Homemade Affordable Garden Markers

Well, its official we have 6 new baby chicks!  Ombre is being a great mother and seems very happy.

Its been quite a while since I posted; I've been very busy with garden prep, starting seeds, the beginning of the farmer's market and the animals.

Today, I'd like to share with you an easy and affordable way to make your own garden markers.

I started doing this last summer and if you can easily identify your plants you can make it as simple as this...

Materials Needed:

-package bamboo skewers {usually you can get a pack of 50 or 100 for $1-$2}

-outdoor spray paint {I prefer a bright color so they are easy to see and don't blend in with the plants}

Process:

1. Stick the pointed ends of the skewers into the ground, just enough so they stand up.  

{I stuck mine in an area by our barn where I knew the paint on the rocks and grass wouldn't bother me until it started to wear off.  You could also stick them in some sand or lay them out on a large piece of paper or cardboard, but you would have to turn them after one side is dry.}

2. Use the spray paint to paint skewers from all sides.

3. Allow to dry completely, the drying time will depend on the current humidity.

If you are planting a large variety of items and/or are not sure you will be able to identify the plants as they grow you can take one extra step...

Extra Materials Needed:

-used canning lids, plastic container lids or shapes cut from the sides of a plastic milk or juice jug

-strong, permanent glue {I used E9000, I got mine from Hobby Lobby}

Process:

Just glue the lids to the top end of the bamboo skewers before painting.  Allow them to dry completely.

Someone spilled my garden markers,
but you get the idea of what they look like; right?

Then, use a permanent marker or paint marker to write the information on the plant marker.

 Enjoy!

One more week till we could have some new baby chicks.

Poor Ombre, she only has to sit on her load of eggs for about another week and the other girls "have" to lay their eggs in the same nesting box.

At least she gets to go out and get something to eat and drink while they sit on the eggs to keep them warm.

But I think I'm going to move her to her own private area later today.  I'll keep you all updated on if/when we start hatching the little fuzz-balls.

Mom's Fantastic Fruit Pizza

This is my Mom's fantastic fruit pizza recipe!  Its great as a dessert, an appetizer or just as a snack.  

You can use whatever fruit you have in the house or customize it to your family's likes.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for Crust:

-1 cup flour

-1/2 cup butter, softened or melted

-1/4 cup powdered sugar

Ingredients for Sauce:

-8 oz. cream cheese, softened

-1 tsp vanilla

-1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients for Glaze:

-1 cup pineapple juice, reserved from canned pineapple plus enough water to make 1 cup

-1 tsp lemon juice

-1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Suggested Topping Ingredients:

-canned pineapple slices or tidbits

-apple, peeled and sliced

-bananas, sliced

-kiwi, peeled and sliced

-strawberries, sliced

-red and/or green grapes, sliced in half

Other Topping Ideas:

-mandarin oranges

-pear, peeled and sliced

-pomegranate seeds

-blueberries

-blackberries

-raspberries

-oranges or clementines, peeled and sliced

-fresh cranberries, finely chopped

-peaches

-apricots

Process:

Prepare crust:

1. Mix together flour, powdered sugar and butter.

2. Pat or roll the crust into a pizza pan.  {I used a layer of plastic wrap to prevent the dough from sticking to my rolling pin.}

3. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Cool completely.

Prepare Sauce:
1. Mix together softened cream cheese, vanilla and sugar.

2. Spread sauce over the cooled crust.

3. Arrange fruit over the sauce.

Prepare Glaze:
1. Mix together pineapple juice, water, lemon juice and cornstarch in a saucepan.

2. Bring mixture to a boil, until thickened.

3. Spread glaze over fruit.  Cool in fridge for 2-8 hours and enjoy!

Monster Cookies

These were always a favorite when we were growing up!  This is my Mom's recipe and I'm sure you could make all kids of substitutions to customize it to your own likes.  

Substitution Ideas:

*butter = coconut oil

*vanilla = almond or maple extract

*corn syrup = pure maple syrup

*peanut butter = almond butter, cashew butter

*chocolate chips and/or M&Ms = 

      -dark chocolate, white chocolate or butterscotch chips, chocolate covered or yogurt covered raisins

      -raisins, dried cranberries, dried currants, dried cherries, dried blueberries

      -walnuts, peanuts, almonds, cashews, chai seeds {maybe 1/4 of the original measurement}, sunflower seeds

The full batch makes a ton of cookies; you could form the dough and freeze them until ready to bake or bake the cookies and freeze them for enjoyment later.  Or if you have a family of cookie lovers or an event where you need a lot of cookies enjoy all at once.

Below I am also listing the measurements for making 1/4 batch.

And believe it or not the recipe has NO FLOUR!  Enjoy!

Ingredients for full Batch:

-12 eggs

-1 lb. butter, softened {2 cups; 4 sticks}

-2 lbs. brown sugar {4 cups}

-1/2 cup baking soda

-1 tbsp vanilla

-1 tbsp corn syrup

-3 lbs. creamy or crunchy peanut butter {6 cups}

-4 cups sugar

-18 cups instant or old fashioned oatmeal

-1 lb. chocolate chips {2 cups}

-1 lb. M & Ms {2 cups}

Ingredients for 1/4 Batch:

-3 eggs

-1/4 lb. butter, softened {1 stick, 8 tbsp}

-1/2 lb. brown sugar {1 cup}

-2 tbsp baking soda

-1 1/2 tsp vanilla

-1 1/2 tsp corn syrup

-3/4 lb. creamy or crunchy peanut butter {1 1/2 cups}

-1 cup sugar

-4 1/2 cups instant or old fashioned oatmeal

-1/4 lb. chocolate chips {1/2 cup}

-1/4 lb. M & Ms {1/2 cup}

Process:

1. Cream together butter, eggs, vanilla, corn syrup and peanut butter.

2. Add baking soda, brown sugar and sugar.  Blend until smooth.

3. Add in oatmeal, mix well.

4. Add in the chocolate chips and M&Ms, mix well.  {when I took these pictures it was around the holidays, hence the red and green M&Ms}

5. Spoon mixture on to a lightly greased, parchment or slipat lined baking sheet, in balls about 2 1/2-3 tbsp each.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack and enjoy.

Happy Easter to everyone!

Hope all of you wonderful people out there are having a great Easter with your family and the people you love!

Crockpot Mongolian Beef

This is a tasty recipe.  I adapted this recipe from a Food Network recipe for Mongolian Beef Sandwiches with Black Bean Aioli.

Ingredients:

-2 to 3 lbs. beef roast

-1/2 cup canola oil

-1 tbsp sesame oil

-1/2 cup soy sauce

-1/2 cup red wine {you could probably substitute beef broth or maybe even chicken stock}

-2 tbsp minced garlic

-1/2 cup sliced scallions {about 1-2 bunches}

-1/2 tbsp pepper

Process:

1. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and sear roast on all sides.

You're not looking to cook the roast, but to put a good golden sear on the outside for added flavor.  You'd be surprised how much better a crockpot recipe tastes when you take a little extra time to do this.

2. Combine canola oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, wine and garlic.  Mix well.

3. Add scallions and mix well. Set aside.

4. Place a cutting board on a kitchen towel, place the roast on the cutting board and allow the roast to rest for about 10 minutes.
5. Slice roast against the grain in slices about 1/4 inch thick.

6. Add sliced beef to crockpot mixture.

7. Turn crockpot to low and allow to cook for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Enjoy beef and sauce over rice!