Meringue Kisses

My chickens have been busy the last few weeks and I've got more eggs than I know what to do with these days! Too many eggs always gets me thinking about meringues. These little meringue kisses make a light and airy cookie. You can add different extracts and flavorings for subtle differences in taste. Add food color to blend them with different events. How about pastels for Easter?

They are quick to make up but do take awhile to cook. You either need to cook them on a low heat for a couple of hours or you can preheat your oven, stick the kisses in, close the door and turn off the oven. Leave them in there overnight and they'll be perfect in the morning!


These were piped but not using a star tip

3 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar

Special Equipment:
Pastry bag
#4 star tip

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat egg whites in clean large metal bowl on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Increase speed to high and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe 12 (1 1/2-inch high by 1 1/2 -inch in diameter) mounds onto each prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Bake for 3 hours, or until dry and crisp. Cool meringues completely on baking sheets. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

I use a star tip because I think it's pretty. You can easily spoon these onto the baking sheets if you don't have a pastry bag.

Alternate flavor possibilities - add the flavoring after stiff peaks form in your egg whites -

cocoa powder
peppermint
Vanilla
Almond extract
Coffee extract
Crème de cacao
Vanilla cognac

Try drizzling melted chocolate or honey over the finished kisses for a very pretty party look.

I've joined the team over at Make It From Scratch! I'll be publishing a weekly food article over there every Wednesday. This week I'm talking about a very versatile sort of frittata.

Come join us at Make It From Scratch for some great recipes and projects. It's going to be fun and I'm honored to be part of it!

Oxo Wire Whisk - A Favorite Thing

I have several "chef-y" whisks in my kitchen toolbox but ever since I acquired this one, I find myself reaching for it again and again. The handle is very comfortable and the length of the whisk seems to be perfect for whatever I'm doing.

I've used it equally successfully for high-use whisking tasks like making mayonnaise and meringues by hand and everyday mixing tasks like making puddings and scrambling eggs. It's light-weight and comfortable. What more could you ask for in a whisk?

In addition to Amazon, Oxo products are available all over the place. I've recently seen them at Target and at the grocery store.

Do you need a new whisk? Grab one of these and give it a try.

I'm using my Saturday slot to share with you some things I really like. These are not going to be solicited reviews and I don't have a giveaway. It's just stuff I like, use and want to tell you about.

Are Hot Flashes Environmentally Friendly?

Right before Christmas I went off hormone replacement therapy. After ten years I decided I’d had enough and I quit. If it weren’t for the hot flashes I’d say everything was going pretty smoothly. Turns out, that’s a pretty big “if”. Unfortunately the hot flashes are getting more and more numerous with each passing week.

I’ve spent most of my life being cold. I know where the spare jackets are in every one of my friend’s houses because I always need to borrow one. I hate being cold and I always am. Well not anymore! Now I’m building big fires and then having to open all the windows. I dress in layers so I can shed and re-dress constantly throughout the evening. Have you been there? You know what I’m talking about.

I have a good girlfriend back in Texas who was forever having evening games parties on her screened-in patio late in the year. She loved it but I was always freezing to death, bundled up in a parka and praying for it to be time to go home. Those evenings were tough for me but now I see why she loved them. I think I’d be out there in a t-shirt these days.

Now my thermostat is set at 64 degrees during the day and 50 at night. That’s two degrees lower than I had it set 3 months ago. Who knew that menopause would turn out to be so environmentally and financially friendly? Hot flashes are no fun but at least I can take comfort in knowing that I’m saving money and reducing my carbon footprint while I suffer through them.

How’s that for finding a silver lining?!

Facebook: A True Benefit

Me and some high school friends in Ocean City, Maryland in the summer of '78

Social media is probably the biggest catchphrase for this first half of the 21st century. Several months ago I wrote about my beginning foray into this new form of communication. At that time I wasn't sure about the benefit but I was willing to give it a try. Twitter has turned out to be beneficial by way of driving traffic to my blog, allowing me to establish relationships with other, bigger bloggers and to form relationships with some of my followers. I enjoy Twitter and I'm glad I chose to be active with it.

There is a lot written about the business benefits of Facebook as well. I was a little ambivalent about that possibility. All of my family is on Facebook and I really saw it more as a way to keep in touch socially than a way to promote business ventures. I approached it with that in mind and I've had a lot of fun with it. In addition to my family, several friends from grade school have found me and it's been great to be in touch with them.

I grew up in Maryland, moved to Texas when I was sixteen and now, thirty one years later, am back in the east. My older sister still lives in Frederick, Maryland, and I've spent the last week visiting her. Thanks to Facebook I've was able to make contact with a couple of old friends who are still in that area. Unfortunately there was a miscommunication with one of my high school friends and we were unable to get together. I'm determined to make that work on my next visit.

One woman who was a very close friend of mine in junior high school found me on Facebook awhile back and we've been communicating. She now lives in eastern Virginia and I met her for lunch on my way to my sister's house. Although neither one of us can remember why, we haven't spoken since she went off to another high school and we lost touch. We started talking the minute she walked into the restaurant and 2 1/2 hours later we were still talking and laughing and wishing we had more time. I had to get to my sister's and was worrying about commuter traffic so we said goodbye. Now we're making plans to meet for a weekend somewhere after I get settled in Tennessee. Another high school friend has settled in Georgia and we're planning to meet for lunch when I'm there in April.

I waste a lot of time on Facebook and yes, I play all those silly games and need to get that under control. Had I gone into it differently it may be that Facebook would also have helped develop more traffic for my blog but I went into it socially and it has paid me back manyfold. I've rediscovered lost friends and made some new ones and that, to me, is a true benefit of Facebook.

Hillwood Estates

I'm still on vacation in Frederick, Maryland. My sister and I went downtown to see one of the Marjorie Merriweather Post estates, Hillwood, the other day. It is a beautiful estate with some incredible collections to enjoy. Ms. Post was an inveterate collector of Russian art and Sevres porcelain as well as all things beautiful that caught her fancy. The gardens, which are extensive, were mostly covered by snow and ice. Luckily the orchids were blooming in the greenhouses and I thought I'd share some of them with you while you await my return (cue the elevator music). If you're ever in the Washington, DC area, I'd highly recommend a visit to Hillwood.

Aren't they beautiful?

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

I usually think of salads as being spring and summer dishes but this hearty pasta and roasted vegetable salad is a perfect complement to roasted meats or as a standalone meal.



1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:

4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pine nuts, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Kindle - Favorite Thing

I consider myself a bit of a gadget person and when the Kindle first came out, I wanted one. At the time I realized that it would be a frivolous expense. The Kindle itself was expensive plus you have to buy the books. In the name of frugality I was primarily getting my books from the library or paying fifty cents for paperbacks from the library bookstore so buying them from Amazon seemed a step in the wrong direction. Even when one of my girlfriends got one and loved it, I held off.

Enter my big adventure. I sold most of my books when I moved to the farm but a few boxes of books remained. A few weeks ago I was sitting in my living room looking at the bookshelf and thinking about boxing those books up again and this time, putting them in storage.

Since I've been on the farm I've been getting all my books at the library. When I first went to the library here I had a tough time getting a library card. Evidently a library card can be the first step in creating a false identity and, since 9/11 it's become a little tougher to get one. I realized that with my relatively short stay and no utilities in my name at my next stop, it might be impossible to get one there.

The Kindle started making a lot more sense and I decided to get one. I've had it about two weeks now and I love it. It's light-weight, comfortable to hold and has simple, easy to use controls. The display is easy to read with no eye strain. I also ordered a purple leather case and a booklight. The only complaint that I have about the Kindle is it's lack of backlighting, which necessitates the booklight. The explanation behind that has something to do with the paper and ink display. I don't really understand it because the eReader I have on my iPhone has a backlight and it looks really good too.

In searching for an answer to this dilemma I came across some Kindle forums and discovered this is a fairly controversial subject. One person responded to a poster not understanding about the lack of backlighting by replying that books don't have backlights and that, "only community college dropouts would want one"! Who knew? In spite of the fact that paper books are not backlit and that I'm a university graduate, I still would like one. Having said that, the booklight works very well.


(I put this magazine in the picture for scale.)

Amazon made a deal with Sprint and offers free Whispernet service to download books and run its rudimentary browser. As a result, the Kindle's wireless capability operates the way a cell phone does. If you don't have cell phone service in your location you won't be able to download books directly to the device. You do have the option of downloading books to your computer and then transferring them to the Kindle. I have no cell phone service here at my house and so far, order my books and then take my Kindle with me when I go to town. I turn it on and the books download while I run my errands. I believe my girlfriend back home in Texas downloads to her computer and manually transfers over to her Kindle. Either way it's a pretty easy maneuver. Once a book is downloaded or transferred to your Kindle it remains on the device and you don't need cell service in order to read it.



Until recently the most expensive Kindle books available were $9.99 and with a few exceptions that still is the top price. What a lot of people don't realize is that there are thousands of books that are free or just a few dollars. In addition to a lot of classics like Jane Austen and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle many contemporary books are also free. First books in a series and new authors are frequently offered for free in an effort to familiarize readers with their work in the hope they will come back and buy future offerings.

You can also subscribe to many newspapers and magazines on the Kindle. I have a friend whose family members purchased one for her 90-year old father-in-law and he gets the Wall Street Journal delivered to it every day. She reports that he enjoys it immensely. The Kindle does not have a color display so I'm not sure how well certain magazines would come across.



The Kindle I have has a voice option that allows the device to read to you. While the voice is definitely computer-like, it is easily understandable. You can choose to have the voice sound male or female and can control the speed at which it speaks. It will start reading on the page you have displayed, stop when you switch it off and then pick up on a completely different displayed page. In this way you can read for awhile, switch to voice, read a few more pages and switch back to voice without missing a word. I can imagine using that feature if you were in the middle of reading your book and then had to run out. You could listen to your book while you were driving and then start reading again when you stopped. I have to admit I haven't done that yet.

Amazon also has a deal with Audible.com that allows you to download your Audible.com audio books directly to the Kindle over the Whispernet service and play them from there. I have an Audible.com membership and, although I normally listen to audio books on my iPhone, I can imagine using this feature. The audio books sound just like you would expect them too, no computer voice.

There is a Kindle app for the iPhone and iPod Touch (and now for the Blackberry as well) that will synch books between that device and your Kindle. So, as long as you have cell service at your house, you could be reading your Kindle at home and then go to town, pull up your iPhone Kindle app and have your book be at the place you left it. I haven't tried that feature yet but again, am sure I will once I get back to cell phone land.

The Kindle also acts as a rudimentary mp3 player. I'm not too interested in that so I haven't tried it out but from what I've read, you can store music on it but not pick and choose what you want to play. You just start the music and it plays whatever you have on there in whatever order. Reading with music playing in the background is not something I do so I'll be surprised if I avail myself of that option.

So far I have purchased 11 books, classic and contemporary, and spent a total of $55.94. You can easily get a lot more for a lot less, depending upon what you chose. The Kindle cost me $259, the leather case and book light were $74.98. Many less expensive options are available. While not inexpensive, I don't regret buying the Kindle at this point in my life. The only downside is that it's so easy to buy a book. More than once I've seen someone's book recommendation on a blog or on Twitter and instantly gone to Amazon and bought it. I've got to get that under control!

I've seen several deals on the Kindle and if you're considering buying one, you might be on the look out. There's a deal going right now where if you buy a year's subscription to Audible.com you can save $100 on the Kindle. I've also seen some credit card tie-ins that offer Kindle discounts. Keep your eyes open and you may well be able to get a better deal than I did.

Happy reading!

