Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.

To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.

How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)

Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)

Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)

Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)

40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)

Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)

5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)

* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/gfgh_herbedrice.html

Herbed Rice with Mushrooms and Wilted Spinach - Makes 5 servings.

2 cups water
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. low-sodium chicken or vegetable bouillon granules
1 cup uncooked long grain rice, preferably brown
2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2cup cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and cut into quarters (baby bella mushrooms may be substituted)
1/4 cup white onions, diced
1 cup fresh baby spinach Salt and pepper to taste
Combine water, butter, and bouillon in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Add rice, soy sauce, onion powder and herbs.

In a separate pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions for 5 minutes, and then add mushrooms and sauté together until golden. Then add spinach and lower temperature to low and cook until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Reduce heat over rice mixture. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Once rice is cooked, fluff with a fork and gently toss in the sautéed vegetables.

Per serving: 180 calories, 5 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 30 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 225 mg sodium.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/sd_pomegranatechicken.html

Pomegranate-Glazed Chicken Breast with Cherry Brown Rice Pilaf - Makes 4 servings.

2 cups or 1 bottle (16-oz.) pomegranate juice
1 tsp. garlic powder
Cooking spray
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 Tbsp. canola oil
3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
1 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 ¼ cup cold water, divided
1/4 cup chopped dried sweet cherries
1/4 cup chopped scallion, green part only
3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 skinless chicken breasts (12-oz. each) with ribs
For glaze, boil pomegranate juice and garlic powder in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup and slightly syrupy, about 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

For rice, in medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté shallots until limp, 4 minutes. Stir in rice. Add chicken broth and 1 cup cold water. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Mix in cherries, scallions, walnuts and cinnamon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, place chicken breasts in baking dish, rib side down. Coat chicken with glaze, using 2 tablespoons, plus salt and pepper. Pour in 1/4 cup cold water. Bake chicken until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees. or it no longer looks pink at the center of the thickest point, about 45 minutes, brushing it with additional glaze every 10 minutes and pouring on any remaining glaze after the last brushing. Set baked chicken aside for 10 minutes.

To serve, remove chicken from bones and cut it diagonally into thin slices. Divide rice among four dinner plates and top each serving with one-fourth of chicken. Pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of the pan juices over the chicken and serve.

Per serving: 470 calories, 15 g total fat ( 2 g saturated fat), 54 g carbohydrate, 33 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 230 mg sodium.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/gfgh_zucchini.html

Sauteed Zucchini and Potatoes - Makes 4 servings

1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 small potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 fresh tomatoes (1 cup of canned, drained, may be substituted)
Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Sauté onion, garlic, parsley and oregano in skillet with oil over high heat. Make sure to caramelize the onions and garlic, being careful not to burn them.

Add zucchini and potatoes and reduce heat to medium. Stir occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, cover, and simmer slowly for about 15 minutes more. The zucchini and potatoes will become soft and brown.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Per serving: 210 calories, 11 g total fat ( 2 g saturated fat), 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 25 mg sodium.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/gfgh_buckwheat.html

Buckwheat with Eggplant and Pepper - Makes 4 servings. (6 cups)

1 small eggplant (less than a pound)
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut in half vertically
1 small red onion, chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup buckwheat (a.k.a. roasted whole-grain kasha)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Juice and pulp of 1 lemon
2 tsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. fresh parsley
1 tsp. fresh thyme
¼ cup minced fresh basil
Cut eggplant in half vertically, then blanch in boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes.

When eggplant is ready, set it cut side down on baking sheet, along with pepper halves. Broil until charred, about 6 to 7 minutes, then put vegetables into brown paper bag. Fold to seal and set aside.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and buckwheat together, sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Add garlic, stock, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Add lemon juice and pulp, butter, parsley, thyme, and basil to buckwheat and stir well.

Remove pepper and eggplant from the bag and use your fingers to remove the charred skins. Chop vegetables, add them and onions to buckwheat and stir well. Remove bay leaf, then place the mixture in a serving dish and serve warm or at room temperature as an appetizer or side dish.

Per serving: 250 calories, 6g total fat ( 2 g saturated fat), 40 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 9 g dietary fiber, 45 mg sodium.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/sd_guacamole.html

Green Pea Guacamole - Makes 8 servings.

