nails4u2c

Really and truly it is the lack of sunshine. Hope reading this will help. I actually (under the recommendation of my doctor) take 5000 iu of Vitamin D3 a day in the dark winter months. Then cut back to 2000 iu when the days become longer and the sun is shining. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/integrative-mental-health_b_354332.html It's good to google D3 deficiency and read all about it, and check with your doctor.

A Gardening Revolution Makes me wish it were spring. <object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q&border=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q&border=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q&border=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="349"></embed></object>

<IMG src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2971141311_e729627417.jpg"/><BR/> <FONT size="2"><B>Pumpkin Chili<BR/></B><BR/>What you'll need . . .<BR/><BR/> * 1 cooking onion, chopped<BR/> * 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped<BR/> * 2 cans diced tomatoes

Square Foot Gardening in Sept. <object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="349"></embed></object>

I think it actually can be done though this site. http://www.veggietrader.com/

I thought this was a really great idea.It is a site to share your abundance of fruit and veggies. It is mostly on the west coast but the more people that can post and share the more of a good thing it can become around here. I just wish I had found it sooner. http://www.veggietrader.com/ is a"?craiglist"?/?"?freecycle"?

Steelnut, I had a deck garden as well as my regular garden. I loved having tomatoes, grape tomatoes, (they are the only ones that survived the blight) lettuce and a good variety of herbs on my deck. It was so convenient to go out and pick a salad. I had two large round low to the ground bowl type planters for the lettuce. I would recommend waiting 1 1/2-2 weeks between planting of the lettuce so you have fresh lettuce spread over a longer period. Can I ask why you are not having a garden? Is it to promote better growing in the years following?

Do any of you keep your seeds from year to year? So many that are sold in the stores now are genetically modified. It is very hard to find "Heritage seeds. I had some tomatoes from Germany but lost them, along with the seeds in the blight. I found this site which is located in Lancaster County. It would be great to have local greenhouses grow these seeds, so we are not purchasing genetically modified plants. If you know of anyone who specializes in this please post. There looks like there are some interesting varieties here. http://www.amishlandseeds.com/

I also started mine from seed. I have the blight. I thought I read where the Amish do not have the blight, (don't know if that is really true) which make me wonder what they use for fertilizer. I used Miracle Grow I bet they use organic manure.

Fragrant Reed Diffuser You can refill your Reed Diffuser and save some $$$ or you can find a cool bottle and make your own. Everclear (moonshine) and 6 drops of essential oils.

Did you start yours from commercial seeds or purchase them from a wholesale store? Just curious. Mine all of a sudden (over night) have the blight. :-/

I don't mind snakes, they have their place in the world, but I would HATE! to bite into a protein filled fried flower! I'm going to pick my first red tomato for lunch. The blight has not touched mine. I grew my own seeds from german seeds that I keep every year. We have had lots of lettuce from the garden and in planters on my deck, and fresh herbs, onions, snap peas, and loveage, our beans are almost ready. Zuchs, cukes, mellons are coming along too. I love fresh veggies!

One year we picked zucchini blossoms to fry. We put them in the sink to wash them and a little baby snake came swimming out!:shok:

