I'm back!  I'm so sorry for the long absence. I returned from our trip to Minnesota to find that I was unable to log into the blog, and after a couple of weeks of back and forth with the support team, I have just now regained access. Whew! Anyway, we may have some changes to our posting schedule coming up, but I will keep you informed. In the meantime, we are back on schedule with our end-of-the-month recipe.

One of the simplest and easiest nutritionist-recommended ways to eat healthier is to "eat the rainbow" - that is, to eat as wide a variety of colored fruits and veggies as possible. It should come as no surprise that salads are my favorite way to get lots of beautiful colors on my plate. There is nearly an infinite variety of colors, flavors, and textures that you can add to a salad, which makes it one of the most exciting things to eat, in my opinion!

You can have a big salad, or small one, a salad as a whole meal, or as a side dish. A salad can be just greens and vegetables, or topped with fruit, nuts, or seeds. You can add beans, meat, eggs, or fish for protein, and throw some healthy fats on there like avocados. Toss on some homemade kimchi or pickled veggies for some healthy probiotics, and of course, don't forget the huge array of dressing options to top off your salad. Just about anything goes when it comes to salads, so they are just as fun to make as they are to eat!

This week, I'm sharing a colorful and delicious salad idea full of loads of healthy and flavorful ingredients that are packed with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Some of these items are more commonly found in your garden in the spring or fall, but feel free to use your own creativity and whatever fresh garden veggies you have on hand and make it your own!

In honor of summer (for reals, y'all! Sorry, my Southern is showing...) :-)  this week I've got something a little different for you. This is a great resource for all my fellow gardeners out there (if you're not a gardener, don't worry - we've got more health stuff coming your way soon!).

I have been saving a few of my own seeds for years (especially tomatoes and beans) with varying success, and this Seed Saving Hacks Webinar really helped me to figure out what I could do better and how to improve my results with seeds that I saved - and it also explains why saving your own seeds is so important for preserving our food security!

Whether you're a dedicated seed-saver, or you've never saved seeds before, you're sure to get something out of this helpful webinar.