home art online - Latest Blog Entries

Spring Has Sprung...

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:28:00 -0500

Where I live, (20 minutes from Lake Huron in Michigan), we have had a LONG, cold, snowy winter! Finally, however, we had a week of seventy-degree days, blue sky and sunshine. My elementary school, where I am principal, is about to shut down for the summer, and I have PLANS!

I've been planning to redecorate my master bedroom and bath... This is what I do every summer - I choose a room and get busy!

I'm going with neutrals - taupe and white with a light sea green accent. Everything is ready to go...I am just waiting for my time at home so I can do what I LOVE to do. I will be posting along the way with before and after pics!

OTHER summer project plans include making bath salts, a great thing to have on hand for small gifts and self-pampering! It's really not difficult, and I love the end result. click here for more info...

The Perfect Gift

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:26:00 -0600

If you're struggling with finding just the "right thing" for a special person, maybe you should consider giving something that is personalized. Whether it be something for her, for him, for baby, or for them, monogramming or engraving turns a gift into an heirloom. I've done some research, and I have added some gift ideas and the links to give you a start on finding "the perfect gift."

One of my all-time favorite personalized gifts is this yummy candle! I have one, and I have bought it several times for a gift. The biggest plus is the scent. It is the best smelling candle I have ever had!

To see some gift ideas, go to The Perfect Gift. Happy Shopping!

Arranging Roses

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 02:27:00 -0600

Be sure to visit my articles that give valuable information about making floral arrangements. I got to follow my own advice when the husband brought home a dozen red roses on Valentine's day! :)

See: Arranging Roses

Do you have a topic that interests you?

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:25:00 -0600

If you would like to see something posted on a particular topic, I would be happy to research for you....or maybe I have a tip that would help! Just let me know....

Mina

New Article!

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:08:00 -0600

I added a new article today called "The Foundation of the Thing," and it is all about choosing the right container for your floral arrangements. Check it out! :)

excerpt: "When making a floral arrangement, you must decide upon the container that you are going to use. Before choosing a container, however, you must take these things into consideration".....click to read the article

This entry is part of a series of articles about making your own floral arrangements. There's more to come.... There's no reason you can't "do it yourself!"

It's been snowing here all day - oh, the joys of living in Michigan! I have to admit, though, it's a winter wonderland....God has painted another beautiful picture.

Have I mentioned that I love beautiful things?

Just Like Mother Used to Make

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:42:00 -0600

Everytime I cook certain dishes, I think of my mother. That's because my mother had a tremendous influence on my life and who I am today....and because I learned to cook from my mother! She had the reputation for making the "best" potato salad, deviled eggs, and homemade noodles around, and I have never altered her "recipes." I suppose "recipe" is a stretch, because Mother didn't use recipes much....she just put things together, and they came out great! She used to always say that she had to use the same bowl or pan for certain dishes because she knew how much of an ingredient to add according to how it looked.

So....I have my giant green tupperware bowl for mixing up potato salad, and a certain kettle for soups - and these utensils determine how much I add of this and that. Kind of cooking "by guess and by golly!"

When my daughter got married and asked for the "potato salad recipe," I had to figure out some specific proportions. I now have a recipe (but I have to admit that I still tweak it every time I make it - according to how it looks and tastes.)

Here's the potato salad recipe....and you can see the family recipe for deviled eggs and kidney bean salad on my site. (go to: cooking - salads) I will be continuing to add more and more....

While some like to keep "family cooking secrets," I figure, "Share the wealth!"

Mina

Potato Salad

Family Recipe- Serves: A Small Army

5 lbs. potatoes (my favorite are yellow potatoes, but russets also work well.)
18 hard-boiled large eggs
1 28 oz. jar sweet pickle relish
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. + 2 t. celery seed
2 t. salt (or more to taste)
1/2 t. pepper
1 qt. Miracle Whip
paprika

Boil well-scrubbed potatoes (with skins on) until tender – about 45 minutes. (Obviously, smaller potatoes cook more quickly, so they need to be removed from the kettle once they are tender. If potatoes cook too long, they will burst and absorb water.)

When testing the potatoes to see if they are tender, pierce the potato with a thin, sharp knife rather than a fork to avoid splitting it.

While potatoes are cooking, boil the eggs in a large pan of water. (Eggs can be cooked ahead and refrigerated.)

Once the potatoes are tender, pour off the water (water will be discolored), rinse them well, then immerse them in cold water. (Sometimes I speed up the process by adding a couple of glasses of ice to the water to cool them more quickly.) Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, place them on a kitchen towel to dry and finish cooling. (Potatoes can be cooked ahead and refrigerated in their jackets.)

Peel the cooled (or refrigerated) boiled eggs, cut in half, and place the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Dice all the egg whites into a very large mixing bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork, and then mix in about 2 c. of the Miracle Whip. Blend until smooth, and then add to the large bowl.

Dice the onion (It is best to dice the onion by hand rather than with a chopper because a chopper causes the onions to get watery and strong-tasting.) and add it to the large bowl.

Peel the potatoes (The skin pulls right off!), remove any dark spots, and rinse. After all the potatoes are peeled, dice them into about ¼ - ½ inch pieces and add to the large bowl. (One of the secrets to this potato salad is finely dicing the potatoes.)

Add the rest of the ingredients to the large bowl: sweet relish, celery seed, sugar, salt, pepper, and the rest of the Miracle Whip. Mix thoroughly with a large spoon. (Mix gently so you don’t mash the potatoes too much.)

Place the potato salad in a serving bowl, sprinkle with paprika, cover tightly, and refrigerate. (You should taste it to see if you need to add salt, but the flavors don’t truly blend until after it is refrigerated for a few hours.)

Welcome to home art online

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:00:00 -0600

After all these years, I am finally able to fulfill my dream of "working" in the area that has been my lifelong passion, homemaking, decorating, and countless craft & DIY projects. So...you call this work? This "work" is just me being me...searching for new creative ideas, doing projects to enhance my home, cooking, cleaning, organizing, etc., etc. AND, I get to share these things with others through my little laptop computer - another love of my life.

I might add that my true "career" is being an educator. I am an elementary principal, and I LOVE my job! The elementary school and the home are both places where being creative is an asset. Someday I hope to create an educational site to share.

I hope you can get some good ideas from my site, and I welcome any comments or questions you might have. Continue to check homeartonline.com, as I add to it almost daily.

Mina (pronounced with a long i like Dinah) :)