Remember the jingle: "Two all beef patties, SPECIAL SAUCE, lettuce, cheese..." . Well, if you are old enough you know it (and you just sang it in your head too, didn't you?). Special Sauces infer a secret, a magical recipe, something only you can make. And you can, make your own that is. I've seen … Continue reading How to Make Your Own Special Sauce
I love my glass canning jars. They have so many uses, way above and beyond canning food for long term storage. I typically buy them by the dozen, and keep a variety of sizes: half gallon, quart, (wide mouth and regular), pint, half pint, jelly jars. That way I always have just the size I … Continue reading 30 Ways to use Glass Canning Jars
Do you have any life-long habits? Those things you do that stem from childhood ...
Every so often I put out a game camera outside just to see what's walking around during the day I don't see, or at night. Recently I put one out by the garden. It's all covered with snow of course, but I've been seeing tracks in the snow. The snow has gotten up more than … Continue reading A Neighbor We Didn’t Know We Had
We've seen our local Barred Owl off and on over the years. We never thought too much about him (or her), but this year we are seeing him nearly everyday. We have a lot of snow pack this year, so hunting for rodents has gotten a lot harder for the owls. He currently comes to … Continue reading How we Care for our Owl Neighbors
I have a penchant for wooden cutting boards & wooden spoons. I appreciate the beauty of these items - the color, grain, feel, the way wood fits in my hand. My kitchen and floors are all hickory. Too much wood some would say, but not for me. I like seeing the grain, the knots and … Continue reading How to Care for Wooden Cutting Boards and Spoons
My family loves snacks. And friends know I'm a good cook. So there's always the questions of what is there to eat? Or What's for dessert today? So here's a very easy cake that can be cut into wedges and eaten plain as a snack, or add a dollop of whipped cream to make it … Continue reading Cranberry Cornmeal Snack Cake
I love salad, but I really wanted my greens to be crisp and snap like a salad in a restaurant. Here's the way I developed that works for me. First wash the greens well in cold water. Yes, even if the container says pre-washed. It's not so much about making sure the greens are clean … Continue reading How to Keep Greens Fresh & Crisp
We all do laundry, in some way, shape or form. And I bet most of the time whatever is in the hamper is what goes into the washer.Some not so obvious thing, though, also really need to be laundered to wash away bacteria, virus, and even fungus or parasites. Reusable shopping bags laundry bags or … Continue reading Things you should wash, but probably don’t often enough!
This weeks polar vortex and snow hitting the mid-west and northeast USA prompt me to remind everyone to protect and care for our four-legged friends. Extreme cold cannot be tolerated by dogs and cats, even those used to being outside. It was -27 here a few days ago - that was the actual morning temperature, … Continue reading Protecting Outdoor Pets in Cold and Snow