1/2 cup frozen baby green peas
1 medium ripe avocado
2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
Baked yellow or blue corn chips
In small saucepan, cook peas with 1/2 cup water, covered, until soft, 5-6 minutes. Drain well, spread peas on a double layer of paper towels and blot dry. Place peas in mixing bowl and mash with fork while still warm until peas are mushy.

Add avocado and mash until guacamole has the texture you like. Mix in onion, cilantro, lime juice and cayenne. Season guacamole with salt and pepper to taste. At this point, guacamole can be covered with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, and refrigerated up to 4 hours.

Just before serving, sprinkle tomatoes over guacamole. Accompany with tortilla chips.

Per serving: 100 calories, 7 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 5 g dietary fiber, 5 mg sodium.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/sd_fruitcrunch.html

Whole Wheat and Dried Fruit Crunch - Makes 8 servings of 3/4 cup each.

1 large egg white, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cane or white sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sliced almonds
3 cups whole-grain breakfast flakes, such as seven grain, spelt or kamut
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
In small bowl, whisk egg white with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt, until blended. Set aside.

Place rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with foil.

Spread almonds in even layer. Roast 4 minutes, stir, and continue roasting until golden, 4 minutes longer. Transfer nuts to plate and cool to room temperature. Leave foil on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray, then set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine toasted almonds, cereal, raisins, cranberries and sunflower seeds. Add egg white mixture. Using fork, mix until all flakes are coated and look moist, 1 minute. Spread Crunch mixture on prepared baking sheet in even 8-inch by 10-inch layer. Push in any stray flakes, fruit or nuts at edges. Sprinkle remaining 2 teaspoons sugar over Crunch.

Bake Crunch for 25 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet. Lift Crunch from baking sheet in chunks and bits, peeling away foil. Some will break off into separate flakes. In airtight container, Whole-Wheat and Dried Fruit Crunch will keep at room temperature for 2 days, longer in dry weather.

Per serving: 165 calories, 5 g total fat (0.4 g saturated fat), 27 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 3.3 g dietary fiber, 198 mg sodium.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/kz_bathsalts.html

Make Your Own Aromatherapy Bath Salts in Ten Minutes or Less
by Kyley Zimmerman

Aromatherapy bath salts are one of the quickest, easiest goodies to make for the bath - and one of the most healing. With just a few simple ingredients you can make your own aromatherapy bath salts to ease your aching back, calm your frazzled nerves or relax yourself for a deep, restful sleep.

We all need down time, and we all need to have fun. Life is so busy these days that it can be hard to carve out the time. Making your own aromatherapy bath salts is a great way to give yourself a break.

First, you give yourself some ‘fun’ time by making your scented bath salts - mixing, stirring, smelling... and, most especially, experimenting. Don’t be afraid to blend together a few of your favorite essential oils to create your own custom scent. Play! The creative process is half the fun.

Second, you actually have to lie in the bath for a while (here’s your down-time) to use your aromatherapy bath salts. Give yourself candles, a glass of wine or tea, soothing music - all those good, stress-draining, nerve-calming accessories. Lock the door and slide into warm, scented bliss - your own hand made, master crafted aromatherapy bath salts, created just for you!

Aromatherapy Bath Salts Quick Trick

If you honestly don’t have time to make bath salts but you still want some aromatic down-time in the tub, try this instant ‘cheat’. Add 1 to 2 cups of Epsom Salt to your hot running bathwater. Pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil (any type will do) into a small glass. Add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil. Adjust the water temperature and slide into the tub. Pour in the essential oil mixture and swish it around a bit. Lie back and relax.

10 Minute Aromatherapy Bath Salt Recipe

3 cups Epsom Salt
1/2 cup Baking Soda
15 drops of your favorite Essential Oil (or one of the blends below)
Optional: 10 drops of your choice of food coloring

Measure salt and baking soda into a large glass, ceramic or stainless steel bowl (not plastic - it will absorb the essential oils.)
[Three minutes]

Stir together the salt and baking soda using a metal spoon (a wooden spoon will absorb the essential oils.)
[One minute]

Drop in the essential oils and food coloring, placing each drop in its own little spot on top of the salt.
[Two minutes]

Stir until thoroughly mixed.
[One minute, maybe two]

Pour your essential oil bath salt mixture in a dark glass or PET plastic jar. Click on the following link to learn why you should use dark glass. http://www.easy-aromatherapy-recipes.com/storing-essential-oils.html
[One minute]

That’s it! Nine minutes (plus one extra for spills or finding your glasses.) Quick, easy, painless!

