Herb-Infused Vinegar
Herb gardens are wonderful for cooking delicious meals, making DIY beauty treatments, and even natural household cleaners. One of our new favorite uses are homemade vinegars!
You’ll need:
- 2 cups wine, rice, or apple cider vinegar
- 5 sprigs of lightly crushed herbs (you can choose from oregano, rosemary, tarragon or thyme)
- For an extra kick, you can add 1 small fresh chile and 1 clove of garlic
- Jar with tight-fitting lid
To make:
Add herbs and vinegar to your jar and let it sit to infuse for 5-6 days. This will allow your flavors to blend. Strain your vinegar with a fine mesh sieve into a bottle of your choice. Feel free to add a sprig of herbs and a few chiles and garlic cloves to make it fancy. Store in the refrigerator.
Visit us on Pinterest for more tasty recipes!
Grow-Your-Own Pizza Garden
Pizza is delicious. Crispy crust, gooey cheese, and whatever toppings your heart desires. Make that pizza taste even better (and better even better for you) with fresh ingredients straight from your pizza garden!
What you’ll need:
- 4×4 garden bed (you can also use containers if you require mobility)
- Raised bed soil
- 1 Greek oregano
- 1 Sweet basil
- 1 Spicy Globe basil
- 2 Italian Parsley
- 1 Rosemary
- 22 Onions (you can use whichever onions you prefer for pizza)
- 1 Roma tomato (with cage)
- 1 Banana pepper (with cage)
- 1 Green Bell pepper (with cage)
Be sure to set up your garden in an area that gets enough sun (tomatoes and peppers thrive in full sun). Follow spacing on the plant labels. If the weather cools back down after you’ve planted your veggies (sometimes weather is unpredictable), simply place a terracotta pot over it to shield it from light frosts. Just remember to remove it after the weather warms up so that your plants get the sunlight they need.
Have fun and enjoy!
Visit our blog for more gardening tips and tricks!
Decorating Pumpkins
Painting pumpkins instead of carving them has tons of perks. Painted pumpkins last longer than carved ones. You don’t have to worry about your little ones and sharp carving tools. Also, you can be as creative as you want to be with glitter, stickers, or whatever else your inner Picasso desires!
Pick a Pumpkin
The perfect painting pumpkin has a smooth, even surface. Be sure to choose one without bruises, scratches, and lumps. Unless lumpy is the look you’re going for. Good pumpkin varieties for painting include Baby Pam, Sugar Pie, Lumina, or Cotton Candy. Pick up some awesome ones at Back Home at the Farm!
Clean Your Pumpkin
Use a damp cloth or paper towel to gently remove the dirt and grime from your pumpkin. Avoid using items like rough scrubbing pads as this can damage your pumpkin’s skin and bruise it. Use a soft cloth to thoroughly dry your pumpkin and be sure to keep the stem area dry. A wet stem or blossom (the bottom of your pumpkin) can cause your pumpkin to rot.
Get Artsy
When it comes to pumpkin painting, the design options are limitless! Stencils and stickers are easy options for younger kids while older painters might like to take on more intricate designs.
Pumpkin Painting Tools
Acrylic paint is a great option for painting pumpkins as it dries quickly and allows you to paint over the first layer in a short time period. Go-to painting tools include cheap paint brushes, cotton swabs, sponges, and cotton balls. A damp cloth works great for wiping away any mistakes.
Decorate!
Make your pumpkin shine with fun embellishments like glitter, sequins, pom poms, or rhinestones. Add googly eyes to create faces! Incorporate glow-in-the-dark paint to make your pumpkin stand out at night!
Visit us on Pinterest for fun design ideas!
