Linda Ly's Blog, page 21

Fast, Fresh and Easy: Organic Meal Kit Deliveries from Sun Basket (and a Giveaway!)

I’ve always been curious about the meal delivery services that are so prolific these days. You know the ones: the company sends you a box of fresh, perfectly portioned ingredients, you cook and assemble them in your own kitchen using their recipes. So maybe not so much a meal delivery, but a meal kit delivery… or a DIY meal delivery. At the end of the day, you still get a hot and healthy meal on your table and spare your family another night of takeout.

While I think they’re an innovative wa...

Welcome Home, Gemma Lumen

For months I eagerly anticipated meeting the little one, and true to her nickname, Sprout — our darling Gemma Lumen — arrived on March 20, the first day of spring, after almost 16 hours of labor. It was long and grueling, but the gush of relief I felt with that final push sent a surge of endorphins through my body that I’ll never forget.

Despite the drawn-out wait, Gemma’s entrance into the world was one of calmness and curiosity. She was wide-eyed and alert immediately after birth, and it t...

Exploring the First CSA Farm in the Country

To celebrate the first anniversary of the release of The CSA Cookbook , today’s post goes back — way back, to the beginnings of the CSA movement and the people and places I visited while promoting my book on a cross-country road trip. Enjoy this little slice of American farm history!

It’s been estimated that there are between 6,000 and 6,500 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms in the United States today. It’s hard to get an accurate count because such farms aren’t tracked by the gover...

A Day in the Life of a Work-at-Home Blogger

I’m often asked what working at home entails as a lifestyle blogger. I think the perception is that bloggers sit around all day sipping artisanal coffee, Instagramming said coffee, enjoying a day of leisure while fielding emails from brands that want to drop free products on them. I think people picture me rolling out of bed, strolling through the garden, making a meal and then photographing and blogging about it.

These are the same people who usually say things like, “Damn, I should be a bl...

Thoughts on Impending Parenthood

I can’t quite believe that we’re a week away, more or less, from meeting our little Sprout. Nine months certainly fly by before you know it… three seasons of gardening, three trimesters of baking, and soon a third human appearing in the house. I almost can’t wrap my mind around that, though I’m exceptionally eager to meet her.

You see, Will and I have been together for nine years. Just the two of us. We’ve been so accustomed to moving at our own cadence, making decisions that pertained to us...

Five Things Friday

The five little things that made my week…

1. Shiso babies sprouting up after the last few storms. This mint-like Asian herb (also called perilla or tía tô) volunteers like a weed in my garden, but I keep it around for its beauty and fragrance. (Not to mention it’s a fantastic herb.)

2. I have brassicas bolting all over the garden right now, telling me it’s time to take out the winter crops and get my beds ready for spring. (By the way, did you know you can eat these delicious flowers?)

3....

Smells of Spring

Though the vernal equinox doesn’t occur for another week or so, it already feels like spring has sprung in my garden. While some people equate spring with snow melting, seed starting, and bare branches budding… for me, it’s all about the smells. Ohhh, the smells.

This is the time of year when my garden is alive with the intoxicating scent of citrus blossoms and pink jasmine. It’s so extraordinary that I wish I could bottle up the fragrance for the rest of the year.

The smells waft throu...

Theodore Payne Foundation’s Native Plant Garden Tour (and a Chance to Win Tickets!)

In spite of all the hype surrounding El Niño this winter (Godzilla El Niño, no less), it’s been a disappointing season for Los Angeles weather-wise. We’ve had rain, but not as much as the weather models predicted. And so it looks like California will be heading into its fifth year of drought.

For Angelenos, keeping a garden green has been a challenge these last few years, but it’s even more disheartening to see people rip up their lawns, only to replace them with a rocky landscape. Rocks, wh...

Five Things Friday

The five little things that made my week…

1. Kimora loves springtime! Lots of grubs and tasty little buggers to scratch and peck at.

2. The garden is full of intoxicating fragrance right now. This jasmine grows right outside our bedroom and with these balmy nights, we can’t wait to start sleeping with the windows open again.

3. Speaking of fragrance… it’s so heavenly to stand under the canopy of our orange tree this time of year with all the orange blossoms budding.

4. Seed-starting seas...

Common Gardening Mistakes and What I’ve Learned From Them

I think it’s safe to say that mistakes in the garden happen to even the most seasoned growers among us. We think we know better, right? But even after six years and thousands of plants under my belt, I still find myself taking shortcuts I sometimes wish I hadn’t.

I’ve learned a lot since my very first season of gardening, and most of it has been through trial and error. Gardening blogs weren’t as prevalent as they are now (or perhaps I didn’t know where to find them) and even then, the garde...