Using living greens indoors during winter is an ancient tradition, shared among many cultures.  The tradition of placing living evergreen trees inside homes, as a symbol of their Christian faith, originated in Germany in the 16th century.  When German immigrants came to the New World, they brought the tradition with them.  The first Christmas trees […]

So the last stragglers have finally pushed themselves away from the Thanksgiving table.  As you survey the remains of the meal on the table and in the kitchen, you think the same thing you do every year – wow, there’s a lot of food left.  And, almost immediately after that thought – wow, how am […]

There are so many ways to introduce enticing fragrances into your home, and not just during the holidays.  The methods range from very simple and short-lived to somewhat time-consuming and enduring.  It all depends on how much time and raw materials you have available. Collecting the raw materials for your fragrance source will depend on […]

Poinsettias are among the most stunning features of a Christmas display.  Their large, vibrantly colored flowers draw the eye directly, and quite often are very capable of occupying large spaces.  In fact, sometimes they’re simply too large for the spots we’ve planned for them.  While you’ll have to work out how best to accommodate your […]

Ok, maybe not as fresh as a daisy, considering how long we expect our fresh cut trees to last indoors.  There’s no magic potion here – once the tree is cut, it begins the process of dying, just as a cut flower, say a daisy does.  How long it takes depends on how well we […]

Let’s shake up the Thanksgiving dinner lineup this year with exotic flavors from the other side.  The other side of the world.  There are a few things we need to cover before taking the road less traveled over the meadows and through the woods to Grandmother’s house. First rule:  Don’t be intimidated by the unusual […]