Hello Loves! Hope you are all having a most marvelous week so far. I woke up on the RIGHT side of the bed today and I am feeling so good about it. For once I slept like a baby last night (which never happens), and I just spent an hour in my garden. I have found my morning garden routine is like a form of therapy for me, and I don’t think I can ever go back to not having one. Ginny agrees! She’s my little helper

Each morning I wake up and take care of the dogs (lets out, feed, walk, etc) and then I make my coffee, stretch, and head to the garden with my boujee golden basket.  Yes you can always make something extra hunny. Anyway, I play whatever me and the plant babes are feeling and I water and sing to them with glee every day. Music is also another thing that is therapeutic and I love to dance around even though I look like an idiot. So if you can visualize me in my robe, dancing and singing across the yard while watering my plants … the neighbors are probably concerned but YOLO. In the words of T. Swift-” you need to calm down” CUZ SHADE NEVER MADE ANYBODY LESS GAY. LLLoving that song right now – PRIDE ANTHEM! Yay – Happy Pride Month! Shout out to all my LGBTTQQIAAP loves!

So lets talk garden talk! My cucumbers are growing at a rapid pace.. so fast I have already been giving away BAGS of them and I still am eating them all day. Which I am not complaining I LOVE THEM. As I go through what I am growing and the progress I will give a few recipes I love to make with that veggie!

Cucumbers, obviously can be eaten so many ways. For starters they are full of electrolytes – so I cut them up and put them into a jar of water and leave it in the fridge over night. Next morning you basically have natural Gatorade! If you want more flavor just add mint leaves or ginger! Super refreshing and a great way to jump start the day.  Many benefits to cucumbers along with hydration it promotes regularity, and can help lower blood sugar. Mint and ginger help with stomach issues such as inflammation. This is why I drink this daily!

Another dish I love to make that I grew up on is Maast o Khair aka “Persian Yogurt”. In case you didn’t realize I am half Iranian! My dad is originally from there so I love Persian cuisine. This is such a simple dish and great for the hot summer months!

To make:

• 1 container of plain yogurt
• 3-4 peeled and cubed cucumber (if lazy like me toss into processor for a few seconds)
• Dried Mint leaves (eyeball & taste test- depends on how much you like mint)
• add salt and pepper if you please

ALL DONE! So delicious to dip pita bread into or eat as a side with rice and Kabob. Nommmmmm.  (Side note: you can place cucumbers on or under eyes to reduce wrinkles and inflammation – cheap and easy “eye mask”

Need a quick snack: Toss sliced cucs (can add tomato) in red wine vinegar with some S&P! // also my dogs LOVE cuc slices because of the crunch- don’t worry I confirmed it’s ok for them!

Back to the basics: Just like a good ol fashion mater sammie I also make cucumber sandwiches. All this requires is cucs or toms, bread, and DUKES mayo (must be Dukes), S&P. I am waiting on my tomato plants to get a little more ripe but I cannot wait for a tomato sandwich. Who else grew up on this southern classic? 10/10 Could live off of them.

Now that we have covered my “classic” go to’s.. Lets talk Spicy! I am growing a variety of peppers in my garden this year. Banana, Jalapeno, and Bell to be exact. I basically either cut these up for a stir fry or stuff them! My boyfriend Corey is a avid hunter and fisherman. We always have some sort of fresh meat or fish in our freezer. I love to stuff bell peppers with venison! I will use the other pepper dices and mixed into the meat for more flavor and to cut the slight gamy taste. I also have so many yummy herbs to add into all my dishes! With fish I try to stay simple but I sometimes will cut up peppers as a garnish or throw a sprig of rosemary, sage, or thyme to bake over top. I am not a recipes following type of gal so I always wing it with ingredients and add as I go. It is more fun that way DUH!!  (Did you know most peppers are high in antioxidants & various vitamins?!)

The last veggie I will go over in this post is my Okra. Another southern staple, what can I say.. I am a G.R.I.T.S girl. Obviously most people eat these fried BUT I have found a much easier, less mess of a way to cook these! My friend Jessica Jenkins aka Juicy J taught me this and it has changed the okra game. Cut that lil green baby up and toss it into a pan, cover in Italian salad dressing and cook until done. That is it and that is all! It is soooo delish, I am telling y’all, go try this! The citrus/vinegar base of the dressing helps to reduce the mucilaginous  juice inside (the gooey slime stuff) most people do not like! So now you know a healthier way to enjoy okra. Which is high in fiber & vitamin K.

I have more secrets to share about my garden and the way I make up dishes with them, but I will save that for another time. We all know I am slack on this blog so I will save that for future content :wink, wink:

One last Okra tip: don’t let them grow too large! I made this mistake to many time last year. They will be too ripe and not taste very good. Pick them when they are small to medium size.

Hope this helps any fellow gardeners or potential ones. Happy summer gardening!!!