A Nest for All Seasons

SO...you don't think planting things from your pantry really works...

2012-02-24T08:17:00.000-06:00

Innnnn case you were wondering if it actually worked....

Yes, yes it does work! Planting pantry items nets new houseplants (for free!!!) and often will produce actual FOOD for you (remember last year's POTATO crop?). Here is my ginger plant...all grown up (well half grown up) and I have many more shoots putting up stems. It looks a bit like lemongrass when it first emerges, but quickly morphs into an elongated leaf similar to a canna lily.

(Did you miss the ginger planting? Check it out right HERE!)

My beet tops?? They are doing well too, putting out new leaves at a rapid pace.

These could be harvested now to eat, or I can let them grow and hope for beets!

Here are the pantry potatoes I planted in my WINTER POTS. They are growing quickly, but the growth is spindly due to the low level of light they are getting in this window. I turn them regularly so they don't lean completely in one direction, but I am kind of fighting a losing battle. Once milder weather hits (which seems like it could be any day now!), I can move these outside, give them a trim and they should bounce back.

If not, what have I wasted?? 2 sprouted potatoes from the pantry. Not bad says I.

In other gardening news, I found the best deal at Costco. 6 pairs of Wells Lamont garden gloves for $8.99. That is a fabulous deal! They are the 'jelly belly' kind of gloves that I love and couldn't find replacements for for about 2 years. Now I have 6 pairs for less than $2 each. Beat that WalMart!

If you would like your very own set, check out your local Costco or you can just buy them through Amazon (though they cost a couple dollars more).

PS -- This ain't no sponsored post...I'm just really excited about this wham slam deal.

However, if you purchase them from amazon, I get a cut. So go buy a few, why don't you?

...and if you are wondering...yes I did ask for the gloves as a Mother's Day credit present...so what? You do weird things too...

BEFORE & AFTER Photography Studio...AHEM...I mean shed.....

2012-02-23T10:00:00.001-06:00

Remember how I told you this "after" picture was really a "before" picture?

After organizing the shed, I took all of my girly fabric scraps, a can of spray paint

and half a can of latex interior white and made this plain old shed my girly getaway.

With easy views of the garden and the kids fort, it is the perfect space for working with plants,

potting, photographing product and relaxing in a space that is completely, fully girlalicious.

The main piece of furniture in the space is this giant hutch. Found for $15 at my local thrift store,

it works perfectly as a storage piece for china (girly picnics, you know!), pots and other gardening and crafting supplies.

Covering the file boxes with fabric and the addition of a little bunting was all it took to girlify the piece!

That little rocker in the corner started out life as a dirty old $2 auction find. (See its transformation HERE!)

After sanding and painting the frame, I added coke bottles in a matte blue to the back and my little Red bebe collected "flowers" for a little more whimsy.

That bunting spans the entire back wall of the shed, and joins magazine cutouts, a vintage suitcase,

various yarns and thread and garden tools and hats -- all in shades of pink, white and natural brown.

Where did all of this stuff come from? Well, I have a problem of collecting items that don't go with anything in my house. Everytime I see an incredible deal on an item that I love, it is hard for me to pass it up. Therefore, I had thrift store curtains, a book full of magazine prints, hoards of pink and purple thread and yarn and just a ridiculous amount of super girly fabric. Shifting my focus to the shed allowed me to create a space that welcomed all my girly stuuuuuuuf with open arms. The paint was all leftover paint sitting in the garage and not a single thing was taken out of the shed. It was all just rearranged and added to.

Why is everything all white? 2 reasons. I have been wanting to do an all white room for awhile now, but I like the paint colors in our home right now, so it would be foolish to paint just for the sake of painting. The shed however, greatly benefited from a wash of white. It went from practical and utilitarian to light, bright and inviting. The second reason is to provide a backdrop for photography. White is a favorite background of mine, and I designed the vignettes in this space specifically for photographing product. (More on this to come!!)

So, go enjoy your day and this gorgeous spring weather...

I'm going to go hang out in my girlific shed ;)

BEFORE and AFTER | Giving a Rocker a Facelift

2012-02-22T07:38:00.000-06:00

Indulge me...that title makes me laugh...it makes me think of some old punk rocker with pink hair sitting in the chair to get botox or something....OR something...

Anyhow...today I get to show off a favorite before and after project. Chairs and rockers are easy and quick, and can give a room a real boost. This rocker is part of my "grand" shed makeover (aren't you just drooooling with anticipation?)...

Now before you go all "WHY did you paint that beautiful white chair and get rid of that lovely toille -- it is SOOOOOO pretty"?!? This sucker was DIRTY and that fabric was GONE...check out the close up!

So add a little bit of fabric, paint and elbow grease and you get...

After the chair was complete I wanted to add a little more interest, so I hung Coke bottles,
spray painted the same lovely blue as the chair, on the back posts. The bottles can be
filled with dry flowers, grass fronds, evergreen cuttings or any type of floral you can dream up!

This rocker was the first project in my PRETTY HOUSE project. To see more about the shed's
reformation from utilitarian to girlicious, just click HERE!

What have you created today??

How much traffic should you have before you're a "platform"?

2012-02-20T18:25:00.001-06:00

A long while ago, someone posed this question to me (was it Miss Kitty??) "How many hits do you have to get before adding ads?". I think the better question is "How many hits do I have to have before I am a publishing "platform"? You see, advertisers want a platform to place their product on. You might not have tons and tons of traffic, but maybe you have a very highly niched blog with many loyal readers from a certain genre. Advertisers in that genre want to know you, so you need to play up that strength when initially contacting them. So think of yourself as a platform and consider your numbers when defining your platform. Then you are ready to start identifying where you are in the step by step working of becoming a paid blogger.

Now to be quite honest, I am not an expert on the behind the scenes workings at ad networks and I am not quite sure exactly what the cutoff rate is for including blogs into their network. What I do know is what I've gleaned from personal experience. Get ready for some actual numbers....here is to being an open book!

Here goes....

STEP by STEP to Becoming a Publishing Platform

Step 1 -- It seems like everything began when my monthly hits were hovering right around 20,000 a month or 700-1,000 hits a day. The emails started coming in from advertisers and I began to be accepted into networks and such.
Step 2 -- It seems like everything became a legitimate business when hits were around 30,000 or consistently hitting 1,000 a day.

Step 3 -- I actually started making worthwhile money around 50,000-100,000 hits a month.

Step 4 -- Your blog can make money when you are not actually posting. Several thousand hits are coming in on weekends when I post nothing thanks to sites like craftgawker and allfreesewing.com and PINTEREST! that never sleep and consistently send readers. Once readers arrive, there are backlogs of posts, (pages and pages of them!), and readers as readers sift through various posts, they create more traffic. So that content is king line...yeah that is true, but the HORSE that transports the king....those are your aggregation sites. You need both or your king might be grand, but he isn't going anywhere.

