1. The $64 dollar tomato dilemma.

Far from being frugal, gardening can easily turn into a money pit. Buying plants, buying soils, buying tools and seeking ideal produce can quickly turn your frugal goals inside out. We advise keeping your expectations low and being very strict about how much you will allow yourself to spend.

2. Growing what is cheaper to buy.

Carrots are finicky to grow and dirt cheap at the store. Potatoes are easy to grow but take up a lot of space and cost mere pennies to purchase. Think through each vegetable’s store-cost before taking the time and spending money on plants or seeds.

3. Growing what you will not eat.

Maybe you think that you should eat more squash but if you don’t like it now, it is highly doubtful that you will suddenly love it in three months. Improving one’s diet is a good goal but spending a lot of time weeding and watering is unlikely to endear a vegetable to you. Maybe trying growing one thing that you think you can develop a taste for, but don’t grow much of it and be patient with yourself and your family.

This is the first year I have grown a garden. My mother gardened when I was young (and I developed an abiding disgust for it) and as an adult I’ve avoided it assiduously. It made sense though to spend some effort on it this year when money was tight and I was home all the time.

We built a medium-sized raised bed out of materials we had on hand, bought a yard of topsoil and about 4 cubic feet of compost. We also bought eight packets of seeds and four plants on a two-for-one sale. Our total expenditure was about $35.

We love zucchini bread so I planted two hills of zucchini plants. I’m the only one that likes tomatoes so I only bought one regular plant and one cherry tomato plant. We love fresh herbs (and they tend to be expensive) so I bought a basil and an oregano plant and planted thyme, parsley and chives. Lettuce is easy to grow and fresh salad is marvelous so I also planted lettuce, arugula and spinach. Until the nights are a bit warmer I am covering my tomato and herb plants with cut-open milk jugs.

If we get a dozen salads, some zucchini bread and fresh herbs for a few dishes then we will have “paid” for our monetary investment but the gardening wouldn’t be worth the time if I wasn’t home full-time already.

Get busy! Planting season is well underway!

Be Kind, Rewind (2008)

A movie about the magic that is the movies…

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Comedy/Drama

The gist: Mike (Mos Def) works for Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) at the Be Kind Rewind movie rental store – where you can rent a VHS for one day, for one dollar.  When Mr. Fletcher leaves town to research ways in which he might revitalize his failing business, he puts Mike in charge, with the following instruction: do not allow Jerry (Jack Black), Mike’s conspiracy-theorist friend, in the building.  But Jerry does enter the building.  Magnetized.  And he erases every movie in the store.  In an attempt to stay out of trouble – and keep what little business they have left – Mike and Jerry decide to re-film the movies themselves.  With the help of Jerry’s mechanic, Wilson (Irv Gooch), and Alma (Melonie Diaz), a young girl from the local dry-cleaners, they make short clips of our most beloved movies.  In the end they become not only the stars of the shows, but their whole neighborhood as well.

My take: The first part of the movie moved so slowly, it was almost painful.  As I was sitting there – trying to make sense of it all – the thought did cross my mind that I could easily excuse myself and never return.  And that’s a pity.  Because the mid to end of the movie proved it could have been a classic film.  Of course, the fun begins once Jerry and Mike decide to “swede” – or film their own version of – the movies that have been erased.  Not only do the remakes provide a sense of nostalgia for anyone familiar with the movies being made, but anyone in the film business is sure to be reminded of his/her first attempt at making a film on a non-existent budget.  Needless to say, there are plenty of laughs in the middle of the movie.  But in the end, it’s all heart.  Though Michel Gondry (Writer/Director) could have given us a stronger opening, he still manages to give us a great movie about movies – reminding us that movies bring us together; and for a few brief moments, they allow us to forget the disappointment that may be lingering right outside the door…

If you are not already familiar with CakeWrecks you need to run over there right now. Who knew that food could be so very, very hilarious?

We know that the grammar and spelling are terrible, but since that is really the point, please check out the Lolcats and while you’re there check out the Failblog too and then step over to the Engrish blog and chuckle over it as well.

Caribbean Black Beans

4 servings

Serve over rice.

