Guest Post - 7 Healthy Vegetables from Your Garden for Kids Meal

Let’s talk a rainbow of fruits and vegetables for your kids

“My favorite meal is radishes mixed with microgreens,” said no 21st–Century child ever.

Obesity, formerly linked with adults only, is now becoming a devious monster creeping into our children's lives. Why? Because we've given in too much to their demands of sugary food and any junk. Obesity, more often than not, leads to type 2 diabetes, among other detrimental health conditions commonly labeled 'incurable.’ Apparently, this statistic became ever more evident during the pandemic with a 2% increase in obesity among kids.

It’s time to take back control and work towards the longevity of our kids.

The best solution that will see us earn multiple rewards is turning to garden vegetables. It's not enough to just grow garden vegetables. You need to involve your kids in the gardening process at every step. Involving kids makes all the difference, and younglings who get to grow their own garden vegetables are statistically more likely to enjoy eating their produce.

Quick and Best Healthy Garden Vegetables to Introduce Young Kids

As the kids age, their attention spans will likely grow in tandem. However, their attention spans have been known to flee quicker than a retreating mouse when they are at that tender age. Our question then should be, 'What are the easiest vegetables to grow in a garden setting with my kids?’

Beatrice Callan, the expert from Parenthood Routine says that vegetables should be an important part of the kid's menu. If anything, parents should be worried that most kids don’t meet the daily recommended intake of fruits and veg. With that being the case, we need to be propelled into action as soon as yesterday. Here are seven thrilling ideas for garden vegetables all year round.

Peas – Early Spring Garden Vegetable

Enjoy your peas right from the pod.

The beauty of peas is that they take a short duration to mature, and kids can devour them right from the vine without fear of any toxins. The most favorable time to plant snow peas is during early spring when the weather starts getting warmer. Snow peas take roughly 6-7 weeks to harvest. Regular harvesting promotes flowering.

Another reason peas do particularly well with kids in garden vegetables is because their relatively smaller fingers can handle the larger seeds easily. Take extra precaution that the younger ones don't end up curiously trying out the taste of the seeds.

There’s a catch when it comes to snow peas – they don’t thrive on excessive water or wetness. Wait until the seedlings emerge to start watering.

Winter Squashes Including Pumpkins

Find different uses for the skin once you’ve done enjoying yourselves

Unlike snow peas, your little ones won't enjoy winter squashes right off the garden. However, combine the huge leaves and the changing color of pumpkins, and you have yourself a double portion of curiosity. Kids perform exceptionally well once their curiosity antennae are aroused.

These winter garden vegetables give you the flexibility of growing a rainbow of winter squashes.

Here is one alluring trick sure to catch the attention of your kiddo. While the pumpkins are still green and roughly the size of a softball, curve out your kids' names on the pumpkin's skin. The scratch will grow with the squash making it more personal during harvest time. If you have several kids, be sure to watch them guard their personalized pumpkins at harvest time. That should be fun.

Corn – the Summer King

Ever tried roasted corn with a sprinkling of chili?

Garden vegetables can be used to instill life lessons in kids. Parents can teach children that with proper care, attention, love, and support, the young ones can nurture something (whatever the business or invention) that becomes bigger than themselves—a kind of a concept that outlives them.

The genesis of such a lesson would be seen in corn – resilient summer garden vegetables. Be sure to watch their wondrous eyes grow in amazement as they realize the plant is growing to be bigger than the both of you.

Corn typically takes 12 weeks to ripen and needs plenty of sun, water, and mulch. Corn is one thirsty plant for sure. Kindly share with us your favorite corn recipes.

Another bonus with corn is that some products from corn are ideal when you are thinking of how to introduce food to baby.

Cherry Tomatoes – Sweet Sugar for Spring

Don’t wait for your cherries to ripen too much

We kicked off this article by casting stones at sugar. However, natural, unprocessed sugars from fruits and veg carry a burst of nutrition. Among kids' favorite picks among garden fruits and vegetables are cherry tomatoes.

A lot can be said about cherry tomatoes. They are easy to plant, take a short duration (around 7weeks,) come in a wide variety, and can be grown in containers if space is a problem. Make sure you don’t expose these little darlings to excessive heat.

The alternative for cherry tomatoes is strawberries.

Chocolate Mint – All Day Everyday

Use your homegrown veggies to prepare regular fruit and vegetable shakes. Your kids will surely relish in that.

Well, mint takes a soft spot in our hearts not only because of the rich taste but also the variety. Everybody Hates Chris, but every Dick, Jane, Harry, and Jane love mint. Even bees enjoy their pink, spring flowers. If there’s any creature that understands sweetness, bees would it.

