Category Archives: LuckyLike Dog Treats

New CherryGal.com is here!

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My web guy has been telling me for months I had to do this, and being the frugal (i.e., poor) businesswoman that I am, I resisted. And resisted. AND resisted. But finally Google pushed the urgency because they changed their security viewpoint and I was forced to do this “update.” It’s more than an update. Its a totally NEW website, with all sorts of bells and whistles which I am just beginning to learn. But for the moment, it works quite well at processing orders and I am even able to offer a discount if you hurry and purchase $50 or more in CherryGal.com items, you will get $10 off. Just use coupon code at checkout NEWWEB. What could be simpler. Hope you do … this update cost me a LOT! 🙂

The “new” CherryGal.com is here!

Get Ready ‘Cause Here They Come!

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We know the dangers of these pests, for ourselves and our pets. Deet-containing Mosquito Products are known to be effective and the most-often used. But there are increasing alarms being raised about DEET. According to the journal Scientific American, “Duke University pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia, in studies on rats, found that frequent and prolonged DEET exposure led to diffuse brain cell death and behavioral changes, and concluded that humans should stay away from products containing it.” And I don’t trust Bayer’s Picaridin because, well, it’s made by Bayer — a German chemical/pharma giant which got its start producing Xyklon-B for Nazi death chambers and which now produces bee-killing/environment poisoning neonics for your garden.

That is why I have researched and created CherryGal’s Organic Skeeter Spray with the active ingredient of Organic Lemon Eucalyptus Oil (OLE) which was recently recommended by the CDC as safe and effective. It works by blocking mosquitoes’ chemical receptors so they do not “see” you. It is safe for you, your family and your pets. I will have 4 Fl Oz Spray Bottles of my special formula available at the Warren County Farmer’s Market each Saturday from 8 am to Noon, at the BBT parking lot, corner of Macon & Bragg Sts in Warrenton, NC.

Of course, I will also have All Natural and Organic LuckyLike Dog Treats (Bacon Cheddar Barley Bones and Crunchy Peanut Butter Biscuits), and CherryGal Organic Heirloom Seedlings and Plants. (This week I have a few Fraises des Bois Alpine Strawberry perennial plants, herb and vegetable seedlings and decorative plants.)  I hope to see you there!

Best,

Deborah Phillips

Tips for Transplanting your CherryGal Organic Seedling

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I sometimes do not have the time at market to explain these tips, so I wanted to commit them now to my blog, for all to see. You’ve just purchased an organic heirloom seedling from me — now what?!@

  1.  Chlorine can kill your seedling. Your seedling has been raised with non-chlorinated water. So please, don’t kill it with tap water. You can de-chlorinate tap water easily by letting it sit, open, for 24 hours at room temperature.
  2.  Please harden off your seedling by giving accelerated exposure to full sun and warm temps in baby increments, starting with 1/2 hour a day up to a full day. They have probably already experienced this, but better safe than “fried.”
  3.  Tomatoes can be planted VERY deeply — up to their uppermost leaves — to encourage maximum root development. And all tomatoes, peppers and eggplants LOVE this side dressing: Grind up clean eggshells with used coffee grounds. This provides the magic formula that will keep the dreaded Blossom End Rot at bay.
  4. When planting, dig a $100 hole for a $10 plant. My cardinal rule. Your seedling has been grown in special organic potting soil. If you stick a 4″ seedling in a similar sized hole in a clay soil, guess what happens? It’s not pretty.
  5. Ideally plant on a cloudy, cooler day, or later in the day if it is hot and sunny. And water in very well. Keep an eye on it — any sign that it is stressed calls for immediate protective action. If thunderstorms are in the offing, cover it with a pot or cloche so it is not annihilated.

I love offering you these seedlings. They have been coddled, yes. But the result, if introduced appropriately to your garden, will be a healthy, organic producer of fruit and flower. Don’t forget that you can easily clone your CherryGal tomatoes, peppers and eggplants for next year’s garden. I’ll teach you how in a subsequent post.

Happy Gardening!

Memorial Day Weekend at the Warrenton Farmer’s Market

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Hello Everyone!

