The Many Uses For Your Basil Bounty

By: Susan Anderson

If you are a gardener growing basil, this time of year is when the plant begins to really fill out and provide you with a lot of aromatic abundance. So what are some of the ways to use this garden delight?. Let's see... how can I count the ways?

1) Make Basil Infused Oil. Here is a link to an easy recipe.

2) After you make the infused oil, why not a companion basil vinegar? Go here to see how to make it.

3) Still have more basil coming in- give it away to family and friend,no one says no! Then they will come back asking for more.

4) Want to save some basil for the winter? Freeze the leaves- Here is a trick I learned a few years ago. Clean and dry the basil leaves, then place in a small jar with good quality olive oil, just enough to keep the leaves wet. Place in the freezer. When you pull out your basil in the dead of the winter, it will be fresh and green. If you just freeze your leaves they will not retain their color.

5) Now who can resist basil pesto? Easy to make! Use right away or freeze. Rather than share my recipe which uses no measurements and is completely done by eyeballing it, here is one that is easy to follow.

6) Crush a few fresh basil leaves to use as a herbal rub and topical treatment for insect bites to reduce the itching and inflammation.

7) Make a herbal tincture with basil leaves to help with relieve nervous conditions and induce relaxation. Click here to learn how to make a herbal tincture.

8) Make a herbal tea with fresh basil leaves and a few of the seeds. Basil is known as a herbal aid in digestive issues. Studies show that basil contain anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

9)For a relaxing bath, add some fresh basil leaves to the warm bath water.

10) Use a cooled basil tea made with the leaves as a hair conditioner.

There are many more ways to use this wonderful herb, but instead of overloading you with ideas, let's just say this is a springboard into the infinite possibilities. Have fun! And by the way, why not share your experiences and ...Tell us about your favorite use.

Read more!

10 Things to Do When Snowed In

1. Author: Susan Anderson
   
   When winter's first snow storm hits it's fun. After a few of these gifts of Mother Nature, the appeal starts to wear off, especially if you are stuck in the house snowbound for a few days. So here are 10 suggestions of things to do when you are being held captive in the house and are in desperate need of some distraction from boredom.
   
   

• Cook Something Different. Now is the time to experiment and try a new dish or two. This snow storm I planned ahead and when I went to the grocery store for snowbound shopping I picked up some wontons and eggroll wrappers. I have never made either, but thought, what the heck, it will be fun to try a few new recipes.
  
  
• Tackle Paperwork. Now I am sure this will not rate up there on your top ten list of fun things to do... but if you have piles of paperwork lurking all over the house... if you have made a promise to tackle this at some other time...if you have promised to do this when some time frees up...then today is the perfect storm! Even if you need to do it in small increments of time. Here is one approach that may work 5 minutes of focused effort followed by 10 minutes of reward time. You may not get through all that much using this system but it's a start.
  
  
• Make a Frozen Snow Drink. What a better time to make a fun frozen drink then when Mother Nature provides one of the main ingredients, but be sure its clean snow of course!
  
  
• Play Real Board Games. Do you remember what a board game is? In today's world of video games I wonder if kids get much exposure to this type of entertainment. When my mother-in-law comes to visit, she loves to play games so we always end our day with a game of cards or a board game from the closest. It is always so much fun, so why don't we do it more often? Now would be a great day!
  
  
• Plan the Perfect Valentine's Day for Your Sweetheart. With just a few days left before Valentine's Day, take the opportunity to think up an exciting, out of the box surprise for your honey. One year, which by the way was the best, I planned a treasure hunt for my husband, and it was awesome. I started in the house leaving a simple note with a clue to the location of the next note and clue. I had him going all over town and then finally meeting me at a local restaurant for dinner, which he thought was the finale. But as we finished dinner and he received one more clue from the waitress, it really ended up being an evening away. We had 2 small children at the time and I got Grandmom to stay with the kids so I could do this and it was an amazing time, with a lifelong memory attached.
  
