for roots to grow). The best thing to use for amending your soil is compost!

Compost is basically decomposed plant matter, and it is full of nutrients.  Using compost is a great way to enrich the soil as it retains just enough moisture and provides all the fertilizer your plants will need to grow and thrive.  The ground in my yard is full of sand and rocks.  Every year I remove more rocks and add more compost, so over time my garden soil is getting better and better.

Compost is also great to use because it can be very cost effective. I have two large compost piles, and it is wonderful to put all of my vegetable scraps plus yard waste to such good use.  If you don't yet make your own compost, check to see if your local city has any available.  In my area, we can get compost for free at the city landfill.  You can also buy compost at the store.  Whichever compost you use, make sure it is fully composted before planting your vegetables in it.  My mom uses store-bought compost and finds it best to amend the soil and then wait 1-2 weeks before planting.

Get to Planting
Once your soil is ready, you can start planting!  Some plants, like tomatoes, get planted individually with plenty of space between plants.  Other plants, like corn, get planted in rows.  And then squash, cucumbers, and melons get planted in hills.

When transplanting tomato or tomatillo plants, it is a good idea to plant them much deeper than other seedlings. The bottom of the main stem (which includes some leaves) should be buried in the ground.  This will give the tomato plants a head start as roots will grow off the main stem.

This year, the edible plants in my garden will be:

• Tomatoes
• Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, and yellow squash
• Cucumbers
• Sunflowers, marigolds, and nasturtiums
• Strawberries 
• Swiss chard
• Watermelons
• Pumpkins
• Green onions
• Celery
• Corn
• Parsley, basil, oregano, dill, mint, and thyme

Make it Beautiful with Flowers
I take a queue from my mom and always plant flowers in with my vegetables.  This makes the garden beautiful to look at, but it also aids the vegetables.  For instance, sunflowers can provide late-afternoon shade for tomatoes, marigolds can benefit strawberries, and zinnias can attract lots of beneficial pollinators.  Nasturtiums are also great to plant as bugs are more attracted to them than to your veggies. For more information on companion planting with flowers, check out the Extreme Gardening book.

Set up the Watering System
Where I live, we have a yearly rainfall of only 8-11 inches so supplemental watering of the garden is absolutely required!  If you don't get regular rain in your area, you'll also need to supplement the water in your garden.  I know many people who like to use sprinklers or even water with the hose by hand, but my preferred method for watering is a drip system. Drip systems are wonderful for many reasons:

• Drip systems deliver water directly to the ground around your plants.  This keeps the plants healthy and beautiful as many do not like having their leaves wet.
• If you use a timer with your drip system, it will ensure that your plants get watered on a regular basis. This is a must for me as I can't be trusted to remember to water my garden all the time.  
• Drip systems conserve water since the water goes directly into the ground where it is needed, instead of up into the air.

Setting up a drip system can be complicated or simple.  My drip system is part of the overall landscape irrigation system that we installed.  However, you can easily set up a drip system off the hose bib in your yard as well.  They even sell drip system kits at the home improvement stores.  If you want more info, check out this free irrigation tutorial site.  

Mulch!
Once you are done transplanting and your seeds have started growing well, it is a good idea to apply a layer of mulch to the garden.  Mulch helps to keep the ground from drying out too much, and it also keeps the plants off of the moist ground. Alfalfa hay is especially good to use as a mulch because it provides nutrients to the soil as time goes on.

Deep mulch gardening, which I will be experimenting with this year, is a method whereby you add lots of mulch (at least 8-12 inches) and leave it in place.  Then you just separate the mulch a bit to plant.  This method is supposed to involve no digging or weeding, as more mulch gets continually added on top while the mulch on the bottom breaks down.  Where I live, the trickiest part of implementing this method will be watering.  I'll let you know how my experiments with this method work out.