I'm using my Saturday slot to share with you some things I really like. These are not going to be solicited reviews and I don't have a giveaway. It's just stuff I like, use and want to tell you about.

Link Love 2.18.2010

I'm on vacation this week so posting may be a little sporadic! Getting ready to go meant I didn't get too much reading done but here are a couple of things I found interesting around the web this week:

Have a thirst for knowledge? Check out Academic Earth for free online video courses on a whole range of subjects from Berkley, Yale, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, UCLA, NYU, MIT and Michigan. How cool is that? Don't have time to sit down and watch a video? Try iTunesU to download lessons to your iPod or listen on your computer. Just download iTunes to your computer and click on iTunesU to check out their extensive offerings.

Big Little Wolf is asking men what they really think about women. The best part was reading the comments she received.

My friend Funny About Money is thinking about a re-do. She's talking about shaping up her wardrobe, her makeup and her clothes. She feels like she's stuck in a rut. I really can relate. Even with the big change in my life, I could still use a shake-up!

7 Ways to Spoil Yourself on a Budget

This is a guest post by Raine Parker, who writes on the topic of online accounting degrees . She welcomes your comments at raine.parker6@gmail.com.

If you would like to submit a guest post for SimplyForties please check the guidelines here.

Cheap vodka, DIY haircuts and thrift store shopping were veritable treats in college, but in your forties, your standards have leveled out a bit. Just because your bank account and your tastes have improved since your early 20s, doesn't mean you've got the money to indulge whenever you want. With mortgage payments, grown (but still partially dependent) kids, and saving for retirement, you've still got to budget every month. Here are 7 simple ways to spoil yourself without sabotaging your savings or your future.

1. Sleep in: Sleeping in costs nothing if you do it on a weekend. And while it sounds like a given, sleeping late on a Saturday isn't always possible when you have chores, errands and meetings to attend. The next time you have a busy Saturday planned, opt out of one or two commitments for the sake of getting some extra sleep.

2. Take care of what you've got: A $100+ hair cut would certainly do wonders for your overall look, but a quality hair treatment mask will also keep your hair looking shiny, healthy and young. You can buy or make your own to keep you feeling and looking fresh in between professional appointments.

3. Try out an exercise class: A monthly gym membership can be expensive, but many dance and yoga studios offer one-class prices. When you're tired of your running or workout DVD routine, make some room in your budget for a single class that will freshen up your ritual and introduce you to new people.

4. Buy a decent bottle of wine: Decent bottles of wine don't actually cost that much. Mike Steinberger from Slate lists his favorites that are just $15 and under. Invite a friend or date over for a glass or two instead of going out. You'll save double to triple the amount but still get to taste something good.

5. Share good news: Women often shrug off their own accomplishments but praise other's good fortune or notable deeds. The next time you receive an award, a raise, or just a compliment, share the good news with a friend to really celebrate.

6. Take a weekday off, just because: If your boss is strict, you can offer to come in on a Saturday to make up the time. Taking a weekday off to go to a movie, sleep in, or just watch TV when everyone else is at the office feels super indulgent.

7. Turn down an invitation: If you lead a busy life and are always headed to events, parties, drink dates and dinners because you have to, pick one invitation every once in a while to turn down. Think of it like playing hooky from school: you can go home and veg or do something that you'd rather do.

Festival of Frugality #217 - Snowpocalypse Edition

(This stunning photograph was taken by my niece after a freak snowstorm in Dallas.)

Valentine's Day might seem the obvious theme for this week's Festival of Frugality, or the Olympics, but here in Virginia, and even more so in Maryland, all we can think about is the snow. These pictures, with one exception, were taken by my sister in Frederick, Maryland, who got a staggering 51" of snow last week! If you are mired in snow like I am, distract yourself from what's going on (or coming down!) outside by reading some of these articles and figuring out how to incorporate these blogger's advice for living a more frugal life.



Valentine's Day is over for this year but maybe Money Strands' 10 Ways to Celebrate Valentines Day on a Budget will give you some good ideas for next year.

Groceries going to waste is a huge money suck. Nature Mom's Blog has 8 Ways to Cut Down on Food Waste. Every little bit helps!

Need to redecorate but have no budget for it? Interior Design Info has a list of 5 tips that will help you Redecorate for Free.

Chasing Prosperity is helping us save money on clothes by sharing How to Extend the Life of Your Clothes. I wash and dry everything on the delicate cycle.

While my list of favorite frugal things wouldn't bear much resemblance to the list compiled by You Have More Than You Think, her Top Ten Most Favorite Frugal Things may give you some ideas!



If you're looking for ways cut every penny, Frugal For Life's guest poster recommends wetshaving. It's cheaper and kind of neat! Just be careful you don't become a collector of the paraphernalia.

Before you buy something new, A Gai Shan Life suggests taking a look at what you already have and considering whether or not anything can be re-purposed to fill your need. That's an excellent economic and environmental tip!

Money Help for Christians wants us to remember that the 1040EZ can be filed online for free if you make less than $57,000 a year. That's a good tip for all of us!

If you don't mind asking your friends and family to combine their gift giving impulses and go in on one big gift for you, Foreigner's Finances thinks it's a great way to save some money. Batch Presents for Savings on Big Ticket Items explains the process. Step one I guess would be finding enough people interested in buying you a gift!

Planning a wedding on a budget can actually be more fun and more creative than going all out. Christian PF has some great ideas!



As the cost of movies continues to climb, Free From Broke gives us 4 Ways to Enjoy the Movie Theatre Experience for Less.

AccountingDegree.com has compiled a herculean link list of 100 Important Personal Finance Posts for Women. That's a long list! A lot of these links are good reads for everyone.

Following the Dave Ramsey plan, Trees Full of Money paid off an impressive $90,415 of debt and is sharing his story.

Did you blow the budget on Valentine's Day this year? Maybe you can use some of Canadian Finance Blog's 10 Ways to Save Money on Valentines Day and do a better job next year!

