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How to Move a Raised Playhouse
When my daughter was young she had a swing set, sand box and playhouse on the left side of my garden. She loved playing there, and we chose this area of the garden so that I could see her playing from my kitchen window. All that is left of the set up is the playhouse, […]
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More of my Favorite Fourth of July Recipes
These are some more of my favorite Fourth of July recipes. They are sure to add a patriotic flair to any gathering with friends. July is a month for foodies. Lots of national days are devoted to celebrating the 4th of July with food. From delicious cakes to decadent cocktails, these recipes all use the […]
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DIY Summer Mason Jar Flower Vase Project
One of my favorite things to do on Sunday morning is to meet friends for breakfast or brunch and catch up on the week. Normally, we go out to a variety of restaurants and alternate each week between them. This week, I wanted to have our friends over to our house for breakfast. I’ve been […]
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DIY Vegetable Oil Sprayer – No Need for Pam
Pam is an easy way to cook without adding a lot of oil to a pan, but it is full of chemicals and the aerosol is not so great for the environment. The solution is simple – make your own vegetable oil sprayer. Using an oil sprayer is a great way to save calories on […]
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Making Watermelon Play Dough – DIY Homemade Playdough
This project for making watermelon play dough is super easy to do. The project takes less than ten minutes to make and the end result smells great. Watermelon season is here and both adults and many kids love to grow them. (and eat them too!) Today we’ll be making red, green, white and black play […]
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Fiddlehead Ferns – Culinary Delight from the Ostrich Fern
I was born in Maine, and one of my fondest memories is the collection of fiddlehead ferns each spring. Even though I have moved away, each year my family boxes up a whole bushel of them and sends them to me by priority mail here in NC. It’s always a special day when that box […]
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The Garden Charmers Celebrate Earth Day
The Garden Charmers is a great group of ladies who garden, decorate and cook with a passion. They all have a love for our environment, so Earth Day is special to them. In the Northern Hemisphere, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 and the day always helps us to focus on environmental awareness. If […]
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Free Herb Plant Labels for Mason Jars and Pots
Looking for a pretty way to dress up the pots that you use for growing herbs, and label them at the same time? These cute herb planter labels can be just printed off and then added to your pots in no time at all. Herb Identification seems at though it would be easy but you […]
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Outdoor Games for Kids and Adults
Add One of these Outdoor Games to your next Party. The weather is warming up here in NC and it makes me think of things to do outside. Gardening is my first choice, of course, but I also love having outdoor gatherings and activities for them. I grew up in a family of six children […]
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Ways to Use Grapefruit
Now, I like grapefruit as much as the next person, but I only need a few each week to keep me happy. Imagine my dismay when I got home from the grocery store the other day, with what I thought was a large bag of oranges, only to discover (after I had cut open the […]
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The Secret To Perfect Mashed Potatoes – the ultimate comfort food
Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. We all love them, don’t we? I get asked often for cooking tips, but when people taste my mashed potatoes, they always want to know my tip for making them. So…drum roll… Here we go: How to make the perfect mashed potatoes, step by step. For me, the ultimate […]
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Grapefruit Juice Ice Cubes
What could be better in a grapefruit based cocktail than these grapefruit ice cubes? What do you do when you have a huge bag of grapefruit that you thought were oranges? Why juice some of them and freeze the juice to use later, suggests a fan of the Gardening Cook on Facebook – Violet Roew. […]
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The Best of The Gardening Cook in 2013
January is always a time of reflection for me. I look back over the previous year – see what worked and what didn’t and make plans for the new year. Often the plans have to do with my weight. Alas, I always seem to have a new year’s resolution aimed at something to do with […]
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My Favorite DIY Flower Projects – Gardening Creativity
DIY Flower Projects for those who Love Gardening in any Form These DIY Flower Projects appeal to me because they are not your normal run of the mill cut paper flower. Most of those are cute but not very stylish looking to me. These projects take creativity to a whole new level. Some of them […]
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DIY Book Page Pumpkin
Today’s featured DIY post comes to use from Painted up Glam. Her project is easy and yet very cute and one that I’d love to see displayed. It would be suitable for either Halloween or Thanksgiving. Easy Book Page Pumpkin To make a book page pumpkin of your own you will need just a few […]
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Chinese Five Spice Powder – Make your Own DIY
Chinese Five Spice powder is often called for in recipes but can sometimes be hard to find at the store or you may have run out of it. No problem! Make your own. Chinese Five Spice Powder is Easy to make One of the great thing about making your own is that spices lose their […]
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Pumpkin Carving Ideas – 10 Carved Pumpkin Designs
Check out these 10 pumpkin carving ideas. Each year at this time, we seem to discover new and unusual ways to carve a pumpkin. And there are so many pumpkin types to choose from. Pumpkins that have been harvested at the right time have the best color and firmest rinds, and are perfect for carving. […]
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My Hydrangea Wreath Make Over
It’s time for my hydrangea wreath make over. The blooms have changed colors and they are perfect for a fall look. A couple of weeks ago, I did a tutorial on how to make a wreath from Hydrangea blossoms. When I made the wreath, it had color (sort of a green a burgundy color) with […]
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Fall Candle Holder – Popcorn Centerpiece for Autumn
This fall candle holderis quick and easy to put together and perfect decoration for Thanksgiving or autumn. One of my favorite things to do is make a craft, enjoy it for a while and take it apart and reuse the supplies, while adding new items for a different look. Part of the supplies for the […]
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Making Hydrangea wreaths – Photo Tutorial
Making hydrangea wreaths is a very easy project and costs so much less than a store bought wreath. Mine cost $6.99 and about an hour of my time, and I’ll be able to use the straw ring for another project later. Last year I showed you how to make hydrangea wreaths in this article. The […]
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How to Make a Floral Bow
Tutorial – How to Make a Floral Bow My experience has taught me that anything purchased in a florist shop is expensive and floral bows are no exception. Why pay retail prices when they are so easy to make? I use floral bows for hand made wreaths, garlands and also on all of my special […]
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Easy DIY Craft Projects to Brighten up Your Home
It is always fun to find easy DIY craft projects to brighten up the look of a home. When a home decor project is easy to do, takes very little time and still looks great, that is a win, win, win my book. Are you a crafter? I have been interested in crafting pretty much […]
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Creative Outdoor Lighting Ideas
These creative outdoor lighting ideas are not only functional, but beautiful as well. Sitting outside in the evening with friends is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. Lighting the setting is a must, since we don’t have much lighting on our deck. In the past, I have used hurricane lamps with […]
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Lenox Spice Jars – Cats of Distinction – A Collector’s Item
I have always loved cats, to the point where I even purchased a set of Lenox spice jars called “Cats of Distinction.” Anyone who looks on eBay, Ruby Lane, or other sites that sell vintage items will see old kitchen items that you may have used at some point being offered for sale. Today, I […]
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Best Organization Tips for the Home
These household organization tips show how to save space and have items ready when you are ready to use them. There is nothing like a well organized home – especially on Organize Your Home Day on January 14. Good organization makes every task just that little bit easier to accomplish and saves so much time. Keep […]
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Best Household Tips – Make your Home Run Smoothly
This is my latest group of best household tips to make your home run more smoothly and efficiently. I am an orderly person. Organization seems to be my middle name. I am always looking for tips to make things easier for me to manage at home. Some tips help to make your cleaning jobs easier. […]