Get the Kids Involved 

Getting your kids involved in the garden is wonderful.  It teaches them about the life cycle of plants, lets them feel responsible and confident, and gives them skills for their own gardening endeavors as they grow up.  Even very young children can participate, although when they are under 2-years-old their contributions will look more like getting filthy in the dirt. My daughter has had her own little garden space since she was three-years-old.  She helps me plant seeds and transplant seedlings into my garden, but she especially loves having her own space where she can plant anything she wants, however she wants!  And she is immeasurably proud when she gets to harvest food from her garden and watch us all enjoy it at the dinner table.

Watch it Grow and Keep a Journal!
Once your garden is planted, it's time to enjoy watching it grow until the foods are ripe.  A friend gave me the great idea to keep a gardening journal.  Each year, I record what was planted, when it was planted, and how it fared.  This helps me keep track from year-to-year on what worked best.

What are you planting this year? Have you tried deep mulch gardening?  What are your tips for planting the summer garden?

This post is part of Fight Back Friday!

Teriyaki Chicken Wings (gluten-free : grain-free : primal : paleo)

(I've moved! You can see this recipe on my new website here!)

I'm excited to share a wonderful recipe for teriyaki chicken wings from my friend Sharon.  These wings are so good that everyone in my family clamors for more. The wings are marinated and then cook up in less than 30 minutes in a nice, hot oven.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Serves 4

• About 2 pounds chicken wings, preferably from pastured chickens
• For the Marinade:
• 1 cup mild-flavored honey
• 1 cup gluten-free tamari soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tb minced fresh ginger, or 2 tsp dried ginger
• juice from 1 orange 
•  High temperature cooking oil, such as refined coconut oil or sunflower oil

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir a bit, and if necessary let it sit for about ten minutes so the honey can dissolve (especially if you are using crystallized raw honey).  Stir again. 
2. If your wings are all in one piece, use a sharp knife to separate the drummettes from the flat pieces. Add the raw chicken wings to the marinade and push them down to submerge. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge for at least 8-30 hours. The longer, the better!
3. Use the high-temp oil to grease two large sheet pans, or you could even use two large 9X13 glass baking dishes. 
4. If you'd like a little sauce for dipping (or just want to make the most of the marinade and use it for another purpose, such as salad dressing), pour some of the marinade into a small saucepan.  Bring this to a boil, skim the foam, and let it cook down for awhile over low heat.
5. Pour off the rest of the marinade, and place the chicken wings on the greased baking dishes. 
6. Bake the chicken wings at 425 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes.  Use some tongs to flip the wings after about 15 minutes of cook time.
7. Allow the wings to cool a bit and then serve alongside sesame snap peas, a green salad, and/or egg drop soup.  You can drizzle some of the cooked marinade on top if you like your wings extra saucy.  (Make sure to let those baking dishes soak for awhile in hot soapy water before you try to clean them!)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (grain-free, gluten-free, primal, GAPS-option)

My husband always requests cookies for his birthday.  Last year, we had chewy cinnamon almond cookies, but this year I wanted to develop a new chocolate chip cookie recipe.  These cookies are not very dense, and for whatever reason they are much tastier after being refrigerated (and they are even soft enough to eat straight out of the freezer). Chocolate and peanut butter = Yum!

The challenge in making these GAPS-legal is to find chocolate chips that are GAPS-legal.  The chocolate chips I used are dairy-free and soy-free, but they do still have evaporated cane juice as a sweetener so they are not GAPS-legal.  You could just omit the chocolate chips to make them fully GAPS-legal, and they are quite yummy that way too. And you can see that they are very pretty without the chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1 cup mild-flavored honey
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 Tb organic vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
• 3/4 tsp fine-ground celtic sea salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 3 Tb almond flour, preferably from crispy nuts
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)*
• 1/2 cup chopped crispy pecans (optional)
• Optional equipment: stand mixer**

 

