Homemade Vanilla

October is the perfect time to start thinking ahead to the holidays and if you bake, you know using the best of the best is what makes your recipes the best! There are some things I just won't skimp on, and vanilla is one of them, especially when you can make it fairly cheap and have a true extract. I make mine in October so it's ready for my holiday baking but the longer you let it set, the better it tastes. I have some left from last year's batch and oh my, does my treats just pop with flavor. You just can't go wrong with homemade!

All you do is buy three vanilla beans from your local health food store. Find a bottle or jar. Buy a quart size bottle of vodka. Place the vanilla beans in the clean bottle or jar. You can leave them whole or cut up. If you choose to cut them up, you will have to strain the vanilla before using unless you don't mind the settlement, I don't and think it just adds to the taste. Pour the whole bottle of vodka over the beans, place cap or lid on container and hide in a dark place. Be sure to shake once a day. Within a month you will notice the vodka changing colors and in three month's time you will have a dark, rich vanilla. Even better after a year.

Wasn't that easy. You can bottle it up and share it as gifts or keep it all for yourself, either way, you are the proud owner of the best vanilla you will ever taste! Enjoy and happy baking!

Fall Garden Cleanup

I know, a whole season has passed since my last post and I do apologize for that. This little ole blog gets neglected, but I will try harder to keep it up better. October is here and it's time to think about cleaning out and cleaning up the gardens before winter sets in. We did raised beds this year ( not my photo above) and they worked out well. They do need mulching over the winter so we will use straw and lay it on thick. This composts till we are ready to till it all under come spring. Leaves are a good mulch too and alot cheaper than straw. I will add both along with some horse manure to aid in the rotting process.

Fall is a good time to clean your shovels, rakes and hoes. Shovels especially need to be strayed with oil to prevent rusting. I use Pam, works good. I like to gather all my little hand tools and spray them too, then organizing them so I can find them next spring. We need to build a garden shed and will use the winter time off to plan for that, on the cheap of course.


Keeping your beds tidy also helps prevent disease and damage plus protects them from winter's hardships. It's also the perfect time to plant fall bulbs for a spring show or buy up those marked down perennials like I do. You will enjoy your winter break knowing your garden is all tucked in and keeping warm till spring when it will be ready to plant and proper. Just a few extra chores now will save you more time come spring.

Easter Lily Rx

After the Easter celebration has passed, but before the Easter lily fades, use this holy flower for many medicinal purposes. Once called the "white robed apostle of hope" lilies were found growing wild in the garden of Gethseman after Christ's agony. The beautiful white lilies appeared where ever drops of Christ's sweat fell to the ground in his final hours.
The traditional art of drawing out the flower spirit and brewing it into a natural remedy is how flower essences heal; not to be confused with essential oils.
An essence is the concentrated energy of the plant. A simple way to make this magical potion is the sun infusion method developed by the famous Dr.Bach. Place a clean glass pan on the grass in the early morning hours. Pour spring water to cover the bottom. Place 3 Easter lily flowers in the pan. Allow this to soak up the suns rays for at least 4 to 5 hours.
What happens next is truly amazing, the flowers energy is baked into the liquid, preserving the plants personality and transforms it's self in the essence.
When this bottled essence is combined with our own inner energy field, it causes a change in our system. Easter lily essence works to control the tension between our sexuality and spirituality.
Every flower that becomes an essence has it's own healing lessons to teach our inner selves. Balance is the key to a healthy soul. The Easter lily also has a strong connection to our female reproductive system and is a powerful detoxifier of the female organs. It has been noted to be a treatment for ovarian cysts. Plus it makes a sweet smelling antiseptic.
Lilies of all species serve us in many ways, and should be valued but researched well before using in any manner. The Easter lily is a sacred flower, a gift to serve many spiritual needs.
A kin to garlic and onions, lilies healing agents is in its antimicrobial oil, which makes a soothing lily tincture. Perfect for removing splinters.
To make you own lily tincture, was a handful of lily petals in warm water, pat completely dry. Gently tear apart the petals by hand and cover completely with rubbing alcohol in a glass bottle. Allow to sit for 2 weeks. Strain the liquid into a clean spray bottle and use on cuts and splinters.
So many of our medicines are already made from plants that we often forget that the cure might just be right in our gardens or on the window sill. Trusting the green world to treat our illnesses or everyday cuts and sprains is easy, so why not turn back to the old ways, you have nothing to lose and only knowledge to gain.
Easter lilies make wonderful gifts for the holy holiday but don't let them wilt away before making your own heavenly potions.
© Copyright 2002 Sue Neitzel

Garden Sheds

Like all gardeners, I too dream of a potting place to call my own, a garden shed to house the tools, the pots, bags of soil and what nots that seem to collect each year. I vision a rustic shack made from salvaged and rescued materials, alot of windows for sunlight and a cozy corner to rest with a glass of iced tea. This would be my spot, my corner of the garden to plan, research and relax from all weeding.

It doesn't have to be modern, I prefer it not to be. I'm a big fan of recycle, reuse and my local ReStore where I can find much of the materials cheap plus it allows me to get creative. I've seen a whole greenhouse made out of old windows, sheds from chicken coops, even a old school bus transformed into a hip gardening shop, so the possibilities are endless with a little thought.

