I usually plant as many heirloom vegetables in my garden as I can. First because they taste better. But secondly, because I can save their seeds for next year. The Difference between Heirloom and Hybrid plants Heirloom plants will reliably pass on their traits to the next generation of seeds. More in a moment about … Continue reading How to save Heirloom Vegetable seeds
The number of Monarch butterflies in the USA have been in a declining mode for several years. It does seem like I see less of them than I used to. Many things may contribute to the smaller numbers, including pesticides and predators, but one major thing is lack of habitat. Namely lack of milkweed plants, … Continue reading Caring for Monarchs
My typical mid-summer morning – laundry first. Bed sheets washed and hung on the line so they absorb that sunshine, fresh air smell. Since it’s late July, the wild blueberries are ripening. We live in a pine forest, so really acid soil. Blueberries love acid, poor quality soil. They grow so thick in some place … Continue reading Summer Gardens & a Perfect Summer Morning
I love cherries, and late spring/early summer is the season. Every store has them now. I typically buy quite a few to eat, bake and freeze. I wasted a simple dessert today, something easier than a pie. So I decided on a sweet dough, almost a pate sucre, and a quick turn on the range … Continue reading Making Cast Iron Cherry Almond Crumble
I wanted comfort food - pasta to be specific. But not the standard spaghetti and meatballs my husband favors. I wanted something gooey, filled with cheese, and baked. I had sausage in the fridge, along with mushrooms, mozzarella and Parmesan; and all the other staple ingredients in my pantry. Even a half loaf of Italian … Continue reading Incredible Sausage Mushroom Pasta Bake
I decided a few weeks ago I should make some refrigerator cookies and freeze them, so I could bake cookies on short notice...like when unexpected company stops by. These are regular refrigerator cookies - the kind you mix up, roll into a log and refrigerate until firm. Except I'm going to store them long term … Continue reading How to make Freezer Cookies
I'm trying to use less plastic; it seems to permeate our lives these days (and the ocean's and wildlife stomach's). And who knows what leaches from the plastic into our food. So I bought some beeswax wraps on line. And I love them. But not the price. So as with many other things, I googled … Continue reading Making My Own Beeswax Wraps
It’s the little things that count. How often do the things that went wrong plague your thoughts? The harsh words spoken, an accident, a plan that went awry…. Our minds often tend to focus on things that were hurtful, a mistake or we delve into “what if” thinking. What if we change that around, and … Continue reading A Life Lesson: It’s the Little Things that Matter
I have always watched birds, though not being a truly devoted traveling, binoculars with me everywhere kind of bird watcher. I am content to watch out the window and see what shows up at the feeders. I am very surprised this spring to see a number of new species I've not witnessed before! Pine Warblers … Continue reading Spring has Sprung – Bird watching takes over!
Sometimes I just don't have time to wait to things to be room temperature. This usually happens when I decide to make something on the spur of a moment. I read through the recipe and something needs to be soft or warm. Ugh. So I have found someways to speed things along. Warm up flour … Continue reading 5 Quick Tips for Room Temperature Items & Baking Clean up