Scratch Off Cards

"February knows his fortune well,

Even in the bitterness of dawn

Breaking in the coldest hour of hell,

Revealing but the worst that must be borne.

Underneath the ice the passions sleep

Ablaze with all the beauty of their burning,

Rendering a richness that will keep

Yet warm within the cavern of his yearning."

 Nicholas Gordon  

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• PHOTOBOMBING
• AWKWARD PHOTO OF THE DAY
• GARDEN UPDATE
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN CRAFT RECIPE #0125 SCRATCH OFF CARDS 
• FEEDBACK

 GARDEN UPDATE
Supposed to be rainy and some snow in a few days. Poor outside plants...still recovering from the night it was NINE degrees! Seeing some beautiful little flowers popping up with the cold nights. Hubby and I have both had the flu from hell now for almost 2 weeks. I personally am on Day 4 of having no voice. :(

AWKWARD PHOTO OF THE DAY 

PHOTOBOMBING

   

GARDEN GIGGLE

Where do horses live?

In the neigh-borhood

Why did the bacon laugh?

Because the egg cracked a yolk!

Where are chicks born?

Chick-cago

What do squirrels give for Valentine's Day?

Forget-me-nuts.

Why did the pig give his girlfriend a box of candy?

It was Valenswine's Day

What did the caveman give his wife on Valentine's Day?

Ughs and kisses.

Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

FAUNA

GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN CRAFT RECIPE #0125 SCRATCH OFF CARDS

Trace four hearts onto a piece of folded cardstock. Write romantic words inside each heart...such as I LOVE U, BE MINE, LET'S KISS, UR MINE, CALL ME, LOVER, etc. You can get inspirations from candy hearts. Copy the card onto plain paper to get the heart template; cut out. Cut a strip of clear contact paper long enough to make four hearts. Trace around the heart template on the paper side of the contact paper.

To make the scratch-off solution, mix 2 parts metallic acrylic paint with 1 part dishwashing liquid. Using a small, flat paintbrush, apply a thin coat of the scratch-off solution onto the front side of the contact paper and let dry for an hour. Repeat with a second coat; add a third coat if your paint looks streaky.

Cut out the hearts (following the traced outline), peel off the backing, and stick to your traced hearts on the front of your card. Attach a brand new penny to the front, with the words ARE YOU LUCKY IN LOVE? Cute as can be!

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Christmas Cactus Debunked

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• GARDEN UPDATE
• CHRISTMAS CACTUS DEBUNKED
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• FEEDBACK

    

GARDEN UPDATE
Rainy today but at least it is not NINE degrees!! We are hovering around the low 50s and plenty of gray clouds skittering across the skies.
CHRISTMAS CACTUS DEBUNKED
We have many Christmas cacti and find them to be beautiful and exotic when they bloom. I have heard horror advice from my MIL on how you torture them to get them to bloom...not me.

Came across this fantastic article by Jack Christensen that gives you step by step, month by month advice. This is one to save and print out. Enjoy.

Christmas cactus plants are really quite stunning in bloom, aren't they? They grow naturally in tropical climates, so they require specialized care in our locations, and they can sometimes be a bit finicky. They also do not make good houseplants, because the main factors that help them to keep growing and blooming rarely exist indoors.

To initiate flowering, these plants require cool night temperatures- generally in the range of 50-55 degrees F- as well as a minimum of 12-14 hours of darkness per day. If you bring the plant indoors, perhaps this requirement is best achieved by placing it in an unused bathroom each night while in bloom. There is also one more requirement. These plants need some water on a regular basis so the growing medium remains slightly moist on a consistent basis. Oddly, although the Christmas cactus will not tolerate any degree of drying out, they also will not survive if the soil mix remains soggy. Under these conditions each flower may last several days and the whole plant could be in bloom for a couple of months.

By the calendar, here is a general schedule for growing a Christmas cactus. Keep in mind that during daylight hours all year long it should receive bright but no direct sunlight-never the direct rays of the sun.
JANUARY-flowering; Keep soil mix slightly damp but not wet. Feed once during the month at half the recommended rate. Keep in a place where the temperatures stay above 50 degrees at night. Reduce watering when flowering stops.
FEBRUARY- resting; 55 degrees; light, infrequent watering-just enough so that the soil mix does not dry out; feed once during the month at half the recommended rate.
MARCH, APRIL, MAY- water thoroughly whenever potting mix first begins to dry out; feed monthly with a liquid formula recommended for flowering plants- at the normally recommended rate.
JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER- keep the plant outdoors in a spot away from direct sunlight but not in deep shade; water thoroughly whenever potting mix first begins to dry out; feed monthly; protect from snails and slugs.
OCTOBER- stop feeding; water less often; keep in a cool place (50-55degreesF); let the plant have 12-14 hours of complete darkness each night so it will prepare to flower.
NOVEMBER, DECEMBER- flowering; plant may remain outside or be gently moved to a bright spot indoors; water normally; feed monthly at half strength; keep temperatures between 50-55F degrees, at least at night; if indoors, move plant each evening to a dark room overnight to prolong the flowering period.

Whether they are members of the genus Schlumbergera or Zygocactus, Christmas cacti may be cut back at any time between winter and spring. You may remove enough stems to even out the plant and give it a balanced appearance. Do not get too carried away, however. Just bring it back under control.

