Ghetto Garden Fabulous

My New Fig among the Daffodils

My house is an HUD house I bought as a veritable shell a decade ago. I have had to dedicate any money I had to serious repairs like putting in a heating system and erecting a front door.

I love to garden. However, my garden gets the least investment in terms of capital available. Nevertheless, I have turned it from hard packed clay with a scraggly lawn I had to mow to its present state.

I scavenged antique bricks from old house and we made a walk. Who wants a lawn to mow? Not me. I use fallen tree branches to make garden beds. I use chunks of cement. I scavenge fallen leaves that others bag up for compost.

I write a lot about garden design here. Even so, I did not realize quite what I was doing until my Daughter suggested I get some nicer paving stones on a trip to the garden store. I recoiled. And I was not sure why. I mean, I just spent $50.00 on new fig trees.

And then the light dawned. I like the scavenging. Saves money so I can indulge in fig trees. It is a challenge. I just did not know it was a design theme. I scavenged every single one of those Iris and in another few weeks they will be glorious. I have the Herbs in and my Blueberries are doing fine.

My garden theme is Ghetto Fabulous. Example is the old ladder. It is a bean tower. I think it will be beautiful. We shall see. God bless my Daughter. Eventually she will whip me into shape. One way or another. Kind of like my garden.

Adopt a Penguin

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Calling all Knitters. Sick Penguins need sweaters. Knit and purl, Darlings. 

For those wishing to donate a jumper, the island’s Penguin Foundation has created a handy knitting pattern guide. "Jumper" is Australian for sweater. 

If you cannot knit, send a bit of money. They probably need the gelt more than they need the jumpers. "Gelt" is Yiddish for money or treasure. Just my opinion. Money is always in good taste. 

If you love Penguins as much as I do, consider making a trip to see the Penquin Parade. Failing that, knitting a Penguin Sweater is a great way to pass knitting knowledge to a new generation and teach love of nature and geography. Get busy. Be Happy!

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1932 Rice Muffins

We have been making all sorts of muffins when snowed in and out of loaf bread. Recipe experimentation is dangerous. We added Cranberries to homemade Corn Muffins in a fit of foody fancy. The muffins were really good. And we have gone sort of muffin mad.

This recipe comes from Things You Have Always Wanted to Know About Cooking by Margaret Mitchell. The cookbook was published and printed in silver ink by The Aluminum Cooking Utensil Company in 1932. My particular copy was given away as a courtesy by Lit Brothers in Philadelphia.

I type the recipe verbatim. It makes a lovely muffin with an interesting crumb. Graphic Artists may find the illustrations and typefaces a pleasure to look at and utilize.

"Rice Muffins are among the best of their kind and are made thus: Sift together two and one half cups of flour, 5 teaspoons of baking powder, 3 tablespoons sugar, one half teaspoon of salt. Beat one egg and add one half cup of milk and three tablespoon of melted shortening, or oil, and stir into dry ingredients. Into one half cup of milk put one half cup of cold boiled rice, and stir well. Add to mixture, mix well and bake in an oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes."

Keep the Heating Bill Down

I repeat this article because it is COLD today in Philadelphia. These are a few simple steps to conserve heat and energy. I have a small house. If you have a large house, your savings could be substantial.

1. On a chilly day, walk around your home and check doors and windows for drafts. The easiest way to do this is to run a damp hand slowly around the openings and frame, hovering two or three inches away. When you feel cold air hitting your hand, you've found a draft! Apply weatherstripping to both sides of the opening, or caulk around the frame. Both steps might be necessary to stop all drafts.
    
2. Reconsider your window coverings. Up to 50% of your home's heat can go right out the window… literally! Of course, triple-pane storm windows do a better job of keeping heat indoors, but remember that all windows transfer heat. You can save energy by installing shades or shutters to lock that chill outside.
    
3. Your computer and peripherals consume a lot of energy, so turn them off when not in use. Even when turned off, like most appliances, computers and peripherals still sip away at your power. To turn them entirely off, connect the devices to a power strip so that after shut down, you can flip a switch to ensure they are truly off.
    
4. Upgrade your light bulbs. If you're still using standard incandescents, you're paying too much to the electric company. Start with the lights you use the most. Try a few different types to see what type works best for you. LEDs offer the most energy savings, but also cost the most. CFLs are fairly economical, but might not do well in dimmer fixtures and can take a few minutes to warm up. Halogens are an advanced type of incandescent that emit pretty white light and turn on immediately, but they are the least energy efficient of three. See the pros and cons.
    
5. Give your furnace a bit of TLC. Start by replacing the filters and replace them every four to six weeks during the winter. If you have exposed ducts, wrapping them in insulation will help, too. If it's been a few years since a service call, you might want to schedule an inspection to make sure your furnace is operating at peak efficiency.
    
6. Close off rarely used rooms. Close off any heater vents in the room and use a draft-blocker or even weatherstripping to seal out drafts.
    
7. Treat everybody in the house to new, cozy "evening" attire. A fresh set of warm slippers, cozy bathrobes and warm pajamas will help you and your family stay warm and toasty without adding a dime to your energy bill. With everyone warmed by their own body heat, you may even be able to drop the thermostat a degree or few!
    
8. Use your ceiling fan. In the chilly months of winter, a ceiling fan set to draw air up will help circulate heat that gathers on your ceiling. For most fans, you'll find the direction control on the base, and clockwise is usually the correct direction to draw air up from the floor.
    
9. Use a portable heater. You could set your furnace to a lower temperature to prevent your home from feeling like an icebox, and use portable heaters to make up the difference in whatever room you're currently using. Try to find a heater with enough power to warm the largest room in your home.
    
10. Let the sunshine in. Even though it might not feel like it through the chilly air, the sun's rays beaming through your windows will help warm your home for free. Plus, it'll help to keep the winter blues away and brighten your home! Once the sun goes away, cover your windows with energy-efficient shades, drapes or shutters to retain the heat.