How-To: Building a Woodland Terrarium

Building your own terrarium from moss and plants you have harvested yourself can not only be lot's of fun but also very rewarding. It will keep you looking for different varieties and will get you to see things you may not have noticed on an afternoon hike. I have found interesting bugs, eggs, mushrooms and animals, just to name a few. The terrariums I made yesterday were entirely constructed from wild moss I picked up that morning. With the wet conditions, the moss had flourished and was easy to harvest. Whenever you pick anything for transplant it is better to do so when well watered. If the roots are dry they may not take to the new potting medium. Moss is quite possibly one of the easiest to gather, gently work your finger tips between the moss and the object it is growing on (stone, tree, earth, etc...) and pull it up in a sheet or clump. Place the moss in a Ziploc bag (fold root side in if needed) and seal. Toss in your bag and keep looking for other items you might like (small stones, pieces of driftwood, bones, etc...) After you have found what you like and will need, head home to start on the terrarium. To prepare the moss you will want shake the sheet out into a garbage bag or bin or bathtub. Leaves, bugs and other debris should fall out. Don't worry about getting all of it out, you can get it at the end.

You'll need a clean, large glass container with a loose fitting lid. Cookie and apothecary jars work and look best. Look at rummage sales, thrift stores and if all else fails Wal-Mart carries pretty inexpensive jars like the ones shown in this How-To. I bought these years ago and believe they were about $12 or so. Really not a bad deal. You might want to have a few handy because once you get going it's hard to stop yourself. Chris is worried and he should be! I have completely mentally redecorated the apartment to incorporate as many terrariums and plant life that I can but that's for another time. SO with your jar spotless and rinsed thoroughly place about an inch of cleaned gravel in the bottom. I buy the $2 bags of river pea gravel from Home Depot and that looks just fine for me. If you want color you can use aquarium gravels, glass blobs or rubies and sapphires if that's what you want, you just need a 1" layer of pebble-ish stuff at the bottom for drainage.

Next we need earth! I use a regular high quality potting soil but you can also use specialty mixes like those for African Violets or Orchids. In a large bowl place the estimated amount of soil needed (there should be at least 1 1/2"-2 1/2" of soil and you will need more if you plan on making hills.) Next add in aquarium or gardening charcoal, about a 1:5 charcoal to soil mix is sufficient. The charcoal will purify the terrarium over time, keeping it fresh and healthy. Add in enough water to completely wet the soil. You don't want mud! Just enough where you can make a mud ball and it doesn't fall apart. Place into the container on top of the gravel (don't mix the two.) Be as neat as possible trying to mind the walls of the container. I like to make mounds of dirt to create hills and valleys to add visual appeal. After you have the base to your liking, take a fork and rough up the surface so the roots will take. Using a spray bottle filled with water and set on "Stream" spray down the sides of the container making sure to get all the dirt down to the bottom.

Now the fun starts. I pull several different varieties of moss that I collected trying to change up the color, texture and size. I love how fern moss looks like a forest from far away and clump moss takes on the appearance of a meadow. You can gently ease pieces off your main sheet of moss or puzzle together small sections you have. Press the moss firmly into the prepared soil. If you are using a longer moss like fern moss, lay it on last so the bottom leaves can hang over and not become smothered by other mosses. If you are planting ferns or other plants, make sure to dig a little hole for them first. It is better to put the plants in first and lay the moss around them. After all the living objects are in place you can add anything decorative you found or like (skulls, driftwood, jade statues, rocks, etc...) To finish up mist down entirely, spraying off any debris on the walls of the container. Don't go overboard with the water, if you see it pooling in the gravel stop. You don't want it to be too wet. Look through and pick out any debris or bugs hiding in the plants. Now place the top on and set in a low light area of your house to enjoy.

For the next week or so after you'll need to monitor the moisture levels. If there was originally water pooling in the gravel, leave the top off overnight. Then put it back on the next morning. If condensation starts to appear on the walls, take the top off again. If the soil looks dry, lightly mist down the plants. It will take some time but once the humidity is up without the glass fogging up, you can leave the top on and pretty much forget about it. Occasionally you will need to mist and prune but that is almost bi-annual. Really easy right? Make several, start big, it's just easier.

Terrariums are the coolest!

