Looking for an awesome recipe for all those spring radishes? This recipe for radish coleslaw sounds kind of funky, but it’s delicious. I promise. Make a double batch and you’ll have plenty to bring to a potluck.

Ingredients

1 cup radishes, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
1/3 cup sour cream {or mayo}
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. mustard Seed
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Directions

In a large bowl, toss the shredded radishes, cabbage and carrots together then add vinegar and mix well.

In small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, and garlic powder. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss cabbage mixture and dressing together and allow to chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve cold.

Looking for a more traditional coleslaw recipe? Try this copy cat recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Cole Slaw

Andy was pretty quiet last week–in fact, I almost sent the HH down to the basement to do a welfare check.  Just when I thought he’d disappeared for good, I spotted him out back whispering to one of the yard gnomes.  Turns out, he’d just been homesick for Gladys.  He said he’d spent the week in downwarddog trying to recenter himself.

Lucky for Andy, Gladys showed up later that afternoon.  And, um, well, she’s not quite what I expected.  To be honest, she looks like she has sin written all over her.  {Lucy looked a little scared.}

Gladys had a real quick look around, and downed a can of what she called “the sweet nectar of life.”  Yikes.

Then she turned all of her attention to Andy.  I didn’t take pictures of their reunion {you’re welcome}.  Gladys could see that Andy had really let himself go in his state of depression and lectured him for not maintaining his “gorgeous coif.”  She immediately opened her suitcase and pulled out a cape, scissors and hair clips to get Andy “back in the game” with a haircut.

I’m not going to lie, I really wanted to see what else was in her suitcase while her back was turned, but Andy looked so scared, I thought I better stay and offer moral support.  Guess Andy was right, Gladys is his “very own little hurricane.”

To be continued…

If you are tired of walking outside to find your strawberries {or any other fruit or vegetable for that matter} with chunks missing, you might want to give bird netting a try.

Bird Netting is highly effective in keeping birds and other smaller critters out of the garden beds and away from the fruits and vegetables we all try to grow each year. Not only is it safe but bird netting can be taken down at the end of the season and reused the following year.

For the netting be effective, you’ll need to give it a little support so it’s just not laying on top of the plant foliage.  You can do this by using wood stakes at either end of the row and draping the netting over the berries.  Be sure and anchor the bottom of the netting with rocks or something of the like. The main goal is to keep those pesky birds reaching the berries and to keep them from getting caught under the netting.

Unless of course your hoping to catch a bird for a nice pot of stew.

How do you keep the birds out of YOUR garden?

~Mavis

Need some bird netting to protect your fruits and veggies?  Amazon sells it in various sizes or you can probably find it in your local hardware store too.

This year I’m on a mission to grow 4,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in my suburban backyard. In 2012 I was able to grow 2,028 pounds, and in 2013 I’m going double or nothing. I have absolutely no idea if I’ll be able to achieve my goal. But, as with any adventure, half the fun is getting there.   ~Mavis

*******

This past week we were able to harvest a little over 5 pounds of radishes, 4 pounds of lettuce, a wee bit of bok choy and some chives. Oh and eggs, let’s not forget about those.

It’s starting to get a little exciting around here with the summer planting almost done and the garden boxes filling up with shades of green. It won’t be too long before I’ll be hauling in buckets of peas and zucchini’s.

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited!

~Mavis

Here is what I have harvested so far this year:

Basil – 4 ounces

Beets - 14 ounces

Bok Choy – 4 oz

Check out this Asian Noodle Salad with Bok Choy I made. It’s pretty awesome.

Carrots – 3 ounces

Chives – 8 ounces

Egg Count – 1,171

We collected  80 eggs this past week. Do you have chickens? Do you have a fancy container to collect your eggs? We just seem to use whatever is handy. A box, a basket, a planting tray, sweatshirt pockets, whatever. Sometimes I think we need to have a designated container or something.

Lettuce – 6 pounds 8 ounces

We basically had a salad every day last week. Homegrown lettuce has a totally different taste to it. Growing your own food is kind of weird that way. You learn what real food is suppose to taste like.

Microgreens 5 ounces

I need to grow some more of these. My favorite way to eat microgreens is with egg salad sandwiches.

Oregano - 2 ounce

Potatoes – 2 pounds 9 ounces

Radish - 6 pound 4 ounces

My favorite radish of all time is the French breakfast radish. The taste is very mild and they are fun to look at.

