Caring for your Jade Plant

Our jade plant was looking good in the fall and then suddenly wasn't doing so well lately. I kept watering it thinking perhaps it's dehydrated, but then it began to develop white "stuff" on it and the soil. I read up on it a little more and found that I wasn't supposed to keep watering it in the winter.

During the winter:

• Water once a month.
• Clean white stuff off using a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.
• Pinch off new growth to promote growth elsewhere.
• Low humidity.
• 75 degrees F during the day, 55 degrees F during the night.
• Put it somewhere that's naturally light in the day and dark at night in order for it to flower during the winter.
  

Decorate a Cookie

Let's face it! Married couples aren't doin jack for Valentine's Day! So I am hosting a "Decorate a Cookie or Cupcake" gathering for friends and some of the neighborhood kids. This is a great activity for a bridal shower, the kid's table or even in place of the candy buffet at your wedding reception. For me, it's a great time of the year where you can get your friends together and catch up.


Photo from Martha Stewart

Materials:

1. Lots of large sugar cookies in different shapes and sizes.
2. Icing!
3. Sprinkles!
4. Cellophane bags or small pastry boxes and ribbon.
5. Clorox wipes for the mess afterwards.

Set up stations with the cookies, icing and sprinkles all ready to go. I ordered these icing bottles and tips from Pampered Chef. I am going to make a run to the Dollar Store to see if I can find similar bottles in bulk since so many people will be using them at the same time.



*Tip - I add low-fat Cool Whip to store bought icing. It lowers the calorie count and it makes the icing easier to pipe or spread. Also, for children, use large shaped sprinkles over crystal sugar sprinkles which tend to get sticky and messy real quick when wet. It's also much harder to clean.

Packaging - You can really get creative here with small boxes or a cellophane bag, ribbon and a monogrammed sticker. In the past, I've packaged heart shaped brownes for Keith in pink tissue paper and a pink box.



Happy Sweet Treats!

Ratatouille

Recipe here

I didn't follow a recipe, but the above link is an informative one to follow. After I saw the movie, I wanted to make Ratatouille and was hoping I could use the harvest from my garden. However, my zucchini was finished before the eggplant came out, so I procrastinated. Finally, I decided to take the time to do it today.

Using a round casserole dish, grease the bottom with olive oil. Layer the thinly sliced veggies in the dish.


After I filled the dish with one layer covering the bottom, I seasoned it and did that with each new "layer".


Then I topped with canned tomatoes.


Bake for an hour at 400 degrees.

We ate it with a side of rice a roni and it was delish! The tomato definitely adds taste and tartness to the dish so make sure you don't forget the tomatoes even if you don't have all the other ingredients.

PAD KRAPOW (Thai Chicken Basil Stirfry)

-6 cloves garlic, crushed
-2-4 thai chili peppers (or 1-2 serrano peppers), crushed
-1/4 c cooking oil
-1 1/2 to 2 lbs chicken meat (or tofu), sliced into bite sized pieces
-3 tbsp oyster sauce
-2 tbsp fish sauce
-1 teaspoon sugar

-1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced into thin strips
-2 cups fresh sweet basil leaves
-cilantro (for garnish)
-1 sliced cucumber (to serve on side)

Heat oil in deep pan or wok over high heat until smoking.
Add crushed garlic and chili peppers, stir quickly once and immediately add sliced chicken meat or tofu. Stir.
Add oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar, and stir fry until chicken is cooked through (or tofu is heated through) about 8 minutes.
Stir in Bell Peppers for 30 seconds and turn heat off.
Add basil leaves, stir, and serve hot with jasmine rice , cucumber and cilantro on the side.