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Fun & Creative Things to Do In and Around Your Home

Need a quick and easy dinner this evening? Check out this yummy shrimp scampi that you can get on the table in just 30 minutes! Enjoy! Prep time: 15 minutes Cook ...

Scrumptious Garlic-Lovers Shrimp Scampi

Over the last couple days we’ve been talking about how to create a specialized culinary garden or potager. You can see the first two entries in this series here:  Picking ...

Helping Your Potager GROW UP!

Yesterday, we talked about why you might want to create a secondary (or primary, if need be) culinary garden known as a potager. Today, let's take a closer look at how to choose ...

Picking Plants for Your Potager

When we moved into our house, choosing the ideal spot for the main vegetable garden was pretty easy – mainly because so much of our available land had to be devoted ...

Picking the Perfect Spot for Your Kitchen Garden

It’s hard to believe it was over 80 degrees just two short days ago. Today is blustery and cold… and a thin dusting of snow lies on the ground. The ...

When Should You Plant Vegetables in Your Area?

Yesterday, we talked a little bit about designing a new vegetable garden and using succession planting principles to maximize your results.The garden image I shared in that article was from this ...

Tips for Succession Planting Success

Finally, a warm and sunny weekend here in NE Ohio! I’m heading outside in a minute to get back to work stripping horse stalls and working in the garden. We ...

Vegetable Succession Planting: Getting Started

10 years ago, I interviewed Interior Designer Robin Brechbuler (pictured left) when one of her whole house design projects was featured on the cover of Welcome Home Magazine. During that interview, ...

7 Interior Design Tips for Dramatic Impact

In general, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are… not so good. They have an unfortunate tendency to taste a little dry and rubbery, which is why I almost always use the ...

Herb Grilled Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Did you know there are at least 10,000 GREAT reasons to invite toads into your yard and garden this summer? That's right! According to the USDA, just one adult toad will ...

Fun and Creative Garden Toad House Ideas

Our lives have been all about home renovations over the last year or so. Having designed and built two houses from the ground up before venturing into this project… I ...

4 Tips for Enhancing Your Outdoor Living Space

The one piece of cookware I find myself reaching for over and over again is my heavy-duty 15″ cast iron skillet. (affiliate link) Without question, it meets my personal trifecta for ...

Caring For Your Cast Iron Cookware

Crazy how time flies, isn’t it? I pulled today’s article out of my own archives – from the Spring 2004 issue of Welcome Home Magazine. (This was a quarterly glossy ...

8 Practical Cleaning Hacks You’ve Got to Try

Since I’m the only one in my house who would even think of eating seafood, the 2 pounds of shrimp this recipe calls for is overkill. Fortunately, this recipe is ...

Grilled Tequila Lime Shrimp Skewers

I almost wish I never started reading food labels.  Back then, I didn’t realize Aunt Jemima isn’t really maple syrup and Ramen noodles aren’t actually a food group. Now, I ...

Look, Ma! No Chemicals! Homemade Taco Seasoning

There’s a reason I’m a much better cook than I am a baker: Cooking is an art, Baking is a science. Cooking allows you to be creative and is much more ...

Perfecting the Art of Making Homemade Soup

Short on space for your vegetable garden? No problem! Today we’ll talk about an easy way to grow more fruits, vegetables and herbs – even if you don’t think you ...

Finding Room to Grow More Fruits & Veggies

I’m not like other girls when it comes to shopping. In fact, if I never stepped inside a mall again, I would be okay with that. Instead, you’re much more ...

Adding Vintage Charm with Architectural Salvage

Whenever I hear someone say they don’t like gnocchi, I wonder if it’s because they’ve only had the dense, chewy flavorless lumps that occur when the dough is overworked. That’s ...

How to Make Light and Fluffy Potato Gnocchi

Fresh Basil Pesto with Toasted Pine Nuts is a versatile recipe you can use in so many ways. Try tucking some under the skin when roasting bone-in chicken  breasts – ...

Fresh Basil Pesto with Toasted Pine Nuts

Have you ever bought a really cool plant on impulse – only to find there is nowhere in your garden that really suits it? Guilty as charged here. I’m a ...

Choosing the Best Plants for Your Garden

Well, it’s FINALLY that time of year again. Time to start finalizing your vegetable garden plans. Are you in??  I have BIG goals for our vegetable garden this year. (If ...

4 Questions to Ask When Planning Your Vegetable Garden

Adding pecan-crusted goat cheese wheels to this otherwise simple salad really kicks up the "elegance factor." As a result, this is a great choice for small dinner parties or other ...

Pecan-Crusted Goat Cheese with Mixed Greens

Please note: This article was originally published in 2014. Current laws and regulations may be different. Few things get me as riled up as what is going on with food ...

Making Sense of Chicken Labels

disclosure: this article contains affiliate links Do you keep a garden journal? I do. I received a beautiful blank gardening journal several years ago as a housewarming gift. By now, ...

Your Trusty Garden Journal

Cast iron skillets are so easy love. Whether inherited from a beloved grandmother, found at a bustling flea market, or purchased brand new, the origin of these durable and dependable ...

Beyond Skillets: 4 Must-Have Cast Iron Cookware Pieces