Ladybug Hunting

27 Feb
Sweet Little Ladybug On My Julia Child Rosebush.

Sweet Little Ladybug On My Julia Child Rosebush.

As much as i like this shrub, it's got to go. It attracts too many wasps and horseflies close to the house.

This shrub has got to go. It attracts too many wasps and horseflies close to the house.

The shrub pictured at left attracts far too many wasps and horseflies, so it’s coming out tomorrow. In its place, my beloved mandarin orange tree will take up new residence.

Trouble is, this Japanese Yew has also been serving as home to a large family of ladybugs. As any gardener knows, ladybugs are wonderful outdoor friends. Not only are they delightfully cute, but they also devour menacing pests such as aphids, which commonly wreak havoc upon roses, hydrangeas, and other beautiful plants.

So this morning, I took my son ladybug hunting. He is almost two now and completely fascinated by these delightful creatures. Our goal was to capture as many as we could find before they are evicted tomorrow. We plan to relocate them elsewhere in our garden by week’s end. With temperatures in the low 40’s, the ladybugs were dormant, so it was the perfect time to catch them. I captured at least two dozen and placed them in a clear plastic container with small air holes, which I immediately transferred to the refrigerator. The refrigerator maintains the same temperature the ladybugs were being exposed to outside. This approach does not harm the ladybugs and will keep them asleep for a couple of days until the weather warms again.

Later this week, I will release the ladybugs into my rose garden, which I hope will be a happy new home for them.

If you’re wondering how to attract ladybugs to your garden, you can actually purchase them at some plant nurseries. They will likely be refrigerated when you acquire them and may even look dead, but they’re not. They are simply asleep. In fact, they may start moving around as they start to warm up. When you get home, immediately place the ladybugs in the refrigerator until you’re ready to release them. The best time to release ladybugs is dusk, since they don’t travel at night. If you release them during the day, they may leave your yard in search of food and may not return.

Looking for more outdoor tips this Spring? Take a look at my Quick-Start Guide to Gardening in 5 Easy Steps.

Happy Outdoor Living!

P.S. Happy 48th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I love you!

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Paper Or Plastic? It’s Illegal In Austin, Texas

13 Feb
shopping-bag

Remember to bring your re-usable shopping bags with you if you live in or visit Austin!

Beginning March 1st, both residents and visitors in Austin, Texas will be subject to Ordinance No. 20120301-78. The new mandate prohibits business establishments from providing single-use, carryout bags to customers.

There are 3 reasons I don’t like the new ordinance:

1. Austin is a destination city. We have many visitors, some of whom may shop at a grocery store while visiting our city. If they don’t think to pack re-usable grocery bags in their carry-on luggage, they will be subject to an “emergency” surcharge of $1 in order to carry out their groceries.

2. Most of the people who walk their dogs in our neighborhood are responsible pet owners who clean up their dog’s waste. What do they use? Plastic grocery bags. I’m concerned that the new inconvenience will result in an increase in the amount of pet waste I’ll have to clean up in my front yard to keep my little boy from picking it up to play with it, or worse…

3. We use both the paper and plastic bags more than once Around My Home. We use the plastic bags as lunch bags, diaper-changing bags on the go, and trash bags. We use paper bags for yard clippings, composting, weed control under mulch, instant coloring pages for my toddler, and bringing meals to friends.

I like many of the services that the City of Austin provides, such as residential recycling service, and I do my part to participate in such programs and be responsible.

I know that there are many people who support this new ordinance. I’m just not one of them.

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Heart-Healthy, Gluten-Free Snack Bars

15 Jan
Yummy and oh-so-easy gluten-free bars are a healthy alternative to sugar-filled sweets!

Yummy gluten-free bars are a healthy alternative to sugar-filled sweets!

My lovely neighbor brought us some of these delicious and not-to-sweet bars recently. I asked her to share the recipe with me, and now I’m sharing it with you! This recipe was developed and written as-is by Teri Gruss, who is the author of the About.com Guide to gluten-free cooking.

Consider baking this healthy alternative instead of cakes and cookies for Valentine’s Day  this year!

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup nut butter (almond OR cashew OR peanut OR sunflower butter)
  • 3/4 cup sweetener syrup (honey OR GF brown rice syrup OR good quality Agave nectar)
  • 1 1/2 cups roasted raw nuts and / or seeds (almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds- use your favorites in any combination)
  • 1 cup unsulfured dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, blueberries, apricots, pineapple, raisins- use your favorite dried fruits in any combination)
  • 4 cups GF brown rice crispie cereal
  • 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Continue reading →

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2012 In Review: Annual Report for Around My Home

31 Dec

I have to admit, I love numbers. Sometimes I dream in Excel spreadsheets. I have a spreadsheet for nearly everything! So I was tickled to discover that the stats fairies at WordPress.com prepared a 2012 annual report for my blog.

