Seasoning Salt

Making your own seasoning salt can be a fun way to put your personal touch on any dish. We love sprinkling this seasoning on popcorn.

Seasoning Salt
(makes about 1 pint)

2 cup sea salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon turmeric

In bowl, combine all ingredients until mixed well. Store in airtight container in dark place. Use to season anything you would normally put salt on.

Makes a frugal and easy gift too! Just place mix into a mason jar and label.

DIY Weed Killer Spray

Weeding is back-breaking work and too often I spend hours weeding only to have the weeds sneak back in no time at all. Pre-made weed sprays can work wonders, but are expensive and who wants to spray chemicals all over the yard? Not me. I found a better solution that not only works faster and better, but is much cheaper.

DIY Weed Killer Spray
Ingredients:

• 1 gallon vinegar
• 1/2 cup table salt
• 1 teaspoon Dawn liquid dish soap (used the basic blue type)

Mix all ingredients together. I just shaked to combine.
Pour solution in a spray bottle or into a pressurized sprayer. Now attack those weeds.

For best results: Apply when rain is not forecasted for a day or two. Keep in mind this solution will kill anything that is put on. So if you spray plants you want to keep, it will kill them. But on the bright side the spray will also kill off grass if you planning to make a new planting bed.

This a very Eco-friendly way to beat those weeds. We love that we can use this solution and not worry about the kids or the dog being by where we sprayed. We also live on the river and don't want to have dangerous run off adding to the pollution of the river. 

This solution created very quick surprising results. We have many thistles that we are fighting against in a bed we are trying to regain control of. I used this spray in only 4 hours the leaves were already brown and the weeds were on their way to wasting away. Victory! 

Before & 4 hours after application.

Garden Update: Week of 5/25/14

Wow, what a busy week it has been at our house...
Memorial Day charity walk, dance rehearsals and recitals, last day of school, awards ceremony, gymnastics practice, a theater play, pine car derby and oh, yeah gardening.

Despite our busy schedules we were able to get some more of the garden planted...
Jalapeños, sweet corn, popcorn, decorative corn, sugar snap peas, green beans, spinach, broccoli, garlic, horseradish, onions, cucumbers, pickles, watermelons, carrots and quinoa.

And we planted the saddest tomato plants I have ever seen. We found 3 huge, but neglected tomato plants at Aldi's, for 50 cents total. The nurse in me is hoping to bring them back to health. Our tomato plant total is now at 32 (we may need some reinforcements when these are all ready to be harvested and preserved).

Our evenings are falling back into our summer routine, which brings Ron outside after dinner to water the garden. We are hoping to use mostly drip irrigation on the garden but there is a back corner that is getting the sprinkler treatment for the moment. Drip irrigation helps to create wider and deeper roots and makes your plants healthier. 

Here is a peak at the wildlife gracing our yard this past week:

Here is a recap of what else you might have missed from the week: