Tuesday Tip

Summer Gardening Tips

Part 1

from HGTV

Did you know...

Some plants need to have their flowers removed in order to keep producing blooms. Here's a list of flowers that need deadheading as well as some that don't. My grandma taught me this when I was a little girl. She called it "pinching back".

You can often prolong bloom by removing spent flowers, but that's not true for all flowering plants. When a flower remains on a plant, the plant's energy is diverted into producing seed, rather than more flowers. Deadheading (removing the spent flower by pinching off or cutting back) is a must for many annuals but not all. With perennials, which generally have a shorter bloom period, deadheading usually isn't necessary but is used just to keep the plant looking tidy.

Plants that need deadheading:

• daisies
• daylilies
• dianthus
• coreopsis
• cosmos
• marigolds
• geraniums
• Nemesia
• pansies
• petunias (species and older varieties)
• roses
• zinnias

Plants that don't need deadheading:

• angelonia
• celosida (plume and wheat types)
• clematis
• crocosmia
• lantana
• melampodium
• rudbeckia
• verbena (groundcover types)
• vinca
• Wave petunias and other new petunia varieties

Come in to our Garden Boutique:

Garden Tools	Stepping Stones	Birds of a Feather
Pots and Stands	Bells and Chimes	For The Gardener
Garden Embellishments	Plants	Garden Fountains and Statues

Hello Chicken

Try this new, HEALTHY, recipe....it's to die for! Blue Tortilla Chicken with Corn Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each)
• 1 egg white, beaten slightly
• 3/4 cup no-salt-added blue corn chips, crushed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 poblano chile or Cubanelle peppers, seeded and diced or 1/2 green pepper, seeded and diced (wear plastic glove when handling)
• 1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and diced (optional) (wear plastic gloves when handling)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

1.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

2.

Coat a medium ovenproof skillet with vegetable oil spray. Dip the chicken into the egg white. Combine the chips with the chili powder, press mixture into chicken, and arrange in skillet, leaving space between each piece. Lightly coat the chicken with vegetable oil spray and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 160ºF and the juices run clear.

3.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the corn; poblano, Cubanelle, or green bell pepper; jalapeno chile pepper (if using); cilantro; lime juice; and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir to mix. Set aside.

4.

Remove the chicken and allow to rest for 4 minutes. Slice each piece crosswise into 5 pieces. Serve with the corn salad. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired

Tuesday Tip-Home Remedies

Home Remedies

via Lady's Home Journal

Toothpaste

It relieved a bee sting in minutes and reduced pain for more than five hours, according to one informal test -- better than eight other over-the-counter products and home remedies, including every sting cream and stick tried . Toothpaste's other "off-label" use?

Zit zapping. Put a tiny dot on a pimple before bed. The pimple should be dried out and less noticeable by the next morning. But use only in emergencies. Toothpaste's fluoride can make acne worse, says Adam S. Stibich, MD, director of the Dermatology Clinic in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Dish Detergent

If you've been exposed to poison ivy, liquid dish soap could spare you from the red, itchy rash. When researchers swabbed the forearms of medical students with crushed poison-ivy leaves, then rubbed a patch with everyday dish detergent for 25 seconds before rinsing, they found that dish soap prevented a reaction in almost half the volunteers and reduced the inflammation and blistering in the rest by 56 percent. The soap works because it strips your skin of the plant oil that's responsible for causing the rash. But for it to work you need to wash within two hours of exposure, before the oil has time to bind to your skin cells, says Dr. Stibich, a coauthor of the study. He adds that any full-strength dish detergent will do the trick.

Peppermint

A minty herb that's long been known to quiet the occasional stomach upset, peppermint is now also seen as a powerful treatment for irritable bowel syndrome -- frequent bouts of pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation that strike as many as one in five adults. Peppermint-oil capsules bring significant relief to about one in three IBS sufferers, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. Surprisingly, prescription antispasmodic drugs help only one in six. The recommended dose is three 0.2-mL capsules a day and it's safe to try on your own. But don't use it if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease or a hiatal hernia, since it can make their symptoms worse.

Camphor-Eucalyptus Menthol Ointment

Vicks VapoRub and similar topical cold remedies may be more effective than a prescription pill against the fungus that makes toenails thick, yellow, and unsightly: Thirty-eight percent of people who applied the ointment daily to affected toes were fungus-free in five to 16 months, according to a study from the Michigan State University College of Nursing, in East Lansing, compared to 35 percent for the pill. Experts recommend applying the ointment twice a day until the fungal nail has grown out and been replaced by a healthy nail.

