THE MORE I LEARNED - THE MORE I WANTED TO KNOW

So I started to read - a lot. And I began experimenting with different plant varieties to see which ones were easy to grow and maintain, and which ones just always seemed to struggle. I researched soil content and various organic pest control methods. And I became a certified landscape designer and went to work for a local nursery.

GUESS WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

I became obsessed with using everything I harvested from my garden. Which can be quite challenging when you’re faced with pounds of tomatoes and tomatillos and dozens of lettuces! But I was not to be deterred - I learned how to can and I purchased a dehydrator. And somewhere along the way, I realized that food just tastes better when it hasn’t traveled thousands of miles only to sit on a store shelf. Plus, I love to say “that’s from my garden”.

Fast forward a bit, and here comes Covid. With everyone sheltering in place, I was so thankful for my garden! Especially since there was no more eating out. Talk about having to get creative! But then I started thinking - if I can do this, then others can too. So I started a blog and became a certified garden consultant so that I could help turn kitchen garden dreams into reality.

AND I BEGAN TO NOTICE . . .

The more gardening knowledge I gained, and the more time I spent designing, creating and implementing kitchen gardens for others, the more productive my garden became. So productive, in fact, that my family was eating way more fruits and veggies than they ever thought possible. And guess what? I was beginning to feel better. I found out I LOVED Pilates, I was sleeping better, and I was able to boot those extra pounds out the door. It seems there may be some truth to that 1826 French saying “you are what you eat”!

THEN BOOM! I GOT COVID

In mid-2021, a year and a half after it first appeared in the U.S. My symptoms weren’t that severe, but everything tasted burnt and I didn’t want to eat anything. Nothing. Nada. Not one bite. The smell of food turned my stomach. And even though my other symptoms slowly faded, the burnt food taste lived on. And on. And on. So I just ate what I could. Besides that - I was back to feeling tired and achey, and not sleeping well. And . . . my hair was falling out. Seriously?

But then I remembered how much better I had felt when I was eating my garden harvests on a regular basis. And if we truly are what we eat, then choosing dishes made with fresh, organic, seasonal food from my garden had to help.