My Garden_Update Herbs, Cantaloupe and Green Peppers Update

Dill Plant Flowering

I have really been enjoying this summers gardening.

I have so many sweet banana peppers I don't know what to do with.

I ordered some fish fertilizer and I mix that with my compost tea, and a little dark molasses and WOWZA!!

my garden is doing  A LOT better.

I am growing some Moon and Stars Watermelon and it is a slow growing, but as soon as I fed her and the others

my special blend they begin to produce a lot more growth.

Moon & Stars

Cantaloupe

This is our biggest one so far.

Green Bill Peppers..

Check out past blogs

Here & Here & Here...

My Garden Update_Vegetables and Fruit Seedlings

A gardens' best friend...

Lemon Seedling

Lemon Seedlings

African Marigolds

Sweet Peppers.

Moon & Stars Watermelon

~Walking in the Rain~

     I enjoy walking in the rain and as long as it’s not thundering and lightening; walking in the rain feels good. Even though, I have walked in the rain before, today I passed several cars and witness some of the looks that were on their faces, some smiling even got a few waves, and others looked in curiosity. None-the-less it was a good walk.

~My Walking Views in the Morning~

 Nice and Steep.

Who needs a membership to some gym... when you have the great outdoors..

To get the results I want, I work out twice a day everyday.

And yep my second work out is at the gym..:)

At the top of this steep hill in my house (the Majestic)

Tangy Sweet Tangerine Juicing Recipe ~For Family of 5~ Black Folks Eating Right

I have always enjoyed tangerines, but I have never juiced them until recently and wanted to share a juice recipe that I have been experimenting with.

This recipe will make about a gallon of juice.

10 Tangerines

12 Golden Delicious Apples

2 Leafs of Kale

1 Raw Beet (with leafs)

1 Pineapple

1 Grapefruit (hence the tangy)

Handful of Fresh Spinach

This juice recipe is delicious and one of my favorites to date. 

The tangerines with the pineapples really makes this juice sweet.

Pineapples are great at masking the kale and beets.

I used a Omega Juicer 8006 Chrome

Health Benefits of Tangerines

The originals of Tangerines

Sea~of~Green Salad: Black Folks Eating Right~A Plant Based Diet

      Mingz Sea of Green Salad

I love salads, and one of my favorite salads to make, is my “sea of green” mixed salad…

I used to purchase the bag salads until I realized that making my own is so much better. I used a combination of 3 green lettuce (no iceberg), Kale, and fresh spinach, along with carrots. 

I love  Red Wine Vinaigrette (full of high fructose corn syrup) but it is so delicious.

With this beautiful salad and not pictured, I baked a fresh pink salmon seasoned with Old Bay Seasoning and Sweet Onions

..DELISH…

Frozen Fish bake for an hour on 320

Fresh bake for 30-40 mins on 350

topped with sweet onion

and covered with Old Bay Seasoning

~A Healthy Munchy Snack~ Black Folks Eating Right

The munchies we all get them right??

Well at any rate, I found another low fat, snack that you can put into your kids lunch, next to your desk at work or for that midnight snack you crave. It satisfies that sweet, nutty craving we all seem to get every now and again.  

Here is a recipe that I modified to suit my taste buds…

try it and enjoy!!

What I used:

2 cups Uncooked, Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 cup of  Craisins 

1/2 cup toasted Coconut {sweetened or unsweetened}

1/3 cup roughly chopped {shelled} Pistachios

1/2 cup Honey

2 tablespoons Coconut Butter

1 teaspoon Real Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon ground Cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1 pinch Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS:

To toast the coconut just preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Scatter the coconut onto a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 5-10 minutes or until golden, stirring {and checking on it} often.

In a small bowl combine the honey, coconut butter, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir and set off to the side.

In a large mixing bowl; combine the oats, craisins, pistachios, toasted coconut and  pour in the honey mixture. Stir to combine.

Spread the granola mixture onto the same pan you used for the coconut and bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, rotating the pan 

 Stir and continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the granola is a deep golden color

. Let cool and store in an airtight container for a few weeks.

I often make a large batch and store...

GREAT FOR BREAKFAST TOO!

Mama Mingz Pizza Sauce~Black Folks Eating Right

My son loves pizza and that was the one foods he begged me to allow him to eat with a plant based diet.

Why not, 

I can find a low calorie recipe sauce for pizza I already have a bread maker that makes pizza dough. I am more than half way there.

And I did.

And he loves it. 

The sauce is pretty good, if I don't say so my self.

(say it in your best Italian accent)

"MAMA Mingz Pizza Sauce"

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 cup minced  Sweet White Onion

2 cloves Garlic, pressed through a garlic press

2 tablespoons minced Sun-dried Tomatoes 
{ packed in olive oil}

2 teaspoons Dried Oregano

1-1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil

1/4 cup White Wine (like a Chardonnay)

1 {6 ounce} can of Tomato Paste

1 cup Water

2 pinches of Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

 Heat a large {10 inch} skillet over moderate heat. Add in olive oil and when hot, add in the minced onion and garlic. Stir until soft.

Now add in the minced sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano and basil and stir. The oil and the heat of the pan will soften up the dried herbs.

Pour in the 4 tablespoons of white wine and let that simmer until reduced by half.

Add in the entire can {6 ounces} of tomato paste and the cup of water. Switch over to a wire whisk and stir until combined. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes before seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper.

Pour in to a jar to cool and store in the fridge for a week, or use it tonight.

Raw Beets & Red Cabbage Recipe~Black Folks Eating Right

Colors!! I love the colors in this salad; I think it’s important that a meal have lots of colors.  And one of the easiest ways to add color to your planted based meal is by having a large salad each day.

Whether it's a main meal or a side dish, add as many fresh vegetables as you like and even pick a color theme- how cool is that??

 In many black families, cabbage is a very popular side dish, which is usually cooked and while being cooked, bacon or some sort of meat is added, even if the recipe calls for a raw salad mayonnaise or salad dressing is added, and most of these condiments contain eggs and/or sugars.

This turns into an unhealthy meal quite quickly.

~Yes they have a vegan mayonnaise..its called Vegenaise, you will be hard press in telling the difference.

Red cabbage is a wonderful source of vitamin C, which assists in anti-oxidation, helping to keep your skin healthy and youthful.  It is also high in vitamin A, which is involved in maintaining healthy eyes.  Vitamin E is also contained in red cabbage, therefore helping in immunity building, DNA repair and other metabolic processes.  It is cleansing to the body and also contains calcium. 

Beets were the other main ingredient in this salad and I love beets.  

If you have not eaten beets raw, they taste like a sweet carrot.

Beets are also highly nutritious...

They contain unique pigments that are antioxidants and have been found to offer protection against coronary artery disease and strokes.  Raw beets are an excellent source of folates, but these levels can be depleted with extensive cooking.  They also contain the powerful antioxidant vitamin C and the essential mineral, potassium...heck they are just good for you!

I used:

2 Beets chooped

1/2 of a Red Cabbage chooped

2 cups mixed greens

Dressing

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh basil

1 tbsp fresh cilantro 

1/4 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

 Sea salt to taste