Got pests?

Posted by Katie Macpherson

Last week on Homegrown, hosts Andrew and Tony talked all about pests in the garden. Our garden experts had ideas about how to keep out everything from big guys like deer to little critters like mice. Here’s a rundown of their helpful tips (along with some of your suggestions)!

Cats and Dogs:
There are non-toxic repellents on the market that deter dogs and cats by smell. One caller suggested sprinkling citrus peels around the garden -- another smell deterrent. You can also try putting up a fine-meshed fence around the garden to keep small dogs out.

Deer:
Deer can leap really high, so to keep them out you’ll need to have a fence that is at least 8 feet high. Another suggestion: you can put up two 4-foot fences that are 4-feet apart -- deer don’t have depth perception, so they can’t see how far they have to jump.

READ MORE PET REPELLENT TIPS

Taking Smart Risks

Posted by Maggie Mistal
Pushing your boundaries by taking smart risks is a key part of making a great living. What's a smart risk? One where your chances of success outweigh your chances of failure. How do increase your chances of success? By doing your homework. It sounds simple but can feel so difficult. Take asking for a raise as an example. Most people feel it's too risky especially in a tough economy. However, if you're a top performer who's bringing in revenue despite the downturn, you can make the case for an increase in pay. If you can't bring in new customers or other forms of revenue to your employer, you can look for ways to save the company money instead. Negotiating better deals with vendors or conducting meetings virtually can all help lower expenses. Showing you're part of the solution can go a long way to proving you're worth a raise.

Pushing your boundaries outside of work can also have career benefits. Recently I've been putting myself out there as a singer by doing cabaret shows off-Broadway. I definitely did lots of "homework" by working extensively with a voice coach before going on stage. What's been amazing is how my confidence has increased in my work because of my singing. Now I not only career coach my clients to go after their dreams but am a walking example.

So perhaps its time for you to take a smart risk in your own career or with a personal goal you've been wanting to achieve. You might just end up making a great living because of it. Tune in and call in for more career advice today at 2pm EST/11am PST during my appearance on Living Today with Mario Bosquez.

Sandy's Pasta Salad Sandwich

Posted by Sandy Gluck

Thanks to one and all for the great pasta salad ideas yesterday -- it inspired me to make a pasta salad sandwich. What kind of pasta might work best in a sandwich? Something not too big and packed with flavor so Couscous (and whole wheat to boot), seemed the perfect choice. And the bread? Originally I was thinking pita but changed my mind when I spotted lavash in my local market. A pasta salad sandwich, you bet! From yesterday's show, today's sandwich was born.

SEE SANDY'S RECIPE AFTER THE JUMP

Getting to the Heart of Tomato Staking

Posted by Tony Bielaczyc

I don't have actual numbers to back this up, but I am willing to bet that one of the most popular homegrown, garden vegetables around has to be tomatoes. And, that's not without good reason. They're easily purchased or started from seed, and even easier to grow given lots of sun and heat.  If you're short on heat and growing days, you might try High Altitude Gardens for "Siberian" tomato seed, fast cropping tomato varieties brought back from Siberia by owner Bill McDormand.  These tomatoes have all the same characteristics that make your mouth water for a 'Bradywine' or 'Big Boy', only they ripen quickly for a short season harvest in cool, or very hot, climates.

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Throw a crafting party!

Posted by Naomi Gabay

Sunday afternoons for me are for street hockey! I play in a co-ed league of about 400 others in New York City’s East Village. Since this year’s season just began, we’ve had lots of team outings, but not one that was strictly Ladies’ Night. So we got our girls together for an evening of food, fun, and crafts projects. We decided that we needed some matching accessories for our uniforms so we set to work on knee socks, wrist bands, bandanas, and scrunchies.

SEE NAOMI'S CRAFTY PICS

Chartreuse Cocktails

Posted by Naomi Gabay

Do you have a bottle of Chartreuse? After checking out today’s cocktails from Allen Katz, it may be time to add it to your repertoire! This French liqueur has been made by The Order of Chartreuse monks since 1605 and was considered "An Elixir of Long Life". The ingredients are quite diverse too -- they consist of 130 herbal extracts. So if you’re looking for new ideas on an old classic, these recipes are for you!

Daquiri Elixir
Ingredients:
2 ounces Cruzan Dark Rum
1/2 ounces lime juice
1/4 ounces simple syrup
2 barspoons Green Chartreuse

Directions:
1. Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel float.

SEE MORE RECIPES

Fruit & Veggie Challenge: Get healthy for breakfast, lunch and dinner...

Posted by Lisa Mantineo

Menu planning for one or more can often be a daunting task, so this week Betsy and I are offering you some relief! We've gone a step further and planned an entire menu starting with Strawberry Oatmeal for breakfast, a healthy and filling Broccoli, Chickpea, and Cherry Tomato Salad lunch and a dinner of Orzo with Chicken Corn and Green Beans!

For new listeners: If you're interested in making your meals a little healthier by using more fruits and vegetables, then you might want to sign up for our Fruit and Vegetable Challenge. The goal of the program is to incorporate more produce into your busy schedule. If you want more info on the challenge, read our first post about it.

Don't forget: Keep track of the amount of servings you are eating throughout the week and simply email us Thursday night with the fruits and vegetables you've consumed and the number of servings per day.

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast
Broccoli, Chickpea, and Cherry Tomato Salad
Orzo with Chicken, Corn, and Green Beans

SEE MORE RECIPES FROM PREVIOUS FRUIT AND VEGGIE CHALLENGES:

Fast & Fancy: Viva Las Vegas with Paul Bartolotta

Posted by Jennifer Sendrow

After opening five successful Italian restaurants with his brother in their native Milwaukee, Chef Paul Bartolotta decided set up shop amid the bright lights of Las Vegas. It was a smart move, because his Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare  has been a shining star of the local dining scene ever since it debuted a menu of authentic Italian seafood back in 2004. We’re not just talking authentic technique either: the restaurant imports about one and half tons of seafood each week from Italy, selling dozens of different species every night.

Chef Bartolotta joined Morning Living’s live broadcast from the M Resort today to talk about two delicious ways to prepare one of the most affordable, ecologically sustainable, and versatile fish in the sea: mussels. If you can’t make it to Italy – or Las Vegas – at least you can get a taste of what’s cooking!

SEE RECIPES AFTER THE JUMP

It's Arbor Day

Posted by Tony Bielaczyc

Tomorrow, April 24th is Arbor Day  in New York state. It's also National Arbor Day.   And what better reason could there be to celebrate than a tree.  Trees are not only a visual respite from the work-a-day, media glutted, visual overloaded world, they also represent a miracle of nature.  They take in carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen in return.

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Come see Emeril Lagasse Live!

Posted by Alexis Tirado

Need some BAM! in your life? Emeril Lagasse will be live at the Sirius XM studios in New York City on Wednesday, April 29 from 2 pm to 5 pm EST. He'll be discussing his latest cookbook "Emeril at the Grill," divulge his best grilling recipes and tips, and take questions from callers.

Be a part of our audience! If you're in New York City area on April 29, Sirius XM is giving you and a guest the chance to be a part of the in-studio audience for Emeril's show. For more details on being part of the audience click here.

If you can't make the show -- no worries! Submit a question for Emeril in the comments section and we'll send them to him! He just might answer your question on air.