My one foray into Craigslist was successful so I'm glad to see Buck$ome Boomer's Journey to Retirement suggesting that we shop on Craiglist to save some money.



It's tax time and Four Pillars has some income tax deductions that will save us some money in 2010. Thanks!

If you're trying to save money but still want to get out and about, Bank of America is offering free admission to participating museums for it's cardholders during the first full weekend of every month. Thanks BankShout for tipping us to this valuable promotion.

Single Guy Money allots money for the month, instead of for individual items. His monthly budget review shows how he does it.

What do you waste your money on? Studenomics shares his money wasters.

WenchyPoo is talking about less expensive protein sources to use when cooking and baking



I've been seeing this question a lot lately and I'm not sure why. Credit Card Offers IQ asks, "What Should You Pay First, Your Credit Card or Your Mortgage?"

Some people use pre-paid credit cards as a useful budgetary tool. Prepaid Cards 123 answers the question, "Is Money Deposited on a Pre-Paid Credit Card Safe?".

Although the title of Eliminate the Muda's post is "Money & Time, How Others Waste it", I don't know who those others are. I think it's us!



In a controversial article, Dough Roller investigates using your credit card as your emergency fund. None of his commenters thought it was a good idea.

The Sun's Financial Diary advises us to become master of our financial domain! Additionally, Sun has a post on finding money where there is none.

Always good advice, $uburban Dollar suggests that, when the price is right, buy generic. That's good advice!

Gather Little By Little is wondering whether a cash infusion really would help some of us, asking, "If you can't handle $5, why should I give you $10?".

That's it! I hope you found some good tips. If one of your articles appears here, don't forget to link back to the festival. Also, please help advertise the festival on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon; whatever social media venue you frequent. Traffic to the carnival helps all of us!

Next week's carnival will be hosted by Think Your Way to Wealth. You can submit your article here - http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_162.html

The DIYer's Dilemma

Kelly Whalen, known on Twitter as @CentsibleLife, is a staff writer for Consumerism Commentary who recently wrote an article on outsourcing to save time and money. She’s telling us that it’s okay not to do it all ourselves and that in fact there are certain times when it’s a better use of our time and money to hire someone else to do some of our tasks.

As a serious DIYer this advice struck a chord with me. I find it almost impossible to hire someone to do something that I can do myself. As a result, there are a lot of things that don’t get done in my life. In fact, I frequently don’t even know how to go about finding someone to call. I ask myself how my less handy friends deal with their little Mr. Fixit issues.

I’m also an accomplished seamstress, which sometimes is a help and other times is a hindrance. I go shopping for clothes and, knowing I can make better quality garments for less money, I have a hard time buying what I see. The downside is that I don’t make the clothes either. Do you see a pattern developing here?

When I got ready to sell my house I had an unfinished electrical/drywall project that had been hanging over my head for at least two years. I had to get it finished before I could show my house but I realized that I would not have time to do it myself. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the first idea how to go about hiring someone else to do it. I asked a couple of builders I know but the job was too small for them and they were unable to give me any recommendations. I finally mentioned it to my tenant who just happened to know a young man who was trying to start a business doing smaller construction-type jobs. I gave up on the electrical project I had in mind and hired him to do the sheetrock. It took him two days and cost me $150 and the job was finished. I felt like an idiot for having let it go so long when that was all it took.

I think people who are used to doing everything for themselves never learn how to hire someone else to do things for them. People laugh when I say this but it’s true. Especially in small towns, you can’t just pick up the phonebook and call someone to do handyman work. Plumbers and electricians are one thing but, if you have no DIY skills, how do you find someone to fix your broken fence or patch a hole in your wall? I know how to do those things myself. I don’t know how to hire someone else to do them.

I’m willing to take Kelly’s advice and start outsourcing some of the things on my to-do list but first, I’ve got to figure out how!

Have you ever started a job and ended up hiring someone else to finish it?

Bittersweet Chocolate Cloud Cake

Whether you are spending Valentine's Day having a romantic dinner at home with your significant other, or like me, just really appreciate a good chocolate dessert, give this Tish Boyle recipe a try. It's a lot easier than it looks.



1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3/4 cup freshly brewed coffee
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (62 percent) finely chopped
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brandy
3 large eggs, separated plus 3 egg whites
1/3 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Chocolate Glaze, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position rack in the center.

Pour 1/2 -inch water into a large roasting pan and place in oven. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, cut to fit. Butter the paper. Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Put 1 cup of sugar and the coffee in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Remove from the heat add the chocolate and return to low heat. Keep stirring over heat until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Add brandy. Whisk in the egg yolks until no trace of yolk is left. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Whisk the flour into the chocolate mixture.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 6 egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat on high until peaks are almost stiff.

Stir about 1/4 of the egg whites into chocolate mixture (no need to fold at this point). Then gently fold in the remaining whites, 1/3 at a time, until no streaks of white remain. Pour into pan and smooth top. Bake in water bath for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Place cake on wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Remove sides of pan and carefully invert cake onto cardboard cake round or flat plate. Chill for at least 2 hours before glazing.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, covering it completely; spread evenly with a metal spatula. Serve the cake immediately or refrigerate. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate glaze:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey

Put chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil. Whisk in the honey. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

This cake is so rich that it will easily serve 12. It's so rich that I don't use the glaze, I just dust the top with powdered sugar.

Nutrish: Rachel Ray's dog food - Favorite Thing

The left behind pug is allergic to just about everything. My vet calls him the most allergic dog she's ever seen. For years I've been making my own dog food so that I can control what he's eating. He also has a prescription for Science Diet D/D for when I need the convenience of a dry food.

Prescription dog foods are expensive so I'm always scanning the ingredient lists of new dog foods I see on the grocery store shelves. A few months ago I discovered Rachael Ray's Nutrish Dry Dog Food. I'm not a huge fan of celebrity endorsed products in general so I was pretty sceptical.

