Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Tuesday Afternoon

C used food coloring to make blue mashed potatoes for dinner tonight.
The twins had the good sense not to eat them.
I knew they were smart babies.
I think I'm going to start relating to other people the way C and H do to each other:
H: You're the stupidest!"
C: No, you are!"

song: Tuesday Afternoon • artist: Moody Blues

1 comment:

Kat H. said...

Have you considered gardening with your kids? Below are some tips, or you can check out youtube, for a video I did about making a raised bed in a baby pool. Just search for kiddie-pool gardening.

Much like growing flowers, growing vegetables is all about trial and error, but some vegetables are easier to grow than others.

According to Mahoney, some of the easiest edibles to grow in Massachusetts that kids love to eat are cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce and peppers. Plant them in the garden, or in containers if you are short on time and space.

As previous president of the Massachusetts Flower Growers Association, Mahoney offers these simple steps to get your garden off to a successful start.

1. First decide what you want to plant. Ask your kids what their favorite vegetables are and plant those. Take them to the garden center to select their veggie plants already started in small pots.
2. Next decide how big a garden you want. Just remember, the larger the garden, the more work involved.
3. Next work with your kids to pick the right spot. Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sunlight and lots of water. So make sure the spot is a short distance to the hose so it’s easy for the kids to water.
4. Now get your kids out and dig. Clear the spot of grass and weeds and work some good organic matter into the soil. Now you are ready to plant.

Mahoney suggest these potted vegetable plants that are easy to grow and fun to eat:

• CHERRY TOMATOES are delicious and easy to grow. Some are so sweet your kids will just pop them in their mouths. Potted plants are available at your local nursery. Look for heirloom varieties, or for fun, try the pearl variety. Two plants will produce plenty of fruit, unless you're feeding an army. Water approximately once every two days, and fertilize every two weeks with liquid fertilizer. These are great in containers.

• CUKES are easy and grow fast. Plant cucumbers closest to the hose as they need deep, regular watering. For a plentiful harvest, plant cucumber starter plants in mounds every three weeks from now until July 15 or 3 months from the first hard frost. Be sure to select a variety for picking.

• ZUCCHINI will delight your young farmers because of their abundance and speedy growth. Zucchini starters should be planted in mounds and watered deeply once a week. Consider grilling this vegetable and also making zucchini bread with your bountiful harvest. Or make zucchini funny faces!

• LETTUCE is the gift from the garden that keeps on giving! Lettuce is a favorite in the garden because it is easy to grow, is one of the earliest crops that can be planted, and is one of the first crops to yield in the spring. Try growing your lettuce in containers – or lettuce bowls. They don’t need a lot or room and have shallow roots!

• PEPPERS -- especially sweet yellow peppers -- make a wonderful addition to homemade salsa! Green are still a classic, but brightly colored, sweet bell pepper varieties have recently burst onto the scene, and kids love to eat them as a snack. Just add ranch dressing! Place transplants 18 to 24 inches apart in the row, or 14 to 18 inches apart to avoid overcrowding, or put them in the container with the tomatoes.


“I can’t think of a better outdoor activity for families than gardening,” says Tom Mahoney, owner of Mahoney’s Garden Center. “You show your children first hand where food comes from, and that encourages them to eat healthier foods and make better choices!”