Non-toxic weed killers

I don't mind weeds in the lawn and while he tolerates my love for some weeds, my husband favors the classic American sea of green. We compromise. All weeds are welcome in the back yard. Clover, wild violets and a few others are acceptable in the front. In fact, I plant clover readily around my entire yard for two reasons... it's a great nitrogen source as fertilizer for the grass growing around it. And two, it's a source of nectar for bees! (More on this in a future post.)

I love the look of clover in the lawn, the bees love it too. Plus it's a natural fertilizer!

Dandelions, oxalis, sorrel and a host of others are less welcome. I have to admit, getting dandelion stems stuck between our toes while walking through the grass isn't all that pleasant. We've finally found a solution that doesn't make me cringe with the thought of us walking barefoot through the lawn. Iron.

Liquid iron is sold at some online garden stores. I bought Iron-X for around $35 that makes 3 gallons in a pump sprayer. I gave it a good try and I'm kinda thrilled. I tested it on a variety of weeks in my yard. Dandelions, creeping Charlie, some oxalis, spurge, prostate surge, black medic and many others were dead within the day.

In a pump sprayer I mixed the iron with water according to the package directions. If ingested, Iron is dangerous. Spray it on and the weeds turn black as they shrivel. Grass may darken a bit but that recovers quickly and the grass is left unharmed. It's a miracle!

Black Medic after iron application

Wood sorrel after iron application

Dandelion after iron application

Creeping Charlie after iron application

But nothing is perfect. The iron does not kill grassy weeds like crab grass. I'm still on the hunt there. It has trouble with  oxalis in some areas. For now I'm pulling those by hand or leaving them. It's a daunting task that I tackle a little at a time.

Prostrate Spurge after iron application

For weeds in the cracks of the driveway and sidewalk or rocks things get interesting. Some say iron can stain your concrete or stone. I haven't found that to be the case in my small test areas. But because iron is a bit expensive I like another option for sidewalk and driveway cracks anyway!

That's where the weed torch comes into play! Keeping safety top of mind this torch is excellent for removing weeds. And in my experience they stay away for some time!

Because the torch scorches everything in range, the weeds and their seeds are destroyed.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Unfortunately grasses and dandelions tend to come back and new weed seeds eventually make their way back in. Others though are goners. I'll take that.

Vinegar with epsom salt and dish soap is another popular option but I've found the results don't last as long. Plus vinegar has it's own clash with the environment. It's very toxic to amphibians, for example. (I have a lot of tree frogs that show up.)

Anyone else have a non-toxic weed solution to share?


Note: At time of this post I have no affiliation or sponsorship from any products mentioned.

Pasta alla Belinda

The inspiration for dinner last night began when Bel came into the office with a bag of beet greens. She had used the beets but brought the greens to me because she knows me well enough to know I'd make good use of them.  I've never cooked with beet greens before, but here's what I came up with...

It was an all day rain... gloomy for days. So a good belly-filling pasta made sense to me. This is how pasta alla Belinda was born.

First, the sauce. It's an artichoke and dry salami red sauce. Made from scratch but almost as easy as dumping in a jar of marinara.

In a heavy sauce pan heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add chopped salami, onion and garlic along with crushed red pepper, dried Italian herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until onions are translucent and salami is starting to brown a bit. Add 2-3 Tbsp tomato paste and incorporate.

Add 1 quart tomato puree and chopped artichokes and stir to combine. Simmer 10-20 minutes to your desired thickness. If you want it even thicker, just add more tomato paste.

Next, the noodles and greens.

Preparing the greens just involves a very rough chop and lots of rinsing. You don't want dirty grit in your pasta! Also make sure to pick out any slimy greens or any that have begun to brown.

Because I can't tell the difference I always use whole wheat noodles. My husband doesn't notice the difference either and he is definitely not a whole wheat kind of guy. These noodles have really been improved over the last couple years. Good news there!

Anyway, prepare the noodles according to package instructions, making sure to add salt to taste. I chose thin spaghetti, but feel free to use any type of noodle you have on hand.

Then during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time, add your washed and chopped beet greens.

Strain them together in a colander when the noodles are done al dente.

Lastly, plate it up!

  
Top noodles with sauce and grate some fresh Parmesan on top if you wish. Serve with some crusty bread and a glass of red wine and you're good to go!  This dinner takes about 30 minutes start to finish.

Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped dry salami
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp crushed red pepper, more or less to taste
1 tsp dried Italian herb blend
salt
pepper
2-3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 jar artichokes, chopped
1 quart pureed tomatoes ( diced tomatoes in juice will also work just fine.)

Heat oil in saucepan. Add next seven ingredients and saute until lightly browned. Add tomato paste and combine. Add artichokes and puree. Simmer 10-20 minutes to desired consistency.

Pasta and greens:
1lb whole wheat pasta
2 bunches beet greens, chopped and thoroughly washed.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Add greens during the final 3-4 minutes of cook time. Strain. Top with sauce and serve.

Fresh start.

As winter morphs into spring, there's a change here at KARE11 too!

Bryan Piatt and I will be joining Diana Pierce for KARE11 at 11am weekdays. Both Bryan and I are super excited to start this new role. We hope you tune in!

The new KARE11 at 11 team!

And by the way, Pat Evans isn't going anywhere, so don't worry. He will still be anchoring the 4pm news with Di, although he is on vacation this week. In addition, Pat will begin reporting on entertainment news here in the Twin Cities in a segment called "In the Know" so watch for that beginning next week.

Up in the Sky!

When I was little, my mind changed nearly every day when it came to what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I was a doctor, and a school teacher, and a rock scientist.  For at least a little while mixed in to all that, I was an astronaut.  How fun to fly up into the stars.

I'm reminded of how cool the starry skies look thanks to an appearance from Jupiter and Venus lately. 

In the western evening sky, the two planets can be viewed aroung 9:00pm.  They are moving past eachother but will be at their closest (3°) tonight.  Take a look up and see!