Baking Soda

You know you can cook with it or use it to deodorize the fridge, but it's also an effective antacid -- just follow the instructions on the box. What's more, three international studies have concluded that baking soda is one of the best treatments for bothersome earwax. "It takes some time, but it's a safe way to get rid of packed earwax that is interfering with hearing," says Walter C. Johnson, MD, a specialist in internal and emergency medicine at Dewitt Army Community Hospital, in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Just mix 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons water. While lying on your side with one ear on a pillow, have someone drip the liquid into your upturned ear using a small spoon or an eyedropper. Wait one hour. Then flush out the dissolved earwax with warm water, using a bulb-shaped ear syringe. Caveat: Don't try this on children with tubes in their ears.

Baby Shampoo

Treat itchy, red, or crusty eyelids -- a problem for many contact-lens wearers -- by gently scrubbing the edges of your lids with a cotton ball soaked in diluted baby shampoo (three drops shampoo to six tablespoons of water). Then rinse the lids with a clean cotton ball dipped in warm water. Do this in the morning and at bedtime to help your eye feel better, says Dr. Rosen. If the eye problem doesn't clear up in a few days, see your physician. You may have developed an eye infection that requires a prescription for an antibiotic ointment.

Honey

Just a spoonful calms a cough better than over-the-counter cough syrup or no treatment at all, notes a Pennsylvania State University at Hershey study of more than 100 children ages 2 to 18. Honey soothes by coating the throat but may also help because it's packed with disease-fighting antioxidants and antimicrobials. Don't feed it to kids under age 1; their immature immune system can't battle a bacterium that's in some honeys. For adult-size coughs, a teaspoon or two is enough. If you're allergic to bee stings, make sure you don't have a honey allergy, too.

Happy 4th of July!

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Parchment Founding Document Set.

Tuesdays Tip-4th of July Safety

If fireworks are legal in your area and you plan to have them at your Fourth of July party, it’s important to know how to handle them safely. Here are some fireworks guidelines:

• Follow the directions on your packaging. • Only allow responsible adults to handle them. • Do not aim at people, houses, dry leaves, grass or other flammable materials. • Always have water handy in case your fireworks ignite. • Do not attempt to re-light malfunctioning fireworks. • Dispose of fireworks safely by soaking them in water before throwing them out.

While you’re waiting for the sun to set and the fireworks to start, there are plenty of ways to keep your guests entertained. At a family party, classic outdoor games like a tug-of-war, egg-and-spoon races and balloon tosses (with red, white and blue balloons, of course) go over well with all ages. If your party is taking place in a large outdoor area, break up your guests into two teams for a friendly tournament of flag football, volleyball or Ultimate Frisbee. A bonfire is great for keeping guests warm. Assign some guests to keep the fire blazing, a few others to toast marshmallows for S’mores, and ask any musicians in the group to bring a guitar so you can have a group sing-along.

For a season-appropriate treat you’ll remember all year long, plan a traditional New England-style clambake, a lobster feast or a down-home barbecue with ribs, burgers, hot dogs and fresh corn. Cool sides like potato salad, pasta salad and cole slaw make great accompaniments to any of the above main courses. For dessert, serve fruit salad in a hollowed-out watermelon, all-American apple pie and a rectangular sheet cake frosted with white icing and topped with raspberries and blueberries to resemble the American flag. Also, as with any warm-weather holiday, you want to make sure your food doesn’t spoil in the heat. Keep all perishable food in bowls over ice, and keep food in a cooler as much as possible

Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

from Cooking Light

Recipe: Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

July 4th Craft Idea

Lady Liberty Door Hanger

The Lady Liberty door hanger can be filled with fresh flowers, stick candy, or lollipops. A simple crepe paper pocket is glued to the back of a printout of Lady Liberty on heavy paper. Embellish with a rosette; hand tie with ribbon. Click here to print this Lady Liberty image

Win an Apple iPod Touch

Win an Apple iPod Touch by going here. Isn't this awesome? Devri has a great new twitter background blog. Good Luck!

Patriotic Paper Hat Place Cards

4th of July Paper Hat Place Cards

Make these charming patriotic paper-hat name cards with simple step-by-step folding instructions.

Country Living Magazine

Step 1:

Fold the square in half diagonally.

Step 2: Fold both sharp points up to the right-angled corner.

Step 3: Rotate the model 180 degrees, then fold one of the sharp points to the upper corner .

Step 4: Create the horn by folding the sharp point outwards, shown. As a guide, try folding the point so that when you have done so, the upper edge rests parallel to the horizontal center crease.

Step 5: Repeat step 4 on the other side. Then fold up a single layer of paper at the bottom, to a point approximately halfway between the top of the helmet and the center line.

Step 6: Fold bottom point to where the brim will be.

Step 7: Fold again.

Step 8: Fold again

Step 9: Fold the remaining corner on the back as steps 6, 7, and 8.

