The Best Place for Gluten-Free Food

The absolute best place for fresh gluten free or allergen free food is not the grocery store. We're blessed to have three abundant spaces of land to fill with organically grown produce thanks to Yan's amazing mom. Shes's been lending her green thumb all summer long to a plot of land at a family member's place just outside the city. I swear this produce is even more crisp and fresh than the clean air out here. How a processed gluten free snack could ever measure up to this organic feast is beyond me. Going back to the roots of nutrition is really what being gluten free and food allergic should be all about.

Y's mother taught us the ins and outs of planting and harvesting as we caked our gloves with dark fertile mud and yielded vibrant veggies and greens to boot. Everything in this garden is on my good list; no gluten, soy, legumes, and obviously no peanuts. For once I'm surrounded by food that I can eat instead of the other way around. All winter long, we'll still be indulging in this feast as we plan to freeze what we can't eat quickly enough right now.

Fresh summer squash, green bell peppers, the mighty Kale, red potatoes, yellow onions, rainbow carrots, rainbow chard, firey red tomatoes, fresh dill, round heads of cabbage, and spicy chiles are just a fraction of the goods we harvested this weekend and I can't wait to gather more next weekend.

We immediately retured from the country garden and slowly simmered a curried cabbage soup over the stove, which was a warming treat after helping with the family move earlier in the day. All our warms thanks to Jim and Sveta for the extra garden space again this summer.

Y, his cousin and I loved all the green goodness!

With all this harvest, gluten free and more is easy as can be.

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Self Sustaining Spring

This spring, we at Sprinkles and Allergies are challenging ourselves to be more Self Sustaining. Take our challenge for Self Sustainable Spring at Sprinkles & Allergies by planting at least one herb, vegetable, or fruit plant this spring. Join us and share your progress! We'd love to know what you're doing to make a greener spring. Know where your food comes from by growing some of it yourself.

Our indoor garden is preparing for an outdoor move very soon. The usual whispers of spring were anything but quiet this year. Explosions of blossoms, birds, buzzing, and furry creatures started weeks ago here, which is much more than I could have hoped for in previously notorious bitter cold February and March. A mild winter means a wild spring--a time for initiating self sustainable gardens, compost, and overall renewal. Though we live in a small apartment, it's still surprisingly doable, mostly thanks to our large bay windows and balcony. We love breathing in the fresh wisps of spring.

We've been growing Basil and Arugula from the seed for about a week and a half now. I can't believe how much the Arugula has shot up in such a short time. This week, we'll be planting some broccoli and parsley to go along with the other plants since our Kale tree seems to be on the fritz after the winter months.

Above, our arugula is thriving but tending to lean more towards the sun. We'll be moving it outdoors to the balcony soon where it can grow stronger in the full sun. Below, our baby basil are starting to peek through the moist soil.

 

This plant has special meaning to us.

Over a year ago, Yan surprised me with a beautiful flowering plant called a Kalanchoe. The day he got it for me marked the first month of our relationship together. This little tree-like gem has been through a lot, even having been knocked clear off our balcony and ripped out of the pot during a nasty thunderstorm last summer. Today it still grows strong and is beginning to show signs of blossoming again for the spring. I think we'll need a bigger planter for it soon as it's been growing out of control lately! The flower meaning of Kalanchoe is endurance and lasting affection. When asking Yan if he knew this today, he said "Well...uh...of course!! That's the reason I got this one! Yeah!" Nice try Yan ;)

Check out our fall indoor herb garden here.

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