Thicker stems may be cut with clippers at the points where the two segments connect, but in general, it is better to twist off younger segments instead of cutting them. By the way, if you want, you can place the trimmings into a light, fluffy soil mix and they will usually root and grow into new plants that will bloom next year.

GARDEN GIGGLE

FAUNA

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Snow!

"Whenever she turned her steep focus to me, I felt the warmth that flowers must feel when they bloom through the snow, under the first concentrated rays of the sun.”
― Janet Fitch, White Oleander

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• GARDEN UPDATE
• FEEDBACK

GARDEN UPDATE

Big storm is here with wind, rain, sleet, snow and lots of BRRRR. Thought you would enjoy some pictures. It's going to be rather epic this weekend as they are predicting 13 degrees!!!! That's 20 degrees below freezing!!

Elvis has left the building and wished he hadn't!

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Evil Stuff

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• SO IMPORTANT!
• GARDEN UPDATE
• FAUNA
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0124 MICROWAVE CINNABON POPCORN 
• FEEDBACK

  

SO IMPORTANT!

GARDEN UPDATE
Man, is there a lot of work needed to be done in the garden now! I am trying to not look closely so I won't be tempted to prune early. I am letting the garden sleep....shhhhhh

   

GARDEN GIGGLE

FAUNA

GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0124 MICROWAVE CINNABON POPCORN 

So seriously, this has to be the most evil, decadent temptation ever. NOT for the diabetic, or diet-conscious, this is full-on delicious. Feel free to add your own add-on's. Also almond bark is synonymous with vanilla candiquik, which interestingly can be flavored using OIL-based flavorings, which you can get at a cake/candy making place or Michaels in the candy section.

You Will Need:

(12 cups) air popped popcorn (if you like every square millimeter covered in caramel make 6 cups)(1) cup pecans, chopped coarsely 

(1/2) cup brown sugar
(1) tsp. cinnamon

(1/2) cup butter

(1/4) cup corn syrup

(1) tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring

(1/2) tsp. baking soda
(2 –4) oz. almond bark (1 pkg vanilla candiquik)
Instructions:

To begin prepare your popcorn, make two bags of microwaved popcorn… You may have to adjust for mini-bags (individual servings). We made double of everything.

To be sure there weren’t any kernels, I poured the popped-corn into a bowl and tossed it a bit, to help the kernels to settle on bottom. Then I removed small handful at a time, and placed the kernel free popcorn into my largest mixing bowl. Once you get to the bottom of the bowl, just pick out the individual popcorn avoiding the kernels (this only takes about 2 minutes at the most!) Add chopped pecans to bowl and set aside.

To make the caramel, add the brown sugar and cinnamon in a large microwaveable bowl and mix well to combine. Add butter and corn syrup, don’t worry about combining there, just throw them in the microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir to combine. Return sauce to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir (the bowl will be getting hot, so be careful!). Microwave for 2 more minutes, remove and whisk in the vanilla or almond and baking soda. Mixture will foam just a little. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn (we divided up the popcorn in separate bowls so all could be coated). Stir until all pieces are evenly coated. (if you like your popcorn chewy… dig in! No need to wait… but if you like it crunchy continue on!)

Now to save time in cleanup, be sure to line a rimmed baking pan with tin foil and then spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Pour popcorn caramel covered popcorn onto foil. Place in the oven and bake at 250°F for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Melt the almond bark according to the package directions, drizzle over the popcorn and wait anxiously while it sets and cools. Break up any large chunks. Once the popcorn is completely cool store in an air tight container to avoid it getting stale. And, don't hate me for introducing you to temptation. :)

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Make Your Own Kitty Treats

TODAY'S SEEDS OF WISDOM

• GARDEN UPDATE
• GARDEN GIGGLE
• GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #2013-1 KITTY TREATS 
• FEEDBACK

  

GARDEN UPDATE
Editor's Note: We are changing the delivery format of our blog. As of January 1, 2013, it will no longer follow a daily delivery. It will follow a periodic delivery, so look for us in your mailbox!

GARDEN GIGGLE

GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #2013-1 KITTY TREATS

Don't forget your furry catnip lovers for homemade treats! Here are three recipes to get your started.

Fish-tive Pretzels

You Will Need:

* 3/4 cup canned tuna or salmon, drained well 1/4 cup warm water
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 cup whole-wheat flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium size bowl, mash canned fish well with a fork and combine with water and butter. Add flour to form a dough. Divide dough into 24 pieces, roll each piece into a rope, and shape into a pretzel. Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Makes two dozen. Note: dough can be rolled out and shaped with cookie cutters before placing on cookie sheets.

Gobble-ups

You Will Need:

1 cup cooked turkey or chicken
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon margarine
1 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine turkey, broth and margarine. Add flour to make a soft dough. Add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is too sticky. Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutter, or break off pieces and form into interesting shapes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets. Makes about 30 treats.

Cheese Balls
You Will Need:
2 tablespoons soft margarine
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 egg white
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp catnip

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine margarine, cheese, catnip and egg white. Add flour to make a soft dough. Separate dough into half-inch pieces and roll into balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 35 minutes. Makes about 12 balls.

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