Orange Flower
That is a zinnia. Check out Park Seeds or other website that sells seeds to find the specific one.
Gigi's Easy Potato Soup
Make it even easier by using frozen Southern style hash browns for the potatoes.
Uses for Canned Peach Juice?
Use it in your cobblers. I thicken the juice with cornstarch and sugar and add nutmeg to my peach cobbler along with some pats of butter.
Freezing Raw Eggs Mixed with Other Meatloaf Ingredients?
I freeze the meat loaf prepared but not cooked but if you prefer to mix it at the last minute, why not just add fresh eggs out of your refrigerator at that time. Eggs keep a long time and most people have them all the time. Sounds like way too much trouble...
Scrambled Eggs are Watery?
It is not necessary to even add fluid to your eggs when making scrambled eggs. I add just a teaspoon of water when I am mixing them just to make them lighter.
Planting a Rose Mallow Plant?
Full sun works best and I never cut mine back in Texas but it might get frozen back where you live.
Painting Laminate Counters with Metal Edges and Joints?
I think I would tape off the metal strips because they may not take the paint as well. Sand with a fine grit sandpaper before painting.
Preparing Corn on the Cob in Advance?
Unless you dont have room in your fridge for all that corn, it isnt necessary to freeze it. My friend just puts the corn on a baking sheet corn in their husk and and puts into a 350 oven for 30 minutes. Comes out perfect every time and is super easy to husk...
Bearded Iris Stopped Blooming?
They are crowded and need to be pulled up in August or September and divided. You can share individual tubers or fans with friends. Just dont plant them to deep or they may rot. You are welcome to send some of the extras to me. lol
Garden: Green Figs (Colfax, LA)
My tree is loaded also here in Central Texas but with the drought, I have been watering them so the figs dont drop.
Garden: Yellow-Pink Roses
I agree with Nanny Barbara. This is the famous Peace rose and it performs very well in my garden in Texas.
Getting My House and Life in Order?
I recently took my niece and then my daughters boyfriend into our home. My niece moved into my husbands computer repair room (formerly my sons room) and so we had to make room for all those items in our office (where we work at our main jobs). Then my daughters...
Use Arches in Gardening
I would love to see some pictures. I am thinking of adapting this idea and putting arches from one side (installed in the cinder blocks) to the other of my raised bed gardens.
Rolo Pretzels
After making dozens of homemade cookies, I made several batches of these. They taste great and were so easy and very popular. I was wondering why I bothered with the more difficult goodies.
Winterizing Hibiscus?
I am just south of you and also have some large tropical hibiscus. Trying to get the same information. I asked Neil Sperry and he said get them in the greenhouse soon but that he just replaces them every year. Mine are in a large rock planter and I will have...
Cheatin' Chicken n' Dumplin's
Even easier is to cut up flour tortillas into 1x2 rectangles and drop in the boiling gravy until puffed and soft. I am not familiar with this recipe but the broth may need to be thinned with additional milk. Also add dry rubbed sage to taste to the broth.
Reverse Menu Planning
I find that allrecipes.com has a great Ingredients feature which I use for this purpose. I also buy items on sale and then come home and figure out what to cook. So far almost everything has been both tasty and unique.
My Crape Myrtle Only Has One Main Trunk?
You need to identify the variety. Some grow taller than others. If you prefer a bush, you should be able to cut it off just above ground level (not sure when in your part of the country) and it should develop lots of branches.
Blanching and Freezing Cut Up Beets?
The reason it is recommended that beets be cooked before they are peeled is because they bleed a lot. I am sure you can still blanch them in boiling water for a short time, rinse in cold water and put in freezer bags. I have only made pickled beets and never...
Pressure Cooking a Smoked Brisket?
Leave the fat on the brisket (dont buy one that is over-trimmed) and lay it fat side up on a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with some liquid smoke and seasonings of your choice and roast in a 275 degree oven for about five hours or until very tender. Cut across...
How to Grow Wild Lupine
Another form of lupine is the Texas bluebonnet but they are sown in the fall and bloom the next spring. Water the area where you have sown them in the fall periodically and then if it gets very dry over the winter and spring. Look at this photo so you can recognize...
How to Grow Wild Lupine
Couldnt resist posting this photo of my daughter several years ago in the native Texas bluebonnets. Another lovely form of lupine.
Color Ideas for a Bathroom With Cream Fixtures?
I suggest you find a shower curtain or some towels that you love that have a little cream color in them and then match one of the other colors. I think a light shade of green is always safe - there are many accessories that match well.
