Tuna Cups for Kids

Looking for a creative food for the kiddos?  Look here for a fun way to keep kids intrigued with tuna sandwiches and it requires very little extra (cooking time) for what looks like a yummy treat.

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Garden Update

The first picture is the garden in June, just budidng, and the second is a pic of the garden in mid July.  We've already harvested spinach, lettuce, and beans.

(This is our spinach and lettuce picked and in the sink ready to wash).  I didn't realize this before, but home grown spinach is quite a bit stronger in flavor and adds quite a bite to my spinach and fruit smoothies I make.

Our tomato plants were doing great up until about a week ago.  The leaves at the bottom of the plant started turning yellow, and I knew there was something wrong. 

After looking online and reading up on some materials, we concluded that it had to be one of three things:

1. They have been getting too much water

2.  They consumed all of the nutrients in their pots and needed more fertilizer (nitrates)

3.  They had grown out of their pots and the roots needed more space

We concluded that we needed to transplant our tomato plants into a larger pot.  We have 6 plants, so we put 3 in the ground, and 3 in 5 gallon pots (so we can bring them inside for the winter).  Did you know that tomato plants, if under the right conditions, will fruit for two years?

We also added some organic fertilizer to give them more nutrients.  We are hoping this helps the plants to recover from our neglect and ignorance :)  One thing we noticed this morning, is that our squirrels in the area are plucking our green tomatoes and taking them home with them.  Those sneaky creatures!  Now we're going to have to net them off or something.  Also, it RAINED and POURED so hard that our poor plants were all squished to the ground!!  We may have to put some kind of tarp over the garden in heavy rainfall.  We've seen other people with roofs over their garden and we were wondering why.  The question is now answered!

Our Bell Peppers!  Can't wait to start eating them!!

BLOG AWARD!

Thanks to those of you who nominated my blog!!

I have received the "Top 40 DIY Home Blog Award"...


MBA Online

(http://www.onlinemba.com/top_diy_home/#Back_to_the_Basics)

I am surprised that I won this because my blog is so new, but I will gladly accept it!  I hope to continue to post blogs of interest and gain more readers as time progresses.

A BIG THANKS to all!

Natural Food coloring

HOW TO MAKE FOOD COLORING:

Cooking delicious food is not enough. It is much more important to make the dishes look appetizing as well. In fact, it is the appearance as well as the aroma of food that attracts people, especially kids to it, in the very first instance. It is only later that they get to explore its taste. Coloring plays a great role in making a food item look tempting. Just a pinch of edible food color added to your recipe can do wonders in making it look very enticing. For the purpose, synthetic food coloring of innumerable brands are available in the market. However, such food colors have chances of containing toxic ingredients, so it is better to avoid them altogether. Rather, you should make use of natural food coloring, made at home. In order to help you out, we have listed ideas on how to make food coloring, in the lines below.

NATURAL FOOD COLORING IDEAS:

If you want to give yellow color to any food item, make use of 1 tsp, or more, of stale turmeric powder. It is fairly flavor neutral and is often used to give an "eggy" shade to vegan puddings and tofu scrambles.

For adding a blush or pale pink color to any food, make use of the juice of fresh, thawed or frozen raspberries.

Pastel shades can be acquired by mixing in avocado to a dish. Take a small avocado and mash half of it, until creamy, before mixing it with your recipe.

In case raspberry purple is the color you desire, make use of blueberries or blackberries. Using a sieve, mash the juice from fresh or thawed frozen blueberries and use it for coloring. You can also use fresh or thawed frozen blackberries for the purpose.

Pomegranate juice or dried, powdered, boiled and unsalted red beets are perfect for adding red color to any food item.

In order to get a brown color, instant coffee granules or cocoa powder is what you need to add.

If green color is what you desire, go for thawed or frozen spinach that has been blanched and pureed.

Kashmiri chili powder (red chili powder that contains more redness than normal) is the perfect fit for giving a firing red color to your recipes.

Making use of the puree of bright red tomatoes can give a reddish tinge to your food.

Saffron is a great herb that gives a crimson touch to the food and gives a nice flavor too. You may make use of saffron in two ways - either mix it with half a teaspoon of milk (for crimson color) or combine it with water (for blood red color).

For a light green color in your food, soak pistachios in water and then grind them to make a paste. This would be the best bet for puddings and desserts.

Sugar, when caramelized, gives a brownish tinge and rich flavor to puddings. Use caramelized sugar in moderation, to enhance the color of your hot puddings.
 
(Found here)

I've always wondered what would happen if I left items for a long period of time- how long does it take to make things spoil, go bad, rot, fall apart, or disinegrate. 

This blog talks about the effects that time, humidity, and temperature had on a storage unit that was left alone for 11 years.  When they came back to the unit they were able to see the condition of their belongings.  Read the blog to find out more about it.  Very interesting and good to know what will last and what won't last.

Improving your garden soil

I came across this great article which talks about the different options out there to boost your soil and fill it with more nutrients for your fruits and vegetables you are growing. 

