How To Make A Terrarium

Terrariums or bottle gardens are an ancient hobby going back 150 years. They create their own atmosphere inside the container and therefore, need very little care. They are the ideal houseplant for those that have trouble keeping houseplants alive.

You will need a container to hold the plants (see more below). A funnel to put the soil and gravel in the container. A long stick to make holes for planting and pressing down the soil around each plant. Long handled kitchen tongs to hold plants while putting them in the soil. A fine mist sprayer to moisten plants after planting.

Select a container for your terrarium. Goldfish bowls or clear glass round jars are the best. The bigger the jar the better, with a large opening at the top. It can have a lid or not. Make sure it is clean before you start.

Select the plants you want to put in your terrarium. They should be smallish plants because they are going to grow in a small area. You can use cuttings from your house plants or buy small plants to go in your terrarium.

Coarse gravel should be put in the bottom first for drainage. About an inch deep.
Next you add a layer of slightly damp potting soil over the gravel. Make it deep enough to accomodate the plants roots you have selected.

Then you add the plants. Place small plants at the edge working toward the middle with larger plants. Not too many, leave some growing room.

After planting place the terrarium where it can get good light, but, keep out of direct sunlight. If terrarium is sealed, water about once every six months, if left open, water more often.

Real Homemade Banana Pudding

They didn't use instant pudding, flour or anything extra to add to the cost, but, the end result was wonderful. I'm talking about our grandmothers' recipes for banana pudding. The ones that didn't have all the modern conveniences we have. It's surprising how easy and fast (as fast as making instant pudding) a real homemade banana pudding recipe can come together. Let me tell you how....

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

1 2/3 cups (large can) undiluted Carnation milk

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

Box of vanilla wafers

2 or 3 ripe bananas (important that they be ripe)

1/4 cup sugar

Directions
Mix 1/2 cup sugar, salt and Carnation milk in top of double boiler; heat.
Take off double boiler.
Beat 3 egg yolks. Gradually stir into hot mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Return to double boiler.
Cook, stirring often until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
Add l teaspoon vanilla.
Completely cover the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch pan with vanilla wafers. Top with 1 sliced banana (or more, to be sure every helping has some bananas in it) and half of the custard.
Repeat layers, ending with custard on top.
Beat 3 egg whites stiff; gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until stiff and top the pudding with the egg whites, making sure they touch the edge of the pan so they don't shrink.
Bake at 350 until egg whites are browned.

This recipe is so easy and so good. You can serve this warm, at room temperature or cold right out of the refrigerator. This is the dish I have to bring to family gatherings, specially my husband's family. There is nothing like a real homemade banana pudding from scratch.

Enjoy.

How To Cope With Nicotine Withdrawal

I've done it twice. Stopped smoking, that is. I'm not going to lie to you or sugar coat it. To quit smoking the second time is not any easier than quitting the first time. So, I guarantee you there won't be a third time. Each nicotine craving does last only a few minutes, that is true, but can be tortuous for that few minutes and then it's gone for a while. Nicotine craving finally does go away completely but not overnight and not without effort on your part. This is how I coped...

I was having a really bad time one day. Seemed like the craving just would not go away no matter what I did. Almost giving in, I spotted the Tootsie Roll Pops that I had left over from Halloween give away candy. I put one in my mouth and the nicotine craving vanished immediately. I thought to myself, "Maybe Kojak had something there." I kept them on hand for a while after that. Call it a prop, but I didn't have to use them long and only when it got really bad. They worked for me.

Of course eating is a sure thing, but, you don't want to rely on food or candy. You know where that can lead. And, you know if you get very full, you want a cigarette even more than you can imagine. I found that drinking ice water helps a lot. There's no calories and water is good for you. I kept ice water at my side at all times, especially in my car, where I had smoked cigarettes while driving to and from everywhere I went before I quit.

Do something that you didn't usually smoke cigarettes while doing. Does that make sense? OK, like mowing the grass. I had never smoked while mowing the grass. I don't know why, I just never did. So the grass got mowed a lot when I quit smoking. Think of absolutely anything you did, and did not smoke cigarettes while doing it. Swimming, bicycling, lifting weights, crocheting, knitting, something you had to use both hands to do and took you a while. There's got to be something. No one smokes 24 hours a day.

Visiting friends and relatives that don't smoke cigarettes. Before quitting, I would not smoke cigarettes in their houses and, to tell the truth, didn't visit as much as I should have for that reason. But, when I quit smoking, I visited so often I think I might have worn out my welcome with some.

Coping with nicotine withdrawal is doable, withdrawal doesn't last forever, and it's worth the effort it takes to get past it. The thing is not to start back after you stop smoking the first time. And, believe me, it doesn't take much to start smoking again, even after years of not smoking. Remember what it took the first time and don't let there be a second time.