Going Green

Let New Kitchen Store Help You Spring Into Fresh Recipe and Kitchen Ideas

Writer / Kayla Clemons, New Kitchen Store
Photography Provided

Whenever I think of Saint Patrick’s Day, I think of green eggs and ham. The whole month of March screams green, as everything is bouncing back to life with warm weather.

January isn’t the only time for a fresh start; I believe spring is the real start of having a refresh on your house or recipes. This is the time that I gut out my garage. Throughout the cold winter, I end up with a hoard of empty cardboard boxes that are too big and time consuming to be used in our wood stove. We usually take all the boxes out and burn them all at once in the fire pit in our backyard. I have also accumulated a lot of donation items like coats and winter shoes. I feel so much lighter by getting rid of unneeded stuff, and our home becomes simpler and clutter-free.

When we first bought our home it was at the end of summer, and I had neglected all 12 to 15 tomato plants left behind by the previous owners. I had no idea what I was in for when spring rolled around, but it is such a nice memory. With a new beginning in a new house, there was a new life coming back up for another season. There were so many colors of tulips and tiger lilies, baby bunnies hiding in the bushes of ground-covering plants, and deer poking around looking for a fresh, green meal. All the woods that surround our home were beginning to pop with color. Everything was showing its personality, and I will never forget the wonder I had.

Almost four years later, I still find new things growing that I hadn’t noticed before. Spring is a great time to start thinking about planting new flowers and starting seedlings for your garden. New Kitchen Store carries a wide variety of Baker Creek heirloom seeds.

Of course, I can’t have spring without thinking about food – preservatives and jams that are full of tangy fruit. Stonewall Kitchen flavors I have been enjoying are Sour Cherry Jam and Seedless Black Raspberry Jam.

A lunch comes to mind, and you’ll never guess what color it is…green, mostly. A nice light, refreshing strawberry and mandarin orange salad. There is no certain way to make this, but the basic ingredients are lettuce, spinach, strawberries, feta cheese and a can of mandarin oranges. For the dressing, I drizzle the mandarin orange juice from the can over the salad. This wonderful, fresh salad would be great paired with a nice cold glass of Front Porch lemonade.

You can find Baker Creek heirloom seeds, Stonewall jams and sauces, Front Porch drink mixes, a variety of salad bowls, utensils, and so much more at New Kitchen Store, located at 1100 Roosevelt Road in Walkerton. For more info, call 574-586-2745 or visit newkitchenstore.com.