Colandar of elderberries on a table.

I’ve talked about my love of gathering natural materials to use in my home decor.  Another thing that I like to do is forage for edibles.  I am not talking about eating plant stalks and roots.  I am talking about real foods like blackberries, apples and elderberries.  I use them to make delicious food such as Blackberry Syrup and Apple Crisp.  I gather the Elderberries each year to make aRead More →

Bowl of Chicken and Dumpling Soup with soup pot on a table.

Can you believe that it’s October already and that means it’s time for the October Soup of the Month.  This month I’m showcasing a classic dish as a soup.  Chicken and dumplings are a family favorite, so I thought that I would create a soup that uses the same tasty ingredients.  This Chicken and Dumpling Soup uses basic ingredients like chicken, onions, carrots and celery.  If you like comfort foodRead More →

Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding with whipped cream

Today I’m doing a mash up of two of my favorite foods…pumpkin pie and bread pudding.  I enjoy pumpkin pie so much but I am trying to hold off on making one because maybe I enjoy it a little too much.  And bread pudding is a favorite breakfast item around here.  It’s such a great comfort food.  So the blending of the 2 becomes the best Pumpkin Pie Bread PuddingRead More →

A waffle topped with simple blackberry syrup and whipped cream

Our cabin sits at a lower elevation in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Washington.  And right now it’s blackberry season.  So when we go to the cabin I like to pick a bowlful to use in my meals. Our particular type of blackberry is not the plump variety that you get in stores.  It’s a seedier variety that is okay if eaten fresh.  But just try to bake with itRead More →

Sliced Raspberry Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

Have you noticed that I frequently make fun of my zucchini.  I really do enjoy eating and cooking with the zucchini that we grow in our garden.  It’s just that zucchini can get out of control so quickly if you miss a day or two in picking it. We do regularly eat the zucchini from our garden.  My go to methods of cooking zucchini include sauteing it in a littleRead More →

A bowl of Easy French Onion Soup

Can you believe that it’s September?  It’s crazy how quickly the summer flew by.   But this means that it’s time for another bowl of soup.  The Soup of the Month for September is this Easy French Onion Soup. We have been using a lot of vegetables from the garden for the monthly soups and French Onion is no exception.  It uses onions and garlic.  Simple, but oh so delicious.  IRead More →

Pavlova with Peaches and Cream on a plate with fresh peaches at hand.

Pavlova is an unassuming dessert.  It is simple to make and it looks so plain by itself.  But add a luscious fruit topping and you end up with something wonderful!  If you bake the Pavlova correctly, the outside will be crispy while the inside will be marshmallow soft.  Then cover it with whipped cream and fresh summer peaches for a sensational dessert. The Pavlova only takes a few ingredients toRead More →

A bowl of Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

So it’s time for the August Soup of the Month and of course it has to be Summer Garden Vegetable Soup.  This is an everything-but-the-kitchen sink kind of soup.  If you are a gardener then your produce is growing and ripening in your garden…ALL at the same time.  I love that about August.  Well except for the zucchini.  You want to go out and pick a nice zucchini for dinner. Read More →

Marinated vegetables on tray with jar in background.

Summer is the perfect time to explore new vegetables.   Whether you are growing them in your garden or selecting them at the farmer’s market there is such a wide variety of options available.  Marinated vegetables is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the garden abundance. You can use any type of vegetable for this side dish.  So try your favorites or add in something new.  You can make itRead More →

One thing that I love about gardening is the ebb and flow of the produce.  Spring in the garden brings you peas, asparagus and rhubarb.  When we move into early summer we begin to see apricots, beans and lots of leafy greens.  As the summer progresses it’s time to harvest raspberries, tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers.  Did I mention zucchini?  Lots and lots of zucchini.  That’s for another day.  Today isRead More →