DIY Life

Mmm-mmm. Fresh basil. It's so very fragrant -- the indispensable ingredient in a host of mid-summer recipes.

My basil is lush, green and ready for picking. Okay, I don't have a whole lot of it out in my garden; however, I'm planning on growing a lot more next summer. In preparation for that lofty enterprise, I thought it'd be cool to find out how the expert basil-growers harvest their beloved herb. Here are some tips I picked up:

1. Know your basil. There are lots of varieties out there, and it's always good to know which one you have, as the flavors vary quite a bit between them. Chances are good that, like me, you've got the most common variety: Genovese sweet basil.

Nothing says Happy Father's Day like a new tie, right? You can surprise the special dad in your life by presenting him with an artistically created necktie cake. A skinny necktie cake is a lot more fun to bake, frost, and embellish than shopping for the perfect tie. Everyone will enjoy this necktie -- with a little dip of ice cream -- and there will be no sense of disappointment from Dad.

MailJust4me provides simple Father's Day projects, including directions for making a necktie cake. I took liberties with their pan recommendations and used two 9 x4 bread pans. When thinking of a design, I checked out some Armani ties to see what's new.

What you need:

• 2 9x4 baked cakes or 1 large rectangular cake cut lengthwise in half
• white frosting
• food coloring
• ziplock bag
• scissors
• M & M's or other candy
• Large tray or platter to hold finished cake

Check out the gallery to see how my cake turned out, then follow me through the break for the decorating instructions.

Homemade pickles are a great way to cut sodium and to eat more naturally-produced foods. They are also a fun and tasty refrigerator science experiment.

The refrigerated method is the simplest, purest way to make pickles. Basically, you soak the cucumber in a salt brine for one week. When they are finished soaking, they will need to be refrigerated constantly until they are consumed.

The pickles will keep in the fridge for up to two months. If you want to keep them longer, you can preserve and jar them. Homemade pickles would be a welcomed hostess or housewarming gift.

Choosing the best cucumber is a bit of an art. The full instructions include pictures with each step, and the accompanying images show you what the most desirable pickle candidate looks like.

If you're working with mini-chefs, include a science and history lesson with some of these fascinating pickle facts. If you want to take things one step further, turn that pickle into a lightbulb and really wow your curious kids.

It's perfectly fitting that the Slow Food movement began in Italy... land of wine, cheese, and meals made from fresh, simply prepared, wholesome ingredients. Though slow food is actually about practices that were in place long before now, the movement itself is fairly new.

Carlo Petrini founded the slow food movement in the mid-1980s after staging a protest against the building of a new McDonald's near the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. Aptly named, slow food is in direct opposition to fast food culture. Though I doubt you'll ever find Petrini scarfing down a Big Mac, the fast food that slow food advocates against isn't only found in restaurants. Instead, they encourage a culture where:

• food is grown locally and eaten in season
• heirloom varieties of plant foods are grown and preserved
• meals are based on local culinary traditions
• there is education about the pitfalls of agribusiness and factory farming
• family farms are preserved
• food is grown organically
• animals are ethically raised and processed.

The group has about 83,000 members in 120 countries right now, but the principles behind the slow food movement are gaining ground every day. If this kind of lifestyle interests you, I'll tell you how to get started after the break.

Grab your hip, new reusable shopping tote and let's grab some groceries. But, wait! First, check out the Reader's Digest 10 tips for smart food shopping. It's a quick and easy-to-read guide for staying on track once you step inside the store. Stay on track how? Answer: in every way -- in terms of your budget and your health goals.

Here are my three faves -- all ideas that have worked for me lately:
1. Limit your trips. I try to pick up extra bread and milk when I shop so as to avoid extra runs to the store. The less I go to the supermarket, the less I spend each month.
2. Avoid shopping on an empty stomach. An oldie but a goodie. This is probably the best shopping advice out there!
3. Follow the walls. The less processed stuff you buy, the less money you'll spend and the healthier you'll be eating. Try it. This tip really works!

Enjoy these ideas? Check out Francesca's tips on how to be a grocery super shopper!

Summer is almost here, the season of less-is-more clothing. If you, like me, spent the winter under heavy sweaters and drinking hot cocoa, you might be spending this spring trying to get yourself in shape for hot weather wear. One of the quickest ways to lose weight and improve nutrition is to drop the junk food. But that is often easier said than done.

Daily soda habits, fast food lunches, and chronic snacking in the late afternoon may have become ingrained habits, a part of your life that will require more than willpower to change. Most health experts agree that you can't eliminate a habit. Instead, you have to replace bad habits with new, healthier versions. Some advice on exactly how to do that, after the break.

I'm an adoptive mom, so I spend a lot (read: far, far, too much) time checking out other adoption blogs. One of my favorites is Do They Have Salsa in China? To keep her two little girls interested in eating healthfully, the blog's creative author has delved into bento boxes.

We've posted about the art of packing bento boxes before. Common in Japanese cuisine, bento is a single-portion meal that is often beautifully arranged -- food that is not only pleasing to the palate, but also to the eye. You can make bento boxes a toddler favorite with a few simple twists that I'll share after the break.

If your pans and other cast iron cookware are well cared for, they will last a lifetime. Curing or seasoning is the process by which you fill the pores of the pan creating a smooth, non-stick surface. this should be done to the entire pan, even the lids.

