CFL's: Rosie's Pros and Cons

What are the pros and cons of compact fluorescent light bulbs?

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are poised to replace those familiar incandescent bulbs we’ve been using since electricity became a household necessity.

Among their benefits:

• CFLs use 90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.
• They emit very little heat. Unlike CFLs, incandescents waste energy because they spend 90 percent of their energy on heat and only 10 percent on light. That also adds heat to your home’s air and makes your air conditioner work harder.
• CFLs last about 10 times longer than incandescents, so you don’t have to change your light bulbs nearly as often.

The quality of CFLs continues to improve. Early versions of fluorescent light bulbs were an odd white color, took a long time to light up when you flicked the light switch and gave off a buzzing sound. Today’s CFLs are smaller, come on almost instantly, appear close in color to the traditional incandescent bulb and are silent.  

Read more...

For more information and for answers to all YOUR Landscape, Garden and Home Improvement questions, visit our website, Rosieonthehouse.com

Romey's Chicken Resource Guide

Books:

• The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery (most current edition is 10). Has nearly 100 pages dedicated to poultry and resources for where to buy, how to, expert and hobby rancher input on not only chickens but everything needed in homesteading. This should be in every home next to the bible. Find on Amazon
• Choosing and Keeping Chickens by Chris Graham. This book does a good job of covering the basics, but what we really like is the 100 pages of great color photos of over 50 different breeds with all the basic ‘pedigree’ information pertaining to each breed. And after seeing it in this book, we will never own a Malay Chicken. Find on Amazon
• Hobby Farms’ Chickens by Sue Weaver If you want to breed and sell your flock, this book covers breeding and hatching very well…which is what you can expect from all Hobby Farm resources on all species of livestock. Find on Amazon

Feed Stores:
NOTE: Chickens are seasonal. Call ahead to ask about current stock and breeds.

The Stock Shop
(623) 487-9277
6615 West Thunderbird Road
Glendale, Az.

Pratt's Pets and Feed  
(623)939-3326
5237 W Glendale Ave
Glendale, Az.
www.prattspets.com

Gordon's Feed & Seed
(602)276-8894
600 W Broadway Rd
Phoenix, Az.

Dale's Town & Country Store
(623)584-5736
14344 W Waddell Rd
Surprise, Az.

Read More...


What Chicken Breeds does Romey have?

Observational commentary and opinions on specific chicken breeds from “Rancho La Romero”

Egg Layers
Buff Orpington – As long as we have chickens, we will never -not- have Buff Orpingtons. I don’t know if it’s because:

• The ones we have now are the last remaining breed of our original flock.
• The way their feathers flow as they waddle side to side when they run, adding to their already curious nature the whole family finds entertaining.
• The wit they have to be next to the horse bucket at feeding time to peck dropped oats.
• The fact that they are relatively easy to catch and handle.
• Their ability to flee and hide from predators.
• Their ability lay eggs as they free range (not return to the nesting boxes; there is a notable difference in egg production for other breeds if they can't get back to their box.)
• The consistency of their egg production
• Or the nick name their breed has been given at our homestead. We call them “Big Mama’s” 

Read More...

For answers to all of YOUR Landscape, Garden and Home Improvement Questions, visit our website, Rosieonthehouse.com.
   

Roof Ventilation: What does Rosie recommend?

First, let’s look at the kinds of roof vents.

Gable/louvers vents. Louvers are covered openings that allow air to escape the attic. They are located on the gable (non load-bearing) ends of the house and allow limited airflow. This system relies on wind direction to create airflow through the attic. When the wind blows perpendicular to the ridge, it circulates air around the louver, which  acts as it own intake and exhaust vent. If the wind blows parallel to the ridge, the airflow pattern acts as a draft that moves in one louver and out the other.

Power fans. Fans draw air through the attic by creating an air flow. They are effective, but they don’t allow natural forces to ventilate the attic. Plus, it’s somewhat expensive to buy, install and operating power fans, a cost that is greater than the fans’ benefit. Fans do not create airflow over the roof sheathing. Even fans that automatically turn on and off at selected temperatures are not worth the investment because the summer heat in the attic will cause the fan to run almost continually.

