By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Hot summer weather makes us thirsty. But we must be selective in what we drink to quench that thirst. Hot weather conditions combined with an increase in iced tea consumption makes favorable conditions for kidney stones to develop!

Although kidney stones form due to excessive amounts of calcium or uric acid there are outside factors that affect its formation.

Dehydration in the body is a prime suspect. Those that drink lots of tea or fruit juice or calcium products in hot, humid weather may increase their chances of developing kidney stones. Instead of increasing your intake of tea, milk or fruit juice, drink water, especially when spending time outdoors in the summer.

Drinking water may not only prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion but may also keep miserable kidney stones from forming!

Good water to good health!

Technorati Tags: kidney stones, iced tea, weather

by Farmers Almanac Staff
1 Comment »

So it’s Monday and if you’re like me, your brain needs a little help getting into full gear. To stimulate your brain into action, we’re offering a few riddles for you to solve.

CAN YOU FIGURE THESE OUT?
The answers are given below – but don’t peek until you’ve attempted to answer!

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms.
The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven’t eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you’re ready to throw it away?

4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

5. This is an unusual paragraph. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching!

-Riddles submitted by Jeanne Parrish of Florida. Thanks Jeanne.

ANSWERS:
1. The third. Lions that haven’t eaten in three years are dead. 2. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it and hung it up to dry. 3. Charcoal 4. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow! 5. The letter “e,” which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph!

Hope you enjoyed solving these riddles.

Technorati Tabs: Farmers’ Almanac, riddles

by Farmers Almanac Staff
3 Comments »

©By Deborah S. Tukua, co-author of Pearls of Garden Wisdom
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Nothing appears as lovely and crisp as a cheery flower garden or orchard in bloom. You can bring the garden party look of foliage, fern and flowers to your next gathering whether its on your patio, porch or inside your home with a few creative yet easy ideas. Don’t feel that you have to use all of these suggestions. Instead, select your favorites to incorporate into your next tea or dinner party.

- To the underside of a glass top table on the porch or patio, tape long fronds of fern.

- Bring fresh pressed flowers to the table at your next luncheon. You’ll need two clear glass plates for each guest being served. Place a fern and a flat flower such as a daisy or pansy on top of a clear glass plate. Top with another glass plate to seal. Plates can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.

- Use fresh lovely evergreens down the center of the table. Boxwood, magnolias, gardenias, citrus tree leaves, long fern fronds and ivy are all excellent choices. Add touches of color to the greenery with fresh flowers or whole fruit such as lemons, pears or pomegranates and candles.

- Decorate a straw hat with colorful flowers and a beautiful bow. Hang on the door to welcome your guests.

- Using a toothpick apply craft glue to the back of ivy or tiny flowers and affix on the base of pillar or taper candles.

- Select floral printed cloth napkins or tie a rose bud to each napkin.

- Serve lemonade with fresh citrus slices or herbal teas.

- Freeze dices of fresh lime, lemon or oranges with water in ice cube trays.

- Serve pudding, sherbet, fruit and yogurt or Jell-O in fresh, hollowed orange or tangerine cups.

Technorati Tags: garden

by Farmers Almanac Staff
No Comments »

© By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

See how well you know American Agriculture. How many of these questions can you answer correctly?

1. What is the most consumed beverage next to water in the United States?

2. How many tea plantations are there in the United States?

3. Where is the tea garden located?

4. What is the second most popular fresh vegetable in the U.S.?

5. What is the second most popular fruit in the U.S.?

6. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain which vitamin?

7. Which state grows the most apples?

8. What is the third most popular fruit raised in the U.S.?

No peeking at the answers until you’ve attempted to answer the questions first! Let’s see how well you did. Review the correct answers below.
Answers to quiz: 1.tea;2.one;3.Charleston,SC;4.lettuce;5.blueberries;6.VitaminD;7.Washington;8.peaches

Technorati Tags: agriculture, trivia

by Farmers Almanac Staff
No Comments »

©By Deborah S. Tukua, author of Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Ice cream pies are quick and easy to assemble and a dessert sure to please. With a quart of vanilla ice cream and a few favorite flavors you can create the frozen treat of your dreams.

