Square Foot Gardening - Wheelchair Gardens

In this post I want to expand on the possibilities available with Square Foot Gardening.  If you missed the other posts you can read them here :

Introduction to Square Foot Gardening

Square Foot Gardening - Planning

Square Foot Gardening - Building Beds

Square Foot Gardening - Soil Mix

Square Foot Gardening - Planting
Square Foot Gardening - Garden Structures

The joys and benefits of gardening should be available to everyone, and now, even if you have to use a wheelchair, they are available to you as well.  Whether you want to grow your own vegetables or just concentrate on flowers, you now have lots of options to choose from.

Square foot gardening, especially lends itself to these gardens because you can grow a lot in a small space using the square foot method.

Here are a few articles on building Accessible gardens :

http://voices.yahoo.com/diy-wheelchair-accessible-raised-bed-garden-physically-3445314.html?cat=32
http://www.apparelyzed.com/accessible-gardens/accessible-garden.html
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2010/02/wheelchair-gardening-tips/

And here is a video as well.

The University of Maryland has plans available online for what they call a "salad table" which is the perfect solution for those who need to sit to garden.  It is portable and can be moved when necessary.  You can access the plans here.

They also have videos on how to build a salad table out of a couple of wood pallets.

And how to garden in one.

Even Martha Stewart has plans on her site for building a salad garden, and a video you can watch.

Here are a couple of  PDF files you can print with complete instructions.

http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg601.pdf
treenuts.ca/apg/verasaladtablematerials.pdf

In Los Angeles, California an inovative designer has come up with a lazy-susan style garden that is perfect for those that are wheelchair bound.

Gardening is a great activity, good for both body and soul, and now, with a few minor adjustments, everyone can enjoy all the benefits.

For more information on Square Foot Gardening buy the book here.

“Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.”   - George Bernard Shaw

Week #1 Money Saving Cook Ahead Plan

Today I'm going to give you the first cook ahead plan.  This plan is for Week # 1 Money Saving Menus


This is a one week plan which you should double so you have one set of meals to eat the following week, and another in your freezer for next month.  The amounts are for four, so if you are a family of two, you're all set.  If you are a family of four, then double the amounts given to have extra freezer meals.  This plan can also be made in multiplies of three, four etc. for larger families.  



Before you start, make sure you've read Introduction to Freezer Cooking or Batch Cooking Paleo Style.  Here you will find videos that show you how to fit all your meals into a small freezer section, and lots of ideas for containers that you can use for freezing your foods.

Week # 1 - Money Saving Menu Cook Ahead Plan

Here are all the forms you will need.  I suggest you follow the links and print them so you can check off the steps as you go. Also, if you are changing ingredients or amounts then you want to mark this on your forms as well.

As you work through the plan, use the back of the page to make any notes you want to remember for the next time you use it.  File it away in a folder and when you have collected 3 or 4 plans that work for your family you will have a good variety to rotate throughout the year.

If you find any problems please let me know in the comments.  Sometimes things get screwed up when they are transferred from one medium to another, and even though I have tried to check everything quite carefully, mistakes can easily happen. 

Cook Ahead - Money Saving Wk1 - Grocery Checklist
Cook Ahead - Money Saving Wk1 - Shopping List
Cook Ahead - Money Saving Wk1 - Prep
Cook Ahead -Wk1 Money Saving - Cook

Here are a few notes :

• If you have fresh herbs then use them.  If you don't there is no need to buy cilantro and parsley.  You should just buy a bunch of cilantro and chop a 1/4 cup to use instead of the parsley.  Then chop the rest that you don't use and freeze it to use in later plans.
• The recipes call for skinless boneless chicken but use anything you have or that's on special.  I have reminded you in the prep checklist to skin and bone the chicken if it's necessary.  You can also use any frozen chicken you have, but remember that once thawed it's not safe to refreeze uncooked chicken, which is why I give the stir-fry option on your cooking list.
• This week there are two dishes that you will freeze uncooked - Crepes and Coq St Jacques. If you have two baking dishes you can use the foil method shown here to freeze them.

•  If you don't have enough baking dishes to make all these meals at one time you can also buy aluminum foil baking pans that often come in packs of three which would be ideal for this week's plan.  Just cover well with aluminum foil and freeze, then you can heat your meal when you need it right in the pan.  
• Alternatively you can spread the cooking over a couple of days and make one baking dish meal per day.  

