Balloon Flower, or Platycodon grandiflorus, is also known as Chinese Bell flower. The common names of this pretty perennial plant come from the plump found flower buds that resemble hot air balloons or Chinese lanterns before they open. Blue flowers are unusual in the garden. Keep reading to find out how to grow this flower with a…
It’s time for one of my favorite international dishes – Mexican Chori Pollo. This recipe is full of bold flavors, topped with cheese and baked in the oven for one amazing meal. If you eat at Mexican restaurants often, you will likely have seen Chori Pollo offered as a choice. The dish is similar to…
Have you ever wondered what you need to do to grow sweet tomatoes? Vegetable gardening is so satisfying, and homegrown tomatoes are at the top of my favorites list. The taste of homegrown tomatoes is nothing at all like those that you buy in the stores. Even the vine-ripened ones can’t compare in taste to the…
These Paleo Grilled Pork Chops have an amazing flavor that comes from a marinade before cooking and a sauce that gets added once the chops are grilled. The recipe is summer time cooking at it’s finest. It is one of my favorite gluten free 30 minute meals! One of my favorite things about summer is…
Looking for a grab and go breakfast recipe or a snack to enjoy after a workout? Try these chocolate nut granola bars. These bars are soft and chewy and have just a touch of sweetness that pairs well with the crunch from the nuts. Granola has long been a favorite for breakfast and many recipes now…
Since I don’t like to use chemicals in the garden, I have been trying to find natural treatments for poison Ivy prevention so that I don’t have to use poisons We have a patch of poison ivy that seems to keep re-appearing in one of my garden beds every so often. You have all heard…
This clean eating broccoli salad features cabbage, broccoli, raisins, almonds and green onions and a creamy vegan dressing made with Mirin, orange juice and almond butter. It is great served either as a side dish, or main course salad. It’s hearty, tasty and easy to make. Keep reading to learn how to make this delicious…
If mealtime is stressful for you, these recipe substitutes and replacements will be a big help in getting your meals on the table in no time at all. Are there times when you are missing just one ingredient and can’t make a recipe? Perhaps you are following a meal plan or trying to lose weight…
This is hands down my favorite spice rub mix. I use it almost every time we grill steaks. It is a wonderful blend of some of my favorite spices. It keeps well and goes quickly. It is the perfect rub to use on all sorts meats for the grill. It’s barbecue time! Keep reading to…
A common gardening mistake is not staying on top of weeding. This natural vinegar weed killer is easy to use that retail products, takes care of the job, and so much better for the soil. Do you love growing perennials but don’t like the weeds that need pulling? The next time you walk outside and…
This delicious Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad is a wonderful mixture of zucchini, cabbage, carrots, sweet bell peppers, and shallots, tossed with a spicy almond butter dressing. It’s light, fresh, and super easy to make! If you are looking for a healthy meal for lunch time, you can’t go wrong with this one! Keep reading to learn how…
Growing great tomatoes doesn’t happen just by putting a few plants into the ground and turning on the hose. But anyone can master growing great tomatoes by following a few simple dos and don’ts. In the world of vegetable gardening, there is nothing quite like the taste of fresh home grown tomatoes. The flavor of…
These Composting Tips will take the mystery out of making compost for you. If you enjoy vegetable gardening or growing flowers, adding organic matter formed by composting will give you great results. Did you know that forgetting to compost is a common vegetable garden mistake? Have you always thought that making compost is difficult? The…
This crustless quiche Lorraine is a great alternative to the normal recipe. It has all the flavors of a Julia Child’s traditional quiche Lorraine but has far less fat and calories and no crust. Trust me, you won’t miss those extras at all. It tastes amazing and makes a great addition to your collection of…
There are many retail products available for watering plants at the roots, but this Soda Bottle Drip Feeder makes use or recycled materials and works really well. Drip feeders are a great idea for vegetable gardening projects. Many plants prefer the moisture at their roots instead of from overhead sprinklers, which can encourage some tomato plant problems. …
This crock pot curried chicken recipe will have your whole house smelling amazing while it cooks. Coming home to a dinner that is just about ready for the table is a treat on a busy week night! It makes a nice addition to my collection of crock pot recipes. My husband is fond of any…
This Hearty Chicken Sunflower Kale Salad is ready in less than 15 minutes and super tasty. When summer arrives, my goal is to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. Lunch for me means that it is time for salad recipes. But forget boring “lettuce food” style salads. When I say salad I…
Mother Nature has the perfect answer for summer bugs- mosquito repelling plants! We can grow annuals, perennials, and herbs that will keep the bugs away naturally. With summer comes lots of outdoor living. Sadly, that can mean lots of mosquitoes. I don’t like to use chemical products so this natural solution is great for keeping…
It is ant season again! You can kill ants with various home remedies, but are there are lots of other things that you can do to keep ants out of the house? As soon as the weather starts to heat up, and particularly after a warm rainy day, ants decide that indoors is a good…
Transplanting monkey grass is a simple process if you keep just a few things in mind. As far as growing perennials is concerned, it is one of my favorite easy care plants. Liriope is commonly known as monkey grass or spider grass. It is a versatile and easy to grow ground cover that tolerates heat well…
These cashew coconut energy bites are sweetened with medjool dates and have no dairy or gluten. They are a healthy way to get a burst of energy after a workout. With just a few minutes of your time and some healthy ingredients, you have a tasty on-the-go snack. Keep reading to find out how to…
One of the joys of summertime is the flavor of homegrown strawberries. Growing strawberries is very easy as long as you understand the type of plant that you are trying to grow. Of all the fruit plants, strawberries are one of the easiest to grow and so rewarding. The taste of the berries makes for great…
These Italian sweet potatoes combine with fresh herbs and diced tomatoes for the most amazing full flavored side dish. They are wonderful served with any protein and even taste great as leftovers the next day as part of a cooked breakfast. Sweet potatoes are incredibly versatile in recipes. You can substitute them in any recipe…
I love to tinker with my planters to come up with interesting ways to display my plants, both indoor plants and those that I keep outdoors. This water spout planter is my latest creation. It’s unusual, whimsical and I just love the way it turned out. Keep reading to learn how to make it. When…
The red hot poker is a showy and dramatic plant. If you love growing perennials that give color all summer long, this is the plant for you. Other names for this showy plant are torch lily and poker plant. The botanical name for this plant is kniphofia uvaria and there are more than 70 known…
If you love the look of dried flowers in your home, don’t buy them. It is easy to preserve flowers yourself with two common household ingredients: Borax and Cornmeal. One of the true joys of gardening is having so many flowers in my garden. I sometimes cut them to bring indoors, and also like to dry…