1 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp. fresh thyme (1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
4 1/2 cups drained cooked black beans (3 16-ounce cans)
3/4 cup orange juice
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Sauté the onions and garlic in a non-stick skillet for about 5 minutes in a bit of olive oil until the onions begin to soften, adding a tablespoon of water if needed to prevent sticking.   Add 1 tbsp. of water, the ginger, thyme, and allspice and sauté, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the onions are very soft, for about 2 more minutes. Stir in the beans and orange juice and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly. Mash a few of the beans with the back of a spoon for a thicker consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

We think we’re all cool with our texting abbreviations – like we made it all up or something.  Well, let me just tell ya, it’s KY; that’s know use to you – or, you know, no use.

Comical abbreviations were a fad that began in Boston, 1838, and moved to New York and New Orleans the following year.  Some of the abbreviations were straight forward:  GT (gone to Texas) or SP (small potatoes).  Others took the lead of humorists of the day, using exaggerated misspellings:  OW (oll wright) or KG (know go).

While most of these abbreviations barely survived a generation, there is one infamous exception. OK was first printed in Boston’s Morning Post March 23, 1839.  Sure, we may have forgotten what the abbreviation stands for (oll korrect), but we understand the meaning all the same.

So you see quirky abbreviations are nothing new; it’s their usage that has changed. I guess you could say the main difference between the two is that our texting abbreviations are an offshoot of laziness; the abbreviations of yesterday – an offshoot of wit.

And with that, NS (nuff said).

Note: There are many stories concerning the origins of “OK” – most can be refuted.  The information, above, was included in a series of articles by Columbia University professor, Allen Walker Read, published in the American Speech journal in 1963 and 1964.  Professor Read’s research seems to have passed the test of time.

By Ms. Amy Brueggemann

So, you’ve invited guests to stay overnight at your home … now what? How to make them feel comfortable and welcome? It’s really quite simple: put yourself in their shoes. Simply think of things that would put you at ease – things that would make you feel at home – and then get it done. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be the Queen Hostess in no time!

A place of their own

If at all possible, provide a private room for your guests. Not that you aren’t a joy to be around 24-hours, but people need their space. They need a place to be silent, relax and just be alone. Wash all bed linens – from sheets to coverlet. Make sure extra blankets and an alarm clock are available. And while most guests expect to live out of their suitcases, it’s good to give them the option to unpack. Clean out a couple of drawers; make space available in the closet to hang items.

A bit of pampering

Nothing says welcome quite like a little thoughtfulness. Set out towels and washcloths. Have mini bath items on hand – toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor, lotion – any item of import they may have forgotten. These items may be purchased inexpensively. Also, don’t forget to take advantage of those amenities gathered during hotel stays.

Place finely wrapped chocolates on their pillows. Include a basket of snacks – fruit, nuts, crackers, popcorn, bottled water – anything they can easily munch between meals. You may also want to consider fresh flowers and reading material. We recommend magazines or short-story collections; they are both easy to replace and easy to read in short segments. If your guests happen to be your best girls, you may even want to include bath goodies – facial mask, bath oil, and candle. These items are not only welcoming they let your guests know that you were looking forward to their visit. If you leave these items out in a basket and with a welcoming not you will relieve your guest of the necessity of asking for them. This alleviates embarrassment and keeps intimate matters out of public conversation.

Mi casa es su casa

Once your guests arrive, make them feel at home. If this is a first visit, give them the grand tour. Show them where to place dirty towels and where they can find clean ones. If your home has a known quirk – such as flushing the toilet will freeze the person in the shower – clue your guests in. If you’re not a coffee drinker, show them where to find the coffee maker, coffee, etc.

Meals should be simple. For the morning meal, make breakfast items – pastries, fruit, cheese, milk, juice, coffee – easily available. This allows everyone to wake up and eat at leisure. Lunch can be something where everyone contributes – build-your-own sandwich bar, for instance. And make as much of the dinner ahead as possible, so you have only to throw it in the crock-pot or oven. Unless you know your guests preferences precisely, avoid any dishes on the extremes of culinary taste.

Events

One ought to plan a good mix of things-to-do and down-time so that you and your guests are neither bored nor exhausted. Be sure to know the best sights and events in your town for spending time out on it but also be sure to have a nice board-game, good movie or pack of cards for relaxing in.

