HARVEST
How We’ve Redeemed Our Ground … and Will!
Winter is a unique time of year for those of us who enjoy spending a lot of time outside in our yards. This is a common time for organizing our tools and cleaning things up, but it’s also a great opportunity to reflect over the past year’s projects,…
Read More
Sweet Potato Surprise … Tasty and Very Easy Sweet Potato Fries Recipe!
Our long awaited, but long forgotten sweet potatoes are here! This summer while planting our garden we tried our hand at growing sweet potatoes with just a couple of sweet potato plants. Unfortunately the plants themselves were a favorite for our resident wild bunnies to nibble on. We…
Read More
How to Make Homemade Mulling Spices…the Perfect Hostess Gift or Teacher Gift this Christmas
We are headed out to a party tonight and I knew just what I was going to take as a hostess gift…Homemade Mulling Spices. ‘Tis the season for such sweet and spicy aromas! And everyone I’ve ever given this gift to has loved receiving it and many have asked for the…
Read More
The CSA Cookbook by Linda Ly … The Perfect Gift for Your Resident Gardener or Cook!
Alright family gift-givers I have a gift idea for you that your resident gardeners or cooks are sure to love. It’s The CSA Cookbook by Linda Ly. I got it for Britt…my resident cook, but I’m not certain who is going to like it more – Britt, me (err…I),…
Read More
Last Minute Gift Ideas for Your Ground Redeemer
I once did a post on last minute gift ideas for your ground redeeming friends and family t … and was recently been asked if I was going to do it again. Well … the answer is, “I am.” Today. Right now. So keep reading. (By the way,…
Read More
How to Make Homemade Mulling Spices … the Perfect Teacher Gift or Hostess Gift this Christmas!
Okay…I realize that I re-post this post on homemade mulling spices every year. But I’m not going to apologize…not gonna do it. Because mulling spices really are that good. And they never get old. If you ever stop by casa de Scott during the months of December or January, don’t be surprised to find a…
Read More
Christmas Gift Ideas … RYG Style!
Looking for last minute gift ideas for your ground redeeming friend or family member this Christmas? If so, we’ve come up with a few suggestions to help you out.* Hopefully these ideas will work…but if not, maybe they’ll at least get you thinking a bit. Regardless, you better get…
Read More
Garden Trends 2015
Man…when we signed off at Christmas…saying that we’ll reconnect in the New Year, I had no idea that it would be over 3 weeks before we did. Sorry about that…but thanks. Our time away has been very good..and I hope yours was too. We had some great time together as a family…which was…
Read More
3 Must-See Nature-Themed Time Lapse Videos
Needing a little inspiration myself, I came across a few nature-themed time lapse videos that are really incredible. So rather than keeping all the beauty and inspiration to myself I thought I’d share them with you…my fellow Ground Redeemers. And although they won’t make spring come any faster,…
Read More
The Home Vegetable Garden – Clearly a Family Affair
There’s a ton I could say about today’s guest-blogger, Josh…but I’m going to limit it to these few words or phrases: husband and daddy; outdoorsman; home gardener; and friend. What sets him apart, though, is the infectious fervor with which he approaches each of these areas of his…
Read More
Getting Ready for Spring…Make the Most of It!