I know everyone has lots of plans for this Memorial Day weekend, but I hope you will make time to join us at the Warrenton Farmer’s Market.

I will have small batches of Lucky Like All Natural Chicken Jerky, Bacon Cheddar Biscuits and Organic Peanut Butter Biscuits. Each bag will contain a Lucky Buck, good for $1 off a future Lucky Like purchase at Farmers Market and I will be honoring Lucky Bucks you have already collected for this Saturday’s purchases.

I will also have many CherryGal ORGANIC HEIRLOOM Garden Seedlings including:

Herbs — Basils, Bay Laurel Trees, Chives, Cowslip, Dill, Evening Primrose, Lemon Balm, Mints, Monarda, Nasturtium, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary,
​Soapwort, and Blood Sorrel.

Vegetables — Diva Cucumber, Ancho Poblano Pepper, Tomatoes (Black Krim, Brandywine, Costoluto, Buore Di Boeuf, Hillbilly, San Marzano, Laotian Phantom, Martian Giant and Scotland Yellow)

Decoratives & Houseplants — Black Peredovik Sunflowers, Pastel Day Lilies (last call, as these are ready to bloom and should be planted), Canna Lily, Ajuga, Morning Glory, Night Blooming Cereus and Pothos.

Several of these plants will be discounted so I hope you will stop by my booth this Saturday, 8 am to Noon, for a look see!

Deborah

Wonderful New Organic Farmers Market Offerings this Saturday in Warrenton NC!

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I will not have time for any Lucky Like treat making this week because my Savannah family are visiting. But I will have some wonderful CherryGal ORGANIC seedlings at the Warren County Farmers Market on Saturday (8-Noon) including:
Heirloom Tomatoes:
  • Brandywine, which dates to late 19th C and considered by many to be the best tasting beefsteak ever. Large pinks up to 2#.
  • Cuore Di Boef (Heart of Beef) a large 1-2# Italian heirloom oxheart
  • Hillbilly, a large bi-color (red and yellow) slicer
  • Costoluto Genovese, (only one left) a personal favorite Italian heirloom grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello
  • Black Krim, a popular Russian heirloom that produces early and continuously till Fall. Rich, sweet flavor on pounder fruits.
  • San Marzano, (only one left) an Italian heirloom that is considered the gold standard for paste & sauce

Peppers:

  • Sweet Italian Pimento (only one left) a great all-purpose salad/fryer/roaster/pickler
  • California Wonder (only one left) with thick-walled sweet flesh very productive
  • Ancho/Poblano, classic spicy Mexican heirloom pepper most associated with Chille Rellenos and Mole sauce

Cucumber, Diva – my favorite, and the plants are getting bigger by the day

Costato Romanesco Squash – a wonderful Italian heirloom squash with great flavor.  These need to go in the garden now, so they will be discounted on Saturday.

Herbs:
  • Bay Laurel trees
  • Chives (regular, not garlic)
  • Parsley Gigante (flat leaf Italian)
  • Rosemary
  • Nasturtium (edible climber)
  • Basils (various, depending on what’s ready)
  • Mints (various)
  • Blood Sorrel
Also several decorative & house plants including more Pastel Daylilies which are ready to start blooming!
Please note that I have many other varieties of tomatoes, herbs and decoratives growing out right now. It will be a week or longer for them to be ready for market, but I do hope you will be thrilled with my unique growing choices. I only ever start a few of each variety, so don’t wait too long or your favorite may be gone. ALL ORGANIC, of course. I so enjoy talking with you about them and about organics.
See you Saturday!

