Starting a Garden!

       So, similar to many teens, I love plants. I have many in my room, around the house, and have a hydroponic garden in my family room. We have a nice flower garden in our backyard, but because my amazing mother has a black thumb, we've never really been able to do much with it. This year for 4H I decided that I wanted to start a garden in raised beds. After doing some research my dad thought he was going to be able to build me beds. I was telling my grandpa, who has an amazing green thumb, all about my plan, then HE GOT ME SOME RAISED BEDS!

       I've been keeping some starts on music stands in front of windows in my house, and just the other day I filled my boxes! I put compost, moist soil on the bottom of the beds, then some fertile black dirt on the top. After, I fully saturated the dirt, and let it sit overnight. Then I got up the next morning and saturated them again. I waited about two days after, for the boxes to fully settle and dry. If you can squeeze the dirt and make a mud ball it's still too wet, but if the dirt crumbles from your hand, it's time to plant.

       So flash forward a couple days and I PLANTED!!! I planted lettuce, cabbage, radishes, sweet onions, and broccoli in one raised bed. Then I planted, sweet peppers, basil, parsley, thyme, lemon thyme, potatoes, and peas in another! My grandpa, aka gardener extraordinaire, came up and helped me get it started! It all looked so nice and, if I'm being completely honest, it wasn't that hard of a process. The next couple of days it rained so I didn't really have to worry about making sure they had enough initial water.

        From today, It has now been a week since I planted (if you want to see videos of my process check out my tik tok @sophieschneblin)! My pea starts have been doing great!!! PLUS I have starts of radishes popping up!!! I did have some initial wilt in my cabbage and basil, primarily, but my papa did tell me that was going to happen so I have faith that they're going to come back strong! This process has been so exciting so far, and I can honestly say that I can't wait until everything is ready to harvest! I am so excited to take you guys on this journey with me. Please, please, please let me know in the comments if you guys like to see this kind of unconventional stuff on here, and what else you would like to see! I have a ton of ideas if you want to see them!

Don't Need a Reason because It's Technically Not Cake, Chocolate Chip Muffins

       I am down for ANY reason to eat dessert first thing in the morning. Seriously give me ANY occasion and I'll serve up pie at 7 am. With these amazing chocolate chip muffins you! (I mean it's pretty much cake for breakfast, that you'll want to make 1,000 times over).

       In a stand mixer, combine 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, until completely combined. Then I tossed in about 1 cup of chocolate chips until they were completely coated in the flour mixture. This will help the chips to not sink down into the muffins when baking.

Next combine your wet ingredients, in a small bowl. 3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1 egg. I whisked this together until it was completely incorporated together. 

       I added this to my stand mixer until a batter was formed, and everything was mixed together. After that, I grabbed a cupcake pan from my cupboard and greased it, but you could also use cupcake liners. I scooped in my batter until each well was about 3/4 full. I lightly sprinkled on cinnamon sugar on the top of each of these before putting them in the oven. 

       I put these in a 400-degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. Or until they are golden brown. These are SO GOOD! I any even begin to describe. They are best warm, trust me on that. They have a crunch on the outside, but are soft on the in. The chocolate is all melty and delicious, and trust me, you don't need an occasion to make these. I hope you guys love my Don't Need a Reason because It's Technically Not Cake, Chocolate Chip Muffins.