The January 2022 Guide (2024)

Well hello!

For years, a monthly email newsletter has been on the list of “things I’ll do later.” And this reluctance has been mainly due to three things:

• I have never thought of myself as a blogger or a writer.
• I don’t usually feel that I have the finesse to compellingly bring the written word together.
• Time, time, time!

So rather than a lengthy essay, this newsletter will be a monthly recap about what’s sparking my excitement and what tasks I plan to accomplish. It’s a way to check-in and keep up with what I have going on behind the scenes: favorite recipes, garden musings, Kip updates, and anything else that comes to mind.

All that said, welcome to The Wyse Guide: the tangible guide where I meet you over coffee (or other drink of your choice) and give you my monthly guide.

Let’s talk about seeds.

Organizing seeds

When you’re a gardener andstart seedlings indoors, you become a seed collector. It’s inevitable! Even if you don’t mean to, the packets of seeds begin to grow over the years. Soon, you have more than you couldeverplant.

I tend to have issues throwing out seeds. My brain feels guilty thinking that those tiny seeds could be future plants. But seedsdohave an expiration date. Like food in the grocery store, seeds have an expiration date printed on their packet. However, the date on the seed packet is not a “throw it away” date. But, it’s a helpful guide to know which seeds to use sooner. Seeds tend to decrease in germination rates as the years progress. Two to three years is thelongestthat I keep a seed packet.

This January, I’m discarding any seeds from 2019 and prior. Doing this yearly is the best way to ensure seeds are always up to date. While some of the discarded ones could still germinate, it’s not worth the hassle of seeing what grows and what doesn’t.

Ordering seeds

I find it too easy to over-order seeds. I see all the exciting vegetables or flowers and want to try them all! Soon I’m out of room in the garden and have seeds I could never use (hence the seed organizing paragraphs above).

The best vegetables to grow are those that excite you. And three essential questions should help you determine this:

• What do you love to eat?
• What do you want to preserve?
• What will excite you to get out in the garden?

I keep a yearly journal to map out and record when, where, and what I plant. This journal keeps me in check with the number of plants I can grow. Instead of overbuying, I choose what Iknowwill fit. Now, I do let myself choose one or two new seeds a year, knowing that they will replace something I already grow. For instance, if I choose a new tomato to try, I will not grow one that I grew last year.

If you’re like me and find that your garden keeps growing unchecked, try usingraised beds. Gardening in this way provides very defined areas to plant in and only so much space.

Here are some seeds I’ve ordered and am super excited to grow this season:

• ​Hugh’s TomatofromBaker Creek Heirloom Seedsis a yellow beefsteak tomato. I have not raised this one, but I do love large-slicing tomatoes. Plus, I’m super excited about the color!
• ​Bonny Best TomatofromBaker Creek Seedsis an excellent heirloom canning tomato. I often plant Amish paste tomatoes for canning but always look for variety, and this one fits the bill.
• ​Igor PumpkinfromJohnny’s Selected Seedsis a new one for me. It’s a traditional jack-o’-lantern, but hefty: around 25 to 35 pounds. I love anything oversized and showy!
• ​Wolf PumpkinfromJohnny’s Selected Seedsis a traditional jack-o’-lantern pumpkin but with massive stems and handles. I love a good stem, and this one seems to be a beauty!
• ​Hungarian Hot Wax PepperfromBaker Creek Seedsare peppers that I grow every year. They’re a hot yellow variety that works perfectly in my favoritehot pepper mustard recipe!
• ​Albino BeetfromSeed Saver’s Exchangeis a white beet. I always grow beets but have not grown white ones for a few years. The non-red beets are often sweet and lighter in flavor. Also,Seed Saversis in Iowa and has excellent seeds!

Let’s talk about Kip.

Kip is my French Bulldog, born July 26, 2018. Since he was a puppy, he has been with me as my right-hand man.

In May of 2021, on what seemed like a regular Sunday morning, I woke up to find Kip suffering from stiff back legs. By noon that day, he could not walk on his hind legs and seemed paralyzed. Through a chain of events, I ended up in Champaign, Illinois, at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Kip spent a week in the ICU while ruling out IVD and numerous other possibilities. The neurology team landed on Meningomyelitis, caused by a rare auto-immune disease affecting his spine and causing paralyzation.

The summer of 2021 had many ups and downs. The high dose of Prednisone caused Kip to drink profusely, and he was bloated most of the time. He was uncomfortable and had a quality of life that I could hardly handle. But Kip always pushed on, worked hard, and had a happy spirit.

Kip went to acupuncture and laser therapy during the summer, and while I did not see massive changes, I want to try these treatments again soon. The medications caused Kip to become comfortable only around three people he knew well. Contrary to his earlier personality, he was not keen on strangers or new friends.

Slowly over the summer, Kip stabilized, and we tapered off the Prednisone. As fall approached, Kip became extremely strong on his front legs, gliding across the yard quickly with his back legs out behind. His incontinence slowly improved, and his quality of life changed for the better. By late fall, Kip surprised the doctors by regaining slight function in his back legs. The doctors could not decide if the walking was “spinal walking” or if Kip could actually feel and control his legs.

Here in January 2022, Kip has a wonky but sturdier ability to walk. The doctors are split, with one thinking it could be spinal walking and the other thinking it is traditional walking. Either way, it’s some walking and is terrific!

Kip is back to going to the bathroom almost 100% outside. He sometimes has a slip if he gets excited or forgets but does exceptionally well considering. I feel like his personality, playfulness, and excitement are all back, and that is all I could desire.

Who knows what the future could hold for him!

Let’s talk about cooking.

In my house, January is all about soup and salads. I do not follow diet trends or start a new year with impossible food goals. Food should never be “healthy” or “delicious.” It should be both! Thus, I always try to compose my food in the following ratio:

• 90% real food
• 10% sweet or indulgent recipes

With that in mind, here is what’s on rotation in my kitchen:

• Mycreamy tomato soup.
• A curry-themedbutternut squash soup.
• ​Slow cooker chilifor the win!
• For something fresh, thisfig kale salad.
• ​Salmon and vegetableswith miso for tons of flavor.
• To think spring, achicken and berry saladwith lemon dressing.

For my sweet side, I have been on a vanilla ice cream kick. I love to usemy recipe, but make it coffee-flavored. In my stories, I showed my favorite way:

• Take 2 ½ tsp instant coffee and add 1 tbsp boiling water.
• Once dissolved, stir the coffee concentrate into the vanilla ice cream base and proceed withthe recipe.

Trust me: you will love this coffee ice cream!

That’s all for now! I’ll be back with another newsletter next month.

Until then, be kind and enjoy life!