Fresh Vegetable Gardens Coming to a Vacant Lot Near You

By Kathleen Daelemans

As much as I enjoy sitting in my garden on sunny days beneath the wide reaching arms of my favorite white birch tree with my laptop, writing about all things food, it's not a luxury I can afford very often. Besides, my cat Fujin makes it hard to get at the keypad.

Like a freezing cold New Yorker briskly navigating snow and ice covered wintry sidewalks trying to keep warm by making it a point to walk in the path of the heat billowing up from the city's belly through storm grates, underground stairways and the subway itself, Fujin likes to think of my laptop as a heating pad designed for cats. He just can't resist the makings for a great nap.

Even though Fujin's rack is the Temperpedic of all cat beds, it's just not for him. Who needs an over-sized, overstuffed, warm and cozy place to lay your head, featuring extra padding, 100% Egyptian cotton sheets, matching Kitty duvet and European pillow shams when you have the luxury of stretching out on your Mom's new Mac-book Pro?

Maybe the Dog Eats Your Homework...

But my cat eats mine. Precisely why I'm the slacker of all bloggers. It takes lots of time to update the blog so I've come up with a great solution. I'm going to post interesting articles and videos I discover in the course of my research for the legitimate food writing I do. Since most sights now allow sharing, this is an opportunity for me to scan the pages of the best food sections out there and bring you food and health stories worthy of your attention.

I may or may not post commentary with the pieces I put up. The whole point of sharing articles is so I can bring you more information, more often without the enormous time commitment the writing I procrastinate daily, actually requires.

I'm jazzed to go and have chosen a wonderful piece from the Wall Street Journal that discusses the opportunities we as American citizens, enjoying the privilege of freedom and liberty for all, have to stand up and do something about the empty lots polka dotting cities across America.

Watch the video and let it sink in. And later, with friends, over tea and scones (or cosmos and blue-cheese burgers) explore together in spirited conversation the impact a magnificent vegetable garden in your neighborhood could mean to your children, families and friends.