Special Italian Heirlooms on Saturday at Warrenton Farmer’s Market

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It’s been a quiet morning  listening to the gentle rain and the birds while I potted up various herbs that have outgrown their tiny hydroponic start pods. I have some special offerings this Saturday, and I thought I would give you a heads up since, as is my habit, I only have a few of each.
I am pleased to offer three of my favorite Italian heirlooms — organically grown of course. The first is a delicious slicing tomato called Costoluto Genovese. An indeterminate, it can require more attention from you to get to full fruiting (I recommend caging and pruning), but when it does produce it does so abundantly! This old Italian heirloom from Genoa features deep red pleated fruits that have the most extraordinary “slickery” texture and delicious flavor. It was grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, who had very discerning tastes. You can use for cooking, but I particularly like it chopped fresh and combined with homemade mozzarella and basil.
Another Italian heirloom that is the quintessential paste & sauce tomato San Marzano — an Italian heirloom gifted to the Kingdom of Naples in 1770 from the Kingdom of Peru! Since that time, it has become renowned as the best paste/sauce tomato bar none. Recent research by cancer specialist Dr William Li indicates that the cooked San Marzano tomato is the best cancer fighter (prostate and breast) of all tomato varieties! Grows just 4′ high, so very manageable.
I will also be bringing a my special Sweet Italian Pimento Pepper that is a single-lobed, thick walled heart-shaped sweet pepper with excellent flavor and perfect for roasting and adding to any dish or pickling.
Finally, a gourmet summer squash grown for use in traditional Italian cuisine. Costato Romanesco has a rich, nutty flavor and firmer texture than others so it stands up well to various recipes. The green flecked fine ribbed fruits are best picked when no larger than 4″-6″ and for a special treat, pick them even smaller when the large flowers are still attached, which you will gently batter and saute. This bush plant produces an abundance of male flowers if you want to cook just the flowers without sacrificing potential fruit, stuffing with soft cheese and gently baking till runny, then sprinkling with chopped basil. Or add the sliced fruit to soups or shred raw into salads. This variety is just too fine to use for zucchini bread.
If you buy one of these great Italian heirlooms, you will get a special recipe from “Vegetables from an Italian Garden” by Phaidon. Be sure to ask, as I will have them printed out and ready, but if I am distracted I might forget to give you.
I will also have a few heirloom gorgeous bi-color Hillbilly slicing tomatoes and the newer California Wonder Bell Pepper plants and more herbs, including basils — all organically grown of course.
And some Lucky Like treats — reduced because they are from last week that did not sell. I won’t have time this week to do a fresh batch. Since they last a month or longer in the fridge, this is your chance to pick up a bargain. The Lucky Bucks you have collected will be honored.
See you on Saturday!

Farmers Market Fun continues!

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Had so much FUN at this week’s Warrenton NC Farmers Market which coincided with our local Spring Fest and Earth Day. I love being a member of the Warren County Growers Association. It has been wonderful being able to offer Organic Herb and Decorative Garden Seedlings and Seeds in addition to the Lucky Like Organic and All Natural Dog Biscuits! Each customer is an opportunity to educate on the importance of organics as well as the background of the ingredients or plants. I make new friends, which is always nice too! This week I started a new program to encourage return customers for Lucky Like Treats. In each bag was a “Lucky Buck” which provides $1 off the NEXT purchase of a bag of Lucky Like Dog Treats. We have so many wonderful local vendors this year — Shiitake Mushrooms, Natural Beef, Caribbean Jerk Sauce, Hannah’s Eggs, local produce and wonderful crafts.So, if you are within driving distance, please join us next Saturday, April 29, for the next Market Day! Hope to see you there!

Earth Day April 22, 2017

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Come celebrate Earth Day this year at the Warrenton NC Farmer’s Market where CherryGal will be offering a range of organic seedlings for your garden.

This week’s herbs will include more Bay Laurel, various Basils, Cowslip, Dill, Epazote, Bronze and Bulb Fennels, Garlic Chives, Lavenders, Lemon Balm, various Mints, Oswego Tea, Purple Bee Balm, Oregano, Rosemary, various Sages, Stridolo, various Thymes, and Valerian.

In addition, I will have Victoria Rhubarb, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Evening Primrose, Golden Creeping Jenny, Gooseneck Lysimachia, McCartney Rose and Wysteria.

I will also have a selection of organic seeds from my vast inventory. And of course, Lucky Like Premium Dog Treats will be offered as well: Bacon Cheddar Barley Bones, Crunchy Peanut Butter Biscuits and Chicken Jerky.

And just down the block you can also visit Warrenton’s Spring Fest!

Hope to see you on Saturday 8 am – Noon!

