If you happen to be traveling through Ohio this summer, take a detour to Bryan and the Spangler Candy Store and Museum. Bryan is a little off the beaten path, just south of I-80/90 between South Bend, Ind. and Toledo. Spangler is famous for Dum Dums® pops.
When you get there, you can enjoy a ride on the Dum Dums Trolley and learn how they make Dum Dums®, Saf-T-Pops®, Spangler® Circus Peanuts, and Spangler® Candy Canes!
The trolley takes visitors on a tour through the warehouse and packing areas. Visitors will be amazed by the amount of candy produced at the factory; 10 million Dum Dums per day, 1.5 million Candy Canes per day, and over 500,000 Saf-T-Pops per day!
The museum features historical information in a timeline fashion, along with samples of products and other artifacts from years past. A video history of the company runs continuously in the museum. Through the museum experience visitors will learn how the company grew from one man and some baking powder to the world-class hard candy company it is today.
The store offers Spangler products including single flavored Dum Dums containers, bulk Dum Dums and Saf-T-Pops, and Candy Canes and Circus Peanuts. Also featured are new Dum Dums t-shirt designs, Dum Dums flip flops, and other cool new Dum Dums accessories. Visitors are welcome to taste test never-before-seen flavors from the lab.
Summer hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m through August. Fall, winter and spring hours are Wednesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Spangler Candy Store & Museum is located at 400 N. Portland St., Bryan, OH 43506.
Source: Spangler Candy Company via PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1dap1)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Trash to Treasure
When my parents moved from the old homestead some years ago, I found myself rummaging around in their barn. Barns are great places to find amazing treasures. Slated for the dumpster was an old Eight O’clock Coffee tin. There’s no telling how old the tin is, but it’s price, still marked on the bottom was 99 cents. Eight O'Clock Coffee is the brand name of the light roast of coffee introduced by the American supermarket chain A&P in 1859. I’m guessing that it came from paternal grandparents homestead since A&P was the only grocery store near Sulphur Springs for years. The brand still exists, but it’s no longer sold in a tin, nor is anywhere near 99 cents. However, the tin itself is worth what I pound of Eight O'Clock Coffee sells for today – about $25.
I also found a vintage wooden canister set with two red, yellow and green roosters on the front. I seem to recall my dad telling that it they were dug up on a job site somewhere in America years ago. At any rate they were dirty, but otherwise in good shape. After reaching the find, I discovered that they three canister set was made in Japan circa 1950. The complete four piece set – which I have – is worth about $50.
Not one to let such treasures hide away, I used them as pots to create greenery arrangements: Silk greenery with red, white and blue flowers, garnished with a few seasonal picks. Every year, I trot them out as part of my summer decorating scheme. This year, they’re going on my free standing wine rack.
Yup, somebody else’s trash is my treasure.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Contrary to Popular Belief, Mayonnaise Doesn’t Spoil Easily
It’s been drilled in our heads since childhood: Mayonnaise spoils easily, especially during the summer. According to the Association for Dressings & Sauces – yes there is such an organization – nothing could be further from the truth. When packing your picnic basket, mayonnaise is one of the safest and most health-friendly products you can bring, and according to the association, here's why:
More than 60 years of research has proven that commercially prepared mayonnaise does not cause foodborne illness.
Commercial mayonnaise and mayonnaise-type dressings contain pasteurized eggs and are prepared under strict quality control guidelines.
Additional ingredients such as vinegar and lemon juice create a high-acid environment that slows or even stops bacterial growth.
Commercial mayonnaise is perfectly stable when stored at room temperature; however, refrigeration ensures the mayonnaise maintains its fresh flavor for a longer period of time.
With so many varieties available, including light and low-fat, mayonnaise can be part of a well-balanced diet, meeting anyone's dietary needs. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends increased use of oils to replace solid fats, where possible. Mayonnaise was highlighted as a food that contains oil. Commercial mayonnaise is made with healthy oils such as soybean, canola and olive. Mayonnaise also contains Omega 3 fatty acids and is free of trans fats.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers these tips to ensure your next picnic is a success:
Clean. Most foodborne illnesses are related to improper hand washing. If facilities are unavailable, wet wipes or a hand sanitizer will reduce germs. Wash your hands before cooking, after touching raw meat, fish, or chicken; and after visiting the restroom.