I know I have disappeared yet again but I promise I didn't forget about y'all. A lot has been going on this past week and I haven't been in a very productive mood. Of course the rain didn't help either. I was happy to see it though, I love thunderstorms and rain means growth and rejuvenation. So I am getting very excited about upcoming hikes and forays. I was supposed to take a friend out today to collect moss and small plants that we would then use to assemble terrariums. We decided to postpone due to the abundance of rain. It's a good thing we did because everything is flooded. I went out for a quick trip through one of my favorite forests this morning. Salt Creek has spilled over into the forest and it's all mud out there. I did happen to collect some moss and assembled two terrariums this afternoon. I needed something to take my mind off of life and it did the trick. Tomorrow I will post a how-to on building a terrarium. Today though mucky, excited me for next weeks adventures with Cece. We have been looking forward to an outing together and this should just be wonderful. I'm already thinking of what to collect and planning many different terrariums in my head. Can't wait!

OH YEAH! The pictures I've taken don't do them justice! I am working on editing or using a different filter or something to show the variation in the mosses' color and texture. They look like small forests. I think I should head to Chinatown and pick up some jade Buddhas for them. I need more of the "middle path" in my life.

Rising with the Sun

Determined to get in a good hunt and hike before Martha at 11am, I woke up at 4:45 and was deep in the woods by 5:20. It was a great day, found some Morels and snapped some great pictures. I discovered new trails, several rivers and ponds and got lost... a lot. It's just too easy but I really do need to get a a compass or at least pay attention to where I'm going. It has been really nice this year because every time I head out for a hike, I am for the most part prepared. My pack includes a journal and pen for notes, several Zip-Lock bags for... well anything I might want to bring back, a pair of heavy duty shears and a knife. I also bring with a basket for collecting Spring onions and edible mushrooms, an old book and strap for pressing flowers and my field guides for identifying unfamiliar mushrooms. A camera is a must and I keep mine on hand in my breast pocket or basket. There have been too many times in previous years where I have found myself without it so I'm making sure to stay on top of having it with me, charged and ready. While I still need to add to my field supplies (a pocket saw, better knife, magnifying glass and I'm always looking for better field guides) I am really proud that I've been so diligent about being prepared for one of my favorite activities and I can make the most out of my time in the forest. Ok, I know I have been obsessed with Morels and the woods and whatnot but it is the season. I promise in the next few days to bake a cake or something, I will be starting a huge clean and reorganization of our apartment and I will document it all. I am going to be switching the bedroom with the craft room (we need more space for my projects and the bedroom is larger! Will Chris kill me? I swear he'll love it once he sees it. I'm off to spend some time with Chris and the kids. Can't wait for this thunderstorm to really get going.

FINALLY!

You will be glad to hear that I finally found Morels! It took forever but my patience (hahaha) was well worth the wait. Over the entire weekend I probably picked about 20 which is not bad for the first good hit of Spring. Saturday I woke up super early and was in the forests by 6am. It took me 8 hours before finding a really great spot, my new honey spot. I headed back there late this morning to see what had popped up overnight. After a few minutes of brushing the forest floor and seeing amazing polypori, a car pulled up. I was a little nervous about who would be intruding on "MY" forest. A father and son team headed into the woods on the other side of the road and later asked how my hunt was going. Luckily I had nothing exciting to report. If you don't know, "honey spots" are closely guarded secrets and most mushroom hunters won't give too much information away. The dad told me they had 14 from their previous areas and that they had seen people picking over the area we were in. More people know about this spot? AHH! Next week I will have to get there at 5AM! I spent about 45 minutes (maybe more... probably more) without anything. I pressed on despite the rain and even after the competing pair left. Finally I spotted the perfect tree from across the way and just knew I would be lucky. There were 8 spread out around the base of the dead Maple. I shrieked in excitement. I kept going but decided I had enough for dinner and a few extras for a friend. Next week should be fantastic, a little more rain and a lot more sun will do the trick. I want to organize a hunt with some friends but first need to secure some more spots. It would be heartbreaking and embarrassing to take others out with me and not find anything. Tonight, I will be sauteing the Morels in butter with a little salt and pepper. Yum!

