Let’s Fill our Baskets with Food, not Candy!

4 Unique Ideas to Fill Your Basket with Health

With Easter Sunday right around the corner it has me thinking about all of the candy that is sold and consumed and put in baskets during the week leading up to Easter. Did you know that in 2009 120 million pounds of candy was sold to fill Easter baskets? Tally that up and that is $500 million dollars. Gasp! And don’t get me wrong, I do love a good piece of chocolate, but I began imagining the possibility of planting and gifting baskets that were planted with 120 million pounds of food instead of filled with candy. Imagine baskets filled with 120 million pounds of tomato plants or 120 million pounds of basil. The possibilities are endless. For a planet that is in a food crisis this would be one powerful action that we each could embark upon.

Basket giving goes way beyond Easter. For many of us Easter isn’t our Holiday but there are many other occasions to celebrate and gift a basket such as birthdays, Mother’s Day, solstice, equinox, harvest celebrations and more. In lieu of processed candy or other items, I challenge you to fill your basket with homegrown, organic, delicious, healthy food!

Lavender, Lemon Balm and Sage

To help get you started here are some creative and hopefully inspiring ideas to fill your basket with health.

Basket of herbs: This is probably my most favorite thing to plant in baskets. Consider a basket full of basil, cilantro, lavender, rosemary, or mint. These herbs are not only beautiful they are edible and medicinal, too!

Basket of salad: Want to impress your guests at the next dinner party? Gift a basket full of mixed baby greens to the host or hostess or place your basket of salad as the centerpiece on the table. Now that is different! 

Basket of tomatoes: It is far and few between that I meet a person who DOESN’T like a homegrown tomato. Gift a basket with a sweet little cherry tomato plant and you will make the recipient swoon with love! You can even plant a few basil plants around the border.

Salsa basket: Themed baskets are fun! One of my favorites is the salsa basket. One small jalapeno pepper plant, one small tomato plant and a cilantro plant and wah la! Salsa 

Watercress

Remember, it’s easy! Planting food in a basket takes very little time but reaps big rewards. I’ve just offered you a few ideas but the opportunities are limitless. The Victory Garden Transition Challenge is right around the corner starting May 1^st. Perhaps the action you take that day is to plant a basket or two. Keep one for yourself and give one away!

What are some ideas you have for filling your basket? Please comment and let’s share our ideas and inspire one another!

And, remember, tell us how you’ll celebrate the Victory Garden Transition Challenge this year. Just register your action at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VGTC2012. And, learn more about the challenge at http://www.victorygardenfoundation.org/victorygardenchallenge2012.htm

There are rewards for giving and sharing … Are you ready?

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Guest Blogger: Kristie Nackord is the 'herbalicious herb girl' behind Spirit Horse Herbals. She is passionate about growing her own food and medicinal herbs in the mountains of Colorado. For more information on Kristie please visit: www.spirithorseherbals.com