Vel's Place: 2012

Friday, December 14, 2012

Seed Pots

I tried my hand at making the paper seed pots today. Started out with using toliet paper rolls and after running out of empty ones I rolled some paper on a veggie can and continued making more. Soooo easy.....

These are the toliet paper rolls in their own little "greenhouse" (thanks to a to-go salad ). I have some romaine lettuce seeds I 'm gonna plant in these & then transfer into something bigger later.

I used printer and notebook paper to make these. Had some old paperwork I was gonna shred but this worked out better. I used a veggie can to roll them on.

And here they are in their own lil "greenhouse"

I'm gonna plant herb seeds in these and transplant them into pots later. Basil, rosemary, cilantro, oregano, and peppermint.....gotta love it!!!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Gardening Tips for the Southeast Region for December

"In some southern areas, you can still plant cool-season vegetables, such as beets, broccoli, cabbage, onions, and carrots......" 2012 Farmer's Almanac....click here for full article Pin It

Slow Cooker Melted Chocolate

Source: theyummylife.com via Vel on Pinterest

DIY Cold Frame

Source: ourhappyacres.com via Vel on Pinterest

Growing vegetables in winter

Source: suburbantrip.wordpress.com via Vel on Pinterest

DIY Bird Feeders

Source: saltwater-kids.com via Rechelle on Pinterest

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

No Dig Lasagna Garden

Love this video!!!

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Using fruit to start your seedlings

Source: justpinitblogs1.blogspot.com via Jane on Pinterest

Use a lemon, orange or a grapefruit to start your seedlings. Plant the entire thing in the ground and the peels will compost directly into the soil to nourish the plants as they grow.. Pin It

Growing Garlic Indoors in Containers

Learn how to grow garlic indoors in a can or other container:

http://containergardening.about.com/od/vegetablesandherbs/ss/Growing-Garlic-Indoors-In-Containers.htm

Onion Recycling Tutorial

How to recycle onions:

http://mybyrdhouse.blogspot.com/2008/05/onion-recycling-tutorial.html

Onion 4

Convertible Greenhouse

Convertible Greenhouse
http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/11/convertible-greenhouse.html

Photo: Convertible Greenhouse
http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/11/convertible-greenhouse.html

Foods you can regrow from scraps

Regrow food from scraps

15 Foods You Can Regrow From Scraps http://is.gd/E77Ifv
If you’re really interested in this kind of kitchen food experimentation, you’ll want to get this book - Grow it, Don’t Throw It!: 68 Windowsill Plants from Kitchen Scraps: http://amzn.to/TA9DD4

Photo: 15 Foods You Can Regrow From Scraps http://is.gd/E77Ifv
If you’re really interested in this kind of kitchen food experimentation, you’ll want to get this book - Grow it, Don’t Throw It!: 68 Windowsill Plants from Kitchen Scraps: http://amzn.to/TA9DD4

Blender Butter

Blender Butter

How to Make Blender Butter: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/11/how-to-make-blender-butter.html

Photo: How to Make Blender Butter: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/11/how-to-make-blender-butter.html

Homemade poptarts

Homemade poptarts

12 Homemade Pop Tarts Recipes With Great Pictures

http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/08/12-homemade-pop-tarts-recipe-with-great.html

Photo: 12 Homemade Pop Tarts Recipes With Great Pictures

http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/08/12-homemade-pop-tarts-recipe-with-great.html

Soda bottle carrots

Soda bottle carrots

http://www.smallkitchengarden.net/small-kitchen-garden/soda-bottle-carrots-a-very-small-kitchen-garden

Soda Bottle Carrots: a Very Small Kitchen Garden | Your Small Kitchen Garden

www.smallkitchengarden.net

Pallet gardening

This is where I got the idea to do my pallet garden

Pallet gardening

http://containergardening.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/pallet-gardening-st-lucas-institute-ghent-willem-van-cotthem/

Pallet gardening (St. Lucas Institute Ghent / Willem Van Cotthem)

containergardening.wordpress.com

Start Your Seeds in Newspaper Pots

Here’s a satisfying little project that’s quick and easy, and fun to share with kids. The only supplies you’ll need are a bunch of newspaper, a smooth dowel about 6” in diameter to form the pot, and some potting soil.

http://www.growandmake.com/newspaper-pots

Tomatoes growing in straw bales

Tomatoes growing in straw bales:

http://www.cleveland.com/insideout/index.ssf/2012/04/straw-bale_gardening_lets_you.html

Photo: Tomatoes growing in straw bales:

http://www.cleveland.com/insideout/index.ssf/2012/04/straw-bale_gardening_lets_you.html

Straw bale garden tutorial with pics

Straw bale garden tutorial with pics:

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/straw_bale_garden.htm

STRAW BALE GARDEN

www.lensgarden.com.au

Lens Garden Page, assistance given with Permaculture Gardening, organic raised bed gardening & Straw Bale Gardening, Organic Gardening, organic farming gardening permaculture, organic gardening compost, eco' homes, environmental homes

DIY Seed Heat Mats

Source: vegetablegardener.com via Vel on Pinterest

Interesting Raised Bed

Source: dirtdujour.com via Vel on Pinterest

My Pallet Veggie Bed

My backyard was loaded with fallen leaves & last weekend was perfect "weather-wise" to start raking em up (well, actually I used the blower). After a few loads I remembered I had my son's push mower in the shed and it had a mulcher with bag on it. My grandson stepped in and finnished mulching with it. I managed to fill the chicken pen with alot of them. Honestly, they are the best "composters" around. I throw some hay on top and kitchen scraps and feed so they can dig & scratch and eat & poop & compost. I had a few old pallets laying around and decided to go ahead & get my bed started. Laid down a big ole cardbox box under the first one and placed pallets on top, bottom side up. I used feed bags under the second one. Then filled with the leaves. Will gradually add the composted "dirt" from the chicken pen and some rabbit poo from under the rabbit hutches, water and wait for Spring to do my planting.

