Growing Dome Lifestyle


Delightful Roasted Radish & Broccoli Pesto Pasta Salad

A versatile recipe that makes the most of reliable winter greens and spring vegetables like radishes and broccoli. Our nut-free pesto dressing is adaptable (try different greens or make it vegan!), and the whole dish is satisfying as a warm dinner or a refreshing chilled lunch. We'll show you how to make the flavorful pesto, perfect roasted pepitas, and the final simple assembly. Enjoy customizing the pesto with whatever you have in your garden!

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Mastering Winter Squash: From Seed to Storage

Learn how to grow Winter squash in a dome greenhouse. Winter squash grows on a vine, has a longer, frost-free growing season (75-100 days or longer) and is harvested after it matures. These types of squash have a hard, thick skin that will store for a longer period, hence the name winter squash.

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Preserving the Harvest: Dehydrating, Dry It Out

Drying foods is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. Using the sun or the heat from a fire were the methods used by ancient peoples. Drying removes the moisture from fruits and vegetables, preventing the growth of bacteria or mold. As with many types of food preservation, the recommendations are often changing and...

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Preserving the Harvest: In Oil, Salting, or Sugaring

In this article, we’ll look at extending the shelf-life of food by salting, sugaring, and storing in oil. In the modern kitchen, these techniques alone are not safe for long-term storage. As you will see, they are best used when combined with another food preservation method, such as drying, refrigerating, or freezing.  Sugars and salts...

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Grow Your Way to Long Life: The Centenarian Diet

Healthy eating, exercise, mindfulness, and meditation have been central to our company's values since we began in 1989. We're thrilled that so many people around the world are now inspired by the blue zone regions, famous for their high number of centenarians, to start growing their own food.

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The Best Vegan Taco Meat

The best vegan taco meat starts with whole grains and fresh vegetables. Eat the rainbow with this whole food plant- based recipe. Many of these ingredients can be grown right in your own backyard!

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The Best Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Lavender Glaze

Lemons are among the most popular fruit-bearing plants to cultivate in a Growing Dome greenhouse. Because they are available year-round at the grocery store many people associate lemons with fresh lemonade on a hot summer day. However, it may surprise you to learn that lemons are, in fact, considered a winter fruit. Their peak season, when they are most abundant and of the highest quality, typically extends from December to April.

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Bananas as an Excellent Egg Substitute: The Case of Banana Pancakes

Forget eggs! Bananas are the secret ingredient to light and fluffy vegan pancakes. This easy recipe uses mashed bananas for binding and sweetness, creating pancakes that are bursting with flavor and moisture. Plus, we've thrown in some melty chocolate chips for an extra decadent touch. Serve with maple syrup and fresh banana slices for a breakfast or snack that's as good as it is good for you.

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How to Make Guava Jam with Homegrown Pink Guavas 

Discover the art of making delicious Guava Jam using homegrown pink guavas with our easy-to-follow recipe. Ideal for Growing Dome enthusiasts, this guide from Growing Spaces showcases how to harvest and transform pink guavas into a sweet, slightly musky jam with a hint of vanilla or tangy lime. Learn the differences between guava jam and jelly, and explore versatile ways to enjoy this tropical delight, from morning toast to guava margaritas. Our comprehensive instructions cover everything from preparing guavas to water canning, ensuring a perfect batch every time. Plus, get insights on the longevity of homemade guava jam and tips for growing guavas successfully. Perfect for both beginners and seasoned canners, this article is your ultimate guide to creating a tropical treat in any climate.

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Bean and Tomato Salad: Healthy and Easy Work-From-Home Lunch

Discover a culinary oasis in our Bean and Tomato Salad, a vibrant and nutritious dish perfect for those seeking a wholesome and delicious work-from-home lunch option. This medley of crisp bush beans and plump cherry tomatoes, sourced straight from our greenhouse, will awaken your taste buds and brighten your day. Tossed with the colors of red onion, briny Kalamata olives, and creamy feta cheese, every bite offers a symphony of flavors and textures. Embrace the abundance of your own homegrown harvest, and elevate your lunchtime with this easy-to-make salad that is as convenient for on-the-go as it is indulgent at home. Savor the freshness and feel rejuvenated with each nourishing forkful. Embrace the deliciousness and healthfulness of a power-packed lunch you'll keep craving!

