Could It Be Celiac Disease?

Image courtesy of  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

October is Celiac Awareness Month which brings awareness to people who are battling celiac disease, or sometimes called celiac spue.  Celiac disease is a hereditary, auto immune disorder, and it’s estimated at 1%, or 3 million in the US (1 in 100), of the human population has it.   The only way to treat this disease is to remove gluten entirely from your diet.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.  If you eat a balanced diet of unprocessed foods, keeping gluten out of the diet can be rather simple.  But unfortunately, many products found on the grocery store shelves contain gluten.  And there are other grains such as semolina, spelt, and tricale that contain gluten, so you would need to avoid those as well. Oats are well-known to be contaminated with gluten; therefore it should be avoided as well.  One speck or 1/8 tsp. a day of gluten will keep a person in a diseased state.  

There are many symptoms for a gluten allergy such as:

 

·         Fatigue ·         Cramping ·         Bloating ·         Abdominal pain ·         Irritable bowel syndrome ·         Nutritional deficiencies ·         Mouth ulcers ·         Depression ·         Anxiety

·         Migraines ·         MS ·         Headaches ·         Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ·         Autism ·         ADHD ·         Inability to Concentrate ·         Failure to Thrive in Children ·         Developmental Delay ·         Clumsiness ·         Loss of Coordination in Upper         and Lower Limbs

Gluten can cause a person to experience all kinds of neurological symptoms, yet never experience any gastrointestinal symptoms.  That is because gluten can penetrate the gut lining and go into the bloodstream.  Once in the bloodstream, it can travel to the brain where it can disrupt cells or cause inflammation.  

I watched a program on television called, “Your Health with Dr. Richard and Cindy Baker,” that talked in length about celiac disease.  When you think you have a disease, many times there are symptoms to prompt you there is something wrong.  With celiac disease, it has been found that 97% of people who suffer with this disease do not even know they have it because many times it is misdiagnosed or the person is asymptomatic, meaning he does not experience any symptoms as all.  And the 3%, who have been diagnosed with celiac, usually get a diagnosis 8-9 years after the symptoms began.

Celiac is genetic, and it is considered an auto-immune disease. 

 

Many people can carry the gene that causes celiac disease, but never get the disease.  Only about 4% with genetic susceptibility actually get celiac, and the onset of the disease can be at any age. If you are diagnosed with celiac, your immediate family (brother, sister, mother, father, child) has a 1 in 4 chance of also having the disease.  Just because you have the gene for it doesn’t mean you will get it.  Something in the environment triggers it—stress, diet, viral or bacterial infections, and the symptoms can range from mild to severe. 

Now do you see why celiac disease is so hard to diagnose?

Many people, such as myself, are gluten intolerant; meaning our body does not experience an allergic reaction, per se, to the gluten, and our intestinal wall is not permanently damaged, but we show symptoms similar to celiac.

The show provided a very through point-system questionnaire to complete that may provide you with some clarity about symptoms you may been experiencing:

 

Give yourself 1 point for you or ½ point if it is a relative As a child, did you:  __ Direct relative has Celiac Disease __ Stunted Growth, Always Small __ Delayed Puberty __ Multiple Cavities __Poor Coordination/Epilepsy __Allergic Dermatitis  Give yourself 4 pts.  Do you currently: __ Auto-Immune Condition __Dermatitis Herpetiformis __Lupus __ MS  11% of MS patients actually have gluten sensitive anthropopathy.  Both conditions   cause  little white spots on the brains, and when brain is looked at with the MRI, they   look exactly the same. __ Psoriasis __ Rheumatoid Arthritis __ Sjorgens Disease __ Thyroid Disease __ Type 1 Diabetes __Vitiligo __ Chronic Diarrhea __Cirrhosis/High Liver Enzymes __ Food Allergies __ Irritable Bowel __ Lactose Intolerant __ Anemia __Vitamin Deficiencies (Vit. A, B, E, K, and Folate) __ Peripheral Neuropathy __ Restless Leg Syndrome __ Venous Thrombosis __ Dental Enamel Defects __  Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers (Canker Sores) __Autism __ADHD __ Schizophrenia __ Unusual Neurological Conditions __ Osteoporosis __ Unexplained Fertility Issues __ Cataracts __ Atrial Fibrillation __Abnormal Hair Loss __ Had Lymphoma Count up your score.  If you have 4 or more points, you may have celiac or have a genetic susceptibility for celiac.  __________ Score

So you scored 4 or more points on the survey, now what do you do? 

