our friend the hedge apple.

If you are fortunate enough to be in supermarket or farmers' market that is selling hedge apples, buy one and discover why it might be your new best friend.  Commonly called hedge apple, the Osage Orange or Maclura Pomifera, is technically a fruit but in the mulberry family, and it is not related to the orange family.  But the reason you want to buy them is for their ability to repel insects and rodents.

While shopping over the weekend in Minnesota, we spotted a basket of the rock-hard balls with the irritating pattern but glorious color.  Next to the basket was a sign that tauted the insect repelling properties.  Then the lady next to Mike happened to mention that they also work on fruit flies.  Sold.  The colorful fruits flew into my grocery cart.

When I did a little research I found that folklore provides numerous claims that hedge apples repel insects and spiders.  As I age, I realize more and more that 'old wives' tales' are more fact than fiction.  Supposedly people used to keep a hedge apple under their beds to keep spiders away.  I am currently doing my own little bit of research, and so far so good!  No fruit flies in my kitchen even with the garden tomatoes. 

A Wikipedia article stated that some research showed that extracts of osage orange repelled some insect species better then DEET. Anything that helps keep fruit flies out of my kitchen - and keeps me away from DEET - is a friend of mine.

These interesting "fruits" have a shelf life for 2-3 months!  They only need to be discarded when most of the green has disappeared.  They are not poisonous, but have a reputation for suffocating livestock by getting lodged in their esophagus, and have also been called horse apples.  The Osage Orange is native to limited areas of southeastern Oklahoma and east Texas. 

I am thankful I spotted these new friends in Minnesota, and I am on the lookout for more.   I want to set one under every bed in the house in this spider-prone season.  I might just plant my own hedge apple tree this fall...

worth repeating.

I enjoy the shock value of stating "Did you know that I have not worn deodorant for over 20 years?"
Since I heard the words exit my mouth this week, I thought I would bring it up on the blog again.

It was about 1993 when I first heard someone talking about using a SALT CRYSTAL instead of deodorant or antiperspirant.  They stated that your body needs to sweat, but the odor is caused when bacteria is present.  The salt kills the bacteria.  Bingo.  I was sold and never looked back.

Twenty years ago a salt crystal 'deordoent' could only be found in specialty stores and looked like ball of salt that fit in the palm of your hand.  Now they are readily available at places like Walgreens or CVS and the packaging makes them look like conventional deodorant.   Whether using the crude ball of salt or the sleek stick, you simply moisten the salt and apply liberally to your moistened underarms after your shower or bath. 

Besides protecting my body from the nasty chemicals, I enjoy knowing that I am protecting my clothes.  I used to be annoyed that the film from my deodorant would leave a film on my clothes.  And rings. 

Our bodies are assaulted with enough toxins everyday without massaging more on to our skin every morning. 

By the way, it is a money saver too.  One Crystal Stick (above) costs about $6.99 and lasts for months.  Unless you drop it on your slate floor. 

cleaning day.

 

Mother Rabbit believes you give yourself a gift when you set one day apart for cleaning.  Does that sound crazy?  Think about this...

The first stage of any decorating process is clearing the clutter.  Having a day earmarked for that sort of thing will make everyone happier.  Even your house.  Keeping your house (or car or clothes) clean is part of protecting your investment.  So now that we have established why cleaning your house is important, let's get back to discussing why it is genius to set one day a week to do it.

Having a day established as CLEANING DAY is helpful because you can plan for it.  You know to wear old clothes that can manage the sweat and Softscrub bleach.  You can mentally prepare to "workout" for about two hours... and you can mentally anticipate how good it will feel when you are done!  I recommend setting a timer so that 1.) you are not tempted to be distracted from the tasks and 2.) you know that it is not going to last all day.

The best part about having your own set Cleaning Day, is that the need to clean does not tempt you all week.  When you see the watermarks on the bathroom sink, you can say "I will take care of that on Monday during my designated cleaning hours".   It is truly freeing!  It frees you from thinking you should be hard-core cleaning every day.   Note: It is still necessary to do the dishes and laundry on a daily basis - and make your bed every morning.  What I am suggesting is having a couple hours set aside every week where you go deeper.

