DIY Victory Garden

Victory Gardens were a common sight during World War I and World War II. They were started to help supplement rations and keep up morale. 

And, gardening can be more than useful. It can be fun.  Plus, you can have your kids help you create this garden and even start it inside the house using old plastic pop bottles, as makeshift greenhouses.

Homemade Greenhouses

Seeing herbs, vegetables and fruits, you've planted from cuttings and seeds, sprout and bloom is thrilling to watch.

Victory Gardens were also called Food Gardens or War Gardens. And since this historical pandemic is a World Wide War against the Coronavirus or Covid-19,  I think it can’t hurt to have some extra food in our own yards. 

Most of us who live in a big city, have already experienced some shortages at local grocery stores,  such as flour, sugar, yeast, and  toilet paper. So, although we  might not be able to do much to stop the toilet paper shortages, we can try to limit some of our own food shortages—at least during the spring, summer and fall by being a little proactive and starting our own small Victory Gardens and by preparing our own jellies, jams, and preserves.

So, I thought I’d share some tricks, tips and ideas I’ve been using to create my own personal Victory Garden. I live in a big city, on a small city lot, but I've found ways to grow-up rather than to grow-across a wide area. And, if you live in an apartment, you can grow plants in pots and out on balconies, or in shared spaces. Some cities even have community gardens, where you can share a plot of land to garden on.

I’m hoping these ideas might help other people build their own Victory Gardens.

Here is a small list of recommendations:

•  Don't waste food.
• When you have food that starts to spoil, such as potatoes, onions, beets, etc. think about whether or not you can take a cutting from the vegetable and plant it out in your garden. 
• You can use old wood to make stakes, trellises and tomato cages to grow your plants up toward the sky.
  

This is the top of a  potato I cut off, while I was preparing a pot of potatoes for dinner. I simply stuck some bamboo skewers in the cutting and placed it in a cup of water. The raw edge of the potato barely touched the water (using a type of hydroponic gardening) or gardening without having the plant in soil. Usually people amend the water (or enrich it with nutrient mineral solutions), when they hydroponically garden. But, I simply placed my potato cutting in a little water inside a coffee mug. Then I watched it grow.

Some people have simply planted rotting potatoes and had a lot of success that way.

I'm hoping you'll try this because it's one way to help stretch your food budget and keep your food supply within reach.

And, if you try your hand at a Victory Garden, please let me know. I'd love to hear how you do.

I’m also planning to share some of my successes and failures growing my own sour dough starters. Sour Dough starters can help you always have access to bread, even if the store is out of yeast or bags of bread. :D

Fears, Flops and Total Fails

Barely a Bear

I usually only post my best work. I mean who wants to post their worst failures--but, believe me, I've had my share of flops and failures. See, the little bear (above) who literally collapsed before I could even frost him? Or, the sad turkey below that shouldn't have been so afraid of Thanksgiving because he looked so sorry, no one would want to eat him.

Super Sad Turkey

 Or what about the time I'd seen one too many episodes of Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes , so I thought I could carve a cake into the shape of my brother-in-law Bo?

Bo Knows but this time Bo Blows

Or the time I decided to make cupcakes when it was about 100 degrees outside and my frosting kept melting?

Dragonfly Frosting Fail

Or the time my homemade marshmallow fondant was a complete flop?

Fondant Failure

I could go on and on, but the one thing I'm proud of is the fact that I haven't let my previous failures stop me. Instead, I push the fear of my next failure to the back of my brain and simply try to learn something from each of my (admittedly) horrible flops and failures and move on.

And, by letting go of my disasters, I've had some really happy moments. Such as:

Fatina's Graduation Barbie Cake - Because You're Never Too Old for Barbie

The graduation cake I made for my daughter-in-law, Fatina.

And, the Hello Kitty cake I made for a friend's daughter's birthday.

Hello Kitty

Or the wedding cake I made for my friend (with my daughter-in-law's help).

I Do Instead of iDud

My point is, sometimes we need to laugh at ourselves and pick up our wounded pride and simply strive to be the best we can be. And--of course don't be so silly as to compare yourself to the Cake Boss or the Ace of Cakes. Instead, simply have fun with your friends and family and learn to laugh with them when things go wrong because that's the best way to make it through to another day.

Family Laughing at my Flops

Bunny Cake

Easter 2020 Bunny Cake

I've always loved to bake but I've had more than my share of baking fails. In fact, I had a near disaster with this bunny at the very beginning - but more about that in a minute. 

First, I wanted to see if there might be other people out there that like to bake, make and create. If so,  please share links to your blogs in the comments so I can pop over there and see what you're making.

Anyway, I thought I'd share how I made this bunny cake.

First I baked the cakes (3 of them) in 6 inch baking tins. And, right away I had problems. I was trimming one of the tops of the cakes to make them all level and I got distracted because I was boiling eggs at the same time. I was checking on the eggs as I was leveling the cakes and...I trimmed the top off the cake horribly. 

