August 2011 part 1

Homemade chamomile tea:

Chamomile tea is known for calming and relieving anxiety.  After l long week, I sat on my front porch planning my approach to the week ahead. I saw that I needed to cut back my many feverfew plants. (I’m always distracted by my garden.) As I began to get ready to cut the flowers back, I made myself a nice cold drink and decided my seat on the porch was very cozy.  Only after I sat down did I realize I was going to make chamomile tea out of the awesome flower heads. I got myself a bowl and started to cut only the nice fresh flower heads from the stems. I soon had a million little flower heads in my salad bowl strainer. (Perfect for getting rid of unwanted debris.)

After I had cut all the fresh flower heads off and got rid of the unwanted debris, I started the oven at 170F’. I put several baking sheets and containers on the counters and spread the flower heads out none were touching. It took about 15 minutes per batch before they were ready to be pulled out and set to cool before putting them in quart jars. (Make sure the flowers don’t turn brown.)

 After a couple days went by, I went ahead and checked the flowers to make sure they didn’t mildew or wick with moisture. Everything seemed nice and fresh so I decided it was time to make myself a nice cup of tea and sit down and relax for a few minutes.

 1 teaspoon chamomile dried flower heads

1 cup very warm water (not boiling)

Steep for 3-5 minutes

Enjoy!

*It is pretty awesome to use a clear glass mug to really enjoy all your hard work. *

July 2011

Homemade deodorant:

Ingredients:  Equal parts (1/3 cup of each) = 1cup of deodorant.

- Baking soda

- Coconut oil

- Aluminum-FREE baking powder

1-Jam Jar or old deodorant bar holder.

Essential oils: peppermint, orange, rosemary, lavender, etc. (Only add two- three drops max.)

My friend Tara has been making deodorant for a couple of years now, and I have been a lucky recipient. It has worked great and I wanted more, so I talked her into making a batch with me on one of my last visits north.

This project took no time at all.  It just required us to have all the ingredients and sit down for five minutes. (Ha).  I would have to say if you are in need of hand repair this is a great activity to repair those damaged gardening hands.

 

When I got home, I even got my boyfriend Josh to use my lovely homemade deodorant. It was a nice change to his very intense MAN deodorant.

The cost of making a batch is the same as going to buy 1-2 bars at the store. However, you have enough ingredients to make one or two more batches. In total, 4-5 bars for the price of one.  How nice is that?  The cost could vary only depending on what kind of scented oil you add. Those prices vary, but the scented oils last along time.  I’m so excited about making another batch!!!

June 2011

 Garden Beds:

No1: import your help. Irish and Scottish workers are the best for putting in garden beds.

No2: Pay them in beer.

No3: Get all your supplies: reclaimed wood from friend’s remodel, screws, chicken wire, and (8) 4x4 x 1.5 posts.

No4: Cut your boards to the lengths you need. I decided to make 2x3 foot beds. This makes some nice and easy boxes to use. They don’t seem too big, but large enough. They are super easy to weed, and not kill your back.

No5: Make sure to give your workers cold beer then begin the project.

No6: Remember to have fun. And to charge all batteries for screw gun and saw.

I had some extra soil from an old raised bed I was tearing down, so I had soil ready to use. If you don’t have this luxury you will have to go purchase soil to fill the garden beds.

*A special thanks to Emer and Andrew and all your hard work on your visit. Cheers!!

May part 2

Toadstool fort:

I need to do a fort no one was expecting: A toadstool fort. My inspiration was my youngest niece who reminds me of a little gnome. I thought,” What would be better then a toadstool for her to run around in?”

 I had to make the fort large enough for her and her older sister to sit in, or for a camp-out. I also had to make it taller than the other two forts I had made and was planning on making. The roundness and mushroom top was hard for me to try to work out in my head. Once I went to the hardware shop, I began to wrap my head around the problems. I went with some PVC for the height and strength, then a bending type of plastic that has little connectors (like a hula hoop). I also randomly found a $10 -7’ umbrella that I colored red with white dots. It was perfect!!

I used some cream-colored bamboo bed sheets that just never worked out for my cousin. They gave the fort an awesome color. I used a fabric shower curtain from Ross for the grass. I cut the shower curtain in grass-like shapes and sewed them onto the bamboo sheet parts. I found some $0.98/ yd at Beverly’s Fabrics. (No worries- I always check with our local fabric store first before going to Beverly’s). I did get all the thread and fabric for the window curtains at our local fabric store, Hart’s Fabrics.

You may have noticed I am on a roll with making an entire village of forts this year. You would be correct. I have one more to go: A NASA GARAGE fort.  If you are wondering if these forts are expensive to make, no they aren’t. (Under $80)  Plus, I’m sure you have half of the supplies around your house or garage already.  It’s just working out the designs that are the hardest part. They are really easy to put together once you have an idea of what you are trying to build.

May Part 1

Easter Eggs:

I thought that dying Easter eggs with natural dyes was a great idea, but it wasn’t the best plan after all.  You need to have ample time planned out for this project because the dyed eggs need sit over night in the dye of the desired color you want.

We attempted onion peels, clover, beet powder, a pink tea, and yarrow.  We used homegrown eggs from my mom’s chickens; meaning we had all kinds of colors and sizes to chose from. This was a good test of natural dyes. We even tried attaching cloverleaves to the eggs using nylons as a griper for the eggs. It worked great. The only problem was the amount of time we had given to the project. It just wasn’t enough.

All the dyes work!