1. Set your oven racks so that none are in the bottom third of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the salt, baking soda, coconut flour, and almond flour.  Whisk well to combine and break up any lumps of coconut flour.
3. Beat the softened butter for a couple minutes, until it is light and fluffy.
4. Add the honey and continue to beat for a few more minutes until the honey is incorporated very well.  If you are using a stand-mixer, make sure you scrape the sides and bottom a couple times to get everything incorporated well.
5. Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well, scraping the bowl as needed.
6. Add the eggs one at a time while the mixer is running.  The easiest way to do this is to break all of the eggs into a bowl or cup and then just pour them in one-at-a-time.  Let each egg get incorporated before adding another one.
7. While the mixer is running, add the dry ingredients a little at a time.  Since coconut flour does not contain gluten, there is no worry of over-mixing it!
8. Stir in the optional chocolate chips and pecans. 
9. Scoop the cookies onto greased cookie sheets (or line the cookie sheets with silpats, which are wonderful since the cookies never stick and are less likely to burn).  I like to use a 1-Tb scoop for consistently pretty cookies, but you could just use a spoon.
10. If you like, press down the cookies slightly with a spoon or fork.  In the pictures above, the plain peanut butter cookies were not pressed down, and you can see that they are nicely rounded on top.  Pressing down will give you a flatter cookie, like the chocolate chip ones in the top picture.
11. Bake the cookies at 325 F for about 16-20 minutes (or a few minutes longer if you are cooking them on stoneware). They are done when they are golden brown on top and a little darker brown on the edges.
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Then use a spatula to move them to a cooling rack.
13. Once cool, store these cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.  They are nice and chewy straight from the fridge, and even soft enough to eat straight out of the freezer!  Storing them in the freezer will also remove the pressure of having to eat them all in a week or so, as they will last for months in the freezer.

*I used dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips, but they are still not GAPS-legal. To make this recipe GAPS-legal, you may have to omit the chocolate chips or try to make your own using honey as a sweetener.
**I love using my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer for making cookies as it makes it very easy to add the ingredients while the mixer is running.

Easiest Plants for Beginning Gardeners

Over the few years I've been gardening, I've learned that some plants require lots of effort, but some are very easy.  If you are just getting into gardening, you may as well start with the easiest plants! The easiest plants:

• keep coming back year after year with no additional effort
• produce plenty to harvest
• don't require any special fertilizers or other special treatment

Since I live in the desert, we have large temperature variations.  We see temps over 100 degrees every summer, and usually get down to the low teens in the winter (except the previous winter when we had a freak snow storm and temps of -10F). In my garden, the easiest plants to grow are:

• Strawberries
• Green onions
• Celery
• Parlsey
• Thyme
• Mint

Strawberries
Growing strawberries seems to be my freak superpower.  I started with 25 plants about 3 years ago, and these have propagated so that now I have a bajillion plants.  During peak strawberry time I harvest about 20-40 berries a day for over 6 weeks.

Tips for Strawberries

• Strawberries reproduce by sending out runners. Make sure to plant them in an area where they have plenty of room to expand since the runners will slowly reach out to cover more and more area.
• Strawberries like sandy soil!
• Mulch around the base of the strawberry plants. This really helps prevent all of the berries from being eaten by bugs. I use straw or hay to mulch the strawberry patch. Pine needles are supposed to work great as well.
• Conventional strawberry growing calls for mowing down the plants after the harvest. I DO NOT do this! I just let the strawberries grow and grow. By the end of the growing season, they grow to where there is no space to walk in a 10-foot X 10-foot area. In the Fall, I invite friends to come over and dig up some strawberry plants to transplant into their own yards. I just make sure they dig them up in rows, so I have some space to walk again in the strawberry patch.

Green Onions

I use green onions as companion plants for my strawberries and apple trees.  Whenever I need some green onions for cooking, I just go snip some off a few green spikes.  Some of the green onions in my garden have been growing for over 3 years. 

