If any of you made New Year resolutions to eat healthier in 2016, then this blog post will definitely be a great resource. Microgreens are full of nutrients and great as a salad, in addition to being a fun, indoor gardening project. It’s the perfect activity to try during this cold, winter season. Cassie Johnston of Back to Her Roots, a healthy eating and gardening blog, is showing us just how it’s done.  By then end of this post, you’ll be able to grow your own microgreens at home, too. 

You might be asking, well what the heck is a microgreen? Well, a microgreen is the new, tender shoot of a vegetable plant. It’s what happens if you let a sprouted seed go a little bit farther into growing, but don’t let it completely mature. These greens are tender, sweet, and insanely good for you they are literally one of the healthiest veggies on the planet! Newly sprouted, tiny microgreens have up to 40 times the nutrient impact as their mature plant counterparts. 40 TIMES! Just a single example: microgreens from red cabbage seeds have 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than fully-grown red cabbage. Crazy, right?

Microgreens make an awesome winter substitute for lettuce or other cooking greens—we like microgreen and sprout salads in the winter when our garden isn’t producing. You can also use them on sandwiches, in stir-frys, or in casseroles. And the best part, they are insanely easy to grow indoors. Like, I promise you can do it. Even if you’ve killed stuff before. You can do it!

So, what do you need to get grow your own microgreens? Not much, actually:

• Microgreen Seeds: You can use almost any vegetable seed to grow microgreens (some are tastier than others, though), but a lot of companies offer special microgreen seed mixes that are a great option for first-timers. They have a nice variety of tastes, textures and nutrition. I really like the microgreen mixes from Johnny’s Seeds. If you don’t want to go with a mix, cilantro, kale, radishes, basil, and beets are all great seeds to start with.

• Soil:
  Seed starting medium is your best bet, but honestly, you can grab just about any potting mix or garden soil from the store and have good luck. I’d personally steer clear of soils that have fertilizers mixed in—you don’t want those yucky chemicals in your greens! We make our own seed starting mix, but there are some really nice organic options available at most stores this time of year. I even saw an organic potting mix at my grocery store last week!

• Tray:
  You’ll need something to grow your microgreens in. We use regular  seed starting trays—available at most garden centers and hardware stores—but honestly, you can use pretty much anything. These greens aren’t going to stay in them very long, so it doesn’t have to be anything special. A plastic tote or a galvanized tub or heck, even a baking dish!

• Light Source:
  There are two ways of going about this—the natural way or the artificial way. For the natural way, all you need is a sunny window. Easy! Unless you have a cat, like we do, and then they will make that warm tray of soil their bed. So we do our microgreens under a fluorescent light in a cat-proof room. You don’t need any kind of special light or lightbulbs. Just get the cheapest fluorescent shop light you can find (we have this one) and outfit it with two regular fluorescent lightbulbs. They’ll try to tell you you need special full-spectrum light bulbs for your grow lights—at about four times the price—and they might make your greens grow a touch better, but not enough to warrant the price in my opinion. Hang the light about four inches above the table where you’ll set your tray.

• Water:
  Duh. I recommend using a spray bottle for microgreens.

First step is to fill up your tray with soil. Since these plants aren’t going to be in there very long (9-12 days), they won’t develop a very intricate root system, which means you don’t need a whole lot of soil. About two inches worth should be more than enough.

 

 

 

Then you spread your seeds across the surface of the soil. No need to worry about getting it perfectly even or spaced out equally.

 

 

 

You want to put a pretty thick coating down. Unlike when you’re growing a full, adult plant, you don’t have to worry about overcrowding with microgreens. Pack ’em in.

 

 

 

 

Next, take a little more soil in your hand, and sprinkle it over the seeds. You’re just looking for light coverage here. Again, no need to be perfect. You don’t have to cover every seed exactly the same.

 

 

 

Then take your hand and lightly press down all across the tray to really set the seeds into their new home.

 

 

 

Last planting step: give ’em a good drink of water. The spray bottle is for later, now is the time to use a watering can or the mist option on your hose sprayer. You don’t want them swimming in water, but you do want them very, very damp.

 

 

 

Then, put your tray in your sunny spot and wait! Or, if you are putting them under a grown light, place them directly under the light. You actually want the light to almost be touching the top of the tray (the light in this picture is actually a bit too high up.) 

 

 

 

If you’re trying to start your seeds in a particularly cool place, you might want to think about either cranking the heat for a few days while the seeds germinate, or use a seed starting mat. You can get seed starting mats from gardener’s supply stores for beaucoup dollars, or you can do what we do, and just use an old electric blanket under the tray. A heating pad works, too!

