The garden is officially planted and it was definitely a family affair! It took us several hours on Sunday afternoon to complete but I am so excited to have it finished.
The garden spot is in the middle of the rye which has been planted as a cover crop – to hold the soil from blowing and to prevent the soil from washing. A while back, John laid irrigation drip tape (underground) where we wanted the rows to be. Last week a friend shredded the rye for us so, all that was left was to prepare the rows. First, using a tractor, John broke the rows which are 200 ft long.
We then smoothed the rows with rakes and made furrows. For the beans, peas and corn, we planted double rows – one on either side of the drip tape.
The tomatoes, squashes (summer yellow, zucchini, butternut and pumpkins) peppers (bell and jalapeños), cucumbers, watermelons and cantaloupes were planted in single rows. I will be adding some more tomato plants as well as some zinnias (they make such pretty cut flowers for the table and are so easy to grow!).
We have had a lot of rain this year so far and the ground is still quite moist. To help the seeds get started, we placed a soaker hose in the row to add more water. Now, we pray, wait and watch!
Below is a picture of the finished garden. You might wonder why we have all the buckets and milk cartons out in the garden. They are used to protect young plants from the west Texas wind! The buckets are protecting the peppers and eggplants. They will be left on for the duration of the summer. The milk cartons (blue) are protecting the tomato plants. Once we put up the trellising and the plants reach it and are taped to it for support, we will remove the cartons. 
Irregular Apron Sale – $12.99, while supplies last .
No one is perfect. Sometimes people make mistakes. Now, while supplies last, you can benefit from Flirty Aprons irregulars!
Flirty aprons go through rigorous quality inspection – most flaws are minimal and difficult to notice. Some common irregularities include: restitching, loose seams & pockets, and minor print flaws.
Hurry! – $12.99, while supplies last.
This Giveaway is Now Closed. Thank you all for participating!
Congratulations: #87 Chelle
Tropical Traditions, a name trusted to provide quality Coconut Oil, also has high quality, certified USDA organic, palm oil. Palm Oil is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with most of the unsaturated fat being monounsaturated fat. Palm shortening is palm oil that has some of its unsaturated fats removed, giving it a very firm texture, and high melting point. It is NOT hydrogenised, and contains NO trans fats! It is great for deep-fat frying and baking, and is not prone to rancidity. Since it has been separated from some of the unsaturated portion of the oil, it is colorless and odorless, and will not affect the taste of foods like Virgin Palm Oil does.
Palm oil is not widely used any longer in the US but is the most heavily consumed dietary oil in the world after soybean oil. Most of the world’s soybean oil is consumed in the US.
“Palm oil traditionally has been used for baking, shortenings, margarines and deep fat frying, as it is shelf stable with a high melting point and does NOT require hydrogenation. Therefore, it contains no trans fatty acids. Saturated fats, such as tropical oils like palm and coconut, as well as butter, have traditionally been considered healthy fats and oils. In modern history, commercial interests have condemned saturated fats and replaced them in the American diet with polyunsaturated fats that are hydrogenised and contain trans fatty acids, which most people now consider harmful. These trans fatty acids were banned in some European countries as early as 2004, and food label laws in the US just forced manufacturers to list trans fats in their products last year. Some cities in the US are now banning trans fats in restaurants as well.”
I am enjoying using the Tropical Traditions Palm Shortening in our whole wheat biscuits. While the shortening itself has no taste, it seems to accentuate the nutty flavor of the fresh ground whole wheat flour. They have great recipes at FreeCoconutRecipes.com
You May Purchase It! At Tropical Traditions.com you may purchase 1 gallon for $35.75.
You May Win It! I am pleased to offer one Dimes2Vines readers a gallon of Palm Shortening! This giveaway will end on May 29, 2010 at 11:59pm CST and is open to all US residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure to leave contact information.
***Please remember to leave a comment for each of the following entries.
***If you already follow Dimes2Vines via RSS, Email, Twitter and/or Facebook - Leave a comment letting me know as your entry.
Mandatory Entry: Subscribe to Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter.
