DIY Basic Cookie Mix + 3 Yummy and Easy Cookie Variations

These recipes came from one of my many Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. Their recipes are always tried and true country favorites and so delicious! As the name of the cookie mix implies, the mix makes a great gift.

THE MIX: Kate's Cheerful-Giver Basic Cookie Mix
8 1/2 c. flour
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. dry milk powder
3 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
3 1/2 c. shortening (one that doesn't need refrigeration)

Combine first six ingredients in large bowl. Using two knives or a pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Store in an airtight container 8-10 weeks in refrigerator. For slightly longer storage, store mix in freexer. Yields about 17 cups of mix.

OPTION #1: Grandma's Gran-Oatey Cookies
2 1/2 c. cookie mix
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. granola

Mix together cookie mix, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Add oatmeal and granola. Let stand for 15 minutes to allow oatmeal and granola to absorb moisture. Bake at 350 for 9 to 11 minutes on greased baking sheet. Cook on wire rack.

OPTION #2: Lunch-Pail Peanut-Butter Cookies
3 c. cookie mix
3/4 c peanut butter
1 egg
1 T. water
3 T. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. unsalted peanuts, chopped
1/2 t. cinnamon (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Drop by teaspoonfuls on an ungreased baking sheet. Make criss-cross pattern with tines of fork on each cookie. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 or until light golden brown. Cook on wire racks.

OPTION #3: Two-Times Chocolate Chippers
3 c. cookie mix
1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. nuts, chopped

Mix together cookie mix, milk, egg and vanilla. Stir in melted chocolate, chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 9 to 11 minutes or until done. Cool on wire racks.

Make Your Own Laundry Soap

Making your own laundry soap is much easier thank you might think -- and it's super-cheap! You just need a few ingredients and a food processor and you're good to go.


Ingredients:
- bar soap *see note below*
- Washing soda - not baking soda
- Borax

Tools:
- large container to store your soap
- Measuring cup
- Large mixing bowl
- Food processor

Making Your Detergent:
Your mixing ratio is simple: 1 bar of soap (or 2 cups soap shreds) to 1 cup Borax and 1 cup Washing Soda.

1. Grate your soap using your food processor or a hand grater. The finer the shreds, the better.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups soap shreds with 1 cup Borax and 1 cup Washing Soda. Mix well.

3. Scoop your the soap mix into the food processor and use the chopping blade to finely pulse the soap mix. You want the soap shreds to mix well with the Washing Soda and Borax, and create a fine crumb-like mixture. Once finely processed, transfer to your container for storage.

4. Continue through remaining soap shred mixture in bowl, until all have been finely processed and well mixed with the Borax and Washing Soda. Transfer to your storage container as each batch is finely pulsed.

Using the Detergent:
When washing, use about 1/8 cup for medium loads and 1/4 cup for large loads. This soap does not bubble, so don't be alarmed when you don't see suds! Also, note the type of bar soap you use will have different stain-removal properties. Use Fels Naptha if you rely solely on your detergent for stain-fighting.

Soap Suggestions:
Ivory is a good choice, but I've been known to use whatever blows my hairback when I'm shopping. For the all natural route, you can choose Dr. Bronners bar soap, but at $4+ a bar, it is too rich for my blood. Other options are Fels Naptha (great for stain removal) or Zote.

Project for Kids: Create a Worm Farm

This is a fun, educational and inexpensive project that demonstrates how earthworms move about in the soil. Earthworms are very helpful in gardens because they move about and all air and water to reach all parts of the soil, which is beneficial to plant roots.

Materials for the project:
* Large glass jar with a lid
* Hammer and nail
* Soil
* Sand
* Oatmeal
* 2 or 3 earthworms
* Black construction paper

Directions:
1. Add some water to the dry soil and sand, just enough to make them moist.
2. Pour about 1 inch of soil into jar. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of oatmeal. Cover with about an inch of sand. Repeat layers until you are within about 2 inches of the top of the jar.
3. Poke a few holes in the lid of the jar.
4. Place worms in jar and secure lid.
5. Wrap construction paper around jar to provide a dark environment for worms. Place in dark place, out of direct sunlight.
6. In a week or so, remove the paper and check out what the worms have been up to! They should have made tunnels through the sand and soil, looking for the food (oatmeal)... just like worms do in our garden soil, mixing and airating.