  
• Make a Fictional Character to Have Fun With. My husband always talks about this fictional character Rudy Smith that he made up years ago. It was suggested he create a Facebook page for him. Well last night we finally put the page together and had not laughed so much as we did creating him. Then we invited friends who knew about Rudy to come visit him on Facebook and the real fun began. We had tears streaming down our face as we were writing and responding to comments. Deep, deep barreling laughter resulted--whew! so good for the soul. If you too want to become a friend of Rudy's his email is RudySmith58@gmail.com
  
  
• Lighten the Load. So many of us have more than we need or can really use. We started with a small collection of extra stuff that went into a closet, then a room, then a new house, then a basement, then a garage and now we have a separate storage rental unit for the overflow of all this extra stuff. Yes alot of it is from a closed business but that is just another excuse. All this stuff drains our energy. I have made a promise to myself to lighten the load this year. I have committed to getting rid of at least one large bag of stuff per week, with the hope that several bags or boxes will be leaving the homestead for good. We give to the local thrift shops and/or to friends who I know can use something that we no longer want or need, and finally we put some things on Craigslist to get rid of. Any old way you look at it, less is more! A snowed in day provides a good block of time to sift through our Collections of Stuff.
  
  
• Visit Project Camelot. Here is an interesting website that may seem a bit out there for some people but it is a great site operated by Bill Ryan and Kerry Cassidy. Their purpose is to travel extensively meeting and interviewing truth-tellers in the effort to provide enlightening testimony about the true nature of our world. There are a wide range of individuals who participate in the interviews, which are in audio, video and transcript format. Here is the link: http://www.projectcamelot.org/ Why not take a look for yourself? An eye-opening way to pass the time.
  
  
• Create Art. Find something around the house to make a creative statement with. I have several of these types of projects going right now. One is an old chair that I am repainting in a funky way. Another is making graphic mandalas on the computer then printing them out, framing them and placing a poem or inspirational story on the back, and finally to help get rid of some of that Collection of Stuff I am making yard art--birdbaths, birdhouses and backyard decorations using recycled materials from around the house. After I have a large enough assortment of finished products I am going to get a table at a craft fair. You really don't need to be an artist to create- you just have to be willing to unleash some of the passion you hold inside of you.
  
  
• Plan A Garden. Having a successful garden depends on prior planning. Often people like me omit this step, figuring we will wing it, then wonder when July rolls around why we haven't been as successful as we had anticipated. Alot of this disappointment can be circumvented through a little bit of planning. On a cold day inside of the house, dreaming of being outside in warmer weather surrounded by beautiful gardens is a good place to start. Think about what you want, then start to make it happen. Write your lists, check the seed catalogs. What! Don't have any? No problem go online- with a few quick searches you can find out what planning you should be doing and where to order your resources.
  
  

Well now that concludes this rendition of 10 Things to Do When Snowed In. I hope I have inspired you to do something useful, fun or productive with your day. And of course, I would love for you to share your list of things with me! Keep warm.

PS: By the way, that is my good friend Lynne in the picture at the top of the article with the help sign...sort of explains how we all feel after awhile of being snowbound....Hold on Lynne--Rudy is on his way!

Read more!

Fall Yard Workout

As we edge closer into the arena of fall weather, many of us find ourselves with a long list of outside cleanup and yard work needing to be done. Besides the ususal benefits that can be prescribed to fall clean-up tasks, add to that list the extra advantage of the physical workout, and you can come out ahead in the calorie burning department.

Below is a list I discovered post by Diane Griffith, in her article entitled The Ultimate Fall Workout

Similarities between yard work and traditional exercise:

Push mowers exercise leg, arm and shoulder muscles.

Digging involves weight lifting, abdominal stretching and squatting

Digging requires as much energy as aerobics and swimming.

Weeding involves forearm stretches and squatting.

Carrying wood, clearing land, hauling branches and laying sod give you a workout equivalent to stationary bicycling.

You can burn as many calories in 45 minutes of yard work as in 30 minutes of aerobics. And here is the rest of it.

Read more!

Growing Foods From Scraps

Maybe now is not the time to be talking about this, because we are still into the summer growing season and so much can be grown outdoors. BUT, as I was driving my daughter to field hockey practice this morning I was thinking about our garden. I just love this time of the year!

