Gardening | Caramelize Life

Feb 4

How To Grow Year-Round Indoor|Outdoor Potted Citrus Trees

Oh, the fragrance of a citrus tree in bloom is about as dreamy as a sandy beach in the middle of a long winter.

Last month I walked by one of our lemon trees that was in full bloom. It stopped me mid-stride; the colorful aroma of citrus cemented my feet and my thoughts traveled to warmer climates as I breathed in deeply, keeping my tropical daydream going just a little longer. Ahhhh… a bit of paradise.

I wish this was a scratch ‘n sniff image…

Then I got a little idea and moved it from the hallway to my office so I could take in as much of the aroma as possible while I worked. It is so lovely during the middle of winter when the ground is covered in a blanket of snow and everything outside is an Ansel Adams image.

I can still smell the intoxicating fragrance of the lemon buds.

We live in the north and it gets cold up here and as I mentioned there is a white layer of snow covering all horizontal surfaces right out my door. It’s not the citrus trees of Sunnyvale, CA where I plucked lemons, from my grandparents trees, at whim as a child. I now take pride in growing my lemons carefully here in the mountains. I’ve had good luck but also some great advice from seasoned gardeners and I’ve learned a bit by trial and error.

Citrus varieties that don’t mind pots and moving in and out-of-doors: Meyer Lemons, Kaffir Limes and Calamondin Oranges
Think about all the Marmalade, Limoncello and desserts your oranges and lemons will produce. Maybe you love Thai curry… imagine adding your homegrown lime to this dish. Perfection!

Choose a dwarf tree that is 2-3 years old, for instant gratification of bloom- don’t worry you will still have to wait 6-9 months for the fruit to ripen. I found my trees at my Local 98856 garden center.

Pick a deep pot that is either terra-cotta or plastic and has more than one hole at the bottom for drainage. Keep the pot on the smaller side- just a bit larger than the root ball, this will keep your tree smaller and more manageable to move with the seasons. The deeper pot will keep it grounded and less top-heavy as your citrus tree grows. Here are some simple steps to take:

1. Line the bottom of the pot with pebbles to help with good drainage, citrus trees do not like“wet feet”. If the pebbles make the pot too heavy, exchange it for environmentally friendly packing peanuts.

2. Add soil that is specifically made for citrus and/or cactus plants. If you can’t locate this type of soil, choose one that has good organic matter so that the soil is less apt to compact over time from watering. This will help the roots grow and prevent fungal infections and root rot.

3. Place rocks in the drainage tray to create a space for moisture to collect and help with humidity. Citrus plants like moist air so feel free to give them some love and mist their leaves, especially if your home is on the drier side.

4. Location, Location, Location; place your citrus tree preferably in a south facing window or a spot that will receive up to 12 hours of sunlight per day. If you don’t have a sunny spot you can improvise and add a grow light to help give more “sunlight” hours.
65ºF is the ideal temperature, but the citrus trees can handle a range of 55º-85ºF.

During the winter/indoor months I find my lemon trees like to be watered once a week, drying out in between watering. Then, once back outside, the trees are watered everyday. In the hot summer months I use a watering system on a timer which is great for potted plants and a huge time saver. I found mine on a gardening website.

Harvesting the fruits of your labor, the first time I noticed a lemon on my potted lemon tree it was green, not yellow as one would expect. Everyone who saw it asked if I was sure I had purchased a lemon and not a lime tree, even I had my doubts about it. However, I learned that it will take 6-9 months for the fruit to mature and over that time it changes color. At this moment I have one that is half and half, and no, it is not a lemon/lime tree ;0). Once the fruit has reached its full color and has a slight “give” when gently squeezed it is ready to be picked and enjoyed.

Caramelize Life grows indoor lemon trees

Lemons are considered a superfood full of vitamin C and antioxidants

Happy winter gardening to you!

Rachelle @ Caramelize Life

“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community“

Jan 16

8 Comments

4 Ingredient Nutritionally Packed Fresh Juice

I just love the feeling I get when I choose to make a juice. I know it’s good for me as well as super fresh. The vegetables are crisp and packed full of nutrients. This is my go to drink when I need a little boost. The light earthy aroma that fills the kitchen brings me back to when I worked at a juice bar in my 20’s. That was a great job and I think I drank my paycheck in juice.