Now that the ice has melted (at least here in Atlanta) and all the love that could be spread on Valentine’s Day has been spread, you may be wondering how to best prepare your yard for what’s just around the corner…SPRING! Of course you are. Well I for…
Read More
Creamy Asparagus & Roasted Artichoke Soup
[So today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Tracy Prather, a great friend and fellow home gardener. She will be gracing us with some of her delicious recipes from time to time…and today’s Creamy Asparagus & Roasted Artichoke Soup is the first. I wouldn’t be surprised…
Read More
February Gardening To-Do List
So it’s February. Not the ideal time to be outside in the garden. Sure…there are pockets of time you could enjoy being outside, but nothing’s really growing … and the weather isn’t typically cooperating. But February is the perfect month to get ready for what’s just around the…
Read More
Starting from Seeds – 3 Key Resources
Greetings fellow Veggie Garden Ground Redeemers! Even if the weather outside doesn’t seem to be screaming “get outside in the garden”, if you’re considering starting your veggies from seeds this year … time’s-a-tickin’. Although we’ve used seedlings the past several years, we started our very first veggie garden…
Read More
Our Family Vegetable Garden…In the Beginning
Our family vegetable garden story started about 4 or 5 years ago when Britt signed Brownie and me up for a “Family Vegetable Garden Workshop” at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. We had talked for years about having a veggie garden, but like many other things we’d talked about,…
Read More
Grilled Parmesan Pork with Fresh Oregano
[A few weeks back I introduced you to my friend and fellow home gardener, Tracy Prather…when she got us salivating over her Creamy Asparagus & Roasted Artichoke Soup recipe. Well she’s back today with yet another lip-smacking delicious recipe…Grilled Parmesan Pork with Fresh Oregano. Thanks again Tracy…I look…
Read More
March Gardening To-Do List
Alright…it’s March and Spring is right around the corner! Woopwoop! That said…it’s time to get out there and get ready. Below you’ll find my March Gardening To-Do List. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful! 1. February Gardening To-Do’s Let’s be honest…you were probably a bit too aggressive when you…
Read More
Vegetable Garden Basics: Part 1 – Where to locate your garden.
Awhile back I wrote a post on how we started out on our family vegetable garden journey…in hopes of motivating others to do the same. And essentially I concluded by saying… Don’t over-think it…just do it! All you really need is a plant, a sunny spot, some dirt,…
Read More
Vegetable Garden Basics: Part 2 – Raised Beds Pros & Cons
Alright… in Part 1 of my Vegetable Garden Basics series, I answered the first question you should ask when starting your very own family vegetable garden…Where should I put it? Today I’m going to try to answer the next question…Should I build raised beds … or just plant my…
Read More
Vegetable Garden Basics: Part 3 – The What’s & How Much’es
Alright…I’m ready to finish up my Vegetable Garden Basics series. And besides that…y’all need to get a move-on if you’re going to have a spring or summer vegetable garden this year. For those of you just tuning in, a few weeks ago…in Part 1, I provided you with…
Read More
Vegetable Garden Basics: Part 4 – Companion Plants, Seeds, and When?
We’re in the homestretch now ground redeemers! Today’s post is the last of 4 posts I’ve done over the past few weeks on Vegetable Garden Basics. In case you’ve missed the other posts, here’s where you can find them: Part 1: Where should I put my vegetable garden? Part 2:…
Read More
Delicious Recipe for Rosemary Bread
If you’ve visited RYGblog over the past couple of months you’ve gotten to know my friend and fellow home gardener, Tracy Prather. Her Creamy Asparagus & Roasted Artichoke Soup recipe made us all think twice about two veggies that are often avoided (at least I once did)…and her last recipe…
Read More
4 Things We’ve Learned in 4 Weeks of Beekeeping
I met Micah a little over 2 years ago now…when we were just starting out on our RYG journey. Micah was part of the awesome team at Proof Branding that helped us come up with the RYG brand and develop our website and blog. And since then Micah, has…
Read More
Material Options for Raised Beds
One of the most common questions I hear from first-time veggie gardeners who have their minds set on growing their veggies in raised beds is…What material should I use to build them? This is largely borne out of a concern for the chemicals used to treat pressure treated…
Read More
Amending Your Soil …. the DIRT on Dirt!
I love dirt. I love the way it feels between my fingers and toes. I love the way it smells. I love what it represents. I love seeing it on my kids’ hands and faces because of what they’ve likely been up to. I just love dirt. But…
Read More
Nana’s Potato Salad Recipe + Bacon!
She’s back…and this time with a recipe that includes two of my favorites…potatoes and bacon! Check out RYG guest blogger Tracy Prather’s recipe for her Nana’s Potato Salad with Bacon. We didn’t grow any potatoes this year and we haven’t gotten off the grid enough (some would say…
Read More
Herb Garden Basics: 5 Tips for the Bestest Herb Garden Ever!