Step 5 -- Other paid opportunities become available. This is where I am now. I am able to contact bigger publishers, or new aggregation sites come to me and offer opportunities to use my talent (writing and/or photography) or my publishing platform (my blog) for their benefit. What do I benefit? $$$ and a wee bit of exposure.

Step 6 -- Give me a few months and I'll let you know what step 6 is ;)

Where does the money come from??
My favorite moneymaker is through ad networks. I am part of Rivit and Clever Girls and they are easy money because all I do is focus on my traffic and tweet once in awhile (for CG) and my numbers, content and hits bring in the bucks. You might want to try to find a niched network (Rivit is all Home/DIY blogs), or go with a large network like Blogher or Federated Media.

My next favorite money maker is the Amazon Affiliate Program. You can read all about my experiences with them right HERE.

Last, but not least are individual advertisers. Advertisers email me directly or through networks such as Blogvertise or Business to Blogger. These advertisers want buttons,badges, links and posts. I do these once in awhile, but not all the time. I don't want to use up all my trust bucks on singular companies. (What -- you missed the memo on trust bucks?? You can read all about my trust buck theories HERE!)

SO now it is time for YOUR questions! Do you want to start making money, but you don't think you have enough traffic? Have you created good content but it just isn't getting noticed? Are you curious about ad networks? What is stopping you from making a salary off of your work? Please ask anything...I will try my best to answer or someone else is bound to know!! No stupid questions!

This series is part of the Wanna Make $$$? Trust Buck Your Way to Becoming a Publishing Platform by Amy Renea.

For more information on securing Amy for speaking engagements, please email allenaimphotographyanddesign@yahoo.com .

Before and After | What a Little Organizing Can Do!

2012-02-20T08:45:00.000-06:00

Meet My Shed...This is actually quite cleaned out from when we moved in. You literally could not walk into the space and I spend weeks playing "treasure hunt" finding more and more gardening STUFF. With many things given away, many put to use, and some throw away, this is what I had left. It needed a little organizing, don't you think?

Voila! ...complete with roaming chicken...

Hey wait.....ummm....that picture says BEFORE?? Well yes, this is the AFTER shot of the little bit of organizing I needed to do, but it is only the BEFORE for the major changes I plan for this space. Prepare yourself for prettiness and girliness and garden fever, K?? Coming soon to a shed near you...

This little section?

That window will get dolled up and the potting bench will be a staging station for many of my food and floral vignettes.

Remember this hutch ?

It looks a bit better now out of the middle of the floor, but you just wait...it will be spectacular!

OK,OK...here's a little teaser of what is to come....

Would you like to see the finished product...just click HERE for my girltastic shed!

What have you been organizing lately???

How to Make Money Off Your Blog with Amazon Associates

2012-02-17T07:48:00.000-06:00

So you have been working with adsense and the pennies they are giving you are really annoying...you can't even get up to the $10 cash out mark and Blogher won't accept you yet because your traffic isn't high enough. You know that you have a loyal following that supports you, but you don't know how to make money.

Enter Amazon Associates.

Amazon Associates is a simple program that allows you to refer people to their site for a cut. There are hundreds of affiliate programs and opportunities, but they typically connect you with a single brand. For example, you become an affiliate for Shabby Apple, place their ad on your blog and receive a kickback every time someone buys a dress from them. It is a great system and allows you to hook up with advertisers that fit your blog. The only problem is that a company like Shabby Apple is only offering dresses. You have to cast a VERY wide net to get enough readers clicking through and buying dresses for you to make a decent income. Amazon, on the other hand, sells books and movies and food and games and TVs and kitchenware and probably even houses. They sell everything and everyone shops at amazon.

Here is the #1 best thing about amazon associates that I didn't know when I first signed up. If someone clicks over to amazon from your blog through an affiliate link, it doesn't matter WHAT they buy -- you get a kickback. So say someone reading my post on How to Make Vanilla Extract is curious about growing a vanilla plant, so they click this link just to look at it...

...buuuuut they get distracted because they see that book they have been meaning to get on the amazon sidebar. They click the book, purchase it quickly and then go back to checking their email. That person just gave me a kickback even though they didn't buy the vanilla plant. It rocks. (Thank you to all of you people out there buying books about trains and watches and books and movies and other random stuff - I APPRECIATE YOU!)

What does that mean for you?

Well...as a PUBLISHER, it means Amazon is a terrific option for advertising without forcing weird products down your readers mouths. They are already interested in what you are saying, so it is no stretch to simply provide a link where they can buy what you are talking about. Keep in mind that every ad you place takes away a few trust bucks, so tread lightly.

As a READER, it means you should click through blogs when you decide to shop on amazon. Say you buy diapers every month from Amazon -- if you click through your favorite blog's affiliate link to get there, you give them a little income every month. If you are buying something big (like a TV!) you can give a little kickback to your favorite blogger by clicking through their affiliate link before you put that TV in the cart.

So how to get started?

Sign up here and then you can start creating your product links. You can create individual links like this:

or you can create carousels like this:

or you can create a number of different options, all showcasing products that you handpick. Simply choose the items, amazon will give you a little snippet of html that you plug into your blog post and then you can focus on creating good content while amazon pays you for your time.

IT ROCKS MY SOCKS.

Wanna join? Click HERE!

This series is part of the Wanna Make $$$? Trust Buck Your Way to Becoming a Publishing Platform by Amy Renea.

For more information on securing Amy for speaking engagements, please email allenaimphotographyanddesign@yahoo.com .

"Make" Your Own Luxury Camera Bag

2012-02-16T07:28:00.000-06:00

If you are anything like me, you probably drool over Kelly Moore bags and ONA bags, but you may not have 200-300 bucks to spend on a bag just because it is pretty. That extra couple hundred goes towards actual equipment when I've got it. If I DID have extra cash lying around I would definitely go for a leather ONA bag, but in the meantime I need to cart around multiple bodies and lenses and need to make sure they are protected. What to do!?

Well...in comes the "ALLENAIM" bag. I say that rather jokingly because...well...you'll see...

This is my camera bag....nice color, good construction, well padded inside with padded inserts for lenses,

bodies and more and 2 little pockets on the sides. How much did I pay? $8.00. Not $80...EIGHT.

Wanna know how?

I frequented thrift stores looking for two things. 1. I found an old medical equipment bag for $2 a few years ago and have been using it as my camera bag for the last few years. It is black, no frills, but nicely padded with various sections perfectly sized for lenses. 2. I recently found a cute blue bag with cute pockets all over...and I looked at it wishing it had the requisite padding and divisions a camera bag needs. Then the light bulb went off.

