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The Roquette~ a baby arugula martini

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I had a great time at the garden conference this year. I enjoyed all the classes. The last one was on Cocktails from the garden. Super fun- we tasted several cocktail that the speaker made for us. Some with alcohol some without. I love discovering new ways to use herbs from the garden.

We purchased the ingredients to make this arugula martini. It calls for Scottish gin. Hendrix is the brand name. Really interesting gin as it
Infused with Cucumber and rose petals.

1 cup (loosely packed) baby arugula plus additional for garnish
4 1/2 tsp dark agave nectar
4 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup Hendrick's Gin
Ice cubes

Combine 1 cup arugula, agave nectar, and lime juice in cocktail shaker. Using muddler or long-handled wooden spoon, mash until arugula is wilted, at least 1 minute. Add gin. Fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Cover and shake briefly to chill. Strain into 2 small rocks glasses filled with ice cubes. Garnish drinks with arugula leaves.
Yield: 2 drinks

Upcoming ART Classes at Art Chicks

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Information from art Chicks:

Art Chicks is Now Offering Classes to Get Your Creativity Hopping.



April 10  Sunday 2:00  Paint Your Own Easter Plate $15.00
Extra special fun and expression when you design your own Easter Plate.  We will have ideas on hand from some great patterns and artists.  You can come up with your own plan or copy a master.  Plates will be fired and ready before Easter.

May 21 Saturday 2:00  Glass Fused Wine Topper and Four Bead Charms  $25.00
This class will be a perfect escape.  Join us for a relaxing afternoon to create an impressive wine bottle topper and bead charms.  Should be warm enough for a relaxing stroll in the Garden.

June 11 Saturday 2:00 Clay Memory Pot
Bring your favorite broken pieces of jewelry, special china, bits of glass-anything you want to save and attach to your pot.  We'll have plenty of goodies to choose from so you can use ours to create a one of a kind too.  You'll be inspired by good women and great surroundings.

Snacks, drinks and materials are provided for all classes.  Just come and enjoy some much deserved ME time.  Please call 234-2669 to save your spot.

Pail of worm cookies

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Here is the info I used to make the worm bin with the 4 h kids

Worm compost is made in a container filled with moistened bedding and redworms. Add food waste and with assistance from micro-organisms, the worms will convert bedding and food waste into compost. Worm composting can be done year-round, indoors in schools, offices and homes. It is a natural method for recycling nutrients in food waste without odor. The resulting compost is a good soil conditioner for house plants, gardens and patio containers.
How You Do It

Buy or build a box with holes in the bottom. Fill the box with moistened bedding. Add the redworms. Pull aside some of the bedding, bury the food waste and cover it up with the bedding. Add one cup of soil or sand to provide grit for worms' digestive process.

What You Need

a container (made of wood or plastic)
worms (500-2,000 redworms)
bedding (shredded newspaper, corrugated cardboard and/or leaves)
food waste (fruit and vegetable waste)
1. The Container
Buy or build a container or use an old dresser drawer, trunk or barrel. Wood containers are absorbent and good insulators for worms. Plastic containers do work but compost tends to get quite wet.

The container should be between 8-12 inches deep and provide one square foot of surface area for every pound of food waste per week (e.g., 6 lbs of waste requires a bin 2 feet by 3 feet or 2 bins 1 foot by 3 feet).

Depending on the container's size, drill 8 to 12 holes (3/16- 1/4 ") in the bottom for aeration and drainage. A plastic bin may need more drainage - if contents get too wet, drill more holes. Raise the bin on bricks or wooden blocks for air circulation. Place a tray underneath to capture excess liquid, which can be used as liquid plant fertilizer.

Worms like a moist, dark environment. Their bodies are 75 to 90 per cent water and worms' body surfaces must be moist for them to breathe. Cover the bin to conserve moisture and provide darkness. Indoors, place a sheet of dark plastic or burlap sacking on top of the bedding. Outdoors, use a solid lid to keep out unwanted scavengers and rain.

Worm bins can be located in the basement, shed, garage, balcony or kitchen counter. They need to be kept out of the hot sun, heavy rain and cold. When temperatures drop below 40 degrees, bins should be indoors, heated or well-insulated. The container can be heated with an electric heating cable placed in the bottom third of the container. To insulate, surround the container with rigid Styrofoam.