Warrenton NC Farmer’s Market Season Opens April 15

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Lucky Like Premium Dog Treats will be back weekly at the Warrenton NC Farmer’s Market opening 8 am to Noon on April 15. We will be offering our Best Selling Crunchy Peanut Butter Biscuits and NEW Bacon Cheddar Barley Bones.

In addition, we will be offering a NEW Heavenly Herbal Elixir for your dogs, cats and chickens. Just add a tablespoon or two to your pet’s food or water to get the benefits, which are many, from keeping bugs at bay to putting a spring in your elder pet’s step, addressing skin issues, and building strong teeth and bones, anti-depressant and pain reducer and anti-inflammatory. All this achieved with an Organic brew of apple cider vinegar and organic herbs that are safe for your pets! Comes in a beautiful corked bottle which can be returned for a discounted refill.

Finally, get your gardens going with CherryGal Heirloom Herbs offering a wide range of ORGANIC culinary and medicinal herb seedlings, and a few decorative seedlings, during the opening weeks. It is so important to grow organic for anything that you will be utilizing for food or medicine. Most varieties will be in very limited supply, so please come early on the 15th. I can’t bring them all, so there will be more in following weeks until gone, but again it will be first come first served (and no pre-sales). A partial listing:

Allheal (Prunella vulgaris), Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens), Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis), Blood Sorrel (Rumex sanguineus var. sanguineus), Catnip (Nepeta cataria), Cinnamon Basil (O. basilicum), Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis), Bronze Fennel  (Foeniculum vulgare), Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea), Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum), Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’), Gooseneck Lysimachia (Lysimachia clethroides), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus), Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodoro), Thyme, Lemon (Thymus citriodorus), Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), Macartney Rose (Rosa Bracteata), Oswego Tea (Mondarda didyma), Painted Sage (Salvia horminium), Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Syrian Oregano (Oreganum maru), Tri-color Sage (Salvia officinalis v. tri-color), Variegated English Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosum), to name just a few!

There will be so many returning vendors this year and some new ones so I hope to see you there!

Nature’s Pharmacy … Turmeric

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turmeric

I am updating this post from 2 years ago for my sister Judy, who just had one of her dear dogs diagnosed with a tumor. The vet said to “keep an eye on it.” But this sparked my memory that turmeric has strong anti-tumor properties. A wonderful article in Dogs Naturally Magazine details how to use turmeric in dogs, and why it is so effective.

But two years ago I wrote:

I recently went face down on some wet leaves chasing my dogs. Not fun for a 67 year old. I was actually very lucky – nothing broken. But I was in tremendous pain in my face, shoulders, knees, ankles — basically everywhere. I was concerned about inflammation so my friend and neighbor who is a nurse gave me an aspirin (haven’t had any in the house for over ten years). Turns out I don’t tolerate aspirin – it gave me tremendous gerd all night long (oh yeah, that’s why I stopped having it in the house). So I turned to my spice cabinet.

Turmeric, which is the leading spice in curry (which I love and eat lots of) is a pain and inflammation reducer. So, in addition to my beloved curries, I am now including turmeric in everything I can, even if only an insignificant dash that doesn’t add to the flavor. In so doing, I am building up the curcumin (the active component) in my system.

Just a few delicious ways you can easily incorporate turmeric in your diet (aside from yummy curries):

  • Toasted/grilled cheese on bread with turmeric sprinkled on top
  • Squash or carrot soup with a healthy (literally) dose of turmeric
  • Scrambled eggs with turmeric
  • Dips for vegetable crudites
  • Smoothies and lattes (recipes abound on the Internet)
  • Yogurt based sauces for vegetables, fish, chicken, beef and pork
  • Cooked rice of any type is improved with turmeric added
  • Marinades or rubs for meats
  • Salad dressings
  • Add to cooked/roasted vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, potatoes
  • Add to the spice brine for homemade pickles

I encourage you to start incorporating this incredible spice in your diet on a daily basis. Also research for yourself the many peer-reviewed studies of its effects on cancer, diabetes, depression and many other illnesses and be amazed. And if you have a special way to use turmeric, let me know!