Gila Valley Temple Video

If you cut and paste this link https://lds.org/youth/video/gila-valley-temple-celebration?lang=eng into your browser you should be able to see the new Gila Valley Temple celebration video. It is so sweet and touching to see youth from our valley, including our own Shelby Peck, talk about the importance of the temple in their lives. I encourage you to take a look. It looks like there should also be something about it in the April New Era. I don't get the New Era, so someone will have to let me know if it's there.

March Gardening Tips in the Gila Valley

Everyone loved the gardening tips that Brother DeWitt used to write for us so much that we are resurrecting it on the blog. Check back each month for the current information. Remember there is no time like the present! Be sure to tell Brother DeWitt how much you appreciate it when you see him!

Don't we all wish our gardens were this beautiful!

March Gardening Tips

I sure hope you had some great success in starting some plants indoors to have them ready for transplanting into your garden. If it didn’t workout for you to get transplants from seeds by starting them yourself indoors over the past month, don’t fret too much! You still have two other viable options that will put you “in the green” this summer with a bountiful garden to supply you and your family with an abundant harvest. 1.) you can purchase plants from one of the local garden shops; 2.) you can start your crop seeds right in the garden. Wherever you find yourself today in regard to “planting” your garden, now is the time to “Just Do It”!

Right now is the time to get into action in your garden plot. This is the case especially if you will be starting your crops from seeds right into your garden soil. Tomatoes, chili’s, peppers, and all of your cool weather crops such as lettuce, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, and broccoli need to go in the ground. Follow the planting recommendations regarding the number of seeds, depth of planting, spacing between plants that can be found on your seed packets.

Whether you have grown your own transplants or you will be purchasing plants from a nursery, the transplanting process will be pretty much the same. The time to set-out your transplants depends a lot on the particular crop. Cool weather plants need to go in the ground the first or second week of March if possible. Otherwise you won’t get much of a crop before the hot weather will cause these plants to “bolt”, meaning they put on flowers so they can propagate by producing their seeds to ensure a future generation. Tomatoes need to be transplanted as early as feasible to allow them plenty of time to set fruit before the temperatures hit 95 degrees. Chili’s and other peppers also need to have an early start too in order to formulate mature foliage to protect the plant from the hot sun that comes in June. Summer squash and cucumbers are other plants that generally do well with early transplanting. Melons, pumpkins, and other winter squash can wait until the hot weather is upon us, and this is the case whether you are transplanting or sowing seeds directly in the garden. If you want an early crop of melons, you need to start seeds indoors and then transplant them as soon as all danger of frost is past.

Before we cover the transplanting process, here is a list of those crops that should be started from seeds directly into the garden around the second or third week of March: radish, carrots, spinach, beets, cabbage, eggplant, cauliflower, turnips, lettuce, kale, chard, parsnips, potatoes and onions – (whether seeds, sets, or plants), can all be planted a couple of weeks before the last predicted frost, (March 30). All beans, okra, rutabagas, peas, and corn need to be planted once all danger from frost is over. Even transplants of these crops may need some mild “protection” from an unusual cold snap, especially if the wind is blowing significantly.

Now for the transplanting tips that were promised:
• If you started your own seedlings, they need 12 – 16 hours of direct light each day. They must “sleep” at least 8 hours each day.
• Watering: be gentle. Water from the bottom rather than “sprinkling” from above. Place your seedling container in a tray or in the sink with warm water and they will “drink” like a wick.
• Give seedlings a light dose of houseplant food once a week.
• “Harden-off” plants before transplanting by exposing them to cooler outdoor temperatures increasingly each day about a week before transplanting into the garden.
• Don’t overly expose your seedlings to either sun or wind at the time of transplanting. I always wait to transplant until one hour before sunset. New transplants need the cooler night temperatures to fight through the shock of the transplanting. Also, the less the transplant’s roots are disturbed, the better off you are in reducing shock to the plant at the time of transplanting.
• Give plants a good soaking before transplanting.
• Put a little compost into your transplanting hole before placing the plant in it.
• Cup the roots with your hand to protect them when lifting the plant from the tray.
• Put plants about one inch deeper in the transplant hole than they were in their container, except tomatoes. They can be put so deep that only the top leaves are an inch or two above ground.
• Quickly cover the roots with soil and firm them in with the soil all around the plant.
• Water generously. Don’t worry about almost drowning your plants for the first couple of days after they are placed in the garden.

