Pomegranate Peeling

The Pomegranate is loaded with antioxidants and is considered a “Super Food” because of the vitamins, iron, potassium and folic acid content. They are very juicy and the juice will stain so peeling one is very messy unless you know how.

Score the pomegranate along the sides just deep enough to go through the red skin.

Place the pomegranate into a bowl full of water and pull the sections apart.

Pull the skin away from the seeds. The seeds will sink to the bottom, and all the other stuff will float to the top. Skim the waste from the top, then scoop the seeds out of the water.

We buy trays of pomegranates at Costco and I try to seed three at a time so there are plenty of seeds to snack on.
They are only available at certain times of the year, but you can freeze the seeds for later use. Just lay them on a cookie sheet in the freezer until totally frozen. Then you can place them in a freezer bag or container for up to 6 months.
Remember, Pomegranates are a good source of energy and we could all use more energy this time of year! Enjoy.

Making Birdseed Ornaments

Hi everyone. My mother has been in the hospital but now she’s out and seems better so I’m back to blogging. Today I’m making bird seed ornaments. They weren’t easy but I’m glad I did this. If you have a better recipe please let me know. For now, here is what I used.

I took 3 cups of seed, mixed with 4 envelopes of unflavored gelatin. After that was good and combined I added 1/4 cup water and mixed that together. I used parchment paper to line the cookie sheet. I placed some seed into cookie cutters, some in the bottom of bowls and some I just shaped. I cut a straw into several pieces and placed one into each shape to make and maintain a hole for the string to eventually go through. I let them stand for 1 hour to dry out a little. Then I sprinkled them with more water after I had pressed all the seed in tight.

Then I baked them at 250 degrees for 1 hour. You must let them cool in the oven so it’s best to bake them at night and let them sit in the oven overnight.
I tried to carefully remove the ornaments but most of them broke apart. Now you can wrap the cookie cutters with tin foil or spray them with cooking spray and that might help. The only ones I was truly happy with were the ones that I had shaped on the cookie sheet.

I took ribbon and hung the ornaments in a tree outside. I also strung some cranberries. I think it looks really sweet and was singing “Feed the Birds” while I was decorating the tree. So have fun and do something nice for our feathered friends this holiday season!

The Changing Colors of Fall

I love the way this season changes the leaves of the trees. It's such a wonderful time of year.

First is the Burning Bush in summer and then in Fall.

Next will be a Japanese Maple both in summer and Fall.

And lastly is the PeeGee Hydrangea which goes from a white flower to a very delicate dusty rose color. Love them!

I hope that you enjoy the trees that I think are the most beautiful in my yard in the fall.

A little of this, a little of that~

This is how I keep the old eggs separated from the new eggs that I just bought. I buy white eggs one week and brown eggs the next. I"ll know to use the white eggs first. Easy! Also, eggs do have an expiration date so make sure to check the side of the carton.

It’s time to use some of the fresh fruit you froze this summer when the prices were low. Even if you didn’t get around to it there are always sales on fresh frozen fruit. I always stock up on it when it’s two for one or I have a coupon.
I use Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Vanilla milk to make a smoothy because regular milk and I don’t get along. The Vanilla Almond gives the smoothy a nice flavor. Blue Diamond comes in Chocolate too!

You don’t have to add anything else if you don’t want to. The frozen fruit will make the smoothy cool and creamy. Yum, so good.

Lastly I’d like to show you a new discovery of mine. It’s called the Honeydrop by Honibe. It’s 100% pure dried honey. They are individually wrapped so you can carry them around, they aren’t sticky and they are tastier than a sugar packet or an artificial sweetener.

So there are just a few happy suggestions for you. Hope you have a nice day!

How to make a Halloween Pumpkin into a Merry Old Elf!

So what do you do when you have pumpkins sitting around after Halloween? You stack them and make them into a pumpkin man! I first painted the pumpkins with Krylon Dual paint and primer in one. I used one can for these three pumpkins. Make sure they are dry and clean before you paint.

Next, I took my apple corer and made one whole in the bottom pumpkin (no need to make one on the very bottom) and two holes top and bottom on the other two pumpkins.
This allowed me to thread the dowel through all the pumpkins. I did this so they wouldn’t fall over.

I painted the face with a Deco color black paint pen. Be careful not to scratch the white paint off. Next, I cut a hole in the top pumpkin for the carrot nose.

I pinned on a old hat that my son wore during a spring play at his school when he was in 5th grade, added some stick arms and a ribbon with wire in it. I cut little notches in the end of the scarf and bent it a little for movement sake. I had some green acrylic paint in a tube that I used to make the buttons and add color to his eyes. And there you have it. A pumpkin for all seasons!