Extra Entries:
**Visit Tropical Traditions and leave a comment letting me know which other product you would like to try..
**Follow Dimes2Vines via RSS feed or email.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Twitter.
**Tweet about this Giveaway and leave a link.
**Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter.
**Become a fan of Dimes2Vines on Facebook.
**Mention this Giveaway on Facebook.
**Become a fan of Tropical Traditions on Facebook.
** Enter my other giveaway.
**Comment on a non-giveaway post and leave a comment here telling which one.
The prize will be shipped direct from the sponsor of the giveaway. Dimes2Vines is not responsible for shipping or lost/damaged prizes.
Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
This Giveaway is Now Closed.
Congratulations: Jason, #49
Mandatory Entry Question - According to the book, how often do men’s fashions change? Answer: Every few centuries. Before the modern era, men’s and women’s fashions changed with similar frequency. The tailored man’s suit emerged in the 19th century and has changed very little since then.
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101 Things I Learned in Fashion School is a book written by Alfredo Cabrera. Alfredo is a fashion designer, teacher and illustrator who has taught and served as critic at Parsons The New School for Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute and the Altos de Chavon School of Design.
The world of fashion is brought to vivid life with 101 introductory lessons on such topics as how a designer anticipates cultural trends and “sees” the fashion consumer, the workings of the fashion calendar, the ways a designer collection is conceived, the manufacture of fabric, fashion illustration, and more.
Some of the interesting tips I learned include the fact that satin is a weave, not a fabric, taking measurements with ease, why jeans have maintained there appeal and who does what in the fashion industry – from the fashion designer to the sample-hand and machine operator.
You May Purchase It! 101Things I Learned in Fashion School may be purchased at local bookstores for $15-$18.
You May Win It! I am pleased to offer one Dimes2Vines readers a copy of 101 Things I Learned in Fashion School. This giveaway will end on May 29, 2010 at 11:59pm CST and is open to all US residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure to leave contact information.
***Please remember to leave a comment for each of the following entries.
***If you already follow Dimes2Vines via RSS, Email, Twitter and/or Facebook - Leave a comment letting me know as your entry.
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me how often (you think) men’s fashions change if women’s change every day. I will post the answer when I post the winner!
Extra Entries:
**Follow Dimes2Vines via RSS feed or email.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Twitter.
**Tweet about this Giveaway and leave a link.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Facebook.
**Mention this Giveaway on Facebook.
** Enter my other giveaway.
**Comment on a non-giveaway post and leave a comment here telling which one.
The prize will be shipped direct from the sponsor of the giveaway. Dimes2Vines is not responsible for shipping or lost/damaged prizes.
I received a copy of 101 Things I Learned in Fashion School for review but no other compensation was received. The opinions expressed are my own. A special thanks to the Product Review Place for this opportunity.
As you might imagine, with our size family and having pancakes almost every morning, we use a lot of syrup! Here is a recipe I found and use consistently with everyone’s approval. Unfortunately, I do not remember where the original recipe came from. I have saved two syrup containers (1 gallon each) and make enough to fill both at one time. It is easy, tasty and economical to make. The first recipe gives the amounts to make approximately one quart of syrup. The next amounts are my scaled-up recipe I use to fill two, one gallon containers.
Pancake Syrup
Small Batch (1 qt.):
- 2 c. warm tap water
- 4 c. sugar
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1-1/2 tsp maple flavoring
- 1/4 tsp butter flavoring (optional but very good!)
Large 2 gallon batch:
- 16 c. warm tap water
- 32 c. sugar
- 1 c. molasses
- 1 bottle maple flavoring
- 2 Tbsp butter flavoring
In a three-quart saucepan (for small batch) or a three gallon stock pot (for large batch) combine the water, sugar and molasses. Put the pan on the stove over medium heat. Stir frequently until the syrup comes to a rolling boil. Watch the syrup carefully because it tends to foam and will boil over if your pan is too small. If this starts to happen, remove the pan from the heat and turn the heat down.
After the syrup boils, cover the pot and simmer it for ten minutes over low heat. Do not stir it for this ten minutes. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool. Stir in the maple flavoring (and butter flavoring). Store the syrup in a clean appropriately sized bottle or jar. I use a funnel when pouring to avoid a mess.
For those of you who made New Year’s Resolutions to exercise more and to get in shape – how are you doing? Unfortunately, I have hurt my back and have had to cease my strenuous exercise. The girls, however, are faithfully continuing with the Chalean Extreme from Beachbody. I was able to finish going through the three circuits a second time and had begun the maintenance phase which involves mixing all three circuits together for added muscle confusion.
