Bug What?

Two weeks ago I stood in my driveway saying fair-well to some family members when suddenly the mosquitoes began to swarm all around us.   Believe me when I say, the mosquitoes looked like they were on steroids!   We didn't stand there long saying our goodbyes because one of my sisters-in-law was a bit shell shocked having been bitten up by mosquitoes in South Florida.  No joke!  She was actually having an allergic reaction to all of the bites.  This year, the mosquitoes have been pretty bad here in Florida because we've had quite a bit of rain.  



Lucky for me, I found something that works like a charm!    

Homemade mosquito repellent!  

It's all natural, safe for you and the environment, and it actually works! I got the idea after visiting one of our local plant nurseries. The girls and I were shopping for herbs and lucky us...we hadn't gotten out of the car good before the mosquitoes went to work on us! I almost made a bee-line out of that place but I was a woman on a mission that day, so instead of fleeing I took cover inside one of the buildings on the property. I am a big wimp anyway when it comes to being outside so it doesn't take much to send me fleeing.

I couldn't help but wonder how anyone could work in those conditions. It's a freaking bug kingdom, mosquito haven! Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love Native Nurseries! The grounds are gorgeous, the staff is extremely helpful, and the selection of herbs and vegetables are the best!

Isn't this just perfect for mosquitoes?

Curiosity made me ask one of the clerks how they managed to work outside around all the plants without being eaten alive by mosquitoes. The clerk held up a bottle of Badger Anti-Bug Spray and what happened next would've made the perfect commercial for Badger Bug Spray. If it wasn't for the fact that it cost $11.99 for a 4oz. bottle I would've purchased a few bottles right then and there.

My GOODNESS...$11.99, what's in that stuff?! I hated to take up her time but when I saw that it was all natural I wanted to read the list of ingredients on the back of the bottle to see what was in it. Yep, it's 100% all natural and organic too! Apparently, this stuff is all the rave! I tell you what, follow this LINK and I'll let these guys tell you all about it.

Now, you don't have to know me that well, you can just read a few of my blog posts and figure out that I wasn't just reading the list of ingredients for the heck of it. Nope! I was trying to figure out if I could make my own version, especially since it's all natural. It just so happened that I had most of the essential oils on hand.

Lavender, Lemongrass, Citronella, & Tea-tree Essential Oils  

Ready for the recipe? It's simple...add 15-20 drops each of the following essential oils to 16-20 ounces of Baby Oil; lavender, lemongrass, citronella, & tea-tree. I forgot to add it to the picture but rosemary is also in there.

On a serious note: NEVER, EVER USE ESSENTIAL OILS DIRECTLY ON THE SKIN!!!!!!!!! You must, I repeat MUST use a carrier oil!

I chose to use a baby oil with Aloe & Vitamin E but you can also use almond oil or castor oil. I recently saw a recipe that used witch hazel. Say what!! Two of the carrier oils for Badger's Anti Bug Spray are soybean & castor.

Also, I only intended to make my own version of Badger's Anti-Bug Spray for personal use therefore; I make no claims that the ingredients in my homemade "stuff" are equivalent to the ingredients found in Badger's bug spray. The only claim that I am willing to make is that: I got a little creative and made something that actually works!

I'll even give you an opportunity to try it for yourself! I don't suggest you put it on and run naked in a field after a summers rain! However, if you put it on and say...go mow the lawn or in my case, enjoy an evening outside (fully clothed) with your neighbors, you probably won't be eaten alive by blood thirsty mosquitoes.


So, help me help you by coming up with a name for my "stuff". Besides, I hate the name "The Stuff'...It lacks creativity! On the other hand, if you asked the girls, they would tell you the name was just fine and that I am just being picky. They would also say "It's not like you're trying to market a product!" Here's what I say: "Unless you want to stand there for 10 minutes trying to figure out what I mean when I ask you to bring me the "The Stuff", we need to come up with a better name for it!" You want to know what else I said? Okay, I better not say that!


Here's how it works: Just drop a line in the comment section with a suggested name. We'll have a drawing from the top three names and announce the winner in 2 weeks.


Stay tuned!

Sweet Surprise!