Spinach – 3 ounces

Sprouts -1 pound 2 ounces

Here are instructions for growing your own sprouts.

Swiss Chard 11 ounces

Wheatgrass - 7 ounces

Total Food Harvested in 2013: 20 pounds 4 ounces

Total Eggs Collected in 2013: 1,171

If you are new to gardening or just want to learn more on the topic of organic gardening, my #1 favorite book is The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food By Tanya L.K. Denckla.

Happy Wednesday everyone! Just a few more days to go until the weekend!

 ~Mavis

Looking for a gardening book that will break everything down for you on a month by month basis? Then the The Weekend Homesteader is for you!. Whether it’s January or June you’ll find exciting, short projects that you can use to dip your toes into the vast ocean of homesteading without getting overwhelmed.

It’s never to late to start a garden. Amazon has the Greenland Gardener 6-Inch Raised Bed Garden Kit on sale for $29.99 shipped.

Back in Stock! Amazon currently has the Cottonelle Clean Care with Soft Ripples Bath Tissue {32- double rolls} available for only $13.80 when you clip the $2.00 off coupon below and use the subscribe and save option at check out {you must be signed in to your account to see the coupon}.

These Tasco Essentials 8×21 Binoculars would make a great gift for Father’s Day. They come highly rated and right now you can get them for only $11.83.

This Deal is Hot, Hot, Hot!

Zulily has a great Costco deal today: 50% off Costco Membership + Over $50 Worth of Coupons

Become a new Costco member or upgrade your existing Costco Gold Star or Business Membership with this limited deal. You’ll also receive more than $50 worth of coupon savings including:

• free rotisserie chicken
• free 48-pack of batteries
• free 35 count case of Kirkland Signature™ water

Save an Extra 25% Off  at Maidenform.com during their Memorial Day Sale! May 22nd thru May 28th.

I’ve heard great things about these Carseat Canopys, and right now you can get one for FREE or save $50 off  a “Whole Caboodle set” when you use code ENBABY at checkout!

There is a shipping charge of $12.90 so keep that in mind. However these Carseat Canopys are so incredibly cute, and you can have them shipped directly to the recipient, so I think they are totally worth the shipping fee.

Head on over HERE for Carseat Canopys and make sure and use code ENBABY at checkout!

Beat the heat with this Intex Easy Set Round Pool Set on sale for $79.99 shipped.  My neighbor Girly Girl has this one and her kids love it.

Living Social has the Expandable Garden Hose for $22 shipped. My Dad won’t stop talking about these!

Amazon has a 1 year subscription to Eating Well Magazine on sale for only $5 a year. This is a great magazine with all sorts of recipes and healthy tips.

Redbox Instant – Free Trial + 4 Free Redbox Credits

Unlimited streaming PLUS 4 free kiosk rental credits per month for subscribed users. Join Redbox Instant by Verizon for unlimited streaming movies PLUS 4 DVD rental credits at any Redbox kiosk. Join today to get started!

Each credit is good for 1 overnight rental of 1 DVD. If you keep your DVD an extra night, it just uses another credit. You won’t be charged until your credits are all used up. And the next month it refills to 4 DVD credits again. You can cancel at anytime.

A bunch of cereal coupons just popped up!

$0.50 off ONE BOX Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
$0.75 off Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch cereal
$1.00 off TWO BOXES General Mills Big G cereals
$0.50 off any ONE BOX Chex cereal
$1.00 off TWO BOXES General Mills kid cereals
$0.75 off ONE BOX Multi Grain Cheerios cereal
$0.50 off ONE BOX Original Cheerios cereal
$0.75 off ONE BOX Fiber One cereal
$0.75 off any variety Oatmeal Crisp cereal
$0.50 off ONE BOX Reese’s Puffs cereal
$0.75 off 2 Betty Crocker Frosting and cake mix
$0.50 off select Bisquick products

Find More Printable Coupons

I was never a fan of broccoli until this past year when I finally started doing something other than steaming the heck out of it and serving it with rice. I had no idea broccoli could taste so good with a few ingredients and a little effort.

This recipe for sesame garlic broccoli is my new favorite way to serve up these little green trees. I hope you like it. We sure do.

