Autobiography of a Fat Bride by Laurie NotaroIf you are interested in this or any of the other books featured in the What I am reading posts, Please see the sidebar for my Amazon.com Favorites. You can purchase a copy of the book there!
Friday, July 11, 2008
What I Am Reading
Autobiography of a Fat Bride by Laurie NotaroIf you are interested in this or any of the other books featured in the What I am reading posts, Please see the sidebar for my Amazon.com Favorites. You can purchase a copy of the book there!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
December 21, 2012
The world is ending, or so they say. And here is the web site to prove it!
Whether you believe or not.....it's still interesting.
http://www.december212012.com
Whether you believe or not.....it's still interesting.
http://www.december212012.com
Subscribe To My Blog
Exciting news!
You can now subscribe to my Blog with RSS!
Be the first to know when there is a new post!
See the Section under my picture to subscribe!
I'm in a Pickle
How to Make Pickles
Get your pickling cucumbers.Make sure they are pickling cucumbers!!
Do not use English cucumbers or waxed cucumbers.
Cut your cucumbers.
I cut spears, halves and left a few whole
All cut up and ready to go! 
Sterilize your Jars and lids
I cheated and used a prepared pickling spice pack.
Bring spice pack, water and vinegar to boil.
Very important: Hot Jars, Hot lids, Hot Liquid
Pouring Water out of the sterilized Jar. Note the Jar Puller. Essential Canning Item!!
Pack your pickles into Hot JarsNote : In the future I will get wide mouth jars. It was a little hard packing the pickles with the smaller opening.
Place Hot Pickling Liquid into the Jar
Wipe rim of Jar
Place hot lid on Jar
*Missing Picture here
Place filled Jars with lids and screw top into water bath and process for 15 minutes.
Processing is simply boiling for 15 minutes
Pull Jars after 15 minutes and let cool
Listen for the Ping Sound as the Jars seal
If the Jars do not seal, place in refrigerator and eat after 2 weeks.
Finished Product !Let set on shelves for 4 to 6 weeks for full flavor to develop
This yielded 4 Quart Jars of Pickles
And that is how you make pickles!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Kylie
The latest picture of my Best Friends Granddaughter, KylieDon't you just want to eat up those cheeks!
Natural Pest Control
Natural Pest Control
Here are some of the kitchen-cabinet remedies for natural pest control:
FRUIT COCKTAIL-You can buy Japanese-beetle traps of all sorts, but most are no more effective in trapping these pests than a can of fruit cocktail. Open the can and let it sit in the sun for about a week to ferment. Then stand it on bricks or wood blocks in a light-colored pail. Fill the pail with water to just below the top of the can and put it about 25 feet from the plants you want to protect. The beetles,attracted to the sweet and potent bail, will fall into the water and drown. (If rain dilutes the fruit cocktail, you'll have to start anew.)
BUTTERMILK -The scourge of many outdoor ornamental plants, and indoor ones, too, is the mite, so tiny it would take 50 of them to cover the head of a pin. The most common one, the red spider mite, causes yellowing and stippling of foliage and twisting of leaf tips. There is a simple home cure that works on the ornamental plants and fruit trees. Mix 1/2 cup o buttermilk, 4 cups of wheat flour and 5 gallons of water and strain through cheesecloth. Sprayed a plant, the mixture destroys a high-percentage of mites as well as their eggs.
EPSOM SALTS AND BORAX -If you raise muskmelons that taste flat, the trouble could be a lack of magnesium in sandy soil. University of Maryland tests show that muskmelons can be sweetened by spraying the vines with a solution of borax, Epsom salts and water. Use 3-1/3 tablespoons of household borax, plus 6-1/2 tablespoons of Epsom salts, in 5 gallons of water. Spray foliage when the vines begin to "run" and again when fruits are about two inches in diameter.
SOAP, DETERGENT, TOBACCO. -Soap effectively controls fungus gnats, tiny black flies that may thrive in the soil of your house plants. Make suds of laundry soap, and pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup around the top of the pots. Any bar laundry soap will work, but naphtha soap works best. (my note, good old Fels Naphtha again to the rescue!) Soapsuds also make a fine killer of soft-bodies pests such as aphids. And nothing beats liquid dish washing detergent for getting rid of white flies, one of the worst pests gardeners have to contend with. Also called "flying dandruff," these snow-white insects, each about 1/16 inch long, congregate on the underside of leaves and suck sap. They also secrete a sticky substance that attracts a black mold and kills foliage. Mix 1 teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent in a gallon of water and spray the undersides of leaves every five days for 15 days. Repeat once a week thereafter, until the insects are eradicated. If you're a smoker or use tobacco in any form, be sure to wash your hands with laundry soap before handling plants.
TOMATOES, PEPPERS,EGGPLANTS, petunias and other members of the Solanaceae family. The soap deactivates tobacco-mosaic virus which may be present on your hands and helps prevent it from spreading to plants. A plant that already has this virus must be removed and destroyed immediately. On the other hand, for garden plants and house plants (except those of the Solanaceeae family), you can't find a better aphid killer than nicotine. Soak two or three cigarette butts in a cup of water to get a brown "tea". Mix in a little soapsuds and dip infected parts of house plants in the solution or use it as a spray. Tobacco juice also is highly effective in killing such pests in the soil of house plants as symphilids, fungus gnats and spring tails. Pour a cupful around the base of the plant. (Caution: nicotine is toxic: keep the mixture our of the reach of children and pets.)