Go outside and pluck some fresh grape tomatoes, or pick a large beefy one for a sandwich, along the way, pick a few cucumbers, hot peppers, and fresh basil for a yummy tomato salad. Nothing could be fresher or healthier than this!

Then my mind fast forwards to mid September, early October, depending on the weather conditions. The fresh produce begins to slow down and the juicy, succulent red tomato is just a lingering memory. If we are lucky, we can find a handful of hardy ones that will make it up through the end of October.

That is when I started thinking, this year I should grow more indoors other than houseplants. In the past I have attempted some herbs for indoors but had not been so successful, but now I am ready to try it again. As I was thinking about it and researching what to do, I came across this article on growing foods from scraps in the kitchen. It seems simple enough and fool proof!

Garlic:
1. Plant a few garlic cloves with pointed tip facing up in a pot with loamy organic soil.

2. Place the pot on a sunny windowsill and water regularly like a houseplant.

3. Green garlicky shoots emerge in a week or so. Harvest with a scissors to using in cooking or as a tasty garnish for soups, salads and baked potatoes.

Green Onions:
1. Use green onions with healthy, white roots attached to the bulb. Snip off green tops for cooking with a scissors. Leave a little green top on the onion bulb.

2. Plant the entire onion while leaving the short top above ground in a small pot filled with a loamy, organic potting soil. Make sure your container has drainage holes. Put in a sunny windowsill and water once a week or when soil feels dry to the touch.

3. Harvest new green shoots with scissors to use for cooking or as a tasty garnish. Continue to leave the onion in the soil. With each new growth the onion will taste more potent. After each harvest of onion tops, dress the topsoil with organic compost. Enjoy green onion tops in stir-fries, omelets, and in sandwiches all winter long

Pineapple:
1. Indoor pineapple plants rarely produce flowers and fruit, but their striking foliage adds a touch of exotic to any houseplant collection. All you need to grow one is the green top you cut off when you eat the pineapple. For best results, use a pineapple that has fresh center leaves at the crown. Lob off the top, right where the crown meets the fruit. Peel off the bottom leaves and clean off the leftover fruit. Let the top rest a day before planting.

2. Fill a shallow pot with rich, loamy organic soil mixed with a few tablespoons of well-rinsed coffee grounds. Pineapple grows best in an acidic soil. Plant the pineapple top so the soil is even with the bottom of the crown.

3. Water well and mist the leaves and crown with a diluted, organic liquid fertilizer. As a member of the Bromeliaceae family, which also includes air plants, pineapple plants take much of their nourishment not from the soil but from nutrients in the moist air.

Avocado:
1. For best results use only a ripe avocado. Carefully halve the fruit and rinse the pit. Pat dry and let sit overnight in a warm, dry spot. The next day, peel off any of the parchment-like skin from the pit.

2. Place the pit with the base (the wider end) toward the bottom in a 7-inch pot full of loamy, rich organic soil. Make sure the tip is above the soil, exposed to light for proper germination. Water thoroughly.

3. If your apartment is dry, place a clear plastic cup over the exposed seed tip to serve as a mini-greenhouse. Though the plant does not need direct light to germinate, placing the pot on a sunny windowsill will speed growth.

4. Continue to water every week and make sure the soil doesn't dry out completely. The pit may take over a month to germinate so be patient.

5. When the sprout emerges and grows to about 4 inches, add another layer of organic soil to cover the pit completely. This not only protects the seed, but also any roots that may poke through the soil in search of nourishment.

6. Once the plant starts growing, it may remind you of the story "Jack and the Beanstalk." You can watch the plant grow tall for a year (supported with a wooden rod) and let it branch on its own, or make a decision to prune it and force it to branch, making a sturdier plant. If you choose to prune, it's best to trim with a diagonal cut 2 inches from the top. Be careful as you prune not to cut the main stem more than 1/3 of its height.

7. Continue to add organic compost to fertilize the soil with each pruning and water as you would a houseplant. Only repot the fast-growing plant when it is 6 times taller than the diameter of the pot.

8. Though avocado plants do not bear fruit if grown indoors, you can plant multiple avocado pits at various times in the same pot for a more interesting arrangement.
Source

Read more!