Separate. Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling and serving is a prime cause of foodborne illness. Wrap raw meats securely, and avoid raw meat juices coming into contact with ready-to-eat food. Wash any dishes that held the raw meat or poultry before using again for cooked food or to handle vegetables. Make sure all produce used in salads and sandwiches are fresh and properly washed.
Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Transport cold foods in an insulated cooler with ice packs. Cook meat and poultry completely at the picnic site to prohibit bacteria growth. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours when the temperature in the food serving area is below 90 degrees F, and within one hour when the temperature is above 90 degrees F.
The Association for Dressings & Sauces is an international trade association representing salad dressing, mayonnaise, and condiment sauce manufacturers and suppliers. Visit www.dressings-sauces.org to learn more about mayonnaise and to download the brochure, "Make Mine Mayonnaise!"
SOURCE The Association for Dressings & Sauces via PR Newswire
More than 60 years of research has proven that commercially prepared mayonnaise does not cause foodborne illness.
Commercial mayonnaise and mayonnaise-type dressings contain pasteurized eggs and are prepared under strict quality control guidelines.
Additional ingredients such as vinegar and lemon juice create a high-acid environment that slows or even stops bacterial growth.
Commercial mayonnaise is perfectly stable when stored at room temperature; however, refrigeration ensures the mayonnaise maintains its fresh flavor for a longer period of time.
With so many varieties available, including light and low-fat, mayonnaise can be part of a well-balanced diet, meeting anyone's dietary needs. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends increased use of oils to replace solid fats, where possible. Mayonnaise was highlighted as a food that contains oil. Commercial mayonnaise is made with healthy oils such as soybean, canola and olive. Mayonnaise also contains Omega 3 fatty acids and is free of trans fats.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers these tips to ensure your next picnic is a success:
Clean. Most foodborne illnesses are related to improper hand washing. If facilities are unavailable, wet wipes or a hand sanitizer will reduce germs. Wash your hands before cooking, after touching raw meat, fish, or chicken; and after visiting the restroom.
Separate. Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling and serving is a prime cause of foodborne illness. Wrap raw meats securely, and avoid raw meat juices coming into contact with ready-to-eat food. Wash any dishes that held the raw meat or poultry before using again for cooked food or to handle vegetables. Make sure all produce used in salads and sandwiches are fresh and properly washed.
Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Transport cold foods in an insulated cooler with ice packs. Cook meat and poultry completely at the picnic site to prohibit bacteria growth. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours when the temperature in the food serving area is below 90 degrees F, and within one hour when the temperature is above 90 degrees F.
The Association for Dressings & Sauces is an international trade association representing salad dressing, mayonnaise, and condiment sauce manufacturers and suppliers. Visit www.dressings-sauces.org to learn more about mayonnaise and to download the brochure, "Make Mine Mayonnaise!"
SOURCE The Association for Dressings & Sauces via PR Newswire
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Create With Paint
Just in time for Memorial Day, here’s an idea for rustic bird house. I’m not much of a birdhouse fan, but when I find something irresistibly cheap, I grab it and stash it away. I never know when I might come up with a use for it.
When I created this piece, I didn’t set out to create a patriot piece, it just turned out that way. I was more interested in trying out some new painting techniques, so let’s talk about what I learned doing this piece.
I wanted to experiment with staining over paint. With masking tape, I striped off a wide columns on the sides and back so I could compare the painted stain against the stain over the unfinished wood. I painted the untapped sides a bright red. Just for contrast, I painted the front a bright blue. I put down three coats and let the paint dry between each layer. When the paint was completely dry – about 24 hours, I rubbed in the stain, a cherry wood, with a terry cloth rag. Again, I applied three coats, waiting a day between each coat. (Note: make sure to wear rubber gloves when working with stain. It’s sticky and doesn’t come off easily.)
I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome: a convincingly weathered look. Still it didn’t look finished. I glued down some unfinished pre cut wood stars to the front. Once glued down, I applied the stain. Unfortunately, the stars are light balsam wood, a different wood from the birdhouse, and would take the stain. I applied a couple of coats before giving up and painting the stars white. It was more difficult painting the stars after they were already fixed to the birdhouse, but I couldn’t pry them off either. After the paint dried, I layer stain on top of that.
