Bougainvillea Blues

Anyone who lives in Southern California knows that Bougainvillea thrives here. You see its bright red blooms along the highway, in yards and in parks. The one place where Bougainvillea won’t grow? My yard.

I have a large Bougainvillea growing alongside my chimney. It has beautiful green leaves, but it just won’t bloom. I water it frequently, and it gets plenty of sunshine.

What could I be doing wrong?

I’d appreciate any suggestions and tips.

Photo Credit: digital cat 

Clover Taking Over!

I’ve recently noticed a problem in my yard: Clover is taking over!

What started in the groundcover around my palm tree has crept into my flower beds, lawn and more. I keep pulling up the clover, but it seems when one is gone, two take its place.

Does anyone have tips on getting rid of clover?

I’d rather not use chemicals, if possible.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelene/2314601489/

Convection Ovens and Christmas: A Heavenly Match

This summer, my family and I moved into a home with a convection oven. Not being much of a baker, I didn’t think too much about the oven. I would’ve been as happy with a traditional one.

After doing my holiday baking this year, however, I’m sold on the convection oven! Not only did my cookies come out more evenly baked, but they cooked much faster than they would have in my old oven. I can’t wait to bake more things!

Does anyone have a great recipe that I can try out in my convection oven?

I’d love to try it!

Photo Credit: Or Hiltch

Kitchen Remodeling Nightmare

My husband is a professional chef. Recently, we decided that, in order to get the most out of his talent, we’d remodel the kitchen and turn our traditional kitchen into a chef-worthy workspace.

Excited about the project, my husband and I carefully picked out new cabinets, floors and appliances. We choose custom-made counters that can double as cutting boards. We considered everything, from the sink’s backsplash to the tile to the color of our high-end appliances.

What we didn’t think about, however, were the ramifications of installing a commercial range in our home. After enlarging the gas line and upgrading our exhaust system, we finally thought the nightmare of installing the range was over. Boy were we wrong! Turns out our home insurance company won’t cover homes that contain commercial ranges. We had to switch to another insurance company, and now we’re paying almost twice what we were for the old policy.

Take my advice and learn from my mistake: Talk to your insurance company before you begin your remodeling project!