Ingredient #1: carrots. Carrots rule, they are easy to grow in the garden or stand alone pots, they store well so you can always have a bunch in the refrigerator or cellar. Kids will eat them and the best part is they have a great history.

Your best caption goes here! Write it in the comments :0)

Who knew that carrots and other root veggies are responsible for the earliest farming practices? If you did know this bit of trivia, tell me about it in the comments :0) I’d love to hear from you.

It was the complete nutritional elements of the root vegetables, unbeknownst to those digging in the earth, for each root, rhizome, tuber and bulb were what kept people coming back to the ground and getting their hands dirty, until they decided to use implements starting with the stick then the hoe and finally the plough.

Ingredient # 3: beets. Beets are beautiful. Each time I halve a beet I am amazed at the intracity of the fractal like pattern within.Their earthy flavor and bright interior makes me smile. It is a powerhouse of nutrients and healthy attributes. Juicing is the best way to capture the high folate, magnesium and potassium each root contains. In the health world, beets are also known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory proprieties. I use a centrifugal force juicer that separates the juice from the fiber part of the vegetable. This means you miss the great fiber aspect to this beet however, there are ways to use this by-product of the juice insuring you don’t miss out on any of the benefits (but my hens might stage a protest if I didn’t share this with them!)

Ingredient #3: ginger. Oh, ginger is my friend. It keeps me warm, wakes me up and soothes my stomach. In this juice combo, it adds some kick depending on how much you decide to use, and brings the flavor of this juice from mild to complex. I’m not the only one who loves this rhizome. It is long believed that it took its name from Gingi in southern part of India, where it is thought to have originated.

Ingredient #4: apples. The apple is beneficial in many ways and as the saying goes “one a day keeps the doctor away” I’m not sure how true this is or if anyone has ever researched the adage. I do know, that a medium sized apple contains a decent amount of vitamin C that our bodies need boost our immune system. During the winter, this can be helpful to fight against catching a cold or the flu that’s going around. Apples like beets, contain antioxidant properties due to the color of their skin. Go for the Ida Red or Red Delicious if choosing for antioxidant benefits. If those are not your favorite check out Lori’s blog where she lists top to bottom which apple has the most antioxidants.

Carrot,Beet,Ginger and Apple Juice

Servings: 2
Time: 10 mins
Print

Keep in mind the flavor and nutrients are best when choosing to use fresh, sustainably grown products.

You will need a juicer to make this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 large carrots
2 medium sized beets
1/4 ” piece of fresh ginger
2 medium sized apples

Directions

1. Wash all ingredients
2. Quarter the beets or cut to size for your juicer
3. Slice apples to fit the opening of your juicer
4. Add ingredients with the apple last. This allows the apple, juiciest, to rinse the juicer making sure you get all the juice possible.
5. Serve right away, the best tasting juice is enjoyed right away. If you have any leftovers you can put them in the refrigerator and then shake or blend before drinking. Or add them to a popsicle mold and enjoy it on a hot day. This is a great way to introduce healthy popsicles to kids.

Enjoy!

Rachelle @ Caramelize Life

“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community“

Apr 25

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Red Tulips RachelleKWeymuller

6 Comments

Re-remembering To Focus On What Matters Most

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Keeping the outside world in perspective must have been what I needed to learn these past few weeks. This month my computer gave up and died. So, I went from the autobahn of internet functionality to a small country road and, truth be told, my phone’s keyboard was not a joy to write from, hence my absence this last week from posting.

I’m gradually inching my way back, configuring my new computer and merging from the slow single lane dirt roads back to pavement and the fast pace of the online freeway. Somewhere along the way, I realized that sometimes an unexpected diversion, as maddening as it may be, is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Seeds got started,

Inoculated Garden Snap Peas!

games were played,

Life Size Chess Game Won RKWeymuller Weymuller Photography

Wahoo!