I’m pretty happy with the end result, considering I didn’t have an end result in mind. Sometimes, you just have to experiment. Who knows what you’ll come up with. I’m likely to repeat this technique for something for fall or Halloween.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Patriotic Picture Frames
Shortly after Christmas, I picked up several wooden frames just because they were on clearance cheap. They were destine for craft stash, but ended up in the floor of my craft room. This week, I got tired of tripping over them and decided to create something for my summer decorating theme.
There’s all sorts of summer decorating themes… beach and fruit are two of the most popular. I go a different direction. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, my interior decorating them is patriotic. By decorating around a patriotic theme, I cover all of the major summer holidays – Memorial Day, Fouth of July and even Flag Day.
For this framing project I drew inspiration from my Texas Star and Rustic Valentine. I also was able to use a lot of the crafting supplies leftover from those projects, including the paint, the small star cut outs and the wooden lettering, which coincidently are patriotic colors. I had a pile of kid and grandkid photos that would fit into the theme as well.
First I match the frames to the photos. Then I matched the paint to the colors or theme in the photo. For the baseball photo, I painted the frame Texas Ranger red. The other photos seemed to work best with the bright blue. I painted all of the frames at once, and allowed them to dry.
While the frames dried, I sorted through my leftover letters to spell out something that made sense. “Made in Texas” and “My Airman” were obvious – and I was lucky enough to have all the letters I needed. “USA” was easy as well, but picking out something baseball-y, well that required the assistance of John. For two or three days, we struggled with words. John desperately wanted to spell out “Slugger,” but I didn’t have all the required letters – and I was determined to use up what I had rather than buy more. Then we tried “First Base,” and “Coach.” Finally John pieced together “Homerun” and that fit!
We used silver metatic acrylic craft paint on the pre-cut wood letters and some of the small pre-cut stars and bright red on larger pre-cut stars I purchased at Michael’s. Once dry, about six hours, I glued the letters stars to the frame using wood glue. When the glue had set up, about two hours, I sealed the whole thing by painting it with a layer of white craft glue and let it dry overnight.
Once the frames were dry, I trimmed the photos to fit inside the frames and then using masking tape, sealed the backsides so the photos could be handled without falling out.
There’s all sorts of summer decorating themes… beach and fruit are two of the most popular. I go a different direction. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, my interior decorating them is patriotic. By decorating around a patriotic theme, I cover all of the major summer holidays – Memorial Day, Fouth of July and even Flag Day.
For this framing project I drew inspiration from my Texas Star and Rustic Valentine. I also was able to use a lot of the crafting supplies leftover from those projects, including the paint, the small star cut outs and the wooden lettering, which coincidently are patriotic colors. I had a pile of kid and grandkid photos that would fit into the theme as well.
First I match the frames to the photos. Then I matched the paint to the colors or theme in the photo. For the baseball photo, I painted the frame Texas Ranger red. The other photos seemed to work best with the bright blue. I painted all of the frames at once, and allowed them to dry.
While the frames dried, I sorted through my leftover letters to spell out something that made sense. “Made in Texas” and “My Airman” were obvious – and I was lucky enough to have all the letters I needed. “USA” was easy as well, but picking out something baseball-y, well that required the assistance of John. For two or three days, we struggled with words. John desperately wanted to spell out “Slugger,” but I didn’t have all the required letters – and I was determined to use up what I had rather than buy more. Then we tried “First Base,” and “Coach.” Finally John pieced together “Homerun” and that fit!
We used silver metatic acrylic craft paint on the pre-cut wood letters and some of the small pre-cut stars and bright red on larger pre-cut stars I purchased at Michael’s. Once dry, about six hours, I glued the letters stars to the frame using wood glue. When the glue had set up, about two hours, I sealed the whole thing by painting it with a layer of white craft glue and let it dry overnight.
Once the frames were dry, I trimmed the photos to fit inside the frames and then using masking tape, sealed the backsides so the photos could be handled without falling out.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Made in the USA Cotton
Over the 4th of July holiday Cotton Incorporated – the cotton industry association - and local Florida radio station got folks to wear cotton red, white, or blue tee shirts and stand in the shape of a U.S. flag.
