Mostly Cloudy ~ 62°F   River stage: 33.19 Rising Friday, November 20, 2009

Home & Garden Clean house 10 minutes at a time (11/18/09) NEW YORK -- Who says you need to spend an entire Saturday cleaning the house? If you've been tossed the Thanksgiving torch on short notice or simply haven't found the time to get down and dirty, these tips will help you get the house presentable. ... Cook like a first lady (11/11/09) Former Missouri first lady Betty Hearnes invites readers into her life and kitchen with her book "Missouri 1821 through 1971 Sesquintennial Cook Book," which she'll be signing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Cape Girardeau Barnes & Noble Booksellers. ... Mower maintenance: Give your lawn mower a good tune-up, cleaning before parking it for winter (11/11/09) With the onset of winter it is easy to park the lawn mower after the last cutting and give a sigh of relief. You don't have to think about the lawn mower until next spring. I'd like to suggest that you give that lawn mower just a little more attention yet this fall. Efforts now may save you a lot of time next spring... Just for show: Fall decorating relies on veggies (11/04/09) Fall is a busy time for decorating, second only to Christmas, and it's the period when vegetables are valued more for their beauty than their flavor. Back when America was largely rural, bringing in the harvest was cause for celebration. Corn stalks were bundled into "fodder shocks" -- stalks, ears, tassels and all -- and stacked upright around light poles and near entries, and fed to livestock. ... Do you have the Season's Best cookie recipe? (11/04/09) How good are your cookies? Once again, the Southeast Missourian's Sunday section, Good Times, is teaming up with the special publications division for the Season's Best holiday cookie contest. Readers are invited to submit their recipes for holiday cookies and bars by e-mailing charris@semissourian.com or writing to Season's Best Cookie Contest c/o Chris Harris, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702... Recycle pantyhose into squeezable Halloween decor (10/21/09) CONCORD, N.H. -- Before they stuff themselves silly with Halloween candy, let your children stuff some spare pantyhose to create plump pumpkins and other seasonal, soft-sculpture decorations. This project is perfect for those hose you've pushed to the back of the drawer because of a small run or snag -- face it, you're never going to wear them again. ... Turn organic debris such as leaves, clippings into nutrient-rich compost (10/14/09) Have you noticed how everyone and every business is "going green" these days? I saw an ad in the newspaper about a bank that is now going green. I always thought a bank was a green business. Isn't money in the United States green? I guess that is not exactly what they meant... Taking pumpkin beyond pie (10/14/09) Pumpkins aren't just an icon of Halloween. They also are a sign of healthy eats. Like carrots, pumpkins are loaded with the antioxidant beta-carotene, potassium and fiber. Plus, with only 49 calories per cup (cooked), this tasty squash is a great fit for a healthy diet... No rest for the gardener with frost approaching (10/07/09) Jeana Myers is thinking about getting her garden in Raleigh, N.C., ready for the first frost, even though it's still likely weeks away. Work in the garden doesn't end just because those long days of summer are over. Myers' peach, plum and other fruit trees have stopped bearing fruit, and the tomatoes are ripening more slowly as the days get shorter and the temperatures cooler... Picking the right bakeware (10/07/09) Some tips from Martha Stewart Marshmallows not just plain vanilla any more (10/07/09) BERKELEY, Calif. -- If you're still using plain old vanilla marshmallows at your campfire or in your cocoa, you're out of touch. The next generation of marshmallow lovers is amping the flavor of their puffy confections, taking their s'mores to new heights with tricks like slicing and stuffing them. And the marshmallow industry is taking notice... Planting bulbs in fall promises many happy returns (09/23/09) Bulbs are nature's answer to all those impatient gardeners trying to get a running start on spring. Plant them now, as temperatures cool but before the ground freezes hard, and the bulbs will provide a cheerful, colorful show before the last snows of winter melt away...

Columnists Paul Schnare Dr. Grow >>