Cooking Pumpkins is really quite easy, though if they are large enough, butchering them can be quite a chore. To cook a pumpkin, first wash it off to remove any dirt. Next, cut the pumpkin at least in half, and remove the seeds. If the pumpkin is large, it may need to be quartered in order to fit in the oven.
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I had a look at Martha Stewart Living December in the airport earlier this month, and noticed that it had a piece on living wreaths. Sparrowpost had a tutorial on making succulent wreaths back in November 2005. The results aren’t as perfect as Martha’s but the directions are probably more specific and helpful. MS Living has some very cool variations on the living wreaths, including ones made of moss and ferns– I know there are other cool examples out there. My boyfriends’ mother made one out of bromeliads, which are far better suited to southern Florida’s humid environment than the original one I’d made her, and I’d love to try to make one out of living evergreens like this one. (more…)

Oftentimes San Diego seems like the heavy caboose dragging behind the nationwide Green Building train, which is why we were particularly fortunate to experience a little civic boosterism aimed at bringing us up to speed this past weekend. Architect and builder Kevin DeFreitas recently built his family a 3600 sq ft house not far from where I grew up, in a neighborhood otherwise packed with split-level ranch style homes. The house employs both passive and active solar light and heating, cutting edge building materials and clever design to create a good argument for superior beauty and functionality of environmentally-conscious construction.

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Making candy skulls out of sugar is a Mexican tradition. According to internet sources, each skull is painted with the name of a deceased loved one, and then placed on the family’s “Day of the Dead” alter. WASP-y girl that I am, the notion of writing the names of my dearly departed in frosting on my sugary craft project seemed a little indecent… (more…)