Screen Door Frame

Speaking of screen doors (see post below this one), I wish I had the screen door on the back of my grandparent's house. It had little turned spindles and loads of character. I'll keep my eyes open for one much like this one. I want to put a mirror in the back and lean it against the wall.

A Taste of Home

I've never read a cook book from cover to cover, but Martha Hall Foose's Screen Doors and Sweet Tea is filled with stories of the South and wonderful recipes that take me home. I read every word and enjoyed it as a book as much as a cook book.

Even the title reminds me of languid summers in the South and my mother and grandmother's calling out to me, "Don't slam the screen door." Pimento cheese sandwiches were always served at picnics and church gatherings. Old standards like fried chicken, fluffy biscuits and homemade corn bread, black berry cobbler and a variety of fresh garden vegetable recipes make my mouth water just thinking about them.

This is a lovely cook book and the Southern recipes inside are solid.

Seedling Incubator

I've been behind in everything for the past month. Today I finally planted seeds for my herb garden. Last year I had some little pellon type pellets that you poked seeds into and covered with a plastic lid to hold in moisture and warmth until the seeds sprouted. Since I'd used most of the pellets, I poked coffee filters down in the holes and filled with a special sprouting potting soil.

I purchased several kinds of seeds. One seed packet had no seeds in it. Another one had 5-6 seeds the size of grains of salt.

Since the holes in the seedling incubator are so close together, the effect is frilly and pretty. I placed it under a window to help them sprout. Last year it wasn't warm enough at night to put out young plants until June. We have a short growing season, but I can't resist growing a few herbs and some flowers for color.

Natural Floor Cleaner

I did an article recently about all the natural cleaning products I'm incorporating in my cleaning routine to replace all the commercially made products. Some of the natural recipes you find don't clean as well as commercial products, but this morning I mopped my kitchen floor that was feeling a bit sticky in places, with a winning combination of white vinegar and Dr. Bronner's Orange Castile Soap. Notice, I buy white vinegar in gallon jugs because I use it for tons of things besides salad dressing.

I was concerned that the house would smell like vinegar, but I was left with a squeaky clean kitchen floor and a home that smelled soapy and clean. I quickly ran the mop over the downstairs bathroom and laundry room to spread the scent around.

Here's the recipe. If you haven't discovered Dr. Bronner's Castile soap yet, you're missing out. I've tried other brands, but this one is superb!

Floor Cleaner:

1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cap full of Dr. Bronner's castile soap (I used orange scent, but you can use any of them)
2 gallons warm water

Mix in a bucket and mop your freshly swept floors. There is no need to rinse.

Fickle Decoration

A decade ago, nearly every home was trying to look like a villa in Italy. Now, it seems every home wants to look French. What is it about us that makes us jump on every bandwagon and try to out-Villa or out-French our friends and neighbors?

My advice is to find something you really like and do it well. If you like blue, but yellow is the color-du-jour, decorate in blue. Decorate in colors that make you feel good when you walk into your home.

Don't be ruled by what is the "in" fad of the moment. When Pantone announced that the 2012 color of the year was tangerine, suddenly it was everywhere. The fact is, few people look good in or around orange. Now, if you have red hair, you are in your element. Shades of orange make your skin look wonderful. Orange is a happy color for you. Go for it!

Next year when the color changes to something else and you still love the orange you painted your kitchen last year, don't feel compelled to repaint just because merchandisers say so. They are trying to sell products. Stick with what you love.

Look Now!

Yesterday I got a new stove. Take a look now at how beautiful and clean the oven is. I never can seem to keep it this clean, even with a self cleaning feature. The stove door gets spattered and nothing I've tried seems to get it all off around the gasket.

I was anxious to try it out and baked banana bread this morning.

If anyone has any tips on keeping the oven this clean (besides not using it), let me know soon!

Stove Top Coffee Cake

My oven has not worked for a couple of weeks (a new one is on the way) and we suddenly had a craving for something sweet. I've worked hard to eliminate as many preservatives and chemicals as I can from our diet, so buying a pre-made dessert was not an option. I went online and found this on Yahoo! Answers. It makes the equivalent of one round cake layer.


I didn't know if this would be good or not, but it turned out to be delicious and something I will make again. I had to bake it 20 minutes more than the recipe said, but we live in high altitude, so that's probably why.

