Business is booming, too much.

I was hot with enthusiasm to start my first garden this year. Little did I know just what I was getting myself into or what I was really doing. I bought tiny starter plants @ Eastern Market in Detroit and some other local places, had my man & his buddy build me some planting boxes and got to work. The boxes were then filled with local top soil provided from the city, then mixed with organic garden soil & organic fertilizer. Never in a million years did I think the plants would do as well as they are, considering they are crammed with very little space to do their thing.

I don't regret any of my screw ups this year, I have learned so much from this experience and I am intoxicated with excitement for next year's garden. I plan on starting from seed and growing micro greens also.

Not pictured are 4 types of squashes, 2 types of cabbages, countless other vegetables & hot peppers...all very happy & outta control.



I moved some plants into small containers so they would get more sunlight. In the pots are bulls blood beets, and some Italian bi-color eggplant.



Dusky eggplant variety



butternut squash



broccoli



lima beans



roma tomatoes for sauce



2 types of cucumbers and fennel



feelin' good, feelin' great!

As you can see it is easy to say I'm a tad overwhelmed with produce...

The other day I made some cucumber cups stuffed with tuna & topped with fried shallots


1can tuna
1 tablespoon mayo or vegan mayo
salt
dill
pepper
lemon juice
sriracha to taste
chopped shallots, fried in olive oil for garnish

The cucumber cups are made by scooping out the seeds with a melon baller. Incredibly easy to do and fun, great activity for kids too.

Things to remember when buying canned tuna:

1. Look for chunk light tuna, which contains less mercury than albacore or white tuna. Albacore and white tuna are used interchangeably for the same product. Look for all varieties of canned tuna in supermarkets or grocery stores located near other canned meat products.
2. Limit consumption of chunk light tuna to 12 oz. per week or white (albacore) to 3 oz. per week. This equals two standard 6 oz. cans of chunk light tuna weekly or half a 6 oz. can of albacore tuna. Some markets also have 3 oz. pouches or cans of both light tuna and albacore tuna. One of these smaller sized containers would meet your weekly limit for albacore tuna.
3. Opt for tuna chunks instead of whole canned tuna steaks for lower mercury levels. 
4. Choose tuna that is low in sodium or tuna packed without salt if you are on a reduced sodium diet. Most grocery stores and supermarkets should sell low sodium tuna fish. Read the label to verify that there has not been added salt to the tuna.

Read more: How to Choose Canned Tuna | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7638767_choose-canned-tuna.html#ixzz1Sfel6fET

Zucchini pasta bake


Now I know what you are thinking, what is that monstrosity?

Well trust me, it was delish. It had the exact same density of pasta, and I was full and satisfied after it was in my belly. What looks like a crap ton of sauce actually soaks up the zucchini strips while you are eating it, and when I finished there was not a drop of sauce left- and no I did not lick the bowl.

The reason it looks so saucy is because the zucchini released water and so did the fresh mozz I used when it was baked. If you want a zucchini bake that comes out like a lasagna, use sauce sparingly and ricotta cheese.

This dish is simply fresh mozz layered between sauce, Italian herbs and zucchini strips - topped with grated asiago. I baked it in a casserole dish for 45 min @ 400 degrees


blueberry icebox pie with a gluten free gingersnap crust


Gingersnaps pair amazing with blueberries, and this dish is perfect for the hot weather.

I mixed slightly melted lowfat icecream with crushed fresh blueberries. The crust is just ground gingersnaps mixed with melted earthbalance. I formed a crust around a small glass dish then filled it with the icecream mixture. Stick it in the freezer and eat whenever you wish.

Aidan Eyes


A sugar free alternative for kids who love cookies- my son could not stop eating these.

1 cup rolled oats
1/2cup ground fla
1/2 ripe banana
1 whole egg
dash of cinnamon
blueberries

Mix all the ingredients excluding blueberries. Form into balls and top with blueberries. Bake @ 375 for 25min.

:::until we meet again:::