Drying Grasses for Decorations.

Don't you love the colors of fall, the crimson and gold of leaves, and the tan and brown of drying crops and grasses? Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I like to bring some of that beauty indoors. Here is an easy project so you can do that, too.

1. Gather material. I used some ornamental grass from our garden. You can also use grasses or weeds that grow wild--just ask for permission from property owners and make sure the plants haven't been sprayed with weedkillers. Cut the grasses a little longer than what you want for your arrangement.

2. Spray plumes, flowers, and anything that might shed, with a fixative. I use inexpensive hair spray, which works well.

3. Separate stems and let hairspray dry.

 

 

4.  Loosely bind together a few stems with rubber bands. Make sure there is room for air to circulate around each stem. Hang stems upside down to dry. Drying time depends on what material you are using. The grasses I used here took a couple of weeks. (Bundles of stems make attractive decorations while drying, too. You might like to add a raffia or ribbon bow over the rubber band.)

 5. Trim the dried stems and arrange. If you have just a few stems, you can space them out to look fuller by anchoring the stems in styrofoam inside your container. Enjoy!

Grocery Cherry Picks

Trends this week:

Leaves are falling here, and I'm thinking of cooking chill-blasting hot dishes. If you're looking for ingredients to make soups, stews, and casseroles, there are specials at several of the stores . New crop apples and apple cider are featured now, too.

Berkot's Super Foods

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 20 - Wed., Oct. 26

*Centrella 1%, 2% or Skim Milk gallon 2/$5, Whole Milk Gal. $2.79.

USDA Choice Round Steak # $2.99

*Govt. Inspected Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast # $1.79

Washington State Mid-Size Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, 

     Gala or Granny Smith New Crop Apples # $1.29

US No. 1 Idaho Potatoes 8#bag  $1.99

Fresh Crisp Celery each .99

Sweet Potatoes # .59

Brookhaven Market

Prices effective Wed., Oct. 19 - Tues., Oct. 25

*Tanimura & Antle Romaine Hearts 3 pk.  2/$3

USDA Premium Black Angus Choice New York Strip Steaks # $6.99

*Grade A Family Pack Chicken Drumsticks # .79, lesser amts. # .99

Swanson Broth 32 oz. 2/$5

Zesta Saltines 16 oz. or Cheez It 7.5-9 oz. Crackers 3/$5

Flavorful Dry Onions 3#bag  .99

Dominick's

Prices effective Fri., Oct. 21 through Sun., Oct. 23 only: Three Day Sale

     3.8 to 7.2-oz. Rice or Pasta Roni or 7.25 to 15-oz. Chef Boyardee. Selected varieties each 89¢ each

     Lloyd's Shredded Pork or Beef Tubs 18-oz. $2.99 ea

NOTE: Dominick's has a "just for U" program to load coupons directly onto your Dominick's store card. You select coupons you like online, and then you can use them at the store (no clipping or sorting needed)when your store loyalty card is scanned. See details at http://www.dominicks.com/

Jewel

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 20 - Sat., Oct. 22: Three Day Sale

     Perdue Grade A Oven Stuffer Roaster # .88

     Red Seedless Grapes # .88

     *Select Varieties Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max, or Pepsi 2 ltr. btl. .89, limit 4.

     Arm & Hammer Select Varieties 2X Liquid Laundry Detergent 34-50 loads $2.88, Limit 4

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 20 - Wed., Oct. 26

Combo deal: Buy 1 Maxwell House Select Varieties 21.5-34.5 oz. Coffee, and get 1 Free Cereal (General Mills Selected Varieties Honey Nut or Multi-Grain Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams or Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs 9-13 oz.)--see p. 6 of ad for details

Walgreen's

Prices effective Sun., Oct. 16 - Sat. Oct. 22

Lipton 100 pk. original, 40 pk. green, or 48 pk. decaf Tea Bags $2.99 (ad p. 2)

Walgreen ad coupon sampling:

     Quaker Quick-1Min. Oats 18 oz. 2/$3, limit 4 (p. 3)

     Bumblebee Chunk Light Tuna 5 oz. .79, limit 3 (p. 3)

     Walgreen or NiceTM Aluminum Foil 25 sq. ft. .69, limit 3 (p. 3)

     Palmolive Dish Liquid 10 oz. .89, limit 3 (p. 3)

     Puffs 6 pk. To Go, 124 or 200 sheets Facial Tissue 2/$3, limit 4 (p. 4)

     10¢ 4x6 prints digital photos (purchase 75 or more)--

          other coupon/prices for prints in lesser quantities (p. 7)

     $15 off Crest 3D Whitestrips, limit 3 (p. 15)

Target 

Prices effective Sun., Oct. 16 - Sat., Oct. 22

*Grade A Large Eggs 1 doz. $1.39 (p. 25)

Free $5.00 Target gift card when you buy four items from ad grouping (see box on back page of ad):

     Q-Tips 750 ct. , or other selected varieties, each $4.79

     Lotions--Suave 18 oz. Cocoa Butter or Vaseline Men 10 oz. or selected others,  each $2.99

     Dove 8pk. beauty bar soap, Dove 2pk./16 oz. bodywash or 12 pk. Lever 2000 bar soap $8.79

     Dove 25.4 oz. Shampoo or Conditioner or other selected Dove Hair Care each $5.00

     NOTE: With the coupons which were recently available on several of these items in 

     newspaper inserts, this offer has extra value.
     

NOTE: I make every attempt to be accurate, but check your store ad for details. Unless otherwise specified, all prices listed require store loyalty cards, if available.

*Denotes best of the best prices--these may beat the price other stores are currently offering for the same item, or are better than the regular price at this store or elsewhere.