Seattle Seedling's Monthly Musings
Helping you live off the land in the city - one month at a time!
February 2014
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Happy February, my friends!I'm slowly but surely coming out of hibernation and am looking forward to a rejuvenating spring! It's a little early yet to bust out the mid-winter calendar (check out my simple tutorial for a spring countdown "advent" calendar), but I sure will on the 18th! That will mark exactly 30 days until spring!While we daydream about early floral blooms and dirt on our jeans, let's use this time to gear up! One of the tasks I have on my to-do list is to inventory the seeds I already have before I spend a bunch of money ordering more. How are you gearing up for spring?Here are some resources for your springtime preparations:4 Simple Ways to Get Your Garden ReadyCreate a
Plan with Harvest and Organic Pest Prevention in MindMy Top Ten Seed Recommendations with Recipes
Love and Mexican Chocolate Cake
Something sweet and full of chocolate to share with your love!Mexican Chocolate CakeAdapted from Real Simple magazineFor the cake:1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 cup sugar1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa2 tsp.
cinnamon1 tsp. baking soda1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or ground Mexican chili powder1/4 tsp. salt1 cup cold water1/4 cup canola oil1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar1 Tbs. vanilla extractFor the glaze:1 cup powdered sugar1/2 cup cocoa6 Tbs. waterMethod:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch round
springform cake pan.Combine all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely. While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and pour over the cooled cake. Share and enjoy. *Note: For pretty presentation, you can partially dip fruit in the glaze and arrange them on
top. It's best to dip the fruit pieces half way, so that some of the color of the fruit shows through. It's especially beautiful with strawberries when they're in season. But since they're not, I might try dipping wedges of blood oranges and placing them on top of the cake.
Urban Farm School Updates!
Thanks to all of your generous contributions, we are getting closer and closer to be able to start bringing the schoolhouse dream to fruition. We've raised almost $2,000 for the project! If you would like to learn more about the schoolhouse project or would like to contribute, check out this link! And thank you in advance for continuing to spread the word! Let's plant this seed and watch it grow!The Spring Line Up!New urban farm school classes will be released soon! I can
hardly wait! I will be hosting a number of awesome classes here on my urban farm and will also be teaching classes in and around Seattle. First up, I will be teaching a new course I developed, From Lawn to Lunch, on Wednesday, February 5th at the NW Flower and Garden Show! I will also be teaching a hands-on, edible gardening-centric class at The Pantry at Delancey this April. Stay tuned for details!
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If you've never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine,
plant a garden. ~Robert Brault
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