Normally, I’d blow past yawn-invoking publicity stunts, but this one happens to fall into the realm of one of my crusades – driving awareness for products made in the U.S.A. According to the news release, the t-shirts were made in the U.S.A. by North Carolina-based TSDesigns from cotton made in the U.S.A.
From the news release: “Cotton Incorporated, famous for its ‘The Fabric Of Our Lives®’ advertising campaign, cites its ongoing Lifestyle Monitor™ survey as an indicator that cotton is the fabric of our lives in the United States.”
According to the survey:
83 percent of consumers agree that cotton and cotton blends are the fibers best suited for today's fashions
Nearly six out of 10 consumers (58 percent) are bothered that brands and retailers may be substituting synthetic fibers for in denim jeans, followed by tee shirts (56 percent), and sweatshirts/hoodies (53 percent); and
58 percent of consumers say they would be willing to pay a slightly higher price to keep cotton from being substituted with synthetic fibers in their tee shirts, followed by 57 percent saying the same for denim jeans, and 50 percent for sweatshirts/hoodies.
The Monitor survey shows that 60 percent of respondents feel that clothing made in theU.S.A. is of higher quality than clothing imported from other countries. Interjecting a personal thought here – I tend to agree. Even fabric made in the U.S.A tends to feel and wear better than imports. When shopping for sewing projects, I try to find fabrics made in America, but it’s hard.
"Today, less than five percent of apparel sold in the U.S.A. is actually made in the U.S.A.," said Eric Henry, President of TSDesigns. Based in Burlington, N.C. TSDesigns is a sources local cotton for its apparel products, which are then made – and sold – within the United States. "Seeing a U.S. flag made up of citizens wearing our tee shirts, which are made in America, is inspiring for all of us at TSDesigns. Hopefully the image of it will inspire all Americans to look more locally for their apparel needs.”
Source: Cotton Incorporated via PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1h41m)
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Mother's Day Ideas
Fun Mother's Day Fact: The U.S. Congress officially designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day in 1914.
John and I were watching Suburgatory the other day, the Mother’s Day episode where each of the husbands with reluctant kids in tow try to outdo each other in making mom feel like a pampered queen. That would NEVER happen in my household. I’m lucky if I get text message.
I don’t want much… In fact most mothers don’t want anything more than quality time with their kids. According to a Wakefield Research study (conducted for Godiva Coffee), “87 percent of Americans (moms included) believe it's the quality of time spent with Mom, not the quantity of time, that's most important.”
Godiva Coffee has three under $15 gift ideas that go along with spending time with Mom:
Surprise her with breakfast in bed: Nothing shows your love for Mom like waking up before she does to prepare her a delicious breakfast. Of course Godiva Coffee needs be in the coffee pot. Oh and clean up the kitchen afterwards.
Work yourself into her schedule for a day: Help Mom run her errands or be her chauffeur to enjoy the great conversation that comes while driving around together doing everyday things. This might be a good time to find out who your mom is.
Stroll down memory lane: Sit down with Mom and view old photo albums and/or videos to reminisce. Find out who Mom was before you came along. If you’re a good kid, help Mom scan them onto a computer to share on Facebook.
The Godiva Coffee Mother's Day Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 American adults, ages 18 and older, between April 6 and April 12, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population 18 and older. Wakefield Research is a global market research consultancy that advises clients throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia Source: Godiva Coffee via PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1aAeL)
The Serious Teddy Bear Company also has some Mother’s Day idea, particularly for those who live to far apart to visit on that day. The first suggestion is the obvious: cards, flowers and chocolates. Not very creative, but still suitable.
Then there’s the greener, cheaper version: Personalized message online e-card services . Free versions of video animation software also are available that allow kids – and spouses - to upload family photos and even brief video clips.
The next best thing to visiting mom on Mother's Day is to talk with her face-to-face on a live video chat. Take advantage of online services that offer free computer-to-computer video calls. The news release says “This experience will blow her away, especially if she gets to see her out-of-state grandkids for ‘the first time in ages.’” (I guess they’re assuming moms aren’t that technology savvy – shaking head.)