Stove Top Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup melted shortening
1/2 cup pineapple juice


Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl. Combine egg, shortening, and juice. Add to flour mixture and mix well. Grease an 8 inch heavy skillet and line the bottom with three layers of waxed paper. Spread batter evenly in the bottom. Sprinkle with topping (recipe below) and cover with a tight fitting lid. Place on stove top on very low heat. Bake 40 minutes.



Topping:

1/4 cup chopped nuts
4 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. cinnamon

Cut sugar and cinnamon into butter until it is crumbled. Stir in nuts.

***I didn't have pineapple juice and used a Tbs. of honey and coconut milk in place of pineapple juice.

Leap Day

Today is February 29th, which only comes around every four years in a leap year. Considered Leap Day, tradition has it that a woman can ask a man to marry her on this day.

Similar to Sadie Hawkins Day, which occurs in November any year, Leap Day gives women permission to be bold. One of my favorite movies is Leap Year starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode.

It's the charming, light, sweet story of a girl who plans to pop the question, but of course, there are hurdles, surprises, humor, and finally a lovely ending. It's a great movie to watch on leap day.

Thank You, Jan

This beautiful woman is Jan Berenstain. Together with her husband, Stan, they wrote over 300 childrens books. Sadly, Jan died Friday at 88 years of age. Her books were favorites at our house when my boys were little, and we had a shelf full of them. The artwork and realistic stories of The Berenstain Bears books are wonderful.

Each story teaches a valuable lesson and gives parents and children a chance to discuss how to behave and how not to behave in different instances. It's not easy to raise a child that you can be proud of these days, but the Berenstain Bears books should be on every child's book shelf in my opinion.

These books are an invaluable tool to help teach your child manners, ethics, and how to treat others. I plan on buying a whole new batch of them for my future grandchildren to read. Stan Berenstain passed away in 2005 and Jan continued to write with her son, Michael, doing the artwork. Michael plans to continue the work and write and illustrate more books. We'll miss you Jan.

Freaking Out

I tried a new version of Blogger on the Dashboard and now I can't do everything I could before and some of the screens are blank white. Hopefully I'll figure out how to get back to the other version. Sometimes "new and improved" is just different and not improved at all.

Coral and Brown

Coral and Brown naturally look fabulous next to one another. This room from Amanda Nisbet has rosey coral walls and the wood shelves provide the brown. Cream balances out the two darker colors and makes a lovely room. Notice how the colors are spread around the room in accessories and accents. This makes the room feel balanced.

This bedroom is done in the same hues, but in lighter shades. The lighter colors make the room look restful.

You can play with the shades and get the look you want. Coral ranges from almost red, to rosey coral, to a more orangey shrimp shade. Your wood furniture becomes the brown shade and paint can be anywhere from tans to taupes to chocolate.

Imagine how gorgeous this neutral room would look with coral throw pillows on the bed and an arrangement of coral colored flowers on the night stand.

This rug or a fabric in similar colors would be the great start of a room in Coral and Brown.

Don't forget the accents. These coral pillows and serving tray with coral handles can help tie together your color scheme.

Going Natural

My bathroom cabinet is beginning to have more and more natural products. After this week with headlines announcing that our cosmetics have things like arsenic, lead, and mercury in them, it makes you stand back and take notice of the labels.

I'm picky about what I use on my skin and things that don't smell good or feel wierd don't make the cut. I won't say I've become totally "crunchy", but here are some of my favorite natural products and how I'm using them.

Honey

This golden nectar of the bees is a wonderful facial cleanser. Look for honey that is unfiltered and unpasturized or uncooked. Wet a wash cloth in warm water and put a little honey on it, followed with some baking soda on top. Use this to scrub your face. It removes makeup and polishes your face unbelieveably smooth. After you rinse the honey off, put a drop of it in your palm and add a drop or two of water, so you can spread it on your face. It might feel slightly sticky, but the nutrients in honey are good for the skin and even heal pimples. Now put on your night cream. You'll notice how soft your skin feels after using this.

Baking Soda:

Baking Soda is very inexpensive, but one of the best products you can have around. I buy it in big bags because I use it for cleaning, polishing pots and pans, on my skin, and to whiten my teeth. It's not just for deodorizing the refrigerator.

To make an excellent scrub for the bathroom fixtures, put a cup of it in a container and add a few drops of tea trea oil (disinfectant), a tsp. of your favorite dish washing liquid, and just enough water to make a paste. A teaspoon of this will clean the soap scum off your entire bath tub.

