Homemade Magic Shell Topping with Coconut Oil

July is National Ice Cream Month! 

(thanks President Reagan!)

Newsflash!!  We have an excuse to eat ice cream all month now!  Woo!  How shall we celebrate??

Well...

When I was a kid, I scarfed many a dipped vanilla cone from DQ, they were dreamy!  Fast forward 20 years *ahem* and what do I see on Pinterest?  Homemade Magic Shell!

Read more »

Five {ish} Essentials for Comfy Gardening!

I Garden.  I get Dirty.  I Love it.

One of the reasons I {LOVE} gardening is gardener's gear.  Don't you love gear??  I do!  Here's a few things I make sure to have on hand when I'm elbow deep in Smart Water, knee deep in Manure or simply enjoying my coffee in the garden on cool summer mornings.  Sorry about manure and coffee in the same sentence...I have dirt under my nails too.  

One of the 5-ish  things that make my life sheer bliss while gardening is one of these!  I call them trugs...it's a flexible plastic tote that I carry potting soil, manure, manure tea, deadheadings, tools, leaves, compost etc. in.  You name it, if it fits, this can carry it!


I've bought name brand, I've bought Walmart and cheap or expensive, they're invaluable in the garden!


And...they come in all sizes and lots of different colors, completely irresistible to gardeners and clean people.

Read more »

DIY Energy Drink {Good for You Quench!}

SUMMER'S HERE!  

{AND SO IS THE HEAT!}

Pardon my beat up, road weary,  stainless steel companions, they may not be pretty but they help keep me buzzin and hydrated all day long!  Trust me, as a UPS driver, avid gardener and hiker...I know what it takes to quench a thirst and boost my energy.  

My go-to energy drink is an iced tea base drink, made with a South American tea, Yerba Mate and a bottle of Lipton Raspberry Tea.  I love, love this tea!  The combination of the two makes for a "sweet enough", thirst quenching, energizing drink.  I prefer Yerba Mate over Black Tea because of it's health benefits that are unmatched in comparison!    

1.  Rich in antioxidants

2.  Enhances ability to focus

3.  Increases physical endurance

4.  Aids digestion

5.  Helps with weight control

6.  Supports cardiovascular health

Yerba Mate contains caffeine (my BFF), but provides a sustained energy boost because of the way Yerba Mate stimulates your metabolism to use carbs efficiently.  It's also great for post workouts because it keeps lactic acid from building up in muscles!

Read more »

5 Essentials for Comfy Camping!

I like to camp, and I like to be  comfortable.  Since we're tent campers, it's not easy to bring along the comforts of home but, I try.  


Here's a list of a few things that I absolutely want with me to fully enjoy my camping experience, and I don't leave home without them!






First and foremost, I can't imagine being without my Patagonia Nano Puff.  It's not down, it's synthetic which makes the price point easier to swallow (sorta). It blocks wind, sheds snow and traps heat. All that in a compact quarter zip pullover.







When I camp, I want to be able to sleep comfortably, this is non-negotiable.  Comfort is a cot with a 2 inch piece of memory foam, an extra large sleeping bag and a down comforter just in case :)





Is there anything better than the smell of coffee on a frigid morning made by somebody else??  Noooo...there isn't!  While I love camp coffee brewed in an old school stainless steel percolator, I  love not having to get out of my warm sleeping bag to make it, more :)

I'm a loyal Keen Targhee fan and have been for years!  If you've never had the pleasure of walking on air, run don't walk to your nearest REI, Cabela's etc., and try on a pair.  Seriously, you will wonder where they've been all your life, you won't want to take them off and hiking will be a pleasure again.

Real wine glasses, made of glass.  A total luxury when you're sitting around the campfire waiting for someone else to fix dinner.  A nice glass of cold chardonnay after a long, hot hike just helps the world make sense again.  

There you have it, a glimpse into my pathetic lack of grit :)

Have fun out there and spoil yourself a little!

Rebecca

Fun Ideas to Celebrate Summer Solstice with Your Family!!

Welcome Summer!

Today is the Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  That alone is a reason to celebrate after a long, cold winter!