I simply cut out the lining of the blue bag and inserted the black bag inside. I had to make some choice cuts to get everything to fit, but now the two bags fit together 'almost' seamlessly.

I pulled the lining out and rolled up portions in order to fit the large black bag inside.

There are 2 small pockets on either side of the bag. One is just the right size for holding business cards and a little cash, while the other has room for a few photography essentials...Sharpies, lipstick, Burt's Bees and deodorant. (Yes...those all are essentials and it is also essential they stay VERY separate from your expensive camera equipment.)

Wanna see inside?

Here is a view from the top. The two pockets on the sides hold 4 little compartments for lenses while the large middle compartment holds two bodies. One has a 200mm lens on it while the other just has a 50mm. One of the reasons this bag works out really well is because the material and seaming is very flexible. The bag opens up widely at the top allowing for access, but closes up tightly for security.

Not bad for 8 bucks, eh??

Although if ONA were to say, Hey Amy - wanna try out one of our new bags??

I would so be on the first train...just sayin....

Do You Really Want to Make Money Off Your Blog?

2012-02-15T09:43:00.000-06:00

So you have been at this blogging thing for several months...or several years...and you are starting to get tired of working for free. Am I right? (I hear you cheering over there blogger from North Carolina!)

So how do you start making money?

There are many ways to start earning on income off of your blog, but the #1 thing to remember is to diversify until you find something that works and then diversify again. What does that mean? It means you have to try everything that you think might work for you -- ad networks, individual companies, selling ads to etsy shops, amazon affiliates, adsense, using your blog as a platform for PAID work - these are all methods of making a few dimes. If you work hard at it, you will find the best methods for you and it always helps to have 3 or 4 ways your blog is making money for you at all times (even when you are on vacation!).

Now hear me when I say...your READERS should not feel like you are making money in many different ways. They should have a healthy awareness of the fact that you are using ads and promoting yourself or others, but they should not feel like your blog is one giant adfest. Here is the thing - EVERY time you place an ad, promote a product, even give a link -- you are taking a little bit of what I call 'trust bucks' away from yourself.

This is the way it works....

Trust bucks are the "points" you earn with your reader for telling the truth, providing good content, leading them to good sites, communicating with them, loving them, not being stupid, etc. etc. There is no cap to the amount of trust bucks you can earn with readers, but there is a balance that must be kept when you start earning money. It is very easy to just see dollar signs everywhere and want to take any little gig that you can. You should NOT take every little bit of ad money that comes your way though. You will be shooting your future self in the foot. You see, trust bucks are lost every single time you use your publishing platform as an advertising platform. Now, clearly I believe that advertising is a good thing (I think you should be PAID for all of your work!), but you MUST be aware of what it is costing you.

When a company contacts me or I am offered an opportunity to promote a product for payment, I weigh 4 things.

#1 Is it relevant to my readers? This is always the FIRST question I ask and it is typically the defining moment of whether or not I proceed. Because I talk about Food and Photography and DIY Design and Garden SCHTUFF, I have quite a wide net. Many of you probably have smaller nets because you are a highly niched blog. If you are always discussing art, there is absolutely no reason for you to promote a household cleaner. It just doesn't make sense. If you are organizing and cleaning blog however, household cleaners make all the sense in the world. So choose wisely, because you are losing trust bucks when you accept any offer.

#2 Is the price worth it? How much work am I going to have to put into this? Is the money worth my time? When you are first starting out, the answer is YES. ANY money is worth your time to get the ball rolling. Once you've worked with a few companies, the answer might quickly become NO. Don't be greedy, but don't undervalue yourself. If the work takes one hour, you have to consider your hourly rate. When I was working retail my hourly rate was $7.50...for photography I charge $150-$175...somewhere in between there is my hourly blogging rate. If I am not making that rate consistently, I need to change something.

#3 Will the ad or sponsored content fit into what I am already doing on my blog? This is a little different from question #1. Question #1 weeds out the "absolutely not -- my readers will shoot me if I bore them with recommendations on how to self tune your piano", while this question really determines whether the ad is a good fit. Another way to look at it is if question #1 is checking the size tag in a pair of jeans, then question #3 is actually trying them on for size. We ALL know how different the outcome can be when we try on the same sized pair of jeans from different retailers, yes?

How do you know if it is a good fit? I quickly look through the posts I have ALREADY written as well as blog prompts that I have photos or ideas for and see if the advertiser seamlessly fits in anywhere. If it doesn't, I try to think of a way I could provide legitimate content while weaving the ad into the post. If it doesn't seem right, it doesn't fit and you shouldn't waste your trust bucks.

Here is an example for you...

Yesterday I wrote about chickens. Now if you have been reading for any amount of time, you know I have chickens, I like chickens, I think they are good for my kids and my garden and my pantry and they are a genuine part of my life and my blog. So when an opportunity came up to promote California Hatchery, the answer was absolutely yes. It fits, the price is good and it is relevant to readers coming to this blog for home and garden SCHTUFF. Now I didn't just write a little post promoting California Hatchery. I had ALREADY written a post about chickens and ordering from California Hatchery literally slips write into place without effort. It is a natural pairing and beneficial to both me and the advertiser. (They don't WANT to be on a tattoo blog or a coupon blog...they want to be on a blog that regularly talks about CHICKENS).

The last and final consideration that can make or break a deal with an advertiser is: #4 Would you honestly buy from that retailer? For CH, the answer was yes - I am receiving my order of chickens this spring! I trust them -- they offer a good product -- and therefore I feel comfortable recommending them. If you don't LOVE the product (you think it is cheap, badly made, too expensive, etc, etc...) then DO NOT recommend it. You have lost many many trust bucks if you recommend something bad.

You might also have noticed that I weaved a few more links and prompts into the post, but hopefully I didn't weave TOO many in. You see, I am attempting to balance my trust bucks. I want you to keep reading. I want you to enjoy what you read. I want you to consider me an expert in information on raising backyard chickens, so the last thing I want to do is plug irrelevant sites.

So now the only question is whether this method has worked. Did you notice all the ads on the post yesterday? Did you care? What are your feelings towards using your blog for making money? I can't wait to hear from you!

This series is part of the Wanna Make $$$? Trust Buck Your Way to Becoming a Publishing Platform by Amy Renea.

For more information on securing Amy for speaking engagements, please email allenaimphotographyanddesign@yahoo.com .

So you want a few backyard chickens....

