vegetables

Eating Fruits and Vegetables

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Even though I enjoy a ton of foods that are probably not good for me, I do try and eat healthy foods from time to time. It’s not always processed food and convenience that fills my belly.

I do enjoy making meals for the family. The issue is how long it takes. I have a tough time setting aside hours for meal preparation and clean up. But that’s okay. Some days you don’t need to go all out to eat healthy. Sometimes a piece of fruit or vegetable can be a good snack.

Today I had half a grapefruit as a snack. It was supremely sour, so I added half a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten it. It was a delicious and refreshing treat for a sunny afternoon. I honestly cannot remember the last time I ate a grapefruit. I forget how good fruit is. The issue is we buy fresh fruit and vegetables- enjoy them for a bit and slowly forget about them. Leading to tossing them out and then deciding not to buy them again for ages.

This summer, my wife has planned a garden again. We will be in an abundance of peppers, tomatoes and beans. Remembering to continue enjoyment of those is going to be the challenge. Not buying processed food is also in the plan for healthier eating.

We can do this. We can all eat better.

Sprouting Up

Posted on by Josef Havelka

As spring quickly approaches, nature is already giving glimpses of things to come.

Outside in our front garden you can see the start of the daffodils coming up through the earth. In a short time they will blossom and bloom a vibrant yellow. Their showcase will only last a short time, but I view it as the start of spring and a precursor to the future flowers that shall grow. Their beauty always makes me smile.

Inside of our home, my wife has begun her yearly planting. Beans, peppers, lettuce, etc have been germinating in small trays under grow lights at our window sill.

This year, my wife has chosen to keep them in our bedroom so she can watch their growth. Because I close our blinds for my sleep after a night shift, her grow light remains on during this time. This set of plants will soon be moved to another pot and the next set shall be planted. This will allow for a various growth of vegetables throughout the summer, keeping us well fed with freshness at our fingertips.

Spring is welcome to show up at any time now. Let the longer sunshiny days commence and a garden to grow!

Buy The Corn!!!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My wife has been super excited about buying corn this year. She has been mentioning it for weeks on end. There is a small corn stand just a few blocks away from us that we can see from our backyard. There is also a Facebook group devoted to the corn stand. It’s from Bose Farm (which is also the land our home is originally from…)

This morning my wife was up early and watching out the window. She grabbed a pair of binoculars when she saw a car stop. Corn was available! Today was the day to buy corn.

We got out of bed and rushed out to the box of corn. A dozen cobs of farm fresh corn for $5 is well worth the early trip. We will be enjoying it this weekend for Thanksgiving with the family. Yes, I do enjoy corn as well.

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that can bring us joy. My wife getting that farm fresh corn she wanted is right up there!

Do you like corn on the cob as much as she does? Have you been buying farm fresh corn this season? Let me know in the comments.

Moving Plants To A Greenhouse

Posted on by Josef Havelka

As summer is ending, it was time to salvage what we have remaining of our vegetable garden. Surprisingly there is still a ton of pepper and tomato plants- some are still flowering. Lucky for us the weather has been sitting quite warm durning the day, but it looks to be dripping soon enough.

We had purchased a small greenhouse last year. It was set up near the back of the garage for the previous winter. When it got taken down in the spring- it went into storage. Alas- there were no instructions on how to assemble it again. I never built it or disassembled it. That was all my wife and the kids.

So it was off to the Home Depot website to bring up an image of the greenhouse. I found one similar which I believed to be the same brand as the one we own. Quick screenshot, zoom in, lay out the parts- and a bunch of trial and error and the greenhouse got built.

Now it’s erected and placed it on the corner of our deck in hopes to limit any cross wind damage. I also went under the deck and tied it down from the bottom. My wife is planning on moving her plants into it this weekend. She is already excited and began to move them closer to the greenhouse while on her lunch break.

If the greenhouse does well at the location it is in- we may just leave it up all year round. Having a view of fresh vegetables from our deck and pool would not bother me in the slightest. Mmmm homegrown food.