2. The Worms
Redworms are best suited to worm composting. They are often found in aged manure, compost heaps, and piles of leaves. They are also known as red wiggler, brandling and manure worms. Their official names are Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus. Redworms are best suited for composting because they thrive on organic material, such as food waste. Dew-worms, on the other hand, are better suited to life in the soil and shouldn't be used in a worm bin.

You can get your worms from a compost bin, purchase them or find a horse stable or farmer with an aged manure pile.

For one pound per day of food waste, you'll need two pounds of worms (roughly 2,000). If you are unable to get this many worms at the start, reduce the amount of food waste until the population increases. And the population will increase. Redworms mature sexually in 60-90 days and can then produce cocoons which take 21 days to hatch baby worms. Once they start breeding they can deposit two to three cocoons per week with two baby worms in each cocoon. The limits on their reproduction include availability of food and room to move and breed. So worm populations don't usually exceed the size of the container.

3. The Bedding
Provide damp bedding. Suitable bedding material includes shredded newspaper and cardboard, shredded fall leaves, chopped-up straw and other dead plants, seaweed, sawdust, dried grass clippings, aged manure and peat moss. Peat moss is quite acidic and should be well soaked and combined with other bedding material. Vary the bedding in the bin to provide more nutrients for the worms and to create a richer compost. Two handfuls of sand or soil will provide the necessary grit for worms' digestion of food.

Fill the bin with a mixture of damp bedding so the overall moisture level is like a "wrung-out sponge." Lift the bedding gently to create air spaces. This maintains aerobic activity, helps control odors and gives the worms freer movement.

4. The Food Waste
Your worms will eat food scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels, pulverized egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds. To avoid potential rodent problems do not compost meats, dairy products, oily foods or grains. No glass, plastic or tin foil.

Pull aside the bedding, bury the food waste deep and then cover it up with the bedding again. Divide the bin into three or four imaginary sections (larger bin, more sections) and bury successive loads in different locations in the bin. Keeping a chart of burial sites can be helpful. Weekly food waste will help determine the size of bin and number of worms you'll need. Collect food waste in a container and weigh it. Do this for two weeks to get an estimate of average food waste. Your bin should provide one square foot of surface area for every pound of food waste per week. And you will need two pounds of worms for every pound of food waste per day.

 

Harvesting Your Compost

After six weeks, the bedding will be noticeably darker with worm castings. After two and a half months have passed, there will still be some of the original bedding visible in the bin plus brown and earthy-looking worm castings. Although food waste is being added regularly, the bedding volume will gradually decrease. As more bedding is converted into castings the worms will begin to suffer. It is time to decide whether you want to do "some fuss" or "more fuss" worm composting.

"Some Fuss" Harvesting
Some fuss worm composting involves moving the finished compost over to one side of the bin, placing new bedding in the space created, and placing food waste in the new bedding. The worms will gradually move over to the fresh bedding and food waste, and the finished compost can be harvested. Fill the space created with new damp bedding.

"More Fuss" Maintenance
If you want to use all of the compost at once, dump the bin's entire contents onto a large plastic sheet and make piles of material. Use sunshine or a hundred watt light bulb to drive the worms to the bottom of the piles. Worms don't like bright light because the single cells on the epidermis (skin) react to light. Scoop off the tops of each pile until all you have left is the worms. Most children love to help! Watch out for the tiny, lemon-shaped worm cocoons that contain the baby worms. Mix a little of the finished compost in with the new bedding of the next bin. 

Common Problems

Unpleasant Odors
Unpleasant odors may waft from your bin when it is overloaded with food waste. If this occurs, gently stir up the contents to allow more air in. Stop adding food waste until the worms and micro-organisms have broken down what food is already in the bin. Check the drainage holes to make sure they are not blocked and drill more holes if needed. If the moisture level seems right, the bedding may be too acidic from citrus peels and other acidic foods. Adjust by adding a little dolomite lime and cutting down on acidic wastes.

