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Plotting Your Garden
This article is part 3 of a series for beginner gardeners planning their first garden. Here are links to the 2 other parts to the series in case you missed them: Part 1: Selecting A Location Part 2: Garden Soil Preparation There are many folks who have never picked up a garden hoe that are planting a vegetable garden for the first time. I have found planting and growing your own vegetables is a relaxing hobby, saves money, and provides nutritious foods which can even be pureed for toddlers. Growing your own veggies and fruits will give you comfort in knowing exactly what is on your fresh foods. You will…
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Christmas Candy Recipes
We had our first snow today. It was the perfect day to get lost in the kitchen while the snow fell outside. As you begin your holiday baking, add these recipes to your list. You will not be disappointed! Pecan Pralines 1 cup light brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup heavy cream 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons of water ¼ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups chopped pecans Mix light brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, butter, water, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves. Stir in pecans and cook over medium heat until mixture…
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DIY Stocking Hangers
I love the look of these stocking hangers. I couldn’t find anything like them to purchase and I had a vision of these stocking hangers for my growing family on my mantel. So, I decided to make these myself. They turned out great and were so easy to make. Get the steps below! Choose a small log. (I used birch) Use a saw to cut into 4 inch pieces. Drill a hole the size of the dial you are using. Glue the dial into the hole. Drill a small hole on top with a small drill bit. Use a wire to fit the hole and wrap the top in a…
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Gardening For Beginners: Selecting A Location
When I started my journey of gardening I had never been around a garden. I wondered why have a garden? I did not grow up around any type of gardening but I knew it was something I was interested in starting. I am a self made gardener and taught myself by trial and error. I did and continue to do lots of reading, researching, and talking to other gardeners. I was part of a Food Bank garden farm and would weekly pick up my share until one day I thought “I can do this”. Raising my children was at the top of my list however, I knew when they all…
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Creating Family Traditions
September signals the beginning of the fall/autumn season in our home and that means our family traditions begin. Raising children to believe in family traditions was top on my list of things I wanted to accomplish. There seems to be so much competition for time between school, after school activities, the electronics world, and school friends. Spending time with each other must be developed early so when everyone ages, the value of those relationships grows and is maintained. As children grow and start their own families, the traditions can be started in their own homes. While it is tempting to go crazy with starting lots of traditions, quality versus quantity is…
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Must Have Garden Tools For A Gardener
Having spent several years in the garden, tending to fruit trees, and maintaining a little over an acre of land, there are basic tools which make the job easier. Many of the tools can overlap with a variety of uses for upkeep and long term success of all aspects of gardening. Gardening is a process which has continued learning opportunities. It requires patience, endurance, creativity, and can be a taxing and difficult job without having the tools to make it enjoyable and fun. I learned that concept the hard way until I invested in essential tools to make a long lengthy day into a fun manageable hobby. I find gardening…
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Guide To Fireplace Safety and Maintenance
During fall and winter, one of the joys our family loves is curling up in front of a warm fireplace. We have a wood burning fireplace which requires clean and safe maintenance to prevent the enjoyment from turning into a tragedy. There are many safety checks which must be done before starting your first fire of the season. Our fireplace is 18 years old, and we use it almost everyday during the winter. Being a nurse and having worked at at Burn Center, I am particularly sensitive and cautious when it comes to safety and maintenance of a wood burning fireplace. FIREPLACE SAFETY CHECKS Chimneys need to be checked and…
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Guide To Apples And Their Uses
Autumn is a magical time of year for many reasons. The leaves are changing and one of the favorite fall traditions in many parts of the country in visiting apple orchards. Apple harvest can run through November in some parts of the country. Apple varieties are as individual with their own flavors, textures, and strengths. Some do very well in baked desserts while others do well in salads. You can not really tell by looking at the apples what works the best for what use. Below are 4 categories and which corresponds to their best use. Enjoy a few easy apple recipes with sweet flavors. Apple Cider Donut Muffins Old…
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Fall Leaves Are A Gardeners Best Friend
This last spring I started a compost pile. As I have researched, nature has its own recycling method that is so beneficial for our gardens. Fall leaves are a great addition to composting. We have plenty of leaves on our property so I am going to put them to work. They turn such a gorgeous color but quickly turn brown and cover the ground. Autumn leaves are considered a “brown” element needed in composting. They are a source of carbon, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and minerals. These are really a free addition to soil which can be incorporated directly into the soil or put as a “brown” element to the…
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A Guide To Starting a Fall Garden
Most gardeners turn in for the autumn and winter months as a break from the work of a long summer garden. They wait until spring to start up again. That has been my pattern over the last several years. By the time the last tomato has been picked and preserved, I am ready for a break. I saw the fall season as a new opportunity. The weather is cool and pleasant, most days, and what is a better time to be outside enjoying the season. Each fall I would get out my clipboard and start planning my garden for the spring. Reviewing what was planted and rethinking next year planting…
Home Grown is Best
