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When preparing for his fight next weekend, Manny Pacquiao recycles his pumpkins as punching bags. Obviously, not everyone has the boxing skills he has -- so what can we do to recycle those jack-o-lanterns?

If you have a...

Freezing Foods A to Z
Before we start with the alphabet, a little lesson for gardeners on how to prepare those home-grown veggies for the freezer.
Blanching:  Most raw vegetables should be blanched before frozen.  (Exceptions are onions, garlic, and bell peppers.)  Blanching means to boil for a few minutes to stop enzyme actions and keep flavor, texture and color.  Method:  Bring water to a boil, add vegetables.  After boiling recommended time, drain and plunge into ice water to cool quickly.  Drain.  Freeze.  Look up specific time guidelines in a cookbook or on the web.  DO NOT blanch in the microwave.  Foods are safe to eat without blanching, but may suffer undesirable changes in flavor, texture and color.
     Now specifics from Apples to Zucchini!
Apples: Peel and slice a few at a time. Treat with lemon juice or cold salt water to prevent darkening. Place in freezer bags. Great  for pies, applesauce and more.
Asparagus:  See blanching above.
Bananas: Peel and place in a freezer bag. They will mash easily after defrosting for use in smoothies, breads, etc. The whole banana in the peel can also be frozen.
Refried Beans:  Didn’t use the whole can?  Freeze what’s left for a lunchtime quesadilla.
Berries (whole):  Wash and pat dry.  Lay out on a cookie sheet and freeze, then put in a bag for long-term.
Broccoli:  See blanching above.
Butter/Margerine:  Freezes fine in the tub or the box.
Carrots:  Peel, slice, blanch.
Cheese:  Grate it and freeze it.
Cherries, whole or pitted:  Treat them same as berries. 
Chips (as in potato and tortilla):  Freeze in the bag to extend shelf life.
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Tips on How to Get the Most From Your Freezer
Why Use a freezer?
          Food is a good investment. After all, prices are going up!  Buying food in bulk and freezing can save money.  Freezing can preserve your garden produce for year-round use.  Freeze leftovers to use for another meal to reduce waste and save money.  Freeze food to extend the "fresh" date.  A full freezer uses less energy to run than an empty one, so fill up that freezer!
Let's talk about safety.
          Referring to a freezer separate from the one attached to your refrigerator:  Keep it locked!  Hang the key on a hook nearby and make a household rule that every time someone opens the freezer, they lock it up and hang the key when they are finished.  This will prevent accidentally leaving the door open and spoiling your investment of food.  Also, don’t send children to the freezer unless they are trained and responsible to follow this rule.
          If you have a power outage, DO NOT open the freezer door!  A full freezer will keep food safe for 2-3 days. ...

Berry Interesting!   (May 09)by Donna Mitchell-MoniakLast year I started to cultivate a patch of wild raspberries at Spirit Fire. It’s a slow process--partly because of my physical handicaps and partly because it just is. It takes time to get to know plants, their needs and rhythms, their personalities, and the devas that live within them. There’s no doubt that the raspberries picked from the cultivated vines last summer were bigger, sweeter, and easier to harvest than those picked from other vines nearby. This April I began working with the same patch as last year. “Ladies,” I said to them, “you will look marvelous when we are done!” The raspberry vines energetically responded with attention and interest. “Ladies, I need you to trust the process and trust together, because some will need to be cut completely so that others grow stronger and more beautiful.” I pulled up my chair like a hair stylist. “Now pull down your chi!” The auric color of the raspberry vines changed as the chi-life force was pulled back from the prickly branches down to the main stem and root of each plant. Knowing which to prune and which to cut completely could be felt in my hands and heart once I started. Intuition, communication with the plant, and the obvious need of pathways for easier picking determined how much to cut and where. Each cut was both gentle and deliberate. I talked to the raspberries as I pruned. “Ladies, you will feel so good! Your berries will be so sweet! And you will be the talk of the town!.” Half an hour later my body couldn’t do any more, so I sat among the plants that had been trimmed feeling their delight. While resting, I pinched extra sets of leaves off the branches now turned into main stems, the sets of leaves telling me which ones to nip and which should...

City living is great, but as the weather gets nicer, there are inevitably days when I miss being surrounded by lush greenery and having a garden to putz around in. This year, I decided to put my green thumb to use and create a thriving little container garden in my tiny backyard.
I wanted to create a flower garden, so I did a little research (and also called my mom) to see what would work best. For annuals (plants that last just one growing season), flowers on the list below work well. Red Begonias were my first choice for an annual, since I love their color.

Begonia
Geraniums
Impatiens
Marigolds
...

Once you've planted your garden, it needs water more than anything. If too little water is provided, your plants won't be able to develop properly, and they're more prone to pest and other problems.  Of course, too much water can be equally harmful, as it can lead to rot and other problems.More often than not, sick plants are most in need of water, not chemicals. Correct watering would save the majority of plants lost in gardens. Usually (unless you live in very rainy places), you need to help Mother Nature, because natural rain water...