If you love the scent of ginger, this simple shampoo recipe is for you. Ginger stimulates circulation because it increases blood flow to the scalp, so using ginger shampoo regularly may help to promote healthier hair that will grow faster and resist some of the depredations of modern life, like drying out too fast or becoming brittle. Ginger shampoo may also have benefits in controlling
reade more...
10 Reasons to Grow Herbs
10. They're easy to grow -- so easy that in some places they're considered weeds.
9. Many herbs can attract good insects to the garden (because they have a strong aroma/scent) and repel undesirable ones.
8. From appetizers to desserts, they make inspired garnishes for most dishes.
7. They'll happily take up residence in the most rocky, barren corner of your landscape and still give you a good
reade more...
9. Many herbs can attract good insects to the garden (because they have a strong aroma/scent) and repel undesirable ones.
8. From appetizers to desserts, they make inspired garnishes for most dishes.
7. They'll happily take up residence in the most rocky, barren corner of your landscape and still give you a good
Advice About Japanese Beetles (and a Ray of Hope)
During the summer months I get hundreds of visitors a day looking for a way to get rid of Japanese beetles without resorting to hash chemicals. Japanese beetles are a frustrating pest, and there are few easy answers to getting rid of them. If you have them in your yard in great numbers, you have something beetle tasty, like roses, on your property to attract them. For me it's roses and
Watering Plants on Hot Summer Days
Giving your plants enough water during the hottest part of a summer day can be a challenge.
Make a Plant Water Reservoir
If I'm going on holiday or temperatures are soaring, I have a quick trick that will help you keep your patio and deck plants hydrated.
Fill a two-liter bottle with water and place a small piece of sponge in the neck. Upend the bottle and bury the neck into your pot's soil
reade more...
Make a Plant Water Reservoir
If I'm going on holiday or temperatures are soaring, I have a quick trick that will help you keep your patio and deck plants hydrated.
Fill a two-liter bottle with water and place a small piece of sponge in the neck. Upend the bottle and bury the neck into your pot's soil
Homemade Sloppy Joe Seasoning Recipe
I like to make sloppy Joes in fall and winter. This recipe is the result of quite a bit of trial and error over the years. I like it because it's spicy and has something for everyone in the family.
Sloppy Joe Seasoning Recipe
2 tbsp. Onion powder
2 tbsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Chili powder
1 tsp. Marjoram (dried)
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Black pepper
1/4 tsp.
Morning Snippets from the Heart of a Summer Garden
I'm watching a bumblebee headed out looking for his next big score.
He has a stumbling pace and a dogged persistence the way he harries the geraniums, making his lumbering approach like a helicopter. . .one pass . . . two. . .and then touchdown and a quick scramble into the heart of the bloom. He finally spies the hyssop bush, a bumblebee favorite, and heads that way by the shortest possible
reade more...
He has a stumbling pace and a dogged persistence the way he harries the geraniums, making his lumbering approach like a helicopter. . .one pass . . . two. . .and then touchdown and a quick scramble into the heart of the bloom. He finally spies the hyssop bush, a bumblebee favorite, and heads that way by the shortest possible
How to Make Cocktail Sauce
When you're ready to boil up some peel and eat shrimp, the last thing you want is to discover you're low on cocktail sauce. This simple cheat will make great sauce in seconds and save you money too.
Money Saving Tip: Just pick up store brand ketchup and a little horseradish on sale and your homemade cocktail sauce will be a big hit for half of what you'd pay for it at the grocery. (
reade more...
Money Saving Tip: Just pick up store brand ketchup and a little horseradish on sale and your homemade cocktail sauce will be a big hit for half of what you'd pay for it at the grocery. (
Sweet and Sassy Summer Snacks
Sassy Sun Tea
If you read my sun tea post, you'll know how to make a tasty tea from your favorite fresh herbs using a little time and sunlight. One way to sweeten things up and create tea a party favorite is by adding equal parts apple juice to your steeped tea blend. Pineapple sage and apple mint work well for this. So do lemon balm, lavender and chamomile. Add a cinnamon stick or a lemon
reade more...
If you read my sun tea post, you'll know how to make a tasty tea from your favorite fresh herbs using a little time and sunlight. One way to sweeten things up and create tea a party favorite is by adding equal parts apple juice to your steeped tea blend. Pineapple sage and apple mint work well for this. So do lemon balm, lavender and chamomile. Add a cinnamon stick or a lemon
Herbal Sun Tea Recipes and Instructions
Now that high summer has arrived, it's time to brew up some refreshing herbal sun tea. Let nature do all the work and harvest a refreshing and healthy glass of tea for your late afternoon or evening meal. Here's how:
How to Brew Herbal Sun Tea
Grab your favorite large glass jug. It should have a tight fitting lid (non-metallic preferred). Harvest and rinse your favorite fresh herbs. You