2012-02-13T23:15:00.000-06:00

Deny it all you want but most of you, if you think about it, wouldn't mind raising a few chicks. I mean seriously, have you ever seen the hatching display at the farm show or state fair? Yeah...me neither...it is always too crowded! It is hard to find something cuter than a baby chick, and the great thing is that they are actually beneficial once they grow up (unlike a certain kitten turned cat in our household....don't tell Thor I said that...).

So you decide you want backyard chickens. What is next?

#1 You have to find chicks. This is easier said than done. We drove around to various Acme's and Farm stores last year trying to find a few baby chicks, a few hens for sale, but no cigar. We finally found some at Tractor Supply Store and purchased Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn pullets. Pullets are female chicks, and you definitely want to get pullets if you are trying to raise laying hens. Choose six chicks randomly and you very well might end up with 6 roosters (can you imagine?!) The only problem with buying chicks from a local store is the lack of variety. You aren't going to find the really rare and interesting breeds locally. This year, I ordered from CaliforniaHatchery.com and my chicken coop this year will be bursting from the seams with interesting chickens. Black and Buff Laced Polish Chickens, Buff Brahma, Barred Rock Plymouth Bantams and Golden Campine. Aren't their names just romantic? The great thing I found about California Hatchery is that you only need to buy 3 chickens and 2 ducks at a time (most place make you order 6 of a breed). CH also lets you mix types within a breed, so you could get 2 black silkies and 1 white. The other great thing? They actually offer hatching eggs for sale! Forget the state fair - watch your own eggs hatch at home!
#2 Once you find the chicks, you've got to choose which ones you want. This might seem like a no brainer, but I spend far too much time deciding which breeds I wanted to pick out (there are like 9 pages of rare breeds...ahh!) ...and last year when I picked out the chicks by hand? That was an ordeal too. You see, the buff, gruff worker man at Tractor Supply store didn't really feel anything emotionally towards my new baby chicks. So, when we told him we wanted chicks, he just kind of stepped his big, muddy work boots into the giant bins of chicks and started picking out chicks at random. I had to (nicely and as non-crazily as possible) ask him "Do you think I could please have that one?"...referring to the little white chicken racing around and around the pin trying to get out. I guess I connected with her because she reminded me of my boys running around and around and around the house constantly?? Anyway...I wanted to handpick those chickens and I'm so glad I did. They truly are little members of our extended family, have names and unique personalities.

#3 You have to build a coop. You can get away with a cardboard box for a few weeks, but you have to buy or build a coop that will be large enough for the chickens soon! A chicken coop is work to get together, but it doesn't have to be ugly, it doesn't have to be huge (if you only have a few chickens) and it does not have to be expensive (if you build your own!). If you are interested in building a coop, you can read further in my article on Houzz discussing coop design. Just click HERE!

#4 You have to buy chicken feed. We feed out chickens A LOT of scraps and they eat it up like little demons! However, we still need to supplement their diet with feed and chicken scratch. It costs about $10 for a giant bag of feed and a little over $5 for a giant bag of scratch (cracked corn). You can pick it up at the feed store or order online. I mix the two and they last about 3-6 months with 3 part-time free ranging chickens. They obviously eat more feed when snow is on the ground and they are cooped up vs. summertime when they are munching down on bugs in the yard.

#5 You have to buy a cute egg holder. OK, not really, but once those hens start laying, it is a little sad to just put those beautiful white and brown orbs in an ugly container or old egg carton. There is something really awesome about opening your fridge and seeing a cute little ceramic holder full of eggs from your very own backyard chickens. It's the little things....

I bought mine off amazon, but I think I saw them in other (super cute!) colors at Anthropologie. Want to support this blog with your egg tray purchase? Buy them here!

UPDATE: Thanks to one of you for purchasing these awesome Easter egg colored trays...you've got me wanting some now!!!

Some of you mentioned raising chickens in the city, and how it is a no-no. Well, not to encourage any illegality, but you might want to check out this book from the library...it is eye opening!

On the flip side of things, you might want to listen to this podcast from Comedian Danny Lobell who tells the story of sharing a backyard rooster with Ecuadorian gangsters. ...and this link is to the transcript, but you ABSOLUTELY should listen to the audio. Danny is hilarious and had me laughing out loud in my car listening to the story. JUST CLICK HERE to visit This American Life (and if you've never heard of This American Life -- you are missing out!) Happy Valentine's Day y'all!

Houzz isn't Pinterest and That is OK

2012-02-13T11:45:00.000-06:00

Wait - WAIT...don't shoot me yet. Whether you are a diehard pinterest fan or loyal Houzz groupie, I am with you. I love both, I frequent both...you could even say the addiction is shared between the two. So don't hit me yet - I'm not bashing your favorite site - I PROMISE!

However, I gotta let you in on a secret. Pinterest does not replace Houzz. Yes, I know...you used to put stuff in ideabooks on Houzz, but then pinterest came along and it is so much easier, so now you are a pinteraholic. It is ok...breathe. You should keep pinning....but you should come take a peek at Houzz (It is kinda like JC Penney deciding to rule the world and take over Target...you want to be there when it happens, yes?).

Moving on...the top 3 ways Houzz Ain't Pinterest and That is OK!

#1 The Contributors

Now, you might think this is tooting my own horn a bit (maybe a bit...), but I've got to let you in on a little Houzz contributor secret. Each writer is distinctly different, they all comes from different design world views and Houzz allows each contributor to write within their own voice. What does that mean for you? It means that Houzz becomes this giant collaboration of design concepts, but it is not watered down and unified to make Houzz seem like a big giant interior design animal. The point is for you to find writers, designers, architects that you love and to be inspired by them. It is kind of brilliant isn't it? Well I think so anyhow...

Let's break it down a bit...

First of all there is John - John is an architectural genius and always has the most divine designs to show off.

Then there is Vanessa who tours all these incredible homes and hands down has the best house tour ideabooks.

Of course there is Becky that does feature articles on style and design icons...the Toledo Stool ideabook is SO in my favorites.

...and then there is me...desperately trying to infiltrate all the design junkies with love of garden design ;)

...and the list goes on and on -- Shoshanna, Bud, Jason, Jen... Find your favorite, then use the new follower feature (similar to the now defunct GFC) that Houzz recently added.

#2 Houzz isn't Pinterest because ideabooks are not boards. I love my pinboards, but that is all they are. A bunch of ideas all pinned together. Ideabooks allow you to flesh out your ideas fully, share them with others and give meat to the idea bones. (That sounds weird, but you know what I mean, right?)