Again, here is the link to check the Introduction to Freezer Cooking or Batch Cooking Paleo Style. if you need more ideas on how to pack for your freezer.

If you work all week I would suggest that you do this plan in three parts the way it's set up.  One day check and buy your groceries, one day do your prep work, and then (probably on the weekend when you have more time) do your cooking session.

On the other hand, if you are at home all day you can opt to do the prep and the cooking all in one day. I would never suggest you shop, prep and try to cook all in the same day unless you're looking to have a nervous breakdown.

Remember,  my plan is all about doing the least amount of work for the most reward. If you follow it then yes, you will have to do some work, but very likely not nearly as much as you're doing now. You can divide up the work that needs doing and choose the time that works best for you. 

Hopefully you will be spending a lot less time in the kitchen, and when you are in there it will be a much more pleasant experience.

"Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

Week # 1 - Money Saving Menus

Today I'm going to start a series of Money Saving Menus, and because my Money Saving post was so popular, I am going to give you four full weeks of menus.


I am also going to change the format.  Rather than giving you specific meals for specific days, I will be giving you 6 meals for the week and you can decide yourself which days will work best for you.  These menu plans are based on my post suggestions and will concentrate on slow cooker dishes, ethnic meals, and lots of ways to use eggs.  As with all my menu plans this gives you the leeway of one day a week that you can either go out to eat or eat from meals you already have in your freezer.


As well, I will be giving you a cook ahead plan on Tuesday that you can use in conjunction with this menu to make your weekly planning more efficient.  Look for the first one for this menu plan tomorrow.



All the recipe links are included here and can also be found under the Recipes tab above.

Week # 1 - Money Saving Menus

Day 1 - Quiche Lorraine, Green Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Day 2 -  Seafood Crepes, Green Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Day 3 - Chicken Stir-Fry, Miracle Rice or Cauliflower Rice

Day 4 - Coq St Jacques, Green Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Day 5 - Cilantro Lime Chicken, Creamy Mashed Cauliflower, vegetable of your choice

Day 6 - Burgers with lettuce, onion and tomato, Sweet Potato Fries

I have given you a basic 6 day meal plan but I haven't give you amounts because it will all depend upon how many servings of each recipe you need for your family.

All the recipes for the meals in my meal plans you will find in previous posts by following the links provided. I have also noted which recipes can be frozen for later use with this symbol (will freeze). Make it your goal to cook at least two meals each week in double quantities so you can start stocking your freezer. (If you can do more so much the better. You will be ahead in no time!)

In all menu plans I have one day a week scheduled for a freezer meal, so be warned. The crockpot meal is always an easy one to double, then just choose one other one and you've met your minimum target.

You will notice that some days I ask you to supplement with a vegetable of your choice. This is because different people have different likes and dislikes. Also, I don't know what's in your fridge and what you need to use up. As a basic I always make sure I have tomatoes which can be sliced and served with most meals, and a couple of bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer.  

For more vegetable ideas check here, here, here and here.

I also don't give any desserts. Again, everyone is different and you can choose to either have or not have these depending on your particular situation. For me dark chocolate and red wine are staples. For you it might be berries and cream. 

If desserts are a normal part of your menu plans, for dessert ideas check here, here, here, here and here.


If you want an easy way to start filling your freezer right now, check back tomorrow for the Cook Ahead plan that goes with this menu plan.

As I said before,nothing here is written in stone. Use my suggestions as guidelines. Use what works for you and discard the rest.

Remember,  my plan is all about doing the least amount of work for the most reward. If you follow it then yes, you will have to do some work, but very likely not nearly as much as you're doing now. You will be eating healthy delicious meals. You will be more relaxed because you will always have time to catch up, regardless of what happens. And most of all, you will have time to relax and enjoy your life. And in the end isn't that what it's all about?

"Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

Introduction to Cook Ahead Freezer Cooking - Paleo Style

30daygourmet.com

Freezer cooking or batch cooking is also known as once-a-month cooking or once-a-week cooking.  However you choose to refer to it, this process will definitely save you both time and money.

30daygourmet.com

One of the main reasons people are afraid to try this is because they don't believe they have enough storage room.  It isn't necessary to have an extra freezer to be able to cook ahead.  In the photo above, there are 30 family sized meals stored in a small freezer compartment, and there is still room for other basics such as bacon and frozen fruit.