Tips for Green Onions

• When you need some green onions for a recipe, do NOT pull up the green onions.  Rather, just cut off some green parts and leave the rest in the ground.  The onions will continue growing new green parts!  
• Leave some green onions growing long enough to make seeds.  Once the onions have been growing over a year, they will make flowers and seeds. The seeds can easily be collected and planted, or just left to drop where they are if you want more onions in that location. 

Celery
My three celery plants have been growing for over 3 years. They do not tend to make any big stalks like the ones you buy at the store, but they make lots of little stalks and celery leaves.  This is a great way to always have some celery on hand for making soups and stews. I do still occasionally buy celery at the store when my daughter is requesting to eat ants on a log (celery filled with peanut butter with raisins on top).

Tips for Celery

• Plant the celery in a location where you can leave it growing for years.
• When it is time to harvest some celery, just cut some directly off the plant and leave the rest in place.  It will continue to grow new stalks and leaves.   

Parsley
I originally planted parsley as a companion plant for my strawberries, and to have a little for making homemade ranch dressing.  Parsley has really proliferated in my garden, and has even started popping up around my apple trees.  Parsley is great because it attracts beneficial pollinators and predaceous insects to the garden.

Tips for Parsley

• Plant parsley in a location where you would welcome more parsley plants. In the late spring, parsley will drop lots of tiny seeds that will readily grow into new plants.
• When it is time to harvest parsley, just cut off what you need and the rest will continue to grow. 

Thyme
I planted some thyme in my garden bed and a little in a pot a few years ago.  These plants are perennials, so they just keep on growing throughout the year. I love having fresh thyme on hand for cooking savory dishes.

Tips for Thyme

• Thyme will grow well in a variety of locations, ranging from pots to garden beds.  
• In the winter, the thyme leaves will turn a dark purplish color.  Although they look different, they still taste great.
• If your thyme gets too big or scraggly, don't be afraid to prune it back. 

Mint
Fresh mint is delightful to have on hand for throwing into some iced tea in the summer.  It is also great for stomach upsets and digestive woes. I like to just chew on it whenever the mood strikes me.

Tips for Mint

• Mint is notorious for taking over wherever it is planted. Mine is planted in a pot so that it can't spread too much.
• Although the mint plants will die back when winter arrives, many more mint plants will pop up once warm temperatures come back in the spring.

What plants keep coming back year after year for you?

Thinking Beyond Time-Out and Spanking

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to disciplining children. Every child is different, and parents have to find what works best for them. Although my husband and I were both spanked as children, we have decided not to spank our children. This was not a decision we planned much in advance, but one we came to as we realized that spanking would really not work well with our daughter. She is generally a compliant child, and she also gets her feelings hurt rather easily.

Even trying to implement time-out as a discipline technique was very traumatic for my daughter, and I cannot imagine how she would have reacted to being spanked. The first time we did a time-out, our daughter was 2 years old, and she was upset for hours afterwards despite the fact that I had even stayed with her during the time-out! She was insecure the rest of the day, and very clingy. Our daughter is very emotionally sensitive, and she has even cried when we have read story books that told of children being spanked (even though she herself has never been spanked).

Over time, we did get into the groove of using time-out as a discipline technique fairly frequently, but it still never worked very well for us. Once my son was old enough to be mobile, time-outs really became a headache for me since I would have to drop whatever I was doing to keep him occupied so he wouldn't try to play with his sister while she was in time-out. Once I realized that I was dreading time-outs, I figured I had better come up with some alternatives.

Alternatives to Time-out and Spanking
The following is a list of some alternative discipline methods that have worked well for us.  I'm sure that as my daughter gets older, and as we start needing to discipline her 2-year-old brother more, we will need to come up with even more alternatives.    