A few days later, you’ll see even more seed germinating, and then the true leaves starting to show. These are the ones that actually start looking like the plants you are used to, albeit really tiny, adorable
versions.

 

And then after a little over a week, you’ll have a whole tray full of beautiful microgreens. You can choose to harvest at any point after the true leaves show up.

 

I normally let mine go until about the 10 day mark, when the greens are about two inches tall.

 

 

 

To  harvest, you can either clip the greens with sharp kitchen scissors…

 

 

Or do what I do, and pull out the greens and shake off the extra soil. You’ll need the soil to be extra dry to do it properly, so I stop watering a few days before I’m going to harvest. Then, on harvest day, pull up the greens, and shake of the excess soil.

 

 

 

Then I do 3-4 wash cycles on the greens, making sure they are full submerged in cold water each time. Then spread them out on a towel and dry them off slightly (a salad spinner works, too). To store, I then wrap them in paper towels and place in an airtight container in the fridge.

 

 

 

The soil can then be composted, and you can start all over again! Or, if you’re really on top of things, you can have multiple trays going at the same time. I’ve found that starting a tray each week ends up working out well for us—it takes us about a week to get through the harvest from one tray.

 

See, super easy, right? You can totally grow your own food! I promise. Happy growing! 

 

  

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I’ve been eagerly awaiting this post all week, and now it’s here! I absolutely love to see the stylish outfits fashion bloggers come up with for my “Fashion meets Interior Design” series. Today our blogger comes from Ireland and she has put together a seriously chic outfit for us based on this moody interior design. When bright shades are paired with dark, moody colors a truly unique look is created, which fashion blogger Niamh McKeever explores today.

My name is Niamh McKeever (pronounced “Eve” with an “N” for all you non-Irish) and I’m the Dublin-based blogger behind the blog Your Lawless. I’ve had the pleasure of living in New York on and off for the past two years working as a film production assistant and costume design assistant. I love life on the go and this year I will be moving to Mexico to Costume Design a play, which I am extremely excited about. 

I started Lawless back in February 2015 to create a site that was passionate about fashion and shopping for chic ladies like myself. The name Lawless is actually my mums maiden name, who has always had a love for fashion. I also have a love and appreciate for fashion, but I don’t follow trends or have a style rule book. I simply like what I like and wear what I want, and so “Lawless” seemed to be the perfect name for my blog. 

Image via House to Home UK featuring a velvet sofa from George Smith, Photography: Simon Bevan

I was instantly intrigued by the interior design inspiration Jacquin sent me. The contrast of color and pattern made this design a must for me. I was immediately drawn to the multi-colored floral pattern combined with the contrast of dark colors. I decided to go for a beautiful floral skirt I bought at Alice and Oliva. This skirt was the perfect match for the interior design inspiration because to my delight, the pattern on the skirt is quite similar to the design photo. For my top, I’m wearing a beautiful bodysuit from Missguided. Missguided is an online store that is very popular in the UK and Ireland and is one of my favorite shops. (It’s available in the U.S. too!) Among other stylish gear, Missguided has a large selection of bodysuits whether you are look for long sleeve, short sleeve, plunging neck line, or a turtle neck, they have a bodysuit available in every color. It’s addictive. 

When styling an outfit with a strong lavish pattern or bold embellishments, you have to be very careful not to overdo it. Black is usually, if not always, a good color to mix and match. However, if you are going to wear a strong pattern don’t be afraid to experiment with it. One of my favorite looks from this summer was a Dolce and Gabbana combo of floral print and check. Own what you wear and don’t be afraid to be unique. Fashion is fun, so have fun with it!

Sandro Vivolo’s inspiration…

I’m inspired by the relation between people and modern urban landscapes and this, you will see, greatly figures into my paintings. My mediums are oil, watercolor and charcoal. Please enjoy.

Redondo Beach, Oil on paper board, 2008

Sausage Vendor, Oil on canvas panel, 2006 

Magician Cove, Oil on Canvas, 2000

Car Show, Oil on masonite, 2006 (“American Life” collection)

You can find more of Sandro Vivolo’s paintings on his website here. Commissions are also available. Have a great week and thank you for reading!