I checked the ingredient list of her dog food and it sounded promising so I bought some. I can always tell within a couple of days if the pug eats something to which he is allergic. He had no bad reaction whatsoever to Nutrish. This was great news.

Nutrish runs about $15.00 for a 14 pound bag in Food Lion. That's less than half the price I was paying for the Science Diet. It's working so well that I have given up making my own dog food, which is a huge time saver for me.

Even if your dog does not suffer from allergies, it may be that Rachel is leaving out ingredients that our dogs don't need anyway. I'm no vet, that's for sure, but I am grateful for an off-the-shelf product that my dog is doing well on.

I think you can get a free sample of Nutrish by going to Rachel Ray's website, which also states that a portion of her proceeds from sales of Nutrish go towards supporting animal rescue.

I decided to use my Saturday slot to share with you some things I really like. These are not going to be solicited reviews and I don't have a giveaway. It's just stuff I like, use and want to tell you about.

Charity: The not so rewarding part of giving

You read a story and it touches your heart. You want to help. You get out your checkbook and give what you can. Even though you can’t really afford it, you squeeze that extra bit out of your budget and you donate. You feel really good about yourself. You should. You helped.

You feel good until the emails start, and the letters and the phone calls. The charity to which you sent your check, in an effort to get a little more money for their deserving cause, sold your name and your address to other charities. Your name is now on a list of people who are willing to give and there are a lot of groups who are willing to pay to have that information. You are now a commodity.

The charity to which you gave isn’t done with you either. It doesn’t matter how much you sent them, it’s never enough and it’s never going to be enough. They need more. Even though they promised that every little bit helps, now that they know you share their concern for their cause, that little bit you scraped together isn’t going to cut it.

Suddenly you don’t feel so good anymore. Now you feel like the sacrifice you made in order to have enough extra to give to a cause didn’t really matter. Their need, everyone’s need, is so huge, so monumental that the charities which minister to their needs can’t afford to overlook any potential sources of income. Is it possible though, that they are shooting themselves in the foot by selling their donor lists? Is it possible that by constantly haranguing their current donors they lose more than they gain?

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a charitable person. I give to several charities regularly and I give randomly, when something catches my attention. I also volunteer my time. I give absolutely all that I have to give. Unfortunately, not a day goes by that I do not receive phone calls, letters and emails from organizations with their hand out. It’s starting to make me feel that my efforts are futile. I’m a nice person but now I’m hanging up on fundraisers, because reasoning with them doesn’t help. I’m starting to hesitate to give to causes in which I believe because I’m worrying about further solicitations.

I believe in giving. I believe that we all have to help each other. I believe that whatever we give we get back tenfold. I’m not going to stop giving but I am looking for answers. I’m going to start inquiring about whether or not the charities to which I give sell their lists. I’m going to prepare a letter to send out to charities to which I have contributed that weekly solicit additional monies from me. I’m going to let them know that they are making me feel insignificant.

I don’t know what else to do. Do you? Have you had any success continuing to give but stopping the tide of charitable solicitations? I’d love to know how you did it.

Link Love 2.11.2010

Since I've been snowed in for what seems like 10,000 years I've had plenty of time to read this week. Here's what caught my eye around the web:

I've joked about this before. Time Goes By is comparing going into a nursing home with retiring on a cruise line. Guess which is cheaper and offers better service? If I haven't said it enough, let me say it again, Time Goes By is an excellent place to find information on a whole array of topics mostly, but not exclusively related to what it's like to get older. If you're a mid-lifer like me, or a "senior" you should be reading this blog!

One of my new favorite blogs, Big Little Wolf's Daily Plate of Crazy was having a tough day last week. It's making her wonder where all her parenting back pay is. If she finds it, I hope she'll let the rest of us know where!

Green Panda Treehouse has a list of money management apps for the iPhone or iPod Touch. I'm going to try Shop Savvy.

Mighty Bargain Hunter published a guest post with some very interesting tips on how to get a little more from Google searches.

I want to give a nod to Souffle Bombay for the really spectacular recipes on her site. I'm not linking to a specific post because you need to scroll down and enjoy them all! Oh my goodness, this girl can cook!

A sweet post by my sweet niece over at Delight In Life. She's getting married in 100 days! We're all searching for that perfect angle of repose.

and finally, Women At Forty with some good thoughts on growing up. She's not talking about teenagers, she's talking about us! Act Your Age Not Your Shoe Size; It's Okay to Grow Up.

Random Stuff -

I loved this comment, which I recently read in response to an article on etiquette - "If you use the correct fork, but are rude to the wait staff, you missed the point of good manners." - that says it all, doesn't it?!

O the other hand, I was kind of disturbed by Leo Babuta's recent post Zen Habits Frequently Asked Questions. As most people know, Leo's blog, Zen Habits is one of the blogging world's phenomenons. His success is what most of the blogging world wishes they could emulate. I've been a follower for quite a while and have enjoyed reading what Leo has to say. Although I mostly understand that with his success, Leo is pretty busy these days, the "I'm glad you're interested in me but frankly, I'm too busy to be interested in you", vibe of most of the FAQs really bothered me. I haven't unsubscribed from his blog yet but it has definitely colored the way I now approach what he has to say.

Speaking of time to read, I got a tip on Twitter from @BatteryHillLive about a book she'd just finished. It was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Having just received my Kindle, I whipped right over to Amazon and purchased it. It's fantastic and I highly recommend it.

Disney on a Budget?

Disney ran a series of commercials recently advertising that a family of four could take a Disney vacation for $1600. The Fine Living Channel has a program called What You Get For The Money, Vacations and they took a look at Disney using the $1600 figure as a budget. I was planning to join my sister and her family on a Disney vacation last summer but, because of the tumult in my life at that time, I had to cancel. I’m still interested in going to Disney so I watched the program.

They followed three families, each with a different makeup and different interests and each with a $1600 budget. It was pretty interesting.