Maintenance:
* Every week, add a little water to the jar to keep it moist.
* Every six weeks, add a teaspoon of oatmeal for food.
* When the kids are done enjoying the farm, simply dump out in your garden and allow the worms to aerate your soil.

Ham Macaroni Salad Recipe

Super-delicious way to use up your leftover hard boiled eggs and Easter ham.

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 1.25 cups uncooked)
1 cup cooked cubed ham
7 oz cubed cheddar cheese
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 cup chopped dill pickles
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1 T dijon mustard
3/4 cup mayonaise

Mix mustard and mayonaise. Then pour over remaining ingredients and stir to coat. Chill before serving.

Eggshells -- Great for gardening, seed-starting, and fun for kids!

This project is very timely considering Easter is less than a week away. Use your leftover decorated or undecorated shells for this project.

Be sure to check out my tips at the bottom for a kids project and using your cardboard egg cartons.

Eggshell Seed Starters

•eggshells, gently washed and dried
•egg carton, top cut off
•ice pick or awl
•potting soil
•seeds

Gently break your egg open close to the top, ensuring that you save most of the egg for planting in. Clear out the contents, and carefully gently wash and dry it. Pierce the bottom with an ice pick or awl to provide a drainage hole. Set the eggshell in an egg carton.

Fill each eggshell with soil, drop in 2 to 3 seeds and cover with more soil. Moisten the soil with a mist of water and place the egg carton in a warm, sunny location with good air flow. Keep the soil moist and turn the carton occasionally to ensure even growth.

When it's safe to plant the seedlings outside, you can plant them in the ground -- eggshell and all.

TIPS:
Kids will have a great time dyeing or decorating shells, planting seeds in them, and watching the seedlings grow. Grass or wheat seeds work great for this. Use the seeding directions above, but make sure your potting soil is completely wet, not just moist.

If you don't have eggshells, just use the cardboard carton itself as a seedling tray. Poke a hole in the bottom of each eggcup for drainage and follow the seeding directions above. When you're ready to plant them outside, just cut the eggcups into individual sections and plant them, cardboard and all. The cardboard will biodegrade as the plants grow.

Crushed eggshells add valuable nutrients to your garden. If you have lots of eggshells (left over from Easter, perhaps) check out this info on using them in your garden: .

Lead & Gardening: Important Facts to Keep in Mind

Unfortunately, the soil in many areas has lead in it. While only elevated levels of lead (over 400 parts per million) are considered hazardous by the US Environmental Protection Agency, no amount of lead is safe for children. Lead can cause serious health problems, including brain damage, especially in small children.

As you make your gardening plans for this summer, please consider the following tips provided by the Healthy Homes Coalition:

How to Protect Your Family
• Always wash vegetables before eating.
• Wash hands after gardening.
• Don’t wear gardening shoes inside the home.
• Add lime to your soil to maintain soil pH levels above 6.5 to limit lead
availability to plants.
• Add organic matter to your soil to bind the lead.
• Don’t let your kids eat dirt.

For more information, view this "Gardening & Lead" Fact Sheet from the Healthy Homes Coalition.

Make it Fresh and Special with Flavored Butter

Bring your butter beyond basic by adding a few simple ingredients. You can whip it up in no time!



3 steps to Compound Butter
(Or two if you skip the fancy roll at the end!)

1. Start with 2 sticks (or 1 cup) unsalted butter or margarine, softened to room temperature.
2. Combine butter and flavorings, mixing well.
3. You can either store your butter in a small dish (as I usually do) or you can go fancy and roll it in a sheet of parchment paper and and form a log. From that you can slice off nice circles as you need them.

Flavor Variations
The sky's the limit on this one! Try some of the ideas below, or experiment with your own favorite flavors:

One of our herb combos gives you three herbs to choose from!