After you've scrubbed your face with honey and baking soda, wet a cotton pad and pour on a little ACV. Use this as your toner to restore the correct pH of your skin. You can feel the difference. Don't worry about the smell. As it dries, the smell evaporates.

ACV helps get rid of grease and odors. Pour some vinegar and baking soda down your drain and let it bubble for a few minutes, then flush with boiling water to keep your drain flowing.

For your hair, mix half ACV and half water as a final rinse for your hair. Your hair will be squeeky clean and shiney. The smell evaporates and disappears as your hair dries. If it really bothers you, pour it through your hair and let it stay for a couple of minutes, then rinse with clear water.

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap is gentle enough to bathe the baby and hard working enough to wash the car. In fact, it does a good job of getting off those bugs that get stuck to your grill after driving at night. It comes in unscented, peppermint, and rose to name a few. You'll find countless uses for this all purpose product.

Olive Oil

Olive Oil is one of my very favorite beauty products. After you wash your face, put 1-2 drops on your palm and rub them together. I use 1 drop during the day and 2 drops at night because it feels so good. After you rub your palms together, pat them on your damp face. Now use your regular night cream. It feels so good you'll look forward to washing your face at the end of the day.

If you have a lotion or cream that just isn't working well enough, mix in a little olive oil.

Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe is a miraculous plant. For wonderfully smooth skin, mix a cup of aloe vera gel (I buy the clear 100% pure aloe gel at any drug store for convenience, and I figure the dye in the blue and green ones won't help your skin) with 100% pure Vitamin E. When you mix it, the aloe vera gel will turn milky. If you want scented lotion, add a squirt of your favorite perfume. Use this all over when your skin is still moist from a shower.

Aloe can remove skin cancer. Here's how I found out about that. A friend with beautiful skin had a spot that came up on her face. She went to the dermatologist. He confirmed that it was skin cancer and made an appointment for her to have it removed. For some reason, she started putting on aloe vera every day. By the time her appointment came around, the spot was totally gone. She kept her appointment to show the dermatologist who was surprised.

Since then, I've done this treatment several times and told several of my friends who tried it with equally great results. My method is to put a band aid over the spot and keep it saturated with aloe vera gel for 4 days. Then remove the band aid and keep putting on the aloe vera twice a day until it's gone. This usually takes two weeks, but occasionally has taken longer. Don't give up. At the end of two weeks, there won't even be a pink spot where it was. I know of three people who have done this on their faces and avoided having a scar from having it removed. If you have a spot that changes color, texture, or size, try this. It's only two weeks and could save you lots of pain, money, and having a scar forever.

A word about Vitamin E: Be sure to buy 100% Vitamin E. Many stores sell it with a label that says Vitamin E, but look closer. It may be mixed with other oils. This is fine as a cuticle oil, but for the aloe vera mixture, look for 100% Vit. E. It will be very thick.

Salt

If you are mixing up a scrub that you'll use right away, you can use sugar, but if you mix up a big batch or don't plan to use it right then, use salt. Sugar will dissolve if you don't use it right away.

The abrasiveness of salt is great to scrub heels, cuticles, and rough patches. It's also a good all over exfolliator to use before you use a self-tanner, if you're into that.

To make a scrub with salt, mix a cup of salt with about 1/4 cup oil. You can use olive oil or whatever you have on hand. Just get into the shower and get wet. Scrub each area with a hand full of salt. A word of caution: Do Not Shave Before You Do This unless you like the stinging pain of salt in a wound. After you have scrubbed all over, suds up with a loofah and your favorite bath gel. Rinse. Now you have baby smooth skin and you won't even need moisturizer.

So that's what I'm doing these days. I look for pretty containers to put my new skin care products in so they look nice. If you have any great natural products or recipes that you like, let me know. I'd love to add them to my list of non-toxic products.

Hooray! It's National Tortilla Chip Day

February 24 is designated as National Tortilla Chip Day. Around here, almost every day is tortillia chip day since I love salsa on just about everything.

Word has it that Rebecca Webb Carranza is credited with founding the tortilla chip. The California resident, who passed away in 2006 at 98 years old, fried rejected tortillas from her tortilla factory to make tortilla chips.

Most of us eat tortilla chips with salsa, picante, or pico de gallo, but what's the difference in these spicy tomato concoctions?