My cleaning day is MONDAY.  I like Monday because I can enjoy the clean for a whole week before a weekend happens again.  I learned long ago to 'clean for me' and not for company.  And every Monday, my goal is to clean all the floors in the house and clean all the bathrooms.  I will usually pick one other 'extra' to tackle.

We will talk about more
cleaning specifics later.  But for now, what is your day?

summer movie picks.

Need some entertainment for a lazy summer night?  May I recommend a couple favorites?

No one told me what a beautiful movie "Iron Lady" was.  It is a captivating depiction of Margaret Thatcher's life, told through memories of an aging Mrs. Thatcher.  Meryl Streep plays the Iron Lady and I had to keep reminding myself that I was not watching the former Prime Minister herself.   I realized that I loved Margaret Thatcher's politics, and admired her strength of character more than I realized.  This movie is also a touching love story.

"The Intouchables" is one of the best movies I have seen in years.  It is a French film (with subtitles) based on a true story about an eccentric French aristocrat who is also a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic.  He hires an ex-con from the projects to be his personal aide, and the adventures begin.  The story of their friendship is exciting, funny and touching.  It will leave you feeling good.

fruit fly trap.

Few things are more annoying than fruit flies buzzing around a kitchen.  They are too small to swat and their presence makes a kitchen feel "dirty". 

Some Not-So-Fun Facts:
Fruit flies are common in homes, restaurants, supermarkets and wherever else food is allowed to rot and ferment. Adults are about 1/8 inch long and usually have red eyes. The front portion of the body is tan and the rear portion is black. Fruit flies lay their eggs near the surface of fermenting foods or other moist, organic materials. Upon emerging, the tiny larvae continue to feed near the surface of the fermenting mass. This surface-feeding characteristic of the larvae is significant in that damaged or over-ripened portions of fruits and vegetables can be cut away without having to discard the remainder for fear of retaining any developing larvae. The reproductive potential of fruit flies is enormous; given the opportunity, they will lay about 500 eggs. The entire life cycle from egg to adult can be completed in about a week.

Fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. But they also will breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops and cleaning rags. All that is needed for development is a moist film of fermenting material. Infestations can originate from over-ripened fruits or vegetables that were previously infested and brought into the home.
From article by Michael F. Potter, Extension Entomologist
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

I feel a little sick after reading that.  Rid your home & kitchen of these annoying pests by LOCATING AND ELIMINATING ALL POTENTIAL BREEDING AREAS.  This means that any produce that is over-ripe, cracked or damaged needs to be sealed in a Ziplock bag or thrown away.  We must prevent the fruit flies from laying more eggs on the fermenting food - and starting the whole cycle over.  (My apologies that this post is creepy to read.)

Once you have done a LOCK DOWN on all sketchy fruits and veggies in your kitchen, you can make a little "fruit fly trap" with some common ingredients.

Set out a dish containing wine + vinegar + Dawn dish soap.  And say good riddance to the little pests.

a favorite book.

One of my favorite reads of all time is French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. The by-line says "The secret of eating for pleasure".  Mother Rabbit would say "The only weight loss book I would ever recommend" because it is so much more than that.  It is a commonsense approach to food and eating... and life.

Two of my special friends are reading it this summer, which reminded me to tell you about it again.

call the midwife.

 

Want to add a real treat to your summer?  Buy or rent Season One and Season Two of CALL THE MIDWIFE.  It is a new favorite at our house.  The DVD jacket says:

 

"The inspiring British drama Call the Midwife that rivaled Downton Abbey's ratings in the UK is back fro another season full of births, babies, and blossoming romance.  Based on the bestselling memoirs by Jennifer Worth, Call the Midwife follows Jenny Lee as she tries to provide the poorest women in London's East End slums with the best possible care."

 

The stories are beautiful.  And intense.  And wonderful.