Taking care of clutter
Recycling the basics is in many homes part of the weekly routine of a running household. The paper, plastic, glass and aluminum bins fill up and every so often you take them to the nearest cluster of igloos or colored dumpsters and you’re reset for the next round. But...
Go with your ‘gut’ and eat cranberries and blueberries
Many people know of the healing role of cranberries and cranberry juice when it comes to human male and female urinary tract infections, but, according to Dr. Amy Howell, a research scientist and nutraceuticals specialist at Rutgers’ Marucci Center for Blueberry...
The new year is an open page: You’re the author
It is that time of year again. No sooner than the clock strikes 12 at midnight on New Year’s Eve than we begin to plan our resolutions: We sign up at the YMCA, local gym or exercise group; we dump all the cookies, cakes and snacks; we start that book on self-help. By...
Stitching together the fabrics of life
Carrie Elzey can’t remember a time she didn’t love stitching fabric together. It never mattered to her whether the material was the finest or fanciest. What excited her most was the leftover scraps, the bits and pieces destined to be discarded. Her boundless joy in...
Exit ahead: Simplify your busy life with meditation
We are always moving ... going ... doing. From the moment our feet hit the floor after waking to a screaming alarm we are already fighting against our brain. Even before our day has started we have forced our body to unnaturally wake up going against its normal...
Learn to think outside the branch
By Charlene Marcum For many, the fondest Christmas memories are made going to the tree farm with my family and selecting our Christmas tree. The smell of freshly cut fir, spruce and pine evergreens and the selection process for “the perfect tree” heralds in the...
Use a smart strategy when making your resolutions list
by Emily Brockbrader “Lose weight.” ... “Eat healthier.” ... “Become more organized.” ... “This is the year of ME.” Sound familiar? As the holiday season looms, many of us take the time to look back on 2017 and re-evaluate some life choices. All the things you had...
A new haven for honeybees
By Carol Kinsley In 2009, Chris and Carrie Jennings purchased five acres of former cornfield in Cordova, Md., just 10 minutes from Easton. Chris, a cabinet maker, built a beautiful home there. “There were three trees on the property,” noted Carrie, who has a degree...
Learn to allergy-proof holiday desserts, deliciously
By Debra R. Messick Feeding those we love with sweet holiday treats often involves equal measures of stress and bliss. Bustling to shop for ingredients, mixing, then baking sometimes drains our last ounce of energy when we’re most pressed for time. But the heavenly...
Perennial poinsettias possible!
By Debra R. Messick Like many people, I once believed poinsettias were preordained to last only as long the Christmas season. A few hardy specimens might linger briefly into the new year, but once the holidays were gone, so too were the iconic flowers identified with...
‘Friendsgiving’ a trending hit
by Sean Clougherty Friendships are often one of the things we’re most thankful for when asked so it’s somewhat ironic that getting together with friends can be a tall task during Thanksgiving. That is, unless you plan for it. “Friendsgivings” as they’re called — set...
Consider making your Thanksgiving feast a brunch
by Charlene Marcum; Photos by Frank Caramanica Agonizing over the exhaustion of spending a week preparing a Thanksgiving dinner that is eaten in 30 minutes? Join the movement away from the traditional Thanksgiving table this holiday season and serve a decadent brunch...
Watercolor painting: It’s not just for children any more
by Leslie Milby Photos courtesy of Hillary Parker When most people think of watercolor, it may be hard for them to shake the notion of the kiddie version where it seemed like all you made was colored water flow across your page in a puddle — not a method of making a...
Decoy fans can run afowl at festival
by Leslie Milby As the honking becomes louder and more frequent in the Eastern Shore fields and treelines outside, we know three things: The geese are migrating, many ladies are getting ready to become “hunting widows,” and decoys are about to come out of hibernation....
Purple power packs punch
by Sean Clougherty According the Garden Media Group’s annual Garden Trends Report, purple foods and plants are going to be on the rise on your plates and in your landscape. Purple cauliflower, potatoes, berries and corn are projected to be favorites amongst discerning...
Stock food supply with staying power
by Leslie Milby Storage crops are great for “squirreling” away food for winter. Many fall harvested veggies — such as beets, squash, turnips and pumpkins, as well as apples, pears and other fruits — fit into this category as they will last a few months when stored...
It’s time to prepare your home, hearth for winter
by Charlene Marcum As the colors of fall blow away with the incoming winter wind, it is time to prepare our homes, lawn and vehicles for winter. A few preventative steps will yield a bounty of benefits and a big reduction in winter woes. Winterizing Your House • Clean...
Mighty Monarchs
Fall is when princely butterflies migrate to Mexico If there ever was a fair weathered friend, it is the Monarch Butterfly. You might have noticed a lot of them out and about in mid-to late-September or so and as the weather gets cooler, but after that,...
Mid-Century Classic design writes itself a comeback
The term “modern” is often confused with mid century design. A more accurate term for current design would be contemporary. What is referred to now as mid century classic is actually based on a design movement at the beginning of the 20th century....
Before you bring those potted plants indoors …
October weather can waver from late-season warm breezes to blustery blasts. But as temperatures uctuate, crucial daylight plants depend on is irrevocably waning, and winter, waiting in the wings, prepares to make its decisive entrance, when it freezes...
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Treats (pumpkins)
Ingredients • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour • 2 eggs • 1 1/4 c canned pumpkin • quarter-cup peanut butter • half-teaspoon cinnamon • quarter-cup water Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a silicone muffin pan or grease and our a metal muffin pan....