Enjoy

Finally, take a deep breath and relax. Most of the work should be finished by the time your doorbell rings. Anything left, such as rounding out meals, should be laid back and easily accomplished while carrying on a conversation. In other words, focus on enjoying the time with your friends and family. After all, one of the greatest souvenirs you can offer is that of happy memories.

One of the many things we strongly oppose in popular culture is the way that very young girls are dressing. Little girls wear hideously suggestive clothing and apparently their mothers are complicit in this since the children cannot drive themselves to the aforesaid mall and pay for these atrocities themselves.

If this problem can be corrected through the existence of beauty, sensibility and cheeriness then Bekah Merkle has the issue all sewn up. This smiling mother of five lives much of the year in Oxford, England where her scholar husband pores over dusty Hebrew manuscripts. In the summer they return home to their native Moscow, Idaho where Bekah’s parents and siblings all reside.

As if trekking halfway around the world twice a year with five youngsters and 14 suitcases wasn’t enough she also designed and has produced a remarkable little garment for rambunctious little ladies called the “Skirty”. This bloomer makes it easy for energetic girls to be all dressed up and still go play on the swing. Since we at The Complete Woman love dressing up but also love doing more than sitting primly and sipping tea all day, this is right up our alley. In addition to the the useful Skirty, Merkle also designs skirts and dresses for it to be worn under and lovely little tees that are both pretty and practical.

We emailed Bekah a few questions about designing and life and she got back to us with entertaining and informative answers.

We know that the Skirty is brilliant (your website told us so) but when were you inspired to create it? What was the catalyst?

You know, it was actually when my oldest daughter (who is now eight) started school. I had no intentions of making a business out of it. It’s just that I was buying her all of her little school uniform skirts and wondering to myself how on earth this was going to work on the playground! She’s a total little monkey, and I knew that she would be hanging upside down off the monkey bars and jumping off the swings . . . and since she attends a school with a uniform it meant that I couldn’t just pop leggings on her underneath. I realize that the usual solution to this problem is to put the girls into navy blue bike shorts . . . but I just can’t get into that. It just seems so un-feminine and un-cute and generally just un-fun! Honestly, I tried with the whole bike short thing. But they fit so badly, were so high waisted, and just all round appalling in many regards. They pilled even – which is pretty much one of my worst ever clothing situations. I do really abhor a garment that pills. I had to do something else. So I made her a Skirty. She started wearing it . . . and pretty soon I had mothers asking me where I had gotten that thing that Jemima was wearing under her skirt. This showed me two very important things. First, everyone sees what your daughter has on under her skirt! Second, everyone else was having this problem and there were no other obvious solutions on the market.

How and when did you start making and designing clothing?

I think it must be hardwired into me somehow! I have very early memories of trying to design and sew things – I think my earliest memory was a pair of gloves. Needless to say, they did not turn out – but I learned a very important lesson that day about seam allowances! I had just traced around my hand, cut it out, and then sewed it up . . . and then couldn’t figure out why it turned out the size of a cranberry. I felt quite pompously pleased with myself when I realized I should add a seam allowance. I think I felt that this was quite a clever little trick that most people hadn’t figured out. I have no idea how old I was at the time . . . but my mother was already letting me use her sewing machine without her supervision – so it might have been around second grade maybe. My mother was fantastic. She used to save the labels from bias tape and ric rac . . . if you sent in enough labels to the manufacturer they would mail you a whole bag of miscellaneous ends of ribbons and trims. She would just let me use it for doll clothes or whatever crazy creations I decided to come up with. She always bought me fabric when I wanted to do a project – and even told me, “Great job!” when I completely botched up a perfectly good piece of cloth because I insisted on trying to do it without a pattern! She’s an excellent seamstress herself, and she taught me all about it. But then she just let me run with it . . . and ripped out seams for me when I had totally made a mess!

OK – on this one I have to tell you what my husband said in answer to that question! He insisted that my style inspiration is Coco Chanel and the Spanish dancer in the old Zorro TV series. Sadly, I have to admit that I found it a bit hard to argue with him on this point! I would love to take a very high tone and deny it completely, but the truth is that I have long had quite a thing for that Gypsy / Senorita look. Back in the good old days of glove sewing I was quite taken with that particular style and I’m afraid that I may never have gotten totally over it. And, unfortunately proving my husband’s point, one of the skirts in my Spring collection is called the “Gypsy Queen Skirt.” So he basically rests his case! And it’s a bit cliche and overdone and unoriginal to say Coco Chanel isn’t it? But I have to admit that he’s right on that one too. Oh well.