Optimal pH for the Garden

Optimal soil pH can vary widely for differentvegetables. Most vegetables require a soil pH of about 6.3 to 7.0, although requirements vary with some vegetables having a much wider range than others.

A pH under 7.0 is acidic, a reading of over 7.0 is alkaline, 7.0 is neutral. Check the chartbelow, test your pH and amend as necessary for a great garden!

Asparagus 6.0 to 8.0
Beets 6.0 to 8.0
Cabbage 6.0 to 8.0
Muskmelons 6.0 to 8.0
Peas 6.0 to 7.5
Spinach 6.0 to 7.5
Summer Squash 6.0 to 7.5
Celery 6.0 to 7.0
Chives 6.0 to 7.0
Endive 6.0 to 7.0
Rhubarb 6.0 to 7.0
Horseradish 6.0 to 7.0
Lettuce 6.0 to 7.0
Onions 6.0 to 7.0
Radishes 6.0 to 7.0
Cauliflower 6.0 to 7.0
Corn 5.5 to 7.5
Pumpkins 5.5 to 7.5
Tomatoes 5.5 to 7.5
Snap Beans 5.5 to 7.0
Lima Beans 5.5 to 7.0
Carrots 5.5 to 7.0
Cucumbers 5.5 to 7.0
Parsnips 5.5 to 7.0
Peppers 5.5 to 7.0
Eggplant 5.5 to 6.4
Watermelons 5.5 to 6.4
Potatoes 5.0 to 6.4

SOURCE

. And here is the rest of it.

Read more!

Why Do I Need to Mulch?

Are you outside yet, digging in the dirt, getting your hands dirty as you play in your garden beds? Actually, I have not gotten out to do much myself yet. The weather is still a bit nippy, and I have not had a lot of time free up yet.

But we have a large number of garden beds needing attention, and we have a daughter graduating from high school in June and will be having her party at the house. One of the things on the top of my list after cleaning up the beds, is to do mulching.

And here is why:

• Protects the soil from erosion


• Reduces compaction from the impact of heavy rains


• Conserves moisture, reducing the need for frequent waterings


• Maintains a more even soil temperature


• Helps prevent weed growth


• Keeps fruits and vegetables clean


• Keeps feet clean, allowing access to garden even when damp


• Provides a "finished" look to the garden.

Mulch Material
Bark mulch: Use 2-4 inches
Smaller chips are easier to spread, especially around small plants. Excellent for use around trees, shrubs, and perennial gardens. When spreading mulch around trees, keep the mulch an inch or two away from the trunk. A couple inches of mulch is adequate. There is no need to apply the mulch 6 or 8 inches high, as often is seen.

Wood chips: Use 2-4 inches
Similar to bark mulch. If using fresh wood chips that are mixed with a lot of leaves, composting may be beneficial.

Leaves: Use 3-4 inches
Best to chop and compost before spreading. If using dry leaves, apply about 6 inches.

Grass clippings: Use 2-3 inches
Thicker layers tend to compact and rot, becoming quite slimy and smelly. Add additional layers as clippings decompose. Do not use clippings from lawns treated with herbicides.

Newspaper: Use 1/4 inch
Apply sheets of newspaper and cover lightly with grass clippings or other mulch material to anchor. If other mulch materials are not available, cover edges of paper with soil. Applying on a windy day can be a problem.

Compost: Use 3-4 inches
Excellent material for enriching soil.

Bark mulch and wood chips are sometimes used with landscape fabric or plastic. The fabric or plastic is laid on top of the soil and then covered with a layer of bark chips. A caution to this practice: while initially the plastic or fabric may provide additional protection against weeds, as the mulch breaks down, weeds will start to grow in the mulch itself. The barrier between the soil and the mulch also prevents any improvement in the soil condition and makes planting additional plants more difficult.

And here is the rest of it.

Read more!

Risks of Home Pesticide Use

We all have heard about the damage the use of pesticides can do to the environment and living organisms. Some of us will try to steer as far away from any pesticide use as possible, while others may not consider the risk that great, with the trade off for lush lawns and gardens the desired result. If you are not quite sure where you stand on this issue, here are some interesting facts that may help you formulate a more educated decision.