Basically, you clean the pan thoroughly and cover it in shortening. Place it on a cooking sheet and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 min. Take the pan out and drain the excess oil, then put it back in upside down, this time for a couple of hours. Make sure you read these full instructions and important tips for curing cast iron.

Even if your pans come "pre-seasoned" make sure you read the instructions for any specific cleaning details, and keep in mind that they will need to be re-seasoned regularly to keep them from sticking. Repeat seasons won't take as long, but it is one of the many important things to do when caring for cast iron cookware. Here are a few other useful tips:

• Don't wash cast iron in the dishwasher
• Scrub any rust spots with steel wool and mild soap
  
• Boiling water in your pan will wash away the seasoning

If you've invested in quality cookware, it will only work for you as well as you care for it. Take the time to season or cure it, then maintain it well.

Pamper her this Mother's Day with a luxurious breakfast in bed. Older children can probably manage it on their own, but for most families dad will need to coordinate things. The three most important things to consider are the planning, preparation and presentation.

Planning

Take the time to plan a breakfast that you know she'll enjoy. She won't mind you trying something new, but if you're more comfortable, stick with recipes that you already know how to make. Buy all your ingredients ahead of time, but stash them away carefully so that she doesn't suspect her early morning treat.

Prepare as much as you can ahead of time; set your coffee maker on a timer, cut fruit, and pre-mix any batter that can sit overnight.

After the break I'll cover some suggestions for a delicious breakfast in bed:

Lollipops are the only reason that my boys tolerate haircuts. They are the first thing I poach out of their goodie bags and Halloween sacks. I even sneak downstairs at night for the occasional sugar-fix. I love lollipops, and now I can make my own!

Basically, you boil sugar, cream of tartar, and water. Add flavor and coloring, then pour them into molds or drop a serving size spoon-full onto wax-paper. Add the sticks, let them cool, and you've got homemade lollipops. The full instructions at that link explain important mixing techniques and boiling temperatures.

I'll admit that, reading through the recipe, I was slightly repulsed by the amount of sugar and lack of any other substantial ingredients. I'm sure you're wondering what on earth I expected from these solid sugar treats: they are, after-all, lollipops! Still, there is some reassurance in making the homemade version, because if you're looking for something a bit more natural, you can choose good flavorings and avoid the dyes.

If you are buying taco seasoning from the store in kits, you can save your self a lot of money -- and a lot of unneeded sodium! -- by making your own at home.

There are scads of recipes all over the internet, but over the last few years I have refined my DIY taco seasoning to be the perfect amount for one pound of meat and to suit my family's tastes. Here is what you'll need:

• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1.5 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• dash of ground cayenne pepper
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

If you like it spicy, add more cayenne; we are catering to the needs of a three-year-old.

I mix the spices in a small custard cup, and once I have begun browning the meat (I used ground turkey for the pictures in the gallery) and have broken it up, I add the seasonings. This meat works great for tacos, taco salad and anywhere else you would like taco meat. I suppose you could stuff a burrito, too.

So save the money on the kit: add just a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and you'll have your own healthy taco seasoning.

After reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle last fall, I was determined to change my ways. She makes it sound so easy, you know? I'd expand my garden, plant an asparagus patch, and, hmm, would the city allow me to keep chickens in the backyard? Maybe I'd even make my own cheese.

Sometimes, I dream big.

But making your own cheese, especially a softer cheese like mozzarella, isn't as hard as it sounds. Though Kingsolver makes it seem like it can be done in your sleep, it isn't technically that easy. But according to this post at Instructables, it doesn't take more than an hour or so, especially once you've gone through the process once or twice.

A new juice bar just opened in our neighborhood. They serve any blend of fruit and veggie juice that you could imagine. They use fresh, organic ingredients, and present the drink in a trendy, branded cup.

For this, you'll pay $5.50. Seriously, for blended carrots, I just can't.

Vegetable juices are popular on health detox and other cleanses, but they taste great too, and can be a healthy part of an everyday diet.

To make this carrot juice, you don't need a juicing machine; any food processor or blender will do just fine. You'll find more information after the break.

The alternative: use Cheerios instead. I use multi-grain cheerios, but you could really choose any kind you want. Marshmallows are marshmallows, and you can't really get around that. It's probably why these gooey treats are so popular, but switching up the cereal can go a long way towards reducing the caloric impact and mixing up the taste.

My mom has been known to hide even healthier cereals and seeds in these crispy squares. Kids will love them just as much, maybe more if you let them scavenge the cereal cupboard for other surprise additions.

Who doesn't love personalized goods? (I'm sure that some people will respond, "Anyone over the age of eleven," but that doesn't explain the appeal of vanity plates on cars.) Customizing an item just for the intended recipient is likely to make them feel special no matter what their age is... particularly if it's their birthday.

Sure, if you have something to say, and you want to eat your words, you can buy sugar letters for birthday cakes at almost any store that sells baking supplies. There are more creative ways to personalize treats, though: Craftster user Jsully03 made cookies that use American Sign Language manual alphabet letters to spell out a message to her young daughter, who was born deaf.

To duplicate her creation, all you need is a sugar cookie recipe (premade cookie dough is just fine), a hand-shaped cookie cutter with relatively well-defined fingers (you'll be shaping them into different positions; try local stores for the Wilton version), knowledge of the ASL manual alphabet, and, of course, an oven and a baking pan.

More impish bakers may be unable to resist using this idea to show the world how they feel about rock 'n roll; I certainly wouldn't blame them for doing so.