The more research I do and the more experience I have, the more I learn about what is most beneficial for our garden.  Next year my husband and I will incorporate more of these tips to help our garden grow better.

Alternatives to Gasoline/Diesel

How many times do you fill your gas tank each week?  How much money do you spend filling up your tank? 

I've often thought about my dependency on the oil companies to provide me my gasoline to commmute to and from work, to buy groceries, run errands, go on trips, and to visit family and friends.  As much as I love my Prius, which gets about 45 mpg, I am still heavily dependent on others to supply my fuel.

I ran across this blog and found this man's reasearch very intriguing.  I love it when other people do the research and tell us what works best!  This saves me the time, effort, work, and know-how ;)  I suggest that you read this blog if you are interested in alternative fuel for your vehicle.

FREE MUG

Check out this blog for a free mug!  Unless, of course, you want me to win it! ;)

http://tinyurl.com/MugGiveaway

Garden Markers

I saw this blog and fell in love with the idea.  I think if I ever do it I would try it on a knife instead of a spoon, but other than that, I think these would make cute little gifts with a pot full of herbs or something.

Let me know if you have any other ideas like this!

http://thepleasuresofhomemaking.blogspot.com/2009/07/thrifty-treasures-how-to-make-cute.html

Bungee Cord Memo Board

I thought this was a neat idea, using different tools and adding a "manly" flare.

Here's the link:
http://www.diylife.com/2010/07/14/handmade-bungee-cord-memo-board/

How to make condiments

MAYONAISE:

- This recipe says to heat mayo to prevent food poisoning and the video also gives you tips on how to add variety to your mayo:
  http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Mayonnaise

- Allrecipes.com
  http://allrecipes.com//HowTo/making-mayonnaise/Detail.aspx

- Old Time Recipes:
   http://oldrecipebook.com/mayonaise.shtml


MIRACLE WHIP:

-  Food.com:
   http://www.food.com/recipe/Homemade-Miracle-Whip-41781

- Make It From Scratch Blog:
   http://makeitfromscratch.blogspot.com/2009/05/homemade-miracle-whip.html


KETCHUP:

- Howtodothings.com:
   http://www.howtodothings.com/food-drink/how-to-make-ketchup

- How to make and bottle/can ketchup:
  http://www.pickyourown.org/ketchup.htm


MUSTARD:

- Dijon Mustard:
   http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Dijon-Mustard

- Recipe using cranberries (interesting!)
   http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/How-to-Make-Mustard.aspx?page=3

- This recipe gives you alternative liquid options:
   http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/how-to-make-mustard-from-scratch.html


RELISH:

- Make and can/bottle your own relish:
   http://www.pickyourown.org/pickle_relish.htm


TARTAR SAUCE:

- eHow Tartar Sauce:
   http://www.ehow.com/how_5331280_make-quick-tartar-sauce-scratch.html

- Home Joys Blog:
   http://homejoys.blogspot.com/2009/02/make-it-yourself-tartar-sauce.html

- Make it from Scratch Blog:
   http://makeitfromscratch.blogspot.com/2010/04/made-almost-from-scratch-tartar-sauce.html

Another way to mince garlic

When you don't like to use the garlic press because it is a pain to clean, or you just don't have one, here's an alternative:

use a lemon zester!

(Idea found here: http://www.tightwadblog.com/)

Corrosion Prevention of Canned Goods

Corrosion Prevention of Canned Goods:

Some areas have difficulty storing metal canned goods for long periods of time. This is usually caused by very high humidity or exposure to salt in a marine environment. If this is a problem, it is possible to extend the life of metal cans by coating their outsides. I've seen this used on boats here in Florida, especially when loading for a long trip. There are at least four methods that can be used to do this:

- Paraffin Method

PARAFFIN METHOD: Using a double boiler, paraffin is melted and brushed on the clean, unrusted cans. Be certain to get a good coat on all seams, particularly the joints. If the can is small enough, it can be dipped directly into the wax. Care must be taken to not cause the labels to separate from the cans. Do not leave in long enough for the can to get warm.

- Paste Wax Method

Combine 2-3 ozs of paste or jelly wax with a quart of mineral spirits. Warm the mixture CAREFULLY in its container by immersing it in a larger container of hot water. DO NOT HEAT OVER AN OPEN FLAME! Stir the wax/spirits thoroughly until it is well mixed and dissolved. Paint the cans with a brush in the same manner as above. Place the cans on a wire rack until dry.

- Spray Silicone

A light coating of ordinary spray silicone may be used to deter rust. Spray lightly, allow to dry, wipe gently with a clean cloth to remove excess silicone.

- Clear Coating

A clear type of spray or brush on coating such as Rustoleum (tm) may be applied. This is best suited for larger reseable cans, but will keep them protected from corrosion for years.

(all information found here)

Homemade Vegetable Broth Powder

I saw a blog post about how to make vegetable broth powder and I got excited!  We have been looking for good vegetable broth powder, and I didn't even THINK to make my own.  See how I take for granted that we can BUY everything instead of MAKE it ourselves?  Hence the reason I set up this blog and started doing all of this research in the first place.  I am excited to make this in the next few days!!!

