In honor of the article published this weekend in the awesome Wall Street Journal, where I compare chefs abuse of bacon to showing off cleavage, I tap out this little excerpt from my first book, Urban Pantry from the "Stocking the Pantry" Section.

BACON. I keep a pound of slab bacon in my freezer and cut off little bits at a time for cooking. It's great in a pot of beans or lentils.

Bacon! An absolute must in the pantry!

Special thanks to writer Charlotte Druckman for coming to my home, sitting at my table and talking up a storm. Check out her projects via Eater.

A garden "bed" is a formed mound of soil that is raised higher than the surrounding soil. Often times, gardeners build frames around these, but it is not required. When I use the term garden 'bed', I simply mean that formed soil whether or not it is framed out. I often build small framed beds for my clients, however, as it keeps things both orderly and visually tidy. Garden beds come in many shapes and sizes and are made of many different materials, but over the years I found that a 6'x4' bed is the perfect size for a small backyard garden, and here is why.

Firstly, when designing a bed, you want it to be 4 feet to 4 1/2 feet wide at most. This width allows you to reach the center of the bed from the rows, on either side. It is an inefficient use of space to build it any wider, as it ends up being dead space.

Secondly, the ideal length for a bed in an urban environment is 6 feet. When growing vegetables, it is best to work through your crops and rotate diffferent plants throughout each bed - this is called a crop rotation. Rotating crops keeps soil fertile and minimizes the proliferation of disease. If the bed is small enough to plant one entire crop rotation (and rotate other crops through the additional beds), it becomes easier to organize and rotate plants over the course of a growing year. A six foot bed helps to accomlish this. The six foot length allows you to plant 8 to 9 large plants in one bed, such as tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers. This is your fruit rotation and a decent amount of space for summer fruiting plants. You can also fit 8 lettuce heads across a four-foot width. Plenty in just one short row.

Four beds but 4'x6' is about 100 square feet of growing space - a lot of room and plenty for a family of four to start.

I was graced with a pair of Bogs boots in early fall. Bogs are known as the one-stop shop for farmers everywhere, and the shoes are an agricultural must. I was really looking forward to using them this spring, but I had the chance to break them in early this past December when I wore them to a Tuna Tinning. That's right, tuna tinning - 1050 pounds of albacore tuna and about 25 people working in tandem to break it down and preserve it. Brilliant.

I was reminded of this as Seattle is under seige from snow just now and lacking snow boots, I threw on my Bogs. Heaven in a shoe. With wool socks, my feet are warm. They are air tight and no snow gets down them even if I'm making snow angels or sledding. And as a total bonus, they look great. If you live in a city with mild winter conditions and have the need for a garden/all around waterproof boot, I highly recommend them for 2012.

Starting today, I am writing  writing a biweekly column for FOOD52 on how to start growing your own food, no matter how tiny your garden-to-be is. (Food52 was launched a few years ago and I've followed them from day one. It is an awesome food site, a great resource and now even has a rad store with curated food finds.)

So, mark your calendars, send your questions and make a plan...........I am THRILLED to have the resource available to foodies who want to grow.

Winter is the perfect time to start creating garden rituals and commit to a healthy and strong upcoming garden season. If I didn't work on my abs and power through push ups, there would be no WAY I'd make it through the year. Start early this year and dedicate time to a healthier you.

I met Erin Jasmine Taylor a few years ago when she interviewed me for an article. I have since reconnected with her through yoga (another fave teacher - Lisa Steele at Yogalife in QA) and her garden - she has a new house in Ballard and is itching to get growing in 2012. I asked Erin to jot down some ideas for a stronger garden core, and she sent me this awesome post. Read on. Be well! Do it! It helps!

From Erin -

Listen up, gardeners. As you wind down your gardens this winter, be sure to tend your body with equal loving care. Just a few minutes of post-garden season yoga will help you avoid a sore back and hips, strengthen your core, and can help to open up other pesky spots—like the area between your thumb and forefinger that’s cryin’ out from raking and pruning. It’s no different than a runner taking a few minutes to stretch post-run. It makes sense.

Try out this sequence when you set down your shovel for the year. If you get into the flow this winter, your practice will carry you through spring when garden season kicks up again. It is a must for any eager gardener.

All you need is your fine self, a wall, and your breath—be sure to breathe deeply!

Limber digits (because fingers and hands get sore, too!)

Reach arms in front of you with palms facing and thumbs pointing up. Wrap left fingers around right thumb and gently pull thumb toward your body while continuing to reach fingers forward. Release thumb and flex palm so it’s facing forward and use the left hand to gently pull fingers back toward your body. Hold each variation for 5 breaths. Switch sides.

Cat/cow (to keep your spine from tightening up after a hard day’s work)

Get on all fours with shoulders over wrists/hips over knees (place padding under your knees if you need it!)Spread your fingers wide so you feel the webbing between your fingers stretch, and flatten palms. As you inhale, lift your hips/chest/chin as your low back sags into cow. As you exhale round your spine and press the floor away with your hands so your shoulder blades spread into cat. Repeat back and forth, moving with your breath. Continue for 10 full breaths.

Spinal balance (strengthens the core for easier bending to reach for weeds)

Stay on all fours and gaze at the floor so your neck is neutral. Reach your right arm forward so your bicep is alongside your ear, and your left leg back while keeping your hips square toward the floor. Switch sides for 1 rep. Repeat 10 reps.

Figure 4 (because open hips make for happier knees)

Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor. Cross your right ankle over your left knee and interlace your fingers around your left hamstring to support the legs as you lift them up. Rock slightly to the left to increase the intensity of the stretch. Hold for 10 breaths. Switch sides.

Squat prep (increases hip mobility for easier getting down in the dirt)

Stand with your back to the wall with feet wider than hips width apart, heels angled in, toes angled out. Bend your knees, tracking the knees over the ankles, as you slide down the wall to come into a deep squat (stay up a bit higher if your knees bother you). Lean back into the wall and join your palms in the center of your chest, using your elbows to gently press your knees back toward the wall. Your weight should be heavy in your heels and you glutes should be relaxed as you encourage your hips to open. Hold for 10 breaths.

And now, thank yourself and your garden—and drink a big glass of water. Or wine!

Erin Jasmine Taylor is the owner of Seattle-based Jasyoga. While she specializes in yoga for athletes, she appreciates that gardening can be just as much of a workout as running, swimming, or climbing. Jasyoga offers group and private instruction tailored to specific needs of active people of all kinds—try it out Sundays 11:30am at Vera Fitness in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood—all levels welcome! Visit her site to learn more.

For years, I opted for homemade Christmas gifts for family and friends preferring the handcrafted to the purchased. This year marks the first year that I am actually purchasing most of the gifts for my family, however, and while I'm so excited for Christmas mornin I had a moment of regret whilst reading this article in the NYT.

"Bucketry" is a series of objects created by LA artist Matthias Merkel Hess and immediately reminded me of a DIY project from Apartment Gardening. His art is intense food for thought and is inspiring me to create something special for my apartment balcony. I hope it influences you as well. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you make something!

Here is a little teaser excerpt from the "Salvaged Materials" section from the Chapter "Getting Grounded: Pots, Containers, Soil & Supplies". There are a LOT of other ideas in there! Happy DIY'ing.

Plastic milk crates: Much like the asparagus crates, plastic milk crates make easy planters. You will need to fill in the gaps with either a liner (like a gently used plastic shower liner with drain holes), Spanish moss, or some sort of fiber—coconut fiber or even hay. I like to spray paint my milk crates white—this gives them a very clean, modern look.