Focus shifted and family life was highlighted.

Rachelle @ Caramelize Life

“Making Life Sweeter Through Food, Travel and Community”

Apr 13

9 Comments

It’s A Garden Work Day Today!

It’s A Garden Work Day

We’ll be out in the garden working as hard as the ants do this weekend, our family is just a wee bit smaller than theirs. Happy weekend to you!

Rachelle Weymuller @ Caramelize Life
“Making Life A Little Sweeter Through Food, Travel and Community”

Mar 14

5 Comments

Potato Leek Soup

Today I sat down to write but found myself procrastinating by looking through my iPhoto library reminiscing about an Ireland trip we took a few years back. This trip ranks high in my all time favorites. We shared it with family and good friends, where we traveled through rolling fields following rainbows start to end, finding our Irish luck in the form of sunshine mid March.

That year my husband turned forty ceremoniously on St. Patrick‘s Day. We learned about falconry, bog ponies, and I found one of my favorite cookbooks The Forgotten Skills of Cooking. We enjoyed our share of Guinness and sampled potato leek soup along the way.

My littlest, is a connoisseur of potato leek soup, she has a discerning palate for the tastiest homegrown potato. She is also privy to the whole process, kudos to Tess Hoke, founder of Local 98856 and the Methow Valley Community School Locavores lunch program where she learned the garden to table journey.

Years later and I am still trying to perfect that tasty soup and win her nod. Until tonight, when I received that approvingly tilt of her towhead and a unanimous two thumbs up from the rest of my family. Nothing feels so good as a warmed bowl of soup steaming with flavor, a local brewed beer in a handcrafted glass to finish off the evening.

Potato Leek Soup (serves 6 but I usually double it for left overs and lunch boxes)
[inspired and introduced to me from “around my french table” and Stew Dietz Event Planning and Catering]

What you will need:

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 large organic onions chopped
2 organic garlic cloves, germ removed and crushed
Salt, freshly ground white pepper
3 organic leeks white parts only spit lengthwise and chopped thinly
2 large organic russet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon dried thyme or a few fresh sprigs
1 teaspoon dried sage or a couple fresh leaves
4 cups homemade vegetable stock (we have a mixture of folks around our table so I play it safe and go veggie most of the time but any stock or water will work).
1 cup whole milk
2 cups half and half (you can omit this and use water, or any combination of dairy just remember it will be lighter).
4-5 croutons per serving

What to do with your scrumptious ingredients:

melt the butter adding onion until coated then add in garlic, salt and pepper, cover and cook until onions are soft 6 minutes or so (making sure not to burn them)
Add leeks, potatoes, thyme, sage, stock and dairy
bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until potatoes and leeks are soft

Serve in warmed bowls topped with croutons

Options:

let soup cool and puree into a thick and creamy soup, then warm and serve
top with cheese or add some colorful chives
serve cold and top with pear or apple

Funny little fact:
In the nineteenth century potatoes were accused of leading housewives astray due to the fact that potatoes required so little time and effort to prepare that it left female hands idle and primed to do the Devil’s work. [good thing I’m too busy for any of that! ;-)]
~Rebecca Rupp

Bain sult as do bhéile! (enjoy your meal)

Rachelle @caramelize life

“making life a little sweeter through food, travel and community”

Mar 8

6 Comments

It’s A Comfort-Food-Farro Kind Of Day

Spring is here, no wait… it’s not, oh here it comes… Nope. Now it’s snowing. Don’t get me wrong:

I LOVE SNOW.

But I can see grass now. It’s over, I can’t go back, I’ve gone and done it. The potting shed is clean and the seeds are calling my name.

Ok, so it’s mud season; the fifth season (right after Winter; just before Spring) Mud season is when we are thankful for all wheel drive and a high clearance vehicle, when I get to be a little crazy at the wheel, just to get up the mile long road we call a “driveway.” Mud season is when the dogs’ paws are caked with the newly emerged earth and their fur becomes the transporter for all that was outside to now reside inside. My neighbor tells me “You’re out numbered” (kids, dogs, cats, bird, bunny, chickens… oh and our exchange student’s fish-Fishy (guess who’s fish it will be in July?)) she advises to “Just let go.”

