When my kids were little, they would try to eat rhubarb stalks like celery. One bite of those tart stalks told them they had made a mistake. Rhubarb is best when you cook it with something sweet to balance out that oh-so-tart-taste. Mixing it with fruit, such as raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, is a perfect combination. Recently, I was looking for something to bake for a breakfast treat and cameRead More →
Some days it’s really hard to tell that we’ve moved into spring. The calendar says it’s spring, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate. The weather reminds me of a two-year-old. One day, the weather is beautiful with crystal blue skies and warming temperatures. And then the next day it turns cold and blustery. Although we want to jump in with both feet and start gardening, we have to be patient.Read More →
There’s a cozy blanket of snow covering the garden. The world is quiet and still as the fluffy flakes continue to pile up. The garden is resting and waiting for renewal to begin. It needs this time to “just be”. The garden embraces this season of rest. That layer of snow can protect the plants from excessive cold, just like being wrapped in a warm woolen sweater. Organic matter leftRead More →
We live such fast-paced and busy lives that we often ignore seasonal changes. It’s hard to miss the color changes outdoors, but are you actually changing your activities to fit the season? Most of us don’t stop our fast pace until we collapse into bed at night. We ignore our internal clock telling us to slow down. We’ve forgotten that life lived by the seasons can provide the perfect opportunityRead More →
You’ve been weeding and deadheading flowers for what seems like hours. And now it’s time for a break. It’s 95 degrees in the shade. You could go inside to relax or you can pull up a chair and enjoy the heat of your garden. This is a perfect time to enjoy the bees, butterflies and swooping dragonflies circling your yard. The robin is cooling off in the birdbath. Your dogsRead More →
Does this sound like you? You grow a bountiful garden all summer. You enjoy the fruits and vegetables of your labor and you end up with extra to preserve. So you freeze, dry and can some of the excess. But after the growing season ends, you completely forget about your hard-earned resources. Don’t let your preserved harvest go to waste. Here are three simple steps to use up your preservedRead More →
I’m at it again. Baking a variety of cookies for my family this Christmas. I love to bake and the holiday season is my excuse to make some of my family’s favorites. Each year I make a variety of cookies for the annual cookie tray. And I like to experiment with easy recipes. This year I am working on 3 cookies from a white cake mix. Last year I madeRead More →
Well, this is it! Our last Soup of the Month recipe. It was hard to decide which soup to feature, but in the end, I chose Chunky Steak Soup. Mainly because I have a freezer full of deer and elk steaks to use up. Beef steak works perfectly well in this recipe, so don’t worry that you’ll have to find some wild game. Last January, when I began the SoupRead More →
It’s time for the November Soup of the Month. I thought with the holidays fast approaching that it would be nice to have a soup to help use up some of your leftover turkey. This recipe for Turkey Barley Soup is one that I’ve used for years. I have a love of barley and it pairs well with turkey. This is a hearty soup that will warm you up asRead More →
Do you have a special recipe that you make every year? One that your friends and family can’t wait for? I have several seasonal recipes I make that my family looks forward to. One of those recipes is the Pumpkin Cranberry Bread. Another of my seasonal recipes is Crockpot Apple Butter. Related: Pumpkin Cranberry Bread I have been making apple butter for a number of years. I gather the wildRead More →