BLEACH -To protect ripening tomatoes from fungal diseases, wash them with a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach to a quart of water, and dry with a paper towel. Wrap each tomato in newspaper, and store in a basket or tray in a cool place (any area with a temperature around 55 degrees). To sterilize your garden tools and old clay or plastic flowerpots, scrub them with a brush. Then soak them for a few minutes in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
TALCUM POWDER -It you're plagued by rabbits, try dusting your plants with ordinary talcum powder. It also works like a charm in repelling flea beetles on tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and other plants.
GARLIC -If you're looking for ammunition to keep cats and dogs away, chop up a bulb of garlic or a large onion, add a tablespoon of cayenne pepper, and steep in a quart of water for an hour. Add 1 teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent to help the mixture stick to the plant. Strain what you need into a sprayer or watering can and sprinkle it on plant leaves. The rest will remain potent for several weeks if refrigerated in a tightly covered jar. (Do not spray outdoors on windy days as solution may burn your eyes. Indoors, be careful not to breathe the fumes.)
VINEGAR -Azaleas and gardenias need an acid soil. If you live in a hard-water area, your plants may suffer from too much lime, causing leaves to turn yellow. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to a quart of water and pour a cupful or so around the base of a plant every two or three weeks until the yellow disappears. Vinegar is also useful in making a preservative for cut flowers. Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 teaspoons of cane sugar in a quart of water. Use in vase instead of plain water.
BEER -Placed in shallow pans flush with the ground, beer is a safe, inexpensive killer of snails and slugs. The pests crawl into the pans and drown.
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org
Here are some of the kitchen-cabinet remedies for natural pest control:
FRUIT COCKTAIL-You can buy Japanese-beetle traps of all sorts, but most are no more effective in trapping these pests than a can of fruit cocktail. Open the can and let it sit in the sun for about a week to ferment. Then stand it on bricks or wood blocks in a light-colored pail. Fill the pail with water to just below the top of the can and put it about 25 feet from the plants you want to protect. The beetles,attracted to the sweet and potent bail, will fall into the water and drown. (If rain dilutes the fruit cocktail, you'll have to start anew.)
BUTTERMILK -The scourge of many outdoor ornamental plants, and indoor ones, too, is the mite, so tiny it would take 50 of them to cover the head of a pin. The most common one, the red spider mite, causes yellowing and stippling of foliage and twisting of leaf tips. There is a simple home cure that works on the ornamental plants and fruit trees. Mix 1/2 cup o buttermilk, 4 cups of wheat flour and 5 gallons of water and strain through cheesecloth. Sprayed a plant, the mixture destroys a high-percentage of mites as well as their eggs.
EPSOM SALTS AND BORAX -If you raise muskmelons that taste flat, the trouble could be a lack of magnesium in sandy soil. University of Maryland tests show that muskmelons can be sweetened by spraying the vines with a solution of borax, Epsom salts and water. Use 3-1/3 tablespoons of household borax, plus 6-1/2 tablespoons of Epsom salts, in 5 gallons of water. Spray foliage when the vines begin to "run" and again when fruits are about two inches in diameter.
SOAP, DETERGENT, TOBACCO. -Soap effectively controls fungus gnats, tiny black flies that may thrive in the soil of your house plants. Make suds of laundry soap, and pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup around the top of the pots. Any bar laundry soap will work, but naphtha soap works best. (my note, good old Fels Naphtha again to the rescue!) Soapsuds also make a fine killer of soft-bodies pests such as aphids. And nothing beats liquid dish washing detergent for getting rid of white flies, one of the worst pests gardeners have to contend with. Also called "flying dandruff," these snow-white insects, each about 1/16 inch long, congregate on the underside of leaves and suck sap. They also secrete a sticky substance that attracts a black mold and kills foliage. Mix 1 teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent in a gallon of water and spray the undersides of leaves every five days for 15 days. Repeat once a week thereafter, until the insects are eradicated. If you're a smoker or use tobacco in any form, be sure to wash your hands with laundry soap before handling plants.
TOMATOES, PEPPERS,EGGPLANTS, petunias and other members of the Solanaceae family. The soap deactivates tobacco-mosaic virus which may be present on your hands and helps prevent it from spreading to plants. A plant that already has this virus must be removed and destroyed immediately. On the other hand, for garden plants and house plants (except those of the Solanaceeae family), you can't find a better aphid killer than nicotine. Soak two or three cigarette butts in a cup of water to get a brown "tea". Mix in a little soapsuds and dip infected parts of house plants in the solution or use it as a spray. Tobacco juice also is highly effective in killing such pests in the soil of house plants as symphilids, fungus gnats and spring tails. Pour a cupful around the base of the plant. (Caution: nicotine is toxic: keep the mixture our of the reach of children and pets.)
