I don’t think I have ever seen so much hot air coming from my neighbors.

After enduring a day in with temperatures in the teens , tonight’s dinner needed to be one that filled our home with warmth and comfort.  What other food can do that then a yummy roast all dressed up with some potatoes in the pot? Be sure to click here for my ROAST recipe. This was the last dish that would have potatoes from my summer harvest because the pantry is empty.   I was sure to save a couple that had eyes on them with hopes of using them to plant in early spring.

In the image above you will see two potatoes that were the last of the harvest this year.  I also have a brown paper bag in the image that is not for the bottles of wine but for the treasured potatoes.  These potatoes will be stored  in dry yet cool location which just so happens to be the perfect place where I store some favorite wines.    My hopes are that these spuds will sprout and I will be able to cut them to plant in a few months.

Spring 2010 was my first year to grow my own potatoes.  I had a blast doing this and it was super easy.  Please visit my post from the day I harvested my first batch : Taytos Have Arrived.

Below is another favorite recipe of mine that is super easy to make anytime of the year.

I hope you can use the potato recipe above or at least you were inspired to scrub up some spuds of your own.    I would love to hear some of your potato thoughts so please leave a comment below.  If you have grown potatoes I would be honored to have you share some growing tips and maybe some varieties to look for.    Wish you much warmth and comfort on this winters day.

This will be my first share for the #GardenChatRecipe shares.  Jen of @4bratz2luv always has the best shares on Monday that will get you out of the kitchen in time for the garden chatter.   We decided to make a category on our blogs loaded with easy recipes that will allow you to cook up a yummy meal for your family and be on your way in time for #gardenchat.

On a recent visit to a local community garden I was introduced to sprouts.   I know some of you are scratching your head thinking ‘what in the world is Bren thinking… sprouts have been around forever!’.  Yes they have been around for a long time but I recently discovered a simple and easy way to grow them on my own in my kitchen.

I’m using this 3 tray kitchen crop kit  from HomeTownSeeds.com to grow my sprouts in today.  There are many different sprouting seeds available by just about every seed provider today but you want to be sure to purchase seeds that are truly grown for sprouting. Using a seed that is produced for sprouting will ensure  that the seeds have been handled in a sanitary manner and do not have any seed coatings, since you will be eating the seed as well as its sprout.   Some easy and effective seeds to try if you are a first timer at growing your own are Alfalfa and Mung Beans.   For these recipes and video I am using Alfalfa.

I put together this quick video to show you how easy it is to grow your own sprouts in your kitchen.

Subscribe to my Youtube Channel to receive updates on my sprout growing experience.

How Cool is that?! In 3 days I had this yummy handful of sprouts!

Chicken, Harvati Cheese and loads of Sprouts Melt!

It is hard to make that image of the sandwich look as good as it tastes.   You can click on the image above for the super easy recipe and the video in this blog entry shows how to grow the sprouts.  This is a quick and easy meal for summer or winter now that I can grow the sprouts on my own in the kitchen.

Do you have a favorite recipe you enjoy using  sprouts in?  I would be honored to have your thoughts on my network here at BGgarden.com blog so please leave a comment.

Nothing beats opening a jar of canned roma’s from the summer canning projects and mixing it with some of my favorite herbs from the winter greenhouse.   Tonight’s dish was whipped up with some garden fresh love.

Simple and fresh ingredients  will make any dish a gourmet addition to the menu.

CLICK IMAGE above for RECIPE

This is one of my favorite recipes that we enjoy as a meal in the summer or winter.  The fun thing about growing year-round is anyone can enjoy a ‘fresh’ additive to any recipe.  What could taste better then that?

I would love to hear from you….suggestions for any recipe  welcome on the comment section below.

I don’t remember a cold spell like the one we are enduring leading up to winter in a long time. We’ve been experiencing negative wind chills for a few days in a row with only a few days peaking close to above freezing.  It makes it a challenge to enjoy the Holiday events and also carrying those 5 gallon watering buckets out to the greenhouse for winter growing a challenge.  Thank goodness for those garden favorites I saved from the harvest this past summer by freezing them or canning so we could enjoy warming recipes like my Garden Fresh Pot Pie.

Garden Fresh Easy & Quick to Make

Nothing beats a meal that can be served up in one dish and warms the entire family that is on a busy schedule.   Not to mention being able to use garden fresh treasures  that are always healthy during the winter months.  It took me a few years to finally master a chicken pot pie that my picking eaters enjoy even when served as  left-overs.    In the pot pie recipe that you will find by clicking on the image below, I used green beans and corn from our summer garden.  I used the freezer method to preserve them because I’m not familiar with the canning method for these veggies.  I hope to learn how to preserve them using the canning method this next growing season.  If you have any tips on how to do this please leave me a comment at the bottom of this post.

Bringing the garden to the winter dining table is always a special event in my home.  It is a reminder of how hard work can truly pay off in months after the garden has been worked under for the season.  This dish is easily made for under $4 a meal.  This pie recipes is enough for 8 people.   I hope you are able to use this recipe when you are on a tight schedule but are wanting to enjoy the comforts of a home cooked meal.     Happy Holidays from my garden and kitchen!

Brens’ Mint Cocoa Recipe – Click  on image above for the recipe.

Tis the Season……. to share the Holidays with friends & family.   Over the past few months I have been the acting administrator for the #gardenchat event on Twitter.  For more information about this chat please click Here.

The #gardenchat is a gathering of some pretty amazing people around the world who enjoy sharing their thoughts on gardening with others each Monday from 9-10 P.m. EST.   We’ve had some amazingly creative garden people guest host in the past weeks and a wonderful line up on the way for 2011.   I hope you will take the time to check out all the fun on Twitter sometime.

Tonight’s schedule is an Open Forum with the topic : Submit your CREATIVE HOLIDAY DECORATING IDEAS!  USE everything and anything related to plants to participate in this event.  We invite you to share your favorite URL or your own photos featuring creative Holiday decorating ideas.  Tomorrow morning there will be a drawing and some lucky garden participants will win a few of my ‘favorite things’ from some amazing sponsors like Corona Tools, Seed Keeper Company and Haven Brand Manure Tea.    I hope you will join us and please stop by our FACEBOOK page at #gardenchat.

Click on the Image for Easy Recipe

It was an eventful weekend spent at TCIEXPO in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Taking a break this Sunday afternoon to spend time with my family and enjoy some time in the kitchen.  The weather is quickly turning much cooler and it is one of those days to keep cozy with some comfort foods.  Today I’m using some of those Irish potatoes that were harvested a few months back that have been stored in the basement.

I hope you give this recipe a try and be sure to leave a comment so I know it was worth my time to share!

Happy Harvest Friends – Bren ♥