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

It’s easy to roast pumpkin seeds. You have to remove all the “stuff” off of the seeds by rinsing them with water until they are totally clean. Next, spread them out on a towel to dry. Once they are dry you can toss them in cooking oil (just enough to coat). Spread them out evenly on a cookie sheet and sprinkle salt and garlic over them. If you don’t like garlic just use salt. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Don’t over cook. You have to let them cool completely before you sit down to enjoy them. They are yummy and have many health advantages including anti Inflammatory benefits.

A cup of roasted pumpkin seeds has about 285 calories so you have to be a little careful about grabbing handfuls at a time. If you trade in your Halloween candy for pumpkin seeds you’ll feel better and the health benefits will make you grin!

Fun Vegetable Lore

An Adams Apple is so named because it is said that when Adam took a bite of the forbidden fruit, a piece got stuck in his throat.

Egyptian Pharaohs would stuff themselves with cabbage the day before a heavy night of drinking. They thought the cabbage would ward off the negative effects of consuming large amounts of alcohol.

It is said that Americans consume about 30 pounds of lettuce a year. Compared to Manatees which can eat up to 180 pounds of romaine lettuce every day. Are they healthier?

Ancient Egyptians used to take an oath of office on a Bible? No ~ an Onion!

Turnip greens are said to help relief the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

In 1947 Marilyn Monroe was crowded the first California Artichoke Queen!

Russell Brand was named the Sexiest Male Vegetarian Celebrity of 2011 by Peta.

Making Dog Biscuits

I always wanted to try making dog biscuits from scratch. I heard it was easy so I gave it a try. I hope that you enjoy making these. I know that your dog will love you for taking the time.

3 cups of flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup powdered milk
Mix dry with wet ingredients
1 TBSP peanut butter
3 ripe bananas
2 peeled apples
roll and refrigerate and slice
Bake in a 350 degree oven
for 25 minutes

Astilbe

I just got my order from Breck's! 8 Astilbe that grow in shade to part shade. Perfect for my yard. I got 2 each in Red Fanal, Deutschland White, Peach Blossom and Lavender. They look kind of dead when they come in the mail.

photo credit: CK Worley

But as you can see from the first photo - they are beautiful plants. I'm suffering from allergies so I won't plant them today. I'll try again tomorrow for tomorrow is another day! :D

Weed or Not?

If you’re a novice in gardening like me then you will appreciate the Walter Reeves web site. I just sent two photographs of plants that I wasn’t sure of. They just popped up like weeds but were pretty enough to be flowers. I got an answer from a member of the Walter Reeves web site within 24 hours. He has lots of interesting gardening tips so make sure you check it out.
Here are the photos that I e-mailed in and the answer to my “what is it?” question.

photo credit: CK Worley

photo credit: CK Worley

Ageratum and Smartweed. Two excellent examples of the eye of the beholder maketh it a weed or not!

Making soap with herbs.

It’s easy to make soap. All you have to do is buy some glycerin or lanolin soap from a craft store or buy some glycerin soap at a dollar store. A 5 lb. bag of glycerin cost about $5 and it makes 9 bars of soap.

Put about 2 glycerin chunks per bar into a microwave safe bowl and run it on high for 4 - 30 second intervals. Make sure the bowl or container that you microwave it in has a spout for easy pouring. Once the soap is completely melted, add some of your favorite chopped herbs. I chopped up some mint and some rosemary for two different kinds of soap. Make sure to chop all herbs finely so it will easily go down the drain when used.

You need to get some essential oils as well. Essential oils are distilled from the leaves of plants or herbs and aren’t really oily feeling.  I added wintergreen and eucalyptus to the mint soaps and rosemary and eucalyptus to the other. Eucalyptus is good for people with respiratory issues and my husband Robert has a terrible bug right now. Essential oils help to bring out the scent in the herbs that you are using. Go to -settersrun360@gmail.com - for more information on where to buy quality essential oils.

You can buy molds or use a small container to make your own mold. Molds cost around $3 and they come in all shapes and sizes.

photo credit: CK Worley

The bars will take an hour or so to cool. You can pop the soap out of the mold and wrap it in parchment paper. Add a sticker with the kind of soap that you made to the back to hold the paper together and a sticker with your name on the front.
Add a bow if you’d like and you’ve got a great gift.

photo credit: CK Worley

Now go out there and use those herbs that you grew and have fun!

Time to plant a winter garden!