BLEACH -To protect ripening tomatoes from fungal diseases, wash them with a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach to a quart of water, and dry with a paper towel. Wrap each tomato in newspaper, and store in a basket or tray in a cool place (any area with a temperature around 55 degrees). To sterilize your garden tools and old clay or plastic flowerpots, scrub them with a brush. Then soak them for a few minutes in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
TALCUM POWDER -It you're plagued by rabbits, try dusting your plants with ordinary talcum powder. It also works like a charm in repelling flea beetles on tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and other plants.
GARLIC -If you're looking for ammunition to keep cats and dogs away, chop up a bulb of garlic or a large onion, add a tablespoon of cayenne pepper, and steep in a quart of water for an hour. Add 1 teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent to help the mixture stick to the plant. Strain what you need into a sprayer or watering can and sprinkle it on plant leaves. The rest will remain potent for several weeks if refrigerated in a tightly covered jar. (Do not spray outdoors on windy days as solution may burn your eyes. Indoors, be careful not to breathe the fumes.)
VINEGAR -Azaleas and gardenias need an acid soil. If you live in a hard-water area, your plants may suffer from too much lime, causing leaves to turn yellow. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to a quart of water and pour a cupful or so around the base of a plant every two or three weeks until the yellow disappears. Vinegar is also useful in making a preservative for cut flowers. Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 teaspoons of cane sugar in a quart of water. Use in vase instead of plain water.
BEER -Placed in shallow pans flush with the ground, beer is a safe, inexpensive killer of snails and slugs. The pests crawl into the pans and drown.
http://www.sharingsustainablesolutions.org
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Garden Paths
If you follow my Garden Blog, you know that we were looking for a solution to the Garden Paths.
My Mother in Law decided on fine gravel. She even found a guy who had special equipment to "blow" the gravel into the paths. How cool is that.
Here are some pics of the installation.
Thanks for the Pics, Sara!
My Mother in Law decided on fine gravel. She even found a guy who had special equipment to "blow" the gravel into the paths. How cool is that.
Here are some pics of the installation.
Thanks for the Pics, Sara!
Monday, July 7, 2008
What I am Reading
If you are interested in this or any of the other books featured in the What I am reading posts, Please see the sidebar for my Amazon.com Favorites. You can purchase a copy of the book there!
Check me out!
http://fortheloveofdayton.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/four-new-blogs-for-your-viewing-pleasure/
I am a featured Blogger at http://fortheloveofdayton.wordpress.com/
Thanks for the shout out. It's nice to know someone reads the Blog and likes what I am doing.
I am a featured Blogger at http://fortheloveofdayton.wordpress.com/
Thanks for the shout out. It's nice to know someone reads the Blog and likes what I am doing.
Why Worms?
I have been getting questions about my Worms. I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you what I have learned about Worms!
Why Worms?
1. I wanted to give composting a try but didn’t want the usual compost heap in the backyard due to the Dogs and other critters.
2. For the Worm Tea and Compost to use on my houseplants and in our Garden
What is Worm Tea?
Earthworms put out a by-product called castings; worm tea is obtained as water runs off or drips through the castings in the worm beds thus picking up the nutrients of the castings. Worm Tea is great for feeding Plants and acts as a natural pesticide.
What do Worms eat?
Worms can eat up to ½ a pound of food a day!!
For fiber, they can eat shredded paper, junk mail, magazines, cardboard, dryer lint, Kleenex, napkins, paper towels
For Fruits and Veggies, they can eat fruits and veggies past their prime, fruit and veggie peels and cores, food scraps, kitchen waste from food preparation.
For their starch, they can eat, Pancakes, pasta, doughnuts, rice, pizza crust, cereal, crackers and stale bread.
Other stuff that Worms can eat: coffee grounds and filters, tea bags (no staple, please) egg shells, non diseased flowers and plants, dry leaves and plant trimmings, Leftovers past their prime.
That’s a lot of stuff!
Just remember, Worms like their food cut or ground up into small pieces.
Why Worms?
1. I wanted to give composting a try but didn’t want the usual compost heap in the backyard due to the Dogs and other critters.
2. For the Worm Tea and Compost to use on my houseplants and in our Garden
What is Worm Tea?
Earthworms put out a by-product called castings; worm tea is obtained as water runs off or drips through the castings in the worm beds thus picking up the nutrients of the castings. Worm Tea is great for feeding Plants and acts as a natural pesticide.
What do Worms eat?
Worms can eat up to ½ a pound of food a day!!
For fiber, they can eat shredded paper, junk mail, magazines, cardboard, dryer lint, Kleenex, napkins, paper towels
For Fruits and Veggies, they can eat fruits and veggies past their prime, fruit and veggie peels and cores, food scraps, kitchen waste from food preparation.
For their starch, they can eat, Pancakes, pasta, doughnuts, rice, pizza crust, cereal, crackers and stale bread.
Other stuff that Worms can eat: coffee grounds and filters, tea bags (no staple, please) egg shells, non diseased flowers and plants, dry leaves and plant trimmings, Leftovers past their prime.
That’s a lot of stuff!
Just remember, Worms like their food cut or ground up into small pieces.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)