Crocheted Baskets

What does Monty Python say ...."and now for something completely different."  Well Tim and I would say..."and now for something completely gay."  We have some older pottery containers that were very expensive but the colors weren't right for the living room.  I had been looking at Home Goods for some cheap braided baskets to mask the pots but could never find the right size.  I decided that my only option was to make the baskets myself.  Now, I remember how much I hated macrame - and I didn't want these to look like some 70's throw back project.  I must have looked at a gazillion patterns on Pinterest until I found the right one.  I used a heathered wool/acrylic yarn from Lion Brand Studio and used four skeins and a really large crochet hook .  I didn't want handles because I felt that they would just never be usable to lift anything. So, with just single crochet and the four ply yarn - Voila - a basket.   I made the basket large enough to fold down and hide the top of the pottery.  They are perfect - cover the pot, fit perfectly and were so fast to make. I plan on making several others and varying the colors of the heathered yarn and it probably cost more then baskets but they work so much better and look great.

Chicken with Olives and Dates

I have to remember next time that Tim cannot cook by himself under the influence of Manhattans.  The chicken was amazing but the stove was unrecognizable!  This was so delicious.

Chicken with Olives and Dates

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
2 pitted dates coarsely chopped
10 pitted Kalamata olives chopped
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1. To make marinade, combine oil, garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and salt in one large zip close plastic bag; add chicken period. Squeeze out air and seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Refrigerate about one hour.  Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.

2. Spray large non-stick skillet with non- stick spray and set over medium heat.  Add chicken and broth; cook covered 15 minutes.  Turn chicken over; add all remaining ingredients.  Cook covered until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes longer, adding one or two tablespoons water if mixture seems dry.

Is It Cocktail Hour Yet? I'll Have a Manhattan, Please!

It is so cold out. It is so cold out and it is snowing.  I had my entire day planned - to grout the tile floor in the mud room.  You know how much I like to grout.   However, when I went to mix the grout, I realized I had bought concrete patcher instead of grout - so no grout work.  What do you do on a cold day with your project cancelled?  Drink!  

Now, Tim may be the cook in the family , but I am the drunk, I mean mixologist. Tim and I default to our favorite cocktail which is usually tequila and Fresca or vodka and Fresca.  However, since we had a less then productive day ahead of us - I decided that it's time to explore our cocktail heritage. We had all the fixings, right?  Well, no bitters or cherries -  a quick grocery trip to Price Choppers and all of those worries are behind us.  We decide that over the Polar Vortex, Arctic Blast Winter we are having - that it is a perfect opportunity to drink.  We have cut out liquor from our diets during the week so why should we kill ourselves on a cold polar weekend?

We decide to explore classic cocktails.  A Manhattan comes to mind.

Manhattan

2 parts whisky
1 part Sweet Vermouth
Dash of Bitters
As many Cherries as you want to have in a cocktail

Yum.  It's what I like in a drink.  A little bitter, a little sweet, lots of alcohol and a sweet little treat at the end.  I am partial to Negroni's too with this same kind of bitter sweet taste but this definitely enhanced a very cold, wintry weekend.   Now if we could just get a pizza delivered upstate - it would be perfect.

Winter Sowing

Here is another option to seed starting which I have read about quite a bit and it seems so simple but with how our seasons flex so much - I am just a little concerned. 

Winter-Sowing 101

November 14, 2012

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I start my summer garden in December and January, using a neat trick called “Winter-Sowing.” Winter-sowing is an outdoor method of seed germination (invented by Trudi Davidoff) which requires just two things: miniature greenhouses (made from recycled water and milk jugs) and Mother Nature. You can winter-sow your way to a beautiful garden, too…for pennies. Here’s how:

Make a Greenhouse. You can make a greenhouse from any container you like, so long as light can penetrate its walls. Like other winter-sowers, I use recyclables, including gallon-size milk- or water- jugs, and 2-Litre soda-pop bottles. With jugs and bottles, use a pen-knife to cut around the middle, almost all the way through. The uncut half-inch or so will serve as a hinge.

Next, punch out drainage holes in the bottom. A Phillips screwdriver, heated over a flame at the stove, will facilitate the hole-punching job. Punch out also a few holes along the top portion of the container. These extra holes increase air-ventilation. Ventilation, of course, is the key to preventing excess heat from building up in the greenhouse, and baking the seeds to death. If there is a cap on your jug or bottle, remove it. Watch me make and plant a miniature greenhouse.

