Water bottle into a planter How to

Food tree garden

This is a wonderful solution to small space gardening.
Check out the how to HERE

Starting chives

Chives

Plant type: Herb

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Sun exposure: Full Sun

Soil type: Sandy, Loamy

Chives are a perennial member of the onion family
that sport beautiful purple flowers.

Chives are cool-season, cold-tolerant perennials that
 are planted in early spring.

Be mindful when planting this herb, as it will take
over your garden if the flowers are left to ripen
(the flowers scatter the seeds). However, this plant
is easy to dig up and move if it overwhelms your garden.

Planting

• Chives prefer full sun.
• Soil needs to be moist, fertile, rich, and well-draining.
•  Before planting, incorporate 4 to 6 inches of 
• well-composted organic matter. Apply 2 to 3
• tablespoons of all-purpose fertilizer (16-16-8) per
•  square foot of planting area. Work compost and 
• fertilizer into the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.
• For a head start, start the seeds indoors 8 to 10 
• weeks before the last spring frost. Transplants 
• need good growth before beeing set in the garden.
• If you are growing from seed, sow as soon as
•  the soil is workable in the spring. For the best
•  growth, the soil should be around 60º to 70ºF.
• Plant seeds ¼ inch deep and final plant
•  spacing should be 4 to 6 inches apart in all directions.

Care

• It is important to give chives consistent watering
•  throughout the growing season for high yields. 
• Moisten the soil thoroughly when watering.
• Use mulch to conserve moisture and keep the
•  weeds down.
• For good production, sidedress with fertilizer
•  in May and July with 1 teaspoon of 21-0-0 per 
• square foot.
• Minimal care is needed for fully grown plants.
• After the flowers bloom, be sure to remove them
•  so that the seeds aren't spread throughout your garden.
• Plants grow to be 12 to 24 inches tall and may
•  spread a foot across. 
• Remember to divide the plants every 3 to 4
•  years in the spring. Chives are much more
•  productive if divided regularly. Allow divided
•  plants to grow for several weeks before harvesting.

Pests

• Bulb rots (caused by soilborne fungi)
• White rot
• Mildew
• Rust
• Smut
• Various fungal leaf spots (such as purple blotch
•  and gray mold)
• Onion fly
• Thrips

Harvest/Storage

• Harvest chives 30 days after you transplant or
•  60 days after seeding.
• Be sure to cut the leaves down to the base when
•  harvesting (within 1 to 2 inches of the soil). 
• Harvest 3 to 4 times during the first year. In 
• subsequent years, cut plants back monthly.
• The chive plant will flower in May or June.
•  (The flowers are edible.)
• Use chives when they're fresh or frozen 
• (freeze the leaves in an airtight bag). Dried
•  chives lose their flavor.
• Store chives in a cool place in a reseable container.

Recommended Varieties

• Garlic chives, to add a mild garlic flavor to any dish

• Found at 
•  http://www.almanac.com/plant/chives
• Chives are also a stable crop in Zone 0
•  if you mulch over for the winter .

Hot Paprika Cream Schnitzel

INGREDIENTS1-1/2 pounds veal steak, cut into serving size pieces pounded thin 2 tablespoon chopped onion 1 cup sour cream Salt, to taste 4 slices bacon, finely chopped 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 cup tomato sauce Fry the bacon until done, then add the veal, which has been cut into portions, and pounded thin and brown in the hot bacon fat. Add the onion and brown. Season well with the paprika, pepper and salt. Stir in the sour cream and tomato sauce. Cover the pan and cook about 20 minutes. Serve cutlets covered with the sauce.

POPPY SEED ROLLS

INGREDIENTSDOUGH 2 packages active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup dairy sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract FILLING 2 tablespoons butter 10 ounces poppy seed, ground twice (may be purchased already ground in gourmet shops) 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vanilla extract 1/4 cup raisins, steamed 2 egg whites 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel ICING 1 cup confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice FOR DOUGH Soften yeast in warm water in a bowl. Mix flour with sugar and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture has a fine, even crumb. Beat eggs and egg yolks; mix with yeast, then stir into flour mixture. Add sour cream and vanilla extract; mix well. Knead dough on floured surface for 5 minutes. Divide in half. Roll each half of dough into a 12-inch square. Cover. FOR FILLING Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add poppy seed. Stir-fry 3 minutes. Add honey, lemon juice, and raisins to poppy seed. Cover and remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Beat egg whites with sugar until stiff, not dry, peaks form. Fold in orange and lemon peels. Gently fold in poppy seed mixture. Spread half of filling over each square of dough. Roll up, jelly-roll fashion. Seal edges. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover, let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes. Cool. FOR ICING Blend sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spread over rolls. Makes 2 poppy seed rolls

Oi Moochim

INGREDIENTS1/2 cup distilled vinegar or rice vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce Dash of dashida (dried soup stock made from essence of seafood or beef) 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons Gochuchang Paste, plus more to taste* 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 4 Korean or kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced 1 small white onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted Whisk together the vinegar, soy, dashida, sugar, gochuchang, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the cucumber and onion and stir until combined. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and let marinate at least 1 hour before eating. Makes 6 servings GOCHUCHANG PASTE (Seasoned Red Pepper Paste) 4 tablespoons gochuchang (available at Korean grocers) 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 teaspoons sesame oil Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.