You can call you doctor to schedule a blood test.  Testing is fairly simple and involves screening the patient’s blood for antigliadin (AGA) and endomysiumantibodies (EmA), and/or doing a biopsy on the areas of the intestines mentioned above, which is still the standard for a formal diagnosis. The biopsy is the gold standard to confirm the villi in the intestine are blunted. (www.celiac.com)

Unfortunately, for those of us (like myself), who decided to remove gluten from their diets prior to being tested for celiac, typically received a negative result on the blood test.  Currently, I am diagnosed with gluten intolerance.  The thought of me having to introduce gluten back into my diet for 6 weeks in order to be tested again and possibly get a positive result is not on my agenda.  I know how I feel on a gluten free diet therefore, it confirms it for me. But some people choose to investigate further to determine whether or not an individual carries the gene responsible for the development of celiac disease via another blood test. You will just need to discuss it with your doctor.

Now, if you have confirmed a diagnosis of celiac or just decide to remove gluten from your diet to see if you feel a difference, you need to know that a response to being gluten free can take months depending on the damage done to the body.  After a week or so off of gluten, I feel much better. I am not as lethargic, bloated, or foggy headed anymore; and the chronic pain in my upper abdominal and joint point is non-existent. I find that I have more energy, less cravings for gluten foods, such as breads and cookies, as I had prior to removing gluten from my diet.   

I feel 100% better.

 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Photo by Life as a aHealthy Mom

I have been making homemade laundry detergent for almost a year now.  I used to buy a liquid detergent made without harmful chemicals from Trader Joes, but it ended up costly me about $8 a month.  The cost to make an equivalent of 2 MONTHS worth (average of 7 loads a week) comes to....drum roll please.................about $5! That is about a 1/3 of the money I used to spend over a two month period.

I purchased all items (except the essential oil, which I had on hand) at my local Walmart.  The price for a box of Borax was $3.38 (4 pound 12 oz), a box of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda was $3.24 (55 oz), Arm and Hammer Baking Soda for $2.12 (4 pounds), and Kirk's Castile Soap is $3.11/3 bars).

Photo by Life as a Healthy Mom

Here is the recipe:

2 cups Borax
2 cups Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
2 cups Arm and Hammer Baking Soda
3 bars Kirk's Castile Soap, grated
20 drop of essential oil of your choice (I typically use lavender)

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Place in a container.  Use 1 tablespoon for each load.

Chocolate Pudding Dessert

Photo by Life as a Healthy Mom

Today is my husband's birthday..the big 40.  I turned that age myself about three weeks ago.  Our running joke is that he is allowed to call me his "old lady" from 22 days each year  (although he never puts the rule into force)....I believe he knows better! So, for his birthday I asked him what kind of dessert he would like.  He mentioned my famous pudding dessert; and I say famous because I have been making this dessert for as many years as we have been married...and we will be celebrating 19 years of marriage next week.  Whenever my grandmother's birthday rolls around each year (she is 86!), she always asks for the lemon version of this recipe as her birthday dessert. It's pretty much a given that I make it a few times a year.

Honestly, I have no clue who gave the recipe to me, if it was some one's original recipe, or it came out of a cookbook.  It has always been in my handwritten recipe collection for as long as I can remember.  But the original recipe called for items, such as pudding and whipped topping (aka Cool Whip).  Have you looked at the ingredients lately of these two items? The pudding list contains items such as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, such as BHA. The whipped topping contains hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors.  NO THANK YOU!

Many years ago, I used to follow the recipe to a T....including buying everything in boxes, and of course having it prepared in minutes because isn't that what buying processed food is all about....the convenience? But I have changed my ways by refusing to buy items that I can make at home with real ingredients. 

This new recipe I have now adapted using homemade whipped cream and chocolate pudding, and I make the crust from my gluten free flour mix.  I also use organic dairy products so I know there are no added chemicals in the food such as antibiotics or hormones.  It takes a little more time, because this dessert has four different layers--crust layer, sweetened cream cheese layer, chocolate pudding layer, and whipped cream top layer.  It is SO WORTH IT....it is DELICIOUS!  Even though it may be high in calories, you will only be able to eat one piece because the chocolate has such a rich taste to it. 