I am struggling with the fact that Rachael turned sixteen today, and my daughter Bianca is soon to follow!   I don't know about you, but to me it seems like time is going by crazy fast! Next thing you know we'll be watching them march down the aisle.  THAT thought just made me light headed!  Told you I was struggling!

Rachael styling her apron! 

I surprised the birthday girl with an apron I made especially for her sixteenth birthday.   I know, cute right? No...not the apron, Rachael!   Remember her face because you'll be seeing her on stage around town in various performances and later on Broadway.  Don't forget, you read it here first!


I had a time making that apron!  It was the first time I made anything except towels, pot holders, and bags without cutting it out first from a pattern.  What can I say, I like structure/direction.  No, I need structure/direction!  Now, I've made aprons before but never without using a pattern.  I am a pattern girl.  Give me a pattern and I can make just about anything.   I've always been too worried that my garment would turn out horrible if I didn't use a pattern, but when I saw the aprons on Modest Maven's blog I was determined to make it for Rachael.   Aren't they just beautiful!

Fully Lined Aprons by Modest Maven

I tried my best to follow the Tutorial, but I ended up off the path more than a few times.   Well just to be honest, I veered off path from the very beginning.    I switched up the design a bit because I wanted Rachael's apron to look more like a jean jumper.  A panel left over from a curtain I had became the top and bottom for the apron so I had to get creative.  Great idea for re-purposing right?

  

Sometimes, creativity requires a lot of effort and tailoring so, give it a lot of thought before diving in.  Let me just say, my seam ripper got a lot of action!   In this case, it was well worth it from the look on Rachael's face and the out come.  

A little R&B added and I am done!

I'll definitely be making this apron again and I'll use the tutorial to do it!   Well, maybe not the apron in the picture. There can only be one exactly like that one.  After all, Rachael can only turn sixteen once in her life time and today's that day.

Happy Birthday Rachael!

We truly hope you enjoy being sixteen and all the things that come with it!

Love, Mrs. P. and the gang!


Interested in making this apron?  Visit Modest Maven and tell her I sent you!











     

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Or, you buy too many, make lemon bars and Shrimp Scampi!   Is it sad that I didn't realize I had over a dozen lemons in the fridge?  Apparently, every time we go grocery shopping we pick up lemons. Wonder what's up with that?  I guess lemons have now become a staple for us?  I don't know why.  I'll figure it out later but for now, I need to decide what to make for dessert so that I can use up some of these lemons before they go bad.  I would make lemonade but I bought two half gallons of fresh lemonade just the other day so no need to make any.

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for Raspberry Lemon Bars and that's when I remembered my recipe from Taste of Home for Bake Sale Lemon Bars. I found it several years ago in a Taste of Home Magazine and I knew from the first bite that I would be making them for years to come.  It's been a favorite for family and friends alike.  So guess what I did?   I made my lemon bars but I added a little something, something.

Lemon Raspberry Bars  

    


Oh yeah,  I added some raspberries! Why didn't I think of this sooner? Oh well, better late than never. There's only one word to describe these bars: awesome! When you bite into one the flavor is tangy, sweet, and the buttery crust just crumbles in your mouth.   This could be trouble! What was I thinking?  

Try it if you must, but don't say I didn't warn you! These bars can be down right habit forming!



Raspberry Lemon Bars.  Adapted from Bake Sale Lemon Bars featured in Taste of Home. 

Crust
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

Filling
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon  all-purpose flour
1/2 cup lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1-1/2 cups raspberry, fresh or frozen

Additional confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a 13 x 9 in. baking dish with parchment paper.  Make sure that the paper comes up the sides of the baking dish.  Combine flour,  sugar, and butter; pat into a well lined baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes.  While crust is baking strain raspberry through a fine mesh sieve.

This is what you don't want!

This is what you want!

Next, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, and lemon juice until frothy. Add the juice from the raspberries along with the lemon zest to egg mixture. Blend well and pour over the hot crust. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until edges brown and center is set. Allow to cool before cutting into squares and dusting with confectioners' sugar. The parchment paper should allow you to remove the bars with ease.


                                                             Consider this my gift to you!

Enjoy!