BLAH

I really have absolutely nothing to report. Chris made dinner, I haven't cleaned anything, the dishes are piling up and I took a 4 hour nap this afternoon. I know, I am a total bum. Tomorrow I have to head to school to take placement tests, woohoo and that's about it. I hope that I come back motivated and ready to clean or bake or craft or something besides talk about my momentary obsession with Morels but now that we're on that topic I can't say enough how excited I am for the weekend rain. I think everyone at work secretly wants to kill me because rain and Morels and turning Philbert into a Mushroom Hunter is all I can talk about, that and my gas... you really don't want to know. Martha, slap me now for even mentioning that. Anyway I know everyone is probably sick and tired of hearing it but several trips without anything and several promised storms that never showed have me eager for one good hunt. I have been checking weather.com every hour and the rain is moving further into next week. We still have 40% chances Friday and Saturday but if we don't get rain those two days my chances will be shot. I'll be forced into afternoon hunts followed by rush hour traffic. There are worse things I suppose. Anyway, keep your finger's crossed and I promise... well hope for your sake that this is the last rant about fungi until the weekend's bountiful hunt!

I should have mentioned...

... that those popovers are really easy to make. Just use left over pate brisee (i make batches and freeze for up to 2 months in my freezer. it's something good to keep on hand especially with spring/summer berries and fruits on their way.) Roll out thicker than you would a regular pie crust (a little over 1/8") Cut into large squares. Use what you have an make it work, size isn't important. Using washed and prepared berries, peaches, apples, oranges, plums, etc.. (You can really use anything you like. Remember to clean stone fruits properly and cut up larger fruit into manageable pieces.) Add sugar and any zest, juice, spice or herb you like. I use citrus zests and juices in most of my Spring and Summer pies. The juice will not only add great taste but it will also prevent the fruit from oxidizing, preserving the brilliant colors and flavors in the finished pie. I especially like lemon and orange in Blueberry Pies. Tangelo would be amazing too. Ok before we get off track... The amount of sugar varies as I usually make these with what's around and the amount is always different. Sprinkle in enough to lightly coat the berries. Spoon the fruit onto one side of the triangle (*in the photo, I had barely any pate brisee and had to improvise with my amount and that is why I am using triangles. BUT in the theory it is the same, see how I've put the blueberries on one half of the triangle? That's what you're going for just with squares, does that make sense? Now I've gone and confused myself.) ANYWAY, leave a quarter to half inch border. Using an egg wash (1 egg + 1 TBS heavy cream (any dairy product works; yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, etc... )You can also just use the egg.))) (<<<-----That was too many side thoughts, sorry I just want to be as helpful as possible.) Ok so brush the egg wash over those 2 borders you left around the fruit. Brush lightly, you don't want bubbles of scrambled egg in your pie, well maybe you do but I don't so easy does it. Fold the other side of the square over and seal by pressing firmly. Making sure your popover is sealed tight, move onto a Sil-Pat or foil or parchment paper line cookie sheet. Brush the entire popover with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shear make a 1" slit in the top for venting steam. Ok that's it, you're done. Pop them into a preheated 400 oven and check them in 20 mins. When checking you want to look at the color of the dough, is it as dark as you want it or does it need some more time. If it's as dark as you like or you're worried about burning, pull out and cover with foil. Use a kitchen towel and pat down the foil around each popover. Careful don't squish it. After 30-45 mins the popover will be finished. You can test the fruit by inserting a paring knife through the steam vent and into a piece of fruit. If it is tender-soft, it's done. Pair with ice cream or homemade whipped cream and it's an easy and amazing addition to any meal. Oh but don't forget to let them cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Gosh, sorry I'm spaced, off in mushroom land, dreaming of Morels and rain. I might have to just suck it, strip, grab a drum and some chicken bones and do a little dance. It's gotta be in there somewhere. So anyway sorry for the insanity that is this post. I hope you were able to find something useful in it. I am off to watch the Simpsons and sip a diet coke and not clean... I'll do it tomorrow... we'll see.

TGIF g-dangit.

I am thrilled that the weekend is finally here. Lot's to do, morel hunting, visiting CHIC and meeting with an admissions representative and of course cleaning. I am getting better about keeping up with the household chores but I do have a long way to go. Managing clutter is the worst, I need to head to the container store! The craftroom closet needs a complete makeover and I need to buy a garbage can (I still can't believe we don't have one... it's a little ghetto.) I had an accidental nap today and was really disappointed we didn't get more rain. Oh well, we'll see tomorrow if the tiny showers we saw this morning were enough. Because of the nap I was unable to make bread but instead used some left over pate brisee and blueberries to make popovers. They were amazing and really got me stoked for summer fruits and berries. Can't wait. Well kids have a great night and will let you know how the hunt turns out tomorrow. Have to get to sleep so I can get up at 5 and head out.

Fiona's Forest Flops Again!

Yet again it was an unproductive hike in the mushroom hunting sense. Overall it was a great 3 hour hike. The frogs are back and plants are bursting out from the leaf litter. I did find some really nice Dryard's Saddle and spotted a possible moss galera but because several of the galarina fungi are toxic, I left it behind snapping a picture for further evaluation. It is important that anyone attempting to collect their own mushrooms make absolutely sure they are safe. If you can't identify it, don't pick it. It's really that serious. Now Morels on the other hand are very distinct and there is only one "false" Morel which really looks nothing like the original. I am still fairly new to this and bring my Mushroom encyclopedias with. I'll sit and study a mushroom while flipping through the pages. Even if it isn't edible it's worth knowing. I talked with Andrea, one of my favorites, and she had quite an amazing day (10+ WOW!) Congrats Monkey and good luck tomorrow. I am hoping the showers tomorrow and the cooler temperatures will be a perfect setting. If not I will persist. Even though I had a pleasant stroll in the woods, two things really started to... well, piss me off. First off, the trash in forest preserves has always been a problem but for some reason I really took notice today. It is everywhere. Old pop top beer cans, copper wire, broken bottles, sheet metal... the list goes on and on. It is just awful. This summer I'm going to have to organize a Big Clean, get some people together and haul out the garbage. It really needs it. The second problem I encountered was mountain bikers. When I first came upon Fiona's Forest (it's a secret place) it was an old forest preserve trail whose marker had rotted through and not many people knew about. On an average day I would never see another living soul and once in awhile I would come across a couple hikers and maybe someone riding their horse. It was heaven. This was back in the early 2000's and as the years went on I would see handful of cyclists each week and the next year that number would double. Normally their activity was limited to the weekends and I could always count on a mid-week stroll interrupted. This afternoon I was buzzed off the path by 5 different bikers. I also took a different path and saw the damage these guys are doing to the trails. In some areas the tire ruts were almost a foot deep, maybe more. It's insane! The ground is now torn up and uneven. Maybe I need to stick to my old trails but still this is a problem. The rangers have put up a sign stating the trail is closed when wet, "if you leave an imprint, you must leave." Kind of a bunch a B.S. if you ask me. Someone, I'm assuming the rangers, has gone through and cut down trees and vines to make the one quaint, natural hiking paths, wider, taller and littered with sawed off branches and piles of vines. Oh well, I'll stick to the back trails where hardly anyone visits and enjoy the peace and quiet. Saturday I plan to only spend an hour there and if I'm not lucky by then, I'll head off to a different spot. Hopefully I will strike gold somewhere, anywhere. I really wasn't joking about Whole Foods. I will go. I pray I won't have to but this urge has to be satisfied. Lot's to do tomorrow, I have successful put off finishing my painting project at work till the very last minute so tomorrow I am stuck there getting as much done as possible. Then a fun night of bread making and watching a movie with Chris. I hope that you were able to get out at least for a little bit today and that you're looking forward to tonight/tomorrow's rain as much as I am.

Daffodil Arrangement

Wasn't hard at all. Just did a simple arrangement and have about 3 dozen left over for smaller posies that can be spread around the apartment. The fragrance is so sweet and fills the air with their scent. It just makes me smile.
Also below is one of our Australian Blue Lobsters. He just molted and should be even bigger in a few days once is new exoskeleton forms. He is really just gorgeous.

Daffodil Days

I am so ready to get back out to the woods this weekend for more mushroom hunting. I can feel it in the air that I'm going to strike morel gold... if not from the ground then darnit from Whole Foods! Hahaha. Seriously though, I am so ready for Spring treasures and actually found a little urban gold this morning. It was a typical Tuesday at work, Cece had returned and told us of her adventures in Ohio. I volunteered to run out and pick up 2 dogs that mistakenly were forgotten from the transport list. I was happy to head out and even happier when mapquest misguided me in the wrong direction. Naturally I was worried about not being at work and how long it was taking but as soon as I saw a bed of wild daffodils alongside an overpass, I was willing to take whatever crap was in store upon my arrival. When I got home, I dragged Chris back to the overpass and quickly clipped about 6 dozen. They are so bright and full. Chris stayed in the car, questioning the legality of the situation and I ran off with my scissors and smile. Who knew that even in Chicago, a little uncontrolled nature would sneak in? It just got my blood pumping and ready for the hunt this weekend. Hopefully we'll get lots of morels and maybe some pixie rings if we're lucky. I also need to get these pressed flowers organized! So much to do and so little time to do it and on that note I need to get some arrangements put together, if they're good I'll post pictures later. If they're not so great... well we'll forget this blog ever happened. Oh and I am making dinner tonight I just don't know what it is, burger or chicken something. We'll see.