Image via Trendenser

Alyssa Rosenheck via Elle Decor

Image via House Beautiful

Image via For-Interieurs

Designed by Dana Goodman and Crysta Parish, Traditional Home

Deborah Needleman’s Country House via The Pursuit of Style

1. Jointed Industrial Double Arm Wall Lamp – Shades of Light
2. Holtkoetter Brushed Brass Swing Arm Wall Lamp – Lamps Plus
3. Frankfort Articulating Wall Light – Circa Lighting 

1. Utilize more natural health remedies this year! I tried a number of natural health remedies in 2015 and I was amazed by just how effective natural treatments can be. When my husband had an eye infection last year, we tried an eye wash with a solution made of sterile water, black tea, and honey… and it really worked to cure his eye infection! Whenever I get a cold, I drink a mixture with 2 tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar, half a cup of water, and a spoon of honey at the onset and it usually fights off the cold right away. So, it seems that there is really something too these natural remedies. Check out one of my favorite blogs Hello Glow for tips on all natural beauty and wellness solutions.

2. Visit a Korean sauna. The Korean sauna & spa experience will introduce you to a new form of relaxation. The Korean saunas feature a facility with several different sauna rooms of varying heated temperatures, all with specific health benefits. You are given a mat to lie down on for your time at the spa, and you are able to to lie down quietly in each sauna room and relax for as long as you like. These Korean saunas are really relaxing and have a ton of health benefits, not to mention being open 24 hours a day and allowing you to stay as long as you like. Give it a try at one of these locations!

• King Spa – Dallas, Chicago area
• Wi Spa – Los Angeles
• Spa Castle – New York, Dallas
• Jeju Sauna – Atlanta area
• New York Spa & Suana – NYC

3. Find an international pen pal – Get out that fancy stationery kit that’s collecting dust and write an old fashioned letter to someone across the globe. APenPals, Sassociations, and Snail Mail Pen Pals are free pen pal websites and International Pen Pals is a highly recommended, but paid website. I’m trying out APenPals right now and so far so good! There are a few people “looking for love” on the website that I had to sift through, but for a free website, it’s really pretty good. A lot of really interesting people from across the world looking to chat with new friends from abroad. I specified that I was looking for female pen pals only and that really helped. I have already connected with a great pen pal. Looking forward to building new, global friendships!

4. Try a new hobby like photography! Even if you don’t have a professional DSLR camera, you can get started with your point and click camera. Try taking photos of the natural landscape in your community or on a destination vacation. I’ve taken some amazing landscape photos on my point and click camera during tribs abroad and the photos were definitely frame worthy. I blew them up to 16×20 prints and had them framed. Photography can be a nice, relaxing hobby too.

5. Organize & redecorate your home office – I’m in the process of reorganizing my home office and personal documents right now and it feels so great to do so. Start your new year off organized! And if your home office needs a style overhaul, I can help you with that. I offer e-design services for decorating any space in your home and I am offering $300 off e-design services for January-February 2016. Contact Interiors by Jacquin to get started. 

6. Add matcha tea to your diet – Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder that is a strong antioxidant and serves as a mood enhancer and metabolism booster. It’s all natural and can be drank as a hot tea or mixed into a smoothie. Most importantly, one cup of matcha tea has the antioxidants of 10 cups of traditional green tea, so that’s pretty awesome! Learn about the health benefits of matcha tea here. 

7. Try your hand at carpentry – These websites will inspire you to build your own furniture and wood creations and also include great instructions for beginners: Build-Basic and 10 Things You Can Build with 2x4s

8. Purchase a Himalayan Rock Salt Lamp this year and enjoy several health benefits. These lamps create negative ions which balance the positive ions emitted from our daily use of electronics. A Himalayan salt lamp can also help improve migraines, stress conditions, colds, respiratory problems, and skin conditions. Learn more about what a Himalayan rock salt lamp can do for you here. 

9. Check out an unusual museum like one of these:

• UFO Museum and Research Center – Roswell, NM
• Museum of Questionable Medical Devices (more historical info here) – Saint Paul, MN
• Sulabh International Museum of Toilets – New Delhi, India (I’ve been to this one and really enjoyed it! Super interesting museum featuring all sorts of antiquated toilets and a great visit for those of you with environmental interests… their facility is powered by human waste! Very interesting indeed.)
• Paris Sewer Museum – Paris, France – Ok, so I like this kind of stuff, but it’s really fascinating to learn about how a sewer system works. They even have guided tours in gondolas underground for the truly adventurous… and brave. Has anyone done this before?
• International Spy Museum – Washington, DC
• American Visionary Museum – Baltimore, MD (Awesome museum filled with unique craft-style art & curiosities! I would definitely visit this museum again.)

10. Join a recreational sports league for activities like softball, kickball, flag football or volleyball. I’ve always enjoyed adult volleyball and kickball leagues and these leagues are available in most cities. Look up one near you!