You can see how it broke apart. But I just wedged it back together and used a little butter cream (I've added a link to my butter cream frosting recipe) to "glue" it together. My point is, don't give up because of one set back.

Then I crumb coated the cake in homemade butter cream (which is simply powdered sugar mixed with butter and maybe a tablespoon of milk or cream). I always crumb coat on a silpat so I can easily slip the cake off and onto a cutting board. (Crumb Coating - is simply covering the cake in a thin layer of frosting and then putting it in the fridge to set).

Then I rolled out my fondant on  a little cornstarch - to keep the fondant from sticking to the table. TIP: don't do this on a hot day because cooking is like picnicking. The weather plays a big part in your success. And I've had some fondant fails due to weather.

Then I put the fondant over the crumb-coated cakes and trimmed it around the edge. Adding a ribbon around the bottom makes it looked finished and almost professional.

Then I began decorating.

I used Fondant to make the facial features and "glued" them on using buttercream and  meringue paste. 

The finishing touch was the ears but I had another problem there. I thought I had gum paste but I didn't. So, I took some left over fondant and made ears. I stuck them on bamboo skewers and put the in the freezer to harden up until after dinner. Then I pulled them out off the freezer and stuck them in place. But even then, I'd forgotten about the whiskers until my son pointed it out. Luckily, I had some toothpicks in the kitchen. I sprinkled some jelly bean eggs around the edge and Voila the cake was finished.

The family said the cake tasted good … and I believed them but no one wanted to eat the poor bunny's face. And, probably because the fondant was pretty thick there, just look at the nose and cheeks ;D

So this cake was a fun family dessert that everyone enjoyed - including me ;D I had a piece too but I'm always a little biased so  I like to see what  the family thinks.

But, this wasn't my first bunny cake. Over the years I've made a few other Easter cakes.

These bunny cupcakes are a fun, easy project. This bunny is diving down into the hole. So, he was super simple to make

I was looking back  over the years and I guess I've made more than my share of cakes. If you've made some fun cakes too, please share a link to your blog or send a picture, I'd love to see them.

I hope you all stay well and enjoy some creative days, making, baking and creating :D

The Milwaukee Monster - (Part 5 Ghosts, Gangsters and Ghouls)

HAUNTED PLACES I VISITED IN MARCH 2020

Haunted Shaker's Cigar Bar in  Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I've been working on a  ghost story and doing some ghost research. So, I went to Shaker's Cigar Bar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...notice the ghosts in the windows? Yep, it's haunted. And, if you're thinking about going to visit it or interested in reading more about it,  check out the Milwaukee's  Haunted Bar site.

Of course, I didn't just pack up and head off to Wisconsin. My daughter was working in Chicago for a couple of weeks, and I decided to go visit her for the weekend. While I was there, we decided to go on the Chicago Gangsters and Ghost Tour.  After that exciting adventure, I decided to go visit a lot of other haunted sites.

My daughter, Kara, and my daughter-in-law, Fatina, went with me on our road trip to check out some  of these strange and spooky sites.

Kara, Fatina and Me in Search of Ghosts

Plus my daughter-in-law Fatina and my daughter's best friend McKenzie, have a Stranger Danger podcast  so.  .  . where do you think we ended up going to visit...?

Yep, Jeffrey Dahmer. Or,  maybe I should say the ghost of Jeffrey Dahmer because serial killers are just a  little too creepy for me...typically. I can handle ghosts, ghouls, creeps and crypts but serial killers are super spooky to me.

But, this was a group road trip, so,  like I said, we went to visit the haunted sites associated with Jeffrey Dahmer.

You've probably heard of him before. Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was also known as  the Milwaukee Monster. But, I'm not going to get into all the creepy things he did. I'm just going to show you some of the sites we went to see and I'll tell you about the one place where we experienced something that some might say was a paranormal experience.

Like the house next door to where he lived. It looks pretty haunted too and it's been abandoned. I bet it's because no one wants to live next door to where Jeffrey lived.

House next door to where Jeffrey Dahmer lived

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9ytLTLC8Kk

This is the spot where Jeffrey lived. As you can see, it's been  completely obliterated.

What remains is an empty lot. And, it was a little creepy even standing next to the spot.

Just down the street from  this location was the Ambassador Hotel,  with the Deco Coffee Shop.

Ambassador Hotel and Deco Coffee Shop

So we went inside. It was so pretty, even the bathrooms had stained  glass  doors.

Beautiful Bathroom

And after we chatted  for a while with one of the employees and  got the inside scoop on the spirits there, we wanted to move on.

We had more sites to see and spirits to try to catch.

Another picture of the haunted Shaker's Bar

Shaker's  Bar - with some Dahmer merchandise you can buy

Now, all  these  sites were a little creepy but there was only one place where something seriously strange happened and that was in one of  the hotels we visited.