I think it will be my new mantra.

This morning I practiced that mantra and put on slippers (dirt goes unnoticed better that way) and made emmer pancakes; a little comfort food for a cold damp day. I was surprised by the fact that breakfast, from egg-crackin’ to clean-up, took little more than 20 minutes. The aroma wafting from the griddle pulled my little sleepy heads out from under their covers and had them at the kitchen bar in no time. I had that Proud Mama moment of knowing that I’m providing a healthy, beginning of the day meal (that they will actually eat) for my active kids. Hopefully they’ll be satisfied until lunch.

Oh! Lunch! I plan the day from one meal to the next. Last night I tried something new; the farro boldly went where only basmati rice had been before…the rice maker. Yup, hoping it would transform our long stove top cooking times to that of a care free slow cooker experience. I am happy to report: <<genius!>> It worked! And today I have fresh farro for lunch, via my rice maker. (Enter celebratory music and little happy dance that you really don’t want in your head).

Spinach and Blue Bird Grain Farro Salad:
serves 2 for lunch

1 cup farro
3 cups washed baby organic spinach
A handful of sweet cheery tomatoes halved
1/4 cup goat cheese(Sunny Pine Farm)
dash of lemon pepper
pinch of salt

Stove top method: Add the Farro to a medium pot with 3 cups or so of water and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer for 45-50 minutes.When farro grains are plump, soft and still chewy remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Or
Rice Maker method: I use a 1 cup grain to 1 cup liquid and set it to gaba (longer time but great for more nutrients) brown rice mode. But follow your rice makers directions for brown rice.

~Saute baby spinach with a little water and a dash of lemon pepper and a pinch of salt, until it wilts then remove from heat
~fill warmed bowl with farro
~crumble goat cheese onto the farro
~top with wilted baby spinach and halved tomatoes

Enjoy!

Rachelle Weymuller @ Caramelize Life
“Making Life Sweeter Through Food, Travel and Community”

Feb 14

We

We at Caramelize Life wish you a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled will all that matters most to you.

Cheers!

Rachelle @ Caramelize Life
“Making Life a Little Sweeter through Food, Travel and Community”

Oct 2

1 Comment

Caramelize Life Cooking Class @ Sun Mountain Lodge

It was a perfect time of year and a wonderful opportunity to work with a fantastic group of women in a garden to table cooking class.

Caramelize Life was kindly invited by Methow Arts Alliance and Sun Mountain Lodge to bring local produce and share simple recipes that could be made quickly at home with a lovely group of women visiting the Methow Valley.

It happened to be perfect timing for the class as the garden was in full production and ingredients were as fresh as could be. On stage were succulent Heirloom tomatoes, fresh herbs, a selection of creamy chèvre from Sunny Pine Farm and locally sourced salmon.

We all had a splendid time whipping up seasonal fair and an even better time sampling from our work.

~cheers Rachelle@caramelizelife

Jun 24

5 Comments

And the winner for the Food with the Highest antioxidant Content is…. (drum roll please)

~Join us for our two-part series on the food with the highest antioxidant tour

Part 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pure and simple, dark chocolate and cacao nibs top the charts in antioxidant levels ~ beating out acai berries, kale and broccoli on the Oxygen Radial Absorbance Capacity scale (more on this scale below). Shocked? I sure was when I recently learned this bit of information. Un-shockingly, my children were already rehearsing their “eat your broccoli” retorts.

Can it really be true? How did I stumble upon this fantastic news?

It all started when my daughter exclaimed, “chocolate grows on trees!”

Tour brochures lined up on our vacation condo’s counter top: chocolate, coffee, rice, taro etc. Eenie, Meeny, Miney, Moe…
Well, Miney and Moe are actually kids named Hannah and Eva and I guess that makes my husband Eenie and by default I’m the Meeny.