Fruit Flies
Fruit flies aren't harmful, but they are a nuisance, and a very common problem with worm bins. Discourage fruit flies by always burying the food wastes and not overloading the bin. Keep a plastic sheet, piece of old carpet or a lid on the compost's surface in the bin. Mary Appelhof, author of Worms Eat My Garbage, acknowledges that she hasn't found the perfect solution to fruit flies. Adding a spider or two helps reduce fruit flies. If flies persist, move the bin to a location where flies will not be bothersome.

gold medal state speech cookies

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Oreo Ice cream Dessert

This is how to get boys to work outside.

The weather was beautiful yesterday. So Wonderful to be outside enjoying the day. We moved the green house to a new location and created a new gardening space and raked up a few leaves.

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Here is a really easy dessert recipe. Worked great to bribe the boys into doing work outside. Amazing how much we can get done when we all work together.

Ice Cream Dessert


Note: I made this in a spring form pan instead of a 9 x 13

Ingredients:
24 Oreos (regular, not double stuffed)
1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 tbs butter
1/2 gallon good Vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
I cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 5 oz. can evaporated milk

Directions:
Crush Oreos in food processor. Melt butter and stir into crumbs. Press down in 13×9 pan and freeze about 30 minutes. Take out of freezer and spread ice cream on top. Put it back in freezer for an hour or more.

You can then spread commercial fudge sauce over it. But the homemade one is best and easy. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 5 oz evaporated can of milk in a pot. Cook gently and whisk, until it is all melted and bubbly. Then let cool. Pour it over the frozen ice cream/Oreos and put back in the freezer. The longer it stays in the freezer, the better. Serve and enjoy.

Staff Appreciation Recipes

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Caramel Apple Cupcakes

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium sized tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped small

Caramel filling
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
55g butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake


* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
* In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, oil, cinnamon and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed.
* Add the eggs one at a time. Beat for 1 minute after each addition.
* In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
* Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.
* Beat until well blended.
* Stir in the apples.
* Fill the cupcake liners to 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes.
* Leave to cool in the pan.



For the filling

* In a saucepan over medium heat bring the brown sugar, butter and cream to a boil.
* Reduce heat to a simmer and continue stirring for 5 minutes.
* Remove from heat.
* Stir in the vanilla extract.

Salted Caramel Butter cream Recipe Frosting Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 Tbsp. water
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) salted butter, softened
* 2 cups powdered sugar

To Make Frosting

Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla (just start with a tablespoon or two), stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth. (Be careful, as the mixture will definitely bubble up and possibly splatter a bit as you add in the cream.) Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Beat the butter ]in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add powdered sugar, and mix until completely incorporated. Turn off the mixer, and then add caramel. Beat frosting on low to combine, and then increase to medium-high and beat until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate if not using immediately (or to harden the frosting a bit).

***To frost 24 cupcakes, make a double batch of the frosting. But if you’re just spreading it on with a knife, one batch should be plenty! :)


Keep a close eye on the caramel as you make it! It goes from clear bubbles to the “amber” color within about 30 seconds, and then will burn pretty quickly thereafter.

Also, if you absolutely, absolutely don’t want to make the homemade caramel, you can substitute in some caramel topping to put into the butter cream instead.

Jennifer Barnes

Taffy Apple Pizza
 
1 package (18 oz) refrigerate sugar cookie dough
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 medium granny smith apples
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Shape cookie dough into a ball and place in center of round pan.  Roll to about 14 inches and 1/4 inch thick.  Bake 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Remove from oven, cook for 10 minutes.  Carefully loosen cookie from pan and then cool completely on pan.
 
Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla in bowl, mix well.  Spread mixture evenly over cookie. 
Peel, core, and slice apples, arrange evenly over cream cheese mixture.  Microware ice cream topping on high 30-45 seconds; drizzle
evenly over apples.  Sprinkle top with chopped peanuts.