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The Best Nasturtium Pesto Flatbread Pizza

We took inspiration from a dish that Angela Pferdt (@Santa_Woodz) made us during our visit. Here we have turned these mildly spicy flowers into pesto flatbreads, but the nasturtium pesto makes a great addition to pasta, salads, sandwiches, and so much more!  Nasturtiums are a great plant to grow in your Growing Dome greenhouse. They...

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Ultimate Guide to Growing Chard In a Greenhouse

Featured Plant of the Month: Chard! Chard, or Beta vulgaris var. Cicla is from the Amaranthaceae family, also known as the beet family and is native to the Mediterranean area and is originally from Sicily! Quite a few sources say that Aristotle mentioned growing chard (red-stalked) in 350 BC, probably because it was revered for...

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The Easiest Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe: Perfect for Tacos, Salads, and More!

Whether you are growing cilantro in your garden or buying it from the store, it is one of those plants you always seem to have an abundance of. This cilantro lime sauce recipe is a great way to use up all that extra coriander. It is perfect for adding flavor to any dish. No matter if you're making tacos, burrito bowls, sandwiches, or salads, this sauce will make your meal even better. It's a creamy, blended sauce that uses cilantro, lime juice, and sour cream as the primary flavors.

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How to Make Kale Taste Good: Colcannon and Kale Chips

If you are like me and do not love the taste of kale, it is a great veggie to mix into other dishes that you normally eat. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish that combines kale with, my favorite vegetable, potatoes! While Nancy’s kale chips are extremely simple to make and satisfy the need for a crunch.

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Bok Choy Wonton Soup

Wontons, dumplings, pot stickers, or whatever you prefer to call them are delicious, satisfying, and fun to make. This winter we have a lot of nutritious greens, herbs, and veggies to choose from in our Growing Dome gardens. Bok choy is delicious, easy to grow, and can be used in all types of recipes from soups to salads and stir-fries. 

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Growing Lettuce in a Greenhouse

These days it is even more important to be able to grow your own lettuce as crops in California’s Salinas Valley are currently fighting Impatiens necrotic spot virus, or INSV, which is mainly spread by thrips. Pythium wilt is another crop disease that attacks lettuce, generally along with INSV causing lettuce to wilt or completely collapse. We recommend planting lettuce as this disease may affect its availability since California grows approximately 70% of the lettuce consumed in the US. There has never been a better time to grow lettuce in your backyard!

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Growing Basil in a Greenhouse

Growing basil in a greenhouse is a tricky balance. They don't like things too hot or too cold, and while they repel some common pests, such as hornworms and flies, they are susceptible to problems like aphids and Japanese beetles. Let us teach you how to grow basil successfully in your greenhouse. With our expert advice, you will tip the scales in your favor.

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Dome-Made Salsa with Air Fried Chips

Lucky for us, it’s tomato season in our Domes right now, and if you are like us, you have a variety of vine-ripened tomatoes from your Growing Dome. If you haven’t tried a Dome-grown tomato, you are missing out. The filtered light and temperature in the Dome make a perfect environment to ripen your tomatoes. They are far more flavorful and delicious than any tomatoes at the market or even in the outdoor garden. We also have fantastic fresh garlic, cilantro, and onion that we harvested from the Dome. They make the absolute best fresh salsa! 

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Chard is the New Kale: Chard, Bread Crumbs, Parmesan, and Lemon Salad

This rainbow & swiss chard salad is delicious and a fantastic way to use fresh, vibrant, and sometimes underutilized vegetables. Move over, kale! Swiss chard is the new super green! Chard is known to be bitter, so it is often left out of raw, cold salads. However, combining it with lemon zest, Parmesan, and olive oil relaxes the chard and takes away the bitterness. Give it a try. This summery, satisfying salad just might become your new go-to!

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Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls No Guilt or Gluten

This bright, satisfying, yet light lunch keeps you going through your afternoon or you can use it as an appetizer to a favorite Thai dinner entree or even pho. Nasturtium spring rolls are perfect for any warm spring or summer afternoon or evening. Easy to make, the nasturtium packs a punch that is unexpected in A spring roll. They are so pretty you may not want to eat them but they are equally as delicious! 

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Nasturtium Spring Rolls with Thai Peanut Sauce

This bright, satisfying, yet light lunch keeps you going through your afternoon or you can use it as an appetizer to a favorite Thai dinner entree or even pho. Nasturtium spring rolls are perfect for any warm spring or summer afternoon or evening. Easy to make, the nasturtium packs a punch that is unexpected in A spring roll. They are so pretty you may not want to eat them but they are equally as delicious! 

