Spring and summer are fresh fruit salad times. I love using the most local, freshest fruit I can find for it. I've made versions of this fruit salad for years. I've long since lost the scrap of magazine where I found it. I make different combinations depending on what fruit is available, but always include … Continue reading Kicked Up Fruit Salad
Recently I have found myself thinking, as I peruse recipes on FaceBook and on line, many of these things are truly not healthy. Loaded with sugar, fat, and process products, desserts may look delicious, but I would be a tub if I ate them everyday! So what did I pull together this morning? A Decadent … Continue reading Make an easy Decadent Chocolate Ice Box Dessert
As a veterinary technician, I saw lots of dogs with hot spots, technically called a moist dermatitis. A pet owner would call in a panic for an appointment, because overnight their dog now had a large, irritated bloody spot with no hair, and the dog just wouldn't stop licking. As a pet owner, I've never … Continue reading Summer means Hot Spots in Dogs
This morning I wanted coffee cake. Blueberry season is almost here, and I need to use up what's left in the freezer from last year before I freeze and save this year's drop. So I found 2 or 3 small bags in the freezer, and poured them into a colander to thaw and drain. Now, … Continue reading Fox Pines Blueberry Coffee Cake
Making mayonnaise may seem daunting, but it's really easy! With a food processor (or a blender) you can whip up thick creamy fresh mayo that tastes better than any store bought jar. Once I made it in my own kitchen I stopped buying it at the store. Mayo is simple ingredients, things you probably already … Continue reading Easy Homemade Mayonnaise
I have always loved nature, and I love taking a walk outside in the woods. Unbeknownst to me, it's even got a name - forest bathing or in Japanese, Shinrin-yoku meaning forest medicine . This is the practice of immersing yourself in nature and using all your senses - sound and smell as well as … Continue reading Why Go Out into the Woods? Shinrin-Yoku, that’s why
Sometimes I bake just to use up ingredients i have on hand. Yesterday I found 3 pints of buttermilk in the fridge, and need to use up some of it. What to make...other than Moroccan Chicken , or other chicken soaked in buttermilk. And I wanted something carb to eat....so ... scones! Good for breakfast … Continue reading Baking Whole Grain Almond Raisin Scones
I recently read an article in a magazine about Moroccan Spice Mix, or Ras el Hanout. It's not an individual new spice you've never heard of - it's a mix of common spices, just like 5 spice powder would be in Chinese cuisine. I didn't want to buy any, so I did what we all … Continue reading What is Ras el Hanout?? And what did it do to chicken?
Split pea and ham soup is in regular rotation at our homestead during the colder months. My husband will regularly ask for it. I usually have ham bones in the freezer, saved from the holidays, or bits of ham I need to use up. This soup is filling, delicious even when it sits in the … Continue reading How to Make Split Pea & Ham Soup
Need a quick dinner, and you have a bag or two of ravioli in the freezer? Make a casserole! Just cook the ravioli according to the directions, and drain well. Pour into a large cast iron skillet ot casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with as much or as little pasta sauce … Continue reading Making a Quick Ravioli Casserole