How To Make Spring SPRING

Starting seed is a completely new world for a child.

Picture 1 - Beans

I begin by talking with the kids about legends like leprechauns, and that leads into fables and make-believe. Then that leads to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. When I am done, we take a snack-sized zipper bag and put in a few beans on some wet paper towels. Then hang them up in a warm sunny window; the best is if you can hang them in the child’s room.

Picture 2 - Starting the beanstalk

In a few days, they begin to sprout. Do not worry if the seeds dry out because you or your child forgot to water them; bean seeds are quite forgiving. After a month, they will begin to grow outside the bag. That is when I move the bag to the windowsill and begin to tape the stalk to the windowpane itself.

Picture 3 - Jack

At this point, we go through magazines looking for pictures of  people (Jacks or Jills) to tape to the stalk. We measure once a week when we water our stalk as to how high the bean plant has grown. Eventually, you will get flowers and even a bean or two off the plant. The kids like watching Jack move up the bean stalk as it grows.

Picture 4 - Soda bottle cutting

Do not limit yourself to plastic bags! You can use anything for an indoor garden. Many items can be recycled to be used for starting seeds. Our tomatoes are started in a makeshift green house, which is a soda bottle cut near the bottom, with dirt and seeds added.

Picture 5 - Soda bottle greenhouse

You can lift the top of the bottle, if it gets too wet inside, and unscrew the lid to remove condensation.

Picture 6 - Starting squash in a take-out container

Even deli and bakery trays can be used.

Picture 7 - Sprouted squash in a take-out container

Picture 8 - Starting squash in a cupcake tray

Picture 9 - Sprouted squash in a cupcake tray

Potatoes and carrots are particularly easy to do. While you're cutting up carrots take the sprout ends and place on wet paper towel in a clean meat tray.

You can also add toothpicks to make your carrot grow in water. (My cat found this one very tasty and so I had to restart it several times).

Picture 10 - Potato

Potatoes do well this way also.

The carrots will die but the potato can go into the ground. At our house, we do many things with potato eyes. I use hay bales, separate the hay with a knife, and add the potato eyes right in the hay bale. They will sprout, flower, and make a good retaining wall for my compost bin. Come fall, I split open the hay bales and take out all the potatoes, which have grown, all nice and clean - no washing is needed. Then I sprinkle the hay over my compost bin for the winter and come spring, I start fresh.

We also use the garbage pail method. I start with an outdoor cheap plastic garbage pail. I cut the bottom off it and dig a small hole for the pail to sit in. Then I add my potato eyes and some dirt to the bottom of the pail. When they have sprouted to about a foot, I add 2 inches of dirt and more potato eyes. I wait again until those stalks are about a foot high.

Then add about 2 inches of dirt and more eyes, and so on all through the summer. After the first two rows of eyes, I do not even wait too long before I add more dirt and sand and more eyes.

I keep this up until the end of August (although I have been known to go into September) After two months, when I want potatoes I just lift the pail out of the hole it was buried in and pull out what I need from the bottom and leave the rest. This allows for potatoes all summer and most of the winter. Really, the final cost is the garbage pail. Come fall if it gets too cold, I merely add the lid to help keep it from freezing or getting an early frost.

Picture 11 - The sock

One of the cutest things we have done to create spring in our house is a sock head. A what? Well it is like the homemade version of a Chia Pet. You start with a panty hose leg, cut the toe off, and tie a knot in it. Turn it inside out so the knot is on the inside of the sock.

Picture 12 - Head shape

Now add about 1 or 2 tablespoons of grass seed to the sock and shake it down to the knot. Then fill with dirt.

Picture 13 - Face

Next, tie a knot at the end of the dirt and cut off excess sock, leaving a tail. This will allow the head to soak up water. Now add eyes and lips to your face. I used foam sheets and a hot glue gun.

Picture 14 - First haircut

Place your head into a cup and add water. I like to soak my head in water before adding it to the cup. Do not forget to give it a hair cut on a regular basis.

Now that you have explored with all the ways to start the plants, what do you do with all those carrots you just cut the tops off of?  Well, make carrot cake, of course! My kids love this recipe. They can grate the carrots and mix it themselves and it is good as bread or as a cake. It does not need icing, as it is very moist and good all by itself. We only use icing when it is a holiday cake.

We add things like raisins, coconut, and nuts. I dust it with confectionery sugar and slice it up yummy.

CARROT CAKE

1 ½ cup white flour

½ cup wheat flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

3 cups grated carrot

1 cup cooking oil

4 eggs

Mix the first six ingredients in a bowl.

Make a well in the center and add eggs oil and carrots. Mix well with a mixer or a spoon. Pour into a well greased and floured pan. Put in a preheated 325-degree oven. If making a loaf pan, bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. If making a 13 x 9 pan cook for about 50 minutes. If using two round 8-inch pans than cook for about 40 minutes. Use the knife test to see if it's done. Stick a knife in the center, and if the knife comes out clean, the cake is done. Let sit and cool for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a plate. (You do not ever have to use Wheat flour. I use it only to make our sweets a bit more healthy)

Dust with confectionery sugar and enjoy.