This Year's Garden, and Thoughts About Baby Food

Our garden failed last year, in Nick's words.  But I beg to differ.  We did end up with about twenty butternut squash and.....well, ok, it failed other than that (although check out the handful of delicious butternut squash recipes I came up with on the right side of my blog, who knew butternut squash was so versatile?!).  Nick is pretty sure he disrupted the whole nitrogen balance when he bought an electirc tiller and tilled the crap out of the soil before planting.  This year he did a little less tilling and a lot more research online.  But this garden still seems to be giving him a lot of stress (he's constantly going to the kitchen to open the blinds and look outside to make sure the plants are "ok" and growing).

The view from our kitchen.  A few weeks ago it actually got so cold we had to cover the plants to protect them from the frost!

Ready for the great "BlogSpot" font change?  Yes, I can't control it, sorry, I'm not sure why it does this....

I bought some rosemary and mint at the store, and we planted it right away (rosemary and mint in summer salads? Yes, please).  Pretty soon we'll be planting basil, which is actually my favorite summer herb.   The garden has been ready for a few weeks now and pretty soon it will be taken over by delicious plants, and you better believe I have some serious recipes in mind for this year (come on, you know you're excited, right?!)  That is, if the rabbits and bugs don't eat them (this is Nick's constant fear).  

It's ready!!  The only issue?  We found a huge bees nest in this area last night.....

Here is what we are growing this year;

In addition to these we are growing broccoli and bell peppers.  Nick is taking this very seriously.

At first we talked about growing some food that may be good to cook, puree, and freeze for baby food (since we plan on having a baby one of these days...maybe sooner than later?  We'll see what mother nature has in mind) but when I posted on my facebook page (The Candid RD) a question about making baby food, someone responded with this link about something called Baby Led Weaning.  The concept, in short, is that you don't use pureed baby food to feed your infant but instead you sort of let your baby start eating whole foods, with their hands, while you're close by watching and encouraging.  Boy do I have a lot to learn!  I'd never heard of this concept, but I think I like it.  Then there was this recent article about parents feeding their babies solids too soon.    I'm starting to realize just how much there is to learn about....babies, but I'm excited to learn more about the food aspect because as a dietitian I need to know the latest and greatest evidence-based ways to feed and nourish a baby and child (I'm starting to see more and more mothers and pregnant women for personal consultations).  I can actually still remember feeding my little brother when I was 13 years old.  I'll never forget the look on his face when he took his first bite of solid food, it was classic and I wish I had the photos to share!

And here is another topic to consider; Organics.   This article was interesting; Is organic baby food really worth the extra price?  Is it really necessary?  The article explains that there really aren't any difinitive answers, and the current evidence says it's not really necessary, nor worth the premium price.  What are your thoughts?  I'm on the fence.  I can still remember reading this article from today's dietitian a few years ago, and it's stuck in my head.  Since then I haven't read about the issue much, and I haven't been buying organic unless it's from the "dirty dozen" list.  My focus has always primarily been on feeding both myself and Nick nutritious foods, then I think about organics, GMOs, pesticides, etc.  But now that I'm thinking about getting pregnant...things have changed a bit.  Yes, we still have a budget, and yes, I'm still not a hardcore organic believer, but I am also not 100% convinced that future research isn't going to support the use of organic foods for pregnant women and young children.  Anyway, more on my lifestyle changes and pregnancy preparations later (I've got a lot to discuss and can't wait to hear your thoughts), for now, let's get this garden going!

QUESTION:  What are your thoughts on organic foods for baby? Have you ever tried baby-led weaning??

Nick has added a fence to block the rabbits from eating our bounty. I hope it works! It also blocks the garden in the back.

QUESTION: What's in your garden this year?  If the answer is nothing, what are you most looking forward to finding in your supermarket that is local and fresh? For me it's zucchini, corn, and eggplant!

Thanks for reading.

The Candid Rd