Homeowners use up to 10 times more chemical pesticides per acre on their lawns than farmers use on crops.”4 — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Increased odds of childhood leukemia, brain cancer and soft tissue sarcoma have been associated with children living in households where pesticides are used.

96 percent of all fish analyzed in major rivers and streams contained residues of one or more pesticides at detectable levels. —United States Geological Survey

EHHI surveyed 18 stores in Connecticut and found that most stores displayed pesticide packages with visible tears or rips.

Some pesticides commonly used on lawns and gardens in Connecticut...have been banned or restricted in other countries because of concerns about health effects. Many Canadian municipalities have banned or severely restricted the use of lawn-care pesticides.

Several studies... have found a statistically higher incidence of non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma in people exposed to 2,4-D.

Data suggest that MCPP may cause cancer, birth defects, and mutagenic effects.

Some inert ingredients are suspected carcinogens; others have been linked to central nervous system disorders, liver and kidney damage, birth defects, and some short-term health effects. — Attorney General’s Office of New York

The use of household pesticides has been associated with a variety of childhood cancers.

Pesticides not intended for use on food are not required to undergo the same degree of testing as those used on food.

The use of pesticides often harms wildlife and their habitats.... Commonly used lawn-care chemicals can persist in soil and water for weeks, which can lead to the contamination of aquatic resources and local wildlife.

In addition to contaminating surface water, pesticides can contaminate groundwater, potentially causing health problems in those people drinking the water.

At least one pesticide was detected by USGS in more than 95 percent of stream samples collected at 115 sites.

Pregnant women, infants and children, the aged and the chronically ill are at greatest risk from pesticide exposure and chemically induced immune-suppression, which can increase susceptibility to cancer.

Scientific studies find pesticide residues such as the weedkiller 2,4-D and the insecticide carbaryl inside homes, due to drift and track-in, where they contaminate air, dust, surfaces and carpets and expose children at levels ten times higher than preapplication levels.

Lawn and garden pesticides are deadly to non-target species and can harm beneficial insects and soil microorganisms essential to a naturally healthy lawn

Children take in more pesticides relative to body weight than adults and have developing organ systems that make them more vulnerable and less able to detoxify toxins

Studies show low levels of exposure to actual lawn pesticide products are linked to increased rates of miscarriage, and suppression of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.

Exposure to home and garden pesticides can increase a child’s likelihood of developing asthma.

Studies link pesticides with hyperactivity, developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and motor dysfunction.

Sources:

Environment and Human Health, Inc

Beyond Pesticides
.

Read more!

Slow Burning Compost

STEPS TO BUILDING SLOW BURNING COMPOST PILE
One very easy thing you can do to reduce your impact on the planet, and bolster your gardening efforts, is to compost. Compost makes rich fertilizer and mulch out of yard waste, food scraps, tree trimmings, old lumber and even certain types of paper.

Pick a Good Location:

In hot, dry climates, it should be a shady, cooler location. In cold or wet climates, it should be a well-ventilated location.

Break Up the Ground a Bit:
You don't have to dig the location, but aerate the top layer of soil and completely remove weeds. If this is your first pile in the area, you may wish to add some worms: Red worms are best, but nightcrawlers will do.

Start with a Layer of Small Sticks or Brush:
The idea is to trap some air pockets at the bottom.

Build Your Pile in Layers:
When possible, alternate layers of brown materials and green materials. The mixing of carbon (brown) and nitrogen (green) wastes fosters breakdown. A layer of green grass, covered with a layer of wood chips or dead leaves, works well. Paper and cardboard is carbon. Coffee is nitrogen.

Chop Up Big Things:
Fruit rinds, over-the-hill garden plants, etc. all break down faster when chopped up. Try a machete: sharper blade equals much less work.

Keep the Pile Damp:

Not wet, damp. In areas with dry seasons, sprinkle the entire pile for no more than five minutes a couple of times a week in the evening.

No Meat or Fat:

Fatty table scraps or meat leftovers tend to attract pests. Bread, some chips and crackers and most tortillas seem ok.