#3 Finally, Houzz is where the architects live. While Pinterest is queen of the crafters, DIYers and Ryan Gosling posters, Houzz has true experts ALL OVER the site. Ask a design question, ask for a source for a product or ask how to install hardwood flooring yourself and chances are you will GET an answer. Interestingly enough, that answer will actually be RIGHT because it is coming from an expert. How many times have you asked a question on pinterest that just sat there? It just isn't the site for connecting with experts (but it IS the site for finding the most amazing brownies on EARTH).

So take a few minutes and check out Houzz (My article about Ranch style homes has been sparking some discussion - why don't you join??) ...you might never be the same again... (draMAAAAAtic!)

Cheers y'all!

You can follow Amy's Pinboards right HERE. You can follow Amy on Houzz right HERE.

This post has been sponsored by Houzz.com and Blogvertise. All opinions are %1,200 percent mine (can't you tell?).

My Garden Ain't Pretty

2012-02-13T07:18:00.000-06:00

I know what you are thinking....she seriously is saying her garden isn't pretty??

Isn't she like a garden writer or something?? Are those photos fake? Is that not really her yard?

OK, OK -- to set the record straight...I DO take photos in my own yard and I grow lots and lots of flowers and veggies. Yes, I do write about gardening and give tips and tricks on how to get things to grow. That doesn't mean that the garden is always pretty.

In fact, there are times in the year when the garden is just plain ugly. I can write until my hands bleed about how you should consider winter in your landscape plans and pick plants for winter interest, but there just comes a point when the snow is slush and the compost piles up on the beds and cardboard is lining the paths and I am just pleading for some fresh snow to cover it all up. This time of year -- my garden is just ugly. I still love it, mind you. I love weeding this time of year because the weeds are small and they are green (as opposed to the rest of the foliage which is brown and withered) and if we get a few nice days, I weed for hours. I love planning in this season of dormancy...the garden catalogs and books and magazines are my constant companions in the bathtub every night. Still...the garden is ugly.

It is ugly for a few reasons....

#1 I personally have a few reasons that my garden is often ugly, particularly in winter. They are 5,3 and 2 and they don't weed very well yet.

#2 Winter is rough on plants' appearances. While many plants can survive quite easily through winter, they don't always look good doing it (sounds like me and pregnancy). It is just a fact of winter.

#3 Winter is a time for refreshing the soil and battling the weeds. It might not seem like it, but winter is a vital period in the garden's life cycle. The soil needs the nutrients from fallen leaves and compost and winter freezes and thaws break them down quite nicely into the garden beds. I literally throw scraps into the flower beds and hastily cover them (sometimes) with leaves. What the chickens don't find and eat, the ground is happy to receive. However, it is ugly.

The same goes for the cardboard paths. They are functional. They are a blessing to the Earth. They are also quite ugly (Don't tell them I said so!).

So what is the point? Am I just trying to get you to say "Oh dear, your garden is always beautiful. It doesn't matter that it is downtrodden and soggy and littered with banana peels. It will always be beautiful through rose colored glasses"? Am I just playing that card that we bloggers do when we want the world to know we are humble and that everything is not perfect behind our (chalkboard painted, repurposed, vintage or thrifted) doors?

No, not really. The point is this:

Winter gardens are ugly.

My winter garden is very ugly.

I'm ok with it.

You should be too.

Now go throw some banana peels and cardboard on your rosebeds! They will thank you later!

Try a Bleeding Heart for Valentine's Day

2012-02-12T06:15:00.000-06:00

This Valentine's Day, you might be searching for the perfect gift for your sweetheart. While candies and flowers and cards are always nice and appreciated, nothing beats a real plant in my book. I love when a gift is not disposable. I love when you can transfer the gift into the garden and it lives on and on and on, reminding you of that person for years to come. And with valentine's Day quickly approaching, what better gift than a bleeding heart. Think of all the awesome names you could come up with for that one ;)
Bleeding Heart is one of those plants. One of those plants that you can beat up, JUST LIKE HOSTA. No kidding. Rip off a stem, enjoy it in a vase for a few days, shove it in the ground, and NO JOKE, you'll have a plant in a few weeks growing and growing strong. The only thing you really need to give it is some water when you are transplanting it. After it is established, you are good to go with a wonderful plant that will come back year after year after year after year.

You've seen the flowers right? Literally bleeding hearts...

So much beauty, so tough...what isn't to like? By the way, this plant comes up in spring from the ground and looks like peonies. The first time I saw one, I had no idea what it was and thought it might be a weird peony because the shoots looked similar. A few weeks later, it was very clear I had a bleeding heart and a beautiful one at that!

So why not try giving a gift that will keep on giving!!? Try a bleeding heart today!

Portions of text previously published on 'A Nest for All Seasons 2011

Unskinny Boppy | FEATURE FRIDAY

2012-02-10T09:36:00.000-06:00

So my friend Beth has a blog titled Unskinny Boppy (huh WHAT??)

Let me allow her to explain...
During the time I was mulling over the idea of creating a public blog, my friend Dusty at All Things G&D was talking about her trip to see Poison in concert. She inspired me to name my blog Unskinny Bop, but then I glanced over at the Boppy pillow that my son was sitting in on the floor and POOF! A magical idea was formed. If you weren't into big hair bands in the 80's then there is a chance that none of this will make any sense to you. If you do know what I'm talking about, then you already have that song stuck in your head. You're welcome. (Thanks to Beth and Raising Memories for the quote)

You might know Beth from this incredible post that has made the pinterest rounds about photographing a sparkling tree. You might also know her from her incredible succulent wreaths (that is how I found her!) What I love her for now though is her ability to look at life with a grain of salt. She has a humor, a lightness about the way she sees the world that I love. It is hard to explain the kind of gal Beth is, but take 10 minutes and look around her home, her blog, her life for a moment and you'll get it. you'll get the down to Earth girl that is Miss Unskinny Boppy.

So she is pretty awesome, don't you think??

Why not stop by her blog and say Hello!!

GRANNIE's ROLLS | How to Make Homemade Yeast Bread

2012-02-08T12:58:00.000-06:00

Meet Grannie's rolls! No, they are not as beautiful as baby leg rolls, but they are close!! These babies are based on yeast and eggs and are delicious (except for the time I made them for my friend Nicole and she ate an entire one without telling me that they were TERRIBLE!! I never figured out what went wrong, but boy they were terrible! The chickens had a feast that day!) Anyway, every other time I have made these rolls they are DELISH. Alex likes them much more than my BASIC BREAD RECIPE and you probably will too! (The added sugar and oil is always a plus in my husband's book...)

The recipe is fairly straightforward once you have a little practice working with yeast breads. The trick is to add the yeast to WARM (more hot than cold, but not steaming) water and let it "work" before adding your other ingredients. The yeast is what gives the bread such lift.