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Last of the Winter Veggies: Leek Sauté

Cooking with veggies has been a liberating experience for me as a cook, food-enthusiast, gardener, and mother. I have found confidence in my ability to provide delicious, nutritious, sustainable food to my family and friends. Thinking outside the box and using healthier ingredients in everything that I cook. I have cultivated an incredible deeper relationship with food nurturing myself through growing my own sources of sustenance. It's a wonderful feeling going out and gathering ingredients from the garden and the Growing Dome. I know that everything was grown with care, has the proper nutrients in the soil, no pesticides, no herbicides or chemicals. It’s all organic, fresh, nutrient-dense, and local.

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The Best Vegan Lasagna

There are multiple reasons we suspect lasagna has rotated out of the weekly dinner routine (high fat, cholesterol, carbs, sodium, calories, etc.). But everyone loves a good lasagna, so let’s revise and revisit! Make it modern, healthy, flavorful, skip the side of guilt and opt for a salad.

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Pistachio and Chickpea Caesar Salad

When I first started cooking more plant-based and vegan recipes I struggled to find a Caesar salad that had the crunch, punch, and protein of a traditional Caesar. This recipe has double the crunch, and double the protein, with a nice punch in the dressing without all the fat, & no oil. 

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The Worlds Best Chili Verde AKA Colorado Green Chili

Everyone has their favorite version of chili. Some like it spicy, some like it mild, some like it red, some like it green. If you’re like me, you can eat chili all winter long and be happy as can be. It’s easy to make, stores well, and is the perfect match for many other dishes. Before I had a large family, I used to store it in the freezer and warm it up as needed. Now we never have any leftovers, ever! The kids beg for it, and if it gets approved by them, it’s approved by me. That makes life so much more straightforward, plus it is one of my top favorite things to eat. It also keeps us nice and toasty in these cold winter months in Colorado.

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The World’s Best Butternut Squash Soup

This is the time of year that we are all looking for those soothing, warm us up, type recipes, to help acclimate to the changing cold temperatures outside. This soup says fall flavor as much as pumpkin spice! This recipe is creamy, vegan, nourishing, and is full of cozy fall flavors. It's the ultimate comfort food to keep you full & warm this season. It can be frozen or stored in the fridge for up to a week. If you do have any leftovers, it's easy to reheat for a quick lunch on a cold afternoon.

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A Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap. They are notorious for many kids and adults alike having utter disdain for them. Have no fear! These roasted brussels sprouts are delicious, nutritious, and easy! They melt in your mouth, have caramelized outer edges, and a little crunch at first bite. I’m willing to bet, these little bites of goodness will convert any Brussels sprout hater.

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A Community of Happy Growers Connecting and Sharing

In spring, early high temperatures are a huge benefit--especially in our mountain location with a short growing season. But as spring turns into summer, the increasing heat in the dome can turn our sanctuary into an oven unless it’s managed correctly. Over the years, we’ve learned how to adapt our growing practices, our plant choices, and even our plant locations to make the most of summer heat and provide much-needed shade for the water tank.

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Fried Green Tomatoes: Not the Movie But Just as Good!

My family comes from a long line of deep-fried southern cooking. A whole lot of comfort food made with butter, buttermilk, cream, lard, and pretty much anything that would clog your arteries. Tastes great but we have to be practical about our health these days and try to incorporate some healthy substitutions that will make our classic dishes modern, delicious, and less fat and calorie-dense.

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Delicious Shrimp and Nasturtium Salad with Pine Nuts

Working at Growing Spaces for more than a decade has allotted me many exciting perks. The one I enjoy the most is having access to fresh produce, veggies, herbs, greens, and fruits all year round. For many years, I have walked into the Growing Dome, like it was the grocery store, at lunchtime and hand-picked my lunch. This shrimp and nasturtium salad is one of my favorite easy Dome Grown recipes.

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Easy Instant-Pot Artichoke with Dipping Sauce

Artichokes are a beautiful plant. Those who don’t grow them may not realize that they are immature flower buds from the thistle plant. Appetizing? We don’t know who decided first to try these odd little pokey guys, but we sure are glad they did. They come in many varieties, but the most common one that we use in cooking is called a globe artichoke. They can be intimidating, but I’m going to help you with that.