Avoid planting mint during deep winter as the cold will choke out the life out of the leaves.

You could try different varieties of mint with your kids as garden vegetables include peppermint, spearmint, pineapple mint, lemon mint, apple mint, and banana mint.

It’s only a matter of time before we can boast of watermelon mint.

Cucumbers – Plant When Warmer

If your child hasn’t developed a liking to cute fresh cucumbers right from the garden, perhaps they’ll enjoy a serving of pickles. What’s more, if you are looking for ideas on how to freeze garden vegetables, cucumbers (pickles) offer you the perfect start.

Always have minimum ingredients for your garden vegetables to allow kids the chance to enjoy the taste of each component. A simple recipe with cucumber involves sprinkling salt and apple cider vinegar on top of sliced cucumber. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine richly, then serve.

As you water your cucumbers regularly, be on the lookout for snails and slugs, which also seem to possess a magnetic attraction to this garden vegetable.

Basil – the Perfect Herb

Here’s the perfect herb to seal the deal

We would not have a complete list of garden fruits and vegetables without including one particular herb. Basil grows faster than any of the aforementioned garden vegetables. Usually, the herb will take 4-5 weeks to produce its first set of true leaves.

We can all agree with the 'the more, the merrier' movement. Basil provides you with a variety of options, all having richly distinct tastes. They include lemon basil, sweet basil, Thai basil, and purple basil. Do thorough research to find out which variety works best in your region.

Winding Remarks

It's widely accepted that cooking is an art in itself. However, we dare say that every element concerning food, from the seedling to the stomach, is an artistic work. Since art is meant to be shared, get to share every moment with your kids. To be fair, there is no starting age – you can take out a toddler in a stroller and place them under a shade if circumstances allow you.

The bottom line is, taking your kids to the garden and trying out different garden vegetables could be a lifelong culture and discipline they will later thank you. If you prefer to grow long-standing crops, perhaps that will teach them a little patience in life.

What are your kids’ favorite garden vegetables?

Bio:

Alan has lived on a farm all his life, where he gained outstanding knowledge of gardening and farming from his grandparents, and now he continues to grow in this area with his family, passing on knowledge to his children and gaining new ones with their help. Now he has decided to share his experience with others who are as obsessed with gardening as he is.

How Often Should You Plan Regular Maintenance on Your Home?

Owning a home is a wonderful experience. It gives you a safe haven to enjoy your free time, a place to spend time with family, and even a place to weather out the storms of life. But the smooth navigation of homeownership is only possible when you perform maintenance properly.

The following home maintenance checklist can help you stay on top of all the problems that could happen.

Yearly Maintenance

Call in an expert to come and inspect your AC unit. A professional will give it some tender loving care and check to see if any parts need to be replaced. By having a yearly HVAC inspection, you protect your AC unit and/or furnace.

Call a reliable pest control expert to inspect your home for rodents, termites, and insects that could cause serious health issues and allergy problems. The last thing you want is a problem with termites or other pests that could cause serious damage or even the loss of your home.

Once a year, call the roofer to come and inspect your home’s roof. The professional will check the roof and look for any shingles that have been damaged during bad weather. Roofers will also repair and keep your roof maintained so you won’t have to get it replaced too soon.

A reliable roofing inspector will check your gutters and flashings. He will look for signs of moisture damages and will tell you when you need to fix or replace shingles.

You want to inspect your roof after every storm or severe weather conditions like hail, snow, or extremely high winds.

Seasonal Maintenance

Every season, take a walk around your home. Examine the interior and exterior, look for humidity on the walls or roof, and call for help if you see something that is not normal such as humid or moldy patches, holes, or siding damage.

Clean the yard and rake leaves away from the home so they don’t serve as a place where water can accumulate. Fix any cracks and gaps you might see. Check the windows and caulk areas if necessary. Do the same for doors. Be sure to oil door mechanisms or rails.

Monthly Maintenance

Inspect your home monthly to look for these telltale signs of debris, dirt, or other issues that may require professional help. Keep outdoor and indoor areas well maintained and clean. You can clean your sink drains, check your smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and electrical cords. Make sure you change out all the batteries.

You also want to flush the water heater to remove any sediment which could damage the heater over time.

Keeping your home maintained and bringing in a professional to do yearly inspections can keep your home from needing major repairs for a long time. It can also help your home retain value and improve your chances of selling it well when the time comes.

The Best Nontoxic Dishes You Can Use in Your Kitchen

Everyone wants to remove toxins from home in hopes of making their family safer. In the kitchen, when accessing what needs to go start with anything plastic and rubber! Finish with changing the products you use for cleaning and the food you bring in.