Recipe (found on this blog, from this book):


VEGETABLE BROTH POWDER

2 cups Nutritional Yeast (NOT bread yeast.  Buy at health food store)
1/2 cup sea salt
2 Tablespoons onion powder
1 Tablespoon turmeric
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
2 teaspoons marjoram (optional)
2 teaspoons dried powdered lemon peel (optional)
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon powdered thyme
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
Place all, except parsley, in a blender in the listed order. Blend until powered together. Add parsley and pulse to chop. Store in an airtight container indefinitely in the cupboard. To make veggie broth, add 1 tbsp of powder to every quart of water.

Refinishing Old Books

Here is a cool, cheap way to redecorate old books and add them as part of your decorating theme.  Look at this website for her ideas.

Homemade Pest Remedies

I've grown up with fruit trees but we never used natural pesticide spray.  I've been curious how to get rid of pests organically.  I ran across this website and they seem to have some really helpful tips. 

If there's anyone else out there who grew up using natural pesticides, or if you have any tips, let me know about them!!  We plan to plant fruit trees in our yard and would like to keep everything natural!

Thanks for your ideas!

Picking Blueberries

It is almost time to pick blueberries.  I am excited because this will be my first year harvesting them.  My husband grew up picking wild blueberries up north, so we are going to continue the tradition.  I am excited because first of all, I didn't have to plant or water them, and second, because we are going to have FRESH blueberries to eat!

I learned from Diane, my mother-in-law, that you can freeze the blueberries on a pan one layer deep.  After they are frozen, pull them out and put them in ziplock bags for fresh berries for the next several months!

Depending on how many we get, we can make blueberry pie, jelly, jam, syrup, pie filling (for later use), blueberry butter, or I can bottle them and put them on the shelf.  I didn't grow up on a blueberry harvest, so I've never tasted any of the following.  I'll let you know how it goes, what we make, and what I like :)

Here is a website that has great information about blueberries, if anyone is interested.

Why you should NEVER talk to a cop

Here is a great video describing some GREAT reasons why you never talk to cops- whether you're innocent or not!!  Seriously, if you have the time to watch these two clips, it is well worth your time.

One clip is a lawyer explaining why NOT to talk to cops.

The second clip is a cop supporting the lawyer's comments and adding his own.

Free Giveaway!

Check out this blog for a free giveaway.  The book is titled: "Family Preparedness Handbook", and it sounds like a good book to read to prep you for any emergencies that may lie ahead.

GO HERE for the giveaway!! 

(Contest ends July 11)

Home Invasion

When I read this terrifying story, it really jerked me into reality.  I have NO idea what I would do if someone broke into my house.  I have no thought out plans, nor have we talked about this topic at all. 

Anyone is in danger of a break-in, no matter how invincible you may think you are.  Dee and I are going to have to sit down and discuss the best options to fit our house, family, and needs.

This story raises questions:
1. How are you going to protect yourself in the event of a break-in?
2. Do you have a weapon you can use?
3. Are you strong enough to fight someone off?
4. Do you have skills for hand combat, firing arms, or anything else that would aid in your survival?
5. Are you in shape to either fight your opponent or run?
6. Do you have a good hiding place?
7. Do you have your phone near you at all times in order to call 911?

It's good to think about these things and at least have some sort of plan in mind (whether you end up using it or not).  Being over prepared is better than not being prepared at all.

How to make Yeast

I was talking about yeast recently and a question popped in my head:  Where does yeast come from and can I make it?

So I did some research and found out that yes, I can make it with very little effort on my part.  The process is very simple and requires very little ingredients.  Here are some sites that I found (the processes are different for each so look at all of the links):

Natural yeast using raisins, water, and a glass jar.  Or here's one using strawberries (and I assume just water).

Airborne yeast using flour, sugar, warm water, bowl and cheesecloth.

Yeast substitute using baking soda and lemon juice.  Good to know but it looks like it's definately not first choice.

Raising Chickens (tips)

My husband and I would love to raise chickens and have fresh eggs every week.  While we didn't have the time to do it this year, we hope to do it in the future.  We will first need to build a chicken coop, and start the chicks indoors until they get big enough to stay outside.  Also, because we live in a cold climate, we will have to figure out how to keep our chickens warm during our bitter cold winters.  There's lots of research for us to do still.

Here are some tips I found from someone who has been raising chickens for several years.  If you have other advice for raising chickens, please let us know! 

Backing up your important documents

In an emergency, it is important to have all of your personal documents with you, safe and sound.  This would include your copies of your birth certificates, passports, driver's licenses, identificaiton cards, medical records, medicinal needs, car titles, house title and deed, computer files, e-books, proof of insurances (health, house, car),  family pictures, social security card, and any other documents you find valuable and important.

I read an article stating that it would be best to have a flash drive that is water-proof, bomb-proof, and kid-proof.  This may seem a little extreme, but in the event of another "hurricane katrina" or other natural disaster, you would be guaranteed to have your important documents and files safe and accessible.  The flash drive that the author suggested is found here.