Here is a recipe with real ingredients. 

Make the first layer:  

1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup gluten free flour (or you can use all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1.  Cut above ingredients together with a pastry blender.  Pat mixture into a 9 x 13 pan (the layer will not be thick)

2.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  The crust will not be brown. Cool.

Make the whipped cream:

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla.  Continue to beat on medium until soft peaks return, about 3 minutes.

Save one cup of the whipped cream for the 2nd layer.  Put the rest in the refrigerator to use as the final layer.

Make 2nd layer of dessert:

1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup homemade whipped cream

Blend these ingredients in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.  Spread over cooled first layer (crust).  Place the 9 x13 pan into the refrigerator.

Make 3rd layer of dessert: 
(adapted from "Better Homes and Garden: New Cook Book" copyright 1989) :

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tbsp. cornstarch
3 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a heavy medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch.  Stir in milk.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.  Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into beaten eggs.

Return all of the egg mixture to the saucepan.  Cook until nearly bubbly, but do not boil.  Reduce heat.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and vanilla.  Pour pudding into a bowl.  Cover the surface with clear plastic wrap.  Chill.

Now it is time to assemble the dessert layers:

After the pudding has cooled, it is time to assemble the rest of the dessert. Remember, you have already assembled the first two layers, the crust and the sweetened cream cheese.  Now it is time for the third layer....the chocolate pudding. Spread the chilled chocolate pudding over the sweetened cream cheese.  

The fourth and final layer is the whipped cream.  Spread the whipped cream over the chocolate pudding, being careful not to disturb the pudding.  

And there you have it.  The total time it takes to make all the separate layers is about a 1/2 an hour.  The final assembly takes minutes.

Enjoy!

Labeling Canisters



Photo by Life as a Healthy Mom

Yesterday I spent some time refilling my canisters that sit on the kitchen counter.  The canisters span across the counter in two separate areas and not only provide a quick access to a snack or an ingredient to a recipe, but they also add a bit of decor to the kitchen.  I love how these natural ingredients add to the warm colors I use to enhance my home......the brown and cream colors just bring  their own element to the space. 

My dilemma is that many of these ingredients look the same.  Of course, the kids and the hubby can tell the difference between pecans, oatmeal, walnuts, and cashews.  But I also have my gluten free flour, organic sugar, cornmeal, quinoa, and steel cut oats in the mix as well.  I didn't want to go the route of etching each canister with the name of the food that resides in it.  I am a bit  obsessive about symmetry, so I like the look of sameness of the canisters,  and I think adding etching changes the overall look that I am striving for. I also like to change what I want in the canisters, so etching them would not allow me to do that.

But, I wanted to label them, so if my husband wanted to make dinner one night, he wouldn't have to question what was in the canister.  The only reason why I mention my husband is because, bless his heart, many years ago he attempted to make cookies with my then-toddler aged son.  He picked the canister in the pantry that housed my powdered sugar and not the one that housed the flour.  Needless to say during the baking process, the cookies became soup-like and ran all over the cookie sheet.  It was quite a mess.



Photo by Life as a Healthy Mom

So, here is an easy way to identify what is the canister..................a simple label inside the lid.  I retrieved my handy-dandy label maker out and started labeling the ones that were not quite easy to identify.  See....very easy!  And whenever I want to change the food in the canister to something different, I put the label off.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

So I have ventured into gluten free territory for about a month now and am feeling pretty good.  I decided to go gluten free after having repeated bouts of radiating joint pain, upper abdominal pain, and major bloating.  And don't get me started on the brain fog.  Currently, I am waiting for the results of having a test for celiac disease to confirm if it is an allergy or just a gluten intolerance.  Either way, I cannot see myself shoving a wheat-laden muffin or cookie in my mouth again after how great I am feeling.

With that being said, gluten free for me means excluding all grains........most of the time at least. I really didn't want to deal with buying a bunch of gluten free flours just to make baked goods that tastes just like their wheat counterpart. 

And, it can get expensive buying all the different flours!!!

