Preserving Your Christmas Tree
Submitted by: Brenda
1/4 cup horticultural iron
1 gallon hot water		 2 cups light corn syrup
4 teaspoons chlorinated household bleach
You can double the indoor life of most evergreens simply by standing them in this easily prepared formula. At your florist, garden supply or hardware store, ask for Green Garde, a mircronized horticultural iron. The other two ingredients, corn syrup and a cleaning bleach are shelf items from your grocery store. In a bowl mix the iron and hot water and stir in the corn syrup and bleach. The iron will not dissolve completely; it will produce a blue-green mixture with particles which will settle to the bottom. With a saw, remove about an inch from the tree trunk to level the base and to remove any solidified resinous material. Then crush the fibers at the cut end with a hammer blows, stand the tree in a tree holder and pour in the solution. Keep the holder filled throughout the holidays with warm tap water. A tree standing in plain water alone will droop, but using this formula, your tree should remain as green and open-armed as new.

Dog Biscuits
Submitted by: Brenda
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons bacon bits		 2 tablespoons intant beef/veg/chicken stock mix
6 tablespoons oil
2/3 cup water
Mix together well. Roll out to approx 1/4 inch thick and cut out with either Christmas cookie cutters or use a dog biscuit cutter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approx 35 - 45 minutes, basting with meat drippings or bacon fat. When cooled, put them into your dog Christmas sock and hang on the mantle for Fido. Let Fido open his own Christmas sock this year. Dogs really do like these biscuits. Tried, true and tested.

Christmas Scent
Submitted by: Brenda
1 lemon peel, chopped
1 orange peel, chopped
1 stick of cinnamon		 1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon pickling spice
This is NOT edible just makes the house smell soooooo good. Add all the above ingredients to water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then boil long enough to bring out the scent. Turn heat down to low and simmer gently. One batch can be used over and over for several days. You may need to occasionally add water.

To submit your favorite recipes to be included in the Garden of Friendship Recipe Book, please email them to Barbiel

Background graphics made especially for the Recipes Committee of the Garden of Friendship by Valatine