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Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Hot or Cold Soup

I started making this creamy southern comfort food in 2007. My friend owns a southern, Mardi Gras-themed comfort food restaurant. She gave me the recipe because I was obsessed with how yummy it was! I’ve been making this exact broccoli casserole dish for holiday gatherings and potlucks ever since, and people always want more! My family loves it.

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The Best Way to Eat Your Broccoli: Broccoli Casserole!

I started making this creamy southern comfort food in 2007. My friend owns a southern, Mardi Gras-themed comfort food restaurant. She gave me the recipe because I was obsessed with how yummy it was! I’ve been making this exact broccoli casserole dish for holiday gatherings and potlucks ever since, and people always want more! My family loves it.

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Simple Pad Thai Recipe: Shrimp, Chicken, or Vegan.

Most people think you can't make restaurant-quality food at home. Well, I am here to tell you if that is your sentiment, you are sorely mistaken. I am going to change your mind! It took me more tries than I would like to admit to getting it right. To keep it clean & healthy, but decadent and delicious.

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Smooth and Creamy Hummus Recipe

It’s easy to make and delicious on just about any vegetable, cracker, pita chip, or toast. You can add just about any herb, spice, or vegetable you like to adjust the taste. Bonus points if it was grown in your Growing Dome.

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Best Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe

New Year’s is always a good time to make your favorite appetizers, dips, and drinks. I’ve been experimenting with different ways to make my creamy, cheesy spinach artichoke dip over the years. I have experimented with full-fat cream cheese, Neufchâtel cheese, mozzarella cheese, and even vegan substitutes. This is my favorite dip recipe, and it is pretty simple. It melts in your mouth! You will want to double the recipe just for yourself.

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The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Beet Brownies

Beets are full of good stuff. They contain a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, which are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying. They are also chock full of vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid, manganese, and potassium. So, I guess you could say that these gluten-free beet brownies are "healthy".

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The Best Baked Kale Chips

The first time I made kale chips, I remember thinking, “Should they taste burnt like this??” As it turns out, the answer to that question is no. After multiple failed attempts that were either too soggy or too burnt, I believe I have finally found the perfect kale chip. Yes, this is a very serious business, this kale chip business.

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Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

It’s peak tomato season, which means it’s also bruschetta season! By bruschetta, I mean the Americanized version of authentic Italian bruschetta, featuring ripe red tomatoes, basil, and garlic on golden, toasted French bread.

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5 Charities Fighting Food Insecurity

We wanted to take a moment and show our appreciation to five outstanding non-profit charities that are actively fighting food insecurity. Navajo Nation, Mattersville Vets, Urban Growers Initiative, GoFarm Coop, and the Food Coalition 4 Archuleta County and the GGP are all working to improve the health and nutrition of the people in their respective communities. See what Growing Spaces is doing to support these great causes, and learn how you can help. We are also excited to announce a new Urban Community Garden Grant opportunity for 2021!

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Not a Vegan Carrot Cake

Since I am not a vegan like Kesy I couldn't really do a vegan recipe. Instead, I give you my nana's recipe for the best carrot cake ever with homemade cream cheese icing. She is Sicilian and the only thing I love more than her cakes is her meatballs.

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Vegan Chickpea and Sorrel Salad

Now that you have read How to Grow Sorrel, I am sure you are wondering what do do with those tangy green leaves. Don't worry. We have your back. This three-step vegan salad is the most straightforward recipe we have ever featured.

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Reflections on Retirement

Udgar and I founded Growing Spaces in 1989. The process of selling it was like looking for the right partner to pass on the baton in an exciting marathon. Preparing for that moment took extra energy. Our team had become our community as we developed the agility together to master all the moving parts of an evolving company. After retiring, we decided to travel in order to mark the change and to distance ourselves from our results-driven habits.

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It’s QuaranTime

With the craziness of the world right now, it can be tempting to pick up the remote and start a little vacation in your apartment. However, this can quickly turn into a harmful thing. Staying inside all day can have negative effects if you aren’t working towards positive goals and creating a productive environment. Try to make your work-from-home day like any other workday. But instead of a stressful morning commute, take a healthy morning walk outside. And take the extra time to do some other things you normally would not have time to do on a busy morning.

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Off The Vine

Optimize micronutrients by eating fruits and vegetables immediately after harvest. There are so many benefits to eating vegetables fresh from the earth. Taste, nutritional value and saving trips to the grocery store. Food travels hundreds, if not thousands, of miles before it makes it to the grocery store shelves and loses critical nutrients along the way.