Garden: Toilet Paper Seed Strips
I did the same thing in my garden. The radishes and lettuce, fennel and Chinese cabbage have sprouted fine but the spinach did not do well nor did the carrots. But the weather has been unseasonably cool also which might be affecting germination.
Controlling Grass in a Backyard Pond Without Herbicides?
Go ahead and put in some 12 for a dollar goldfish to keep the mosquito larvae eaten or you will have to constantly run the pump and move the water. If you put rocks around the pond covering the liner you probably can weed-eat and keep the grass out.
Easy to Prepare Soups and Casseroles That Can Be Frozen?
Soups are the best fast food in the world. Freeze half in two serving containers. Keep the other half for quick microwave meals. And you can increase your servings of vegetables so quickly and be much healthier. Here are some of the ones I have been cooking...
Garden: Planting In Cinderblocks
I put in a garden last year with two levels of cinderblocks. I live in a rocky area of Central Texas. This garden was so productive and I loved planting herbs and flowers in the small containers around the outside. Another benefit for this type of garden - no...
Starting Plants Indoors?
Remember the need for good light to raise strong seedlings. I have used florescent light fixtures (like shop lights) hung from hooks mounted on the ceiling. I have small chains that allow the light to be lowered to just above the plantings. As the seeds sprout...
Settling Debt
After a family business failed and left us with so much business debt, my husband and I met with an attorney (who practices alone and is very frugal himself) and he recommended negotiating with our creditors directly. He would handle the large or difficult...
Create Your Own Quick Bread
Thanks for this pattern. I have noticed others but just got a new scone pan from Williams-Sonoma and discovered it makes the best and easiest to remove muffins. I think this will translate over to many interesting combination triangular muffins. Perfect portion...
Growing a Mauve Lisianthus (Eustoma)?
Lisianthus grow wild in the pastures around my house in Central Texas. Since they are a deep blue color, they are known as Texas bluebells. They take the heat and drought conditions but will flourish with some extra care.
Egg Foo Young Gravy Recipe?
I make egg foo yung out of my leftover pork loin roast and it is great. I use the pork gravy and add a little soy sauce for flavor. If I am low on gravy, I make up a packet or two of the pork gravy or brown gravy mixes and add to the homemade gravy. I have...
Concrete Block Raised Bed
I have a series of photos from the beginning of the project. I put down landscape fabric that came in four foot widths. Then we dry stacked the blocks two high overlapping for more stability. I filled the bottom half with top soil from my acreage (we were doing...
Concrete Block Raised Bed
This is when the early crops were filling in and the later crops were planted between the rows. I did plant squash and zucchini with my other crops but next year plan to have one bed devoted just to them. They take lots of space. And probably another just for...
Concrete Block Raised Bed
One more that shows an even later view. I actually pulled out two squash plants today to give a tomato (which is covered in fruit) more room. I have neglected to put up a cage around the tomatoes and planned to put one large cage made out of fence posts inserted...
What Breed is My Dog?
She looks like a pit bulldog to me. This breed has lots of bad press but the sweetest dog I ever owned was a pit bull.
The Basics of Square Foot Gardening
I put in one large raised bed garden and think it is a better use of resources - both space and supplies. It measures just less than 4 feet wide by about 24 feet long. I also filled the spaces in the concrete blocks with compost and soil and planted flowers...
No Sew Tutu
I have a teenager who loves tutus. Help me figure out how to make an adult size one with several layers. They are sold at stores for big bucks but I know I can make one for much less and customize it in the school colors.
String Easter Eggs?
When I was in elementary school in the 1960s, we also made paper mache made with pretty colored paper or tissue paper over balloons. After it dried, we cut out the side and made a scene inside like a sugar egg.
Transplanting Daffodil Bulbs?
This is my question and when it was posted, it was changed. This clump gets more sun and more water but another with more sun did not bloom as profusely. Yes, I agree they need to be divided.
Painting a Metal Bench?
It may be grease or oil on the bench that is causing this problem. Sand, use a degreaser and then let dry before painting.
Recipes for an All Women Super Bowl Party?
My Bible study group loved this and everyone can contribute an ingredient so it keeps the costs down for the hostess. Have the hostess prepare the rice and beverages. Javanese Chicken (I have no idea where the name originated) 12 servings 4 cups of uncooked...
Storing Bulbs
This is the time of year to plant iris so it would probably be best to get them planted so they can establish before it freezes. They are tough and should be fine this winter. Just dont plant too deep because the rhizome will rot. It almost should be sitting...
