Creating a Window Sill Herb Garden Using Mason Jars

I told you before that I am the worst gardener on the planet.  I somehow manage to kill everything.  The herb garden we planted outside last summer was no exception.  Between the hot, hot sun and the flooding downpours of rain, my little garden didn't stand a chance...and having me as the gardener wasn't any help for the poor plants.

For dinner one night this week, I am planning to make One Pot Spaghetti so I needed to pick up some fresh basil since we haven't picked up plants for our vegetable and herb gardens.  While at the market, I grabbed 2 bundles of basil.  One for myself and one for my mom.

I was in a hurry and didn't read the package, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that what I thought was simply a bunch of cut basil actually turned out to be a live plant with roots and an ice cube sized mound of dirt.  Following the directions on the bag, I filled a vase or cup-in my case a mason jar- with an inch of water and the plant. I then placed it in a sunny window.  I chose to place it on the windowsill next to our kitchen table as the window near my kitchen sink tends to get a bit cluttered.

The jar pictured above is my mom's, I didn't take a picture of mine yet.  I love how simple and pretty it looks in the window and can't wait to get back to the store to pick up a few more herb plants to add to my simple little herb garden.  I sure hope that they can survive my black thumb!


I'm sharing this post with the following blog carnivals and linky parties:

• Making a Home 
• Wednesday's Garden, Week #2
• Homemaking Link-Up!  
• Inspire Me Wednesday

Ham & Broccoli Pot Pie Filling

Please join me every Wednesday through the Spring and Summer months for a Garden Tour Linky Party that I like to call Wednesday's Garden.  I'd love to see all of your garden themed blog posts!

For Easter, Joe cooked us a very large spiral ham.  I don't remember the weight, but I do know it was too large for just the three of us...actually, just the two of us, since Grace doesn't eat ham.  After dinner was done, we were left with a lot of leftovers, which was totally fine with me!

The two nights following Easter, we had a repeat of Easter dinner:  Spiral Ham served with asparagus and twice baked potatoes.  Mm!  Another night, I prepared breakfast for dinner:  Ham, potatoes, asparagus and eggs all in one skillet.  It wasn't pretty so I didn't get a photo, but it sure was tasty!

Even with those meals, plus Joe grabbing a ham sandwich here and there, we still had enough ham leftover to make another meal.  So I decided to make a ham pot pie...or rather, a pot pie filling since I started dinner a bit too late.  Instead, Joe ladled his filling over some canned biscuits while I preferred to just dip my biscuits into my bowl.  Either way, the meal was a success and I can't wait to make it again!

For this dish, I used my usual go-to pot pie recipe, used ham for the meat and added some frozen broccoli.  So delicious!

Ham & Broccoli Pot Pie Filling 
      adapted from:  Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:  

• 3/4 cup celery, chopped 
• 3/4 cup onion, diced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 Tbs. water
• 3 medium potatoes, diced
• 2 cups, frozen broccoli, thawed
• 2 cups spiral ham, or other leftover ham, diced 
• 1/3 cup butter 
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk 
• salt & pepper, to taste 

Directions: 

• In a large sauce pan, cook potatoes in water until tender.  
• While potatoes are cooking, add 4 Tbs water to a skillet with the celery, onion and carrots.  Cook, while stirring often until veggies are tender.  Add additional water if needed.  
• To the skillet of vegetables, add the butter.  Heat until melted.  
• Stir in flour, milk and broth.  Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.  
• Season with salt and pepper.  
• Drain potatoes, then add the potatoes, broccoli and ham to the sauce.  Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until completely heated through.  
• At this point, you can transfer this to an oven-safe casserole dish and top with your favorite pot pie crust, then bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.  OR, you can make things easy for yourself and just serve over toast points or with biscuits.  

I've shared this recipe at the following blog carnivals and linky parties:  

• Homemaking Party
• Full Plate Thursday
• Making a Home
• Tasty Tuesday

Wednesday's Garden ~ A Weekly Garden Tour ~ Week #1

Although, I worked behind the scenes in a flower shop for almost 20 years, I am probably the worst gardener on the planet.  I think this may be a trait that I inherited from from grandmother.  So, every year, I drool over and covet other peoples' gardens.  My cousin, Wednesday, has a beautiful garden that she shares with her family and friends via social media.  Each morning she strolls her garden and snaps some pictures to post on Facebook.  Last summer, I found myself eagerly awaiting her newest photos each day.  I loved watching her garden blossom and flourish.

Today, and every Wednesday through the Spring and Summer, I invite you to visit Wednesday's Garden with me.  Additionally, I will post a linky for anyone that would like to share their garden theme posts for the rest of us to enjoy.


Aren't these rain boot planters so cute?!  Almost everyone that knows me, knows that I love shoes!  That most definitely includes rain boots!  Although I don't own a pair personally, Grace has had several pair over the course of the past 5 years!  I'm totally kicking myself for selling them in my yard sale group!

Wednesday created these adorable planters using her kids' outgrown rain boots.  She added rocks and leaves in the bottom before adding her soil and plants.  While the plants are still small this early in the season, soon the boots above will be bursting with brightly colored Zinnia...my favorite!

