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Basically, I love anything whose main ingredients are tomato and basil. Before I gave up cheese, I was totally content to eat tomato, basil and mozzarella sandwiches every day—and I usually did, in the summer, at least. We always had basil and usually tomatoes straight from the garden.

         I thought my caprese days were over until a girl in one of my classes brought us bruschetta one night. Bruschetta! I’d totally forgotten about bruschetta. Now it’s my favorite warm-weather meal—totally easy and lo-maintenance, especially since we usually have all the ingredients ready to throw together.

Today I had two exams and two papers due, so was feeling particularly stressed. It doesn’t help that we’re in the process of moving—three days! Everything’s in shambles, the kitchen is half packed (“where are knives?” “in the blender, in a glass, in a napkin”), things just feel gross and wrong; we’re on a packing-diet for the next few days, and aren’t particularly happy about it.

We basically just preheated the oven, cut the bread, and got to chopping (actually, we were out of vinegar, so I had to dash to the store to get some, so my beautiful friends/housemates did most of the chopping)—pretty piles of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and basil. All the best things. And this is one of those meals that makes me feel good after I eat it—it’s just healthy things cut up into tiny squares. Now I just have to resist the sour patch kids I’m wont to eat during finals.

xx.

See Post tags #cooking #college #lifestyle #bruschetta #tomatoes #moving #packing

I don’t know how normal college students take breaks during finals (mostly because I’m terrified of normal college students), but between a Theory and Method paper and studying for a Fiction final, I decided to transplant some herbs!

A bit about me and gardening:

This is my first year gardening. My parents always kept really great gardens (my dad, vegetables; my mom, flowers) when I was a kid, but I haven’t had the space or opportunity to foray into the world of horticulture. A few months ago, one of my best friends and I visited my cousin, Meagan, on the farm of another family member. Meagan is one of the coolest ladies I know, and is currently in the process of starting a co-op. So neat! Anyway, we were hanging out on a Saturday morning when she asked me if I wanted an herb garden. Obviously. She hooked me right up—she’d made all these really wonderful news paper planters, had the dirt and seeds, and sent me on my merry way, with a jar full of bug-repellent and a stack of milk cartons for transplanting.

Most of the plants took off splendidly, but a couple died over spring break (saddest!), and I wanted to add a bit more to my collection. I’m currently growing:

• oregano
• basil
• mint
• parsley
• chives
• cilantro
• forget-me-nots
• tomatoes

I started them out in the newspaper planters, but since they’re going on a road-trip soon, I wanted them all to be in sturdy conditions. I only had two of the little guys left, so it was a pretty easy task. The mint may not have been ready quite yet, but alas. I’m heading home, where I bet our garden mint has started to grown—worst case scenario is some transplanting.

Here’s what happened: 

Meagan’s store of cut-off milk cartons had lasted almost perfectly—I had one left, and I had to go out to the recycling to find an empty Soy Milk carton to cut (hey, neighbors!), so everything worked out. I stabbed some nice holes in the bottom with a knife, and then basically just followed the directions on the potting soil:

hole cuttin’

In the past, I’d always just planted the whole shebang—newspaper and all, but I decided this time I’d try to take my mint out of its paper prison. It worked pretty well. I forgot to take pictures of the mint all good to go, but here’s my transplanted basil babies.

I usually have them in the windowsill, but right now they’re all cozy in this cardboard box, which I’ll put in the backseat of our Saab to head on home. I can’t wait to build them new homes in my new home. xx.

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See Post tags #gardening #garden #college #how-to #lifestyle