Salsa: Salsa means sauce and has more liquid and may be smooth or chunky.

Picante: Picante means hot or spicy, so a label that says Picante, should be the hot spicy version. Though, I've purchased this before and it was not hot or spicy, so you may have to try a few different brands to find one you like, or make your own.

Pico de Gallo: Pico de Gallo has less liquid in it. It is made from fresh ingredients and should be eaten a day or two after making it. It's best when fresh. Use chilled ingredients for the best flavor.

Pico de Gallo

1 medium tomato diced
1/2 onion, minced
1 serrano pepper minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. lime juice

Chop all the vegetables and stir in salt and lime juice. This is good with corn chips or any Mexican food, and especially good on grilled chicken.

Salsa

Salsa is one of those things that there are as many recipes as cooks. When I need a salsa fix, I take the easy route and make my own. It only takes a minute.

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 jalepeno pepper
1/2 onion
a hand full of fresh cilantro leaves
a squirt of lime juice
1 tsp. salt

Throw it all in the blender and blend till smooth or the consistency you like.

Another favorite dip to eat with tortilla chips is Guacamole.

Guacamole

2-3 ripe avocados
1 Roma tomato
1 serrano pepper
1 tbs. lemon juice
salt (I like to use seasoned salt)

Halve the avocados and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh and mash with a fork. Dice the tomato and serrano pepper. Stir everything together.

The fresh made recipes are so much better than pre-packaged ones and only take a minute to make.

I'm not industrious enough to make homemade tortillas, though I have cut up tortillas, sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, then baked till they were crisp. Nah. I'll just buy them in a bag. It's way less mess in the kitchen and I can get the salsa into my mouth faster.

Planning the Spring Garden

I saw another blog the other day and there were photos of profuse flowers all over the yard. We aren't that far into spring here, in fact, we are suspended somewhere between spring and winter. You never which you'll get. It's been a wierd year for weather all over the U.S.

I recently bought a bundle of seeds to plant in pots this spring. I don't have that much of a green thumb, but I try. I've had fairly good luck with herbs and love having them fresh to pick when I cook. I usually plant a few flowers for color to mix in with them. We live in a dry climate, so watering the plants is crucial and I'm not the best at remembering to do that.

Here's what my garden will have later on. I plan to have cilantro, parsley, basil (lots), lavender, poppies, and I can't remember if I took the seeds in the zip lock bag from a lemon or an orange, but either way, fresh citrus sounds good.

What are you planting this year?

Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter

As a writer, I read all the time. I just finished Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton.

I grew up not from from Memphis and could relate to so much in this book. I never went through Memphis without keeping my eyes peeled for an Elvis sighting. It's the cute story of a woman transplanted from her native South to Vermont. She is ill prepared for what transpires in Vermont, but she surprises everyone by how she handles it. She is thrust into situations way out of her comfort zone and through it all she maintains her dignity and grows as a person, proving that we all have stronger backbones than we realize. Ok, that's not enough to pique your interest. She and her husband buy a Vermont inn that has a horrible odor and the previous owners intend to stick around for a year to show them the ropes. Meanwhile, they don't want any changes made while they are still there, including cleaning or painting to get rid of the odor. It's great fun and I couldn't put it down.

Fresh and Savory Chicken and Rice Soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 small or 1 large chicken breast
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. celery salt
1 cup rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 diced Roma tomato
1 hand full fresh spinach, chopped


In a large pot pour chicken broth and add chicken breasts, Greek Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, and Celery Salt. Add enough water to cover chicken breasts. Bring to a boil and turn down heat. Cover and cook until chicken is tender. Cut or shred chicken into small pieces.

Add rice, carrot, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil and cover. Turn down to low heat and simmer 20 minutes until rice is done. If the rice soaked up all the liquid, add enough broth or water to bring it back to soup consistency. Turn up heat and heat the added liquid.

Stir in diced tomato and chopped spinach. Cook for about a minute and serve. Add a sprinkle of Parmesan on top if you like.


***I didn't measure the Greek Seasoning, so taste and add more if you want. I have also used Nature's Seasoning. Cavender's Greek Seasoning is a favorite spice in my kitchen. It is primarily pepper, garlic,salt, oregano, and a few extra things just listed as "spices".