The Pfister Hotel

I saw a beautiful chandelier I wanted to show my husband, so I grabbed my phone and started to film. And, while I was filming, nothing strange happened. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary but when we got back home and I showed  the video to my husband...

The film flickered and faded in and out in a ghostly manner. So, you can believe me or not but I posted the video to my Facebook page. And, I do believe there are some pretty creepy places and spooky sites to see.

What do you think....do you believe in spirits?

5 Kid Friendly Crafts to Keep Busy

Are you going a little stir-crazy?

(WHO ISN'T?)

Well, Easter is only a little over two weeks away, so why not put this time to good use by making some holiday crafts, treats, and tasty dishes to keep the kids and yourself busy? 

(Below are some tried and true crafts/recipes I've done-and their links-so happy crafting)

1)

HOW TO MAKE PRETTY EASTER BASKETS WITH PAPER

The prettier the paper – the better

But white paper will work 

Simply color, paint, draw or even paste magazine pictures to beautify your baskets

The stiffer the paper – the stronger

If you have cardstock – all the better

Staple, tape or even glue – use what you have around the house 

2)

MAKE SOME FUN AND EZ TREATS

These are simply cupcakes with coconut frosting but if you don’t have coconut, simply scoop your frosting into a baggie and cut the end off to pipe “grass” on top. 

If you have questions let me know in the  comments.

3)

MAKE YOUR OWN MINIONS

If you have food coloring and eggs, you can make your own minions. If you don’t have jiggly eyes, simply draw them with a marker or paint them with food coloring.

4)

CREATE RICE KRISPY EGGS

If you have rice krispies and marshmallows – you can make easter eggs! If you don’t have marshmallows, you can make your own.

5)

CREATE BEET JUICE EGGS

If you have a can of beets and some eggs, you can color eggs the natural way. This is safe (except for the obvious staining issue). Put on an apron, tie a towel around yourself, or simply wear old clothes for this project. 

It couldn't be more simple. Just dunk your egg in the juice - then let it sit - it takes longer than food coloring but it comes out pretty.

I hope you enjoyed these five simple ways to have some fun with things you probably have around the house.

Stay well and happy creating!

Gangsters and Ghosts - Haunted tour in Chicago, Illinois (Part 4 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls)

Me and Fatina Ghost Hunting

While we were in Chicago, we had to visit one of the most famous gangster's in history, Al Capone.
Maybe you've seen the movie Scarface, which just happened to be Al's nickname. So, we took a road trip to Mount Carmel Cemetery to pay our respects. And, of course, Mount Carmel is said to be haunted. But, not by Al. Instead the story Julia Petta, the disappearing lady in the white gown.

But, still we  had to stop by Al's grave.

Al Capone's Grave

Even though Al Capone went to prison at 33, and died January 25, 1947, it  looks like a lot of people  still visit his grave. 

Stormy Skies over Mount Carmel Cemetery

The clouds rolled  in and it turned into a stormy sort of experience. And, as we searched for the specific  gravesite, we came upon some beautiful crypts.

A beautiful place to sit and remember. . . loved ones

We  didn't have any paranormal experiences  while we were there although as soon as we climbed out of the car, it started  to rain, and as soon as we climbed back in the car, it cleared up. We started to leave and, we got a little turned around  for a second, so we drove back by the cemetery, and it started to rain again. Just  a little creep factor.

We also went on a Gangsters and Ghosts tour in downtown Chicago and had to stop at Death Alley, which is said to be haunted by the victims of the fire of December  30, 1903. Over 2000 people were inside the theater in front of the alley, when an electrical fire broke out and claimed hundreds of lives.  

Death Alley in Chicago

There were lots  of other spooky sites but I'll save those for Part 5 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls.

After our Gangsters and Ghosts tour,  we were tired so we went back to our hotel and enjoyed another type of spirits ;D

Me,  Kara and Fatina Toasting After Our Tour

Haunted Houses in Gary, Indiana (Part 3 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls)

My daughter and daughter-in-law, and  I went on a road trip in search of forgotten spirits (and I'm not talking about Lemon Drops ;)

We've taken a few of these ghostly road trips before, like the time we went to Kenosha, Wisconsin and Lake Michigan and caught a few strange (some might say Paranormal) occurrences on camera.

But this time we were searching in Gary, Indiana--yes, it  seems like Indiana has more than its fair share of ghosts and ghouls. Maybe that's why it's ranked as one of the most  dangerous cities in the United  States.

I'm working on a ghost story. So, lately, I've been doing a lot of paranormal research by visiting Castles, Crypts and Creepy Places. And even though I've gone to a lot of cities and different states, I've realized my favorite creepy place is right here in Portland, Oregon.

If you're interested in seeing my #1 location for creepability, check it out here.



And, if  you've had any paranormal experiences of your own, please share a bit about it in the comments below.