The meany who wants to add an educational aspect to our Hawaiian vacation. I’m sure you can see where this is going…

Steelgrass

Taro is island specific but no votes there; of the ag tours, rice (unfortunately), had no tours on our free days so the choice was between coffee and chocolate. I love both but would rather have the kids hyped up on vitamin B-12 goodness than buzzing on caffeine. Thankfully, they agreed.

After a little research, and a recommendation from some friends, we decided to check out the STEELGRASS family chocolate tour, which had an added bonus that included a voice over studio on site with the likes of Ben Stiller and Jack Black…read: now husband is on board too.

I spoke with Tony Lydgate, Steelgrass family owner, to confirm our Chocolate from Branch to Bar reservation and he said tours start at 9 am. I’m thinking; who doesn’t like chocolate for breakfast? The kids sure thought this was an excellent idea and that maybe the sun had gotten to my senses, but no one mentioned anything about that.

The evening prior to our tour, the children slept soundly with visions of Hawaiian chocolate dancing in their heads. Up bright and early like I’ve only seen on christmas morning they were ready to go devour their breakfast! It’s healthy right? Local, sustainable, organic, without additives; all the checks were there for our foodie family list, so why can’t we eat chocolate all the time? All you parents out there get ready because those answers we tell our kids that it is a treat are now debunked and I hear doctors are recommending a daily dose of dark chocolate.

Studies have found that eating dark chocolate daily can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. What? I guess the trick is on me for wanting an educational tour, now our tour guides Michelle and Annabelle have my kids full attention and I’m taking notes on this brilliant way to educate all ages.

So the tour begins, by sharing that chocolate is made from cacao and yes, cacao grows on trees. But before we learn more about cacao our guides direct us through their grove of meticulously labeled tropical fruit trees, educating our tour group through our senses about each fruit.

No crazy Wonka tour here, all children and adults munched freely on sustainably grown, Tahitian Lime and sugar cane (known as KO) a sweet and tangy lime aid in yo’ mouth combination. Longan or Dragon Eye fruits that would be perfect in a bowl on Halloween, crimson red Mountain Apple and Lilikoi (passion fruit) and more, all without incident.

Soursop (Custard Apple)

Dragon Eye

Lilikoi (Passionfruit)

Blissfully meandering through the tropical trees, learning about Egyptian paper making from papyrus trees and smelling the bark of a cinnamon tree ~ the mission of our tours guides emerges.

This fantastic way of bringing in unassuming students, thinking only of chocolate bars to impart knowledge about sustainable agriculture, is like tossing zucchini into chocolate cake without the kids knowing.

A Truffula tree right? Nope it’s Papyrus

Cacao is a tree, and in order for us chocolate lovers to fully enjoy the purest foodie dark chocolate scrumptious delights, we need to understand that our delectable bar only needs four ingredients: cacao, sugar, vanilla and an emulsifier like soy lecithin or cacao butter. But from Branch to Bar so much more goes on behind the scenes.

Cacao trees with colorful pods

It’s a meeting of the minds at the Lydgate Farm with PhD’s, Oxford alumnae, musicians, artists and others that form a team who have come together to develop a sustainable agriculture program to teach others the same.

By sharing the behind the scenes chocolate creation process, Steelgrass shows the many stages of the production, and in so doing, they also show the excellence that comes from being a steward for sustainable agriculture on the Hawaiian Islands. We learned that it takes healthy pollinators not limited to bees for the fruit trees but it’s tiny gnats that are able to pollinate the petite cacao flowers. They use companion planting as a natural pest control and rely on collaboration and cooperation between neighboring cacao farmers. This is their hypothetical insurance policy, if disaster hits in the form of bugs, weather or other, then the diversification of plants, their various locations and different cacao farms, help ensure sustainability. This all falls under the umbrella of the Kauai Cacao Cooperative for creating a homegrown chocolate industry on the island.

It is incredible to think that all these aspects and hard work go into making that dark flavorful chocolate available and so good for us to enjoy. Once you understand you can’t forget and now that price of the chocolate bar makes sense. But it is perfect because, unlike milk chocolate where I could keep on eating more and more, I find that a small amount of dark chocolate hits the spot and I am satisfied…better for the environment, better for me..it’s a win~win.