Curly lives up yo his name

holiday hang tags for the girls

Holiday Sheet of hang tags printable Boys

WINTER CRAFT FOR KIDS

box star instruction sheet for the holidays

Hover Board

Halloween cookies

Halloween Cookie Recipes

1. Boneyard Cookies

These are tasty and a bit scary all at the same time. Similar looking to the Meringue Bone Cookies, but with a much different taste and a special creep out factor with a gooey raspberry inside!

Ingredients

* 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
* 1/2 cup cornstarch
* 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 2 to 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
* 16 to 18 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped

Directions

* In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture and mix well.
* Shape dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
* On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. bone-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
* On the bottoms of half the cookies, spread 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon jam down the center; top with remaining cookies.
* In a microwave, melt white chocolate at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
* Dip each cookie in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Yield: 34 sandwich cookies.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 155 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 54 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 fat, 1 starch.

Recipe From Taste of Home

2. Chocolate Mummy People

This is a terrific cookie to make for parties or just for fun with your kids and it always a hit with everyone because they are so neat! You can use the standard white frosting for the wrap or you can even use green and white to make a creepy and slightly grosser version. These make the perfect party favor as well. Just wrap them up in some clear cellophane with a bow and hand one to each guest as they leave- they won’t forget what an amazing time they had!

Ingredients:

1 pouch Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container (1 pound) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
12 small jelly beans, cut in half
Betty Crocker® black decorating gel (from 0.68-ounce tube)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In medium bowl, stir together cookie mix and cocoa. Add butter and egg; stir until soft dough forms.

2. On floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 5-inch gingerbread man cutter. On ungreased cookie sheet, place 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps; reroll until all dough is used.

3. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just puffed and tops are dry. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

4. Spoon frosting into reasealable freezer plastic bag; partially seal bag and cut 1/4-inch hole in 1 bottom corner. Or use decorating bag with flat tip with 1/4-inch-wide opening (#44). Gently squeeze bag to pipe frosting on cookies for bandages. Attach jelly beans for eyes; use black gel to make pupils in eyes. Store cookies in airtight container.

Nutrition Information: 1 Cookie: Calories 400 (Calories from Fat 140); Total Fat 15g (Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 4g); Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 240mg; Total Carbohydrate 62g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 43g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4%

Exchanges: 1 Starch; 3 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 4

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Betty Crocker/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved
Need the Gingerman Cookie Cutter- Grab One Here.

3. Halloween Faces Sandwich Cookies

These delicious Halloween cookies and the perfect cookie to make with little kids since you don’t have to make anything perfect- in fact the stranger the better with these silly faced monster or pumpkin cookies! Let kids hold a competition to see who can make the scariest face or silliest grin.
Ingredients:
¾ cup marshmallow crème
1 container of vanilla frosting
A tube of royal icing or decorator icing in different colors
Food Coloring
Colorful candies, sugars and sprinkles (look for orange, black and green colors)
1 package of your favorite prepared cookie dough (purchase in the refrigerator section of your grocery)

Directions:
Preheat the kitchen oven to 350 degrees F.
Use a floured surface and rolling pin to roll the cookie dough so that it reaches a thickness of 1/8 inch.
Cut out the cookie shapes using Halloween cookie cutters or just leave in circle shapes.
Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet according to package.
Allow the Halloween cookies to cool for about a minute and transfer to wire racks.
Mix the vanilla frosting and marshmallow crème together in a large bowl.
Make sandwiches by layering the top of one cookie with this mixture and placing another cookie on top of it.
Decorate edges and top of cookie sandwiches with colored sugars, Halloween candies or sprinkles. Frost the face of each cookie and decorate with candies and sprinkles and frosting to make creepy faces, cute pumpkins or scary cats!
Grab the Halloween Cookies Cutter for under $4 at Amazon.com

4. Black Cat Halloween Cookies

Have some fun and decorate your house for the party or just Halloween night with these cute Black Cat Halloween Cookies that look fantastic perched in soda painted pot. You can paint a standard clay pot in Halloween colors or use a decorative basket or bucket and fill it with these cat cookies. They make the perfect centerpiece at any party and will delight everyone.
Ingredients:

* 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
* 2 cups sugar
* 2 eggs
* 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup baking cocoa
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 24 wooden craft or Popsicle sticks
* 48 candy corn candies
* 24 red-hot candies

Cookie Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.

2. Insert a wooden stick into each cookie. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Pinch top of cookie to form ears. For whiskers, press a fork twice into each cookie. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set. Remove from the oven; immediately press on candy corn for eyes and red-hots for noses. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Serves 12

Source: Cat Crafter

5. RIP Dirt Nap Cookie Pudding Cups

This recipe is the same as our dirt nap pudding and is pudding along with a fun cookie labeled with RIP. Just take some chocolate pudding and place it into a small plastic cup, top with oreo cookie crumbs and place a RIP cookie on top (you can be creative with the type of cookie) and thats it! Simple and delicious and sure to be a hit at your Halloween party.