KarakD.

In hopes of getting more garden discussion I'm posting a pic of my artichokes. I've been growing them along side Cardoons for a few years in Zone 7.

Thanks so much! I'm reviewing it online as I type.

Thank you Mindy I'm an avid veggie gardener & try to eat mostly what I grow. Last year I taught myself how to can fruits from my little urban orchard (2 pears, 2 apples & 1 HUGE fig). I need to grow legumes. Hate to say this but I avoid supplements - I don't trust supplements.

I go for: handfull of Almonds & dried fruit. Homemade Hummus sounds like a great option too.

OOOooo! I like that one. Thanks for the link.

Thank you so much. I'll check out the links ASAP. I'm very proud of my legs - I've always been an avid runner/cyclist. Cardio keeps them very lean but Squats, Lunges & Dead Lifts keep them lean.

Thank you for the link! I'll check it out. You're probably going to think this is funny but I'm scared of the chems in PPowder.

Thanks everyone! It was a great weekend. The kids were invited to a B'day party @ Sports Rock http://www.sportrock.com/ We had a blast & it was a great work out. I think we are going to join. If you have one in your area go check it out. Arms are still 10.5 Thighs are 19.5 The only place that has not lost inches is my gut. Oh well, hubby says I'm hot & who the heck do I want to impress anyway. 2 very bright notes: * Hubby read "Food Bites" from Bitman & has decided to make small changes in the amount of meat he eats. He plans to eat more beans. He takes very good care of himself & I can not bitch at him for eating meat. ** We started baking our own wheat bread for the kid's school lunches. We are going to try to make a loaf of bread every weekend. We always pack their lunches anyway but there is always room to improve what we feed them. Is anyone else sick of all the chems in the food?!?!? WTF are "spices" it's listed on every single food lable I read. I don't remember this ingredient being so prevelant before.

I commute on my bike to work 8 miles round trip. I find that Forward/Backward leg squats then dead lifts help on the cold mornings (below 30 degrees) Don't forget shoulders, this allows me to stay flexible & relaxes my neck before the ride.

My GF is in Alphabet City. I just showed her these plans for a salad Table We're gonna build a it on her balcony http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg601.pdf I love plums but have sooo many squirrels They eat everything, how do you keep them out've the trees? Persimmon trees?!?! OMG! How old is your tree? What are the water requirements? I espaliered 2 pears - they require approx. 55 gals of water a day for fruit setting. Due to loss of European Honey bees I pollinate the trees myself. Started spinach & arugula seeds tonight I'd love to go off the grid & will do so in the near future

1/6/12 Glutes & Back 1/7/12 4/5 miles

That sounds amazing! What growing zone are you in? I'm zone 7. Are you rain water harvesting? I collect approx. 200 gals every time it rains. Did you can or preserve any of the tomatoes? I froze mine last year but will try to can some tomato sauce because I'm sick of all the "natural spices" (HA!) & HFCS listed on every single jar. I'm no good at lettuces - the rabbits eat everything. How to you protect against varmints?

Just started my 2012 tomatoes & carrot seedlings. Also plan to grow WAY more potatoes this year then last. This is a link to my public garden photos. Take a look & let me know what you think. I'd love to see other people's garden photos as well. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1525975913875.2065978.1368987145&type=3 Thanks, Karak

Sooooooooo true! Most horror stories out there have their roots in religious fairytales, so if you don't buy into the fairytale, the scary parts are pretty silly. Very freeing. A lot of horror movies turn into comedies. Baby Herc idk - H.P. Lovecraft rocks my boat.

Forgot to mention that my hubby will prob post in here. He does not lift but has an awesome sense of humor.

Name: Karak Married Geek 5'4 125lb mostly muscle but need to regain mass in arms (now down to 10.5inches) This is why I am here, I truely believe that I can have the muscle I want w/out meat. I'm not afraid to admit I need help with this goal. I'd really like to find a new PPowder that does not contain Soy.

Bittman is a great place to start. When my hubby asked me what I wanted for my b'day I said I wanted him to read: Food Matters. He did & I'll be d@mned! My hubby is now very motivated to change some of his meat habits. Granted we were already moving a long those lines but now he plans to read: Food Rules by Pollen

I'm a huge geek that has been lifting for a few years but switched over to a plant based diet 8 months ago. Since that time I've maintained my weight but lost a lot of muscle I'm very active: Cycle commute to work, play soccer & born to run. I know I'm not getting enough protein. I'm hoping to learn from you all how to fix my diet & regain. Guess my next step will be to set up a jrnl. Thank you, Karak