Cool Idea for When the Power Goes Out

This comes from another blog, Gypsy Heart and Soul. http://gypsyheartandsoul.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-idea-for-power-outages.html

Many of you have these landscape lights and if you don't, they are, literally, about a dollar a piece. I'm going to go get some just for this purpose and the rest of the time, they light your walkways and make your home look good on the outside.

Thanks, Gypsy.

Dilletante Chocolate Truffles

It was a loveley Valentine's Day - a quiet dinner for two by fireside, great conversation, wonderful company, murmered sweet nothings, and chocolate.

I found this chocolate in the candy aisle at Wal Mart and purchased it on a whim. Made by a third generation chocolatier, these truffles are Mocha, Latte, and Espresso flavored. Savored with a cup of coffee, they are soooo good. Can you see my eyes rolling back in my head while they melt on my tongue? They're that good.

I'm hoping Wal Mart carries this goodie all the time and not just at Valentine's Day.

Dilletante Chocolate truffles.

A Sign of the Times

A few days ago a man in old clothes wearing a back pack stood at a stop light where I was stopped in my car. He held a sign written on card board that said he needed money for food. At the time I had no cash on me. I'm always torn when I see people begging.

On one hand, I want to help people. On the other, professional pan-handlers take thousands of dollars each and every month, tax free, and live better than the average American these days.

How are we to know if they are legitimate or not? If they refuse to work for food or accept help from local shelters and soup kitchens, they are probably not homeless or in need. If they refuse food from you, they most certainly aren't hungry.

Will they buy food with my money or will they buy cigarettes or whiskey? If they choose to use the money unwisely, am I just enabling them to be degenerates?

I have given money to people from time to time, but I crack my window and slip the bill through the crack for fear of being mugged. It's a sad world we live in when we are afraid to help people.

A few years ago I visited a friend in England. We had seen many pan-handlers on the streets of London, but one day we went into the subway. As we went down the stairs, a young woman sat on the floor holding a sign. There were three of us and we had passed many others by, but something about this woman had all three of us digging deep into our pockets.

There must have been an instinct that rose to the surface. We discussed the situation and wondered what it was about that girl who affected us all so strongly. I hope she was able to get on her feet and that her situation is now better.

It is wrong for people to beg if they aren't really in need, but here's how I look at it. If I give money to someone and they really don't need it, shame on them. I'm giving to someone who I perceive to be in dire need. Helping people is a good thing.

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:35-40

A Basic Sewing Kit

If you are a beginner to sewing, you'll need a basic sewing kit. The following items are things you'll use over and over and often:

Scissors

Scissors come in all price points, but I really like these Fiskers brand scissors. They are inexpensive and if you lose them or ruin them, it won't kill you because you can get another pair even at Wal Mart.

Pins

A basic package of dress maker pins is a must. You'll want to replace them when they get dull (after you've used them many, many times).

Tape Measure

Everyone needs a tape measure. You'll use it to take your measurements and premeasure your pattern to make sure it will fit before you pin it down and cut out the fabric.

Hem Gauge

A hem gauge is a measuring tool to evenly measure hems. This assures that you will have a level bottom on that dress, pants legs, or sleeves.

Seam Ripper

It's unavoidable. Even the most experienced seamstress occasionally has to undo something. The tiny point slips under machine stitches and cuts the thread without ruining the fabric, so you can re-sew it and no one will be the wiser.

Thimble
Some things will be sewn by hand. Rather than puncturing your fingers, use a thimble to push that needle through. This one is a standard thimble, but if you have long nails, there are thimbles with a slit on the end so your finger nail can stick out. Thimbles also come in hard rubber, adjustable, and leather with a metal tip. They are sized to accomodate any size fingers.


Pin Cushion
Make one in a pretty shape in a color that makes you happy. Fill them with sand. The sand is easy to stick pins into.

Have some fun with this.

Needles

Needles come in packages that hold several and assorted sizes. The packages are labeled as quilting, embroidery, or general sewing needles.

Sewing Machine

A basic sewing machine will handle most of your needs. It should have zig zag stitching or overcast to finish seams. Some machines have an automatic button hole attachment. I prefer to do them on my own. I'll show this in a later lesson.

For the sewing machine, you'll need bobbins to sew with and thread to match your fabric.

Once you have the tools, you need somewhere to put it all. Sewing baskets come in a million shapes, colors, and designs. You could also use a beautiful hat box or a plastic storage container - anything that keeps you organized and keeps your tools where you can find them when you need them.