Here's a few traditions with a twist to welcome Summer!

Read more »

My New Deer Deterrent, Manure Tea

To some, this photo is sweet.  To others (namely, ME) this photo makes me want buy a BB gun.

In our neck of the woods, deer roam the streets and that's no lie!  I live at the end of a cul de sac where my front yard is totally exposed.  On a regular basis, I can look out the window and see a gang of deer swagger up the street scouting our gardens in the middle of the day...it's incredibly maddening!  I'm reduced to a crazy person running down the driveway waving my arms and throwing rocks.

As a result of this futile situation, I've settled for planting catmint and grasses in my front perennial bed because our spoiled deer are after more exotic fare.

Read more »

Buttery DIY Bisquick & Pancake Panache

It was a good day but a long one.  Six hours of driving from WY to UT and back for a great time with the fam celebrating our Dad.  We had a late afternoon BBQ with lots of good food, so I don't know why we were so hungry when we got home but hungry we were.

I looked in the refrigerator...there it was.  My jar of DIY Bisquick from the Impossible Coconut Pie post.  If I needed validation...college students and pregnant women understand this type of behavior.  However, I don't need validation, I need pancakes!

Read more »

DIY Produce Rinse - Why it's Time to Start

What does it take to clean fresh food?

This is a blog post that took a different turn.  Initially, this was all about an inexpensive, DIY way to clean non-organic produce.  


I proceeded merrily along my usual routine of googling the subject, seeking more information for a broader perspective.  


After this particular bit of research and to my surprise, I'm rethinking my practices.



Like I've mentioned before, I try to buy organic produce whenever possible.  It's challenging though, here in WY we don't have the availability and selection like you big city folk do.  If I must go non-organic, prior to this post, I always rinse non-organic produce with water but rarely do the same with organic produce.  I might have it all wrong.

Read more »

How to Roast Whole Chicken on a Grill & Earn Your Dessert: Impossible Coconut Pie!

Roasted chicken is a favorite...especially on the grill!  

Yesterday, I had the chance to shop at Whole Foods, I love that place.  It's kind of a big deal because we don't have anything like it in WY.  We load a cooler in the car, stock up on organic beef, chicken and fish and dash home.  Yes, I know...it's not a cheap endeavor, but I see it as an investment.  

Anyhooo, back to roasted chicken...

Quite simply, organic chicken rocks and it's not outrageously priced, even at Whole Foods.  If you haven't tried organic chicken, you're in for a HUGE surprise.  It's tastes SO much better than the industrial chicken that we find in our large chain markets!  I strongly urge you to consider organic.

Read more »

Will Work for Leftovers

1,000 unemployed worms arrive with an appetite and a resume'

Welcome to Science Tuesday!

(6th Grade Science Required)

This is where it all began.  The Tale of Two Composters, which begs the question...

If I have a Worm Tower AND a DIY Kitchen Scrap Composter, couldn't I combine the two?

(This is where that 6th grade summer science class comes in handy)

I pondered this question for awhile, read some barn burner worm articles then, I went with my instincts because they rarely fail me...usually. *ahem*  And after all, who doesn't want more worm castings?

I decided to give the composter/worm bin experiment a go.  I ordered 1,000 red wrigglers (champion composting worms) from Amazon.

These are NOT my hands.

Read more »

Rose Petal & Mint Body Scrub

Beautiful!

I'm a happy camper, I found the perfect blend of ingredients that will soften my wizened and weathered WY skin.  Too descriptive?  Sorry, I'm just being honest!  But, after my rose petal and mint treatment, things are lookin up! (don't ask).

Changing subject...

For all of you fortunate gardeners with roses in bloom, pick your most fragrant rose and put it to use in a jar with these ingredients.  You will wear the most satisfied, silly grin on your face, I promise!

Read more »

Manure Tea Meets Smart Water

Are you in the mood for a time saver?  I have just the thing for you, assuming you love manure tea.

As you can see, I have a lot of backyard to plant, fertilize, water and weed.  Three different levels and one, mind you, ONE hose.  A royal pain!  This is how my 30 gal Smart Water garbage cans came to be and this is how I use them to water and fertilize simultaneously and organically.