Make Your Pile as Big as Possible:
Bigger piles burn hotter. Anything much smaller than roughly three feet in diameter will break down very slowly, and may not break down completely in any amount of time. Lawn cuttings break down relatively fast.

Crack the Thing Open Once in a While:

This doesn't mean turn the pile upside down. Just break it open with a spading fork, a rake or a shovel. Let some air in.

Keep Building:

Depending on the size of your yard and the amount of waste you generate, the pile will take 4-12 months to produce a meaningful amount of compost. Get materials where you can. Perhaps a neighbor with a big yard can help.

Keep a Tub in Your Kitchen:

A one-gallon plastic ice-cream bucket seems about the right size. Keep the lid on when not in use; empty regularly. People with more class should purchase a special "compost crock' for their kitchen. Put all your vegetable trimmings in there.

Be Picky About Your Materials:

Never put Bermuda Grass or other really tough, noxious weeds in your pile. Beware of vines, burrs, any seed heads or root-runner plants and other potential fringe survivors. Watch out for heavily fertilized or pesticide laden lawn clippings.

HARVESTING YOUR COMPOST:
Without building specific apparatus, the easiest way is with a screen or a series of screens, and a big wheelbarrow. Place the screen over the wheelbarrow. Shovel the compost on. Shake or scrape with shovel to force the compost through. Keep going until the barrow is full or until you have all you need. Use while fresh to take advantage of teeming microbial life. Keep the screening discards for re-composting.
Source
.

Read more!

More Coffee Grounds...More Ideas

DON'T THROW THE GROUNDS AWAY PART II
Every day across America, Asia and Europe, millions of pots of coffee and tea are brewed, and the millions of pounds of wet grounds, filters and bags thrown in the trash. This is both wasteful and foolish.

Coffee by-products can be used in the garden and farm as follows:

1. Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.

2. Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance. Coffee filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.

3. Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.

4. Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.

5. Encircle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell barrier to repel pests.

6. If you are into vermi-posting, feed a little bit to your worms

7. Toss coffee grounds in with vegetable peelings, add water, grind them in theblender, then feed it to plants that are "slow". It's like a giant vitamin. They start shooting up very soon.

Source

Read more!

Coffee Grounds: 10 Different Ways

DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR COFFEE GROUNDS
Here is an interesting post I came across....some are good and some should be taken with a grain of ...ugr..coffee!

Coffee Grounds have many uses from gardening to beauty to getting rid of cellulite. Here are a few tips and recipes I have made and used over the years. If you know of any other uses for coffee grounds, I would love to hear them.

1. Cellulite Buster
While in the shower, vigorously rub coffee grounds on troubled cellulite spots for a few minutes everyday or a few times a week. Coffee is a stimulant and breaks down fat deposits when rubbed on those areas.

2. Exfoilant
Give yourself a wonderful Homemade Body Scrub/Facial with Coffee Grounds, resulting in the smoothest softest skin you could imagine! For even smoother skin, add a few Tablespoons of Mineral Oil, Jojoba Oil or Olive Oil right from your kitchen cabinet accompanied by a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

3. Plant Booster
For healthier plants, add Coffee Grounds to the potting soil of your house or garden plants. Coffee Grounds will eventually mold so its best to use this for outdoor plants. Keep in freezer until ready for use. Coffee Grounds are very effective when put in Rose Bushes. Just make sure your outdoor pets dont have access to those areas as they might try to eat the coffee grinds.

4. Natural Stain
Coffee Grounds make a great natural stain for wood, clothing, baskets, and covering up nicks in wood furniture. Brewed coffee can also be used in light brown/brunette hair to darken it.

5. Coffee Tan
Replenish your summer tan by rubbing coffee grounds all over your body then leave on for 30 minutes. Brewed coffee at room temperature can also be sponged and left on your skin for 20-30 minutes. Darker skin can be achieved by repeating this process more often.

6. Fridge Deodorizer
Keep a small container of fresh coffee grinds in the back of your refrigerator or freezer for a natural deodorizer.

7. Ant Repellent
Place Coffee Grinds in or near the tracks of sliding glass doors to keep ants away.

8. Kitchen Scrubber
Coffee Grounds act as an abraser removing grease from pots and pans. Keep a little container of fresh grinds near your kitchen sink.

