Month: February 2018
Family-focused foods: Hearty meals to bring the family together
Feb 1, 2018 | Recipes |
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Read MoreFebruary can be mysterious
Feb 1, 2018 | Ken Morgan, Ken-do |
February is a month where the weather can vary widely. Even though it may still be cold, damp, snowy and sometimes miserable outdoors, occasionally Mother Nature will bless us with a day or two of sunshine, which inspires us to go outside and work in the yard. Pruning and clean-up are always important jobs for February. Remember, protecting your landscape from hungry deer is critical this month. Be sure to apply a repellant to make your plants less desirable. Regardless of what the groundhog says, spring is still more than six weeks away from Feb. 2. Week One • Keep the water flowing or provide a heated birdbath for the birds during these wintery days. Placing a few small rocks around the rim of the birdbath will allow the birds to drink without freezing their feet. • Check bird feeders and refill them often during the winter, always remember to dispose of damp or spoiled seed. Week Two • When watering house plants be sure to rotate pots a half-turn every other week. This exposes foliage to improved light conditions and will eliminate bending of stalks and foliage to the light source. • Use a pH meter to test soil of your indoor houseplants. Most houseplants like a pH range of 6.0 to 6.5. Use lime to raise pH and Espoma Soil Acidifier to lower pH. Week Three •...
Read MorePrepare for meals in advance
Feb 1, 2018 | Kristine George, Sweet Simplicity |
It’s Tuesday evening, I am running late coming home from work and errands and suddenly realize that I have absolutely no idea what I will be feeding my family tonight. I ponder what’s available in the fridge and pantry and make an immediate beeline for the closest drive-through or pizza place. Sound familiar? While these kinds of detours are inevitable and OK once in a while, they can really wreak havoc on your family budget and waistline, right? When it comes to taking care of the needs of my family, the one area I always feel like I need to always stay six steps ahead of is my meal. When I meal-plan — and sometimes meal-prep — before the beginning of the work and school week, I find that everything else seems to fall into place. When we have a plan for dinner, my family of perpetual dawdlers and procrastinators magically finds a way to stay on schedule for the rest of that evening’s activities. Since most of us are slightly addicted to the convenience of having a Smartphone, I am going to advocate putting it to use for your meal-planning prowess. While there are a ton of recipes and meal-planning apps out there, not all of them are created equal. One of my favorites is called Pepperplate and it is available both online and for your Smartphone. You...
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Upcoming Events
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74th Annual National Outdoor Show
February 22 - February 23 -
Designer Purse Bingo
February 24 @ 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm -
Crawfish Boil & Muskrat Stew Fest
February 24 @ 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm -
Botanical Artist Charlotte Heath
February 26 @ 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm