Dog Days of Summer

by Judi on Aug 1, 2008

August 1st and while it’s been hot this summer, we know the dog days of summer are really here… hot, humid and slow… The plants need water, the grass doesn’t want to grow (ok by me!), the bugs are out in full force.. kids are running through sprinklers, playing in the pool..

And all I want to do is be lazy under the fan…. the more fans the better. Our little brick oven, er, house doesn’t have air conditioning and every year we suffer through the heat. We do have 2 portable a/c units that are pretty good, but they are so bulky and when we use them we have issues with the electricity (tripping the circuits).. so we are trying desperately to not use them… but I don’t know if I’ll last the whole month.

One issue we usually have has been dramatically reduced though. I bought several yards of mosquito netting and tacked it up around our back porch… 2 panels per side. It’s like our own little cabana, without the big pool. We leave the french doors open all day long, so the porch, during the summer, actually adds a very usable extra room for us. And with the netting up, we’re able to use it from the time we get up until hubby decides he’s ready for bed. We pull the netting back during the day when the bugs aren’t biting.. and let them drop after 5.

Since I work at an emporium (i.e., flea market), I found a nice square coffee table for cheap, and we put some comfy chairs around it to make a nice “living” space. I love our yard in the summer - just could do without the high heat and humidity.. 70’s and low 80’s.. that would be ideal.. oh, and no biting bugs. Then I may be more inclined to go out and laze around on the hammock (I think I need more mosquito netting for it!). I got this hammock at Pier One several years ago for Bob for Father’s Day.. it’s such a pretty fabric.. we just don’t make nearly enough use of it. I think I need to leave the bushes there to really grow up and make a little private nook .. wink, wink… and block out that house beside us.

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Creamy Tomato and Summer Herb Soup

by Judi on Jun 1, 2008

A very simple creamy soup that will satisfy your soup cravings plus get some vegetables into your diet.

Homemade soup from scratch helps control the nutritional content and it can be quicker and easier than you realize!

Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped (approx 1 cup)
4 large vine ripe tomatoes, dices (approx 4 cups)
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 TBSP chopped fresh tarragon (may substitute with basil)
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- Heat oil over medium in a medium sauce pan.
- Add chopped onion and sauté until softened.
- Add tomatoes and water, bring to boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

- Transfer soup to a food processor or blender (taking care blending with hot liquids) and puree until smooth.
- Using a strainer over the saucepan, pour the puree through the strainer.
- Discard the seeds and skin.

Whisk the sour cream and tarragon into the soup. Stir over low heat until soup is hot, but not boiling. Season with salt & pepper.

Nutritional information, per serving:
108 calories; 40 calories from fat; 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fat); 7 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 176 mg sodium.

Credits: Recipe and information from Dayton Daily News, Life section, Monday May 12, 2008, by Jim Romanoff

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Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

by Judi on Mar 27, 2008

Earth Day is officially April 22, 2008. While celebrating our planet on this day is a nice idea, it’s even nicer to implement earth-friendly ideas throughout the year, every day if possible. With spring and summer right around the corner, it’s easy to do things to help you, your family and the environment. Here are some good earth day activities and ideas.

Create a Certified Wildlife Habitat in your yard by providing food sources (such as plants, seeds, nuts, nectar), water sources (pond, stream, bird bath), covered areas (rock pile, bird house, thickets), places to raise young (pond, thick shrubbery, nesting boxes), sustainable gardening (mulch, compost, chemical free fertilizer). Once you’ve done this, you may register your habitat for certification. Visit the National Wildlife Federation for this and more to do, not just on Earth Day, but every day.

My favorite garden shoes (ok, I’ll admit it, they are my favorite summertime shoes.. I wear them all the time) are my sloggers. I bought my last two pair from Target for about $10. My daughter recently bought some similar shoes (what are they called, that have the holes in them that everyone wears?).. well, from another site (and I’ll give them credit if I come across it again - Found it - Hip Mama’s Place is where I first saw them) I found out about Polliwalks - talk about some adorable summer / garden shoes for kids!

Container gardening is an easy way to build a garden in confined areas. Try planting specific garden pots, such as a “salsa garden pot” using a pepper plant, a tomato plant and a few herbs like cilantro, basil or oregano.

Use the USDA Hardiness Zone Finder to make sure the plants you plant in your flower beds will withstand the weather in your area. Or just visit their site - National Garden Association for SO much info.

Set up a worm compost to get some of the best and natural fertilizer there is available and let those little red wigglers gobble up your kitchen waste. Setting up a worm compost is easy and doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You can make a wooden box, or even use a plastic bin (like a Rubbermaid container).. the key is to provide moisture, bedding and your compost shouldn’t smell foul. One of my long time favorite sites for worm information is WormLady.com. She has great, simple information on worms red wigglers in particular, sells them and also has some links to further information.

If you aren’t able to plant your own garden, your area may have a food co-op or other program. These programs allow you to purchase local in-season veggies all spring, summer and into the fall. This helps the environment too as well as supporting local farmers! To minimize getting to burned out on the same veggies every week, go in on it with a friend.

Get active - meet up with your community and clean up the neighborhood. Whether it’s just picking up trash or planting flowers and mulching the local part, it all helps and this activity brings the community together.

Save energy by joining Project Switch - switch out your costly, ineffective incandescent bulbs to help reduce your carbon footprint.

Join the World Wildlife Organization for their countdown to this 2008 Earth Day - but really, Earth Day is every day - so no matter which year it is, every little bit helps. Make A Change.

If you eat meat, go free range - the meat is healthier because the animal is healthier and usually treated more humanely. Recent studies have shown free range animals contain Omega-3 (a fatty acid essential to human health), whereas contained/caged animals do not. Hmmm…

Now, for some fun activities and information, visit Earth Day at Kaboose - some terrific crafts - like coffee grounds fossils, lady bug rocks and tin can herb containers. Plan an Earth Day Dinner - Angel Hair Pasta with Asparagus and for dessert have some Mudpie Cookies.

Above all, make your earth celebrations activities you and your family enjoy. Happy Earth Day!

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Warm Weather and Swinging

by Judi on May 26, 2006

Our Rainbow Playset is getting good use, already this year.  And Ry has taken to swinging all by himself.  I have pictures.. I’ll post soon.

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