• Lemon Herb Butter: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs—try dill, parsley, tarragon, thyme, oregano or a blend.
• Chili Lime Butter: 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1-2 teaspoons fresh lime zest and 2 teaspoons red chili flakes.
• Blue Cheese Butter: 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese and 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (optional).
• Cinnamon Butter: 1 tablespoon cinnamon and honey (or superfine sugar) to taste.
• Fig Butter: 1 jar fig preserves—chop up any large bits of fig—1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.
• Honey butter: mix in honey to taste. I don't have an amount for this one. :-)


Cooking with Compound Butters
Pair your gourmet butters with fresh-baked bread, or get creative with them:

• Toss pasta with lemon herb or blue cheese butter—or a little bit of both!
• Sauté cod filets in herb, chili lime or fig butter.
• Whip mashed potatoes with savory butters, or let slices melt atop baked potatoes.
• Melt chili lime butter, then drizzle over corn on the cob.
• Spread waffles, pancakes and scones with cinnamon, fig or butterscotch butter.
• Finish steaks with slices of herb or blue cheese butter.
• Add sweet butters—fig, cinnamon and beyond—to oatmeal, rice pudding and other porridges.

DIY: All-Purpose Spray Cleaner

This versatile all-purpose spray is great for kitchen counters, tables, sinks, floors, and more.

16 oz spray bottle (check dollar stores)
1 teaspoon Borax (found near speciality cleaners on the laundry soap aisle)
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable-oil based soap (like Dr. Bronners)
16 oz Hot Water
Few drops essential oil (optional)

Directions:

Add Borax to 16 oz of hot water in spray bottle. Cap and shake until Borax is dissolved. Add vinegar and shake. Then add soap and oil and shake.

Fabulous Fail-Proof Dutch Apple Pie

Seriously, it doesn't get any better than this.  It makes a fantastic gift, bake sale item, potluck dish - or just plain family dessert.  This pie is always a hit.

If you're a sucker for rave reviews, you'll want to serve this pie asap!




INGREDIENTS

1 unbaked pie shell

Filling
1/2 c sugar (adjust as needed for tartness of apples)
1 t cinnamon
6-8 baking (or "pie") apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Topping
3/4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c margarine

For filling, mix sugar, cinnamon and apples. Stir until well mixed. Place apple mixture in unbaked pie shell. Make Dutch apple topping by mixing flour, sugar and margarine with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of apples.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 45 minutes or longer, until apples are tender and crust is lightly browned.

Notes:

Good apple choices are firm apples, like Northern Spies. Mushy apples apples and crunchy Dutch Topping don't mix!

Should be eaten in two or three days, or topping will get mushy. Not that it will last that long anyways!

Can be frozen! Double wrap with plastic wrap, put in ziplock freezer bag and freeze. Does not have to be thawed to bake. Simply follow baking directions above and adjust time at 350 as needed. This is usually method, since I love to make a bunch of pies in the fall and enjoy them through the year.

Makes a very nice gift! You can get pie boxes at stores that sell Wilton products and other retailers.

Honeyed Applesauce

Dark with spices, this applesauce freezes well. Makes about 2 pint jars.

8 cups (about 3 lbs) apples cored, peeled, and quartered
1 cup clover or mild honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp lemon juice

1. In a large saucepan, combine the apples with 1/2 cup of the honey; cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes.

2. For chunky applesauce, just mash the apples in the saucepan. For a smoother sauce, press the apples through a conical sieve or a food mill (or use your blender). Add enough of the remaining honey to sweeten to taste. Stir in the spices, salt and lemon juice. Enjoy just-made or freeze in pint jars for up to six months.

Sweet Corn Salsa

This recipe is simply divine! Those who love sweet corn and sweet flavors will love this delicious mix.

Sweet Corn Salsa / Sweet Salsa

1 can sweet shoepeg corn - or 2 ears fresh, blanched sweet corn
2 cans black beans
1/2 c celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c sugar
1 c olive oil (can reduce to 1/2 c)

Boil sugar, vinegar and oil til sugar dissolves. Cool, then pour over veggies. Marinate -- best if overnight. Drain before serving.

Photo source, allrecipes.com

Orange & Asparagus Salad

Here's a fresh, colorful and easy way to use Michigan-grown aspargus.

2 c cut-up fresh or frozen Michigan asparagus
6 oz bag spring or European lettuce mix
11 oz can mandarin orange sections, well drained
1/3 c thinly sliced red onion
1/4 c honey roasted cashews
1/2 c raspberry vinagrette dressing

Steam or microwave asparagus until tender-crips. Drain and let cool. Combine cooked asparagus, lettuce, oranges, onion and cashews. Pour dressing over all. Toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately.