There seems to be so much color in your world; isn’t England supposed to be gray?
As I look out my window right now, (what I can see past the condensation) the world is almost entirely gray! (Or “grey” as the case may be.) But Spring here is unbelievably gorgeous . . . and the color and intensity strike you all the more after going through the gray dreary winter when it’s still pitch black at 7:30 and getting dark again by 3:45! The High Street in Oxford is completely stone. Beautiful architecture of course, but stone everything. Stone street, stone pavement, stone buildings. And there’s one lone cherry tree in front of the University Church, where Cranmer was tried for heresy and CS Lewis preached his “Weight of Glory” sermon. It’s an enormous cherry tree, and it bursts into bloom in the Spring in the most incredible, vivid pink. Somehow the contrast just makes it all the more amazing and you can see it all the way up and down the road. I think the color here – when it comes – is unbelievable.

Whenever the caffeine is flowing! Actually, I don’t quite know when I do it. I sort of fit it in here and there . . . there are a good many late evenings, but there’s never been a Saturday at a coffee house! I basically get a bit done here and there between loads of laundry and piles of dishes . . . and then when there’s a due date it kind of pushes to the front and other things fall off the plate! (Notably laundry.) I keep hoping that one of these days I’ll have a bit more of a system!

Hmmm. Probably the fact that I feel like Oxford is definitely the Bright Lights, Big City! I do realize that most people in the world would think that’s awfully funny. Also the fact that I feel that living without a pickup truck is just as much of a hardship as living without a dryer and a dishwasher! And, self sacrificing martyr that I am, I’ve had to live without all three while in England. (Although, in the interests of honesty, I should state that I do now have a tiny dishwasher and a tiny dryer. Three rousing cheers!)

I have to admit to being a diehard Wodehouse nut. I can really just get into a PG Wodehouse – pretty much any of them. My favorites would probably be /Leave it to Psmith/ and /The Code of the Woosters/ . . . but I can’t help feeling that I’m leaving a whole lot out if I limit it to those two! And CS Lewis of course – you can’t beat CS Lewis. And of course any books by my father, mother, and brother . . . and my husband is currently working on a book for Thomas Nelson called /The White Horse King/ which naturally will be my favorite book of all time after I’ve read it!

Bekah Merkle’s Clothing Site HERE

And her fun blog HERE

First up is a website dedicated to saving the words. A much more interesting cause than saving whales or trees or spotted owls. Check them out.

Next is a related cause, The Society for the Preservation of Beautiful English. we are personally involved in this cause and if you are a member of Facebook, please feel free to join the group and start making suggestions for the print dictionary.

And finally Flashlight Worthy Books is a site dedicated to suggesting good books to be read every day. They work to compile lists of best books catering to any taste.

Now, on the Flashlight Worthy site they frequently remind their users that they are supported by purchases made through their Amazon store. Many websites (including this one) have an Amazon store wherein they make suggestions that their website’s readers might enjoy. When anyone clicks through to Amazon and purchases anything (not just the suggested items) then Amazon pays a tiny commision back to the original, referring website. It is a small way that those of us who write online make a few pennies and sometimes even dollars. We encourage you to support any website who does this and nudge you to check out The Complete Woman Store (remembering that by clicking the Amazon logo you can also search their entire inventory and not just the things we’ve chosen).

Marcus Aurelius once penned, “The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious” – the same might be said of a home office. It might look good on the outside; but upon further inspection it is woefully inadequate. Of course, whipping any work space into shape is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage and dedication. If you’re ready to fail-safe your organizational efforts, read on.

Ready

Before you do anything, you must clear-out. That’s right. Empty all drawers and cupboards; clear all shelves and working spaces. Anything outdated or no longer in use should be shredded, thrown away, sold, or donated. To forge the way for the next step, the items that remain should be grouped appropriately. For example, stack all items that need to be filed, all books, all CDs, etc.