Now, my family is another story.  They love their bread, cookies, pies....basically anything made with flour.  But they are starting to come around knowing I can whip up some of their favorite desserts that tastes the same (or even better in my opinion) as the ones used with wheat flour. But, you must use kid gloves in transitioning one into a change....especially with food.  I don't want a full-blown mutiny on my hands, so I am easing them into it by baking them the treats they currently like to eat. 

So last night, my son had a friend sleepover and he asked if I could go get them donuts.  First of all, he knows I do this only on very RARE occasions...............and today was NOT one of them.  But I thought today would be a great day to try a gluten free muffin recipe.  


Photo by Life as a Healthy Mom

This recipe is adapted from Food.com

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins--
Makes 12

• 1 1/2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• Extra Cinnamon/Sugar for sprinkling

 

Directions:

1.  Sift together flour, xanthan gum, sugar, salt, cinnamon, brown

     sugar, and baking powder.

 

2.  Combine egg, oil, and milk.  Add to dry ingredients. Stir just

     enough to moisten.
 

3.  Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full or use a medium-sized ice cream
     scoop.

4.  Mix 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 c sugar in a small bowl.  Sprinkle
     over tops of muffins.
 

5.  Sprinkle tops of muffins with a cinnamon/sugar mixture.

6.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

 

Well, of course, the boys came running down the stairs to the scent of cinnamon wafting through the air.  They immediately started eating them.....it didn't matter that they were just out of the oven and very hot.......teenagers!

 

His friend was first to make a comment by saying, "these are really good. " I looked at my son and asked him, "so, are they good?"  He nodded because his mouth was full with his second muffin.  I then said, "do you know they are gluten free?"  He stopped chewing (uh-oh)....gave me a smile and nodded again.  What!?! He could taste the difference? Although.......he is my dessert connoisseur.

 

So I asked him, "how do you know.....do they taste that different?" 

 

His reply?  "No, they are really good, but I only knew it when I saw you eat one." 

 

That's my boy!

 

 

 

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

Photo by Life as a Healthy Mom

I am new to this whole experience of being gluten-free, so prepping my kitchen to be a fully gluten-free zone has been quite the experience.  I am a baker.....I always have been, and I always will be; so the thought of converting from wheat flour to flours with names such as tapioca flour, sweet sorghum flour, brown rice flour kind of overwhelmed me at first. 

But alas, I found out there are many blogs on the web and books at the library with recipes using different mixtures of flours you combine to make an all-purpose mix.  The one recipe I have found success with in baking items such as cakes, muffins, pies, and cookies was found in the book, "Gluten Free Baking Classics" by Annalise G Roberts. So far, I have made chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon muffins with great success.  She also has recipes for bread making, but I haven't tackled that area yet. 

In her book, Annalise has measurements depending on how much flour you need.  I make a large batch of it, so I don't have to mix all the flours together each time I have the urge to bake. 

Photo by Life as a Healthy Mom

Here is Annalise's recipe:

6 cups brown rice flour (finely ground)
2 cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour

Mix all the ingredients together.  Store in an airtight container. Shake well before each use.

Enjoy!

Tips for Container Gardening Newbies



I am not a master gardener.............and I don't claim to be one.  I am a stay at home mom, who lives in suburbia, wants to begin growing her own food, and wants to teach her children that real food does not come from a grocery store shelf.  These suggestions are experiences that I have learned about gardening in containers over the past couple of years.



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This year, the plants in my containers have provided our family with quite the harvest, as you can see from this picture; and it's only the beginning of July!  I have been container gardening for a few years now....if you call the first year gardening.  I do, but expert gardeners may think otherwise; but I will get to the details later. 

Container gardener is all the rage now because people are looking to grow their own food but not wanting to dedicate space (or have space) for a full garden....and it couldn't be easier than popping a couple of plants in soil and watching them grow, right?  WRONG!  Expert gardeners make it look so easy.  I learned the hard way, and I want to share with you my struggles in starting my gardening adventures, so you won't have all the trials and tribulations I had.

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I container garden because our backyard pretty much sits on a rock shelf, and over the years the dirt has eroded away to expose the rock underneath.  Let me tell you, it is NOT a pretty sight. How weeds grow where grass and other plants don't is beyond my understanding!  And yes, I am one of those people who can and HAVE killed a cactus..........just sayin!