Herb gardens are all the craze these days. But that’s really nothing new…herbs have been used for all sorts of reasons for centuries. They’re really easy to grow, have all sorts of uses, and probably give you the biggest bang for your food gardening buck. So if you’re…
Read More
Zucchini Crisps with Basil Dipping Sauce (from McNack’s Kitchen)
One of our favorite veggies to grow is zucchini…always the first to make the list when we sit down to plan our summer garden. They are easy to grow…as long as I’m able to keep the vine borers and squash bugs away from them…and the girls and I love it whenever Britt fixes zucchini for dinner.…
Read More
4 Really Basic Veggie Garden Tips
Britt and I hosted a really cool event in our back yard one gloriously beautiful morning a few weeks back. 20+ folks arrived to learn more about what a Tower Garden® is…and if it’s something they’d want to consider having for themselves. While sipping on smoothies, we were…
Read More
Lipsmacking Blueberry Spice Pie Recipe
It’s blueberry season again…and with the 4th of July right around the corner I thought I’d share my tasty blueberry spice pie recipe with you. It’s a recipe a dear friend made for us a few years back that has become a Scott Family favorite ever since. And now…
Read More
How to Grow Blueberries
We love our blueberry bushes…especially this time of year when they’re busting with berries. Britt and I love how having them teaches our girls where food comes from…beyond from a carton at the grocery store. We love the daily family-berry-picking sessions. We love casually snacking on them while…
Read More
How to Grow Cucumbers
As I mentioned on yesterday’s post (Tracy’s Mustard Pickle Recipe), cucumbers are always part of the Scott Family summer vegetable garden. Not only because we love cucumbers and pickles, but also because I’ve found growing cucumbers is very easy…and truth be told, I like easy when it comes…
Read More
Easy & Oh-So-Tasty Tomato Pie Recipe
“There are two things in life that money can’t buy…it’s true love and homegrown tomatoes”…that’s according to a song my Aunt KK used to quote. And I think there’s some real truth to that! Money couldn’t…and didn’t buy the true love I found in my Resident…
Read More
Tips for Growing Tomatoes
Whether your veggie garden consists of a single pot or vast acreage…or whether you’re a veggie garden beginner or a seasoned veggie veteran, odds are that tomatoes are a part of this summer’s harvest. Like my other posts on gardening how-to’s, there’s so much more to know…but understanding…
Read More
How to Make a Scarecrow
The one downside to having a veggie garden is…the critters that come and feast on the vegetables without an invitation! It’s so frustrating going out to find a squirrel dining on the very nice, large, green tomato we’ve been waiting to ripen and dreaming about eating ourselves. And they never say “thank…
Read More
[EXCITING NEWS] Apartment Therapy & RYGblog
I have some really exciting news to share. After a fairly random chain of events we got connected with the fine folks over at Apartment Therapy. It all started when Britt’s post on how-to-make Easter egg bird seed ornaments was curated on one of Apartment Therapy’s posts. One…
Read More
Tasty & Very Easy Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe
If your veggie garden is anything like mine right now, it looks more like a scene from Little Shop of Horrors than the tidy gardens that you see in magazines. And that’s largely because my cucumbers are growing out of control. I really don’t mind though…because we love…
Read More
4 Must-Haves for the 4th of July!
In just a couple of days you’ll very likely be hanging out with a group of friends or family…celebrating the 4th of July. Which will likely involve being outside and eating some really good food…and maybe an adult beverage or two…and a sparkler thrown in there to round…
Read More
Easy Mustard Pickle Recipe…Try It, You’ll Like It!
Cucumbers have always been a staple in our family vegetable garden. I love when Britt uses them in salads of any sort…and when the girls have fancy tea parties with their Mimi, they love making simple cucumber tea sandwiches. And whether we have a surplus of cukes or not, I…
Read More
Sautéed Okra Recipe that Will Make an Okra Convert Out of You!