There are all kinds of yummy veggies that like the chilly weather but I could only choose a few. Now that it’s time to plant a winter garden I’ve pulled up what remained of the summer garden and am ready to begin. First, I have to get the soil prepared for another growing season. I turned over all the soil and added compost and manure to the mix. This will give new life to my raised beds.

photo credit: CK Worley

I also added some cactus soil to the area where my garlic will grow. One of my very first YouTube videos was about planting garlic and how it likes well drained soil. Mixing cactus soil into the garden will help with this preference.

photo credit: CK Worley

To that I’ll add some Soil Moist to my combined soil to ensure the plants won’t get thirsty. It’s essential to provide this extra insurance in a raised bed because they dry out much faster than a ground garden would.

photo credit: CK Worley

Now for my seeds. I planted Early Italian Garlic, Red Delicious Hybrid Onion, Heirloom Beets, Royal Chantenay Carrots, Cherry Belle Radish, Buttercrunch Lettuce and Endive. I only used half of the seeds and bulbs because I have two small gardens so I’ll put the rest in the fridge and plant again in March for an early 2012 harvest.

photo credit: CK Worley

It's hard to believe that each one of these seeds will grow into an onion! You can plant a winter garden in the ground, raised bed or pot! It isn’t difficult and you will reap rewards in about 60 to 75 days. Remember nothing tastes as good until you Grow it First!

Be a Copy Cat!

Okay so you have the perfect place in the sun to plant a garden that will get you the “Yard of the Month” award. But how will you do that? Take a walk! That’s right. Take a walk and bring your camera. Or take a drive and bring your camera. Look at the way professionals put a garden together. If you like it, snap a photo then bring it to your garden center and ask them to pull the plants together that will make it work for you. Make sure you get details on how to plant and keep them alive as well! You can make your lawn and garden just as beauteous as those other guys! Now go out and win that award!

photo credit: CK Worley

photo credit: CK Worley

These are some photos I took while on my morning walk. Enjoy!
Oh and one more funny thing. Here is some corn planted in the only sunny spot in the lawn. Right next to an oak tree. How about that. It works!

photo credit: CK Worley

Home Security Plants

Here are some home security plants that are great for keeping people and other critters out. First is the Pyracantha.

photo credit: CK Worley

It’s an evergreen that blooms in the spring and produces orange berries in the fall. Great place for nesting birds. The berries are not poisonous and so some people make them into jelly but I say, better leave the berries to the birds. They get really tall and wide so they also make a great privacy fence. Here is a photo I took while on a walk this morning of a row of Pyracantha.

photo credit: CK Worley

The other is a Holly. Same thorny security features with glossy leaves and berries that are red instead of orange. Plus, you are supposed to prune Holly plants in December which allows you to use the trimmings for Holiday decorations! So if you have a fence you’d like to secure or just have a property line you’d like to enhance, these are some options for you!

Bulb Planting Time!

Yesterday I planted some bulbs in front of the house. First I had to move the liriope or monkey grass to another location. No need to plant it right away because it will take a lot of abuse and grow just fine. So I just placed it in the back to plant later.

photo credit: CK Worley

After that, I had to rake and make sure all the liriope roots were taken up and rocks and lumps of soil had been removed or broken up. I decided to plant a combination of white tulips and blue muscari. So, I dug a trench long and wide enough to accommodate all of my bulbs and laid them out to insure an even coverage.

photo credit: CK Worley

I covered the area with soil and pine straw and watered. Now all I’ll have to so is wait until spring to see the results. I hope it’s as pretty as I imagine! The next set of bulbs that I plant will be on the other side of this garden near the house. I haven’t gotten them in the mail yet but I think they will come next week. They are blue allium and they will grow about 3 feet in height. As a matter of fact, I saw some on the show Modern Family in front of the Dunphy’s house. That’s was pretty cool. Next week ~ more bulbs and my winter vegetable garden! Onward gardeners!

photo credit: CK Worley

This photo March 16, 2012

More Bargain Buys

I just got back from Old Time Pottery. This is a Manufacturers Closeout Decor store in the Southeast. They have a garden center. Who knew? All the trees and plants were 75% off. Annuals were 90% off! I bought a couple of trees and a bush.

photo credit: CK Worley

First was the Okame Cherry Tree in a 7 gallon container for $7.49. The Okame Cherry Tree is the star of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. and is one of the earliest bloomers. It's got beautiful pink flowers and wonderful fragrance in the spring and gives great fall colors as well.

photo credit: CK Worley

The next tree is a Green Mountain Sugar Maple for 9.99 in a 7 gallon container. Known for it’s brilliant color in the fall the Sugar Maple truck is tapped for the sap and boiled down to make maple syrup. And you know how beautiful fall maple leaves are!

photo credit: CK Worley

Finally the last plant is the Pragense Viburnum in a 3 gallon container. It’s an evergreen that blooms white. It attracts bees, butterflies and birds. This bush can grow to 6 feet tall which is perfect for the bank in our backyard. Price? $3.50!

While I decide exactly where these plants will go, I will tickle their roots by feeding them with Gro-tone which is a natural organic liquid plant food.

I love finding great deals on a large item purchase. Look around where you live. I’m sure that there are great deals just waiting for you too!