Now, I have containers dispersed throughout my backyard yielding delicious, nutritious, organic food.  Years ago, my husband built a deck over the sewer inlet to prevent our then toddlers from exploring and falling down that said sewer.  After years of the deck being used for playhouses and such, it lay barren; so I bought 9 of the same, square containers (did I also say that I bit OCD with organization?), and deck has now become my container garden oasis. 

Tip # 1:  Start Small

Depending on how many containers you have and how much you want to spend on buying other containers is totally up to you.  If you are new to gardening, I would suggest start small.  Pick a few of your favorites and easy to grow.....strawberries, lettuces, herbs, tomatoes, green peppers, or zucchini are all easy to grow. 

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Tip #2:  Fill the Container with Good Soil

I learned this tip shortly after starting my container garden.  I spent so much on the containers themselves, that I didn't want to spend too much money on the soil....and I bought a cheap top soil. That was definitely a blonde moment! 
I learned later that top soil for a garden in the ground is fine, but soil in containers need to be well aerated, well drained, and be able to retain enough moisture for the plant to thrive. My plants did not do well that first year.  Think about it..............if you eat the vegetables and fruits from your garden that came from bad soil with no nutrients, what are you getting when you eat that produce.....less that stellar nutrient dense food.

Today, at the beginning of the growing season, I take all the soil out of the containers, add more soil and compost to amend the soil.  I began composting during the same year that I began my container garden, so now I have access to rich, organic matter to help benefit my plants as they grow.  You can also purchase compost from local garden centers.  Again, when I began the container garden, I was too cheap to even buy the compost in a bag.  Lesson learned.

Tip #3: Be Sure to Give Your Plants Enough Water

I water my plants everyday, mostly in the morning.  Plants in containers tend to dry out faster because once the summer heat hits the containers, the water evaporates.  Be consistent with your watering.  During my first year, I did not dedicate every day to watering.  BIG MISTAKE!

Our tomatoes began showing black spots on the bottom.  I found out they had blossom end rot. If the tomato plants loses it's ability to absorb enough calcium for proper development, blossom rot occurs.  There are several factors that can cause blossom end rot, and one of them is fluctuations in soil moisture.  I am sure the depletion of nutrients in my topsoil didn't help either!  Needless to say, we did not get to enjoy the taste of a vine riped tomato from our garden that year.

A couple of years of ago, we went on vacation mid summer, and I handed the reins, or in my case the hose, to a neighborhood girl for a summer job.  It didn't help that during the week we were gone, the heat index was in the triple digits.  Add me not explaining fully how much water the containers truly needed and that is a recipe for disaster.  We came back from vacation to find all the plants in dire straits, and our growing season was cut short. 

Now, I water each container with a gallon of water daily.  They are doing well, even with the record-breaking temperatures we have experienced in the Midwest.   

Tip #4:  Don't Let Your Plants Drown

Plants need water, but they also need good drainage.  If the root system of the plants get waterlogged, they start to rot and then literally drown, which is what happened in my case.  I was so excited to bring my new containers home to begin planting my seeds that I filled them with the soil and forgot to poke a hole in the bottom of it for drainage.  Well, the first good, spring rain reminded me of my mistake....I had 9 mini container ponds on the deck!

After the downpour, my containers were overflowing with water, and my seedlings were drowning.  My husband drained as much water off the containers that he could by tipping the containers over as much as to not empty the soil that now looked like sludge.  Once most of the water was removed, he drilled holes in the bottom of each container.  I replanted the seeds after allowing the containers to drain and the soil to dry out for a few days.   

I still have the same containers, so I haven't experienced any waterlogged plants.  Another tip:  before you put your soil in, be sure to put a screen in the bottom to prevent your soil from falling through the drainage holes.  I have heard than some people put coffee filters in the bottom on the containers.

Tip # 5:  Plant in Season


Certain plants need to be planted during certain times of the year.  Have you ever heard of "eating in season"?  That means you are choosing to eat food during the time they are grown.  For example, tomatoes and peppers in summer, asparagus and greens in spring, root vegetables in fall. 

Gardenate has a great website to tell you what to plant in your garden based on your climate zone.  The site also allows you to click on each month to see what plants. You can also check with your local cooperative extension office website for other information, such as the hardiness zone your area is in.  