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Cleaning Greenhouse Panels

Winter or early Spring is a great time to clean your panels as vegetation is generally reduced, allowing easy access to the polycarbonate surfaces. According to Claudia Stover, long-time Growing Spaces dome owner and greenhouse gardening teacher, not only does regular cleaning of the polycarbonate panels increase the sanitation of the greenhouse but “keeping the dome panels clear of pollen and plant debris also helps reduce disease and pest pressure on your plants.”

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Homegrown Chicken Pot Pie

Homegrown Chicken Pot Pie with Organic Dome Grown Veggies. What better way to say farewell to the winter growing season than with the ultimate comfort food. Fill your belly with fresh chicken, herbs and winter veggies from your Growing Dome.

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Lumpia: Vegan Filipino Egg Rolls

I am a massive fan of any spring roll or fresh roll. But this time of year, they aren’t the first dish that comes to mind. The weather often inspires my appetite. When it’s cold outside, I usually yearn for comfort food like chili, soup, hot tea, etc. Lumpia is my winter version of spring...

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Vegan Fully Loaded Feel Better Pho

Fully Loaded Feel Better Vegan Pho I took a class with vegan chef Tess Challis to learn how to make this dish specifically, and I have simplified and streamlined it here for you. This is a comforting dish from a food culture that I incorporate into my everyday lifestyle. The secret to making delicious vegan...

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Green Thumb Daddy’s Greenhouse

Stories From Growing Domes Across the Globe Andrew Trujillo – Green Thumb Daddy The Growing Spaces team often refers to Andrew as the face of Growing Dome Greenhouses. Although he doesn’t work for Growing Spaces, he is one of our biggest supporters and provides outstanding feedback, content and wonderful pictures on our social media channels....

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Help Grow A Dome for Food Insecure Communities

These non-profits are working to increase access to locally grown organic food in their communities There are many challenges facing our planet’s agricultural systems. Climate change, pesticides, GMOs, over-farming, soil health, corporate agriculture among many others. Food insecurity is also a major concern, as many communities do not have access to fresh, healthy organic food....

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Tropical Flowers in New Mexico Mountain Greenhouse

Matt & Christie’s New Mexico Mountain Greenhouse is growing beautiful tropical flowers year-round If you are an avid user of the Growing Spaces Facebook Group “Growing Dome Enthusiasts,” then you are no doubt familiar with our December Growing Dome of the Month owner, Matt Larson. He often posts pictures of his extraordinary flowers in his...

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Tomatillo Green Chile Tamales

It’s prime green chile season! If you live in the western United States, then you know all about green chile peppers. If you are one of the few who does not let me give you a little insight. Pueblo Native Americans have cultivated chile peppers for centuries, but the modern renditions of the peppers we eat...

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Greek Village Salad

In honor of our Tomato Plant of the Month, our September recipe is a Greek Village Salad. This recipe is my go-to for a quick and light meal that easily uses all the excess tomatoes we have at this time of year. Total Time: 10 min   Serves 1-2 What you need: SALAD INGREDIENTS: 1 large...

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Cultivating Abundance

Cultivating abundance, both financially and in my garden, has been a long journey for me. When I first became interested in gardening I was convinced I needed to grow my own food because the economy was going to crash and I’d have to know how to be self sufficient in order to survive. This belief...

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Artichoke Salad

In honor of our Artichoke Plant of the Month, our August recipe is my family’s favorite Italian salad. It can be eaten alone or paired with homemade pasta for a healthy recipe. Total Time: 15 min   Serves 4-6       What you need: SALAD INGREDIENTS: 1 head red-leaf lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces1 head romaine...

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Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Tacos

Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Tacos Spice up your next taco night with food from your dome and an easy-to-follow recipe from peppers and chickpeas combined with a spicy buffalo sauce and a cooling drizzle of ranch in this flavorful take on traditional tacos. Serves 4 What you need: ⅓ cup hot sauce 3 tbsp sriracha sauce 2...

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Nourishment During the Summer Solstice

Ways to nourish your body and your Growing Dome during the Summer Solstice  The Summer Solstice of 2019 is upon us, bringing with it a time of intensity physically, emotionally, and environmentally. As we all know, the Solstice marks the day of the year with the most hours of sunlight. On this day, that number...

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Sustaining Mental Wellness In Your Growing Dome® Greenhouse

Gardening Sustains Mental Wellness While Providing Healthy, Nutritious Food: A Win-Win for You and Your Body Gardening in a Growing Dome is an invaluable method to improve and sustain mental and emotional wellness. Growing Domes are coveted, some would argue sacred, retreats to be with nature and one’s thoughts and emotions. At some point, however,...