To print off click on the square icon on the far right next to the magnifiying glass.

Self Reliance Tip #3 What Can you Can?

I feel a song coming on......"On top of spaghetti..."


What is spaghetti without meatballs? It is like bologna without bread...or toast without butter. It just isn't right! My family loves spaghetti. We eat it about once every two weeks and is a big menu item in our storage. So I was thinking the other day, "Can you bottle meatballs?"


I did a search on google and found this recipe. I tried it. We love it.
http://preparingforemergencies.blogspot.com/2010/02/canning-meatballs.html

One question I've had is, " How will the consistency be?" I thought they might be a little rubbery. I also didn't know if they would handle the heat/ pressure. Would the crackers hold up?


They did fine. They stayed together. They do fall apart a little faster in your mouth than unpressurized.


Until next week...

Self Reliance Tip #2 Sprouting

Self reliance tip #2 is all about sprouting!

Did you know: Chinese sailors would sprout mung beans (my husband says that is TOO close to dung :) ) as a source of vitamin C? This way they prevented scurvy...we don't hear much about that disease, but I think we are all familiar with health problems associated with vitamin C deficiency. Actually, it is a better form of vitamin C than anything you can buy at the store!


You can read more about it here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/04/video-thursday-sprouting-flour/

What can you sprout? Tons of stuff!


Grains: Wheat, Rye, Barley, Buckwheat


Beans: Mung, Adzuki, Kidney, Lima, Black, Pinto


Nuts: Almonds


Other Seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, melons, sesame, chia, onion, cress, radish, fenugreek, poppy, alfalfa


How do you sprout?


In general, sprouting is done the same.


You will need:
•a glass jar
•ring
•clean nylon stocking
•1/4 C sprouting seeds
•water
Put the seeds in the bottom of the glass jar. Put the nylon hose over the top of the jar and secure it with the ring. Rinse the seeds with water and drain it through the nylon. Rinse the seeds about 3 times a day and in about 3 days your sprouts are ready!!


Most small seed sprouts can be eaten raw, however, kidney, lima, black and pinto beans need to be cooked before consumed. They will cook TONS faster too. You can keep wheat growing to become wheat grass that has different goodies than the sprout. The grains can be dried and ground into a highly nutritious flour called bulgur.


Other benefits of sprouting: When a seed is sprouted, it gets natural enzyme action going. Enzymes are very few and far between in our Western diet and aid in all kinds of good digestion! And another thing.....there is way more in there than Vitamin C!!! HEAVENLY FATHER IS SUCH A GENIUS!!!


If you want more information on sprouting, get the book "Nourishing Traditions" it is awesome!


That's all for now!

General Conference Packets for kids and youth

I can't tell you how many times I have waited until the morning of General Conference to print out these cute activites for my kids. So if you would like to join me in feeling a little bit more prepared for the day here is a link so you can get started and maybe be a little more organized.

http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7399

There are packets for nursery, junior primary, senior primary, primary in general, and the youth.

Have fun!

Self Reliance Tip of the Week #1 - Vacuum Seal a Jar?

Hello You Beautiful Ladies,


We want to share with you ways you may not be aware of in how to be more self reliant. Each week we will be sending out a "Tip of the Week". We welcome ideas from you too!


This week's tip:

Do you have a vacuum sealer? Did you know there is a jar attachment where you can use canning jar lids and seal all kinds of awesome things in them?


Things I have personally sealed: almonds, chocolate chips, and raisins.


Things I plan on sealing are: olive oil, walnuts, pecans, dried fruit, coconut, brown sugar, and more chocolate chips :),


Things you cannot seal this way: powdery stuff (like flour) it will get sucked up in the hose and stuck, things that need heat and pressure (like fruits and veggies etc).


Here is a link where you can purchase the attachment. The hose is not listed on their website so you will need to call them to order it. Wide mouth and regular mouth attachments are available.

http://www.foodsaver.com/Product.aspx?id=c&cid=89&pid=8060


If anyone would like to borrow mine, you're welcome to.