Save Those Spring Bulbs!

Are your beautiful spring bulbs done blooming? Don't throw them out! You can enjoy them for many years to come if you plant them in your yard.

Tulips, daffodils, paperwhites, crocus, hyacinth -- all of them can be planted in your yard and they will greet you next spring with their cheery blooms. (See the bottom for a special note on Easter Lilies.)

When the ground thaws enough for you to dig in, you can go ahead and plant your bulbs. This article provides information on planting bulbs (note: it focuses mainly on fall planting, but provides good tips on how to plant bulbs).

Here's a few tips from my own experience:

- plant them in places that you won't later be planting annuals or perennials. Bulbs are hard to locate after they die back and you don't want to contiually dig them up as you plant your other flowers

- If digging up or relocating bulbs, be sure to dig deep enough so that you get the entire bulb and don't split the bulb or merely remove the green leaves.

- Don't plant the bulb too deep; some bulbs will send up leaves but be unable to bloom if planted too deep

- Bulbs are prolific reproducers. Every few years you can thin out your crop, which will enable remaining bulbs to bloom better. (If bulbs in a crowded location don't bloom, it signals a need to thin them and provide some breathing room.)

A little effort now will provide great rewards next year, and in years go come. So put on your gardening gloves and plant your bulbs this month. It's the ultimate in being earth-friendly and recycling.

* Easter Lilies can be planted after Easter and will re-bloom this summer. They will not come back the next year.

Fabulous Rhubarb Bread Recipe

Rhubarb season will be here soon and Country Harvest Greenhouse will be selling rhubarb. Here's an excellent recipe for enjoying rhubarb:

RHUBARB BREAD

This recipe comes from my "A Taste of Shipshewana" cookbook. I treasure my Amish cookbooks and the many fabulous recipes they contain. This sweet, dark bread became an instant hit in my house.

1-1/2 c brown sugar
2/3 c vegetable oil
1 egg
1 c sour milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2-1/2 c flour
1-1/2c chopped rhubarb
1/2 c chopped nuts

Topping:
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp butter

Stir together in order given. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Crumble topping ingredients together and place topping evenly over each loaf. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done.

Recipe Time!

Now is a wonderful time of year to enjoy the first harvests from your garden, or the farmer's markets. Try some of these recipes on your family:

Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
1 qt. (4 cups) sliced rhubarb
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. MINUTE Tapioca
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1 pkg. (15 oz.) ready-to-use refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine, cut up

DirectionsPREHEAT oven to 425°F. Mix rhubarb, sugar, tapioca and orange peel in large bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.

PLACE 1 of the pie crusts in 9-inch pie plate. Fill with fruit mixture; dot with butter. Cover with remaining crust; seal and flute edge. Cut several slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

BAKE 45 to 50 minutes or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool.

Variation: Fresh Strawberry-Rhubarb PiePrepare as directed, using 2 cups sliced rhubarb, 2 cups halved strawberries and increasing tapioca to 1/4 cup.

Pizza Kits - a fun, fresh gift

Looking for a unique and useful -- and super-easy -- gift to give this spring? How about a "Pizza-to-Grow Kit", complete with tomatoes, spices and a box to hold it all in?

It's a great gift for kids to assemble and give, and it would make a fun, practical, and tasty present for teachers or for Mother's Day.

1) To start, visit your favorite local pizza joint and ask for a box (you may have to pay a small fee).

2) Then, purchase the fresh "ingredients" for your pizza -- lots of plants. Good choices for the pizza theme would be tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and herbs such as oregano and basil. For a fun play on words, include a flower plant to represent "flour" for the pizza dough.

3) You can transfer the plants into small pots (or styrofoam cups) if need be, then cut holes in the lid of the pizza box and place the plants in each.

4) For final touch, if you choose, include a gift certificate to the pizza place you got the box from.

A Pizza-to-Grow Kit is sure to be a big hit with recipients, and, assembling it will give your kids a chance to learn more about plants and the foods they make. For a great list of tomato, herb and flower options for your kit, visit our website at http://www.countryharvestgreenhouse.com/ and we'll help you find the plants for an awesome kit.