The first family was a traditional one with two parents and 2 princess-loving young girls, ages 5 and 6. The second family consisted of a mother with three sons, ages 9, 14 and 17. These boys were looking for big thrills and excitement. The final vacationers were a pair of retirees who were interested in relaxing.

The family with the little girls stayed at one of Disney’s value-priced All Star Resort hotels. Their package consisted of 4 nights and 5 days with a “Magic Your Way” dinning package, which offers one table-service meal, one quick-service meal and one snack per person, per night. They also purchased one-park-a-day tickets, meaning they could only visit a single park on any given day of their stay.

The family with the teenage boys also stayed at an All Star Resort hotel but took the “Park Hopper” pass, which allowed them to move from park to park in a single day. They also added the water park option so they could enjoy Disney’s numerous water parks. This family was mostly interested in action rides and, with the addition of the Park Hopper and water park options, their stay only extended for 3 nights and 4 days.

The empty-nesters, having been to Disney with their children, came back to relax and enjoy Disney’s nicer restaurants, golf courses and spas on their own. They booked into the Animal Kingdom Lodge, a deluxe property, for 2 nights and 3 days. Their package included the dining and wine option, a round of golf for two and a couple’s massage. Most of their Disney park time was spent at Epcot.

Not surprisingly, the choices you make greatly affect how far your money will stretch. I decided to ask my sister, who along with her husband and two pre-teen boys made the trip last September without me, how much their package cost and what they got.

They signed up for one of Disney’s free-dining promotions, which have been offered the last few years as a way to pump up visitors during the historically slow period of mid-August through September. Free dining includes one sit-down meal, one counter service meal and one snack per person per hotel night booked. They stayed at an All-Star Resort and for $1730 were able to stay for 8 nights. They chose the single park per day ticket option with no water parks included.

It’s important to note that pre-paid dining plans do not include tips, which are based on what the cost of the meal would have been had you been paying at the restaurant and can be high depending upon where you choose to eat.

Although spending $1600 on a weekend for two seems like a lot, clearly, what you get for the money can vary widely. In any event it looks like you really can take your family to Disney for $1600. Relatively speaking, that’s a pretty good deal! Taking advantage of one of Disney’s promotions, like free dining, can stretch your dollars even farther.

Anyone planning a Disney getaway this year?

Turkey Snow Day

The birds are bored and getting into trouble!



They're as ready as I am for the snow to melt so they can get back to digging and scratching and other bird jobs.

Vegetarianism: I’m considering it

People become vegetarians for several reasons. I’m sure there are more but the ones with which I am most familiar are as follows:

1. In protest to the cruel way that many production meat animals are raised

I know people who believe that every meat animal is raised in a cruel way. In protest of that practice they refuse to eat any meat at all. I know people who acknowledge the disturbing conditions under which many production animals are raised and only eat the meat of animals that they know were raised humanely and the meat of non-domesticated animals like wild caught deer or quail.

2. In response to the growing amount of data that links numerous health concerns with excessive consumption of animal proteins

In 2006 T. Colin and Thomas Campbell wrote The China Study, The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted. We Americans face a growing number of health problems; obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease to name just a few. The Campbells undertook a wide-ranging study to try and determine what was going on and what could be done about it. One of their primary conclusions was that many of our health issues can be tied to excessive consumption of animal proteins. Their study received a lot of attention and many people became not just vegetarians but vegans as a result.

3. As part of adopting a more conscious lifestyle

While not every person who is trying to adopt a more conscious lifestyle becomes a vegetarian, there are many who believe it is a natural conclusion. Elizabeth Lesser, cofounder and senior advisor at The Omega Institute, when pressed explained it thusly: If you are living a more conscious lifestyle, which includes consideration for every impact you make on the world around you, how can you kill something to support your own life?


I Googled “reasons to become a vegetarian” to make sure I wasn’t forgetting any obvious ones. The first three returns were 21 (or 30 or 50) reasons to become a vegetarian. I scanned the lists and all their reasons seemed to be restatements of the above three.

I first started toying with the idea of vegetarianism after hearing about The China Study. Although I didn’t consider going all the way and becoming a vegan, I started to think a little more about how much animal protein I consume. It’s easy to think about the big steak you had for dinner but if you add in the bacon for breakfast plus the eggs and the butter on your toast as well as the lunch meat and cheese in your noonday sandwich, a lot of us are consuming animal proteins with every meal. I decided to start considering the presence of animal proteins in whatever I ate and cutting out the easy ones. I love vegetables and grains and frequently don’t have meat for dinner anyway. Slowly but surely I became what I refer to as a “near-vegetarian”.

I happened to hear the interview in which Elizabeth Lesser explained why she was a vegan. I want to stress that she wasn’t proselytizing and only addressed the issue when pressed by her host to explain her choice. When she did answer, she did so very simply, with no elaboration and then changed the subject. Her simple statement about killing something else to support your own life, when that is not necessary, really resonated with me. The more I thought about it the more I connected with some of what she was saying. Ms. Lesser doesn’t eat eggs or dairy for the same reason and she kind of lost me there. My backyard chickens certainly don’t bond with their eggs and will even eat them on occasion. She seemed to be saying that it was not part of the natural order of things to be collecting eggs and milk. Obviously we each have to make our own decisions about how far we’re going to go if we start down the vegetarian road.

I’m almost there and have been considering taking that final step, primarily for the conscious living reason. Like the No-Phone Zone Pledge, which I’ve now taken, once something like that gets into my head, I have a hard time getting it out. The main issue I suspect I’ll face is eating at someone else’s house, without making a big deal out of it. I imagine I’ll continue to eat small amounts of meat in that situation. I don’t see myself becoming vegan but I suspect the occasional (once I move away from the farm) egg, slice of cheese or pat of butter will soon become the only animal protein I consume.

Are you a vegetarian or a vegan? Why did you make the choice? I’d love to hear about some of the struggles you have faced.

