Our sliding glass door was not closing smoothly and was making quiet a bit of noise as it moved. I used a trick I learned from my father-in-law to make the doors glide smoothly again: Paraffin! Now, a quiet whoosh is the only sound the doors make as they glide by! It is easy andRead More
Scotcheroos Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Scotcheroos Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats combine the flavor of Scotcheroos with the ease of making Rice Krispie Treats. Scotcheroos are made with Rice Krispies, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. Like Rice Krispie Treats, Scotcharoos are a no-bake bar recipe. The difference is Scotcheroos are made by heating corn syrup and sugar toRead More
Hooked On DIY Hanging Flower Baskets
I have often admired hanging flower baskets, but the cost of pre-made baskets has always stopped me from indulging myself. There are some annuals that I really enjoy, but I can’t plant them in flower beds because the rabbits would devour them in one night. So this year I decided that I was going toRead More
Determined to "Cheat" the Wind
As a determined gardener, I am continually looking for new ways to “cheat” the elements. The first year that I gardened in Mordor I had to replant my cucumbers three times because the wind blew their little leaves off (yes, really three times! Does that last statement reflect badly on our weather or me? PerhapsRead More
Making a Juice Box Pull Double Duty
We rarely consume juice boxes since we prefer to drink from our stainless steel water bottles. However, there are times when juice boxes are a convenient way to transport extra fluids. When we are going to spend most of the day away from home hiking or cross-country skiing I pack a couple of juice boxesRead More
Baking With a Limited Number of Cookie Sheets
Most of my cookie recipes make several dozen cookies, which is a good thing since I live with several cookie monsters. The problem lies with the fact that I only own 2 cookie sheets. After removing freshly baked cookies to a cooling rack, I wash the cookie sheets in cold water and thoroughly dry itRead More
Brazilian Rice with Green Peas
I have been harvesting peas a handful at a time. I wanted to use them in our meals, but I needed a recipe that did not require a large amount of peas. Then I remembered a rice and pea recipe that a friend gave me years ago. If I save up my peas I shouldRead More
My Little Tagger
We forgot to explain that sidewalk chalk is to be used only on the sidewalk! I walked out on to the porch and was greeted with letters on the soap box where I keep my gardening tools. Side view of soap box. Can you find the word cat on the loveseat? Have you figured outRead More
Menu Plan -Week of July 22
I am going to take advantage of the abundance of vegetables growing in our garden this week. On Monday morning I am going to broil a couple of pounds of chicken, chop it up, and use it cold in salads. I am hoping that the variation in the salad seasonings will distract my family fromRead More
Coupons for Organic Items Do Exist!
After last month’s great coupons, I have been disappointed with the coupons floating around right now. So I was excited when I found a link to a coupon for .75 off/1 Santa Cruz Organics at Money Saving Mom. Whole Foods Market and Savemart both had Lemonade on sale for $1.50, when combined with coupons theyRead More
Cooking with Lavender
I love growing lavender, but I am not really a potpourri person. Loathing for anything to not be used to its fullest potential, I did some research to find alternative uses for lavender. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it can be used in cooking! I found some heavenly scone recipes at Hood RiverRead More
Summer Gardening Tips to Beat the Hot, Hot Sun
I have found that a number of plants that did very well in full sun in other states shrivel up and die under the hot, hot desert sun of Northern Nevada. I read an article a couple of years ago about little things that people can do to change the environment of their yards toRead More
Using an Oil Dispenser to Save Dish Soap
Ten years ago, I walked into my friend’s kitchen and noticed that she was using an oil dispenser to hold her dish soap. I don’t remember where she got the idea, but I remember that she did it for aesthetic reasons. She wanted to be able to leave her dish soap out, but thought thatRead More
Pepsi-Cola Throwback Cake
I modified my favorite cake in honor of PepsiCo’s decision to bring back Pepsi-Cola Throwback. When I was growing up, we called this Rocky Road Cake, but I discovered that it was also called cola cake when I lived in the south. It is extremely decadent; after looking at the ingredients you will tell me thatRead More
Dinner Menu for the Week of 6/15
I replaced last week’s scrambled eggs night for frittatas. I found the frittatas recipe on The Frugal Engineer and felt it was more conducive to using up leftovers than scrambled eggs. And you know how I like using up leftovers! Monday – Teriyaki Chicken, Brown Rice, Glazed Carrots Tuesday – Use leftover chicken and carrotsRead More
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Nothing says Chocolate Cake Quite Like a Zucchini! Earlier this week Angela at My Year Without Spending put out a request for zucchini recipes. Everyone who responded offered a delicious and nutritious way to serve zucchini; I recommended cooking it in chocolate cake! It is easy to eat zucchini sauteed with onions and garlic inRead More
Hooked On DVD Binders
I am always looking for ways to organize and make the most of our limited storage space. We have accumulated quite a few DVD’s, though the pace has slowed down considerably since we joined netflix. The DVD’s were kept in a linen closet, along with games and art supplies, so there wasn’t much room forRead More
Reusing Tissue Boxes and Grocery Bags
Sometimes I forget to bring my reusable grocery bags to the store which leaves me with left over plastic bags. And although we use cloth handkerchiefs, I do keep tissue for our guests, which leaves me with leftover tissue boxes. So I combine two leftover items and create a new use for them: I realizeRead More
The Determined Gardener
When someone asks me what gardening method I follow I can’t give a simple answer. I use a mish mash of gardening techniques: square foot gardening, succession gardening, raised bed gardening, and companion gardening. Taking from each what will best help me in my circumstances. Last night I was thumbing through Weather-Wise Gardening and whileRead More
Finding Time to Clip Coupons…
Plan Shopping Trips and Prepare Menus I was chatting with a couple of friends, who I have known for over 5 years, and the subject rolled around for the very first time to dinner plans and grocery shopping. We have shared recipes and cooked for each other numerous times, but we had never discussed howRead More