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Growing Bananas at 60 Degrees North 

Janet and I first met Bjorn Oliviusson in Fall 2012 when we arrived to help install the 33′ Growing Dome Greenhouse sold to the Royal Institution of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. As described in Bjorn’s post, it ended up at a school near the university, a pleasant setting, but late Fall in Stockholm the sunlight...

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Cloud City Farm: Growing the Impossible at 10,000 Feet

Cloud City Farm: From Superfund Site to Community Gardens, Thriving High Altitude Farm and Year-Round Growing Dome Greenhouse With only 28 frost free days a year, and living 10,000 feet above sea level, they are growing what at first might seem impossible. Cloud City Conservation Center (C4) Cloud City Conservation Center (C4)  is a non-profit 501(c)3...

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Pine River Garden Club: Growing Gardeners

Growing Gardeners and a Local Foodshed with a Growing Dome® at the Pine River Community Garden Instead of garlic from China and avocados from Mexico, the Pine River Garden Club in Bayfield, Colorado, cultivates their own local foodshed, grows gardeners and teaches how to harvest what you thought wouldn’t grow here. Pine River Garden Club...

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7 Simple Secrets to Maintain Vibrant Health

75 Year Old Ex-Dentist Reveals Effective No Cost Methods of Improving Health Naturally Following are 7 simple tips to maintain vibrant health, as given by this guy. And unless you’re brand new here, I bet you recognize our fearless leader! Udgar Parsons, the creator of the Growing Dome® and co-owner of Growing Spaces®. You’ve probably seen...

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One Healthy Snack Without The Burden Of Prep Time

One Healthy Snack You  Can Grab On The Go… Without The Burden Of Prep Time You like to eat. You want a healthy snack. You’re hungry…all the time. It’s the same for all of us. We’re all hungry all the time. My kids are always asking for food, always on the prowl for the next...

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Holiday Solstice 2017

As I think about my experience shopping yesterday, as everyone prepares for the holidays in our town, I am struck by the Holiday energy, thoughts about ending 2017, and affirming what will be healthy for the New Year.  The offer of a “21 Day Pilates Holiday Slimdown” reminds me of the urge to improve in...

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The Gift of Food Security

  What does food security mean to you? Does it mean that your food is grown organically without pesticides and hormones? Does it mean that you know you will always have food on your table for your family because you can supply it yourself? Maybe it means you have grown enough food to collaborate with...

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Permaculture Convergence in Mancos, Colorado

Permaculture and Tending the Fires of Inspiration Permaculture isn’t really about chickens, swales, plants, energy, composting toilets, and buildings; and this article isn’t really about permaculture. It is about how permaculture helps us design for beneficial relationships. Relationships which make the world a better place, regardless if it is between domestic fowl, comfrey, and pill bugs....

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Assisted Living Greenhouse

Robert Hilger transformed a barren wasteland, a forgotten metal scrap yard, into a living, growing landscape for the betterment of seniors. Now he is transforming an outdated barren mindset of institutions which may not serve us to our highest potentials.

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Notes from Puja: Reflections During Strawberry Moon

She just flew up to the window as if to say “Are you Awake now?” I am slowly getting there. Attempting to summarize my thoughts, my woodpecker friend evokes the question by testing various surfaces on our log cabin home. What to say? I’m in a reflective mood. In this record heat, all I can...

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Children’s Health Empowered By Growing Your Own Food

The Pizza Bed Regenerating Children’s Health By Growing Your Own Food And Regenerating A Culture Connected to The Soil Our kids are fat. I know that’s a shocking way to say it, and with a little license to be politically incorrect, it’s probably accurate. Sadly. And as for adults, the majority isn’t any better off. But it gets...

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Return of the Light: Back to the Garden

As I consider the “Return of the Light” as signified by the Spring Equinox, Easter and even the Lunar Eclipse this week, I have to say… “It is welcome!” I have been very moved by the troubles we see and hear about globally, as we enter the next season. Growing Spaces® mission “to help personal...

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Winter Gardening: Growing Spaces

Claudia Stover, a Growing Dome® owner of 10 years, had a visit this past weekend from Growing Spaces® owners, Puja and Udgar Parsons. I’m pretty sure I counted almost 20 varieties of plant foods that she has growing, and thriving, in her Growing Dome right now, in early January. You probably caught that the outside...

