• Easy, Effective Homemade Bug Spray

    After way too many months of winter in Ohio, we’re overjoyed when summer weather finally arrives. Of course, tagging along with the warmer weather are a variety of insects who want to eat you. If you’re outside after dusk, your options for protection are limited. You can wear pants and long-sleeves (we just did that for six months, so no thanks). You can apply some type of insect repellent. Or just give up and resign yourself to a night of itching. Now, thanks to this homemade bug spray, I feel comfortable spraying myself and the kids, and I know it works!

    Homemade Bug Spray

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  • Plated Landscape 2017: Ohio City Farm and Refugee Response

    In what has turned into an annual tradition (six years running now!), we recently had the opportunity to attend a Plated Landscape put on by Spice Caterers. These are always one of the highlights of our summer/fall, and as usual, our expectations were exceeded.

    This go-round was different both because of the early timing (June 2) and the location, an urban farm near the banks of the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland. Granted, this is not 300 acres of amber waves of grain, but a farm it is, only nestled behind a large apartment complex.

    Plated Landscape - Ohio City Farm

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  • Small Space Gardening Tips

    A lot of people seem to have this notion that you can’t really garden unless you have acres of flat land and beautiful soil. That, my friends, is farming.

    If you have access to the sun, some water, and any sort of container that can hold some dirt, you can garden. I guess that may rule out any subterranean readers, but for the rest of you, you’re good to go. Small space gardening is easy, rewarding, and many times, less work than maintaining a larger plot, so don’t let your lack of land deter you!

    Small Space Gardening

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  • Vegan Chocolate Mousse

    Having a dairy allergy in the house means we make sacrifices sometimes. Separate pots of mac and cheese, creamy soups without cream… it’s a travesty. We don’t, however, like to make sacrifices in our desserts if we don’t have to. Which is where this vegan chocolate mousse comes in.

    Although it’s vegan, I challenge you to tell me it’s not delicious. And in the end, it’s probably a little bit healthier too (it certainly has fewer calories!). And the best part is, your vegan chocolate mousse doesn’t have to be chocolate. In fact, for the first version of this that we tried, we whipped up a bright citrusy curd and folded that into the mousse.

    Vegan Chocolate Mousse

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  • How to Transplant Tomatoes

    Most people like tomatoes. They’re one of the most common vegetables among home gardeners, and for good reason. They’re relatively low maintenance, and the homegrown ones taste so much better than store-bought.

    Although tomatoes are easy to grow, there are some things you can do to give yourself a better chance of success. If you’re interested in how to transplant tomatoes properly, here are a few quick tips!

    How To Transplant Tomatoes

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