Cooking Conversion Calculator

Link to an online calculator for converting recipe measurements from cups/teaspoons etc. to weight. Much more accurate, especially for baked goods.

Identifying Pestss on Corn

Here's a link to a very thorough article on  bugs on corn:  http://ipm.illinois.edu/pubs/cip.pdf

And a link to info on the corn leaf aphid: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r113300611.html

Plant Squash to Keep Skunks and Raccoons Away

We now have what appears to be a skunk nest in our garden, just above the vegetable planters. 

This seems like a potentially unpleasant problem, particularly if they're planning on starting a family. We've got a humane trap we can set with the idea of relocating him/her to the local national forest. In the meantime, I've learned that skunks dislike squash leaves. They may eat ripe summer squash if it's accessible, but they won't walk on the leaves of squash plants because they have little hairs that irritate the skin on skunk's feet. Any variety of squash should work, but you've got to allow the vines to lay on the ground instead of training them up a pole or trellis. 

This still doesn't definitively answer the question of who/what ate all the leaves off the squash plants the week they were planted. Guess I'm staying with grasshoppers as the culprit.

Natural Deterrent to Grasshoppers

What's left after the grasshoppers visited the squash

Little tiny grasshoppers, hundreds of them, have taken over the squash plants. I searched online for an organic method of getting them off my plants.

1 part molasses to 6 parts water, mixed in a bottle and sprayed on the leaves made the grasshoppers scatter.

A week later I found one more grasshopper, that was about 3/4" big, and hit him with the molasses mixture. He's nowhere to be found today.

Using Herbs to Deter & Repel Bugs in the Home

Bay leaves -place fresh leaf in container of beans or grains to repel weevils and moths.  Scatter a few leaves on kitchen or pantry shelves to repel moths, roaches, earwigs, and mice.


Eucalyptus Leaves - Repel silverfish. Place a few leaves in any drawers that they're visiting.

Vegetable Garden

July 19, 2011

July 19, 2011

July 19, 2011

July 20, 2011 left planter

July 20, 2011 center planter

July 20, 2011 right planter

July 20, 2011 right planter