Orchids and Chicken, finger lickin good.

I took a little detour from cleaning yesterday as soon as I discovered a yellow ceramic vase I found while antique hunting ages ago. I had really wanted to do a tulip arrangement (all violets would have been really striking) but 3-4 dozen tulips somehow didn't find it's way into the budget this month. Instead I repotted my youngest orchids in the vintage pot. Hopefully with a little room to stretch their roots, these guys will go into full bloom. We're keeping our fingers crossed. If you're planting anything in a container without drainage holes remember to ad 1-2" of pea gravel in the bottom and water sparingly. This will prevent root rot and keep the plant happy and healthy. They really do look spectacular in our library and I'm sure they appreciate the change of venue. Tonight I kicked off my dinner plan with fried chicken sandwiches and broccoli drizzled but kind of drowning in browned garlic butter. So far so good, I'm starting like I usually do, optimistic. But the hard part is coming, I just have to stick with it and use what we have rather than jumping on grubhub. It's just too easy, g-dangit. Seriously, after a long day of pooper scooping and torture by bark sometimes I just don't feel like cooking. Well now I will have to! I really do, hold me to this people. In the past I have made it a few weeks before "delivery" finds it's way back into my vocabulary. So we'll just see. OK people I have to get to those dishes so I won't have 2 loads tomorrow. Hope you're Monday wasn't too dreadful.

Sunday Funday!

No morels! I should have read the blogs before heading out but it seems like next week will be perfect with a few storms and warmer weather. Today was just too cold. Oh well, c'est la vie, ay? This just gives me more time to clean. Chris works a double and my goal is to have the apartment immaculate. All the furniture needs to be moved and swept behind, ceilings dusted, dishes washed and the craft room might need some help from FEMA and the Red Cross. IT'S THAT BAD!!! I have so many half projects going on and need to finish them or box them up because the next big projects are already beginning. For Mother and Father's Days I am trying to find something really amazing for them. OK Mom and Dad, stop reading right now, the rest isn't important................................................ For Mom, I'm getting 4-5 huge planters and planting heirloom tomatoes, peppers and a variety herbs in them. If you haven't been to Loew's, Home Depot or any other Garden center in the past few years you probably haven't seen the spectacular, resin pots from Southern Patio Inc. They come in a wide variety of colors and because they aren't ceramic they are so light and durable. It's best when planting anything that requires lot's of water to use a non porous pot but still allowing a few drainage holes in the bottom. This is just one of the colors I have chosen for Mom's gift and don't you think she'll just love it? I do. Especially with gorgeous heirloom hybrids from Burpey's. If anyone is doing a similar project for their mother, remember to get your orders in before it's too late. Of course if you do run out of time, there are other nursery's that carry heirloom plants but you'll have less to select from and probably will end up paying a little more. It's ok, she's worth the extra $10. On top of the container garden I plan on making another recipe box, tomato themed of course and filling it with recipes that will utilize her crops. I think it will be darling and she'll hopefully be surprised... Mom I hope you haven't ruined your surprise! Anyway, for Dad I am scanning all of the family photos... and there are thousands. After all the photos are organized and scanned, they will be transferred onto discs for Dad (I'll also make several back ups for safe-keeping just in case anything should ever happen to the originals.) I also want to get my sister's in on this and all get together to put the pictures into photo albums, something Dad has been talking about for years. We should also update the old albums and eliminate that old "magnetic" paper he used. I just think a night scrap booking with the girls, some pizza and pinot grigio would be a recipe for too much fun. Girls, what do you think? It's virtually inexpensive but something that he'll cry over, not that that's too difficult, am I right or am I right? So those are the plans for them and oh where did this all begin... oh, the craft room. Yes, I need to clean it so I can utilize my table and tools. So why am I sitting here tell you all this, I need to get cleaning.


Oh, I couldn't pass up posting the picture of me as a child with one of my bountiful harvests. I would load up my old red wagon and go door to door selling fresh vegetables to my neighbors.

I Have a Parasite and an Excuse

Ok, I don't really know for sure if I have a parasite or not but right now it's the only probable explanation for what's going on with me right now. I have been sick as a dog and unable to concentrate over the migraines and stomach pains I am currently experiencing. I know, "Boo Hoo Baby Billy." Ok, I'll stop whining and get to the point; I promised you funion with onions and here it is. No pictures, like I said I'm sick. I promise more to come but it's totally not Martha to promise something and not follow through. So here we go...