9. Cat Litter Deodorizer
I sprinkle a tiny bit of fresh coffee grinds in the cat litter box for a natural deodorizer or you can place some next to it.

10. Sweat Lodge
Lose 5 to 10 inches all over your body in an hour. This really does work!!!! Rub fresh un-brewed coffee grounds all over your body then wrap yourself in saran wrap. Leave your face exposed please. Find a warm place to sit for 30 minutes to an hour and try to stay as warm as possible. Put on sweat suit, sit in a sauna, or stay in the bathroom with the door closed to keep the heat in. Run the shower as hot as possible to steam up the bathroom. Measure yourself before and after to see the results. I lost 2 inches in my legs, 1 inch in my arms and 2 inches in my hips. This is a short cut version to my typical herbal body wrap, but this does work and you feel great afterwards.

Here is a Homemade Body Scrub recipe I invented. It smells so good you almost want to eat it. Your skin will feel softer than you could ever imagine!

Brown Sugar Vanilla Body Scrub
1 Cup Fresh Coffee Grinds
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Essential Oil
1/4 Cup of either Olive Oil, Mineral oil, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil or Sweet Almond Oil.

Mix together then put into a little container. If mixture looks a little crumbly and dry, add a little more oil. With a Loofah Scrub or your hand, rub all over body while in shower then rinse. This mixture will keep for a few weeks or even longer. Because oil is a natural preservative, this will prevent the coffee from molding. Mine has lasted over a month and still going strong!

Source

Read more!

Preparing to Garden- The Organic Way

Spring has finally arrived and many of us are itching to get outside and work in the soil...cleaning, clearing and preparing our garden beds for the upcoming season. I love working in the garden, but I am not a gifted gardener. So I wanted to include some great sites I found on organic gardening. If you are not a gardener, take a peek, these just might inspire you to begin some garden designing of your own!

1. Gardening with The Helpful Gardener
This site includes a lot of basic start up information on organic gardening, for those who may just be moving in this direction or who are incorporating more organic processes.

2. Veggie Gardening Tips
Veggie Gardening Tips offers gardening tips and ideas to help you create a vegetable garden that's productive and attractive. The focus is on raised bed gardening, heirloom vegetables and fruits, organic gardening techniques, and information for growing a beautiful garden that's loaded with delicious organic produce.

3. Dave's Garden
The website where friends share their triumphs and dilemmas in their home gardens and their lives. Dave's Garden is also a place for gardeners to share seeds or plants with other gardeners, and has so much to offer, you are certainly going to find something that will have you coming back daily, as well as making you proud to tell your friends and family about your new gardening home on the net

4. 2 Green Thumbs Up
This site was created for the purpose of sharing adventures about gardening and backyard living, reviewing and recommending interesting gardening and backyard living products (green whenever possible), and to attempt to raise awareness of and promote green practices in other areas of everyday life.

5. Gardening Gone Wild
Although this consortium of gardeners is more than occupied with their “day jobs,” they all have chosen to become contributors who have the desire to express our thoughts, ideas, and philosophies about gardening and the world in which we live. I love this blog!

Well, now that you have had a chance to view some of the sites out there on organic gardening, will you be joining the rest of us, as we start digging in the dirt?

.

Read more!

5 Herbs to Grow in Cooler Weather

COOL SPRING HERBS

These herbs may thrive in cooler temperatures, but some seeds, such as those of parsley, can take up to a month to germinate, especially in cold spring soils. Soaking the seeds overnight and covering newly seeded beds with clear plastic help speed germination of direct-sown seeds.

If you start the plants indoors, make sure the plants' growth hasn't been hindered and that the transplants go into the ground when quite small, and take are not to disturb the roots during the planting process.

Most of the herbs can be sown outdoors six to eight weeks before the last frost.

Note: If you have poor soil, applying aged manure or granulated organic fertilizer to the soil during the seedling stage helps get plants off to a healthy start.