Source: The Serious Teddy Bear Co, via PRnewswire http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/make-mom-feel-loved-on-mothers-day-even-from-hundreds-of-miles-away-147786575.html
How about these ideas:
Buy her a flat of flowers and plant them
Frame a picture of yourself, yourself and your siblings and/or the grandkids
Make the frame for the above pictures
Lunch
Make a cement cast of your hand or your foot, yeah even if you’re grown.
Wow! I need to get to posting some how to’s, don’t I?
John and I were watching Suburgatory the other day, the Mother’s Day episode where each of the husbands with reluctant kids in tow try to outdo each other in making mom feel like a pampered queen. That would NEVER happen in my household. I’m lucky if I get text message.
I don’t want much… In fact most mothers don’t want anything more than quality time with their kids. According to a Wakefield Research study (conducted for Godiva Coffee), “87 percent of Americans (moms included) believe it's the quality of time spent with Mom, not the quantity of time, that's most important.”
Godiva Coffee has three under $15 gift ideas that go along with spending time with Mom:
Surprise her with breakfast in bed: Nothing shows your love for Mom like waking up before she does to prepare her a delicious breakfast. Of course Godiva Coffee needs be in the coffee pot. Oh and clean up the kitchen afterwards.
Work yourself into her schedule for a day: Help Mom run her errands or be her chauffeur to enjoy the great conversation that comes while driving around together doing everyday things. This might be a good time to find out who your mom is.
Stroll down memory lane: Sit down with Mom and view old photo albums and/or videos to reminisce. Find out who Mom was before you came along. If you’re a good kid, help Mom scan them onto a computer to share on Facebook.
The Godiva Coffee Mother's Day Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 American adults, ages 18 and older, between April 6 and April 12, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population 18 and older. Wakefield Research is a global market research consultancy that advises clients throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia Source: Godiva Coffee via PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1aAeL)
The Serious Teddy Bear Company also has some Mother’s Day idea, particularly for those who live to far apart to visit on that day. The first suggestion is the obvious: cards, flowers and chocolates. Not very creative, but still suitable.
Then there’s the greener, cheaper version: Personalized message online e-card services . Free versions of video animation software also are available that allow kids – and spouses - to upload family photos and even brief video clips.
The next best thing to visiting mom on Mother's Day is to talk with her face-to-face on a live video chat. Take advantage of online services that offer free computer-to-computer video calls. The news release says “This experience will blow her away, especially if she gets to see her out-of-state grandkids for ‘the first time in ages.’” (I guess they’re assuming moms aren’t that technology savvy – shaking head.)
Source: The Serious Teddy Bear Co, via PRnewswire http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/make-mom-feel-loved-on-mothers-day-even-from-hundreds-of-miles-away-147786575.html
How about these ideas:
Buy her a flat of flowers and plant them
Frame a picture of yourself, yourself and your siblings and/or the grandkids
Make the frame for the above pictures
Lunch
Make a cement cast of your hand or your foot, yeah even if you’re grown.
Wow! I need to get to posting some how to’s, don’t I?
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Chicken Florentine Alfredo -The Slow Way
I've moved from soups to noodles in the slow cooker! This week I made for the second time a unique chicken Florentine Alfredo dish. Very easy to do! And oh so yummy! Unlike my other crock pot dishes, this one is one is a little more involved, but it's perfect for a Sunday supper!
Ingredients:
8 oz frozen spinach
4 oz frozen onions
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can mushrooms
2 chicken breasts
1 16 oz alfrado sauce
1 cup milk
½ stick butter
2 cups linguini
Garlic salt, pepper
Season a frying pan with garlic salt, and pepper. Sautee the frozen spinach and onions in a skillet until all the water is gone. You want it to be fairly dry before you put it into slow cooker.
Season the frying pan with garlic salt, salt, pepper again. Drain the diced tomatoes and mushroom and put the remaining contents of the cans into skillet. Sautee the tomatoes and mushrooms until all the water is gone, but don’t let it burn. Again, you want it to be dry before you put it into in the slow cooker, but not scorched. Once the vegetables are cooked and dried, put them into the slow cooker.
Boil the linguine until the noodles are soft, but not completely done. Drain well, rinse and put in crock pot. It’s important to rinse the noodles to get rid of the excess starch that will make the noodles gummy.
