Summer greens

Ok, everyone I confess. I didn't have a post written up for today so I'm relying on good ol' Martha to help me out. Put the lushness of summer to work at your table by using hosta leaves and rosemary. These decorations are simple, beautiful, and disposable. Enjoy!

Soak hosta leaves in water. Dry before using for coasters.

Wrap hosta leaves around glass candle holders and tie with twine. Trim to fit.



Soak sturdy rosemary stalks for 30 minutes before threading and grill.
*You may want to "pre-drill" by skewering with a metal skewer first.

*All of the above pictures and ideas are from www.marthastewart.com. Thanks, Martha!

Handy Dandy Compost Container

Hmmm...looks like a diaper pail huh? Think again! This, my friends, was a diaper pail. Its new job is now a compost container! I use the diaper refill bags to contain the compost, which works well. It's large enough to hold several days worth of compost and the snug lid keeps fruit flies away.
*Be sure to double-knot the bag and empty every 3 days or so to prevent leaks.

Healthy Snack

Here is a healthy, easy to make granola snack to stash in your fridge for summer days. An added bonus is that they are gluten free and peanut-free if you use almond butter. Kids and adults love them!

 

Granola Bites

• 1-½ cup Quick Oats
• ½ cups Crisp Rice Cereal
• ¼ cups Ground Flaxseed
• ¼ cups Oat Bran
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 2/3 cups Dark Chocolate Chips
• ½ cups No-stir Natural Peanut Butter (or any natural nut butter)
• ½ cups Honey

1. In a large bowl, stir together oats, cereal, flaxseed, oat bran, salt, chocolate chips. Add in peanut butter and honey. Stir in until well-combined.

2. If dough is sticky, refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow dough to stiffen. Form dough into 1-inch balls.
3. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

*Customize them to your family's tastes by adding coconut, dried fruit, or nuts.

 

Clip it

If one of the many hats you wear is that of a DIY hairdresser, then the following tip is for you! On a 3x5 card, record what size clipper guard your family member prefers and tape it on the inside of the clipper case. You'll get it right every time! Don't forget to include different sizes if the cut changes with the seasons.

Try this method for staking your tomatoes this year. Drive stakes into the ends of your rows and tightly stretch twine across. Tie the tomatoes to the twine to form neat rows. Gone are the days of trying to extract tomatoes from the inside of a cage. I picked a friend's tomatoes last year using this method and picking was a breeze. *If you have long rows, add a stake or two in the center for reinforcement.

 

Photography tip

Kids can be, to me, the most difficult subject to photograph. Once babies are mobile, it becomes increasingly difficult. The next time you want to take a picture of your little ankle biter, try sitting them down atop a small table. (End tables work best, because baby can't move around on them.) Not only can you place the table in whatever lighting is best, but babies tend to like the novelty of sitting higher up. You also don't have to lay on the floor to be at eye level!

Tip of the week

Don't toss those plastic and cardboard fruit containers. They will be perfect for sharing the produce from your summer garden and for storing the produce that you keep. The clamshell style containers are also good for storing sewing notions or craft supplies.