Operation Nicaragua, A Plea for Help

My younger sister and her son, along with a group from their church are heading down to Nicaragua on April 4th to join Operation Nicaragua for a week of helping. They will be participating in several building projects, home visits and ministering to a group of people, most of them children, who make their homes in a huge landfill, where they scavenge for food, clothing, shelter and things to sell.

Operation Nicaragua feeds over 19,000 children every day. They also provide school uniforms, books, backpacks and medical care. These people do good work.

My sister and her son are raising funds in support of their mission. I'm really proud of them and I'm hoping some of you may be willing and able to help. They need to raise $850 each in order to fulfill their goal.

If you are willing to make a contribution, please send it to Southern Hills Christian Church, 1103 North Highway 113, Carrollton, GA 30117. Please make your check out to Southern Hills Christian Church with a note that it is for Erika and Ian Cornicelli. Any donation you make will of course be tax deductible.

Thank you in advance for any help you are able to provide. I know times are tough and my sister wanted me to be sure and say that they are also looking for your prayers of encouragement.

Thanks everybody!

No Cheese, Vegetable Quiche

The recipe appears in the Make If From Scratch Carnival!


(I'm clearly not a food stylist but I hope you can see how good this quiche looks anyway!)

I've never made a cheese-less quiche before so when I was faced with leftover pie crust dough, lots of eggs and vegetables but no cheese and too much snow on the ground to go get some, I was a little concerned. I figured I'd give it a go, without the cheese and see how it turned out. It was delicious! The texture was much lighter and fluffier and the flavor not nearly as rich as a standard quiche. I much preferred this no cheese variety. I have to assume the lack of cheese makes it healthier too! You can throw almost anything in a quiche so if you don't have these vegetables, use what you do have! Also, don't feel constrained by the amounts of vegetables. You're trying to fill up the pie shell; the exact amount of each are not important.

1 pie crust (store-bought or make your own)
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 crown of broccoli, broken into florets, cutting the large ones
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 crushed, dried red pepper or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup milk
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Some people advocate pre-baking the crust and some don't. I like to pre-bake my crust as I feel it makes the crust flakier. If you want to pre-bake, put the crust in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Put a pot of water on to boil for blanching the broccoli. Prepare a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking when the broccoli is done. When the water comes to a boil, add the broccoli, blanche until the broccoli is bright green - about 3 minutes, remove the broccoli from the boiling water and plunge in the ice water to stop the cooking. Remove from the iced water and set aside on paper towels to drain.

Saute' diced onion, dried red pepper, salt and pepper until the onion is translucent, add garlic, saute' until fragrant - about 1 minute. Add bell pepper, saute' until starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes, add mushrooms, saute' until the mushrooms give up their liquid and it is mostly cooked off. Remove the vegetables from the heat.

Combine the eggs and milk and set aside.

Layer the vegetables into the pie crust, filling the crust evenly. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the vegetable filled pie crust. I topped my quiche with leaf cut-outs made from the leftover dough. If you decide to decorate your quiche in this manner, brush the dough leaves with egg white to help them brown.

Bake for 30 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Check the quiche carefully. The quiche will be done with the egg custard is set and no longer shakes when you jiggle the quiche. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Let me know what you think about the no-cheese quiche!

Winter Visitors

This little red morph screech owl has taken up residence in a tree just outside my front door. I can see him out the window while I'm sitting on the couch. I'm so happy he chose this tree to nest in. It makes me smile just to see him!



I saw this little guy on my last walk in the woods. Raccoons and poultry don't mix so I hope he chooses to stay in the woods! Even though he could cause me some problems, I think he's cute too!



Although I'm struggling with the mountains of snow and ice that have piled up around here this weekend, these little guys remind me that there's always something to smile about!

Pie Crust Leaf Cutters - Favorite Thing

One of my girlfriends gave these cute little pie crust cutters to everyone in our bookclub. I love them. They are easy to use and the cut-outs look really professional. I have used them in the traditional manner, cutting pie dough and using the cut-outs to decorate the top of a single crust pie. I have also used them to cut out leaf shaped steam holes in the top crust of a double crust pie. That makes a neat look.

I have used the cutters with thin-rolled, colored sugar cookie dough to make fantastic little tea cookies for an autumn brunch. Get two sets and use one for arts & crafts.

I think my friend purchased these at Williams Sonoma.

National Wear Red Day

Are you wearing red today? You should be. Today is National Wear Red Day. We're wearing red today to call attention to heart disease in women. Did you know that while one in every thirty women in the United States dies of breast cancer, a terrible statistic, one in every four dies of heart disease? That's really shocking.

An astonishing 80 percent of women ages 40 to 60 have one or more risk factors for heart disease. Having more than one risk factor dramatically increases a woman’s chance of developing heart disease.

Risk factors are conditions or habits that make a person more likely to develop a disease. They can also increase the chance that an existing disease will get worse. Important risk factors for heart disease are:

* High blood pressure
* High cholesterol
* Diabetes
* Smoking
* Being overweight
* Being physically inactive
* Having a family history of early heart disease
* Age (55 or older for women)

Some risk factors, such as age and family history of early heart disease, can't be changed. For women, age becomes a risk factor at 55. After menopause, women are more apt to get heart disease, in part because their body's production of estrogen drops. Women who have gone through early menopause, either naturally or because they have had a hysterectomy, are twice as likely to develop heart disease as women of the same age who have not yet gone through menopause. Another reason for the increasing risk is that middle age is a time when women tend to develop risk factors for heart disease. If your father or brother had a heart attack before age 55, or if your mother or sister had one before age 65, you are more likely to get heart disease yourself.

While certain risk factors cannot be changed, it is important to realize that you do have control over many others. Regardless of your age, background, or health status, you can lower your risk of heart disease-and it doesn't have to be complicated. Protecting your heart can be as simple as taking a brisk walk, whipping up a good vegetable soup, or getting the support you need to maintain a healthy weight.