GRANNIE'S YEAST ROLLS

2 c warm water (...as warm as you can stand it with your fingers immersed)
1 pkg yeast (alternate measurement -- 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c oil
1 large egg (or two small eggs if you are working with home laid chicken eggs)
4 c self-rising flour

Place the yeast and warm water into a large bowl. Allow it to "work" for around 5 minutes.
Add sugar, oil and egg and allow the mix to continue "working" for another 5.
Add flour and lightly mix. Use a wooden spoon!

See how the yeast mixture (below) is starting to bubble? That is your sign to add the flour!

Refrigerate dough in a covered bowl (I use a flour cloth) until cool. Grease a muffin pan and add dough. Only fill 2/3 full -- these puppies RISE! Allow rolls to rise in the muffin pan for at least 3 hours at room temperature. (If you allow the dough to rise in the bowl, you will also have to let it rise again once it is in the muffin pan, so it is easiest just to add the dough straight to the muffin pan.)

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until tops are golden.

Nope, it is not as easy as basic bread dough, but it is yummy and worth an extra step or two!! Plus, that smell of baking bread in the house is PRICELESS!! Alternatively, you can head to Giant or Hyvee in the morning when they are baking bread and steal a whiff from them. Smells and sniffs are always FREE! :)

Sensa "Candy"

2012-02-07T07:19:00.001-06:00

So I've been participating in a Sensa review for over a month now, and I've lost several pounds and 1 pant size. I'm not willing to say it is a success yet though, because those few pounds and that pant size has come and gone a LOT. I AM encouraged however...

I mentioned before that I can definitely notice a difference in my satiety when using the Sensa "sprinkles", but my favorite part of the system are the candy "chews". My biggest temptations are candies and cakes, so to have somewhat of a replacement that is helping a wee bit and fulfilling the desire for something sweet is of great benefit to me. There are two types -- a chocolate type and a raspberry type. The chocolate tastes very similar to calcium chews and the raspberry is reminiscent of Starburst. The candy kind of "lifts" and expands in your mouth like chewing gum, so it takes a while to eat (a plus!).

I'm actually considering stocking up on this sampler kit once I run out of the actual system. I think it could help...but only time will tell..I'll let y'all know...

For more Sensa Reviews, just click HERE!

In the meantime, keep cheering from the sidelines...run-run-run!!
PS -- If you cheer loudly enough and I am successful, I MIGHT actually show you the before picture (if there is a decent AFTER picture...but anyWHO)...

Sensa has provided all samples free of charge and all opinions are 100% my own.

The BEFORE picture is just as important as the AFTER photo

2012-02-06T06:15:00.002-06:00

Hey DIYers, Bloggers, Foodies and Gardeners! So have you ever been in a situation where you made this really awesome project or did this really incredible thing with something you rescued from the trash and you go to post it and something is just missing? The project looks good, but everyone doesn't really understand that you took this "thing" from literally a piece of trash to something everybody wants to pin-pin-pin and make-make-make. Have you been there?

Of course you have.

We've all been there because we've all forgotten to take the all important BEFORE picture.

I know, I know... it is so very exciting to get home, unload the trunk and start cleaning, sanding, painting, stripping (the dresser, not yourself) that we all forget to grab the camera and take that all important BEFORE picture. That BEFORE photo is JUST as important as the AFTER photo because it shows just how far that piece of trash, or those simple pantry ingredients or that ugly patch of a flower bed -- has really come.

I really realized my lack of skill in the BEFORE picture arena when my husband was going through my project photos, helping me pick projects for my portfolio. He kept picking projects that were just kind of ok - not stellar. I couldn't figure out why and then I realized that he was picking projects where there was a BEFORE and AFTER one right after another that really showed the transformation. It could simply be a painting job on a piece of furniture, but he liked it better than my more creative projects because there was a good before picture. This was his favorite project....a simple project, but a great BEFORE and AFTER sequence...

Now, not only do you need to TAKE a BEFORE picture, but you need to take a GOOD BEFORE picture. This might be a little contrary to your original thinking. Shouldn't a BEFORE picture look really bad so the piece looks even worse in its previous state? You would think so, but actually a bad picture works against you. People might think the dresser or chair isn't all that bad, rather the PHOTO is bad and your makeover isn't all that grand. Instead, take a BEFORE picture in the exact spot where you will photograph the AFTER shot. Then your audience will get a true picture of your awesome work. See this sequence below? TWO FAILS.

#1 The first photo is badly lit and the second is well lit. It makes it seem like the lighting makes a huge difference instead of the changes that I made.

#2 The photos are taken from different angles, so you don't get a true picture of how drastically the room changed.

Bad BEFORE photo

AFTER photo that is not as effective...

Another biggie when photographing the BEFORE of a room is to take several pictures from several different angles. Doesn't it just drive you batty when there are BEFORE and AFTER pictures in a magazine and you can't really figure out where the walls were in the first photo and how those windows just kind of appeared in the middle of the second photo? It is disconcerting as a reader and uninspiring. Inspiring is when you can see EXACTLY how someone has recreated a space because the photos are taken with similar lighting from the EXACT SAME ANGLE. Take this example from my Sharpie Rug Project. It is very close to the same angle, but not exact...

The next set of photos does a better job of telling the story of the transformation...

So while not an expert quite yet on BEFORE pictures (I still start refinishing pieces in the driveway before grabbing my camera - oops!),
I have been focusing on doing a better job at capturing the horrible BEFORES to better capture the awesome AFTERS...
What do you think THESE befores will become?!

...only time will tell...

What are you creating today? Did you take a BEFORE pic?!

The Sharpie Rug ...and how to become a DIY Warrior Princess

2012-02-03T07:20:00.001-06:00

Good morning everyone!! Meet my ugly, stained sisal rug. It started out life as a decent sisal rug, probably purchased new and used for years, accumulating a fair amount of stains. I, however, was NOT the one to purchase this rug new. You see, even though sisal rugs are cheap (in comparison to wool and such), they are still pretty darn expensive for a large size like this. So if you know me at all, you know that when I saw this rug in a trash can on trash day that it took all of 3 seconds for me to stop the car and toss it in the back.

After a thorough (VERY thorough) cleaning, the rug was in good shape, smelling nice, but still had some stains. I was *this* close to tossing it in my very own trash can, but decided to experiment a little before tossing it. My first experiment was a colossal failure (see below), but the second was a success! You see, the second experiment only took a Sharpie Marker and a little bravery and turned this throw away rug into a fun new rug!

Voila! What do you think of my new Sharpie rug?? The pattern covers up the stains almost completely, and where they aren't completely covered, they are at least camouflaged.