In Staying Fit – The Never Ending Battle, I gave a detailed review of the Chalean Extreme.  I look forward to picking back up with a complete exercise program – I miss the “happy hormones” (endorphins) that regular exercise releases! For now, though, I must be content with walking as permitted and stretching.
Hopefully, it will not be too long and I will be back to normal! I am looking forward to trying some of BeachBodies other programs such as the P90X, the 10 Minute Trainer and Hip Hop Abs.
What does 5:00 mean to you? To our chickens it means, time to get out of the chicken yard and out into the open range!
As you probably already know, Mother’s Day is May 9 – this Sunday! It is not to late to order that special Mom an extra special gift from Stella & Dot!
Hurry! Ordering deadlines to receive items in time for her special day are:
Wednesday, May5 – order by 11AM – 2 day FedEx
Thursday, May6 – order by 11 AM – FedEx Overnight
Don’t forget to enter my Flirty Aprons Giveaway for a free apron of your choice! But, if you just cannot wait, FlirtyAprons.com has released a 40% off coupon code just in time for Mother’s Day! There is still plenty of time to order – any orders placed by 2pm EST will be shipped the next business day. These aprons are absolutely beautiful and while they may not help your culinary skill they sure make you feel better while in the kitchen!
Use code: FA-4110
This code expires may 12, 2010.
This Giveaway is Now Closed! Thank you for participating.
Congratulations: #28 Margie!
Squiggle On-The-Go by Random Line. Have you ever heard of it? I had not until … I had this review/ giveaway opportunity. RandomLine creates mind-exercising games and activity pads that encourage children, as well as, adults to be creative.
What is a Squiggle? A squiggle is a random line – squiggly, wiggly or wavy – the start of something. The object is to transform the squiggly line, using your imagination, into the shape determined by the spin of the wheel.
My children love it! It is like a doodling pad in the form of a game! We were sent a Barnyard Squiggle pad but they also carry an Ocean, Outdoors, Safari, Bugs and many other On-The-Go Pads. They even have an educational series which includes the alphabet, shapes and colors. There is a Squiggle On-The-Go Pad to interest all children (and adults).
Squiggle On-The-Go is a pad of paper with a different squiggly line on each piece of paper. The pad is backed with a colorful cardboard backing that contains a pencil and a wheel to spin, which tells you what to draw. The wheel for the Barnyard On-The-Go has different animals on it. While it is designed for ages 4 and up, I found it more appropriate for ages 7 and up. (Little boys just must not be quite as creative as little girls!). Actually, in our family, my husband is better at it than the rest of us! 
You May Purchase It! At RandomLine.com you may purchase the Squiggle On-The-Go Pads for $4.99-$14.99. You can also find a store near you under the “Where to Buy” tab.
You May Win It! I am pleased to offer one Dimes2Vines reader a Squiggle On-The-Go Pad of your choice! This giveaway will end on May 15, 2010 at 11:59pm CST and is open to all US residents. The winner will be selected by random.org, posted here and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hrs to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure to leave contact information.
***Please remember to leave a comment for each of the following entries.
***If you already follow Dimes2Vines via RSS, Email, Twitter and/or Facebook - Leave a comment letting me know as your entry.
Mandatory Entry: Visit RandomLine.com and play one of the online demos (located next to the buy buttons on each page) – Leave a comment letting me know which you played.
Extra Entries:
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Facebook.
**Follow RandomLine on Facebook.
**Follow Dimes2Vines via RSS feed or email.
**Follow Dimes2Vines on Twitter.
**Follow RandomLine on Twitter.
**Tweet about this Giveaway and leave a link.
**Mention this Giveaway on Facebook.
The prize will be shipped direct from the sponsor of the giveaway. Dimes2Vines is not responsible for shipping or lost/damaged prizes.
I received a Barnyard Squiggle On-The-Go Pad for review but no other compensation was received. The opinions expressed are my own.
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About Me 
God has amazingly blessed me, Dina-Marie, with a wonderful husband and 10 beautiful children. Moving from our "secure" life in Alabama to the "exciting" life of starting a vineyard in west Texas has been challenging to say the least. I have had the opportunity to take a crash course in frugal living and become a real farm girl - complete with milk cow and chickens. I have learned the importance of health from the inside out, "traditional" cooking and cod liver oil!
I hope to encourage you to make the most of where you are and what you have. |
