This is how my seed packets were organized: I realize that this is unacceptable, but had not been able to come up with a better solution. Then I remembered the bamboo box that my flowering teas were packaged in and realized that it would make the perfect seed organizer. I sorted the seeds in rowsRead More
Reusing Butter Wrappers to Grease Pans
Revisiting the Idea of Reusing Butter Wrappers: I know you are thinking, “can’t she just throw some things away”. Well, actually, no I can’t. At least not without thinking hard about any potential uses the item might have. When baking I set the butter (or margarine) wrappers aside and use them to grease theRead More
Earthquake Cookies
This molasses cookie recipe has been handed down from my husband’s great-grandmother. I do not know by whom or when they started being called earthquake cookies. Ingredients: 2 cups flour* 1 Tablespoon ginger 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teasppon salt Mix the above dry ingredients together. 1 egg 1/2 cup molasses (IRead More
Kitchen Garden Skillet
I don’t know the real name of the recipe that inspired Kitchen Garden Skillet, nor do I recall the name of the book that contained the recipe. The book was published in the late ’60’s or early ’70’s and our copy was lost in a fire in the mid ’80’s (It was not a cookingRead More
Dinner Menu Plans
Monday – Roast Chicken, brown rice, corn, and garden salad Tuesday – Use leftover chicken in tacos, use leftover brown rice to make Spanish rice, refried beans Wednesday – Use leftover chicken in taco salad (I also will toss in any leftover chicken and Spanish rice) Thursday – Kitchen Garden Skillet (This was a hitRead More
Hooked On Making No/Low Sugar Jam
This is a repost with an update. I decided to try Ball’s Natural Gel No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin ($1.56 at Walmart. There is a .50 cent coupon inside, so you can buy one then use the coupon to buy the next one if you like it). With this pectin adding sugar is optional. YouRead More
Now That I Am Harvesting So Much From The Garden…
It does not even occur to me to look in the veggie bin anymore, I just go straight to the garden with a colander to pick what I want for dinner. If only I had looked I could have chopped the onion and broccoli up and put them in the freezer for future use. TheRead More
Lady Bug, Lady Bug
We have an aphid problem on a weeping cherry tree. The bigger problem is the location of the tree: The tree is in the middle of my strawberry patch, so I decided to try lady bugs to take care of the problem. I am feeling a little like I’ve hired a mercenaries, pretty, nontoxic mercenaries,Read More
Homemade Paint With Water Coloring Pages
I have spent way too much time this week talking on the phone with companies. During these calls I need Rew to be happily occupied for a couple of minutes so that I can focus, remember to ask the right questions, and write notes. I remembered my older kids enjoying paint with water books.Read More
The Perennially Long Suffering Gardener
Last year I was introduced the the concept of perennials in the garden. I was excited by the idea of not having to start my garden each year from scratch. I planted little rhubarb plants, asparagus from roots, and started patience dock from seeds I received from Mother Earth news. The first asparagus to breakRead More
Raspberry Lemon Scones
My daughter will be hosting a Jane Austen themed tea party for her college friends later in the month. We have been reviewing recipes trying to finalize the menu for her tea. There are many decisions still to be made, but Raspberry Lemon Scones already have a spot reserved on the table. I adapted thisRead More
Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce
I made pork chops with mustard sauce this evening. I did not have time to take a picture of our entire meal because we were running late for a graduation party. I quickly took a picture of a leftover pork chop, so you could see the consistency of the mustard sauce. It is lovely andRead More
Dinner Menu Plan
Monday – Grilled Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, and Peas with Basil. I was supposed to make this yesterday, but I decided to stink up the entire house baking Salmon for my husband instead (I am such a loving wife). Tuesday – I am not sure what I will make. I want toRead More
Growing Tomatoes in a Short Growing Season
I couldn’t stand it any longer! I harvested a couple of stems of Swiss chard and 3 cherry tomatoes (2 were ready, 1 was close). We also ate several varieties of lettuces, spinach, onions, cilantro, parsley, radishes, and strawberries from the garden. I thought I would show the process that has enabled me toRead More
Extreme Gardening!
My family teases me about trying to transform Mordor into The Hundred Acre Woods. I live in the land of extremes: Extremely cold winters, very hot summers, little precipitation,and high winds that blow the leaves right off the seedlings. Why do I attempt gardening under such conditions? I love a challenge, I enjoy providing inexpensiveRead More
Baked Chicken With Rhubarb Sauce
I modified this recipe from one that I found on The Rhubarb Compendium. The Rhubarb Compendium is a wealth of information on growing rhubarb and includes a large selection of delicious rhubarb recipes. Baked Chicken With Rhubarb Sauce Recipe Ingredients:6 chicken breasts, trimmed2 Tablespoons butter1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon nutmeg2 Cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch thickRead More
Using Dryer Lint in the Garden
Warning: This is another one of those “can’t she just throw it away?” posts. And no, I can’t! We have very sandy soil, which is great for growing asparagus, but the other plants I grow in my garden require more water and less drainage. There are companies that manufacture moisture control soil, but it isRead More
Strawberry Cream Pie
This pie is my daughter’s specialty. We frequently ask her to make it for us. We feel a little less guilty about eating pie when it is filled with fresh strawberries. She adapted her Strawberry Cream Pie from a recipe she found in the June/July 2007 Taste of Home Magazine. Strawberry Cream Pie RecipeRead More
The Secret to Creamy Mashed Potatoes
I learned the secret to creamy, lump-free, mashed potatoes from my mother-in-law. The secret? She doesn’t mash potatoes, she rices them. Scoop a couple spoonfuls of cooked potatoes into the ricer and then squeeze. Repeat until all of the potatoes are riced. Stir in butter, milk, and pepper to taste. That is it! It isRead More
Menu Plan
Monday – Garlic Chicken (I am going to bake this the night before according to the directions and then have my husband “grill” it to heat it up and put stripes on it on Memorial Day), Roasted Potatoes, Baked Beans, Strawberry Spinach Salad, and Corn on the Cob. (I am making lots of side dishesRead More