This is our first spring in our new house, with 2 acres that has never really been landscaped. A garden used to exist but you can't tell now so we are starting from scratch, a blank canvas to play with. I'm excited! A garden shed is a must, it will free up room in the garage and placed near the garden, will save time. So, I'm on the hunt for used materials, a old wash tub, tons of windows and old barn wood for that rustic feeling I love so much. My garden shed won't look like the photo above, but instead, will show off my devotion to gardening, organization and love of shabby chic decorating. Hey, a girl has to have some frills and lace, no matter the space!

Garden Valentines

Celebrate your love for gardening by planting a garden valentine or give one to someone special, fat free! Bleeding hearts were once called "The Lady in the Locket" for if you turn it upside down, a tiny figure emerges from the center. If you peel back the red petals that surround the figure, you may see the lady in the bathtub, as sometimes been called. I don't know about you, but I love the history or fairy tales behind flowers, they just add to their beauty.

Don't be fooled by their dainty appearance, common bleeding hearts are very hardy and fuse free once planted in the proper place. They prefer a shady spot, usually tucked in the middle of a bed so they can be surrounded by others to fill in for them once they have bloomed for the season. Bleeding hearts are a popular, old fashioned cottage garden favorite. Don't be shocked when your bleeding heart dies back in July, it will come back bigger and better the following spring. A common companion to these sweet valentines are ferns since they love the same conditions and will cover up for their loss of foliage.

Bleeding hearts love the companionship of other flowers, flourishing in a well stocked bed or boarder. If you plan it right, this bed can bloom all year long but it's the first sight of these garden valentines that will delight and signal the start of spring. So, plant this sweetheart of a valentine in your garden and be amazed at one of natures true wonders!

Why Organic Gardening?

By Kelly Kilpatrick


It seems like everywhere you look these days, people are talking about the “green” movement, from organic food and clothing, to vehicles with cleaner emissions. Although many people have been practicing organic farming and gardening for years, the idea of actually putting it into practice on a massive scale is gaining popularity at an alarming rate. Keep reading for a few reasons organic gardening is the way to go.

Compare to What You Can Buy at the Store

Have you ever eaten a freshly grown organic tomato right off the vine? It is a great pleasure to know that you can remove something from the vine and eat it without having to wash it off at all. Why, you ask? There are no harmful pesticides or fertilizer residue to worry about. I wouldn’t recommend doing this with your standard store-bought tomato, but I do challenge you to compare the taste and texture of these seemingly “identical” items. You’ll find there’s no comparison at all.

Sense of Accomplishment

There really is no greater feeling than indulging in the fruits of your labor—quite literally! Tending and harvesting your own garden brings about deep feelings of satisfaction that are as complicated as they are simple. Being able to bring food to your table that you hand a hand in growing is a great feeling indeed.

The Law of Reciprocity

Basically stated, if you take care of Mother Earth, she will take care of you. There’s no need to force the earth—through harmful chemical agents like pesticides and fertilizers—to do your bidding. Rather, caring for and nurturing your garden will be beneficial to all parties involved.

Sense of Community

As the green movement continues to grow, more communities of growers are sprouting up, both regionally and in cyberspace. With the ability to share tips and stories at the click of a button, organic growing is something that will continue to grow. Helping foster this return to the grassroots of growing will be yet another benefit of growing organically.

Tending a garden is a beautiful thing, something that many people this day and age have never experienced. The time to work toward more sustainable ways of living is upon us and we must embrace the opportunity to help give back to a planet that has given us so much.


This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of medical code online training. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com

Tea Jellies

Tis the season for tea, warm and comforting in any form. Since the earliest times, tea has been renowned for its healing properties as a healthy and refreshing drink.
Today in my kitchen, our favorite teas are brewed not only for the tea pot, but into a unique and tasty spread. Tea jellies are inexpensive, easy to make and loaded with beneficial vitamins.

One of my personal favorites is Red Zinger jelly, this ruby red, tangy jelly wakes up any breakfast without the caffeine. Most herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free.
Bursting with flavor, red zinger tea is a traditional African flu remedy with added cancer fighting compounds, plus it’s key ingredient, sorrel blossoms help keep the heart healthy. By brewing this tea in to jelly you’ll be adding a spoonful of medicine to your diet in a delightful way.

Any flavored tea can be transformed into a simple and delicious jelly by using the basic tea jelly recipe below. No other added flavoring is needed for the Red Zinger jelly, but some teas do require a touch of juice. Use your imagination or read the ingredients on the box of tea for a hint, usually the title of the tea will guide you as to what kind of juice to add, for example Lemon Zinger or Peach Mango. Half the fun of jelly making is coming up with your own concoctions. I’ve even made jelly out of Kool-Aid that kids love. In the recipe below, I’ve included 1/4 cup fruit juice. If not including juice and using a tea infusion as your only liquid, increase the amount of water to 2 cups.

Basic Tea Jelly
1 3/4 cup water12 regular tea bags1/4 cup orange juice or related juice3 cups sugar1 3 oz. package liquid pectin
Bring water to boil, add tea bags and steep for 30 mins. Discard tea bags and add juice, sugar to brewed tea and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 min. stirring. Remove from heat and add pectin, return to boil and allow to do so for 1 min. Skim off any foam. Pour hot jelly into jars and process for 20 min. Makes 6 pints.
This jelly is a modern twist to an old tradition, and will keep tea a family favorite, even when it’s spread on toast rather than sipped from a cup. Enjoy