Ingredients

1 head broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed {optional}
sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a pot of boiling water, blanch the broccoli in hot water until bright green color has been achieved {about 3o seconds} then toss the broccoli in an ice bath, remove, pat dry and set aside.

Next in a lightly oiled pan, heat the broccoli with minced garlic and toss to coat until broccoli is warmed through. Remove the broccoli from the heat and drizzle with sesame oil. Add a little sesame seed, salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve warm.

Looking for more great fresh vegetable recipes? Check out the Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Jeanne Kelly, it looks delicious!

Thanks to the peeps at the Mother Earth News I’m giving away 5 sets of weekend passes to this years Mother Earth News Fair which is taking place at the Puyallup Fair Grounds Saturday June 1st, 2013 from 9:00 AM-7:00 PM and Sunday, June 2nd from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM.

The Mother Earth News Fairs are family-oriented, sustainable lifestyle events, packed with hands-on workshops and demonstrations on renewable energy, small-scale farming, green building, organic gardening, sustainable agriculture, green home building and more! So expect to get down and dirty at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR!

I’ll be hanging with my gnomies at the Mother Earth News Fair from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday, June 1st in the Botanical Interests booth with my online boyfriend Ryan so come on by and tell him what a hottie he is and who knows, maybe he’ll give you a free packet of radish seeds.

I’ll also be having coffee tea with local gardener Erica Strauss from NWEdible in the food court area from 2-3 pm on Saturday if you want to stop by and join us for an informal garden Q&A session.

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is let us know in the comments below if you can yodel or if you know anyone who can yodle. Yep. Those are the entry requirements.

This giveaway ends Sunday, May 26th, 2013 @9 pm PST and the winners will be announced in the Monday, May 27th, 2013 edition of Mornings with Mavis.  You will be notified via email and have 48 hours to claim your prize.

Good Luck! I hope you win!

~Mavis

For more information about the Mother Earth News Fair and their awesome line up of speakers and demonstrations, head on over HERE.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has sent in their photographs and stories. I hope by sharing other peoples pictures and stories here on One Hundred Dollars a Month we can all have a rock star garden this summer. Keep them coming!

Check out this story and the amazing backyard garden photos Bob and Sherle from California sent in:

Hi Mavis,

This year we decided to grow 2,000 pounds of produce in our garden. This meant that we needed to expand the garden somehow, our current garden being about 20′x25′. We started all our plants in our little greenhouse again this year. We love being able to save so much money and grow exactly what we want.

In the front yard we took out the flower patch, except for the roses, rosemary and oregano, and put in peas, three different types of kale, swiss chard, 2 varieties of lettuce, 2 varieties of cilantro, ten sunflowers and 3 genovese basil. The area isn’t very big, not quite the length of a garage and about 6′ wide, and we were quite surprised at how much we could pack in. Everything is growing beautifully and we have picked quite a lot of greens and peas.

In the main garden, plus one row, we have planted 6 varieties of tomatoes, cayenne and jalapeno peppers, zucchini, yellow summer squash, pickling cucumbers, green beans, broccoli, baby pumpkins, and more basil. I’m a little behind on the sweet potatoes, but they’ll go in by this weekend.

Since we had three old tires sitting around that we had used in prior years to grow potatoes and since we needed to expand my garden we decided to plant in them. We divided up the space in the tires and started planting. Since we still had more plants in the greenhouse and wanted to start some other plants my husband and I went on a small adventure to get more tires. As you can see our tire garden has grown quite a bit from the three we started with. The tire garden has beets, carrots, radishes, garlic, onion, tomatoes, melons, squash, cucumbers, dandelion greens for the bunnies, dill, parsley, and pepperoncini peppers. My son just brought home three more tires as we have more broccoli that needs to be planted and some other goodies.

Some friends of ours from church have a rather large field that they aren’t doing anything with and invited us to start a garden there. We would love to have even more gardens put in, but we can’t afford all the irrigation that will be needed as of yet.

We are putting in corn and peanuts. Corn because it’s easy and we don’t have to be there every day to make sure there’s nothing needing to be picked and peanuts because we’d like to give it a try and they provide the nitrogen that the corn is very busy removing.

Our neighbors bring us grass clippings for our compost bins and newspaper to put down under the straw. We lay newspaper and straw down because it gets pretty hot here and we need the “mulch” to help the water not get leached away by the sun, plus there are no weeds, which since we hate weeding, is very nice. Also the plants seem to like the color of the straw and they grow happier.

