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Pressed Fern Wall Art

Gift for Mother's Day

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(Used in this project: Oval Tags in Spring style and Custom.) Last month, while researching ideas for DIY wall art, I stumbled upon this post for pressed botanical specimens from Design*Sponge that was not only perfect for my walls, but would also make a great gift for anyone who loves plants. It just so happens that my mom is fond of ferns, so I decided to gather some extra fronds from my yard to make her a gift for Mother’s Day this year. If you’re interested in making this project … [Read more...]

Mason Jar Sprouting Kit

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If you are like me, you may find it a bit hard to get through the winter months without fresh grown garden veggies. That's why I started sprouting originally, but this crunchy bean mix has me addicted! It adds a whole lot of flavor and freshness to salads, soups, pasta, and sandwiches, but also packs in a whole lot of nutrition. Each teeny tiny sprout is more digestible than the unsprouted grain, plus it packs in all the nutrients needed to grow that seed into a seedling. No need for a … [Read more...]

Squash Molasses

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Last summer I added winter squash to the regular vegetables I grow in my garden. I adore the taste of it, whether it is Acorn, Delicata, Hubbard or one of the many other varieties. Maybe it’s the way my mom served it; baked in the oven, with a bit of butter, brown sugar and salt. So delicious. This year I was lucky to get a portion of a community garden, so with part of the ground I planted several hills of Hubbard and Banana squash. With great surprise I harvested over three hundred … [Read more...]

Seed Packet Favors

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What better way to brighten up a shower than flowers...and seeds!? Beautiful flower centerpieces planted with a mix of butterfly blend seeds makes for a fun way to display favors. To Make the Seed Packets First, buy a butterfly or bee blend of seeds from your local nursery. They usually contain a mix of perennials and annuals that will grow best in your climate. You can also make your own mix by purchasing seeds for flowers that you or the guests-of-honor love and mixing them yourself. … [Read more...]

DIY Seed Bomb Favors

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Seed Bombs are a unique spring favor idea and simple to make yourself. With only a few ingredients to collect along with your favorite wildflower seeds, mixing up a batch of seed bombs makes for a fun afternoon craft. If you enjoy gardening, then you'll love getting your hands dirty for this project. Seed Bombs Ingredients: • Wildflower Seeds (about 10 packages) • Air dry red clay (I found mine at Michael's) • Gardening dirt • Water The process for making seed bombs … [Read more...]

Homemade Raisins

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This year for the first time ever, I made RAISINS! People have been making them for thousands of years, but still I feel like I have just invented the wheel. This is a fantastic accomplishment, and it is NOT DIFFICULT! First I have to tell you about our grape tree. It is probably the only one in the world. It is actually an old cherry tree that died, and I lopped the branches off short, planted a couple of grapevines at the base and trained them to climb into the branches. I prune it every … [Read more...]

Simple Gifts: Fresh Eggs

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One dark and rainy winter evening I was suddenly at a loss for something to bring to our friends' dinner party as a hostess gift. I had just collected the day's eggs from my hens, and it was time to go! I looked at the eggs and remembered when our friend Steve arrived at our house with a small handful of eggs, and how much we had loved getting them, fresh-laid, from Steve's happy hens. That's how this idea began. You can use a little homemade basket like this for more than just eggs. Put … [Read more...]

Pumpkin Butter

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We've got an abundance of pumpkins in our family garden this year, so I thought it'd be fun to roast a few of our extras for pumpkin puree and pumpkin butter. I'm especially excited about the pumpkin butter because there's so much you can do with it. You can go simple and spread it over toast like you would with jelly, or you can add a teaspoon or two into your morning yogurt, oatmeal, or smoothie. I've also heard it works great as a replacement for pumpkin puree in soup, and homemade pumpkin … [Read more...]

Tomatillo Salsa

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(Used in this project: Canning Labels and Small Circle Labels in Boxicle style.) Last year for Christmas, my daughter-in-law Ari and my son Kyle made this salsa for Christmas gifts. They loved both the making and giving of this wonderful recipe. Kyle says that Ari’s tomatillo salsa makes a meal. You can pour it on anything, he says, chicken, scrambled eggs, enchiladas, tacos, and it turns it into a fabulous dish. He says he can eat it every day. This, from a guy who doesn’t talk much, and … [Read more...]

Dehydrated Tomatoes

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After my husband and I decided to take up vegetable gardening on a regular basis, we knew we would need to get inventive with our harvest so nothing would go to waste, and so we could enjoy it throughout the year. Last year, aside from all of our usual pickles, jams, and baked goods, I used a food dehydrator for the very first time, and it was a huge success! I was able to dehydrate all sorts of things, like peppers, assorted fruits, and homegrown tomatoes, and it all turned out really … [Read more...]