Basic Directions:
To a bowl, combine one quart of vanilla ice cream with your favorite ingredients, stir to combine and fill a prepared graham cracker or cookie crust. Cover and place in freezer for two or three hours, until frozen. Remove from freezer 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Make Your Own Specialties:

Coffee ice cream pie- add 2 to 3 T. instant coffee and 2 T. sugar to 1 quart vanilla ice cream and stir to blend well. Add to piecrust and freeze.

Cookies and cream pie– crumble 4 Oreo cookies into vanilla ice cream and fold. Add to piecrust and freeze.

Apple Pie a la mode pie – Add 1 c. prepared apple pie filling to vanilla ice cream and stir. Add to piecrust and freeze.

Key Lime ice cream pie – Add 6 oz. frozen limeade concentrate to 1 qt. vanilla ice cream. Stir until limeade dissolves. Pour into shortbread piecrust and freeze.

Lemonade ice cream pie – Add 6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate to 1 qt. vanilla ice cream. Stir until lemonade dissolves. Add to piecrust and freeze.

The easiest of all ice cream pies starts with your favorite commercial specialty ice cream. Rocky Road, Butter Pecan, or Moose Tracks need no extra ingredients. Just scoop four cups of your favorite specialty ice cream into a bowl and stir to slightly soften. Fill a prepared graham cracker crust, cover and place in freezer for several hours until frozen. Slice and serve with chocolate or caramel syrup if desired.

Technorati Tags: ice cream, ice cream pies, summer

by Farmers Almanac Staff
No Comments »

©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Lemons must be at the top of the list of versatile fruits. Lemons not only make a great glass of lemonade but naturally contain valuable health and beauty aide properties as well. Through the centuries, sailors carried lemons aboard ship to prevent scurvy, which is caused by a lack of Vitamin C.

According to Phyllis Balch, C.N.C., author of Prescription for Cooking and Dietary Wellness, “No drink can compare with the valuable properties, internally or externally. As a cleanser it neutralizes and promotes healing.” Mrs. Balch also states, “Lemons cleanse the bloodstream and liver, reduces inflammation, treats colds, influenza, and sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, digestion, heartburn, diabetes, scurvy, fevers, and Rheumatism. Lemons are a wonderful liver stimulant and a solvent for uric acid and other toxins.”

With ample reasons to consider lemons a beneficial health aide, here are a few home uses.

Acne Treatment – After washing the face to remove oils, pat the face with lemon juice three times a day.

Blood Purifier – Drink the juice of one lemon in a cup of warm water each morning. (Lemon juice should not be consumed if you have an ulcer.)

Cough Suppressant – Mix lemon juice and honey in a small glass jar. Take a tablespoon as needed.

Hand Cleaner, Softener, and Odor Remover – To cleanse and soften the hands after washing dishes or to remove vegetable stains, rub hands well with lemon juice. It will also remove strong odors such as onions and fish from the hands.

Heartburn Relief – Add 1 t. lemon juice to half glass and water and drink.

Sore Throat Gargle – Combine equal amounts of lemon juice and water.

~Deborah Tukua is the author of Citrus Morning, Noon & Night: A Citrus Cookbook. For more than 130 luscious ways to enjoy citrus fruits and juices, the cookbook is available at www.farmersalmanac.com and www.hollycreekbooks.com.

Technorati Tags: lemons, natural cures, Cough Suppressant

by Farmers Almanac Staff
1 Comment »

©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Garden fresh vegetables that will be added to casseroles or made into sauces later can be frozen for future convenience. Blanching is a necessary step for most produce and is also thought to preserve the taste and quality of vegetables during freezing. Although most fresh produce requires blanching before freezing there are several vegetables that can be successfully frozen without blanching first, especially those that will not be frozen for extensive periods.

A list of vegetables and tips for a quick and easy freezing process without blanching follow:

Bell Peppers and Chili Peppers-Rinse and cut into halves. Remove seeds. Whole bellpeppers with the caps removed and cored can be frozen for future stuffing recipes. Bags of diced peppers can be frozen for future use in chili, casseroles, quiches and omelets.

Leeks –Rinse leeks. Remove tops, base and outer leaves. Slice and freeze in storage bags.

Onions –Peel onions first. Onions can be frozen in freezer bags, whole, sliced or diced for future convenience.