PS: Don't forget to let your kids plant their own pizza garden!

source: Family Fun magazine

Mulching your vegetable garden

You can use organic or inorganic materials to mulch your garden. Here is a list of some options and usage tips.

Organic mulches:

Compost: You can use fully or partially decomposed compost (it is better if the compost is fully decomposed). Compost makes a great mulch and soil conditioner.

Lawn Clippings: Don't use clippings from a lawn that has been treated with a herbicide or weed killer because those chemicals can kill your vegetable plants. Let untreated clippings dry before putting them around your garden; fresh grass gets to compact and smells bad while it's decomposing.

Leaf Mold: Leaves are cheap and prolific, but they can blow around and be hard to keep in place. Ground up, partially decomposed leaves will stay in place better. Nitrogen should be added to leaf mold. Note: Don't use walnut leaves. They contain iodine, which is toxic to some vegetable plants.

Sawdust: Sawdust is often available for the asking, but it requires added nitrogen to prevent microorganisms from depleting the soil's nitrogen supply. If possible, allow sawdust to decompose for a year before using it as a mulch.

Straw: Straw can be messy and hard to apply in small areas, but it is an excellent mulch. Just don't use hay, which many weed seeds.

Wood Chips or Shavings: Wood chips, like sawdust, decompose slowly and should be allowed to partially decompose for a year before being used as mulch. Additional nitrogen will be needed to supply bacteria during decomposition.

Inorganic mulch:

Landscape fabric: used in small gardens for plants that are grown in a group or a hill, typically vining plants such as cucumbers, squash, or pumpkins.

It can also be used for individual plants such as peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants. Because the fabric is black and attracts heat, it should not be used for crops that need a cool growing season -- cabbage or cauliflower, for instance -- unless it's covered with a thick layer of light-reflecting material, such as sawdust.

Small-space gardening

If you have a small yard or a simply want to garden on a small scale, there are some great ways you can enjoy a delicious, compact and attractive garden.

You can take advantage of decks, patios, porches, and window boxes to grow fresh vegetables and herbs. Even hanging baskets will work for some plants.

Container garden "beds" can be made to fit your needs and space -- and your style. Barrels, wood crates or boxes, baskets, urns, clay or plastic pots, basins... all offer fun and attractive ways to set up your garden.


A few simple rules are that the containers must be large enough to meet plant spacing requirements, deep enough to develop roots (about 6-8 inches deep), and provide adequate drainage, which may involve drilling a few holes in the bottom.

Many vegetables can be grown in containers. Tomatoes, always a popular favorite, offer several varieties bred specifically for containers and hanging baskets. Of those special varieties, at Country Harvest Farm we sell Micro Tom, Maskotka, Tiny Tim and Tumbler tomatoes.

Other good container vegetable choices include carrots, radishes, spinach, lettuce, and all peppers. Herbs and edible flowers are excellent additions to the garden and your dinner table.

The key to container gardening is to be creative with your space, ask questions if needed, and experiment with your needs and tastes. With just a little bit of dirt and space, you can grow the vegetables, herbs and flowers your family loves.

Know your zone!

Not your time zone. Your plant hardiness zone. That is an important part of plant survival.

Most of west Michigan falls in Zone 5 according to the USDA Map.




That means when selecting perennials, the plant must say it is hardy to Zone 5 or below in order for it to survive a Michigan winter. Anything listed for 6 or above needs a warmer climate than we can offer. (Plants listed 6 might make it on the lakeshore, where the lake keeps things a little warmer).

It also means that when sowing your vegetable garden and planting your annual flowers, you need to be sure you plant when it is safe to plant for Zone 5. After the last spring freeze/frost dates. The weather forcast can help you determine when that date will be this year. Or, a rule of thumb followed by many in Michigan is to wait until after Memorial Day before planting tender annuals and vegetable gardens.

This spring find your zone and enjoy the fruits of your labors!

Welcome to the Country Harvest Greenhouse Blog!

We're so glad you stopped by! This blog will be used in connection with our website (http://www.countryharvestgreenhouse.com/) to provide fun and useful information, tips, news, and ideas for growing plants and getting creative.

Is there something you would like to learn more about? Questions on plants, flowers, herbs... or some kind of craft project? If so, just leave a comment and we'll do our best to track down some information or ideas that can help you.

Until next time!