Read more...

How can I renew my cultured marble countertops?

Cultured marble is made from powdered marble that has been cast in polymer and covered in a gel coat. Marble alone is very porous and would stain easily if installed alone. With every day use, the gel coat loses a little shine and surface scratches reduce the luster of cultured marble.

Restoring the life to your cultured marble takes some finesse and patience. You will need an electric buffer with a 1” thick wool buffing pad and a solid polishing compound. Be careful that you do not use a buffer with more than 1800-2300 RPM’s; a higher powered buffer will burn the cultured marble. We suggest a solid polishing compound over a liquid product. The solid will turn to dust when used, but dust is easier to clean up than the splashy mess that a liquid compound creates.

Read more here...
  For more information and for answers to all YOUR Landscape, Garden and Home Improvement questions, visit our website, Rosieonthehouse.com

Fireplace Safety

Here are the top tips you need to stay safe!

What are the best rules for Fireplace Safety?

• Don't burn trash, smoke and ashes can be toxic
• Don't use charcoal lighter of kerosene to light your fires, could flame up
• Use a spark screen while burning, and a grate to lay your wood on
• Be sure the damper is open before lighting your fire.

Read more...


What safety precautions should I take with my gas fireplace?

Rosie urges anyone who converts a wood-burning fireplace to gas to take precautions to protect your family and your home from harm and practice good gas fireplace safety.

Whenever you use a gas appliance in your home, you run the risk that excess carbon monoxide will poison your family or that an untended gas flame will cause a fire.

You can prevent those tragedies by studying your manufacturer’s gas fireplace safety instructions and by following Rosie’s tips for enjoying your gas-burning fireplace without incident.

Read more...

Can I clean a wood burning fireplace flue myself?
The biggest issue with a wood burning fireplace is that wood never burns completely.  Wood smoke is a combination of unburned gases and a fog of unburned tar-like liquids.  When they come in contact with a cool surface they will condense and form a nasty substance called Creosote.  Creosote is highly combustible and can leave a undesirable odor. When allowed to form a blanket in the interior walls of the fireplace, it could result in a chimney fire.  Other dangers can be:  faulty dampers, obstructions in the flue pipe, deterioration, exposed wood, and no chimney cap/spark arrestor.  This is all part of the chimney inspection and cleaning process. 

Read more...

For more information, check out our Fireplace Category Page and for answers to all YOUR Landscape, Garden and Home Improvement Questions, visit our website at Rosieonthehouse.com

Christmas Traditions at Rosie's

Hey y'all!

You think of Rosie on the House as the most popular home-improvement radio show in Arizona.

For me, Rosie on the House means something much more literal.

For the six kids who grew up in Rosie’s house, Christmas officially
began on the Eve with the reading of a Cajun Night Before Christmas, because you know, chere, dem dere flyin' reindeer what you call dem, dey can't fly low through dem cypress kness and Spanish moss, no! Who better to share that story with y'all than my grandpartners, Baby Kay and Dr. Rosie? Here’s an audio recording.
Just click the following link to play
Cajun Night Before Christmas!
*Originally aired on Rosie on the House Christmas Eve 2005.

Shortly after the reading and our second glass of Southern eggnog is when we’d hear Santa Claus on the roof of our Scottsdale home, stomping around in his big, black, cowboy boots, jingling a string of holiday bells and shouting, in a curiously familiar Cajun accent, “Ho, ho, ho!” into the chimney so we’d be sure to hear him as he unloaded our presents from his sleigh.

We were always already tucked into our beds, eyes wide open, hoping that our parents, Rosie and Jennifer, had been wrong when they warned us that Santa never entered the homes of boys and girls who weren’t asleep.

That stompin’ Santa, of course, had Rosie cheeks and a big Rosie voice. And he really did climb up onto the roof every Christmas Eve yelling, “Ho, ho, ho!” to get us kids to go to sleep.