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Winter Solstice: The Turning Of The Light

The Winter Solstice: A time to celebrate, a time of re-affirmation, and a time of courage. In the Northern Hemisphere, the December Solstice is the Winter Solstice, and the shortest day of the year. Although winter is the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the December Solstice marks the “turning of the Sun.” The days slowly get...

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Exercise To Cultivate Wellness

We all know the importance of eating good food. And we all know the importance of exercise,  but do you do it? Be honest. Do you get enough exercise? Do you have something in your life that keeps you consistently exercising 4 or 5 times a week? Now, I’m not talking about lifting weights, working...

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Season’s Greetings

Season’s greetings! What is this season? A time of turning…turning toward snow boots and scrapers and bundling up to scrape snow off the solar panels and help Udgar mount the plow. The smell of wood smoke nurtures my sense of gratitude for our Rocky Mountain home and the outdoor life we get to live. This...

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Living in Gratitude this Season

As I begin this Newsletter greeting, I was just watching wild turkeys outside our window scratching for food. I always feel wonder that they return every year and surround our cabin with their good energy, reminding me of the pilgrims and Native American’s offering gratitude. I am preparing a surprise turkey dinner for a friend and...

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June in My Growing Dome

Yesterday, while focusing on recovery from my dental surgery and the long week of organizing and working with our stellar team, I knew I just wanted to GARDEN in my Growing Dome. I was out in my Growing Dome for about 5 hours, preparing old baskets for new plants, amending the soil and mixing up...

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Celebrate Everything – Growing Spaces Values

When we started Growing Spaces LLC in 1989, our effort was to build a socially responsible business based on the values and practices we are living. One of them was the idea to “Celebrate Everything.” For me that means the attempt to shift inside, and see the potentials in every experience as well as to...

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New Moon, New Year, New Beginnings

I have just settled in by the fire, on our coldest day on record in two decades in the USA, according to N.O.A.A. Weather Service online. With the wind chill, my relatives in Minnesota are experiencing 60 degrees below zero today! Lucky for us, it is only 5 degrees below zero in Pagosa Springs, but...

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How We Built a Socially Responsible Company and What Inspired Us

Why are we a Socially Responsible Company? Like so many environmentally aware people, I was really affected by the reality of the unusual super-storms of the past few weeks as the hurricane in the Philippines and the recent tornadoes here in the United States, took away lives, homes, and livelihoods. The Climate Reality project states...

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Accessing Our Inner Wisdom in Business

A few years ago I was privileged to be on a panel of CEOs at our annual SW Colorado Women’s Business Conference and asked “How do women do business differently than men?”  Although the moment called a response from the three of us that invited us all to recognize that we all possess masculine and...

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Peace as a practice taught through gardening

There is an intangible, but equally empowering peace that comes with the practice of growing our own food. Have you taken the time to understand where this peace comes from? In understanding the roots of this peace we can find ways to expand on it and move the practice over into other parts of our...

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It’s Earth Day

It’s Earth Day, and this is being celebrated in many places around the globe (see Earthday.org ). In our own small town, the people of vision were out on a cold day in their booths giving away small trees to celebrate Earth Day. There were many examples of innovation and many contributions to the awareness...

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Dancing with Stress, Managing Overwhelm

What IF I could live in such balance that the energy needed for my everyday commitments was an OVERFLOW out of the peace and natural enthusiasm I carry within me? What if I could re-set myself, when I was thrown off balance? And make recovery an art form? This has been my developing goal since...

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Proof that Gardening Gives a Natural Mood Lift

How many people do you know who are affected by depression, anxiety, stress or other emotional illness? Or maybe the better question is: Who do you know that is not affected? The pressures of today’s increasingly fast-paced, high-tech society that demands you know all things at all times and learn to do them all at...

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6 Ways to Be 1 Amazing Kid

Growing Spaces co-owner, Puja Parsons, subscribes to a number of e-newsletters that keep her abreast of current trends in healthy eating, wellness and sustainability. Many Mondays we come to work and find delicious email forwards in our inboxes with links to great articles. Most recently via Puja’s subscription to DailyGood.org, she shared with us a...

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Keynote Address: Staying Centered in the Cyclone

One of our two favorite leaders of Growing Spaces, Puja Parsons, gave a beautiful keynote address to an audience of nearly 200 at the SW Colorado Women’s Small Business Conference in Durango, Colorado on July 13th, 2012. It was a bit of a new frontier for Puja because she had the opportunity to present how...