It’s best to let your aromatherapy bath salts cure at least 24 hours before using them so the salt can really absorb the aroma.

Use about one cup of salts per bath. This aromatherapy bath salt recipe makes enough for three baths.

Essential Oil Bath Salt Blends

Cheer Up! Essential Oil Bath Salt Blend
# 7 drops Bergamot essential oil
# 7 drops Sweet Orange essential oil
# 1 drop Rose Geranium essential oil

Super Sedative Essential Oil Bath Salt Blend
# 8 drops Sandalwood essential oil
# 4 drops Lavender essential oil
# 3 drops Cedar essential oil

Pain Relief Essential Oil Bath Salt Blend

* 10 drops Lavender essential oil
* 3 drops Chamomile essential oil
* 2 drops Marjoram essential oil

Making your own aromatherapy bath salts is so easy and quick that almost anyone can do it. It’s a great activity to do with your children or grandchildren (just make sure an adult handles the essential oils.) Family time and play time all in one!

Plus, aromatherapy bath salts make great gifts - why not make up a big batch and share the love. We all have friends and relatives who could use a friendly jar of aromatherapy bath salts. Just remember to save some for yourself!

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure any condition.
The Author:

Kyley Zimmerman works from home and focuses on making her family life happy, healthy and eco-friendly.

She shares her love of making natural bath, body and home products at http://www.easy-aromatherapy-recipes.com/ Check it out!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/ss_prosperity.html

Plants, Herbs, and Roots for Prosperity
By: Sam Stevens

Plants of all kinds (including trees), herbs and roots have been used for centuries to draw money to a person or bring prosperity to a home.

There are several ways to use a plant in this manner:

You can carry some of the substance on you.

This can be as easy as putting a tiny bit of the herb in a tiny plastic bag and put in your pocket. An easy way is to put a pinch of the herb into a locket.

Sew a sachet or pouch.

You can buy ready made sachets or pouches that you can use for this purpose, but you can also sew a small one using an appropriately colored material. Green and yellow are popular colors associated with prosperity and money one. These sachets are then tucked under the bed or somewhere in the home, worn on a string around the neck, put in a purse or wallet or concealed somewhere in the home. Some people simply fill a potpourri jar with the appropriate herbs and leave it in a prominent place in the house.

The simplest “Earth, Water, Air, Fire” Ritual is to boil the herb for a while in the water.

The Herbs are the earth, the water is in the pot, the air is the steam and the fire element is the stove. Occasionally stir the herb in the water while thinking of your magical intention. Strain the plant material from the liquid and sprinkle it around or outside the home.

Use them as Incense.

Some plants are hypnotics so I don’t really recommend this unless you are certain that the herb is not toxic once set alight. Traditionally though, herbs are set alight on charcoal burners and the smoke allowed to waft through the house.

Here are some of the more popular herbs used to draw prosperity and money. Most are available in your garden or from stores, but there are occult shops and apothecaries that carry herbs in jars:

Alfalfa – Known traditionally as the “good luck” herb I recommend tucking a sprig of this in your purse or in a locket. When combined with other money drawing herbs in a sachet it is thought to reinforce the other substance’s powers.

Allspice – Can be carried on the person or burned as incense or sprinkled in the four corners of the house. It is thought to attract business luck or success.

Bayberry – Bayberry can be bought commercially as a candle –“A bayberry candle burned to the socket – brings luck to the home and puts money in the pocket.” It can also be bought as incense.

Basil – Soaking basil leaves in water for three days and then sprinkling the water at your business premises is thought to attract financial success. The leaves can also be carried with you.

Bay Leaves – Bay leaves increase intuition and are good if you are looking for a promotion or a job. Tuck some under your mattress or boil them and sprinkle the water around your home. Hallucinogenic so I do not recommend you burn these.

Chamomile – Washing your hands in chamomile tea is thought to bring gamblers luck. Drinking the tea is thought to bring luck and prosperity.

Cloves – Cloves can be burned on charcoal, tucked in a sachet or put in your purse to draw money. An ancient money and protection ritual is to stick an orange with the heads of cloves stuck on pins and hang it on a ribbon in the kitchen so your cupboards are never bare.

Cinnamon: A very handy kitchen spice that can be used “in a pinch” to bring quick money, it can be bought as incense or burned on charcoal or sprinkled in a cash register or wallet to bring business.

