Not STRESSED...BLESSED! Getting caught up in the holiday rush is not uncommon this time of year for so many who will invite family and friends over to share a meal. Planning a menu, calling everyone, shopping for all the food on the list, then preparation, cooking, baking and setting a decorative, festive table takes time.5 Ways to enjoy the process: 1. Make and stick to a budget2. Say No to outside activities 3. Turn on some upbeat music4. Ask for some help when needed5. Be very realistic in your endeavors Instead of getting flustered and out of sorts from all the work, also think about how many God-given gifts that have been bestowed and feel blessed instead. If you must, have DESSERTS first...that will erase the STRESSED out state of mind quick! *DESSERTS is STRESSED spelled backwards. 11/15/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Southern Utah Dixie Salad The holidays are fast approaching, along with invitations to seasonal, social gatherings. Most of the time, people bring a side dish that can be enjoyed by all. Here is one that is very popular in the southern Utah area.  Pomegranates are a favorite fruit that grows on trees here in Nerdin Gardens. This salad is easy to make, taking about 20 minutes prep time. I always double the recipe to make it go further and because my husband enjoys it a lot!  Dixie Salad Ingredients:1 cup pomegranate seeds1 cup chopped Granny Smith apple½ cup chopped pecans1 ½ cups whipping cream¼ cup powdered sugar¼ teaspoon vanilla (if you like) Instructions:De-seed the pomegranates. Slice the apples into small bite-size pieces. Chop the pecans. Add the seeds, apple, and... 11/11/2023

Did you know? A Guided Tour of Nerdin Gardens First of all, thank you Eileen Burns 954.483.3912  for asking me to present about gardening, something that my husband and I are very passionate about. Also, to our constant host, Debe Maxwell, CRS and to all who attended. The goals were to create an informative, interactive, lighthearted garden presentation for everyone to enjoy. Did you know?A flower that runs onelectricity is called a power plant! Gardening relates to real estate in these ways: ~  Business standards~  Nurturing relationships~  Adapting and adjusting~  Following up and through~  Understanding what works~  Consistent implementation Yesterday's zoom meeting was set in Nerdin Gardens, near the shade of the grape and Muscadine vines that run parallel to the raised beds. Though... 10/18/2023

Make Them Memorable! As the days quickly pass, it's important to grasp what you can to make them memorable. Last night on the drive back home from the Las Vegas Speedway, the skies offered us up something beautiful in the way of an extremely stunning sunset. Looking up, I thought, "Thank you for giving us something to remember about today." And then the colors quickly faded into night. Happy day all, make it memorable! 10/14/2023

A Honey Bee's Life Expectancy When faced with threats, it's most crucial that honey bees weigh the difference between the fight or flight response. Though all in the hive expect to live out their entire life span, once a honey bee stings, death occurs.  Humans often cause or create conflict between one another, resulting in going off half cocked with anger or yelling the loudest or getting physical. The consequences of reckless or careless behavior can be detrimental. If only humans lived their lives as the honey bees, for the better good of the community, selfless service toward foraging, feeding and keeping safe everyone within their homes. What an opportunity for true harmony to exist.  If only. 10/13/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Adieu Until Spring Nature peacefully transcends darkness by bringing in light with sensory fortitude. Tomorrow, we will pull all plant material from the raised garden beds in Nerdin Gardens. The farewell is only temporary as we bid adieu until spring. The roses, however, are showing up in full living color for a lasting impression with a repeat performance. Wanda Kubat-Nerdin in Nerdin Gardens 10/05/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Bee-lieve it or Not!  A teaspoonful of honey is enough to keep a man alive for 24 hours plus the propolis produced by bees is one of the most powerful natural antibiotics. It has no expiration date because it’s already been digested. Honey is a natural sweetener and contains a substance, that is believed to help the brain work better. Did you know that honey contains live enzymes that are full of nutrients for bees good, overall health?  Touching honey with a metal spoon kills the enzymes. Use a wooden spoon or a plastic spoon when handling it. Worker bees can live for up to 6 weeks during summer and 5 months during winter, the queen bee (only fertile female), lives for several years. Bees visit at least 1,000 flowers, producing less than a teaspoon of honey. The yield  ... 10/04/2023

