Amaranth, what is that?

Today, I want to talk about Amaranth. My husband read about how easy it is and how very good for you it is, and now he is known, among a small amount of people, as the Amaranth king. I want him to write about it some time but he is working too hard right now, so I shall do my best.
Here is a pretty good article about it, Amaranth, a healthy grain .

Some plants from last year.
We have a lot of volunteers from this crop coming up this year.

I am looking up at it. It was over 6 feet.

I think this one was called Elephant head or love lies bleeding?

You can buy the flour in health food stores or it is in some of the better Gluten free foods. I had bought a lb of the seeds from our local food co-op and cooked it like I would rice and it is okay. Some of what Frank grew last year had black seeds. Now, those were REALLY good! In my opinion much better than the blond ones we got from the co-op. Frank like the blond ones better, I think.
I love the young leaves cooked. The whole plant is edible, but like lettuce and other greens they taste much better when the plants are smaller.
Here is another good article about the benefits of eating amaranth. Why Amaranth  If you are like me a wheat and gluten makes you sick, this is a GREAT food to try. Add some to your landscaping then collect the seeds in the fall.
I will have to look into feeding it to the chickens too!
As a side, our cat that got caught in the storm last night came in this morning no worse for wear, and the garden did fine. Praise God!

Gardening, Chickens, & Strawberries

It was a beautiful day today and I spent a large part of it in the garden. I LOVE being in my garden even if I'm not being terribly productive in it. I also love volunteers. Volunteers, as in plants that reseeded and are coming up in odd places as little surprises for me. I have a tomato plant coming up in the middle of one my  lettuce patches, marigolds coming up everywhere, and bean plants that I have been digging up and replanting over by the fence. OH! and a left over potato!

Does it look like a rooster?

 We hopefully be able to tell who are roosters and who are hens soon! The pen is okay right now because they are not full size yet, but we need to thin the flock, the sooner the better.

Lettuce Mix!

 We had a thunderstorm soon after I planted my lettuce seeds and I was sure they were washed away, but thankfully they just washed together in a smaller space. So it is a little crowded, but I picked my first salad with some fresh picked strawberries today....YUM!

Mint my friend gave me last fall.

 My friend Michelle gave me a part of her mint last fall and said it will grow anywhere and will take over. So I planted it in a space between my driveway and my porch where I hope it does take over. I was sure it had died but it has popped up in three spots!

Yellow Jacket was snooping around.
 I hope it does not make a home in my strawberries!

 I hope this was not a queen looking for a place to build a nest. I wish now I had smashed it with a shovel. Frank and Thomas have been attacked by these mean things.

YUMMY!

Bug-A-Boo picking strawberries, and my sign post waiting for a name.

Okay! So my wonderful hubby built me this really cool post over my garden where I could paint it and put a name on it. I was thinking of Serenity, I really like that but it also makes me think of the show by the same name. I enjoyed the show but its not what I think of in my garden. Selah is over used. Peace is too... well, plain. I was weeding to day and thought of The Garden of Weeden! I was told that was really cheesy, but that is what I do most of all in there. I also found out that it is the name of a popular marijuana game. Yikes! I don't want to give the wrong impression of what I am growing.  I am thinking of finding a part of a Bible verse about gardens.
So what do you think I should name it?

All but one went up when it was time for bed.

We are having a major thunder, lightning and hail storm right now. I am praying for my garden and my cat Scallywag who didn't come in before the storm hit. I last saw him running in a panic through the neighbors yard, away from us and safety!
Till next time! Be safe and dry. :-)