Select the Right Soil. It is essential to use a light, fluffy, well-draining soil mixture. A commercial peat-moss and perlite mix is fine. Pour the soil, preferably to a depth of 2 to 3 inches, into the bottom half of your container.

 Water the Soil. Moisten the mix thoroughly, and then let it drain.

Sow the Seeds . Sow your seeds on the soil surface, and then cover them with more soil, when necessary, to achieve the proper planting depth. Gently pat the mix down, so that seeds and soil make good contact. Then replace the lid, and secure it with a strip of duct tape, as illustrated.

If you live in a cold climate, as I do, plant your perennial and hardy annual seeds first. Should these sprout during a weird warm-spell in winter, they will not be harmed. Wait until March to plant your tender annuals.  More details here: What to Winter-Sow…& When.

Remember to Label! For each sowing, indicate with a permanent marker (or a paint-pen) the seed variety and date sown. Do not omit this step, for there is nothing worse than finding, in spring, dozens of miniature greenhouses brimming with seedlings, and not knowing what they are!

Bring the Greenhouse Outdoors. Your greenhouse, once planted and labeled, is ready to brave the outdoor elements. Select a location that is safe from strong wind, but where sun, rain and snow will be freely admitted. My assorted greenhouses go on a wire-mesh patio table, out of the reach of Lily the Beagle who would otherwise knock them over. For further protection from tipping, I place them in a large plastic box, with drainage holes melted in the bottom.

Relax! Now sit back and let Mother Nature do her thing. As the weather chills and warms, your seeds will freeze and thaw. These natural actions loosen the seed-coatings. This is why advance soaking or nicking of hard-shelled seeds, such as Morning Glories and Sweet Peas, is not necessary when you winter-sow.

At the first kiss of spring, but while nights are still freezing, seedlings will begin to emerge. Now is the time to check for water. Open the tops, and if the soil appears dry, moisten thoroughly but gently, so as not to disturb tender root systems. Then close the tops. On warm, sunny days, I open the tops for hours at a time, and let the seedlings enjoy the fresh spring air. The tops, of course, are closed at dusk.

I can’t tell you how advantageous winter-sowing can be. Last year I produced an entire garden’s-worth of perennials this way (far too many, in fact), without the need for light-systems, heating devices, or fancy seed-starting kits. And, unlike windowsill-germinated seedlings, which more often than not are frail and spindly, winter-sown seeds grow up to be strong, sturdy plants, completely prepared for glorious careers in the open garden.

Seed Starting Station Part 2

Here is another version of a more complicated shelving unit for starting seeds.  We might start with the one table and work our way up to a multiple level shelving unit. 

How To Build An Indoor Seed-Starting Rack – Cheap!

Our seed-starting rack stand – with room for almost 600 seedlings!

Our dining room table / mini garden area last spring.

For the last few years, in the late winter months, our dining room table transforms into our seed starting area – or as we like to call it – our mini garden. We actually had it down to a science, using a few inexpensive shop lights to grow our plants healthy and strong. The mini garden set-up unfortunately also rendered the dining area useless for the 6 to 8 weeks it took to germinate and grow all of the ornamental pepper and garden plants we use.  Not to mention, some strange looks from company wondering what we were “growing” in there under the dim glow of flourescent lights :).

So, for this week’s DIY segment –  we thought we would design and build our very own lighted seed-starting rack. The rack will allow us to move the entire seed starting operation out of the dining room – and into an unused portion of our basement.  It also allows us to double the seeds and plants we can start indoors in less space – from the 4 flats we could start on the table, to a full 8 flats.

We wanted it to be simple, strong, and of course, as always – cheap!

Using just nine simple  2 x 4 x 8 pieces of lumber, a single sheet of particle board and 4 inexpensive double-bulb shop lights – this can be made from scratch for around $50 to $70. Even less if you happen to have some old shop lights or scrap lumber laying around!   It will accommodate up to 8 full size seed trays on the two growing shelves – and can grow up to 576 plants if using the 72 pack cell inserts.  There is even shelf space at the bottom to store gardening supplies – or if you are really ambitious – another layer of plants!  The best part of the project – it can be assembled with simple tools in less than an hour or two. In our case –  we cut, built and assembled it in the time it took to watch the Houston Texans take our Cincinnati Bengals out of the playoffs! It’s also strong and can double as a great storage shelf when not in use the rest of the year.