Onion eggs are a little more tricky than beets but still fairly simple. Peel off the dry, papery skin of the onion (you can ask your grocer if you can grab a bunch of the loose skins that are already peeling off. I normally search through the onions and pick up the stray, large pieces of skin. If you know your grocer or produce supplier well, they might even save these for you, just ask and see what they are willing to do. I typically save the skins from my onions throughout the year, leaving them on the kitchen counter overnight to dry out before putting in an airtight container for storage.) You will also need cheese cloth and twist ties. Cut the cheese cloth into squares that are large enough to wrap around the egg completely with an inch or so extra. Lay one of these squares flat in the palm of your hand and place a large piece of the onion skin in the center. Stand the raw or blown out egg inside of the peel and wrap tightly. If you're onion skin is not large enough you can piece together smaller bits or leave some of the shell exposed. Wrap the cheese cloth tightly around the egg and use a twist tie to secure the end. Now in a large enamel or glass sauce pan fill with 5-8 cups of water and 2-4 tablespoons white vinegar. It's better to place the eggs in the sauce pan before filling it with water. If you are using blown out eggs place a dishtowel below the eggs and one above. The bottom towel will ensure that the eggs won't break and the top one will saturate the eggs and keep them submerged for the most part. If you are going to be hard boiling your eggs just drop and go. Bring to a boil and let roll for 8-12 minutes. Let cool and unwrap. Red onion turns brilliant magenta's and yellow becomes varying shades of gold and mustard. This is a fun and easy way to naturally dye eggs. If you find yourself in a bind or just want a fun new way to dye eggs this is a great, natural way to create stunning eggs.

Ok instead of a picture that is relevant I will share the glorious and gigantic goose eggs I bought from John's Live Poultry in Chicago. These of course have not been cleaned yet but they are still magnificent. To clean any egg first start with warm soap and water. I fill my sink with suds and scrub each egg with a sponge or acrylic Brillo pad. For tougher stains I like to use baking soda but you can also use vinegar. Vinegar will soften the shell so use sparingly. I'll scrub any soiled egg with a new, cheap tooth brush (I never understand why people demote they're old tooth brushes for cleaning. The bristles are damaged and won't really scrub anything. Just go out and buy a $0.99 toothbrush.) Sprinkle the baking soda over the stain and using a wet brush, gently scrub. Rinse all your eggs well because any residue will cause uneven dying.

Natural Dyes

Despite my advice, my pleas and warnings, you have waited till the last minute to get your egg dying supplies and now it's 8:15 PM, the friday before Easter, Jewel/Osco is out of food coloring and you're kids are crying because the Easter bunny procrastinated and said "they'll never run out of dye, it's impossible." Hey, IT'S POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT never fear Billy Stewart is here to save you!!! So you haven't any food coloring, so the ef what? You can still dye eggs this year. Head out to your grocery store's produce section grab some beets and some onions (red or yellow work best.) You can certainly find other fruits and vegetables but in the interest of time we will just stick with these. If you have a juicer, great and if not, fine we'll work with what you have. First juice the beets in an electric juicer. If you don't have a juicer, puree and press through a fine meshed sieve. Use 1/2 cup of the juice and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Now dye like you would with any regular food coloring based dye bath.

Tomorrow I will go over dying with onion skins. If you want to do this go get the dry skin of yellow or red onions. Ask your grocer if you can pick through the bin and grab all the loose skins or buy in bulk. Mince and dehydrate the onions you won't need over the next 2 weeks and save for a soup or stir fry. Also grab some twist ties and cheese cloth, I know I have to. So I'll see you all in the cheese cloth section and then back here tomorrow for onion funion... I'm sick so I can say lame things like that.

Are you clumsy like me?

If so then you have broken a few of your eggs by now. I hope you haven't thrown them away yet because you can still use them. Of course the broken eggs are you're favorites and the ones you spent the most time on... MINE ARE! Bah, oh well, like I said they can still be used and they will still look amazing and no one will be the wiser. It's this simple: Take the broken egg, fill it with grass or colored cotton (I like to use a contrasting color to make it stand out) and stick a little pom pom chick in it. That's it. If you have large pieces, set them around the egg to give the impression of a hatching chick. Scatter them throughout your baskets or fill a nest with them for a unique and creative centerpiece. Disasters can be treasures if you look hard enough.

