Farmington West Provident Living

That time of year is already quickly approaching for those that started herbs indoors early. Some of my Basil and Cilantro have already grown enough to begin harvesting, however my tomatoes are a LOOOONG way off to be making sauce, fresh salads, and other delights.    Luckily, with herbs, if you prefer only fresh, you can start them indoors at any time of year, so you can plant on a schedule to always have a pot of your favorite herb ready when you want it.   (photo cred: thefrugalgirls.com) For those that plant once a year, yet want to use in cooking all year long, there are several easy ways to preserve herbs by dehydration.   If you do not own, or do not wish to purchase an expensive freeze drier or dehydrator, there are simple ways to experiment with smaller amounts and then if you love it, purchase a dehydrator in the future.  Let’s start with some simple herb drying methods. Baby Steps:   If you have not planted any herbs, consider starting a ...

Not only should we grow veggies but also fruits of every kind that we can.  This post is going to focus on what to do and plant if you want to grow your own small fruits such as berries and grapes.    These little gems are the best to grow for making jams, jellies, fruit leather and your own juices or syrups. Not to mention that growing them yourself will save you oodles of money.  Let's face it stores charge a premium for these delicious fruits and the fact is home grown taste WAY better than store bought. There's nothing like picking a fresh raspberry off the vine and popping it in your mouth. Who else is totally craving some vanilla ice cream with fresh berries on top right now?!!     Just like any garden plant they do require work but the payoff is totally worth it. Most of the plants won't produce any berries the first year they are planted but will for many years to come starting the second year.  Now just because they are called small fruits ...

Have you ever wanted to plant potatoes in your garden but a. didn't have enough room, b. figured your soil was too hard and compact to allow for proper growth of potatoes or c. just weren't sure how to even go about doing it.  Well if any of these or other reasons apply then this post is for you.     Potatoes are a great thing to know how to grow in your garden.  We can and probably do use them quite often in most of our everyday cooking whether it be in soups, breakfast casseroles or skillets, fries, or just good old baked potatoes. So, why not try your hand at growing your own!     This post will teach you how to grow potatoes in a bucket.  One of the great advantages to growing them in a bucket is that you can bring them in your garage or other cold storage space over the winter and keep them "fresh" for use during the winter months.  What types of potatoes can you grow in a bucket? Any kind you want including sweet potatoes. So let...

What is vertical gardening and why would you want to do it?  Well if you don't have a lot of room to grow a garden but love planting things such a tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, beans, squash and gourds, vertical gardening is the way to go. However it is important to note that not all varieties of squash and melons can be grown vertically i.e. pumpkins and most watermelons simply because they get too heavy.    Some of the benefits of growing vertically aside from space saving is that it also protects the veggies from ground level predators such as slugs and earwigs.  For crops such as melons and squash and cucumbers it will prevent them from getting that yellow or "ground" spot. That is unless you love going out and rotating your veggies often so they don't get it.    There are many different ways of doing a vertical garden.  Below are links to several different types of  vertical gardening.  Some are quick and easy and can be done in a day o...

This week we are focusing on gardening and all the wonderful things that come from planting a garden.  Gardening is not easy work, but it is rewarding. Knowing you have the ability to supply your family with some of the necessities of life (i.e. the value of hard work, finish what you start, and food that you all helped cultivate.) Some other benefits you can get from growing your own food include: • Satisfaction of self-sufficiency • Better tasting food • Generally less expensive • The act of gardening itself is good for your physical and mental health.    This last statement alone is one of the reason I love gardening.  Sometimes if I just need a little time to myself I go out and weed or work in my garden.  One of the best memories I have as a child was picking the peas out of the garden and cracking open a pod and eating those delicious little peas.  SOOOO yummy!! We will be posting all this week about different types of gardens and different ways to g...

As I was reading the Come Follow Me lesson for this past week the imagery of one statement kept standing out to me. Though it is a simple saying it had a powerful effect.    Now, in the lesson it was talking about how Alma (the seed) believed what Abinadi had taught and then in turn taught many more people (the apples) who eventually were baptized.  I'm sure we've all heard the saying one man can influence a nation, but what came to my mind when I read it was one man can influence entire generations.  If one person believes and is baptized and continues to raise his family in the gospel truths and they in turn do the same for their families, it creates quite a bountiful harvest.   The opposite effect is just as true.  If one person turns their back on the gospel and continues to perpetuate it down his lineage, the results can be catastrophic to that once beautiful family tree.    For FHE tonight take time with your family and look at your f...

   Sourdough starters are all about yeast. Basically, when you make a sourdough starter, you are making natural yeast.  Not too long ago, people used natural yeast (sourdough starter) to make bread. The process of baking with natural yeast requires a little more planning and a longer rising period. When commercial yeast was developed, the bread-making industry was revolutionized, making it easier and faster to make bread.   However, with the advances in yeast, an important part of the bread-making process was lost.  The modern method of baking with commercial yeast eliminates longer rise times. Bypassing the process of longer-rise times may be one cause of inflammation and digestive problems.      It’s been said by some who have dietary issues such as gluten intolerance, that once they began consuming bread made with natural yeast, their symptoms were reduced or eliminated, and some have even reported losing weight after changing to who...

Go check out the new deals page to see some resources to purchase yeast.

No-knead, overnight bread is an easy to make, artisan-style bread. This gorgeous bread will make you look  like  a bread-making expert! People will think that you slaved in the kitchen for hours on end. The sky is the limit with this bread because there are so many things you can add to it to make it unique and delicious.    Start by deciding whether you want to do a single or double batch. I always do a double batch because I just can’t resist a slice(or a whole loaf) straight out of the oven, and it’s so beautiful that I just have to share it with someone else! To make this delicious bread, find a medium-sized bowl and a dd 3 c. flour, 1 tsp. yeast, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 1/2 c. very warm water. Stir it up. The dough will look a little rough or "shaggy." This is normal.  Cover the bowl with a lid or some plastic wrap, and set it in a warm location. Before covering, feel free to stir in any mix-ins you like, such as cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, suga...

"Man cannot live on bread alone."  But, man needs bread, well most of us do.  Being able to make bread is one of those invaluable skills that we should all possess.  While it SEEMS intimidating, the truth is it actually isn't that complicated.  Your own insecurities are probably the only real problem that is standing between you and the perfect loaf (loaves) of bread.  Trust me I know this first hand.  I was super intimidated to make bread until I actually did and then I was like that really wasn't so bad.  All you really need is a good recipe and the right ingredients. This NO-KNEAD Overnight bread is a perfect recipe for your food storage and emergency supply box.  Check out our bread  page for more great recipes. This week, we encourage you to accomplish any or all of the challenge levels and to really try your hand at making great bread.  This is one of those things you will always be grateful to know how to do. Baby Steps: Try...

We have long been encouraged to build an emergency food and survival supply.  This has been taught to  not only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but has been suggested strongly to all residents by the city emergency planning teams throughout the nation.   This may seem like a daunting task to some, but if broken down to reasonable steps, it can be quite easily done.  Some things to consider are to not just stash a bunch of food in your basement or storage area, but to bulk up your pantry with foods you are use to eating.  Kids especially tend to have a hard time adjusting to change during an emergency and suddenly being forced to eat new and sometimes weird foods can just make problems worse.  So, consider having a 3 month supply that includes foods that your family regularly eats, then rotate those foods more often than the items in long term storage in your basement/food storage closet. Baby Steps:  Visit the 'Resou...