Here is how we built it:

Once you have your 3 rectangles assembled – screw in the four 6′ vertical boards to the bottom shelf first

Materials List:

(9)  ea. 2  x4  x8′s
(4) ea. Hanging Shop Lights
(1) 4′ x 8′ sheet of 1/2 strand board or plywood
(50) 3″ screws
(8 to 12) 2″ screw hooks

Tools Needed:

Circular or Chop Saw
Screw Gun
Tape Meassure

How We Built It:  

(We have included extra photos at the bottom to help show the building process)

Start by cutting all of your pieces:

You will need to cut the 2×4′s into the following sizes:
4) ea. 6′ long
8) ea. 4′ long
8) ea. 2′ long

Taking the 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood or strand board, cut three pieces, each 27″ x 4′ wide – these will become the shelves of the stand.

Next – attach the second rectangle wood square to the top of the 4 6′ support legs

The actual building process is a snap – especially if you have two people for an extra set of hands. We normally use construction adhesive when we build anything for extra durability – but we forewent that on this project in case we ever want to disassemble and relocate the shelves.

Start by building your 4 rectangular shelf supports from the 4′ and 2′ pieces.  Create a rectangle by placing two 2′ boards flush at the ends of two 4′ boards.  Drive a single screw in the middle of each connection to create a solid rectangle.  Repeat until you have all four rectangles assembled.

Next, we will assemble the bottom shelf first. Take one of your 6 foot boards and place it flush on the end of the outside edge of where the 2′ and 4′ pieces meet. (see pictures)  Then – making sure your 6′ board is straight in the air at a 90 degree angle – we screw it in place with a total of 4 screws.  We put 2 screws that sink into the 2′ board and 2 more than sink into the 4′ board. Repeat for the other 3 “legs” and you are on your way to your plant stand.

Next – we screw in one more of the rectangles the same way – this one at the top – flush with the top of the 6′ boards. Once you have this screwed in – your stand will start to become very stable.

Attach the final two shelf rectangles for your two shelves.

Now, we just simply repeat with the final two rectangles, screwing them in to form the bases for the growing shelves. For our set-up, we set our two shelves at 23″ apart – this allows us plenty of room to adjust the lights up and down with chains as the plants grow, and lets our plants have plenty of room to grow big.  As another option you could also evenly space the two middle shelves and actually grow on the bottom shelf as well for 3 growing areas.  For us, two is more than plenty – and we will just use the bottom shelf as for storage items.

Next, slide in the 3 27″ x 4′ shelf boards you have cut from the plywood or strand board to make your shelves.  Simply drive a few screws into the support frame to secure.

Once you have all of your shelves in, its time to hang your lights. Simple screw hooks work great here.  A small pre-drilled hole will help you screw them in.  We install 2 hooks on each side – spaced evenly on the 2 foot end bars.  Most of the inexpensive shoplights at the big box stores will come with a small chain and S hook for the light – just install and your set.  To make ours even easier to operate – we are going to install a small power strip on the side, allowing the lights to be turned on with a single flip of the switch.

There you have it – an inexpensive seed-starting stand!  If you want more information of starting seeds – you can see our article from a few weeks back – How To Easily Start Seeds Indoors

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-  Jim and Mary

Shared on Savvy Southern Style, Gnowfglins

Close up of the rectangle shelf supports attached to the post. We attach 4 screw on the outside of each shelf angle support to add extra strength to each

Four screws are driven in to the outside of each post at every shelf corner

Side View of the shelf supports

Measuring Down For The Shelves

Use a level to make sure your shelf supports are level when attaching

Seed Starting Tables Part 1

I promised Tim this year that I would build him a seed starting station in the basement.  In the past few years, we haul a shelving unit upstairs to our den and use the natural window light to start seeds.  I am a little freaked out by electrical lamps and timers when we aren't around.  However, this year we have a lot more seeds to start and want to try and experiment.  I am leaning to the table unit but obviously we could do more seeds on a shelving unit but it requires more lamps and a little more construction.  It may be that we start with the table station and timers and then work our way up to a multiple unit station. I have included both plans just for the sake of making myself obsess over the idea for a couple months.  We won't be able to start the seeds until March and then can't put anything in the ground until after Memorial Day.

Instructions

Step by Step: 

1. To create the legs and upright bars, use a hacksaw to cut the 3/4- inch PVC pipes into the following lengths:

2 22.5-inch sections (for the upright bars)

4 8-inch sections (for the legs)

2. For a polished look, prime then paint all the PVC pieces.

3. Connect the 8-inch pieces using with the 3/4 inch tees. Add the upright 22.5-inch PVC in the 3/4 inch tee.

4. Attach the S-hooks and o-rings to the ends of the white metal chain (2-1/2 feet each). Put the o-rings on the 1 inch PVC pipe (will be used as the overhead bar).

