Cooking Classes at Preparing Wisely

The New Year brings new classes at a new location.  Preparing Wisely is a lovely food storage shop in downtown Mesa, 144 S Mesa Drive Suite G. The owners are wonderful people who have done a great job setting up an accommodating store front with friendly service.  They recently expanded and added a little kitchen area for demonstration classes.  I am privileged to be on their schedule for next year! All classes are free.  Listed below are the classes I am scheduled to teach. Hope to see you there :)

Tortillas            Tuesday, January 10, 11:00 am

Intro to Grains  Tuesday, January 24, 11:00 am

Grain Trio         Tuesday, February 21, 11:00 am

Grain Trio         Tuesday, March 6, 11:00 am

Grain Trio         Tuesday, April 3, 11:00 am

Grain Trio         Tuesday, April 17, 11:00 am

For a full list of classes offered at Preparing Wisely, visit their Event Schedule.

Starting Seeds

It is time to get started if you live in the Valley of the Sun.  This week would be perfect with the warm weather forecast, seeds are sure to sprout in a jiffy.  In most areas of the country, if you want to start early, you have to invest in grow lights and have space to start them indoors.  I love that I can sprout my own starts right outside.  Because there is still a danger of frost for the next couple months, I started in seed trays that can easily be brought indoor on cold nights.  You will also get much better germination in seed trays or pots because they heat up quicker.

I filled mine with a mixture of peat and compost before placing the seeds and sprinkling sand on top to hold them in place. The peat is a light weight growing medium that holds moisture well.  The compost is for nutrients and the sand holds the seeds in place while letting the sprout push through easily.  Now, as I keep the soil moist, I expect good success.

Right now you can plant any winter crops like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, kale, carrot, onions, peas, ect.  In my seed trays, I am starting my summer crop of tomatoes and peppers. These two take the longest to get going, but I should be in high production by April this year!  Happy planting.