Quotes of the Day

"One of the most dangerous forms of human error is forgetting what one is trying to achieve." - Paul Nitze

"God wisely designed the human body so that we can neither pat our own backs nor kick ourselves too easily." - Unknown

"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely on what you think." - Dale Carnegie

"Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb. - Pythagoras

Bake Sale Basket Ball Cookies

We had a weekend full of youth basketball games. The Season is almost over. It has been so much fun to watch. I made these basketball cookies for the concession stand.

A Thrifty Find: Brass Fish for the Pond

I am very anxious for spring. I am thinking ahead and will be placing this big heavy brass gold fish near the pond edge. I think it would be cool to turn him into a fountain.

Baking: Tea Bread

Jasmine tea, spices, almonds, and fruit peels and juices give this quick bread and unusual flavor and a delightful fragrance.

1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon each grated lemon and lime peel
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and ginger
1 teaspoon each baking powder and soda
3/4 cup tangerine and orange juice
1/2 cup steeped jasmine tea
1/2 cups coarsely chopped blanched almonds

Cream butter and brown sugar; beat in egg and grated peels. Sift flour, measure, then sift again with salt, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and soda. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the tangerine or orange juice and tea. Stir in the almonds. Spoon into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes,or until lightly browned and a toothpick when inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack; cut in thin slices. Makes 1 loaf.

Backyard visitors

Seven hungry deer have been visiting our backyard lately. I enjoy seeing them now but in the near future when plants and shrubs start showing signs of life I will probably let the dogs out to scare them away.

Making: Seed Starting Mix

I found this recipe for Seed-Starting Mix on the You Grow Girl website. I might try this to start some seeds if I can easily find everything for a good price.

"These are the ratios I prefer. If you don’t need a huge batch you can use this as a basis for choosing a store-bought seed-starting mix. Always read the label and look for an ingredients list. Most popular brands have chemical fertilizers added that are unnecessary and will defeat the purpose of growing organically.

To be clear, seeds do not require any fertilizers until they produce their first set of “true leaves”. In basic terms this means the second set of leaves you will see. The first leaves that appear are called “seed leaves” and feed the seedling until the first “true leaves” appear."

* 1 part peat or coir (Coir is a sustainable peat substitute made from coconut husks. Peat is mined from marshland, destroying natural habitats. When you can, use coir.)
* 1 part perlite (popped volcanic ash that creates good drainage.)
* 1 part vermiculite (water absorbing material made from the mineral mica)