Tip #6: Know your Enemies

Plants have friends....and enemies in the bug world. Again, we learned of these little culprits during our second year of gardening. I came out to check on the cherry tomato plants on the patio to find small, black poop that resembled mini hand grenades all over the leaves of the plants. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?

I ran to my computer to look up what this could be. I literally googled, "poop that looks like hand grenades on plants" and information about tomato hornworms popped up. Isn't the Internet wonderful? I found out the Tomato Hornworm is the larval stage of hawk or sphinx moth, and they are voracious eaters...munching entire leaves, small stems, and even parts of immature fruit. Upon further inspection of the plants, we found a quarter of the plant's leaves were eaten, and many of the tomatoes that had formed on the plant. I was not happy!

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The next step was to look for the hornworm on the plant. Ewwww! They camouflage themselves VERY well on the underside of the leaves of the plant, so it took my husband and I some time to find it. When we found it, we were shocked at how big it was.  The hornworm in the above picture is attached to the stem on the underside of the leaf that my husband is holding.  If the excrement gave any indication of the worm, we were not dealing with a mini caterpillar...it was 4 inches long and fat, probably from eating all my leaves and tomatoes! All in all, we found a couple more hornworms throughout our growing season and removed them promptly by squishing them. My husband did the squishing, not me. I read that you can also dispose of them by putting them in a bowl of soapy water or throw them near the bird feeder as a treat to the birds. We also learned if you see a hornworm covered with white egg sacs, leave it be. The egg sacs are those of a parasitic wasp called the Braconid wasp. Let the eggs hatch, and you'll have an army of wasps ready to defend your garden against all types of pests. Nature is so cool!

Our next insect infestation was squash bugs on our zucchini plants, during the same summer as the war of the hornworms. Again, I thought nature would take it's course and all the plants would be protected by beneficial bugs overtaking the bad bugs....then I took my rose colored glasses off! One morning, I was doing my daily rounds on the garden deck to find the leaves of the zucchini plants were turning brown....and there were ugly bugs all over it. I went to the Internet again to find out these flat, brown bugs were aptly named, squash bugs. These vampires of the bug world suck the juices out of the vines causing them to wilt and die....and wilt and die they did. 

Since I am a bit squeamish about bugs, as you can tell from the hornworm incident, my wonderful husband began picking them off the plants and putting them in a bowl of soapy water. But we didn't get to them fast enough. Within a couple of days, our zucchini plants died.

Squash Bugs-- 1 Humans--0.

This year I was ready for them. Each morning, I checked the underside of each leaf to look for little yellow eggs, and I SQUASHED them (with gloves on).  No eggs, no squash bugs. I learned that if you kills the eggs, the plant will be strong enough to combat these bugs later in summer if some squash bugs find it. This year has been a good year for our zucchinis, and we have already harvested 4 zucchini and more are beginning to grow.

Tip #7 Plants have Friends too!

Have you heard of companion planting? I didn't either until I began my container gardening. Apparently, certain plants help each other to prevent pests or diseases. Just as a person what to be around friends, plants want the same.  Since I choose not to use chemical warfare on my plants and choose to go the organic route, I elected to companion plant. Seeds of Change has a wonderful chart to show which plants show be planted together and the effects the plants have by doing this.

I have marigolds surrounding the cherry tomatoes, green bell peppers near the other tomatoes, lettuce near the strawberries, and so on and so forth.

And Finally..............Sometimes Mother Nature Provides You With a Surprise!

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Since we have been composting, we put all of our veggie food scraps into the compost.  Once day my husband comments that something was GROWING in the compost.  Upon further investigation, we found this 6 pound cantaloupe growing. 

This plant must has sprouted from the seeds and pulp I threw into the compost while cleaning out a cantaloupe that I bought at the market. We couldn't wait to slice into this wonderful find.  My husband cut it off the vine and we brought it into the house, only to cut it open and find it had not ripened.  We found out later that if you have to cut the fruit from the vine, it isn't ripe; if ripe, the fruit will fall off the vine.  Again, lesson learned.  Even though we didn't get to eat the cantaloupe, we are amazed as what nature can do and the surprises it provides.

So there you have it.......................Hopefully, this information has help you so you don't have many bad experiences as we have in starting our gardening adventures.  Although we are planning on redoing some of our landscaping to help with the rock issue, hopefully adding some raised garden beds, I will continue to container garden.  Happy Gardening!