Greens Water

Halloween 2026 Honorable Mention…Way to re-use plastic and other planter pots - with a staircase assist.

Black Cats, who are having a moment, launched into space. Runner’s up:  Interactive Headless Horseman and…Stabbey Road, Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover, but stabby. Carousel on Twitter.

People have been curious about the quick flip of this pair of used boots on eBay. My reselling business model is freegan items or my own used items. No guesswork or ego from thrift store or bins purchases. No (recent) cost of goods and no cost to list on eBay. No paying for shipping but that is loosely factored into the purchase price.  Listing items clear a 20-dollar profit or more. These colorful western boots were a found item.   Prompting AI, was it worth it to refurbish these boots for resale. A sensitive subject, since the world’s greatest cobbler, where I live, retired to Italy. AI replied that they should be listed clearly as is. Explain their condition clearly and take detailed photographs. Once that was done, with a clean-up, they then sold quickly. A couple of factors to consider:   these colorful boots photographed well due to their western style. If you wear a lot of black, you’ll notice, black absorbs the light making it difficult to see details online o...

People assume that "doctoring" a pre-made salad is just a matter of throwing in whatever is lurking in the refrigerator. Not so. It’s a psyop. The goal is to turn a decent “clamshell” salad into a genuinely satisfying meal while stretching it into at least two servings. Saladnomics Compared with a typical Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl, Guacamole Greens, or Garden Cobb, which generally costs about $14 to $18, a Trader Joe's salad plus a few carefully chosen additions often comes in around $6 to $9 per serving. Even a Whole Foods prepared salad purchased at a 50% markdown can land in that same range. The economics are compelling, but the real benefit is a salad you actually want to eat. There’s a Method to the Madness Most Trader Joe's and Whole Foods 50% off prepared salads come with more than enough greens for two meals, so I immediately save about half the greens for future salads or sandwiches. The secret is building in protein and texture for staying power. Deli...

 

A favorite sign of autumn is spotting these quirky green gourds at farm stands and supermarkets. Known as gooseneck or swan gourds, they grow into wonderfully crooked shapes that spark imagination. Where I grew up, neighbors would turn them into decorative geese, or other creatures, painting faces with dots for eyes, adding ribbons, bonnets, or little hats.  As porch displays, they were usually a part of a cornucopia, throughout the fall. Every gourd was different, making each creation completely unique, like their fellow pumpkin creations. The charm is the creativity involved. The top of the long-curved neck becomes the goose's head, while the round body provides the perfect canvas for painting and decorating. Some people keep their designs simple, while others create elaborate wardrobes for every season and holiday. Perhaps, before mass-produced decorations, people who worked in farming often looked to nature for inspiration, transforming the harvest into something playful and ...

Greens Waters' ethos is simple: avoid a morbid Girl Dinner and get something nutritious and satisfying on the table faster than DoorDash can deliver it. Rice and seasoning packets are part of the strategy when you know how to elevate them. We're not using the seasoning that comes with the rice mix or we use very little of that salt bomb. Save it for another day. Stir it into plain yogurt for a quick dip, mix it into a soup, or use it to season roasted vegetables. The rice itself is the shortcut ingredient. There is no boiling involved. We're going risotto-style. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Open the box and separate the rice packet from the seasoning packet. Set the seasoning aside. In a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, heat a generous splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add one sliced shallot or half a chopped onion and cook until softened, about three to four minutes. Add the rice and stir frequently for another two to three minutes, allowing the g...

One of the musts of cooking is sharp knives, if you are too lazy to use a whetstone but not too lazy to bring your knives (wrapped in a towel) to the Farmer’s Market to utilize the convenience these nice folks offer seasonally. In cooking classes, the knives are really, really sharp, which is why getting them sharpened at home ensures there isn’t too much of a contrast when you go for classes.   www.hgknifesharpening.com Their craft work is pictured here. #knifesharpening #farmersmarkets

For some people, especially Trader Joe’s people, Fall is Pumpkin Season. For me, it’s more Cinnamon Apple. To that end, I tried Simple Mills Cinnamon Swirl Muffin & Cake –Oat Flour Baking Mix – Gluten-Free, Regenerative Organic Certified. The mixing and baking experience was fine. As usual, I did not strictly follow the directions. There’s a separate cinnamon sugar mix to sprinkle in the muffin and on top. I used only half of it:   in the muffin and swirled a little on top. Added half of a Honeycrisp apple finely chopped into the mix. I subbed avocado oil for butter, but you can use oils with this mix per the directions. The muffins are slightly crumbly and dry, good to add the apple, and are more of a coffee cake experience than apple cake. Mine are small, almost like mini muffins; check your muffin tin size. With some fresh apple cider, they’re a Fall baking vibe during a nice chill weekday.