Below, are some alternate views of the mates to the boots on the fence:

If you're like me and you don't have rain boots, check out your local goodwill or thrift shops!  Wednesday didn't have enough boots for her project and picked up an extra pair for two bucks!  (That's just a dollar per planter!)

Now it's your turn!  Please link up your garden post!  If your garden isn't started yet, share something from last year's garden!  Just be sure to include a link back to this post so that others can join in on the garden tour!

Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops Soothing America's Throats for over 140 Years!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops have been around for a long time!  I mean, I remember taking them when I was a kid!  But really, they've been around even longer than that!  Here's some information I learned while reading the history on their website:

The year was 1870 when Herman Pine (and his brother) sold the first batch of  Pine Brothers Glycerin Tablets in my hometown of Philadelphia!

Life Savers Company purchased Pine Brothers in 1930 and the drops continued to sell well.  Especially in the eastern and northern states where they experience cold, icy winters  The site also states that Pine Brothers were most popular during the 1970's, which is when I remember using them.

After being sold and re-sold a number of times, along with some cost-cutting recipe changes and production overseas, sales began to decline.

Most recently, Pine Brothers has found a new owner.  One that has taken the time to find the original recipes and create new packaging with the same classic look.  One that has brought production back to America!
Pine Brothers was launched nationally in 2011.

Now, I'd like to share my experiences with Pine Brothers Throat Drops.  Then and now.

When I was a kid, I loved taking Pine Brothers throat drops when I had a cough or sore throat.  I can still see the box of cherry flavored throat drops on the ledge of my little metal school desk!  So much tastier than all of those other products on the market, they seemed like a special treat when I wasn't feeling well.

I'm happy that I can now share the same delicious drops with Grace when she has a sore scratchy throat!  While we were incredibly lucky this year and skipped a lot of the colds that were going around, I suspect that Grace's allergies will be in full swing this spring and summer.  Causing her some throat irritation.  She knows to ask for what she calls "medicine candy" when her throat feels scratchy.

Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops are available in a variety of flavors:

• Natural Honey
• Wild Cherry 
• Licorice

And in 2015-16, a new flavor will be launched: 

• Lemon-Citrus

I haven't tried any of the other flavors, but have always loved the Wild Cherry drops!  

Since talking to others about Pine Brothers, I've heard many say that they are having trouble finding them when they shop.  Here's a link to the "where to buy" page on their website.  You can also shop online.

Find Pine Brothers online:

• website (link available in the review above) 
• Twitter @pinebros 
• Facebook 

Disclosure:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

#FebrezeSpring Scents Collection with $15 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Febreze.  Although, I received samples of this product to facilitate my review, as well as the gift card offered in this giveaway, all opinions and thoughts are both honest and my own.


For so many of us, this past winter has been harsh.  I don't know about you, but I spent way too many days with all the windows and doors closed while I cuddled on the couch in a blanket.  I guess you could say I was hibernating.  Now that the days are starting to warm up a bit, it's time to get the screens in those windows and let in some spring time air!

With the house being closed up for so many months, the first thing I noticed when we let in some air, was just how much the house was smelling like DOG!  From the odor, you'd think we had a large pack of dogs in here, but no, just our one little couch potato was stinking up the place!

I wish I would have taken a photo of the Febreze products while they were still in their packaging, but truth be told, we were so eager to give them a try, that we tore into them as soon as our Febreze Spring Collection Kit arrived!  So instead, I'll just have to show you the products in action!

For the bathroom, I decided to use Febreze NOTICEables in the special edition Sweet Pea Petals scent. Febreze NOTICEables is a plug-in that uses two complimentary scents to fight odors for up to 30 days! This is a wonderful addition to our bathroom, since we've had to eliminate spray air fresheners from our bathroom now that our very curious (needs to test everything) child uses the bathroom without much help from mommy and daddy.  The plug-in feature is great since I try to keep the counter top in our bathroom as clear as possible due to same small, curious child.   I also love that we are able to adjust the intensity of the fragrance.  In our small bathroom, the lowest setting works perfectly!

In the living room, I placed a Febreze Set & Fresh on my windowsill behind the sofa.  We don't have too many end tables or other horizontal surfaces in our living room, so this seemed like the best place for this.  I love the fresh Rain scent that I received.  It smells so crisp and fresh!  While this product works best in smaller rooms, the way our living room is boxed off, it is still a good match for that room.  And keeping it so close to the sofa, really hides the odors that our four-legged couch potato leaves behind!  How can something so cute can be so stinky?  My poor smelly puppy!

And for the car...as soon as Joe saw the Febreze Kit on the dining room table, he asked me if there were any of those vent clips for the car.  Sure enough, there was and he put it in the truck right away!  The CAR Vent Clip scent we are using is Rain.  Joe spends a lot of his day in the truck and as a result it can get pretty messy and a lot of times I can smell stale coffee that splashed from his travel mug into the console.  Since using the CAR Vent Clip, our family vehicle now smells fresh and clean all the time, even when it's not always tidy!  (sorry, no photo of this one in action)

Do you want a chance to give these Febreze Spring scents a try for free?  SheSpeaks has provided me with a $15 Walmart giftcard to giveaway to one lucky reader, so that they can pick up the new spring scents!  Awesome!  Right?

Entering is easy using the rafflecopter form below:




a Rafflecopter giveaway