5. Using the 1 inch PVC pipe as the overhead bar, connect it to the 3/4 inch vertical PVC using the elbow joints.

6. Attach the S-hooks and chain to overhead shop light so the light is at least 3 inches above the young seedlings.

7. For a clean look (and to keep bugs out) place caps on the open ends of the PVC pipe.

Good to Know: For easy control of your set-up, use a timer to run the shop lights for 14 to 16 hours per day.

Seed Starting 101: 

1. Starting plants from seed is easier than you think. Here's what you need to know to get a jump on spring. Certain plants and flowers are easier to start from seed than others. Stay away from root, tuber or bulb crops (beets, radishes, carrots,  and onions) and leafy greens (spinach, lettuces). They do not transplant well. 

2. You can start seeds in a variety of containers: a cardboard egg carton, peat pots, nursery flats or seed starting kits such as Ferry-Morse Herb or Floral kits (#2368). Make sure the containers have holes in the bottom for good drainage.

3. Use sterile seed-starting mixture, such as Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix (#156696). Moisten the seed-starting mixture before sowing the seeds.

4. Follow seed planting information on the seed packets. It will include germination time, light preference, and planting depth. Seedlings look alike so be sure to label the pots after planting.

5. Thin out crowded seedlings. If individual cells or pots sprout more than one seedling, remove the extras by snipping the stems with a small scissors. Keep the largest, healthiest seedlings, leaving at least an inch of space between the remaining seedlings. It's hard to get rid of young healthy plants, but if the crowding continues, all the plants will die.

6. Water gently. As the seedlings grow taller, adjust the light so it remains at least three inches above the seedlings.

7. As the seedlings grow and the outdoor temperatures reach the 50s, your plants will need to be hardened off (toughened up) before heading out to the garden. Acclimate them to the outdoors by setting them in a protected area, such as a porch or shaded area. After about a week, they'll be ready to get growing in the garden.

Chicken and Mushroom Hash Casserole

While it snows and blows outside and I am covered in tile adhesive - Tim works on his own set of projects and keeps us fed properly.  Thank God for Tim.  I am ever grateful for his cooking talents.  He made this great meal for us Saturday night - a great chicken hash - so delicious.

Chicken and Mushroom Hash Casserole

1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs ( about 2 slices bread)
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 cup chopped white mushrooms
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup fat free milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray shallow 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

2. To make crumb topping, mix together bread crumbs, Romano cheese and parsley in small bowl.

3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper.  Cook, stirring, until mushrooms give up their liquid and liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes longer.

4. Add chicken to skillet; sprinkle with flour, thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.  Cook, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.  Stir in milk; cook, stirring constantly , until sauce bubbles and thickens, about 3 minutes.

5. Spoon hash into prepared casserole; sprinkle evenly with crumb mixture.  Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Mudroom Remodel

A winter full of projects.  I cleared the basement this year to be able to work and store a lot of projects that I would normally wait till warmer weather to tackle.   I am putting the last coats of paint on the massive living room window box that I started last spring.  However, with so much time spent indoors with the Polar Vortex outside making a nuisance of itself - I tackle some larger projects upstairs as well.  One of the projects is re-doing the back mudroom.  I painted, wallpapered and lay tile for the last few weeks and next steps are to get the tile grouted and sealed and bead board paneling and trim up and mounted.  The back hall will not only be more useful but far more attractive.  I want to replace the back door with half glass door for more light since it gets western exposure but that will wait till warmer weather.  Feeling fearless after tiling and wallpapering.  Not that I haven't done either before but it just reinforces the fact that if I want to learn something new and do it myself - anything is possible.

Greek Style Chicken with Pickled Onions, Tomatoes and Tzatziki

On our higher path towards health. Another great meal.

Greek Style Chicken with Pickled onions, Tomatoes and Tzatziki

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pound total) cut into 1 inch pieces

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice ( from 2 lemons)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 english cucumber, halved crosswise and thinly sliced

2/3 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved ( 2 cups)

Cooked long grain white rice , for serving

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine onion and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.  In another medium bowl, combine chicken, lemon zest, and oregano; season with salt and pepper.

2. In a third medium bowl, make tzatziki; Combine cucumber, yogurt, parsley, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes to pickled onions and serve with chicken, tzatziki, and rice.