   

   

Homemade Pesto & Red Wine Spaghetti Sauce

Three weeks ago my very fertile tomato plant produced so many tomatoes at one time that I had to make a choice: either give some away or make spaghetti sauce.   You know what I did, don't you?   I made the sauce, of course!  I love being benevolent but I also love homemade spaghetti sauce!

Let me tell you, that jar stuff can't touch homemade!  When you find or come up with a good homemade sauce, there's no looking back.  I make my sauce from scratch a lot and it usually turns out good, but this time it turned out GREAT!   I think the difference was in the herbs.  I always make it with dried herbs but since I have them in the garden now I decided to go with fresh herbs.   It could have also been the fact that I used honey in my recipe this time.   I've fallen in love with Tupelo Honey so I've been trying it out in a few of my recipes in place of sugar.  I liked the results so much that I'll never use sugar again if I can help it.   Whatever it was that made the difference in the flavor, it's a welcomed  improvement so this recipe is  replacing my old one.   I love it so much that I  made it yesterday along with some Pesto and gave it as a house warming gift because I am confident it's good!   Only this time, I added a little red wine to the sauce to spice things up a bit.   The red wine just took it over the top!

Since this is an Urban Farm Girl original I didn't measure anything, so I don't have exact measurements for some of the ingredients.  As long as you don't use a heavy hand when adding the Worcestershire Sauce, olive oil, and honey, you can't go wrong.

First things first though!  Peel and chop 14-16 tomatoes. I grew two different types this year and I used them both in this recipe. One is a big beef tomato and I am not certain what the other one is.  They look like plum tomatoes only bigger.

Next, I chopped 1 small sweet onion and 1 small green bell pepper, then sautéed them in about 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin olive oil on medium - high heat until tender.  Awww, look at that little cute green bell pepper in the picture?  I grew that!   I 'm sorry, I just had a moment.

                               

At this point I crank up the heat a little and add my tomatoes. I like to cook my tomatoes on high first so they don't release water too soon. Sauté for about 3 minutes.




                                   

Reduce heat to low and add 1 can of tomato paste, 2 cups of water, about 2 tablespoons of honey, about 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce, about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2 bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, break out the food processor and chop up a hand full of fresh basil, thyme, oregano, a few sprigs of rosemary (oops, I forgot to add it to the picture), and about 3 large cloves of garlic. Add to sauce.

Oh my goodness, the smell is divine! I wish you could scratch and sniff this photo!


                                                               Almost forgot!


                             

Red wine spaghetti sauce should have red wine in it right?

I think a 1/8 cup will do nicely! Add a little Kosher Salt and crushed black pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes more and it's ready to serve! But in this case, I let it cool completely before I packaged it because I am giving it as a gift.

Homemade Red Wine Spaghetti Sauce  

Now for the Pesto!  I'll make this short and sweet because it's as easy as 1-2-3!

For this recipe you'll need:

• about 2 cups of fresh basil
• 1/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Pine Nuts
• Kosher salt & crushed black pepper

1.  On medium heat roast the pine nuts in 1/2 tablespoon of the Extra Virgin olive oil.

  

2.  Toss the pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese into the food processor and puree.  Add the remaining olive oil during the process. 

3. Add Kosher salt & crushed black pepper to taste.

.

Homemade Pesto!  It's so good!

That's it!   Presto... we have Pesto!

Homemade gifts make such a beautiful presentation!

Congratulations again Mr. & Mrs. Tillman on the purchase of your first home!   We're so happy for you!

Love, the Mitchell's & Rosenberg's!

Urban Pastures Red Wine Spaghetti Sauce

14-16 ripe tomatoes, cleaned and peeled

about 2 tablespoons of  honey

about 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 small green pepper

1 small onion

 2 cups of water

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 small can of tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 sprig of rosemary and a handful of the following herbs: thyme, basil, and oregano
1/8 cup of red wine
salt & pepper to taste

Chop 1 small sweet onion and 1 small green bell pepper, sauté vegetables in 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin olive oil on medium-high heat until tender.  Turn heat to high, add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.  Return heat to medium, add tomato paste, water, Worcestershire Sauce, honey, bay leaves, and remaining olive oil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  In a food processor chop herbs and garlic. Add to sauce along with wine and simmer for 15-20 minutes more.  Enjoy!

Makes 2 1/2  pints.