Madly Plaid

Creating a plaid pattern on an egg shell may seem difficult and time consuming but working in batches and with an easy color combination, one can make beautiful plaid eggs in no time at all. I work by the dozen and make 6 different dye baths. To start make the 3 primary and 3 secondary colors (red, blue, yellow, green, orange and purple.) Once you experiment with these try other combinations, I just find the 6 basic colors easiest and most effective.

Tape off a dozen eggs using 1/4" artist's tape. Eye ball the center of the egg (be careful because the hole you drilled can be misleading) and run 2 strands completely around the length of the egg, dividing it into quarters. Then run another piece completely around the circumference. Using a popsicle stick, bone folder or your finger name press down the tape to ensure there are no wrinkles or bubbles the dye can creep into. Using an exacto knife make a slit in the tape at each hole. Run the egg through a bamboo skewer like we did in the basics of dying only this time there should be no need for the sticky tack. If you were close to the points of the egg when "drilling" your holes to blow the contents out, the tape will be a sufficient support to hold the egg steady. Roll the eggs through their dye baths until you are satisfied with the tint (roll 4 eggs in each of the primary colors. Reserve the secondary colors for now.) After the eggs have dried remove from the skewer and remove all of the artist's tape.


Next tape of all the eggs with a 1/8" artist's tape. Using two pieces dived the colored 1/4 section of egg, now dividing the egg into eights. Next run two more pieces around the circumference, above and below the center white stripe. Leaving at least a 1/4" between the white stripe and the tape on either side.

Run the egg through a skewer the same way as you did for the first dye. Now spin these eggs through their second dye bath. If using the 6 basic colors suggested above this is how you should go about this step: Blue Eggs - 1 in Red, 1 in Yellow, 1 in Green and 1 in Purple. Red Eggs- 1 in Yellow, 1 in Blue, 1 in Orange and 1 Purple. Yellow Eggs- 1 in Blue, 1 in Red, 1 in Orange and 1 in Green. This will give you 12 gorgeous yet uniform eggs. After the eggs are completely dry pull off the tape. If you go too heavy on the first dye, some of the color might pull off with the tape. It's no big deal, the egg will look great anyway. If you go for too long in the second dye bath, the colors may bleed and the lines you've already created may blur slightly. Wear your favorite tacky golf shorts for inspiration and get mad for plaid this spring.

Marbled Eggs

This technique produces some of the most interesting and elegant eggs and is one of the easiest to do. You can keep it simple and just marble plain white eggs or you can layer complimentary or contrasting dyes to create a stunning product. Pour a standard dye bath in a shallow receptacle ( a pie dish, casserole dish or high lipped dinner plate. Remember some metals react with vinegar so try to use glass or glazed dishes.) You'll want about 1/2" of the dye bathe so adjust the amount of water accordingly, as I have told you before, following the dye bath recipe exactly is completely unnecessary. As long as you have hot water, vinegar and dye, you'll be fine. Add in 1tsp- 2TBS of oil (canola, olive, vegetable, baby, whatever you have on hand is fine.) The more oil you add the more of the original color you will see (below is an example of plain white eggs that were run through the marble bath. The white spots occur because of the oil.)

It is possible to be too heavy handed with the oil and if you find that you in fact have too much oil in the dish, don't worry. Just take a paper towel and dip it into the oil spots. Repeat until you have removed enough oil. You can run a fork or whisk through the oil to break it up, making the negative (white) spaces smaller. After that, roll the egg around a few times until you are satisfied with the color and coverage. Then remove from the bath, blot with a paper towel and set aside to dry. So simple, right? These eggs will impress your friends and family. For my good friend Regina, I paired just a few marbeled eggs in a pine needle basket. The eggs started off green and orange and I ran them through contrasting dyes to get the various depths of color. They look incredible, not to toot my own horn but really... they do. Alright well get messy and get going.

Drips and Swirls

Rubber Cement is just one great material to add drips and swirls to any egg. It is easy to apply, fast drying and most importantly easy to use. I will often drip it over an egg or while the egg is securely attached to a bamboo skewer will spin the egg over a piece of wax paper and drip the rubber cement over, to create a thin, even swirl. One thing to watch out for is eggs touching each other. After the rubber cement is on the egg, do whatever you can to keep them apart. If they touch, they'll stick and bleed dye into those once crisp, clean lines. Other than that it's a sinch. Check out Toni's basket; I paired bright, festive colors with a cute tin bunny basket I found while thrift shopping. The basket needed a little clean up and some pale yellow grass. I love the uniform look of the design but with a mix a seasonal colors that make it pop.