Silicone

Silicone is one of the best nontoxic dishes you can use in your kitchen to replace plastics! Cooking with plastic utensils causes you to inhale and digest so much plastic and debris from your pan due to the scrapping. To prevent the fumes that burning rubber can emit, try silicone tongs, whisk, and spatulas in the kitchen instead.

Ceramic

Ceramic is a great way to decorate and eliminate toxins if the artist used the proper glaze. There is a glaze that does not contain lead or cadmium. So, when your favorite handmade ceramic mug maker decides to drop an entire dish set, you will be first to preorder it. It will be a safe way to bring a pop of color into the home—an excellent addition to adding more custom pieces to your kitchen besides your ceramic mugs.

Bamboo

Bamboo is an excellent substitute for plastics and nylon utensils too. Instead of grabbing plastic eating utensils while in public, you can travel with a silverware set to reduce your waste. There are also bamboo rolling pins and cutting boards that are lightweight and easy to clean!

Metal

Metal is one of the best nontoxic dishes you can use in your kitchen that is also easily accessible. In addition, they have every kitchen utensil needed in this form, and some may even be nonstick. Some notable mentions are the measuring tools, meat mallets, thermometers, graters, strainers, and eating utensils.

Glass

Glass dishes are the following most easily accessible, nontoxic dishes that one can use. Glass is safe and does not react to any temperature. It also cannot be ruined by gas or liquid variants. If you wanted to purchase anything glass for your kitchen, beware that this can quickly become a theme in your home!

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a low-maintenance higher-end option. It’s a nonreactive option that can upgrade your home—a superb substitute for toxic dishes and appliances. Stainless steel also has various dishes and utensil options that can quickly turn into a theme, too, because it’s easy to clean.

As you go through the house detoxing the toxins, don't forget there are custom options! If you do not want to make any changes, you can work with the glass and metal pieces you already have.

Organization Keeps Your Restoration Project in Order

Bringing something back to its original quality is incredibly fulfilling and time-consuming. You have to know exactly which parts and tools you’ll need to complete your project. Accidentally skipping steps or missing equipment can ruin a project entirely. Check out a few simple ways organization keeps your restoration project in order so everything stays on schedule.

1. Drawers Separate Your Tools

You’ve found a classic Japanese motorcycle that needs a little work to get back out on the road, but you can’t fix it with a single wrench. You’ll have to get specific threads and bolt sizes to match its parts. That leads to numerous tool parts that could roll around your garage and disappear forever while you’re focused on your project.

Invest in a set of drawers to organize all of your tools. No matter what you want to restore, you’ll know exactly where you prefer to store everything and save time once you get started. It’s also a great way to order parts and keep them in good condition while waiting for other essential components to arrive.

2. Pictures Track Each Step

Once a restoration project begins, you might forget what you previously worked on if you have to wait until the weekend to get back to your hobby. If you’re restoring something like an antique camera, progressing through each step ensures that every component will work.

Take progress pictures with each step and save them to spreadsheet cells. Label each image, record the date and describe what work you accomplished that day. You’ll know exactly where to pick up when you get back. If you’re not sure how to use a spreadsheet, read a handy guide and you’ll feel like an expert in minutes.

3. Notebooks Organize Scrambled Thoughts

Restoring a more extensive project like a classic car takes time and creativity. After you’ve found the model you love and compare types of restorations, you’ll know how to get started. Along the way, you may decide to change a few details to finalize the unique look of your car.

If you track your goals and daily work in a hardbound notebook, you can update your plans with an eraser and pencil. It only takes a moment to add to a notebook and keep your restoration project in order with notes for easy reference.

4. Envelopes Protect Tiny Pieces

Some projects require miniature pieces, like needle clamps and screws inside an older sewing machine. Use letter-sized or manila envelopes to hold everything and label what’s inside. You won’t have to waste time searching for tiny pieces in carpet fibers if they’re always waiting within the sealed confines of an envelope.

5. Labels Clarify Your Work

Before an antique clock can chime again, you’ll have to clean and oil the gears so the wheels and pulleys don’t get stuck. Reinforced labels use thin strings that can tie into small pieces. Record the name of each part and when you cleaned it so you can proceed with the remaining parts even if you have to take a break from your work. They clarify each step so your project goes smoothly.

Keep Your Restoration Project in Order

No matter what you want to clean or fix, these organizational tips will keep your restoration project in order from start to finish. Consider which project you want to begin and what you’ll need to finish the job. You’ll find the best tips for planning and completing any project once you know what you want to do.