Step 10: Fold right and left side back at ends and staple down from inside. Add touches of red, white, and blue crepe paper, sparkles, and pipe cleaners.

Tuesday Tip AND a Recipe

Buying Potatoes

SOUTHERN LIVING Compiled by Claire Solomon Machamer

What to Look For: Buy potatoes that are fairly clean and smooth; firm with no soft spots, nicks, or cracks; and sprout free. Disclaimer: A pretty potato on the outside can have a blackened space in the center called “hollow heart.” It indicates a change in the growth rate. Discard.

The Green Issue: If a potato is exposed to light, a component called solanine builds up and causes a green tinge on the skin. It will taste bitter. Don’t buy a potato with green patches―it has been mishandled. At home, store potatoes in a dark, cool place, such as your pantry. Cut away small areas of green tinge at least 1⁄4 inch below the peel. A potato stored at room temperature lasts one week. Do not store in the refrigerator―the starches turn to sugar. Cleaning: A good rinse and rub with hands is all that’s needed to prep thin-skinned potatoes. Use a soft vegetable brush on thicker skins, such as russets. Sprouts (nicknamed “eyes”) are not poisonous and can usually be rubbed off by hand.

Bacon Potato Salad

SOUTHERN LIVING Ralph Anderson, William Dickey / styling Buffy Hargett, Rose Nguyen / food styling Vanessa McNeil, Compiled by Claire Solomon Machamer

Bring a heaping bowl of comfort to your warm-weather table with this terrific potato salad recipe. Though your family favorite may be the traditional mayonnaise-and-sweet pickle variety, try one of this recipe for a fresh twist. Jazz up your presentation by serving this salad in paprika-rimmed glasses. (Simply dip the rims in lemon or lime juice, then into paprika.)

Recipe Here: Bacon Potato Salad

Fresh Strawberry Pie

I can't wait to make this pie. This pie recipe was created by test kitchen director Ruth Cousineau, from Gourmet magazine. She suggests the berries are key. Her Advise: look for local ones (those that travel least taste the best) that are plump, fragrant, and fully ripe, with no white shoulders. One of the biggest praises with this pie is that the gelatin will be set just enough so that you can easily cut a slice, but it's not bouncy. Fresh Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS; For crust:

• 1 (5-ounce) package shortbread cookies
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For filling:

• 2 pounds (1 1/2-inch) strawberries, hulled (see cooks' note, below)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)

Accompaniment:

• lightly sweetened whipped cream

PREPARATION:

Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Pulse cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, then pulse in sugar and butter until combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Prepare filling and assemble pie: Select 20 large strawberries as close to same size as possible and set aside. Cut remaining berries into 1/4-inch dice and toss with sugar and lemon juice. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Drain berries in a sieve set into a large glass measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 2 cups. Transfer liquid to a medium saucepan and reserve berries.

Sprinkle gelatin over strawberry liquid and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Add diced berries, then transfer to a metal bowl set into an ice bath and stir frequently until mixture begins to mound, 20 to 30 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 cup filling into pie crust and arrange reserved whole berries, stem ends down, on filling. Spoon remaining filling over and between berries. Chill pie until filling is set, at least 4 hours.

Cooks' notes: ·Pie crust can be made 2 days ahead and kept (covered once cool) at room temperature. ·Filled pie can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 1 day. ·While not as dramatic as whole large berries, if you find juicy small berries, cut them into quarters or halves. It may take longer for mixture to set, but pie will taste just as good.

Devoted to Dad - Barbeque Recipes

10 Father’s Day BBQ Recipes

Give Dad a delicious grilled dinner on his special day

Photo by Charles Schiller

Recipes from Woman's Day Magazine:

1. BBQ Pork Chops with Nectarine Slaw

2. Southern BBQ Pork Burgers

3. Classic All-American Bacon Cheeseburgers

4. Boardwalk-Style Grilled Sausages with Polenta

5. Outback Special

6. Steak with Blue Cheese and Fries

7. Brined Barbecue Turkey Breast

8. Finger-Lickin' Chicken with Broccoli Slaw and Corn

9. Baby-Back Ribs with Texas Blackjack Sauce and Peach Coleslaw

10. Barbecue Spareribs

Devoted to Dad- Centerpiece

I love this idea

from Better Homes and Gardens

Soda Bottle Centerpiece

Give Dad the VIP treatment this Father's Day with a simple handful of blossoms in personalized soda bottles. Remove the bottle labels and spell out a message on printable round stickers.

Tuesday Tip-Devoted to Dad

My favorite Father's Day quote:

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."

by Henry Ward Beecher

Wonderful, don't you agree.

Here's a fun website full of quotes, poems and ideas to celebrate Dad.

My Dad is the Best