The stains were so bad...check out this photo below. Actually, a lot of what you see is my own fault (remember that failed first experiment?). I wanted to try to sun paint swirls and whirls on the carpet by placing a series of ropes on the carpet and letting the sun bleach and bake away. The only problem was that the wind kept blowing the ropes away and the sun didn't bleach the rug enough for a contrast, yada, yada, yada. SO FAIL. This was the point at which the carpet almost got thrown right back into the trash from whence it came.

Of course, the very best time to be brave and make something artistic is when you have nothing to lose. If I hated the look, then the carpet could go right in the trash or act as a weed barrier for my vegetable garden. Taking a Sharpie to the rug before its inevitable death was not a big deal at this point...

It did take several nights of patiently making mark after mark after mark to complete the rug. Basically, the rug already has the pattern woven into it. It is simply a matter or evolving the pattern into a design. There are two types of weave on the rug, alternating squares like a checkerboard. One of the squares has 4 little thread lines. I simply traced the 4 little lines to make each black sqaure. Then, the squares and rectangles were elongated on a diagonal to fill in the design. The project in total probably took 10-12 hours.

Luckily, I had a friend. Every time I grabbed the marker and laid down on the carpet,

bebe grabbed his coloring book and crayons and started to work with me.

Nothing like joint craft time to bond Mama and bebe, eh?

So how will you be brave today?

Do you have a piece of furniture that you are sick of and getting ready to throw away? Why not try a crazy color or

weird sanding technique before you throw it out. You never know what might strike you as your favorite project yet!!

Be Brave! Be Fearless! Be a DIY Warrior Princess! (or Prince!)

Linking up to The Girl Creative and The Southern institutue today!

How to OverWinter Boston Ferns

2012-02-02T07:25:00.000-06:00

This is what a fern usually looks like at the end of summer....spilling out over the edges, lush and green (sorry for the lighting making it look quite yellow...). In fact, you might still be able to find one or two on clearance at your local nursery that still have a little oomph to them. You can grow ferns as a traditional houseplant, but if you don't have the space, yet want to keep the plants for next years hanging baskets, don't fret -- it IS possible! Simply allow your fern to go into its normal dormancy period and help it go green again this spring!

Here is what the lush green foliage of summer looks like...

The first signs of dormancy start to show on the underside of the fronds. They will turn brown and wither (like deciduous trees) and eventually will start shedding. This is OK! It is normal! Just make sure you bring those pots indoors before a harsh frost. Boston Ferns can only survive temperatures down to around 20-40 degrees and can only survive the high end of that range when handing in a pot. So get those puppies inside when it starts to get chilly outdoors and don't worry when the fronds start to turn yellow and brown and start shedding.

You will need to water your ferns a bit through the winter, but not too much. The trick is to keep them in a dormancy state until they are ready to be prepped for springtime. Water once a week and do it sparingly. Do not fertilize!

Once the temperatures start to warm up, you can start giving your ferns a little more water, but do not fertilize them yet.

Once spring really hits, you can give your ferns a little weak fertilizer and a good watering. Do this in a sink or outdoors so the water can soak the roots fully and run out the bottom of the pot. On a warm day, move the ferns outdoors in the shade (the sun will burn them) for a few hours. The next day, leave them out a little longer. By the third day, they should be safe to leave outside!!

Trim any brown or yellow dead growth, continue to water until the plant takes off and hits its stride. You'll know it is doing well when the green growth is lush and full again!!

(You can use this method with many tender perennials such as geraniums and Gerbera daisies.)

What is growing in your basement or garage this winter???

Mezcal Crema

2012-02-01T07:50:00.000-06:00

Can you guess what this is??

It might look a little like sour cream...

Or a yogurt mint sauce, perhaps??

Take a closer look...

Does the cilantro give it away a little??

...or perhaps the title?? :)

This is Mezcal Crema, a Mexican version of sour cream with a nice jolt and kick. I've got to give credit to Alex -- he was the chef in the kitchen for this condiment and I loved it so much, I made him let me put the recipe here. You are lucky!

It is a simple condiment, most of the flavor stemming from a tequila marinated jalapeno. You simply finely dice a jalapeno and add enough tequila to cover (just a T or so) and let it soak overnight. Throw the mixture in the blender with a little kosher salt and then mix with a traditional sour cream.

YUM.

It isn't exactly what I was looking for with my spicy guacamole experiment, but it is quite close and is a fabulous addition to a spicy Mexican meal. The cream is deceptive because it is soothing and cooling and then BAM hits you with a second note of heat and tequila. So interesting....all in a little unassuming goblet.

Mezcal Crema

1 jalapeno -- finely diced
2 T Mezcal Tequila
1-2 Cups of Sour Cream (to taste)

If you like it hot, add less sour cream!! For more authentic flavor, go for a Mexican Creme Fraiche and the true Mezcal Tequila. In a pinch, go for good ole American sour cream and whatever tequila is on the shelf (if you don't drink, you could get a "nip" bottle...it would be plenty for this recipe!). We made this quite mild for a recent family dinner, but tend to like it spicier! Experiment and taste as you go!!

...because your style is not labeled in one word...

2012-01-31T11:57:00.000-06:00

I love quizzes. (don't you??)

I've always loved reading chick magazines and filling out all the answers to the "Learn what your

worst trait is" and "Are you a good friend?" and "Figure out your style in 17 easy questions!". Fun!

The only problem is that you might end up thinking that your style is "eclectic" or "modern" or "Asian" )

(seriously? Asian?? That is really a design category...as if Asia doesn't have thousands of varying design styles?! Blech.)

My office space...a study on the things I JUST LOVE

Moving on. A long time ago I learned to give up all the design labels. Those quizzes are fun, but when it comes to actually defining your style, they do little more than give you a sticky label to tag on your style. Design books that try to pigeonhole you into a specific style do the same. The thing is - - everyone's style is slightly different and there aren't enough labels in the world to accurately do them justice. So join me in ditching the labels and simply learning your style inside and out without labeling it!!

My article this week on Houzz is all about creating ideabooks to help you learn your own style. Using "just love" books, you can delve into the defining features of your preferences and get a better grip on what you should be looking for when you are purchasing items for your home. Go check out the article right HERE and I would love it if you made your own "just love" ideabook or pinboard and showed them off here in the comment section or over on the facebook page!! Let's see what you JUST LOVE!!

What can I take from this exterior shot that I JUST LOVE? Perhaps a hallway softened by plantings or botanical prints?

Don't Underestimate Your Kids | Pickled Turnips and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes

2012-01-31T07:49:00.002-06:00

Sometimes my kids really surprise me with the dishes that they like. Sometimes I'll make a pasta dish I think they'll love it and they barely eat 3 bites. Other times I make spinach smoothies for salads for myself that they keep asking for seconds of! Craziness! This is one of those dishes...