Citronella: The leaves are thought to be good for attracting business and also smell lovely in a potpourri. Citronella is, however, toxic to birds – so avoid burning it in the house if you have feathered friends in your menagerie.

Five-Finger Grass (also known as Cinquefoil): This lemony grass can be burned, hid in a potpourri or carried on your person. It is the standard ingredient in most money drawing incenses.

Grains of Paradise: These little round seeds are carried in the purse or wallet or tucked in a sachet under the pillow to bring luck and guidance in career or money matters.

Honeysuckle: The live and dried flowers are used to attract luck business and prosperity.

Irish Moss: This is seaweed that can be bought in Caribbean stores. It is traditionally used to make a sweet drink. It is also carried in sachets to bring money to the bearer.

Juniper Berries: Associated with Jupiter, the berries of the juniper tree are said to attract luck, good fortune and business success.

Mint: All the mints (spearmint, peppermint) are used to attract good spirits and speed good fortune to the bearer.

Patchouli: Added to prosperity herb mixes to reinforce the manifestation power of your wishes. Can be bought as an incense, it has a commanding component to it.

Strawberry Leaves: Carried on the person and used to draw fortunate circumstances into a person’s life.

Squill Root: If you can find this, it is said to be one of the most powerful roots used to draw money to the bearer.

Tonka Beans: Tonkas are large dried beans that protect against poverty and that are just considered plain lucky. Place a bean in your purse, near your computer or under your phone – anywhere where you need luck in business. Avoid burning these.

The Author

Sam Steven’s metaphysical articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. You can meet Sam Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com where she is the staff writer. Currently she is studying technology’s impact

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/readersgardentips.html

Readers Gardening Secrets Pg 1

Growing Food Tips

Stop wind from damaging your tomatoes and peppers by planting them as deep as the first leaves.

After you plant strawberries for the first year, pick off the blooms to make the plant healthy and make better, and bigger strawberries.

Water your tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of epsom salts to a gallon of water.

Water your plants with a little milk, mix crushed egg shells into the soil, water plants moderately but regularly to avoid getting blossom end rot in tomatoes. - Dianne Barber, Ohio USA

When growing green peppers, put large rocks next to each plant, the sun will warm the rocks and draw heat to the pepper plants, pepper plants like heat, and they seem to grow much better.

Water tomatoes from the bottom, they don’t like getting their leaves wet.

How To Get Rid Of Ants By: Sher McLaughlin

Hello All,
If you want to get rid of ants..
Spread raw grits on the ground (not instant grits, tho).
Then, when the ants eat the grits & drink water...
They die.

I don’t know if it works for fire ants or not, however, it does work with regular ants tho.

Ants By: Pat L
You probably already know this one....dry yeast works also.

Herbal Shower For Plants By: Tani P
Water all your house plants with herbal tea. Use the tea after your done with your on cup and sprinkle it in your plants...Have a little left in your cup? Pour it on all house plants.

Snails & Slugs By: NJE316

After trying everything to kill snails in sub tropical south florida i have found a free, effective preventative for my bulbs and flowers. USED COFFEE GROUNDS sprinkled around the base of attacked plants seems to be working in wet and dry???

A Drunk Happy Dead Slug By: Regenia P

I’ve heard that a jar lid filled with beer sitting out for slugs to enjoy will promote drunk happy dead slugs.

How To Get Rid Of Slugs By: Tom Robinson

Hi, I am a 14 yo boy and I have tried everything to get rid of slugs, the best way I have found is to lay some cabbage leaves down on the ground of your garden (this will act as a home for slugs), and after 3 or 4 days you go and get all the slugs from under the leaves. Do this a few times till you have a fair wod of slugs collected in a jar, then blend the slugs up in a blender with enough water to make the mixture so you can spray it back around your plants.

This WILL work very well, the slugs will never go near the slug mixture.

Deter Ants By: S. Pavlovits

My young son and I discovered that ants do not like to cross chalk lines. To deter ants from entering our apartment building we drew a 1” thick chalk barrier across the patio. Also, we thought maybe the reason ants didn’t like crossing chalk was that it was “sharp” to their tiny bodies-—it is just ground up minerals.

We thought talc might have the same effect. We tried baby powder. The ants never came back. May have been a combination of the talc and the fragrance may have disguised their trail/food source.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/readersgardentips1.html

Readers Gardening Secrets Pg 2

How To Get Rid Of Slugs! - BY MARK S
I am living here in Maidstone, England and battle every summer with slugs in the garden, BUT I have found the remedy to all of your pesky problems with slugs whether it is large or small.

