Home How - to videos with Martha!

I love sewing and making things but recently I've been wishing that in addition to learning the
 " Home Arts " that I had learned woodworking and all that goes with it- the drilling, the hammering, the spackling, the repairs, the plumbing. (OK maybe not plumbing.)

Life would be so much easier if I could just fix/paint/create things for the house instead of having to hire someone.... Now Martha Stewart (of course) is making that possible by partnering with....
Home Depot

photo: courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

 The Home How-to series debuts on April 25.  Martha and her peeps will demonstrate DIY projects, dispatch advice, provide product expertise and Martha will even answer some of our questions.   

So here's the plug :   Sign up now and get a $5 coupon from Home Depot !  Just click the link below.

http://ebm.cheetahmail.com/r/regf2?a=0&aid=2075731129&n=31

 Every Thursday, a link to the latest "how to" video will be emailed to you.

 I can't wait to see what Martha and her gang have in store for us.   For now, I'm going to charge up my drill so I can actually use it!

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Co-producer Fall Fashion Show

Smart Art ?

 I have a good friend in California who is a collector .... She recently showed me this photo which I thought was some sort of art statement.

When in fact ......

  These are a collection of bottle caps for recycling.... Pretty right?  Just shows that grouping lots of the same things together looks good.   It's all about collecting- right Heidi?

 It's Eco Smart ART!  Have you got any collections you'd like to share?

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Kalifornia with Kids: Santa Barbara Pier

We just spent a wonderful day walking / biking the pier in Stearn's Wharf in Santa Barbara.  We thought it would be a nice idea to rent some bikes:

 We finally made our choice and were off to the pier... It was a lot harder than I thought too.

We took a short break and were lucky to meet a Crab person? getter? catcher? whatever.... His tee shirt had "Got crabs?" emblazoned on it --- of course.  He invited us to see his catch of crabs for the day.
It was impressive to say the least.

Some of the  Facts:
1. All  red rock crabs.
2. He can haul in any thing from 1200 lbs. to 2000 lbs at the height of the season!
3.  Today the haul was 1600 lbs. 
4. These crabs don't seem to be in any danger ecologically. There are lots to be found.
5.  When he sets traps he puts in 100 lbs. frozen bait.
6. A few days later  he uses a hydraulic sort of crane to lift them out of the water.
7. Then he dumps them into plastic bins inside a big vat of ice water to knock them out a bit.
8. Boat full of crabs heads back to the pier to be unloaded and delivered to customers!

Santa Barbara was beautiful and we had such a great time with our friends!!

The beach was beautiful too.

California is a great place to take your kids!

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Making Fresh Orange Juice

I'm in California now so I thought it would be fitting to write a post about fresh orange juice.

Want to know a secret to making beautiful and delicious and fresh Orange Juice?  You don't have to use only "juice" oranges to make it.  Juice oranges by the way, are the ugly oranges at the grocers. They are meant for squeezing.  For a unique flavor and color, I mix in other varieties.

I used:

12 juice oranges - your basic orange orange when sliced open

2  blood red oranges - a rich red meaty looking pulp

2  Cara-Cara orange - new orange, pink on the inside and so juicy. can be eaten on its own like a navel orange.

 I always wash the oranges first - because god knows who has been touching them along the way to the grocer's refrigerated section.  Once all are sliced in half I start the juicing process with my well-used Braun juicer.

There are lots of different oranges out there you can also use:

tangerines  

temple   (These have a funny nob on one end)

valencia 

navel

 I  add the blood oranges when I can find them. It's got a meaty pulp and it has a certain tang to it that takes the edge off the sweetness of the juice oranges.  An added bonus is the beautiful red pulp that makes the mix of orange juice look so good and refreshing.   For more on the different varieties check out this link at my citrus tree.

left: virgin juice   right: blood orange added 

I find it only lasts 2 days maximum. Any longer and it gets a funny taste- still drinkable but never as good as the day you squeeze it.

Now go out and buy yourself some oranges and get juicing people!!

P.S. It's killing me here... Everywhere I go there is some lemon tree just sitting in someone's front yard. The fragrance is crazy good you just have to stop, breathe it in and enjoy the moment.