Aim

Wandering aimlessly about will get you nowhere. You must have a goal; then you must have the proper equipment to achieve that goal. So take inventory. Think in terms of storage and access. What do you need to store? What do you need to keep track of? What do you need to get the job done? If you haven’t a clue where to begin, here are a few items to consider:

• Bookshelves

• Bins

• Dividers

• Peg/white/chalk board

• Stackable boxes

• Hanging file folders

• Folders

• Book ends

• Drawer organizers

• Labels

The items needed depend on your unique situation – the amount of space available, how many features are built into your current setup, the type of work that needs to be accomplished, etc.

And think outside the box. Chances are there are countless items on hand that could be given new marching orders. That funky vase, for instance, may be better suited as a pen holder; those small bamboo gift boxes would be perfect for storing paper clips or rubber bands; that rock that you tripped over and fell straight into the arms of the man of your dreams – there couldn’t be a better book end.

Fire

Now it’s time to get ‘er done. A large part of this step consists of preference. However, the same guiding principal applies to all: everything you need to accomplish your work should be accessible within arm’s-length. In figuring exact placement, keep the following in mind:

Paperwork. Anything filed should be relevant. Stray warranty registrations, surveys – anything you can put off – fill them out now and send them off. Records older than six years should be shredded.

Filing. Files may be organized alphabetically, according to usage, or a little of both. For example, you keep a record of past client files, but do not access them on a regular basis. Therefore, the hanging file labeled “Clients” may be located near the back; but within that category, individual client files will be alphabetized.

Logic. Finally, employ a bit of logic. If you have a printer, store paper and ink cartridges near the printer. If you frequently reference the same books, keep them on top of your desk. If you are self-employed, create and maintain a file for business-related receipts.

Maintain formation

Organizing is a lot like giving birth. The moment it’s over you’re so euphoric with what lies before you, you might be tempted to forget the hellish work that lies behind. When it comes to organizing your home office, however, you do not – I repeat – do not want to do it again. So keep up on it. When you finish working, tidy your work area: stack books and papers currently in use, and prepare for the next day. File as you go. Set dates to go through papers and files – deleting, throwing away, or shredding as needed. Remember: procrastination is not your friend. Now go forth and be productive.

Our series of articles on how to drink wine was really just for the purpose of getting to this one. Red wines are what it is all about. White and pink wines have their place, and we will introduce you briefly to sparkling and ice wines but red is the ultimate and the heart of the wine drinking experience.

Getting Ready

Start with a large wine glass with a wider bowl that narrows slightly at the top. You should be able to swirl the wine a bit. Try not to look too much like a snob as you do so. The point of the larger glass and the swirling is to let the wine open up a bit and be exposed to more oxygen. This releases flavor and scent and increases the joy of a simple glass of wine.

What to be Prepared For

Red wines are not sweet. They were fermented with the grapes and the skin all marinating together so they have tannins in them. Tannins are what gives the wine “body” and also what add the astringency to it. Red wines range from very light-bodied to very heavy bodied depending on how long the wine sat there with the grape-skins.

Red wines can have flavors that range from easy, soft and fruity ones like strawberry, plum and currant to heavy, dark flavors like tobacco, pepper, or leather. A complex wine will manifest a dozen flavors between the first smell and the last sip.

Finding What You Are Looking For

Red wine comes from many different grapes including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel. These grapes may stand alone or be blended and they may be sold with the grape name on the label or not. European wines are generally sold under the name of the place they were grown and made while New World wines are generally sold under the name of the grape/grapes. This reflects the different beliefs about what gives wine it’s subtle flavor differences. France believes that where the grape is from matters most while most of the rest of the world believes that the grape matters most.

You will need an advanced degree in viticulture or many, many years of drinking and reading about wine to understand all of the fine distinctions and remember all of the regions and what kind of wine they produce. However, enjoyment is not based entirely on knowledge so feel free to start drinking and just learn as you go!

Eating and Drinking

Generally speaking the red wine with red meat and white with chicken/fish rule is a myth. Drink what tastes good to you while eating what tastes good to you. We enjoy red wine with everything from spaghetti to salmon and couscous or just with a few pieces of dark chocolate. It is always helpful to consult with your local wine shop when you want to pair a wine and a specific meal. And, as with all wines, it is very helpful to have a basic and inexpensive bottle that you just keep on hand. A sort of table wine that is easy-going and not more than $5-7 for your everyday drinking.

Cheers!