There are countless remedies on the market which range from Nematodes to beer to harmful poisons and concoctions that I would not trust alongside my herb garden that is used for cooking and eating.

I stumbled upon this sure fire remedy one day purely by chance and it has been the saviour of my garden. It closely resembles the attractive properties of beer but at an incredible rate without harmful poisons or expensive nematodes....what is it? If you use beer, you will attract a few, but you have to keep replenishing the beer everyday to keep it fresh and attract the slugs.

Take a trip down to your local bakery and tell the butcher that you want to purchase some of his bakers yeast, or you can find it in your local grocery store if they carry it. You have to have fresh bakers yeast, it comes in a block and looks like white putty...dry yeast will not work.

Take the block of yeast and cut off a chunk, mix it in warm water, add salt, and set it on your back patio or near your garden. If you think about the beer remedy, you will discover that the slugs are not attracted to the beer, but the smell of the yeast in the beer.

I discovered this remedy one day after baking fresh bread with fresh brewers yeast and then decided to leave a piece of it out for the birds. I left it for about an hour and before I knew what had happened, there were hundreds of slugs making a bee line dash for the bread....EUREKA! It’s the yeast I said! I then went out and picked up each one with a scoop and put them all in a jar of salt water and that was that.

Be prepared...if you use this remedy, you will have to keep checking it every hour cause if there is a slug within a hundred yards of your garden, you will attract it.

Safe Slug Removal - BY BILL

I just finished reading your article about slug control and thought I’d pass this tidbit along.

I’d like to suggest that a generous sprinkling of fresh (unbrewed) coffee grounds has, for the past two years, allowed me complete control of grubs.

The first year I had tried ferrous phosphate and achieved partial control. However, a few weeks later, the problem returned. I did not want to continuously add this chemical to my soil because I did not want to have a build up of it. So, on a hunch, I tried the coffee grounds and got control that lasted the balance of the season. This spring, I waited for the first signs of trouble and re-applied the coffee grounds.

I have not seen any slug damage or trails since.

This builds on research conducted by the University of Hawaii into the effect of caffeine on amphibians.

Readers Gardening
Secrets Pg 3

Tips From My Garden - BY CHRISTINE HK.
Try this sometime. If you have an infestation of moth larvae in your lazy susan or cupboards, try laying down mint leaves or even rue. For some reason, they don’t like it. The same goes for outside, if you have an ant/bug crawling problem, the rue deters them.

I tried an experiment once and mixing the mint and rue together (by grinding them up) and made a paste. This I put around my roses base and it seemed to keep away the crawling creatures. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the flying ones off.

Ant Deterrent - BY HAJEK
Our home was infested with ants. I tried everything, including ant traps. The most effective thing was, once I figured out where they were coming in, was lavender oil. They HATE it!! I put a few drops in the cracks I suspected they were coming in, and they NEVER returned. SO every spring, before the weather starts to warm up, I will be dropping lots of lavender oil around my kitchen
.

Sharing My Gardening Tip - BY RUDY H.
Organic soil enhancers produce more and higher quality fruits and veggies. Chemical fertilizers toxify the plants and they will begin to show it. An organic feritlizer that has its origin in the sea, as fish extract and sea kelp promote organisims that the plant’s roots system thrives in. The chemicals are toxic to the foilage, whereas liquid organic fertilizer feed the plants through it’s foilage. This organic soil enhancer is called AGgrand and can be diluted and sprayed on the plant or on the soil without fear of burning. Try doing this on your with chemical fertilizers and you can have a funeral for your plants.

Ant Bites - BY ANGELA

When I lived in Phoenix, AZ a few years ago an old Indian man told me the best remedy for fire ant bites is meat tenderizer (plain) with baking soda, you put equal amounts and a little bit of water to make a paste with it. It draws out the venom and helps with the itching. I had gotten bit by many of them while I was pregnant with my son. I itched for 2 weeks, met that man and within a day the swelling and itching was down. I also put bandaids over it to keep the pasty mixture on me.

Hope this helps some of you, Angela

Gnats Will Not Bite - BY JAC

The farmers in my area (Cape May, New Jersey) always go into the fields with LISTERINE (out of the bottle) rubbed all over their skin and hair. Believe it or not, the gnats and mosquitos will not bite you. An added bonus is that when put into the hair (I put it on just after washing my hair so it will touch my scalp) your hair will be nice and shiny.