Going Blonde

Posted on by Josef Havelka

With the beautiful summer weather, it makes one want to feel young and carefree. And what better way but to go blonde.

I’m talking about the lawn going blonde.

Honestly, I have always felt that lawns are drain on resources. People waste so much time and effort trying to keep them green. Not only that, but people water them unnecessarily as well. With droughts and water shortages throughout North America there is no need to waste it frivolously on watering a lawn. Grass stays healthy and is designed to look dry and discolored during the summer.

I know what you’re thinking. But Joe, don’t you have a pool? Yes we do. But we don’t drain it or have to add gallons of water due to evaporation because we take care of it. We are very conscientious about our water consumption and usage.

We do however have a garden. Many bushes and flowers grow bringing beauty to our landscape. We use water in the early morning and late evening to grow herbs, fruits and vegetables. Yesterday I enjoyed a cherry tomato right off the vine. No pesticides or chemicals on it. Just as natural and as fresh as you could imagine.

I honestly think we as a society need to do away with lawns. Or at least the obsession with having them green all the time. People also need to respect watering restrictions as well. I see too many of my neighbors ignoring the laws, wasting water and having green lawns during a heat wave. Water should be used to keep hydrated and refreshed. Not to make grass grow.

Unplanned Meal Additions

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I’ve already finished day two of my four day weekend. Most of my time has been spent driving around for the kids. The other majority has been playing with my 3D printer and the props I’ve been making.

During all of this, I have been finding the time to make some decent dinners. My wife and I have been doing our best to get back into meal planning now that there is a set schedule for school. It sounds easy, but it really isn’t. My days off means I am the master chef.

I’m pretty bad at including vegetables in the meals. I usually just plan the meat portion and a side of potatoes, rice or pasta. This week I was behaving myself and adding in more vegetables. Last night was roasted cabbage and carrots. Tonight was pesto and tomato chicken.

For whatever reason, I never think of what vegetables to add. Perhaps one day I’ll get better at at. Until then, it’s roast beef and potatoes for Friday nights dinner!

Farm Fresh Country Living

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Our one acre of privacy is surrounded by larger acreages. Some have horses, many are hobby farms. Personally I don’t want any other animals to take care of as our dog is the hardest one to look after lately. He’s getting old and it makes me sad. But I want to talk about our neighborhood instead of our puppers.

Wandering around our neighborhood there are a few little stands set up. One is from a couple little kids. They are selling a variety of zucchini and squash. It’s really cute that they are trying to be entrepreneurs. Pretty sure they got “backing” from mom and dad. As in harvesting their vegetables.

The other type of stands that are around are for “Free Range Eggs”. We have a couple of these in our neighborhood. I have not purchased from them. My wife has in the past and was not thrilled with the color of the yolks. I won’t go into detail, but store bought eggs are more reliable in her opinion.

There is also an herb stand around the corner as well as a few small businesses. Such as a Christmas tree farm, a turkey farm, and a few vegetable greenhouses. Having these nearby is unique and pleasing. I do enjoy the freshness of the vegetables as well as the luxury of having these places nearby.

Are you more city or country? Perhaps you love the suburbs.

Vegetables and Herbs

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Every year we grow our own food.  Something about the taste of a freshly picked vegetable really makes a meal.


Every evening my wife goes out to water and cover the plants. Every morning she goes to check on the progress.  It’s always a slow start at the beginning of the season as the seeds begin to take root.  Patience in gardening is required.


In the past, we have purchased some plants that were already begun at a nursery.  This year was mostly seeds.  We also tried something new by putting everything up higher on tables.  This was to keep the wild rabbits out.  It seemed to work.


We have moved everything closer to our house now so that they don’t wither up in the sun.  This should also slow the growing process a bit as well to spread out the vegetables over the next couple of weeks as they finish ripening. 

I can’t wait to dive into some of the peppers my omelettes will be devine.