Easy and fun St. Patrick’s Day Brownie Pudding Dessert. We live near a Dublin with a big (and growing!) really fun Irish Festival each summer. Plus a huge St Patrick’s Day parade in mid March led by an honorary leprauchaun. Even so Saint Patrick’s Day is usually celebrated hit and miss at Chez Charlene. Just the basics: Make sure everyone has something green to wear and for fun, something green to eat for at least one meal – besides salad. Quick and easy, this Brownie dessert between layers of green pistachio pudding would fill the bill for a busy weeknight -- celebrating St. Patrick's Day or just because. Garnish with something fun like golden leprauchaun coins or sugared shamrocks – well, intentions count. (Don’t they???? Please don’t burst my bubble!) This is more a ... [Read More]
Green
Fireplace Weatherization
Our fireplace has been a cold spot in our life ever since we moved in. You could feel the air move around it -- and see it because it was enough that lighted candles would flicker in the wind! A couple of years ago, we installed a fireplace balloon which helped enormously. However, there was still a draft around the bottom of the fireplace and the hearth. Last fall we were working toward winterizing the house and noted a huge vine had separated this door from the chimney. A two inch wide opening for winter air to pour into the house! How do we weatherize the fireplace? A little exploration along the aisles of Lowe's and Home Depot and we were able to solve the problem with the fireplace and a couple of other outdoor openings. The answer was a spring loaded access panel, a ... [Read More]
Fireplace Draft Stopper Balloon
Preparing for winter. Just the thought of winterization sends shivers up my spine! But that has been on the agenda at Chez Charlene spurred on by predictions of a "brutal" winter for this area. Where we live, there seems to be more misses than hits with weather forecasts. Something about jet streams that change their mind - crossing fingers that's true again. Our fireplace damper is tightly closed, but there was always a draft. We caulked, inside and out, and still a draft. If drafts come in, then heated and cooled air can go out. So at the end of last winter we did a little research and decided to invest in a fireplace draft stopper balloon. It is just what it sounds like -- a heavy duty inflatable bag that fits across the chimney out of sight above the firebox. We ... [Read More]