• Consequences that fit the behavior 
• Whenever possible, I try to use consequences that are an obvious direct result of the problem behavior. For instance, if a toy is thrown or otherwise mistreated, that toy goes away for a period of time. If my daughter takes a very long time to eat her dinner (to where all the other dinner dishes have already been washed), then she has to wash her own dishes. If my daughter takes an extra long time getting her pajamas on before bed, then she loses some of her nightly story time. 
• As much as possible, these consequences are administered with a cool head and a calm voice, so that the consequences are what the child remembers. These are consequences that show kids that there is a corresponding reaction to their actions, and these have worked great in teaching my children to behave responsibly.
• Taking away a beloved toy for a short time 
• This approach works very well with my daughter.  She typically is attached to a specific stuffed animal throughout each day.  When she is behaving badly, or most often when she is not doing what I have asked her to do, then she will lose her beloved stuffed animal for a short period of time.  This works even if she is not holding the stuffed animal at the moment the problem arises.  
• The amount of time should be fairly short for young kids (such as a few minutes), and the time can be increased as the kids get older (15 minutes is the length of time we use with my 5-year-old). I emphasize to my daughter that the timer doesn't start counting until she is not crying, and that the time will be increased if she continues to misbehave.
• Writing lines 

• When there is a specific misbehavior that occurs repeatedly, it works well to have my daughter write lines.  For instance, if she whines or cries rather than asking me nicely for something, then she will have to go write "I will not cry" or "I will not whine".  This is a remarkably effective technique for us, because it stops the problem behavior almost immediately and usually changes my daughter's mood.  
• It also works well because I am usually able to administer this technique with a calm, level voice.  I also make sure to talk about the problem behavior with my daughter and let her know that she'll be writing lines to help her remember the appropriate way to behave. 
• We started using this technique when my daughter was just over 4 years old.  At that young age, she would just have to trace the words (you can write them with a light-colored marker on handwriting practice paper, and then the child just needs to trace them, or you could print them in the dashed font that works well for writing practice).  Now that my daughter is a little older, I just write a sample of the sentence in small print at the top of the page, and then she writes it out herself.  Since she is older, the sentences become a bit more complex, such as "I will not snatch toys away from my brother".  
• I typically only require her to write one line per misbehavior, but will increase the amount if the behavior keeps going on. For instance, I'll tell her that the longer she keeps crying, the more lines she will have to write (I know this may sound like cruel-and-unusual punishment to some of you, but you'd have to know my daughter to know that she will sometimes cry at the drop of a hat, so this is something we really have to work on with her).
• If your kids do not like writing, this is probably not a good discipline technique to use.  My daughter, though, loves to do schoolwork, so this discipline technique does not give her any negative association with writing.
• Positive reinforcement of good behavior
• Sometimes, we get into a rut and I find that I seem to be interacting negatively with my daughter more often than not.  When this happens, I make sure to implement some positive reinforcement for good behaviors.  This can be as simple as making sure to say "thank you" when she does what she is asked, or as complicated as implementing a reward chart to keep track of good things she does. 
• Reward charts can be remarkably effective in changing the pace of the day from focusing on negatives to focusing on positives instead.  I don't use reward charts for extended periods of time, as I find that they can get my daughter into the mindset that she should have a reward every time she behaves properly.  But, I do find that reward charts are great to use when you get stuck in a negative rut.  For instance, after my son was born, I found that I seemed to be correcting my daughter often and seldom giving her positive attention.  So, for a couple months, we used a reward chart to keep track of good behaviors (such as brushing her teeth without a battle, cleaning up her toys, putting dirty laundry in the clothes basket, etc.)  Each time she did one of the "good" behaviors, she would get to put a sticker on her chart. For every ten stickers, she got to choose a reward, such as having a balloon, watching a short video, doing fingerpainting, etc.  (This also worked remarkably well in teaching her how to count with one-to-one correspondence.) 
• One other particularly effective method of positive reinforcement is to turn any problem activity into a game.  For instance, if I want my daughter to clean up her toys quickly, I can turn it into a game just by saying "Who is the fastest cleaner?" and then starting to run around and pick things up.  Getting ready to go can become a game just by saying "Who can get ready the fastest?" and then running to get ready. With a little creativity, almost any activity can be turned into a game, and then instead of struggling, my kids are excited to participate. 
• Setting clear expectations
• One way to really stop bad behaviors before they start is to make sure to set clear expectations.  For instance, when my daughter was younger, she would sometimes throw a fit when it was time to leave the park. This was greatly remedied once I started to briefly talk to her each time we went to the park about how I expected her to behave when it was time to leave.  Over time, this became a very short reminder of "No whining and no crying when it's time to go home".  Reminding my daughter that she is expected to share well before her friends come over was also very helpful when she was having troubles sharing.  
• Setting clear expectations also includes making sure that the kids know what to expect by following certain routines.  For instance, my daughter knows that I will give her a warning when we have only a few minutes left before going home, so I make sure to always follow that routine.