The medicinal odor fades away leaving a film on the body and safeguards you against their tortuous bites.

I love your column. I found it by accident and now check it out quite often. Thanks, JAC

Annoying Itchy Mossie Bites etc - BY LESLEY

Hi there,I see many remedies for itchy insect bites ie: mossies, I personally use under arm roll on deodorant, just roll onto bite and almost instantly the itch disappears, repeat on return of itch.

Love your site, keep up the great work, from Lesley of Western Australia.

Old Time Try To Kill Slugs - BY VICKI M.
My grandfather showed me how to kill slugs when I was a little girl. All you have to do is put salt on them or around the base of a plant. Putting salt on the slug will cause it to shrivel up and die. Putting the salt around a plant or the whole edge of where plants are will keep the slugs out plus kill them off. Hope this helps people get rid of their slug problems!!

Black Ants - BY KIM W.
Hi, I found that if I left some fresh garlic cloves broken-up on a paper towel, on the kitchen counter, right by where I’d see the ant’s coming down our kitchen wall, they seemed to disappear and I haven’t seen any since.

Slugs and Beer - BY MARGARET C.
If you do have slugs, pour some beer into an aluminium pie pan and set in the sun. The slug will crawl into it but can’t crawl out. Just throw away the pie pan. If you gotta go, I could think of worse ways. (And no, it doesn’t have to be any particular brand or style of beer.)

Keep Mosquitos Away - BY MANDA L.
Tired of that stinky bug spray used to keep mosquitoes away? Simply slip a dryer sheet in your pocket. Those pesky things can’t stand the smell so they won’t come near you!!

Readers Gardening Secrets Pg 4

Garden Protector
By Cynthia P.

An organic solution to keep cats and dogs out of the garden.
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tabasco sauce or 1 ½ tablespoons dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon plain white flour
1 medium cooking onion chopped finely
1 clove garlic chopped finely
2 teaspoons liquid dish soap
1 ½ quart warm water
Directions:

Mix together the dry ingredients, then add the chopped onion and garlic, stir well. Slowly add in the soap, then the water until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Place garden mixture in a container or spray bottle and let the mixture settle, when ready to use give it a good shake or stir if its in a container. Spray or pour the repellent around the plants directly on the soil or at the base of bushes. Re-spray plant area every 2 weeks or after major rainfall.

Tips for Plants
Jewek Hallissoule

Keep the water after you boil eggs, it’s good to water your plants with it! It has a lot of minerals in it.
Grow extra large and juicy tomatoes. Before planting add one tablespoon of Epsom salt in the hole.
Homemade Insecticide: Spray plants with your old dishwater. The soap kills of the bugs.
Sprinkle crushed up eggs shell around flower plants and roses to keep slugs and bugs away.
Clean the leaves of your plant with a cotton ball dipped in milk. Makes it shiny.

Natural Weed Eliminator Formula
By Cynthia P.

A simple way to get rid of weeds that grow along pathways, patio stones or sidewalks easily is by spraying them with undiluted white vinegar.

Make sure you protect any nearby plants that you want to keep! Spray vinegar directly onto the leaves and around the base of the weeds. You might have to respray stubborn weeds the next day. Good luck!

Lavender Summer Rose Potpourri
By Jennifer P.

My favorite family recipe is our summer potpourri that fills the air with its unique aroma. I like to use pink rose petals in my own mix, but any color will due. Mix and match flowers and spices to make it your own.

2 cups dried pink rose petals and leaves
1 cup dried lavender flowers
8 drops sandalwood essential oil
3 dried whole bay leaves
10 whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon orris root powder (acts as a fixative)

Mix the dried flowers, bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon in a bowl then place mix in an airtight container
for 5 days. Stir once a day. On the fifth day, add the sandalwood essential oil and the orris root. Cover for another 4 weeks. Stir once daily.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/paperl.html

Paper Bag Lunches

Do you run out of ideas for snacks for your children’s lunches or perhaps your own? Here is a list of snacks for hunger or thirst.