First go see your doctor armed with these questions from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute:

What is my risk for heart disease?
What is my blood pressure? What does it mean for me, and what do I need to do about it?
What are my cholesterol numbers? (These include total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood and food.) What do they mean for me, and what do I need to do about them?
What are my “body mass index” and waist measurement? Do they mean that I need to lose weight for my health?
What is my blood sugar level, and does it mean I’m at risk for diabetes? If so, what do I need to do about it?
What other screening tests for heart disease do I need?
What can you do to help me quit smoking?
How much physical activity do I need to help protect my heart?
What is a heart healthy eating plan for me?
How can I tell if I may be having a heart attack? If I think I’m having one, what should I do?

Are you ready to make some changes in your life to ensure you are not a victim of heart disease? Are you willing to share the message? Are you wearing red today? If not, go back inside and change!

Link Love 2.4.2010

I have to admit I didn't do much reading on the Internet this week but I did manage to see a few interesting things.

This week I enjoyed reading about collecting maple syrup on The Unusually Unusual Farmchick. That's something I know nothing about!

Women at 40 is shopping with a purpose. She's set herself a goal to eat only healthy whole foods throughout the month of February on a budget of $25 a week. I'm going to be following to see if she can do it. I may have to take up that challenge myself!

and another great Women at 40 post More Things It's Taken Us 40 Years to Learn.

I saw this on my Twitter stream and loved it -

In answer to a question about the best birthday cake for a young child's birthday, @thepioneerwoman responded - "Make a chocolate sheet cake, then have dishes of M & M's, gummy worms, etc. and let them decorate it and have fun!" - what a great idea!

Tomorrow, February 5th is National Wear Red Day. National Wear Red Day is an effort to promote awareness of women's heart disease and heart health. The intention is to remind people that "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear- It's the #1 Killer of Women®." I probably won't be leaving my house Friday since yet another huge snowstorm is supposed to be heading my way but, if I do, I'll be wearing red. Will you?

Female2Female Little Meme

I've never done one of these before but I like where I found it; Big Little Wolf's Daily Plate of Crazy who got it from It's All About Balance. So okay, I'm in. If you want to do it, copy the bold text and finish the sentence with whatever strikes you first. Go ahead, give it a whirl! Link up over at Female2Female.

If I could run away to some tropical beach location I would do it!

In my kitchen cupboard there is not nearly enough room for everything I have stuffed in there.

On my desk is a clean, pristine space. It's like that because I have an idea that I love a little office but in reality I work on my couch in my living room, in front of the TV.

Image in my head a beachy paradise.

In the middle of my to do list is a task that has been there for weeks.

I am dreading the future, but I'm excited too.

Right now I want to run away from the 15-30" of snow that's heading right for me.

I think life keeps getting better.

Going to try and get all my work done before I leave here.

Winter Blooms

This month's Stadler Nursery post is all about bringing some color to the dreary days of February.

So here we are in February, probably the most dreaded month in a gardener’s calendar. It’s been so long since we’ve seen green leaves and bright flowers and, for most of us, it will be a long time before we see them again. The days are short, gray and cold. To make matters worse, the mail order plant companies are filling our mailboxes with catalogs showing all the exciting new offerings for the coming season.

It doesn’t have to be this way! With careful planning, we can shorten the length of time between the last colors of fall and the first color of the new year by planting winter bloomers. Many plants thrive in the cold winter weather and put on their best show long before any of the summer bloomers have even begun to put up their first tender shoots.

There are so many choices. Check with your local garden center for those that will do best in your area. Here are a few of my favorites.



Hellebores (Helleborus sp.) 1-2’ tall. A recent surge of new varieties have come on the market, offering an amazing range of flower shapes and colors.



Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) 10-15’ tall native shrub/tree that grows best along woodlines. A number of varieties and colors are available, including Jelena (coppery orange flowers), Diane (brick red flowers) and Arnold’s Promise (bright golden yellow blooms)



Winterhazel (Corylopsis sp.) 5-6’ shrub with chains of pale yellow wonderfully fragrant bell-shaped flowers.



Camellia (Camellia sp.) Is there anyone that doesn’t know the camellia? What you may not know is that new hybrids have been developed that are hardy well north of traditional camellia territory. With evergreen foliage and big beautiful blooms in pink, red or white, camellias will definitely give your garden a summery feel even in the cold of February.



Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) 3-4’ shrub with arching, cascading branches bear trumpet-shaped yellow flowers that resemble forsythia blooms. Its cascading habit makes it ideal for planting along the top of retaining walls and on slopes.



Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) Amazingly fragrant big loose shrub that produces small white blooms even on the coldest days.



Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) 10-15’ shrub that is true to its name, producing masses of sweetly fragrant bell-shaped flowers.



Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) 20’ small tree in the dogwood family produces clusters of small star-shaped yellow flowers.



Sweetbox (Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis) 1-2’ slow growing ground cover with small white blooms that provide a sharp citrusy fragrance from January to March.



Mahonia (Mahonia beali) A personal favorite of mine, this 7-8’ shrub with a distinctive tropical appearance puts up long stems of bright yellow bell-shaped flowers in February. The flowers are followed by blue fruit resembling grapes that the birds absolutely love!

As an extra bonus, many of these shrubs will bloom even earlier and brighten your cold winter days if you bring them inside and induce them to bloom. Cut branches when the buds have started to swell, bring inside, immerse the cut ends in a beautiful vase and wait for the show.

Okay now, the rest is up to you! Go to your window and look out at your garden. Do you see a gray, barren landscape or do you see bright winter color that lifts your spirits on a cold February day? If it is the former, start planning now to add some of the plants I’ve mentioned so next February will be as beautiful as a summer day.

Cheryl lives with her husband and their three cats in a 100-year-old house in the beautiful state of Maryland. She has a degree in horticulture from the University of Maryland and has been the manager of Stadler Nurseries in Maryland and Virginia for over 20 years. Become a fan of Stadler Nurseries on Facebook to find out what's going on in the garden world!