If you love to look at numbers like I do, you may find this brief snapshot of interest.

Here’s an excerpt of what WordPress had to say about my blog:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 3 years to get that many views.

You can click here to see the complete report.

Looking forward to having you stop by Around My Home in 2013!

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year,

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Sweet Cherry Antioxidant Smoothie

19 Dec
This super-healthy smoothie is as tasty as it is good for you!

This super-healthy smoothie is as tasty as it is good for you!

The more frequently I drink this smoothie, the more I crave it! I think it has seriously become my go-to favorite.

I’ve been drinking one serving nearly every day for a week now and I feel terrific!

It’s super-tasty, really easy, and I promise that you cannot taste the spinach. Your kids won’t even know it’s in there if you don’t tell them. It’s that good!

Sweet Cherry Antioxidant Smoothie Recipe

Simply blend the following ingredients in a blender on high for approximately one minute:

–1 cup apple juice

–1 cup fresh blueberries

–1 cup frozen dark cherries

–1/2 frozen banana

–2 Tbsp. ground flax seed

–2 heaping handfuls of fresh baby spinach

Makes ~ one 20 oz. smoothie

Note: I tend to like my smoothies a bit on the runny side. If you prefer a creamier consistency, use frozen blueberries instead of fresh and/or use less apple juice. You could also dilute the apple juice with water to reduce the amount of sugar.

Looking for more smoothie recipes? Click here.

To your health now and in the New Year,

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Ready For This? Blueberry-Broccoli Detox Smoothie

12 Dec
This Blueberry Broccoli Detox Smoothie is sweeter than you think and seriously healthy!

This Blueberry Broccoli Detox Smoothie is sweeter than you think and seriously healthy!

I’ve been thinking ahead to my ritual New Year’s detox and have been experimenting with green smoothies recently. My parents stopped by a few days ago, bearing wonderful gifts: a beautiful broccoli crown from their winter garden and a new rose bush (both pictured above).

The broccoli was so fresh that I wanted to eat it raw, to best capture its nutrients. Being in such a green state of mind, I decided to try whipping up a broccoli smoothie! I came up with this quick and surprisingly tasty recipe detailed below.

The broccoli taste is actually very subtle. Overall, this smoothie is sweet going down and has a sweet aftertaste. Want it even sweeter? Add some honey or agave nectar.

Blueberry-Broccoli Detox Smoothie

Simply blend the following ingredients in a blender on high for approximately one minute:

–1 cup coconut milk

–1/4 cup orange juice

–1 cup fresh blueberries

–1 cup fresh broccoli florets (raw)

–1/2 frozen banana

–1/2 cup frozen raspberries

Makes one 16oz. smoothie

Note: I tend to like my smoothies on the runny side. If you prefer a creamier consistency, use frozen blueberries and add some soft tofu or plain greek yogurt to thicken it up.

Looking for more smoothie recipes? Click here.

To your health,

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Easy, Peasy Taste of Fall – Perfect For Dinner Any Day Of The Week

15 Nov

Perfect for cool outdoor weather, this dish is satisfying, flavorful, and optionally gluten-free!

If you enjoy lots of flavor, you’ll love this dish! This simple and delightful fall meal takes just minutes to prepare:

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

These brands are the ones I use for this easy fall dinner, but feel free to switch things up a bit depending on availability in your region or personal taste!

Main Dish:

–Spinach & Garlic chicken sausage by Bilinski. I buy it because it contains no pork casing – the fact that it’s delicious is a bonus!

–Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta sauce by Williams Sonoma.

–Ancient Grain Quinoa Pasta (any shape – I had elbows on hand). Feel free to substitute your favorite pasta.

Salad:

–Fresh baby spinach.

–Apples (unpeeled). Gala or Honeycrisp both work well with this recipe.

–Walnut halves/pieces.

–Blue Cheese crumbles – use sparingly, as the flavor is very strong. Consider placing it in a separate small bowl, allowing your guests to help themselves.

–Olive oil vinaigrette dressing. (I like Newman’s Own).

PREPARING YOUR MEAL

–Grill sausage whole on medium-high for ~4-5 mins each side.

Quick tip: Opt for grilling the sausage earlier in the day and then refrigerate it until needed. Simply slice and warm the sausage along with your sauce while pasta is cooking.

–Cook pasta according to package directions.

–Warm Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta Sauce in a saucepan while pasta cooks.

–Chop apples and assemble the salad. Toss in olive oil dressing.

–Drain pasta and toss lightly in olive oil. Return to cooking pot (should be emptied of all cooking liquid), and toss with pasta sauce, coating evenly. Top with chicken sausage and fresh parmesan cheese.

For easy decorating, add a mini pumpkin to each dinner plate and toss a few leaves on your table.

Enjoy the flavorful taste of fall Around Your Home!

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