I think it is important to keep the end goal in mind when disciplining our kids.  I do not want my kids to cower in fear of me, nor do I want them to think they can get away with anything they want to do. I want my children to grow up to be responsible, respectful, and compassionate people, and so their discipline needs to work towards that goal.

What discipline techniques work best for you?

Tuna Salad (GAPS-legal : paleo : primal)

This tuna salad recipe is very simple to make and so delicious.  The addition of grated carrots and scallions takes this tuna salad beyond the usual plain tuna salad. It tastes great served on a bed of greens or as a tuna sandwich (I'll be posting my grain-free sandwich bread recipe soon!).

Tuna Salad
Serves 4-6

• Two 6-oz cans of albacore tuna, drained (Crown Prince brand is BPA-free)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 Tb minced green onion, green part only
• generous squeeze of lemon juice, about 1/2 Tb
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tb mayo, preferably homemade (or bump this up to 3/4 cup of mayo if the tuna will be served on bread)
• 1 medium dill pickle, chopped (we love Bubbie's fermented pickles)
• salt and pepper

1. Put the tuna in a medium bowl and flake it with a fork.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Don't be shy with the salt!
3. Serve on a bed of greens dressed with lemon juice/olive oil/salt and pepper.  Or serve it on bread as a sandwich. I like to put a little mayo directly on the bread as well.

Strawberry Chocolate Layer Cake (GAPS-legal : gluten-free : grain-free : primal : paleo)

My daughter recently celebrated her 5th birthday, and she requested strawberry chocolate cake.  I was happy to oblige her! This strawberry chocolate cake is moist and delicious. The strawberries meld into the cake, so the texture is still nice and soft.  This cake recipe is sweet, but not overly sweet, and it goes great with some homemade ice cream.

Strawberry Chocolate Layer Cake
Makes a 2-layer cake

• 1 cup butter, preferably from grassfed cows (or substitute unrefined coconut oil for a dairy-free option)
• 1 & 1/4 cups honey
• 1.5 tsp fine-ground celtic sea salt
• 12 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
• 1 Tb organic vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup plus 2 Tb coconut flour
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tb cocoa powder* (I use alkaline-free cocoa powder)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda**
• 10 oz frozen strawberries, thawed just enough to be sliced***
• Vanilla buttercream frosting, recipe follows
• Required equipment: two 9-inch cake pans, parchment paper
• Optional equipment: immersion blender****