Here is a video that shows how a month's worth of frozen meals will fit in a side freezer compartment

Another major concern many people have is packaging.  Unfortunately it's all to common to find your food has freezer burn if it isn't properly packaged.  With all the different options for packaging available this does not have to happen.  Here is a video that shows some basic options when it comes to packing your cooked ahead meals.

This video show you how to get a good vaccum seal on your freezer bags even if you don't have one of those special vaccum sealers.

And finally here is a video that shows you how you can get away without buying any freezer containers at all, just by using the same casserole dish to freeze that you will later use to cook the food. And you can do this and still have the same dish free to cook other meals.  This is possibly a bit long-winded (It's two parts) but it shows even the most novice cook exactly how to do this.

So, as you can see, with just a bit of knowledge freezer space and freezer containers are not issues to be concerned about.

As for creating a cook ahead plan, this is a very easy process.  The way I do it, each plan is made up of  3 lists :

Part 1 : Check and Buy the Groceries
On the first sheet I list all the dishes I want to cook, what basic ingredients I need to check, and what extra groceries I need to either buy or take from my pantry.

Part 2 : Do the prep work
The second sheet is a list of prep. work. In professional kitchens the chef's don't do their own prep work.  Unfortunately you do, but you also have the option of doing it before you start your cooking.  Chopping all the onion you need at one time for instance will save you a lot of time, and you can store it in a bowl in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

Part 3 :  Cook and Freeze / Store
Once I have everything ready and my prep done, the actual cooking will be very easy.  Especially since a lot of meals that I freeze will just be put together and then cooked on the day I plan to eat them.  This makes the cooking day easier and your meals will taste a lot better.

Here is how you too can create your own personalized cook ahead plan.

Life Your Way Interactive Forms
Your Personal Cook Ahead Plan - Part 1
Your Personal Cook Ahead Plan - Part 2
Your Personal Cook Ahead Plan - Part 3

Quick Meals Cook Ahead Plan
Slow Cooker Cook Ahead Plan
Barbecue Meals Cook Ahead Plan

There is nothing more satisfying than looking at all your meals packaged and ready for the freezer at the end of the day......

...... And knowing that you can now look forward to easy organized dinners that will require minimal though and effort during the week.

moneysavingmom.com

"Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

Take some time to appreciate Nature

If you have been following my blog for any length of time you will know that I tend to deal with life in an organized fashion - or at least as much as is possible.  I just find it easier that way.

But once in a while I like to forget about all of that and just appreciate the moment, and I think it's because I am organized that I can do that.

Just as Mark Sisson talks about the 80/20 rule for eating, I think there's an 80/20 rule for living as well.  If you keep your life running as efficiently as possible most of the time, you can afford to ignore everything once in a while.  And the better you get at managing your life, the more time you can take off.

Today, after an unusually cold spring that saw lots of late frosts, we now - suddenly - have instant summer.  It tends to happen that way where I live.  I'm lucky enough to own a home in the country and this is the time of the year when it comes into it's own.

There are beautiful purple blue irises in bloom just under my office window.  Right beside my office door the honeysuckle is in full bloom as well,and full of bees buzzing amongst the flowers.

The temperature has reached 80 today which for us is wonderfully warm.  One can even finally consider opening the pool. I filled the bird bath this morning and it's been visited by Red Cardinals, Bluejays, and a variety of other birds I don't know.


The robins, as usual, are busy bathing.  They must be the cleanest birds around because they always seem to be at it.

I also filled the feeders since this is the time of year the birds are all laying eggs and bringing up their young, and the birds aren't the only ones that are enjoying them.

Along with the inevitable squirrels there are a few tiny chipmunks, and a couple of rabbits from the bottom of the garden.

Last year I even saw a couple of deer that had wandered up from the creek at the bottom of the hill.

 And just a minute ago I looked up to see a couple of the cutest chubbiest ground hogs busy eating the sunflower seeds and peanuts.

I've been sitting here in my deckchair, being very still, breathing the warm clean air, and thinking about nothing at all. Just taking it all in.  It's very quiet, and other than the occasional Blue Jay call or the bark of a dog in the distance, there is nothing but warm breezes and sunshine.

Does it get much better than this?  I don't think so.

Sometimes it's nice to forget about writing, Paleo living, housework, cooking, gardening, appointments ..... and everything else.  Sometimes it's nice to just empty one's mind and live in the moment.  For me, this is better than meditating.  This is just simply .... being.

Check out other Simple Pleasures here .

“Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.”   - George Bernard Shaw