Sheryl Gaston



Giant Focaccia Sandwich


INGREDIENTS

* 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup quick-cooking oats
* 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 1/4 cups water
* 1/2 cup molasses
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
* 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
* 1 teaspoon garlic salt
* SANDWICH FILLING:
* 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
* 6 leaves lettuce
* 3/4 pound thinly sliced ham
* 6 thin slices Swiss or Cheddar cheese
* 4 slices red onion, separated into rings
* 1 medium green pepper, sliced
* 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced



DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat water, molasses and butter to 120 degrees F-130
degrees F. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
2. Press dough onto a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Brush with egg. Sprinkle with onion,
sesame seeds and garlic salt. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Split the focaccia in half horizontally; spread mayonnaise and mustard on cut sides. On bottom half, layer lettuce, ham, cheese, onion, green pepper and tomatoes. Replace top half. Chill until serving. Cut into wedges.


Corn Chowder with Roasted Poblanos

Ingredients:
2 T butter
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 c + 1 T flour
6 c vegetable stock
2 c milk plus 1/4 cup half and half
1 1/2 lbs, new potatoes, unpeeled and diced (I used Yukon Gold)
3 poblano chilies, roasted and chopped
1 16 oz. pkg frozen corn
1 red pepper, roasted and chopped
a couple good pinches of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika


In a large pot, melt the butter and add onion, celery and garlic. Reduce to low and add the flour, stirring to make a roux. Cook over low heat to allow the flour to cook out. Turn heat to high and slowly whisk in the stock. Add the milk and bring soup to a rolling simmer, stirring often. Add the potatoes, chilies, peppers and corn. Simmer uncovered for 30 min or until potatoes are cooked through. Add cayenne pepper to taste. Top with goodies like: a squeeze of fresh lime juice, sour cream, chopped cilantro or oregano, avocado, grated sharp cheddar cheese.

Marsha Lane



Harvest muffins


For Topping:
4 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 c flour
1/4 c dark brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c rolled oats
pinch salt

For Muffins:
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c butter, melted & cooled
1 c dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c canned pumpkin
1 apple, peeled, cored & chopped or grated
1/2 c chopped, toasted pecans
1/2 c dried cranberries

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin tin w/ papers or spray w/ cooking spray.

To make topping, in medium bowl, rub together all ingredients til crumbly and well combined.  Set aside.

To make muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.  In another bowl,  whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar.  Whisk in eggs & vanilla, then stir in pumpkin.  Gently but thoroughly mix in dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.  Stir in apple, pecans and cranberries.  Divide batter btwn prepared muffin cups.

Sprinkle a bit of topping over each muffin.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on rack.

Angie Senser

spring.may.be.on.its.way

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So proud of Cade and his team

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Garden Casserole . and Cha Cha Porkchops with Mango Salsa

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Garden Casserole

Ingredients:

1 Large onion, sliced

1 Medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips

2 Cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoon butter, melted

1/4 Cup all purpose flour

6 Small baking potatoes-unpeeled & sliced

1 10 oz. Frozen cut green beans, thawed

2 Cups 8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese

1 Cup half & half

1/2 Teaspoon dried whole rosemary

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Teaspoon pepper

16 Strips of sweet red pepper


Saute onion, red bell pepper, and garlic in butter until crisp and tender. Add flour: cook 1 minute. Stirring constantly. Spoon half of onion mixture into lightly greased 13x9x1” inch baking dish. Layer half each of potato slices, green beans & cheese over onion mixture.  Repeat layers of onion mixture, potatoes and green beans. Combine half & half and next 4 ingredients; pour over vegetables. Cover and bake 375’ F. for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender; sprinkle with remaining cheese and garnish with 16 red pepper strips. Yield 8 to 10


I found this recipe in the Seasoned with fun cookbook. I have used this book quite a bit lately. I picked it up a month ago at a thrift store for a quarter.





Cha Cha Porkchops

Ingredients
3/4 cup orange juice, fresh
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
coarse salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
6 center-cut pork chops, bones frenched
Directions
Combine the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Mango Salsa

Yield: 2 cups.
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil or mint
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the mangoes in a bowl. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, basil or mint, lime juice, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Fold together with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 hours before serving.

Note: To peel and dice the mangoes, first slice the fruit away from either side of its long, flat pit. You will have two slices, each shaped like a rough oval. With a paring knife, score the flesh of the mango into cubes, taking care not to cut the skin. Press the skin of each half inward, so the cubes of fruit pop out, then slice them from the skin.