I have two, 30 gal garbage cans filled with Smart Water (please see original post for more information on Smart Water) and one, 20 gal garbage can filled with manure tea in the brewing stage (bag of manure soaking at the bottom).  A good system, but it needed some streamlining.


I now brew manure tea directly in the Smart Water cans for a shorter period, producing a weaker tea that I can use daily.  I still brew a more concentrated tea to spray on plants and lawn with a hose sprayer attachment but, on a less often basis.

Read more »

Thugs for Hire

I have issues (doh).

  

Namely, oyster scale in my trees, threatening their existence and, annoying aphids.  We, they, I... need help!  Here in Wyoming, scale is epidemic and trees are dying at a rapid pace.  So far, the only "safe" remedy is to climb the infested tree and scrape the nasties off (did that), smother the buggers with horticultural oil (done did that), or hit em with a high power water blast (did that too).  ...and we're still fighting the fight!

I dislike scale immensely!

Systemic insecticide, a popular option is absolutely out of the question and not an option as far as I'm concerned, as it's suspect of bee colony collapse.  

Read more »

How to Deep Water Tomato Plants

Every summer I spend countless hours trying to get the tomato plants deep watered even though they're in raised beds.  It's so hot and windy in the summers that even drip hoses aren't effective (unless I leave them on 24/7).  

 

Actually, the Worm Tower inspired this idea of burying a perforated tube for deep watering.  I remembered reading somewhere (sorry, can't remember where) that deep watering tomatoes makes for a stronger, healthier plant and, a bumper crop!  But, truthfully?  I'm looking for a time and water saver every bit as much!

Read more »

Grilled Artisan Bread & Easy Summer Dining

This is where the day began and how a simple, yet scrumptious dinner was born.  

Rustic and I left Dodge behind this morning and headed north up La Barge Creek to 9000 ft where a snow drift became an annoying obstacle.  Sad to say, we chickened out of busting through the drifts, however, if I had new tires we would have lived dangerously!

Instead, we chatted with the Big Piney Game and Fish Warden who stopped to see if Rustic was poaching again (kidding!), and 3 guys on all terrain BMW bikes in Kevlar pants who were lost (sorta) hoping to get to Alpine. They eventually shamed us by busting through the snow drifts, dang them.  All that is neither here nor there...la dee da :) 

 Let's talk about food!

Read more »

10 Reasons Why a Woman Should Smoke (BBQ)

Why Women Should Smoke!

1.  Men don't think we can do it.


2.  It gets you out of the kitchen.


3.  Hydration (beer, margaritas) is fun.


4.  The food impresses the heck outta people.


5.  Lump wood charcoal is better (healthier) than charcoal.


6.  Cool BBQ gear!  I love the iGrill - a wireless iPhone/iPad app and device for controlling temps.  


7.  Apparently, "Women who smoke have sex appeal".  This comes from a reliable source, a professional (male) BBQ pit master.  Kinda weird hearing your son say that...but, who knew?!  Ha!


8.  BBQ is the new pop culture!  Hop online and find a BBQ forum, meet new friends!  There are literally hundreds of BBQ forums now, forums are a great way to get into the basics of BBQ.


9.  Smoking is a healthy way to add flavor to foods, vegetables, cheese and fish included!


10.  There's just nothing like sitting down to a plate of "melt in your mouth" ribs cooked low and slow while bathed in hickory smoke!

Three racks of spareribs and ends after the first hour on our Big Green Egg.


How to get Started in BBQ...

Read more »

Sweet & Delicious Tomatoes! My Go-To Tomato Fertilizer

Contrary to popular belief, I have a lazy side when it comes to gardening, especially veggie gardening.  Yes, I garden organically which can be a bit more work (with a bigger payoff!) but I also take advantage of all the "organic" products out there when it makes sense to my wallet and, my life.

With a big weekend of gardening ahead for many of us, I thought I'd share my go-to "lazy self" organic tomato fertilizer which I'll be installing tomorrow!

Read more »