Chunk the chicken breasts and put in the crock pot.
Pour in Alfredo sauce, milk and butter in crock pot and mix well.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours until the chicken is done.
Delish with wine and HBO!
Ingredients:
8 oz frozen spinach
4 oz frozen onions
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can mushrooms
2 chicken breasts
1 16 oz alfrado sauce
1 cup milk
½ stick butter
2 cups linguini
Garlic salt, pepper
Season a frying pan with garlic salt, and pepper. Sautee the frozen spinach and onions in a skillet until all the water is gone. You want it to be fairly dry before you put it into slow cooker.
Season the frying pan with garlic salt, salt, pepper again. Drain the diced tomatoes and mushroom and put the remaining contents of the cans into skillet. Sautee the tomatoes and mushrooms until all the water is gone, but don’t let it burn. Again, you want it to be dry before you put it into in the slow cooker, but not scorched. Once the vegetables are cooked and dried, put them into the slow cooker.
Boil the linguine until the noodles are soft, but not completely done. Drain well, rinse and put in crock pot. It’s important to rinse the noodles to get rid of the excess starch that will make the noodles gummy.
Chunk the chicken breasts and put in the crock pot.
Pour in Alfredo sauce, milk and butter in crock pot and mix well.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours until the chicken is done.
Delish with wine and HBO!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Five Ways to Ensure a Healthy Lawn and Garden
Gardening is not my first love. I plant perennials like mums which are hardy and come back year after year. But some folks love to dig in the dirt at the first sign of spring. Outdoor power equipment manufacture Troy-Bilt offers these ideas for taking care of your lawn this spring:
Don't plant annuals or fruit- or berry-producing plants early. Annuals and fruit- and berry-producing plants are especially susceptible to being killed off or damaged by frost. If you have these kinds of plants already in the ground, keep them well-watered. If you know the temperature will be dropping dangerously low on a particular night, cover the plants with mesh netting.
Begin pest and insect control earlier than usual. Cold winter temperatures keep pests and diseases in check, but this year many of those pests and diseases may not have died or gone fully dormant. Also, it's possible the warm winter could have thrown off the life-cycles of various insect species, which may mean the good insects we count on to gobble up the bad insects that harm grasses and gardens were born too early to do the job – so keep an eye out for new problems.
Protect ornamental bushes and shrubs that are out of their native range. Ornamental bushes and shrubs that are on the border of growing in their climate zone are usually more susceptible to blooming early at the first sign of warmer weather. If they do and there's a freeze, it's likely they'll lose their flowers for the season or produce fewer flowers this year. Protect them by watering well early in the season.
Begin weed maintenance earlier than usual. Your grass and garden aren't the only things growing sooner this year. Weeds had an early start as well. If you don't get an early start on weeding this year, your lawn or garden may get choked off and not grow as well this season.
Stay off the lawn, and resist the urge to cut the grass too short too early! A growing lawn is more susceptible to freezing than a dormant lawn. Staying off the lawn keeps the stress down on the grass and helps protect it if the temperature suddenly drops. Also, don't cut more than a third of the blade at a time. If you go lower and a freeze comes along, it could shock the grass and stunt its growth.
Once you're ready to pull your lawn mower out of the shed for the first time this year, take some time to tune it up. If you've used your mower for more than a year, it may be time to sharpen or replace your blades. Also add fresh gas and oil. If your mower needs to be replaced, now is the time to start researching and hitting the stores.
Not sure what kind of mower you need? Consider the following choices to find the mower best suited to your needs:
Walk-behind mower – If you have less than an acre of land or many obstacles in your yard, a reel, push or self-propelled walk-behind mower may make the most sense.
Lawn tractor – For larger yards that would be difficult to cover on foot, consider a riding mower.
Source: Troy-Bilt via PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bEur)
Don't plant annuals or fruit- or berry-producing plants early. Annuals and fruit- and berry-producing plants are especially susceptible to being killed off or damaged by frost. If you have these kinds of plants already in the ground, keep them well-watered. If you know the temperature will be dropping dangerously low on a particular night, cover the plants with mesh netting.
