My grandmother was a wonderful cook. Like most women who had their children in the 1940's she had a lot of experience in the kitchen. Cooking was a necessity, there were few options outside of an occasional night out for a birthday at the town's restaurants. My dad's family settled down in Kansas. My grandfather … Continue reading Salmonettes
I Painted My Kitchen Cabinets And I Love Them!
I love my newly painted kitchen cabinets! But, whew! What a bunch of work! I have a large kitchen and I have a lot of experience painting... everything but cabinetry. This is still during painting. I painted (and had a drop cloth down) in the eat-in area. The chaos on the counters just seems to … Continue reading I Painted My Kitchen Cabinets And I Love Them!
Fire Cider: Immunity Booster
With the Corona virus on the loose and a lot of us out here wondering what that will mean to us personally: What can you do to keep busy, and possibly, create something that could help at home?I have been aware of this virus since it emerged. I've kept up on the subject as best … Continue reading Fire Cider: Immunity Booster
Painting Pavers To Look Like Books
I got a call the other day from a neighbor. "I have seven bricks, do you want them?" "Yes! Yes, I do!" I have plans for bricks, and free ones are the best kind! These plans were sparked by regularly spending hours on Pinterest (Can't sleep? It's Pinterest time!) and randomly remembering a few pins … Continue reading Painting Pavers To Look Like Books
Happy Halloween 2020!
I thought I'd share our finished projects this year. We have a large display and the tutorials are on this blog site. We have a lot of fun with Halloween and we enjoy sharing our creations! I love quick, cheap, homemade decorations. We add a little more each year. We're seven years in and this … Continue reading Happy Halloween 2020!
How To Make A Bagged Dead Body For Halloween
I made my original dead body bag about 4 or 5 years ago and I've learned some things about how to make these after having to repair it a few times. Like most of my projects: this is simple but impressive. I've seen some bodies in our neighborhood and online instructions (using plastic containers) and … Continue reading How To Make A Bagged Dead Body For Halloween
Silver Faceless Aliens
It's Halloween time again! I'm trying something new this year! Silver Faceless Aliens! They are human height and shape and creep everyone out! I instantly had the idea after looking at this mask. So much fun! Like all of my projects: it's super cheap and has a big impact. I'm making four. Here are the … Continue reading Silver Faceless Aliens
Haunted Heads
I had two main projects I wanted to accomplish this Halloween. One project was my Silver Faceless Aliens and the second was some posts with masks, or: Haunted Heads! I decided to do these after I saw a pin. But unfortunately, no matter which pin I opened I couldn't find the instructions to make these. … Continue reading Haunted Heads
Milk Jug Spider
 Here we go! It's Halloween time on my blog again! I hope you enjoy the tutorials over the next few weeks! I love making Halloween decorations! I also love to make CHEAP decorations. I don't think I can find a good reason to buy a lot of what I see in the stores. I … Continue reading Milk Jug Spider
Solution For Sore Shoulders: Microwavable Rice Sock
I went to a fair that offered job advice, help with nutrition and health, free haircuts (by cosmetology students...that was interesting!), scalp massages and this: the microwavable rice sock. Oh, have I enjoyed making (and using) these! This is really a simple project and after being out in the yard raking, digging, weeding etc: I … Continue reading Solution For Sore Shoulders: Microwavable Rice Sock
The Greatest Green You’ve Never Eaten: Sweet Potato Leaves
I'm always looking for new ways to use my garden. After years of growing sweet potatoes I came across a recipe that called for the leaves. Sweet potato leaves are edible? Yes. Yes, they are.The sweet potatoes slips I got this year were supposed to be a bush variety. While they haven't thrown vines out … Continue reading The Greatest Green You’ve Never Eaten: Sweet Potato Leaves
Hugelkultur, Keyhole Gardens: Bridging Ideas
I do a lot of research before I try new things. There are two ideas floating around right now that I really liked. One is Hugelkultur. The idea is basically a huge, permanent, water retaining, slow composting hill. This is a great site about it: http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/ Down here, anything that saves water is welcome. The … Continue reading Hugelkultur, Keyhole Gardens: Bridging Ideas
Please Don’t Rock Your Yard!
While we were in Colorado there was a trend to rip out anything that was growing and replace it with a gravel landscape. Every time I saw someone ripping out their grass to do this: I wanted to throttle them. Here is why: rock is not low maintenance. I understand those who don't garden are … Continue reading Please Don’t Rock Your Yard!
Saving The Harvest
Spring is full of heavy lifting, digging holes and amending soil. I usually build or renew my beds in spring and then switch on and off between: planting/watering and harvesting the first spring veggies. It's usually beautiful outside and I enjoy the time I'm out there. I end up in a meditative state. I can … Continue reading Saving The Harvest
Melon Trellising
I usually grow my vining melons on a trellis. Trellising makes them easy to care for and the plants themselves are healthier. Getting melon vines off the ground keeps the powdery mildew under control and I can easily spray the leaves when the inevitable aphid explosion comes. Since I like to research things, and I'm … Continue reading Melon Trellising
Summer Fun In The Garden
In Texas we're in our miserable part of summer. Our heat index is fluctuating between 101 and 103 degrees Fahrenheit. It's nasty in the high heat part of the day. It's also still in the high 80s at midnight and later. It's too hot for a lot of things, (like tomatoes) so we're getting through … Continue reading Summer Fun In The Garden
Melted Perler Bead and Pony Bead Craft Projects
Every once in a while I end up on Pinterest. I try not to do it often, because it's like going to an all you can eat buffet: I think I can eat (or do) way more than reality will allow me to. On one of my visits to Pinterest I saw some melted pony … Continue reading Melted Perler Bead and Pony Bead Craft Projects
Cooking With Lettuce?!?! Yes! And It’s Delicious!!!
This soup makes use of spring garden ingredients: peas, lettuce, spring onions and tarragon. If you have ever grown peas you know shelling peas is a pain. It's a whole lot of work for very little reward. Apparently, I am not learning my lesson from the previous experiences, because I rush out and plant them … Continue reading Cooking With Lettuce?!?! Yes! And It’s Delicious!!!
Spring Is The Time To Begin Backyard Foraging!
Hidden uses of your spring garden!
So, I Made A Potato Tower
I have seen this idea around for a while and it seemed easy enough to do. I decided I'd try building one and I finished it in an hour or so. This is what I think of them: it's a lot of work and not a good project for someone with a bad back.There are … Continue reading So, I Made A Potato Tower
Crazy Green Thumbs 