We didn’t. Once the noise trailed off, we raced to the Christmas tree to see what he left. We were up so early, in fact, that our parents had to make a rule: We couldn’t wake them until 5 a.m. — and we had to have the coffee ready when we did.

Then we unwrapped our toys and gag gifts before chowing down on what we’ve always called a
“Joe” breakfast — a skillet of potatoes, onions, eggs, bacon and cheese, watching whichever movie Santa had left us that year and taking a nap. Then it was off to Mama Kay and Papa Rosie’s house, where we spent the rest of Christmas with aunts, uncles and cousins — sometimes 30 or more of us gathered for the day — and more presents and food and singing with Uncle Pierre playing Linus & Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas on the piano complimented by the rest of the great family pianists including Aunt Karen and Baby Kay herself!

Like all family Christmases, ours has changed as we’ve gotten older, welcomed new family members and said a sad goodbye to others. But the memories are so crisp, and our traditions — food, music, family — all remain.

I’d like to share some of our Romero family Christmas traditions with you. Starting first with some of my favorite Christmas songs always heard around the holidays...If you are like my sister Rachael, you stared listening to Christmas music back in August...

Artist -> Album -> Favorite Song on Album

Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers -> Once Upon a Christmas -> Once Upon a Christmas
Elvis Presley -> Elvis Christmas -> O Come, All Ye Faithful
Amy Grant -> A Christmas Album -> Heirlooms
Vince Guaraldi Trio -> A Charlie Brown Christmas -> Linus & Lucy
Alabama -> Christmas Volume I -> Christmas in Dixie & Volume II -> Little Drummer Boy
Alan Jackson -> Let it Be Christmas -> Let it Be Christmas
The Carpenters -> Christmas Portrait -> Carol of the Bells
The Nutcracker -> St. Louis Symphony Orchestra -> Waltz of the Flowers

And what would a Romero Christmas be without some good pecans? By popular demand, here’s Mama Kay’s recipe for her famous Cajun-spiced, roasted pecans, along with Rosie's Buttermilk Biscuits and the family secrets on deep-fried turkeys! But make sure you read the safety tips for deep-frying your Christmas turkey first!

I hope your holidays will bring back warm memories for you, too, and that you’ll put a little Cajun spice in this year’s celebration!

Sincerely,

Rosie on the House
www.RosieOnTheHouse.com

Tune in your Radio every Saturday morning!
Call in Number (888) Rosie-4-U


~Arizona's Favorite Most Trusted Home Improvement Resource!

~Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Rosie's Holiday Recipes and Music

How does Rosie fry a turkey?

Here is the Romero family recipe for deep fried turkey:

Ingredients:
1 whole turkey

1 can of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Peanut oil (enough to fill a pot)

Preparation:
*Place the turkey in a pot and fill with water to just past the turkey legs
                      
*Remove the turkey and mark where the water level drops to

*Fill the pot to this mark with peanut oil once you’ve emptied the water

*Clean the turkey in the sink, removing all entrails and rinsing with water

*Pour a generous amount of Tony’s all over the turkey; be generous with the seasonings inside of the cavity and get underneath and all around the wings and legs

*Place completely dry and seasoned turkey in deep fry basket until ready to drop in oil

*Heat the oil at 350 degrees

Read more...

What does Santa snack on at Rosie’s house?

Forget the milk and cookies. Santa snacks on buttermilk and seasoned, roasted pecans when he visits Rosie’s home on Christmas Eve.

Rosie loves whole buttermilk,which he cannot find anywhere anymore (if you know where to find some, email us here)—and usually leaves it out for Santa to drink.

For snacks, Santa enjoys Cajun-seasoned, roasted pecans, a specialty of Rosie’s mom. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
Pecan halves (2 cups)
Melted butter (1/2 stick or 1/4 cup)
Salt to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Read more...

What about Rosie's Favorite Holiday Music?

Here are the links to Rosie's favorite Christmas Music:

-Merry Christmas Cajun

Read more...