Barefoot Earth Apothecary

Hey, my herby friends 🌱

I know I haven't been posting much. Life has just been moving so fast lately. Not a bad thing necessarily, but it's definitely had me running around like crazy. I'm also just really missing my mama so I've been throwing myself into the garden. It brings me peace and helps me feel closer to her. She loved watching my garden grow.

A few updates that I think are exciting!

My Tulsi Learn & Take event was awesome! I'm already thinking of more events we can do out here.

My garden is producing and I couldn't be happier about that. Everything is growing wonderfully and I'm getting lots of cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs. My peppers and okra have started putting on fruit and my peanuts are coming along now but the roly poly bugs keep trying to eat them all. And these darn hornworms! I just plucked a massive one off my chile pequin that dang near stripped the whole plant bare!

The house is...getting there. We just had to demo the whole bathroom because it needs tons of work and part of the floor was crumbling under the toilet. We found a hole in the wall behind the sink where mice were getting in from the cellar. Yikes! We plan to be moving in by the end of next month 😁

Our elderly neighbor who lives in a trailer on our property (he has a lifelong lease) is moving to live with his daughter. He's the sweetest man! He wasn't sure what he was going to do with his trailer so we made him an offer and he accepted! My son and his girlfriend will be moving in there and my other son will be moving into our RV. I'll have my own little family compound! How cool is that?

I think that's all for now. I'm still here, friends, just been quiet. And that's ok! We all need to turn inward sometimes.

The weekend is almost here and I hope you all enjoy it!

Here's a picture of a few delicious tomatoes I plucked from the garden. There's nothing like a homegrown tomato.

Happy herbing 🌱

My first event at the new place is in the books. Thank you to everyone who joined me in my garden this morning for my Tulsi Learn & Take event! It was great seeing some familiar faces and meeting some new ones. I hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I did 🌱

Today is the final day to grab your spot at my Tulsi Learn & Take event tomorrow! There's only a few spots left so if you were thinking of attending, now is the time to grab your spot.

What we're doing:
You'll meet me in my garden where I'll be teaching all about Tulsi, it's medicinal value and how to work with it. Then you'll dig in my garden and repot one to take home!

I'm supplying the pots, soil, a Tulsi handout and Tulsi lemonade that will help keep us cool in this wild Texas heat.

Will I be seeing you tomorrow? 👀

The event page is below!

Wichita Falls area friends - Friendly reminder that my Tulsi Learn & Take event is this Saturday!

Join me in my garden and learn all about the amazing Tulsi. We'll chat about its medicinal benefits, ways you can work with it and then we'll dig in my garden and you'll repot one to take home with you!

I'm supplying the pots, soil, a Tulsi handout and delicious and refreshing Tulsi lemonade.

I'll leave the event page below for you to check out. See you then, friends 🌱

Need an idea for all that sage, basil and parsley in your garden? 🌱

Make pesto pasta!

This pesto pasta was incredibly fresh and delicious. Even my husband approved! And he's really not in to herbs and green things. Win!

Garden Fresh Pesto Pasta

For the pesto:
2 cups parsley
1 cup basil
1 cup sage
1/2 cup and an extra dash pine nuts
5-6 garlic cloves
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
Water to thin, if needed

Additional ingredients:
Pasta of choice (I used bowtie)
Veggies of choice (I used zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms and grape tomatoes)
Sliced and toasted baguette

Toast pine nuts in a pan until golden. Add all the ingredients, except the parmesan, to a blender and blend until smooth. If it's too thick, add small amounts of water at a time to thin. Once smooth, add the parmesan and give it another quick blend.

Cook the pasta and sauté the veggies of your choice. I used zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms and grape tomatoes. If you choose those veggies as well, sauté the zucchini and bell pepper until they begin to brown. Then add mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have softened, turn off the heat and add halved grape tomatoes.

Strain your pasta when it's done. Add your veggies and pesto to the pot of pasta and stir well.

Enjoy!

This would also make a great dip with toasted bread!

Do you think you'll try it? Let me know if you do!

Happy herbing 🌱

There's nothing quite like gathering cucumbers from your own garden to make fresh homemade pickles. Or going out and harvesting fresh herbs and veggies to prepare dinner. I may not have overflowing pockets, but I know how to grow food and I've got abundance in the garden. And that's just as good in my book.

Fridge pickles recipe! 🥒

It's cucumber season and you know what that means? Pickles!!!

"These are the best dang pickles I've ever had!" and "If you're not selling these you're crazy!" is what I hear from folks. And, I gotta say, I totally agree!

To make your own jar:

Optional: Allow cucumbers to sit in an ice bath for an hour or so. I don't do this but I hear it helps to keep them crisp. Honestly, they're gobbled up before they can even think about getting soggy.

Make your brine. In a small saucepan add:

1 cup distilled vinegar
1 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt

Heat until the sugar and salt dissolve. Allow to cool slightly. While your brine cools, cut the cucumbers in either spears or chips. Cut the blossom end off of the cucumbers to help keep the pickles crisp.

To a quart size mason jar add:

2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seed
1-2 sprigs of dill (fresh) or 1 1/2-2 tsp dried dill
1 bay leaf
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or a sliced jalapeño (optional if you like it spicy)

Once you've added all the spices to your jar, add the cucumbers then fill the jar with your brine. Screw the lid on, tip the jar over a few times, then store in the fridge.

You can dig in the next day but I definitely recommend waiting at least a week while the full, delicious flavor of your pickles bloom!

Enjoy!