Adapted from "Celebrate!" by Sheila Lukins


Add the chops and coat well with marinade.
Cover bowl and marinate in refrigerator for 2-4 hours, turning once or twice.
Heat a barbecue grill to high and grill the chops for about 6 minutes per side. -Be sure not to overcook.
Enjoy!

Congrats Cade on your History project

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Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo

CAJUN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning
Fettuccine noodles 1 pound dry
1/2 c. green onions (green part only), chopped
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
1/4 pimentos, chopped OR roasted red peppers
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. chick stock OR broth
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta. Meanwhile, in large skillet, combine stock, cajun seasoning, onions, garlic, mushrooms and pimentos over high heat until boiling. Add cream and 1/2 Parmesan cheese and continue on high heat until mixture is reduced by half. Lower heat, add pasta and mix well. Place on warmed serving plates. Pass around grated Parmesan cheese, crushed red peppers.

Coffee Cream Angel Food Cake

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1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1 tablespoon hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
1 angel food cake
3 tablespoons shaved semisweet chocolate
2 teaspoons slivered almonds, toasted

Dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water and combine with the marshmallow cream and vanilla. Beat on low speed until blended and then beat at high speed until fluffy. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into marshmallow mixture. Split cake into 3 layers. Frost each layer with filling and sprinkle top with chocolate and almonds or a dusting of instant coffee.

Pebble Salad

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Pebble Salad

Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish; 6 as a main course

2 1/3 cups water

1 package Uncle Ben's long-grain and wild rice

1 (12-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained

1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped

2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

2 green onions, with tops, thinly sliced

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup dry-roasted sunflower seeds

romaine lettuce

1/3 cup slivered almonds

Bring water and rice to a boil in medium saucepan. Cover tightly and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in corn, cucumber, carrots, green onions and parsley. Combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, dill weed, mustard and pepper in a small bowl and mix well. Stir into rice mixture. Cover and chill several hours or overnight. Stir in sunflower seeds. Serve on lettuce-lined plates and sprinkle with almonds.

Gardening In March- Planning, Seed Starting, Cleaning, Dreaming....

Seasonal Gardening Tips for Early March from the New York Botanical Garden
Planning

* Continue to use garden notes, photos, and sketches to assess areas that need plants
* Finish ordering seeds
* Continue to order plants for later delivery

Chores and Maintenance

* Check on winter plant protection; add mulch and adjust plant stakes as necessary
* Continue to inspect ornamental trees and shrubs for scale insects
* Use wood ashes from the fireplace as a good source of potash
* Avoid the use of salt to melt snow, as it is toxic to most plants. Use sawdust, sand, or cat litter instead
* Check on dahlias, cannas, and gladiolus bulbs for rotting and/or drying out
* Keep bird feeders filled throughout winter

Planting

* Take cuttings of indoor plants now to use as bedding plants in the late spring; e.g. lantana, geranium, coleus, heliotrope, fuschia, begonia, etc.
* Sow seeds of annuals which require a long growing season, e.g. lobelia, petunia, vinca, browallia, snapdragon, verbena, etc.

Pruning/Fertilizing

* Continue to prune away storm-damaged branches promptly to prevent tearing of the bark
* Prune forsythia, pussy willow, quince, etc. for forcing indoors
* Prune summer and fall blooming shrubs

Indoors

* Continue to give houseplants increased humidity; mist often or place plants over a tray of moist pebbles
* On frigid nights continue to protect indoor plants from freezing; move them away from the glass or cover glass with thick newspaper or cardboard
* Continue to clean leaves of large and smooth-leaved houseplants like dracaena, philodendron, ficus, etc.
* Inspect houseplants for insect pests. Remove pests by hand and spray with insecticidal soap, if needed
* Clean clay pots by soaking overnight in a solution of 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of vinegar, and 1 cup of bleach

Apple Oat Pancakes for National Pancake Day

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Today is national Pancake Day. So i tried out this super simple hearty pancake recipe. They were Great with maple syrup, honey, Greek yogurt and cinnamon.

11/2 cups flour
3/4 cups oats
1/2 tsp salt
1egg
11/2 cups milk
3 T melted butter
1 apple chopped

Combine flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, and oil. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and combine briefly. Fold in the apple. Bake by 1/3 cup measure on a hot buttered griddle.