Tomatoes –Whole tomatoes of any size can be frozen without peeling or slicing. Lay tomatoes on a baking sheet and place into the freezer until frozen solid. Transfer frozen tomatoes to freezer bags until ready to use in cooking.

Zucchini –
Shredded zucchini does not require blanching. Pick zucchini before it grows too large, rinse and grate with the skins on. Measure the amount and note on the freezer bag label. Grated zucchini can be used to make zucchini bread and squash puppies.

More tips, recipes and instructions for preserving the harvest can be found in Deborah’s trio set of ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ books. Visit the FATV shop for the best bargain around!

Technorati Tags: blanching, vegetables

by Farmers Almanac Staff
No Comments »

©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

See how many of these questions you can answer.

1. Which fruit bearing trees are evergreens?

2. Of all the vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted each year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

3. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

4. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn’t been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

5. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

How well did you do? Review the answers below.

Answers To Quiz:
1. citrus
2. asparagus and rhubarb
3. strawberry.
4. The pear grew inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)
5. fresh lettuce

Technorati Tags: agriculture, strawberry, asparagus

by Farmers Almanac Staff
No Comments »

©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Chances are you know of someone that recently left home for college or happens to be serving in one of the military branches overseas. Leaving family and friends for the first time is an adjustment. To help keep your loved one from feeling lonely and forgotten while away, let’s prepare a package of small gifts. Here is a list of useful items to send.

~ Cover the lid and bottom of a shoebox with attractive wrapping paper. After the gift items have been removed from the box, the recipient can use it to save treasured letters.
~ Using computer software print out custom return address labels for the college student to use when writing the folks back home!
~ Stationary paper, envelopes and ink pens
~ Send a mini photo album with the latest photos from home.
~ Ladies will appreciate scented sachets for their lingerie drawer.
~ Packets of hot chocolate or herbal teas.
~ Snack items: granola bars, cans of mixed nuts, trail mix, hard candy, breath mints
~ Favorite perfume or cologne, deodorant, razors
~ Room freshener, hand sanitizer, hand wipes
~ Phone card

by Farmers Almanac Staff
No Comments »

© By Deborah S. Tukua, co-author of Pearls of Garden Wisdom
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Late summer and early fall is the time when most stinging encounters with caterpillars occur. There are around nine different stinging caterpillars in this country. Physical contact with one of these creatures can be realized as a stinging or itching sensation. The tiny hollow quills on their body are connected to poison sacs. Brushing against the spine triggers a release of the poison. Some caterpillars have a more severe sting than others. Several of the caterpillars in the stinging category do not possess typical characteristics of caterpillars in appearance whatsoever.

Last week our son brought a leaf to me from the snowball bush next to the house. On it was the most intriguing caterpillar I had ever seen. It looked like a miniature Scotty dog wearing a blanket with two stiff tufts of hair on either side of its head. It was rather cute. A little research revealed this to be a Saddleback Caterpillar, definitely in the stinging category.

Stinging caterpillars can generally be found on deciduous trees such as oak and chestnut. However, the Saddleback and Io Moth can also be found on corn plants. The Puss Caterpillar is thought to carry the most severe sting of all. It does not look like a caterpillar at first glance with its fuzzy soft appearance and has been found on English ivy and roses. Probably the most unusual of all stinging caterpillars is the Hagmoth. Its shape resembles a dried, brown leaf. Other stinging caterpillars include: Buck Moth, Hickory Tussock Moth, Silverspotted Tiger Moth, Stinging Rose Caterpillar, and Euclea delphinii.

Prevention-
When pruning shrubs and trees, wear gloves to avoid accidental contact with caterpillars. A good rule of thumb to teach children is that any caterpillars that are hairy, prickly or fuzzy are best left untouched. Being able to recognize these poisonous creatures is the best line of defense. I encourage you to view the superb photographs at
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/pdfs/entfa003.pdf

First Aide Treatment for Stings –
Wash the area in soap and water first. Use scotch tape to remove any spines left in your skin. Applications of baking soda paste, calamine lotion or ammonia have been reported to give some relief to the stinging sensation. If swelling occurs, apply ice packs. Those with allergic reactions may seek professional medical assistance.

Article Sources: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2130.html, and http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/pdfs/entfa003.pdf

Technorati Tags: caterpillars

by Farmers Almanac Staff
No Comments »