Waking up on the sunny side of the road. Better than in the middle of it or worse, lying in a ditch! Though some days are better navigated than others, we still have the choice of making the most of them or become heavily entrenched on the down side. Time will still go on without me but I still want to happily take part every day, in every way. Besides, there's much work to do in Nerdin Gardens on this side of the road! Happy Sunday all! 10/01/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Before You Turn-ip Used to be that people just showed up on the front doorstep to say hello or catch up with their family members or friends but that has changed through the years for a multitude of reasons. Technology is one of them, especially cell phones. Besides, you never know what you might come up on. 👀 So, that being said... Call be-fir you turnip-in Nerdin Gardens, if you carrot all because it's not oak-k. Trespassers are composted!  ~Wanda Kubat-Nerdin in Nerdin Gardens Happy Monday all!  09/25/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Size Isn't Always Important Bountiful harvests are the result of cultivating, tilling and careful planting that goes into the garden at the start of the spring season in Nerdin Gardens. Though growth has slowed, we are still pulling fresh fruits and vegetables almost every day. So far, we have picked zucchini, crook neck squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, onion chives, garlic, sage, jalapeño peppers, bell peppers, red peppers, strawberries, asparagus, green beans and snow peas and more. Production was enough to can a couple hundred jars of pure deliciousness, from sweet chili sauce (my mother-in-law’s recipe), zucchini relish, jams galore (peach jalapeño, apricot, strawberry), stewed tomatoes, almonds for future use.  The grapes and muscadines are almost... 09/24/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Hint O’ Fall Cool evenings whispering of summer tales gone by,Morning sun beams misting on high in yonder's sky.Garden flowers strewing seeds all upon the cooler ground,Springing up in hopes of resurrecting, coming back around.Through threaded tree boughs, restless birds are caw calling,Joyfully singing in awed celebration that Autumn is indeed falling! ~Wanda Kubat-Nerdin in Nerdin Gardens As the seasons turn in preparation of immanent change, so is the local real estate market. Are you ready to move on toward the next new direction of business? Ready or not, HERE WE GO! 09/18/2023

Nerdin Gardens: From My Head Tomatoes! From early spring to mid fall, we are constantly providing care for all plant material in Nerdin Gardens, especially ensuring that all processes are in place for optimum production. Much work goes into all aspects of back yard gardening. Prior knowledge kicks in when problems present but asking or seeking help is a natural reflex as well. Along with the fall season, a sense of relief, mixed with loss occurs as we both, once again, ready the garden for next spring's plantings. A matter of pulling plant material from all raised garden beds, turning off the automatic drip systems, covering each one with shade cloth to prevent weeds from taking over. Moving all decorations inside, preventing further wear. The growing season is almost over and I feel yo... 09/14/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Reaching Out to Others in Small Ways Michael loves roses of all colors, sizes and varieties. When he sees one or two that fully grab his attention, he brings them inside, presents them and I put them in a beautiful vase worthy of their beauty. Flowers for no reason from My Honey always brings a sincere smile, confirming true affection through thoughtfulness. A spontaneous gesture like this expresses his intentional desire to make me happy. This little act of love expresses genuine gratitude and always surprises me. In turn, acknowledging his gesture is important because it strengthens our connection in a very positive, meaningful manner. What’s keeping you from making someone’s day by reaching out to their heart, even in a small way? ~ Wanda Kubat-Nerdin in Nerdin Gardens 09/12/2023