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Visioning the Balance

“For Puja and I, everything is connected, and we are ever awed by the complexity and beauty of the natural world. Offering a product which helps people enjoy and support this beauty and the bountiful ways of nature – while growing an abundance of food – is very fulfilling for us.” – Udgar Parsons, Co-Owner...

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A Worthy Journey: Putting youth gardening into perspective

As we celebrate the interest from children and young adults in growing organic food, we want to point to major influences over the last few years. I thank the efforts of Jamie Oliver, Will Allan, and Michelle Obama and many Moms and Dads who are convinced that learning “where food comes from” is the beginning...

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STEM Intern Helps Us Grow

As you may have already guessed, we’re all about education of all ages here at Growing Spaces and are always searching for new ways to empower people with knowledge about how to live and grow sustainably. We had an awesome opportunity this summer to hire an intern to work in our shop through the local...

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What About Farm-to-School for the Little Ones?

I am not very good at baking….there I admit it. I love to cook but have a mental block on baking. It is challenging, to say the least, with all of my food allergies. (Wheat, gluten, eggs, dairy!) So I gave it up long ago but in the recent months the need has come back...

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A Gateway to Sustainability

As the world turns towards sustainable solutions, the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, stands out as a beacon of hope and innovation. This visionary project, transforming an exhausted quarry into the world's largest conservatory, exemplifies how communities can come together to create impactful, eco-friendly spaces. Its blend of education, tourism, and social enterprise inspires visitors globally, subtly promoting ecological awareness. In Pagosa Springs, we draw from this example, envisioning our own eco-destination with the Geothermal Greenhouse Project. Join us as we nurture this dream, planting seeds for a sustainable future and inviting you to share your green community stories.

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Growing Organic Food in Urban USA

Living just 100 feet from the freeway, the Dervaes family lives a self-sufficient life in the middle of LA. They grow enough organic food on their 1/10 of an acre of available “farm” land on their 1/5 of an acre of property in Pasadena, to live year-round without going to the grocery store for food....

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Michelle Obama and Growing Spaces – Working Toward a Common Goal

Today’s announcement that Michelle Obama is authoring a book on the importance of school, urban and community gardening is another example of the mind shift that is happening in the United States and across the globe. Her support of healthier, more self-sustaining lifestyles is directly in line with Growing Spaces vision. Growing Spaces was founded...

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Smoothie made from Garden Greenhouse Veggies

A delicious and nutritious smoothie right from the garden! Ingredients: 1/2 zucchini, peel and remove seeds 1/2 cucumber, peel and remove seeds 5 cherry tomatoes (this recipe uses yellow cherry tomatoes) 10 chunks of pineapple (this recipe uses frozen chunks) 1/4 cup water 1 tsp honey Blend coarsely chopped vegetables, pineapple, water, and honey in...

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Shumei Natural Agriculture & Growing Spaces

“The principle of Natural Agriculture is an overriding respect and concern for Nature,” stated Mokichi Okada in his book A Great Agricultural Revolution. This respect leads to minimum intervention in the growing processes. While many modern agricultural practices are based on a belief in the need to control and manipulate the growing process, Natural Agriculture...

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Greenhouse Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Our friends in Taos, New Mexico once published this recipe – we just couldn’t get enough of this yummy treat, and wish to pass it on to our fellow gardeners…(** as originally from a friend of Yart, Janine N; Yart leaves out the ingredients with the asterisks.) Chocolate Zucchini Cake Cream together: 1/2  cup **margarine...

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Food Sharing in Our Community

The 33′ Employee Dome at Growing Spaces and my personal 26′ Dome are in full harvest mode now and it’s a little tough for even the most enthusiastic veggie lover to consume as much produce as is ready to eat! For weeks now Richard Miller and I have had a little “co-op” going on, he...

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How Growing Your Own Food Changes Your Life

Growing just one food-producing plant at home like tomato, bell pepper, strawberry, lettuce, snow peas, etc. can do more than just save money otherwise spent at the grocery store. Whether you are a family of five, a single-person household, or a community of many, you can make a difference in how you live – today!...

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Green Living 101: Grow Your Own Food

Green Living 101: Grow your own food in Colorado Worried about America’s addiction to oil? Do you want to rely less on oil and live off the vegetables and fruits of your labor? Want to grow your own organic food all year around, even in the dead of winter in the bitter Colorado Rocky Mountain...

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