Colorful vegetables add a variety of health benefits. As a child, you were probably encouraged to eat your greens. But what about your blues, reds, purples, and yellows? Can eating an array of colorful vegetables really improve your general well being? The short answer is a ‘yes’!
The whole concept of so-called ‘superfoods’ I believe was little more than marketing spin. It seems like everything from grapes, beets to berries are superfoods. The health benefits of these foods are often exaggerated, caught up in a sort of nutritional one-upmanship that ultimately creates a fog of confusion; it’s hard to know what to believe and how far to trust the fantastic claims made.
The truth is that all fruits and vegetables are superfoods in their own way. It’s also fair to state that fruits and vegetables of different colors offer different nutritional advantages. So a purple carrot offers a different set of health benefits to a traditional orange carrot. Blueberries – the go-to ‘superfood’ – are of course good for us, but so too are red currants, blackberries, and strawberries. They all bring something unique to the table.
Let’s explore the carrot as an example. You may (or may not) be surprised to learn that carrots come in a range of colors, the result of their origin or breeding. All of them are good for us, but for a variety of reasons. Purple carrots have higher levels of anthocyanins, which contribute to heart health, while red carrots are rich in lycopene, a pigment known to safeguard eye health. Yellow carrots, on the other hand, contain high concentrations of lutene, a pigment shown to slow the hardening of the arteries.
The conclusion to be drawn from this is that there’s something in the claim that eating a rainbow of produce is good for us.
These flowering plants will bring color and warmth to your winter home this winter. Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, you may find these plants at florists shops or some retail stores. Coming home from the outdoors inside to some flowering plants can boost your mood when those cold winds are blowing. Try some of these indoor plants to give your home a brighter look this winter.
Hibiscus The hibiscus plant will bring a touch of the tropics to your home. This is a big plant – it can grow to be 6 feet tall with flowers up to 8 inches in diameter – so make sure you have the space for it. There are smaller varieties. It needs lots of light to keep blooming and will bloom regularly throughout late spring through fall, but it’s been known to bloom in winter, too. Keep your hibiscus happy by placing it in a sunny corner of your home.
Hibiscus
Anthurium The anthurium is a great plant to have in your home around Valentine’s Day, because its bright red blooms, and even its leaves, resemble hearts. Although red is a popular shade, this plant also blooms in shades of pink, lavender, and white. It grows best in medium to bright light and can reach a height of 3 feet. Consider grouping it with other leafy, potted plants to make your own indoor garden.
Anthurium
African Violet The African violet is an easy-to-grow, colorful plant that is available in hundreds of varieties. They bloom year-round and come in many different colors – not just purple. They love bright light and warm conditions, so they do best near a window or on a windowsill. Try putting them in a pot that’s an opposite shade on the color wheel – a yellow pot would really set off purple flowers, for example. They are very easy to grow under a gro-light.
African Violet
Gloxinia These late-winter bloomers produce 3-inch wide, bell-like flowers in a variety of rich colors, often with contrasting white bands or specks. Be sure to keep these plants warm as they do best in high humidity and warmer temperatures. They like medium to bright light, so they would do well near a window as long as it’s not drafty.
Gloxinia
Jasmine To give your home the fresh, pleasant scent of the outdoors while it’s shut up in winter, try a jasmine plant. It will produce sweet-smelling white or pink flowers on a beautiful, vining plant, providing a perfect winter mood booster. Jasmine does best in bright to intense light. It can either be grown in a pot or in a hanging basket next to a window. I have found it to be easier to grow than a gardenia.
Jasmine
Peace Lily The peace lily is a beautiful addition to your home around Christmastime and beyond. It’s a low-maintenance plant that does well in low light making it hard to kill. Its large, glossy leaves are attractive on their own, but the large, spoon-shaped white flowers steal the show. Just make sure kids and pets stay away because they’re poisonous when consumed. Try displaying in a tall vase in an earthy brown or deep red to set off those white flowers.
Peace Lily
Flowering Maple The flowering maple features delicate, bell-shaped blooms that come in shades of red, orange, yellow and pink. It blooms almost constantly throughout the year, filling your house with color on those dark days. Be sure to water evenly to make sure the delicate flowers don’t drop off. The flowering maple can be grown as a tree, shrub or even in a hanging basket. I keep mine in a south window and put it outside in the summer under a shade tree. My plant is around 6 feet tall.
Flowering Maple
Kaffir Lily The Kaffir lily, also known as the clivia, is a winter bloomer that produces clusters of reddish-orange, tube-shaped flowers. Its intense color will really perk up your home during those long, dark days. It’s very easy to grow; it just requires medium light and barely moist soil. It can reach a height of 2 feet, so it would make a great showpiece on your living room coffee table or display table.
Kaffir Lily
Goldfish Plant Love fish, but don’t have a tank? Try the next best thing and get a goldfish plant. This plant will flower in winter if it has enough light, and it produces orange flowers that resemble its namesake fish. It enjoys medium to bright light, and the flowers bloom on long stalks that resemble fishing lines. It’s a great plant to display in a hanging basket near a window, giving you a little preview of summer.
Goldfish plant
These lively indoor plants will brighten your seasonal outlook and make you appreciate being in your cozy and colorful winter home.
The term antique is used rather loosely these days and often ends up reflecting the age of the person using it more than being a hard and fast definition. To a teenager, for example, a kitchen tool or gadget from the 1990s seems “antique,” while an older person might see antiques as the objects they used or seen in the homes of their parents and grandparents as a child. So the tools your grandmother or even mother have used might be termed as antique kitchen tools to younger persons.
According to the official definition issued by the United States Customs Service, antiques are items with at least 100 years of age under their belts. That means the scale slides every year as more objects grow older and fit into that timeframe.
There’s also plenty of stuff that was used in the kitchen and at the dining table, from practical inventions like butter makers and coffee brewers to silly tools like fork cleaners and spoon warmers. I have a peeler that is over 40 years old and now I am afraid of breaking it. Thing is, I have not bought a new one that works as good as my old one. I guess I have to get it out of retirement.
