Shakyard

Preserving Cilantro for Future Use

Kathy T. — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:29:34 +0000

The best salsa recipe I’ve ever made calls for chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and onions, along with a sprinkle of garlic salt and salt and pepper. But cilantro is so hard to preserve … once you buy it you need to use it quickly! Because I’ve thrown out more cilantro than I care to admit because of how quickly it does go bad, I was very happy to find this link on Our Subsistence Pattern about harvesting and preserving cilantro,

As we only allow a small area of our garden for this plant, if lucky, we are able to get three good cuttings that provide us with around 6 frozen gallons. Surprisingly, both cilantro and basil freeze very well. After cutting the leaves, preferably in the early morning while they are freshest, we mix them with a small amount of olive oil… just enough to coat the leaves. They are then packed into freezer bags and frozen for later use. The olive oil makes it really easy to separate the frozen leaves and also adds an extra flavor to the mix.

Nice! Now I’ll go make some salsa and freeze the cilantro I don’t use!

Ice Surge Would RUIN a Yard!

Kathy T. — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:48:09 +0000

Much like a storm surge or a tsunami, sometimes a phenomenon called an ice surge happens. In my more than 50 years on this planet, I’ve never heard of it. Until now. And wouldn’t it just ruin a yard? And house. And anything else in its way.

Powerful gusts of wind drove giant sheets of ice toward townhouses hugging the southern lip of Lake Mille Lacs at the northwest end of the state.

Amateur video footage captured at the scene shows 2-foot blocks of wind-whipped ice jams stubbornly inching across residential patios at a speed of 2-feet-per-minute, according to NBC meteorologist Dylan Dreyer.

You can see the video by click through here to NBC News. It’s incredible!

Wordless Wednesday: Nesting Material

Kathy T. — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:04:44 +0000

Photo from Duncraft.com.

Affordable Curb Appeal

Kathy T. — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:43:52 +0000

Perception is everything. If you perceive the outside of your home to be inviting and peaceful, you’ll look forward to coming home. If a buyer perceives your home to be neat and charming, they’ll want to at least stop and take a look. Curb appeal is everything! And making it affordable is even better!

From The Space Between, here is a sample of how you can brighten the outside of your home without spending a fortune,

1 – Update the house numbers. Right now they are cursive and spelled out and they kind of scream “I’m from the 1950′s”. I think this is a little touch that I might go on the modern side, just to bring in some juxtaposition.

2 – Pick a fun color for the front door. #needIsaymore I’ve debated getting an entirely new door, this one has some wood detailing as well as stained glass (painted over on the outside but not on the inside) that I can’t figure out if I love or hate. But I’m leaning toward not hating, which isn’t love … but it isn’t hate either … which means it’s workable. :)

Click through to see some photos of before and after, as well as other tips.

Nice Fences (Make the Best Neighbors)

Kathy T. — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:42:13 +0000

We loved our privacy fence in our former house. We had a bluebird house on it and loved watching the little chicks grow and eventually fly away. This page by Hometalk is phenomenal, though it really simply links to a Pinterest account showing great fences. But I love it! Especially this:

I spent about 6 months collecting old doors from friends and salvage yards and then mounted them on privacy fence frame. I also clear coated them so that they wouldn’t weather wear. I love that each door has it’s own story and looking at it reminds me of all of my different friends who contributed.

How utterly gorgeous and inventive is that?

Wordless Wednesday: Purple Gate

Kathy T. — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:09:22 +0000

Photo from Pinterest.

Growing Potatoes

Kathy T. — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:18:34 +0000

I love potatoes. I love that they are the core of delicious foods like french fries, mashed potatoes, tater tots, baked potatoes, boiled potatoes, potato chips, scalloped potatoes, and oh my. Potatoes are obviously my favorite food. When we lived in North Dakota as children, the farmers invited local families to their fields after the big potatoes had been harvested to pick through what was left. We would find potatoes that ranged in sizes from golf balls to baseballs to bring home. In our cool cellar (it was North Dakota!), we would have potatoes all winter.

But I’ve never grown my own and am thinking that should change. They are pretty easy to grow, too. From Grow It, Make It, Try It,

Ever had potatoes sprout before you’re ready to use them?? Don’t give them the heave ho!!

Leave them to sprout. Cut them up so that there’s one sprout coming from each piece. Pop them, sprout up in a large pot of compost.

Watch them sprout!! continue to build the soil up around the plants and you’ll have potatoes in no time!

Delicious!

Photo by Brett & Sue Coulstock.

Wordless Wednesday: Garden Seat

Kathy T. — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:46:32 +0000

Photo from Pinterest.

Curb Appeal on a Budget

Kathy T. — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:33:31 +0000

Oh curb appeal how we love you. Neatly mowed yard, flowers next to the house and under trees. Tasteful furniture. Nicely lined sidewalk. Curb appeal gets buyers in a home if you’re selling and adds value to the neighborhood if you are more set on simply living a good life.

You can have a home with wonderful curb appeal fairly inexpensively. This Old House provides some great tips for transforming a yard on a budget.

An overgrown yard detracted from the sweet architecture of this 1938 cottage in Carlton, Oregon. By clearing the space, homeowners Darci and Matt Haney brought the focus back to the front door—and all the other improvements they made.

Check out the before and after photos!

BEFORE

AFTER

YES, it’s the same house! WOW!

Wordless Wednesday: Whimsical Garden Tool Shed

Kathy T. — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:41:50 +0000

Photo from Sweet Dream Escape.