Thirst

Apple Juice Kiwis Plums
Apples Mangos Raspberries
Blackberries Melons Strawberries
Blueberries Milk-plain or chocolate Tangerines
Cantaloupe Nectarines Tomato Juice
Cherries* Orange Juice Tropical Fruit Juice
Cherry Tomatoes* Oranges Vegetable Juice
Cucumber Papaya Water
Grapefruit Peaches Watermelon
Grapefruit Juice Pears Yoghurt Beverages
Grapes* Pineapple

Hunger

Apple Sauce Apricots Bagel
Banana Bread and Buns Bread Sticks
Cereal Cheese Cottage Cheese
Crackers Egg Roll Eggs-Hard Cooked or Deviled
Hummus Ice Cream/Ice Milk Milk Pudding
Muffins-whole grain Nuts and seeds* Peanut Butter
Pita Bread Pizza Popcorn*

Sandwich-

Cheese;Egg Salad; Ham;Peanut Butter; Salmon; Tuna.

Vegetables-

Raw: Anise; Broccoli Pieces; Carrots*; Cauliflower Pieces; Celery; Kohlrabi; Peppers; Radishes; Rutabaga/ Turnip strips; Snowpeas; Zucchini
Yoghurt

* Nuts; Seeds: Popcorn; Some raw fruits such as grapes; Some raw vegetables especially carrots are good snacks but may cause choking in children under age three. Always supervise young children when they are eating.

Healthy Snack Ideas

* Snack size yoghurts, milk puddings and fruit cups....don’t forget a spoon
* Milk and milk shakes in a drinking box....keep some cold and ready to go
* Any fruit ...grapes, orange wedges, cantaloupe slices, canned pineapple spears or chunks
* Vegetable sticks mixed with chunks of cheese
* Celery sticks filled with soft cheese or peanut butter; add a few crackers
* Crackers...bag them yourself or buy small portion packs
* Cheese
* Peanut butter and crackers
* Snack pack cheese and crackers or peanut butter and crackers
* Handful of wholegrain cereal......add a few grapes or small chunks of cheese
* Whole grain muffin
* Sandwich with a few slices of fruit
* Cold pizza slices
* Half bagel with cheese or peanut butter
* Popcorn or nuts for older children

Snack Lists made by Nutrition Communications, The Ontario Milk Marketing Board

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/gardentips.html

Gardening Tips & Techniques

-Seal Plants — Gardeners use white glue for sealing the ends of pruned stems and branches against insects and excessive moisture loss.

-When doing your fall flower planting (if you order from a company that sends you the roots and/or bulbs in labeled bags) put rocks in the bags and leave them where you planted them so next spring you’ll remember where and what you planted last fall!

-When storing bulbs for the winter sprinkle them with medicated baby powder and store them in old onion sacks.

-Prevent soil from leaking out of a potted plant. Place a pair of pantyhose in the bottom of plant pots to provide drainage.

-A birth control pill dissolved in one quart of water will help ferns grow faster and stronger.

-Use all those fall leaves! Shred them and put them in your flower and vegetable garden for extra nutrients in the soil and protection from the cold winter!

-If you want moss to grow on your rocks ...paint plain yogurt on the surface. Make sure you repeat the process after any rain.

-Garden Tool Carrier - One great tip is use an old golf bag to store your garden tools in, it can carry both your long handled and short handled garden tools. Makes gardening so much easier since you don’t need to run back and forth for your tools.

-Weed after a rainfall. Weeds pull easier. If you need to weed and it hasn’t rained, water your garden first.

-A great way to maintain moisture to the soil, as well as reducing weeds is to lay down several layers of newspaper sheets between the rows and plants. At the end of the season this mulch can be turned into the soil. Make sure the print is vegetable oil ink.

-To get rid of weeds that come up between patio cracks and gravel, just sprinkle salt.

-To prevent dirt from getting under your fingers while gardening, scratch a bar of soap before starting to work. When you are finished, the soap will wash out from under your nails and your nails won’t have those telltale dark stains under them!

-Use an inexpensive plastic kids pool filled a few inches with water to keep your potted plants in when on vacation.

-Cut the bottom of empty plastic cola bottles (any size) to use to start seedling. They are the perfect size and you will also be recycling.

-Rinsed out milk cartons are excellent containers for kitchen scraps waiting to go out to the compost.

-When starting new plants from cuttings, if you will put a little sugar in the water, it seems to help the cuttings get roots a little faster!

-If an unsuspecting frost came upon your garden while you were sleeping and the plants were not protected, get to the garden before the sun shines on the plants and spray the foliage with the garden hose.

-You can make a tumbling composter using a plastic garbage can with a sturdily attached lid. Just poke holes in the sides for aeration, and roll the can to mix the compost.

-Besides regular water, once a month dissolve an Aspirin in a cup of tea and feed to plants.