I posted this photo on my personal Instagram and Facebook pages with the tag…“Been anticipating our okra harvest this summer! It’s time! Mmmmm good!” And so many of the comments had some type of reference to fried okra. Now I do loooooove fried okra. It’s one of my favorite things…
Read More
Fabulous Friday Find … “Kitchen Garden Cookbook – Celebrating the Homegrown and Homemade”
I’ve got a Fun Friday Find for you this week…no make that a Fabulous Friday Find! Kitchen Garden Cookbook – Celebrating the Homegrown and Handmade by Jeanne Kelley. I am in love with this new gardening book / cookbook. I just can’t get enough of it! I have thoroughly enjoyed…
Read More
Natural Bug Spray Recipe
It’s the end of August.and I am so fed up with battling mosquitoes. I know they are God’s creation and all…and I know that they have a great purpose in our ecosystem, but they drive. me. crazy!!!!! They steal so much joy out of an otherwise lovely day! …
Read More
Back Yard Triage: 5 Landscape Design Tips to Bring Life to Your Outdoor Spaces
I know…with these hot and humid days we’re still having, you probably don’t want to be outside in your yard for very long. But now is actually the perfect time to think about your yard, because in the fall…which is just around the corner…it will be the perfect time…
Read More
Irish Garden Shed … Clearly, Not Your Everyday Shed
Early last year my mother-in-law did a post on RYGblog about one of her friend’s beautiful potting shed . If you haven’t seen it…check it out…because you’ll see that not only is it incredibly functional (why most people want a shed), but it is gorgeous as well (something…
Read More
Eggplant Parmesan Recipe…So Easy and So Good!
As some of our veggies start to peter out, I can count on our eggplants to continue producing beauties even into early fall. What a beautiful vegetable…but one I don’t think I enjoyed eating until just a few years ago. My mom made me try one of her eggplant dishes…
Read More
Planting Your Fall Vegetable Garden…Get On It!
Planting my fall vegetable garden always sneaks up on me…and this year is no different. So in the next couple of days I’m going to try to jump out from behind the eight-ball…clear-out my very spent summer flowers & veggies…finally…and get my fall veggies in the ground. And…
Read More
Stamping with Okra…Yes, Okra!
Here’s a little craftiness for you crafty gardeners…stamping with okra! Yes…okra! When you cut off the head of the okra there is such a charming and unique shape to be found inside the rough, elongated exterior that makes for an adorable stamp. So if your garden is producing way…
Read More
Redeem Your Grounds…Your Coffee Grounds That Is!
So I was at home writing a post when Britt texted me a pic that she had taken while at Starbucks picking up a morning boost…with the message “What a great idea for a blog post.” Her pic was of a sign promoting Starbucks’ “Grounds for Your Garden” program.…
Read More
Veggie Garden Diversification…The Tower Garden ®
I’ve already gotten one almost visceral “What?!?” response from a fellow veggie garden buddy when I told him that I was going to try my hand at growing veggies using a new-fangled approach to gardening. And when I say new-fangled, I mean that there’s no dirt…which seems crazy…
Read More
Tower Garden ® vs. Raised Beds
Well a few weeks back I wrote a post about how I was “diversifying” my veggie gardening efforts by adding a Tower Garden® right alongside our raised beds. On that post I provided the reasons why I WASN’T going down this Tower Garden ® (TG) path…although some people…
Read More
Auntie’s Fried Apples Recipe…Absolutely the Best!
Although Auntie wasn’t officially my grandmother, she did raise my dad. And besides that, she fit the bill of the quintessential little ole granny in every way imaginable. She was small, sweet…but still a bit spunky, had white hair, really thick glasses, dentures, and would only wear dresses…mostly…
Read More
7 Fun Fall Activities … That’ll Get You Outside!
Alright, I’m going to make this one quick…because the weather outside is amazing and I want to get out there and enjoy it with Britt and our girls. But before I do, I wanted to provide you with 7 fun fall activities that you could do with your…
Read More
Easy Pumpkin Seed Recipes…and Tasty Too!
With Halloween right around the corner, you, like me, may be gutting a pumpkin this weekend…transforming it into a jack-o-lantern. If so, I thought I’d re-post a post Britt did a couple of years ago about some pretty tasty pumpkin seed recipes. Happy Halloween Y’all, Okay…with Halloween behind…
Read More