Nerdin Gardens: The Power of a Flower  A single rose opens the heart,Bringing near, those far apart. Lifting the spirits in love-speak, Each bloom is elegantly unique. Affection leads with each passing dayBringing contentment and bliss this way. ~ Wanda Kubat-Nerdin in Nerdin Gardens - c While we may be unable to change the state of the world, we can ensure our own surroundings are a brighter, happier place to live.  Happy Sunday all, wishing you peace! 09/10/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Well, that's Just Peachy! An old woman goes before the judge. He asks, "Why are you here today?"She said, "I stole some peaches from the neighbor’s orchard.”  The judge asked, "How many peaches did you take?” She said, “Ten.”  The Judge said, "Ok, you spend ten days in jail then." The lady’s husband quickly stood up and asked the judge if he could speak to him on her behalf.  "Yes," said the judge. The husband said, "She also stole several bunches of grapes!" And that's when the fight started...🤣 Happy Labor Day all! 09/04/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Caprese Salad Croissants For those quick, last minute or on the go dinners during the busy, summer months, Michael and I enjoy taking some fresh, simple ingredients from the backyard garden and adding them to a recipe, creating a refreshing, tasty meal. This recipe has 5 ingredients: Mini Butter Croissants Sliced Mozzarella Cheese Fresh Tomatoes Basil Leaves Basalmic Glaze  The local grocery's bakery department is happy to bake the mini croissants upon request (you can also use the traditional size as well). In 10 minutes time, you will have a small but very flavorful treat as you enjoy each individual sandwich. Cut the croissants lengthwise and place inside up in toaster oven until slightly golden brown. Take out, then place on dinner plate. Layer, mozzarella comes firs... 09/01/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Bee THAT Way! Providing food in the back yard promotes a mutually beneficial relationship between the honey bee's and ourselves. Cohesively, they all maintain a harmonious residence, in turn, pollinating many flowering plants, bushes and trees. Honey bees are successful in their methods because each role is taken on and performed on time, every time. Three basic roles are instrumental to the hive's community and they are: The Worker, The Drone and The Queen. Worker bee: Females tend to the Queen's every need from taking care of her and the larvae, building honey comb, guarding the hive's entrance and also collecting pollen that will bee stored as food, gathering nectar, guarding the hive, keeping the hive clean and producing the honey. Drone: Males sole duty is to mate w... 08/23/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Gaining Ground The good seed happily multi-tasks, intently focusing on potential growth, utilizing what is available, absorbing much needed nutrients to flourish. Establishing boundaries encourages the most bountiful of outcomes . A bad seed becomes scattered, helter-skelter, lacking cohesiveness, becoming rooted in neglect and stunted growth. Corrupted standards are subjected to decay, deterioration and ultimately death prior to harvest time. Though positive and negative mingle in the same field, it is wise to eat from the good seed. True gardeners perceive with their hearts and handily heal problematic plant material. Remaining diligent helps to overcome. Properly maintaining a successful garden is through engaging all five senses – touch, sound, sight, smell and taste... 08/06/2023

Nerdin Gardens: I Like Stirring the Pot! Every day, we pick something from our back yard garden and create a healthy side or main dish. An advantage to growing fruits and vegetables is the ability to eat some now, then save more for future use. Not many of you know that I like stirring the pot, especially when it comes to canning some of our fresh, garden harvest!  So far this growing season, I have canned 70 pint jars of Apricot Jam, a case of Kosher Dill Pickles, 52 units of Strawberry Freezer Jam and Sweet Zucchini Relish and Stewed Tomatoes w/peppers, garlic and celery. Necessary Canning Supplies:Quality, fresh productThe sky's the limit on canning fruits and vegetables and other foods. My in-laws used to can Rainbow trout and while that may sound unusual to some, it was adequate, f... 07/28/2023

Nerdin Gardens: Tracking Success This time of year, our home garden is in its seasonal, growing prime. Though we continue to improve standards to confidently move forward, there is still so much to learn. Here are 5 things we always practice: 1. Planting preparation. Nature provides the means of utilizing best processes and procedures to become successful. 2. Nurturing daily. Tending faithfully will prevent the death of plant material or more when eradicating weeds and pests. 3. Constant care. Knowing that consistent methods such as watering, fertilizing and pruning produce desirable results.  4. Follow through. Nature comes through most spectacularly when basic needs are met. Getting up and showing up, matters. 5. Reliable sources. A reliable gardening group, nursery or college extensi... 07/26/2023