Dying to Dye

Ready to start dying all those eggs you've prepared? GOOD! Now most everyone knows the basic 1/2 boiling water + 1teaspoon white vinegar + food coloring. Don't worry too much about that recipe, I never measure and always customize my colors. The best dye's to use are are higher quality gel dyes. It will take a little more stirring but the colors are richer and bolder and you won't regret the extra $2.00. Plus these dyes last for years and can be used in anything. Get a starter pack with a variety of colors or buy individual containers of dye. You can find Wilton and other gel and paste dyes at specialty stores and most crafting chains (Joann's, Michael's and Hobby Lobby.) If you're using hard boiled eggs all you have to do is starting dunking and dying. If you're using blown out eggs you're not quite there. I string the egg through a bamboo skewer and use a ball of sticky tack at both ends of the egg to keep it secure. I like to use the white sticky tack because after several uses, dye will mix into it and after awhile that dye will transfer to other eggs. The white just makes it easier to determine when to throw it away. Remember how I told you not use those foam egg carton but to save them? Well here's where they come in handy. As I go through stringing all my eggs on their own skewer, I stick them into the foam container to hold them until I am ready to dye. Once you're at this step just take your eggs and roll them through the dye bath, the skewers make it easy and then stick it back in the foam container to dry. This way you will have minimal if any flaws. Once they are dry remove them from the skewer and sticky tack. It's really that easy.

To create patterns and polka dots and stripes and plaids use tape and stickers and layer the dyes BUT let the egg dry completely before applying another color. Also it is important to only run the egg through the second, third, etc... bath for a few spins. If you leave it in too long the first application will run, ruining the color it is in and leaving the final color muddy. I'll go through and show exactly what I use and give examples of those techniques this weekend but for now you have the basics to get going. Experiment, have fun, make mistakes and of course make beautiful eggs!

Blowing Out Eggs

Remember being a kid and spending hours over the sink trying to blow out the contents of ONE EGG? Blowing out 30 dozen eggs may seem like a daunting task unless you know how to do it quickly and efficiently. All you'll need is; a Phillip's head screw driver, a baby nasal and ear bulb (found at any drugstore), a bowl or other receptacle for the egg and of course eggs.
Take an egg in your hand, I am right handed and hold the egg in my left and the screwdriver in my right. Hold the egg tight enough that it doesn't move around, firm yet tender. Using the tip of the screwdriver start to turn it back and forth while pressing into the egg. There is no need to make full rotations with the screwdriver, a back and forth motion will create a smooth hole.


















Martha suggests using an upholstery needle to "poke" a hole in it, I find I break more eggs this way and never have a neat, even looking hole. It is going to take a few broken eggs until you get the hang of it. "Drill" a hole in the top and the bottom of the egg, make sure it is large enough for the tip of the baby bulb. Next you will take that baby bulb and press it into the top of the hole.
















You are doing this to form an air tight seal between it and the egg, so only a little pressure is needed. Next pump away. The white and the yolk will all come out with 5-9 good squeezes over a bowl. Martha also recommends using a long piece of wire to "scramble" the yolk inside of the egg before ejecting but this process takes a considerable amount of time and for the most part I have 1-2 eggs break for every 24 due to the yolk. Most of the time these eggs would not have withstood the tests of time so no need to worry.


Throw the broken eggs into the compost heap and move on. You can save the egg contents for quiche, frittata, baking or anything else you might need egg for. I generally toss mine because there have been too many times I find a jar or two of egg guts in May, shoved to the back of the fridge and that is just not fun.

I recommend then washing the shell with a mild dish soap and purging any remaining residue with a couple squirts of warm water. Make sure all water is out of the egg and set in a PAPER egg carton to dry overnight. As I mentioned yesterday most On Sale eggs come in foam containers. These containers should never be used to dry eggs at any stage. They do not breathe and do not absorb moisture which is problematic when dying. The excess moisture will drip to the bottom and cause runs and blotches all over your finished egg. Also for some reason the foam likes to stick to the eggs and will leave your finished product marred and virtually useless in the end. So paper containers it is! The foam cartons will be used so don't toss them just yet.
Now you should have a couple dozen blown out in no time and we'll move on to dying tomorrow. Good luck and try not to get frustrated, you really will get the hang of it, just use a gentle yet deliberate hand and this process will roll on by.