(photo: basil, parsley, and Japanese eggplant from our Italian garden in New Jersey) Back in August of last year we posted some photos of our Italian American garden and we thought we’d share an updated series of photos from our current garden.  We recently harvested Japanese eggplant, flat green beans, basil, parsley, arugula, and chili peppers.     With the basil […]

Hello everyone!  Just a simple post today with some items from our New Jersey garden: (photos: close up of a red, mission, fig)   (photo: red, mission, fig cut in half)   (photo: the red fig)   (photo: cucumber) (photo: eggplant) (photo: basil)

Back in February I wrote a short article on how to clean your kitchen and touched on hot topics such as floor washing, stainless steel polishing, and granite cleaning (I’m sure you’re thinking: riveting subjects!).  On the topic of cleaning granite, I suggested folks use a white vinegar/water solution to clean their granite, but I’d like to now officially retract […]

As I stated in my guide to renovating your kitchen, splurging on good quality kitchen cabinets is usually a good idea when it comes to redesigning your home kitchen (especially if you’re looking to stay in your home for long term).  High quality kitchen cabinets are usually composed of solid wood cabinet faces (e.g., maple), full plywood box construction, dovetail […]

(The following is a guest post from Adrienne Carlson; who regularly writes on the topic of criminal justice.  See Adrienne’s related article on DIY ways to protect your home.) Your home is probably the greatest asset you own, and when you let it run to ruin you are wasting your money in the worst way possible. A home that is […]

We’ve had a cold and wet summer in the Northeast this year, so I’m not sure what the Fall and Winter seasons will bring us in terms of temperature, snow, wind, and rain.  However, I do know that a good looking garden (including grass, shrubs, and flowers) starts as soon as everything begins to die or go dormant.  Here are […]

Essential Kitchen Tools (Part II) Back in October of last year I wrote about essential kitchen tools and kitchen simplicity.  The article attracted a few comments from readers stating that my list was too extreme and left out some key tools and items.  So, I’ve decided to take another look around my kitchen and update my essential kitchen tool list […]

Interest rates are low these days and there’s a ton of housing stock available, so, in my view, it’s a great time to buy a home.  The financing part is a bit trickier these days with banks scrutinizing loan applications, but if you have a good down payment (at least 20 percent), a great credit score, ready to work at […]

The following is a re-post form February 2009 and I thought it was appropriate given the gloomy and cold weather here in the northen New Jersey area.  The post includes two great dip recipes, my favorite potato and tortilla chip brands, and 23 movie recommendation by genere and actor.   The upcoming Oscars Award show always gets everyone in the […]

In an earlier post from December of 2008 I was contemplating replacing most of the original double hung windows in our early twentieth century foursquare / center hall colonial.  Like most decisions involving personal finance I like to make a pros and cons list.   And, at the time, I started with the cons of our old double hung windows: […]