Straw Bale Raised Garden

Now this is a good idea and much cheaper & easier to do than most raised beds I've seen.

Source: grow-your-own-vegetable-garden.com via Vel on Pinterest

Straw Bale Gardening

I'm really liking this type of gardening.

Source: everydayfinesse.blogspot.com via Vel on Pinterest

Friday, December 7, 2012

My chickens

I've been letting them out into the yard for awhile or until they start wandering off to the neighbors. They just love getting out of the pen. Wish I could fence in my whole backyard and let them free-range. Maybe one day....hmmmm.

Pizza Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 batch pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup sliced pepperoni
...

Additional toppings of your choice

Directions:
On a floured surface, roll your pizza dough out into a large rectangle. Top with sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Using a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut the dough into long strips, then into squares, so you end up with about 20 squares. Stack the squares onto of each other, and stack into a greased loaf pan. (For pictures of this technique, check out how I did it with this cinnamon pull-apart bread). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow to raise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Baked for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Allow to pizza to rest for 10 minutes before turning onto a serving platter. Serve with additional pizza sauce, if desired.

Thanks to The Urban Hippie Chick for posting this on her Facebook page.

Tall raised garden beds

Tall raised garden beds

I found this on Pinterest. This is perfect for me and I love the fact that it can be made in any size or shape. What I want to do is made it square with a chicken run from the main chicken pen. Can add fence to the inside top and have an extended chicken yard on the inside and fresh veggies in the pallet beds around the outside.....cool, huh??

Source: youtube.com via Vel on Pinterest

Potato Towers

Potato Towers

I've found some really neat stuff in the past few months. I'm going to start with the potato towers since I actually got 3 of them made and set up in my flower bed. Check them out here.

My version of the Potato Towers:

I had some pieces of what I call dog wire (fencing) that my daughter gave me. It was a little twisted & bent but I straightened it out the best I could and cut it into sections. I'm thinking about cutting down the height some but will do that later.

I cut the wire about halfway so there would be enough to twist em back around and connect the ends.

Ta-Da.....almost like hand-sewing. That would be my nosey chickens in the background. They had to come out and check what I was doing.

And here they are in my flower bed. I put newspapers in the bottom and will fill with leaves, coffee grounds, chicken/rabbit poo and hay through out the winter so they'll be ready for planting the potatoes come Spring.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Moss Lettuce Basket

Wire and moss basket of lettuce

Now let's see the rabbits eat this!!

http://rainyside.com/container/MossLettuceBasket.html

Sassie...RIP :(

Well my day got off to a sad start this morning. Somebody hit & killed my sweet Sassie with a vehicle. I found her beside the road when I went to check the mail. We live on a short dead-end street and you'd think.....well.....I'm gonna miss my lil buddy :( I buried her in the flower bed at the back of the house & prettied-up her grave

Photo: Somebody hit & killed my sweet Sassie with a vehicle this morning. We live on a short dead-end street and you'd think.....well.....I'm gonna miss my lil buddy :( I buried her in the flower bed at the back of the house & prettied-up her grave.
make your own on Muzy.com: http://muzy.com/l/4ifrwfwl

Photo: Somebody hit & killed my sweet Sassie with a vehicle this morning. We live on a short dead-end street and you'd think.....well.....I'm gonna miss my lil buddy :( I buried her in the flower bed at the back of the house & prettied-up her grave.
make your own on Muzy.com: http://muzy.com/l/4ifrwfwl

Reversible Sling Bag Tutorial

reversible_sling_bag

Get the FREE pattern & tutorial here

Recycled Cake Plate Stand

I have some pretty butterfly plates that I'm going to use for this project.

Tutorial here

Pallet Chair & Stool

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Tutorial for the chair & stool on this link:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Pallet-Table-and-Chair/

Potato chip pencil case

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This is such a cool recycling project.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Potato-chip-bag-pencil-case/

Upcycle bbq grill into a smoker

I don't know why I haven't thought to do this with my grill.

http://biscuitsoftoday.com/2012/03/02/smoking-meat-without-fear-or-gear/

Upcycle Christmas Tins

Photo: Upcycle Old Cookie Tins Into Useful Pantry Organizer DIY ---- Cute Vintage Labels

http://homesteadsurvival.blogspot.com/2012/07/upcycle-old-cookie-tins-into-useful.html

Upcycle Christmas tins into handy organizers. For directions click on the link http://fromthetortoiseandthehare.blogspot.com/2011/01/diy-vintage-tins.html

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File Cabinet into Kitchen Island

Photo: File this away as food for thought. Turn that seldom used file cabinet into a rolling island. Tuck recipes inside the cabinet and add a nice butcher block top or a piece of corresponding granite/Silestone for the top. You get the picture, file it away.

This is a really neat recycling idea for the kitchen. Click on the link for tutorial & pictures http://www.curbly.com/users/chrisjob/posts/11145-make-a-rolling-kitchen-cart-from-an-old-filing-cabinet

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