PARSLEY
Two different forms include the familiar curly parsley and the more flavorful flat-leaved Italian version, with leaves like celery and cilantro.
Sow: Direct-sow seeds or set out six- to eight-week-old transplants about a week before the last spring frost, spacing seeds or seedlings 8 to 10 inches apart.
Grow: Tolerates full sun or partial shade.

CILANTRO
The emerald leaves have a distinctive flavor that combines parsley, sage, and citrus and its seed (coriander), which is reminiscent of citrus and spice.
Sow: Direct-sow seeds a week or two before the last spring frost and again in late summer.
Grow: Best in full sun, with some afternoon shade in hotter regions.

CHERVIL
The leaves resemble parsley in appearance and taste, with delicate overtones of anise.
Sow: Sow seeds directly into the garden about three to four weeks before the last spring frost and again in late summer; thin seedlings to 6 to 9 inches apart.
Grow: Prefers part shade.

DILL
Dill combines well with fish, mild cheeses, and vegetable dishes.
Sow: Best sown directly into the ground four to five weeks before the last spring frost; thin seedlings to 6 to 18 inches apart.
Grow: This aromatic annual thrives in full sun.

CHIVES
Regular chives have a delicate onion flavor; garlic chives are milder.
Sow: Grow by seeds, transplants, or divisions, with plants spaced 8 to 12 inches apart. Sow seeds in clumps or set out six-week-old transplants about four weeks before the last spring frost; divide existing clumps every two to four years.
Grow: Likes full sun to part shade.

SOURCE: Organic Gardening

Read more!

How to Make No Melt Suet

The birds could use a bit of help right now in finding some food. Suet is always a good choice. Here is an easy recipe for suet. Although it is a no-melt recipe, good for summer time use, it is still applicable now. It is easy, fun and it is a good activity to do with the kids.


HERE'S HOW:

1. In a large pan, melt 1 cup suet or lard and 1 cup crunchy peanut butter.


2. Take it off the stove.


3. Stir in: 2 cups "quick cook" oats, 2 cups cornmeal, and 1 cup white flour.


4. If it seems runny, add more flour.


5. Fill small plastic margarine containers about 1/2 full, cover, then freeze.


6. Remove from the suet from the containers; wrap, keep in freezer until needed.


7. Place in a suet basket or on a platform feeder and watch your birds eat it up!

TIPS:

• Buy the most inexpensive peanut butter available.


• You can add raisins, craisins, nuts, and defrosted frozen vegetables also to the batter.
  
  
  
  
  
  And here is the rest of it.

Read more!

Preparing for Spring: Plant a Tree

HOW TO CHOOSE, PLANT AND CARE FOR TREES

Well it won't be too long before we will be crawling out of hibernation from the winter months and be bursting with the energy of spring. Ahh! the sights and smells just bring me to a happy place!.

Plan Ahead..Plant a Tree

Choose a Tree That is Right for Your Needs! Do you want more shade? Are you trying to create a barrier between you and another property or street? Are you looking for a decorative punch to add to the landscape? Do you want a fruit bearing tree? Ask your local nursery for advice on what grows best in your area.

Give Your Tree Plenty of Room! We have all seen those trees planted to closely together, making it look like you are living in a jungle. Remember your tree needs plenty of room to grow and send out its roots.

Dig the Right Size Hole! The hole you dig for your tree should be at least twice the size of the root ball. Lossen the soil an additional six to eight inches in the bottom of the hole to give the roots a better surface to dig into.

Remove Wrapping Around the Roots! Also spread those roots out as well. Place the tree in the hole, and spread the roots out again. Set the tree in the ground one or two inches deeper than it was planted in the nursery. Fill the hole with crumbed dirt mixed with good compost if you have it. Tamp the dirt firmly around the roots.

Place a Two-Inch Layer of Compost! Or peat moss on top of the planting. Water throughly.Do not fertilize the first year.

Each year as I stand in my gardens around the end of May or beginning of June, I say to myself, "Next Year, I am starting my planning early, in February, so come March, I have an idea about what I am doing." Finally, I think I am managing to follow this train of thought. Instead of flying by the seat of my pants, I am doing some garden planning this year.

What do you do? Do you have a garden? Are you into landscaping your property? Do you have any suggestions of things you have done well that work great?
.

Read more!