-Herbs for the winter: Cut 4-5 inches of stem from your favorite herbs, tie in a bunch and hang upside down to dry in a cool place. Its beautiful, smells great and its economical as well!

Indoor Gardening Tips

- Water your hanging plants with ice cubes and you won’t have water spilling out the bottom!

- African Violets- Water them with chamomile tea.....will make them bloom profusely.

- Amaryllis-To keep the flowers blooming, remove the pollen bearing anthers with tweezers before they begin to drop.

- Cactus- To get a cactus to bloom, water sparingly - once a month or so, and leave outside in a dry sunny spot as late as possible in the fall. Bring indoors when nights are cooler. This will stimulate blooming for the following spring.

- When you change your aquarium water, don’t just dump the water down the drain - - use it for watering your indoor plants - - it’s loaded with nutrition your plants will love!

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/lg_garden.html

10 Free Gardening Products
By Linda Gray

One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is finding alternative ways of coming up with the same, if not better, end result.....

Household throwaways can be valuable to the alternate enthusiast. Here are ten recyclable ideas to make gardening a little less hard on the pocket!

1. Hedge clippings: Instead of burning or direct composting, beg, borrow or even buy, if the quantity justifies the price, an electric garden muncher.

Branches up to an inch in diameter are posted into a slot and the machine munches them up into small chips. Spread these chips thickly around shrubs or fruit trees to help keep moisture in, and control the temperature of the soil.

2. Food Waste: All food waste must be composted. Composting is becoming quite an art form, and special composting bins can be bought, or very simply made.

There are many different theories and each gardener will find his or her preferred way. Keeping the compost fairly warm is the overall key to a good result. Or, if you’re in no hurry, simply keep adding to a heap, and dig out the bottom when required. Sieve before using and the compost will be ready for planting small plants and even seeds.

3. Old carpets, large damaged cardboard boxes; and similar materials can be laid over the vegetable plot in autumn to help prevent those early spring weeds appearing. Spread over a whole patch and weigh down with stones or logs. Lift off on a sunny day in early spring a few days before digging..

4. Paint trays: Keep old roller painting trays and similar containers for seed trays. Punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Add a little fine gravel before filling with seed compost. Seed trays shouldn’t be deeper than 15cm.

5. Yoghurt pots: All plastic yoghurt or dessert pots can be washed and saved for re-potting seedlings. Make a hole in the bottom of each and add a little fine gravel before filling with compost or soil..

6. Glass jars: Glass jars with sealable lids are excellent for storing seeds, beans and peas for planting next year. (Safe from mice as well) After washing the jars, dry in the oven to remove all traces of moisture before storing your seeds. Collect dark glass jars, or wrap paper round clear jars to prevent seeds being damaged by light.

7. Ice Lolly sticks: Make perfect row markers in your seed trays or greenhouse beds. The wooden ones won’t last for ever but you can at least write on them with pen, pencil or crayons!

8. Wire coat hangers: Make mini-cloches with discarded or broken wire coat hangers. Pull into a square shape. Place the hook in the soil and push down gently until the natural bend in the wire rests on top of the soil. Place another a short distance away in your seed bed to create two ends of a cloche. Now throw over a sheet of plastic and hold down with logs or stones.

Note: this will work only when creating very small cloches.

9. Clear plastic: Keep any clear plastic containers that could be placed upside down over a plant. Cut a mineral water bottle in half to make two handy individual cloches. Large sheets of clear plastic from packaged household items are fine for throwing over mini coat hanger cloches.

10. Aluminium bottle tops: Keep aluminium tops from milk or juice bottles, and also coloured foil around beer or wine bottles. Thread together to make bird scarer. Simply thread with thick cotton and hang on your fruit bushes before the birds find the new fruits.

Look out for other tools for the garden from kitchen throwaways such as: old kitchen spoons and forks for transplanting tiny plants in the greenhouse. Leaky buckets for harvesting small quantities of potatoes, carrots etc; light wooden boxes for harvesting salads through the summer, and transporting pots etc;

Keep an eye on that rubbish bag and turn today’s throwaways into tomorrow’s tools!

The Author

Linda Gray is a freelance writer and, with her partner, has spent ten years renovating an acre of neglected woodland. With a growing family to feed ‘off the land’, frugal gardening has become second nature! Drop in at http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com for pots of gardening inspiration!

source:ArticleCity.com

Posted: July 27, 2005

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