Begin pest and insect control earlier than usual. Cold winter temperatures keep pests and diseases in check, but this year many of those pests and diseases may not have died or gone fully dormant. Also, it's possible the warm winter could have thrown off the life-cycles of various insect species, which may mean the good insects we count on to gobble up the bad insects that harm grasses and gardens were born too early to do the job – so keep an eye out for new problems.
Protect ornamental bushes and shrubs that are out of their native range. Ornamental bushes and shrubs that are on the border of growing in their climate zone are usually more susceptible to blooming early at the first sign of warmer weather. If they do and there's a freeze, it's likely they'll lose their flowers for the season or produce fewer flowers this year. Protect them by watering well early in the season.
Begin weed maintenance earlier than usual. Your grass and garden aren't the only things growing sooner this year. Weeds had an early start as well. If you don't get an early start on weeding this year, your lawn or garden may get choked off and not grow as well this season.
Stay off the lawn, and resist the urge to cut the grass too short too early! A growing lawn is more susceptible to freezing than a dormant lawn. Staying off the lawn keeps the stress down on the grass and helps protect it if the temperature suddenly drops. Also, don't cut more than a third of the blade at a time. If you go lower and a freeze comes along, it could shock the grass and stunt its growth.
Once you're ready to pull your lawn mower out of the shed for the first time this year, take some time to tune it up. If you've used your mower for more than a year, it may be time to sharpen or replace your blades. Also add fresh gas and oil. If your mower needs to be replaced, now is the time to start researching and hitting the stores.
Not sure what kind of mower you need? Consider the following choices to find the mower best suited to your needs:
Walk-behind mower – If you have less than an acre of land or many obstacles in your yard, a reel, push or self-propelled walk-behind mower may make the most sense.
Lawn tractor – For larger yards that would be difficult to cover on foot, consider a riding mower.
Source: Troy-Bilt via PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bEur)
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Satisfying the Sweet Tooth Without the Sugar
Low carb diets are hard when you’ve got a sweet tooth! Sure, there’s sugarless sweets out there, but they’re budget busting expensive! But I’ve found a solution in Pillsbury’s sugarfree cake mixes and brownie mix. The cake mixes come in yellow and chocolate. Unfortunately, the gourmet flavors and the fun flavors aren’t available in sugarless versions yet.
Fortunately with basic flavors, you can be creative to change them up. Sugarfree chocolate and vanilla frostings are available so you can make up a straight up traditional pan cake. I haven’t done that yet as I’m not a fan of mounds of frosting. But I have found some creative alternatives.
I typically back cakes in my bundt cake pan. I could eat plain hot cake, but to compromise with John, I drizzle frosting on them – vanilla and chocolate work well on the chocolate mix. With yellow, I stick to chocolate.
My favorite way to make these cakes is to top them with no sugar added fruit. This works great on the yellow mix. Or fill the bottom of the pan with no sugar added fruit pie filling and pour the cake mix on top. I’ve done used blueberry and cherry pie filling on the yellow mix and cherry pie filling with the chocolate mix. Flipping the cake out of the pan is a little tricky – I use an oversized plate (bigger than my cake plate) to avoid spills. The results are amazing!
This photo doesn’t do it justice.
Be warned: These delish deserts are low sugar, but not low calorie.
Fortunately with basic flavors, you can be creative to change them up. Sugarfree chocolate and vanilla frostings are available so you can make up a straight up traditional pan cake. I haven’t done that yet as I’m not a fan of mounds of frosting. But I have found some creative alternatives.
I typically back cakes in my bundt cake pan. I could eat plain hot cake, but to compromise with John, I drizzle frosting on them – vanilla and chocolate work well on the chocolate mix. With yellow, I stick to chocolate.
My favorite way to make these cakes is to top them with no sugar added fruit. This works great on the yellow mix. Or fill the bottom of the pan with no sugar added fruit pie filling and pour the cake mix on top. I’ve done used blueberry and cherry pie filling on the yellow mix and cherry pie filling with the chocolate mix. Flipping the cake out of the pan is a little tricky – I use an oversized plate (bigger than my cake plate) to avoid spills. The results are amazing!
This photo doesn’t do it justice.
Be warned: These delish deserts are low sugar, but not low calorie.
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