Campfire cooking can be downright civilized. No matter how spectacular the scenery, meals around the campfire are often the highlight of the camper's day. Modern camp stoves and specialized cookware make the cook's job easier, but nothing beats the taste and appeal of a meal cooked over the campfire. Success at campfire cooking will encourage you to go camping more often. Caution and Respect In days gone by, cooking over an open fire could be taken for granted. Today, with concerns about air quality, restricted areas for camping and dwindling firewood stocks in many campgrounds, the freedom to cook over an open fire is a privilege which requires the utmost in caution and respect. Here are a few important considerations: Wood - -Campfire cooking requires a clean-burning, hot fire. This is only achieved with dry, seasoned wood. Stripping trees of green wood is fruitless - your fire will be smoky, will burn poorly and create unnecessary pollution. If dry wood is not available, it will need to be packed in. Many public campgrounds supply firewood - call ahead to see what's available. Fire location - .Pay close attention to the ground before preparing any fire. In circumstances where building your fire on a rock is not possible, one should ensure that the base of the fire is on bare mineral soil. A fire that is burning all evening has lots of time to burn through the organic layer of the soil and will not be put out with a simple bucket of water. Use previously established fire pits if available, to avoid scarring the area with more fire pits. Wind - .Any medium to strong wind is hazardous. The danger of sparks getting away can ignite a forest fire. Also, the coals will reduce more quickly and provide much less cooking time. If substantial wind shelter is unavailable, any outdoor fire is out of the question. How to Build a Campfire for Cooking The object is to have all the wood turn into coals at the same time. This gives an even fire with no flames reaching up to burn your food or blacken your cookware. It also yields the longest cooking time from the coals. Prepare the site - Select a fire site at least 8' from bushes or any combustibles. Be sure no tree branches overhang the site. - Make a U-shaped perimeter using large rocks or green logs. If using logs, they'll need to be wet down from time to time. If breezy, have back of firepit face the wind. - Put a large flat rock at the rear of the firepit to act as a chimney. The "chimney rock" will help direct the smoke up and away. Lay the kindling - Fill the fire area with crumpled paper or tinder. - Lay kindling over paper in layers, alternating direction with each layer. Use thin splits of wood or small dead branches. Do not put kindling down "teepee style". The whole fire area should be covered with the kindling stack. - Set a bucket of water near the fire area. Light the paper to start your fire. Build the fire, grade the coals - When kindling is ablaze, add firewood. The wood should be all the same size, as much as possible. Use hardwood or hardwood branches if available. Distribute wood evenly over fire bed. - As soon as the last flames die down leaving mostly white coals, use a stick to push the coals into a higher level at the back end and lower level at the front. This will give you the equivalent of 'Hi', 'Med' and 'Lo' cook settings. Or, level the coals to your preference. To cook, set the grill on rocks or wetted green logs. Put food directly on grill or in cookware and prepare your meal. If cooking directly on the grill, a small spray bottle or squirt gun is handy for shooting down any rogue flames, usually caused by food drippings. As the fire diminishes, bank the coals to get the most heat from them. After cooking, add wood for your evening campfire. Before retiring, extinguish thoroughly and soak with water. Turn rocks in on fire bed. It will be easy to reassemble the next day if required. Recipes for Campfire Cooking Bannock Simple to make, four basic ingredients, one bowl to wash. This kids' favorite is tasty, nutritious and fun to cook on a stick over the campfire. It can also be cooked in a skillet. Bannock can be a meal in itself. Ingredients: 2 - 3 cups flour 1 - 2 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt (optional) 2 - 3 Tbsp oil, butter or lard 2/3 cup warm water Directions: Put everything but the water in a bowl and mix with your fingers until crumbly. Slowly add water and mix until dough feels soft. It may seem that you don't have enough water, but keep working the dough till it holds together. Don't add more water! Take a small handful and wrap around the end of a green stick, like a marshmallow roast. Knead it so it stays together. Cook over coals for about 10 - 12 minutes, rotating to cook evenly. Eat as is, or add a bit of jam or honey. Shishkebab Chop, skewer and cook.....couldn't be easier! Let the campers cook their own meals - it's a fun activity and much more nutritious than the standard wiener roast. Ingredients: beef or pork cut into 1" cubes small whole onions red or green peppers, whole mushrooms, whole cherry tomatoes Directions: Brown the cubed meat in a skillet over high heat for 1/2 minute on each side. Cut the peppers in large chunks, leave the other vegetables whole. Slip the pieces onto a skewer, alternating the ingredients. (Skewer the onions and mushroms through the core, or they might fall off while cooking.) Cook over the open fire for 15-20 minutes till done. Sprinkle with grated cheese and breadcrumbs before serving. Campfire Potatoes This meal pretty much cooks itself - just leave it in the coals! Be sure to count how many potatoes you put in the fire, because the foil becomes covered with ash, and blends in well with the coals. Ingredients: large baking potatoes whole onions, red or yellow dill, parsley, bacon bits Directions: Slice potato almost all the way through, but leave enough to hold it together. Slice the onion, and put one slice in between each potato slice. Sprinkle with bacon bits and a little dill. Wrap well with heavy aluminum foil and bury in the coals of the fire. Leave untouched for about 45 minutes, and test for doneness by piercing with a fork - the fork should lift out without lifting the potato. Cooking time depends on size of potatoes and strength of fire. Serve with pat of butter and a few sprigs of parsley.

I wanted to thank Lavender and Petee for the information on Longwood Gardens. It was an absolutely beautiful place. We went last Friday, it was rainy all morning, but when we arrived the clouds parted and the sun came out. The flowers loved it, and needless to say... so did we. Boz Scaggs (Steve Miller Band) was playing in the open Air Theater in the evening. The lighted fountains at night were like watching liquid fireworks. I wish I would of taken more pictures of the beautiful conservatory and more of the 40 gardens...but my flower photos are all I have to share. If you ever get the chance visit this beautiful place. <div style="width:450px"><embed src="http://apps.rockyou.com/rockyou.swf?instanceid=139706913&ver=102906" quality="high" salign="lt" width="450" height="338" wmode="transparent" name="rockyou" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"/></embed><br>