We still have pumpkins to put in the front yard. We will be prepping the area this weekend and then we have to figure out how to build some raised beds for the plants. I don’t think we can use tires in the front yard, not sure what our neighbors would think so we have to come up with something else. I might be able to scrounge up some old wood from somewhere.

So far this year we have picked 3.5 lbs of peas, 10 pounds of greens (kale and chard), and ¾ of a pound of radishes.

You can see more pictures and read some how to’s in a little book Sherle made through Shutterfly, though this is a digital version at: http://www.gospellearningcenter.com/resources/Garden/Garden.asp

Way to go Sherle and Bob! Your garden is magnificent!

~Mavis

Sylvia From Salem, Oregon Shares Her Garden Photos

If you would like to have your garden, chicken coop or something you’ve made featured on One Hundred Dollars a Month, here’s what I’m looking for:

• Your Garden Pictures and Tips – I’d especially like to see your garden set ups, growing areas, and know if you are starting seeds indoors this year. If so,  show me some picture of how you are going about it.
• Your Chicken and Chicken Related Stories – Coops, Chicks, Hen’s, Roosters, Eggs, you name it. If it clucks, send us some pictures to share with the world.
• Cool Arts & Crafts - Made from your very own hands with detailed {and well photographed} pictures and instructions.
• Your pictures and stories about your pets. The more pictures and details the better.

If I feature your pictures and the stories behind them on One Hundred Dollars a Month, I will send you a $20.00 gift card to the greatest store in the world: Amazon.com.

Go  HERE for the official rules.

Got shade?  A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine was saying that she only has a small area in her backyard for a garden, and it is not ideal because it’s mostly shady.  She wanted to know what I thought she could grow in the shade.

While it’s true, most edible garden plants prefer full sun, there are a couple that will give you yummy produce and tolerate the shady areas in your yard.

Here’s a few for her and you to try:

1. Celery–try this one in the heat of summer, when most gardeners can no longer grow celery.  The shade can provide a cooler place for the celery to be happy.
2. Asparagus–asparagus is a semi-shade plant, but I know lots of people who have been successful growing it in full shade.  Keep in mind, though, that it takes a couple of years before you get a crop.
3. Mint–mint is almost impossible to kill.  A lot of gardeners avoid it all together because they say it is invasive, spreading like wild fire.  It makes a great edible ground cover for a shady area though.
4. Bush beans–they actually prefer full-sun, but they can totally be grown in shade if you don’t mind lower yields.
5. Spinach–spinach loves the cooler weather, and the shade provides it long after spinach season would otherwise be over.  Try the New Zealand variety for even more success.
6. Arctic Beauty Kiwi–I really want these!  Apparently, it’s a vine that produces 10-15 pounds of fruit per year.   You’ll need 2 of them for pollination, but they are shade tolerant and cold hardy.
7. Swiss Chard
8. Kale
9. Lettuce–this is another one to try in the heat of summer.  Since it will normally bolt in hot weather, the shade can provide it a cooler place to thrive.

What do you grow in the shade?

~Mavis

Planting the Dry Shade Garden: The Best Plants for the Toughest Spot in Your Garden

It was another fantastic week gleaning from the free chicken scrap boxes.

Lucy discovered she likes watermelon!

There were so many strawberries to go through this week it was crazy! We made a few smoothies and ended up freezing the rest to use later in the year. If I remember correctly this is around the time we start to see a lot of those giant California strawberries start to hit the stores.

Lucky for us they have a pretty short shelf life so we are able to fill our freezer up all summer long with “seconds” to enjoy during the winter months.

Spotted bananas. Who wants to buy those? No one apparently. But we love them. Here is a recipe for banana pancakes. Make a stack of those and they’ll fill you up until lunch.

Check out the corn. We pulled the husks back and a few of them looked great.

Others, not so much.

This is the food we kept for ourselves and the rest went to the chickens.   The hens will pretty much eat anything but they really love pecking and the corn and lettuce.

What a bounty and all for free thanks to Mr. Produce Guy.

If I had to guess, I’d save that’s about $30 of fresh fruits and vegetables for free. What do you think?

~Mavis

Would you like to see what else we have brought home over the past year?

Head on over HERE to read all the past stories and to see all the pictures.

If you have just stumbled upon this series and are wondering how I got all this food for free, you’ll want to read this story first.