I made this little salad of pickled veggies for myself last night and chilled and marinated it overnight for lunch today. When I pulled it out of the fridge, the boys kept asking for bite after bite, so I finally gave them each a serving and they whoofed it down. One even asked for seconds.

Later when I was photographing the dish, I noticed a little hands sneaking into the frame...

Yeah -- they kinda liked it :)

So what IS this dish you ask??

It is a simple pickled salad of raw turnip and yellow tomato. The marinade, pickling "juice" is a basic salad dressing and it infuses the veggies (Especially the turnips!) with a tart flavor. I suppose the flavor would intensify if you left the salad in the fridge for a few days, but ours lasted but an evening.

Pickled Veggie Salad

2 cups of Cherry Tomatoes (I used yellow!), washed, not peeled
2 medium turnips, peeled and julienned

Marinade

1 T Spicy Brown Mustard
1 T Lemon Juice
1 T White Vinegar
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 c Water
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper

Mix ingredients and let the flavors meld in the fridge overnight. Serve cold or room temperature. Easy Breezy!

What have your kids surprised you with?? Did they end up liking beets or kolrabi? Do you have a broccoli freak in your house (we do!)

To like or not to like...that is the pinteresting question

2012-01-30T08:11:00.000-06:00

Hello hello! Good Morning!!!

Here is the question of the day...

Should you or should you not...................LIKE what people are pinning from your site on pinterest.

This is my dilemma....

You see, pinterest is the best gage of what readers are liking on my site. (Thank you Gail for showing me how to find my source page!) Not only do I get to see which projects they want to KEEP, but typically posts are given a "title" or comment as they are pinned. I learn a lot from glancing through pinterest and seeing what people are saying.

Last week, I realized that my pineapple post was a big hit over at pinterest, so I decided to post the ginger post I had in queue right away to capitalize on the new followers and subscribers that are into pantry planting.

The problem is...I'm a big fan of the "like" button on facebook as a "thank you". You know...someone says "You hair looks great!" and you press "like" to say thanks, right? Well, I've been "liking" pins that people have pinned from my blog as a way to say a quick "thanks". My questions is whether it reads as a thank you or as an egocentric move of an egomaniac.

In fact, I've been experimenting the past few weeks. I will spend one week liking a bunch of pins...just down the page, like-like-like - thank you-thank you-thank you like a politician. Then the next week I didn't "like" anything. My goal was to see if people hated me liking everything and started to unfollow or whatever. Well...the results are in and my "liking" made no difference whatsoever...

SO...I need your opinion...do you see it as a thank you when someone likes your pin from their blog or as an ego-maniacal move???

Thoughts??

Moments and Impressions | FEATURE FRIDAY

2012-01-27T08:18:00.000-06:00

So I've "known" Nessa for awhile now (via blogland), but recently, it seems she and I have been emailing like over-tweeeeeety songbirds. I'm kinda in love with this girl and I think you might fall for her too...

She has a way of speaking to her audience that is sweet and insightful, not at all crass or over sharing. She is a blogger that lets you see her heart, but isn't opening up just for the attention or shock value. Mixed in with the musings of life are fabulous decor, gardens and recipes (my kind of GIRL!).

One of my favorite recent posts lately is simply titled today.

Then there is the one titled change.

Or maybe you would love the post Two Spoons.

Take your pick! Go read a post or two and make sure to tell Miss Nessa that Amy Renea says Hey!

How to Plant Ginger Root

2012-01-26T07:42:00.000-06:00

So hey....apparently planting a pineapple top is big news...everyone's all pinning and asking questions about growing your own pineapple and gaining a cheap new houseplant, so I thought I would show you another one of my pantry planting successes.

I've been on a major ginger kick lately, so a few months ago, I planted a few chunks of ginger to multiply my supply. Now, people are going to get on my case because you are supposed to lay the ginger on top of the soil, but I plant it right under the surface so my babies don't steal it and eat it. (Yes, they literally do things like that if plants aren't rooted down yet...no foxglove for THIS family!) I have had no issues growing ginger this way!!

So here's a chunk of ginger root, about an inch long, unpeeled....

[ Thanks to Andrea for mentioning in the comment section to be careful to make sure there is a "node" on each section you plant. All of the important "stuff" to grow is hidden in that node and without one, the ginger will just rot. You can kind of think of it as the "seed" inside the little piece of ginger. A node (or bud or whatever you want to call it) is just a little knob on the ginger...you are probably more familiar with potatoes. You know when potatoes sprout in your pantry? That little sprout came from a node. (See a photo HERE) Try to find those little bumps on your ginger. If all else fails, try taking an inch off the end of each little "finger" -- those almost always have a node on them!]

Simply place your chunk of ginger in a pot of rich potting soil and DON'T OVERWATER.

A few cubes of ice a week work until the leaves start to show up.

Bye-bye ginger!

Fast forward a few months...hello little ginger poking up through the soil (see those two little guys?!)

So what are YOU growing? Have you tried planting anything from your pantry this winter?

Taste Testing Frozen Vs. Fresh Squash and Ginger

2012-01-25T08:41:00.000-06:00

SO. You've heard enough about squash and pumpkin and ginger from me the past few days to last you a lifetime. I ask you to read one more post. Then go make some soup. Then eat it and love it. One warning...DON'T USE THE FAKE STUFF!

Remember that oven shot? Yeah...those were all different techniques and finished with different amount of ginger, fresh vs powdered, etc. etc. I was going to write a big long post on the advantages of both, but it all boils down to one thing.

The soup that I made from frozen squash and powdered ginger? The chickens ate it. I did not. It was THAT BAD. It gives squash and ginger a bad name. So please please use my shortcut on the squash, and if you are desperate go ahead and use frozen squash (no don't really...it won't be as good), but please please please know there is NO substitution for that roasted fresh ginger. I know it is a pain to peel, but it totally makes the dish. Promise.

The second thing I tested was a full lineup of stocks and broths. I tried chicken and veggie, organic and non, and a variety of brands. Again, I was going to give you the full work up on my thoughts, but the results were very clear. DO NOT use chicken stock (it tastes too "chickeny" and the squash and ginger kind of loose their "brightness"). Use Veggie stock -- any brand. I tried many and there was no difference in taste between the brands. The flavors of the soup were strong enough to mask any variations in the stock, so go for cheaper veggie stock if you want...just DON'T sacrifice on the ginger~!

The following photos are the stocks and broths that I tested...

Want the recipe for the Nicole's Squash and Ginger soup? CLICK HERE

Want to see how I made the prep process a little easier? CLICK HERE

Want to see roasted Jarrahdale Pumpkins or Beets? CLICK HERE