1. Liberally grease the sides of two 9-inch cake pans with butter or coconut oil.  Dust the sides with a little coconut flour.  Then line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.  This will keep the cake from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Turn off heat and add the honey to the pan.  No stirring is necessary at this point. Let this cool a bit.
3. Meanwhile, combine the eggs, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and baking soda in a large bowl. If using an immersion blender, pulse a few times to combine.  Otherwise, mix with whisk or mixer.
4. Pour the honey/butter into the wet ingredients and blend well with an immersion blender or mixer. 
5. Measure out the coconut flour and cocoa powder. If you are not using an immersion blender, sift both the coconut flour and cocoa powder and whisk them together.
6. Pour the coconut flour and cocoa powder into the wet ingredients.  Using an immersion blender or mixer, mix well to combine and make sure there are no lumps.  Since coconut flour does not contain gluten, there is no worry of over-mixing it.
7. Fold in the sliced strawberries.
8. Pour the batter into the two prepared cake pans. 
9. Bake the cake in a 325 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes.  They will be done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  My cake pans are dark colored, so it may take longer if yours are light colored.  It will also take less time if you use fresh strawberries instead of frozen.
10. Let cool for awhile (but not until completely cool) and then carefully remove the cakes from the pans.  I use a small plastic spatula to go around the perimeter of the cake to loosen it from the pan.  Then place a large plate over the cake pan and quickly invert.  You may need to tap the bottom of the cake pans a bit to release the cakes.
11. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

*According to Natasha Campbell McBride's FAQs, cocoa is allowed occasionally while on the Full GAPS diet once digestive symptoms have subsided.
**Baking soda is listed as GAPS-legal in the 10th edition of the GAPS book.
***Do NOT thaw the strawberries all the way!  If you choose to use fresh strawberries instead of frozen, they will probably not meld into the cake, but will be a bit more chunky.
****Using an immersion blender will allow you to skip the step of sifting the coconut flour and cocoa powder, and also makes less dirty dishes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting*

• 3/4 cup raw honey
• 1&1/2 cups butter, softened but still cool
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• dash fine celtic sea salt 
• Optional equipment: stand mixer with whisk attachment

1. Beat the butter for several minutes using a mixer, until it is nice and fluffy.
2. Add the honey, vanilla, and salt and beat for several more minutes.  About halfway through, the frosting may look a bit curdled, but keep mixing and it will smooth out.
3. Using a spatula or butter knife, spread the frosting over the cake.
4. Beware that this frosting will melt easily, so store the cake in the fridge if it is hot in your house!

*Thanks to the reader who commented on my previous frosting recipe that it worked great without the eggs and hot honey.  This recipe is so much more simple!

This post is part of Fat Tuesday, Monday Mania and Fight Back Friday!

Grocery List Chart

Why Use a Chart for Your Grocery List?
Making a chart for your shopping list may seem like more trouble than it is worth, but I find my shopping list chart to be indispensable. Using a shopping list chart helps me make sure that I never forget any of our staple grocery items when I go shopping. I only go to the grocery store twice a month; this really helps me save on gas and on groceries. I have found that the less I go to the store, the less money I spend on groceries (despite the fact that our appetites are the same whether I shop weekly or twice a month).

Getting Started
Charts can easily be made by hand on paper, but the most efficient way to make charts and spreadsheets is to use a computer program. Using a computer allows you to easily change the format of your charts, add or delete entries, and even add in automatically-calculated math formulas if you so desire. I typically use Microsoft Excel to make my charts and spreadsheets, but you could also use the free Calc program from Open Office or Apple’s Numbers program for Mac users.

Laying Out Your Chart
The items on my chart are ordered in such a way that they follow the flow of walking through the store. This makes it very easy to get everything as I need as I shop, without having to back-track through the store. The chart has plenty of blank spaces so I can write in any additional items.  I always keep a copy of this chart on the fridge so we can fill it in as we go throughout the month. You should tailor your chart to fit the needs of your kitchen.

Saving Your Chart
When you save your charts and spreadsheets, sometimes it is nice to save multiple versions. For instance, I have two versions of my shopping list: one for the Nourishing Traditions-style diet, and one for the GAPS Diet (which is a temporary healing diet). This will make it easy to transition back to the Nourishing Traditions diet when we have completed the GAPS Diet.

If you’d like to use my chart as a template, please e-mail me at nourishedandnurtured[at]gmail[dot]com.

This post is part of Monday Mania!