Don’t forget the BBQ for Veggies

This is not a recipe post but just a gentle reminder that when it comes to all the bounty of our gardens don’t forget the BBQ! We cook most of our garden veggies on the outdoor grill.  It doesn’t heat up the house, it is fun to cook outdoors…and it is so very yummy!

Read Full Post »

A Question on Fresh Food Storage

I had a reader email me the other day wanting to know what was the best way to store her produce from the farmer’s market. Her problem is that it was spoiling at an unusually rapid rate.  She stores it in plastic in her crisper at the bottom of her refrigerator. Seeing that we are [...]

Read Full Post »

Soda Pop

In spirit of those of you that have not the taste for alcoholic beverages (hic!) I’m here to share some basic recipes for making soda pop at home! What could be better than a frosty ginger ale to help cool off during these hot summer days? If ginger’s not your thing, how about a lemon-lime soda [...]

Read Full Post »

Gifts from the Hands and the Heart

I love love love receiving and giving handmade/homemade gifts. There’s nothing more wonderful than the beauty of something that someone took the time and the effort to make for me. I also love taking the time to think of the perfect gift to make for someone else. With my family we celebrate “homemade” holidays. My [...]

Read Full Post »

Old Garden Book, Composting circa 1969

I love old books…the yellowed pages, the stained covers, the old book smell.  There is something about an old book with out of date writing style and pictures of people from long ago that I just adore! My favorite bookstore to hunt for old books is Powell’s Books.  If you old book obsessed then Powell’s [...]

Read Full Post »

Sunday Photos…Summer Blooms

Most of us are in the full swing of summer. That means the weather’s hot and the gardens are growing like crazy. Blooms are everywhere and the birds and bees are busy as can be. Here are a few of the things that are blooming in our gardens. *** Here at Chiot’s Run I love [...]

Read Full Post »

Winemaking: Dandelion

If you’re like me, you enjoy seeing the happy yellow flowers of dandelions blooming in your yard. They bring back memories of childhood games, of rubbing pollen on my chin and nose. I’ve also come to adore dandelion greens in my salad and still believe that wishes will come true when dandelion seeds float through the [...]

Read Full Post »

When Life Gets to be Too Much

As I sat down to write this post I was thinking about how busy I am this time of year. With all the gardening, harvesting, preserving, cooking, baking, cleaning, blogging, deadlines, and of course work, it can start to feel a little overwhelming. I sometimes wonder how I keep up (as do my readers). I [...]

Read Full Post »

Apron Sew-A-Long Part 2

Are you all ready for part 2 of the apron sew-a-long?  My apologies for not posting two weeks ago like I was supposed to.  We went camping and I forgot about my post – oops.  Love those long holiday weekends, but it messes with my mental calendar and makes me think that Tuesday is really Monday. [...]

Read Full Post »

Frogs and the Environment

As beautiful as this little fellow is, his kind are disappearing all over our planet Amphibians are extremely sensitive to environmental changes.  There permeable skin and complicated water/land life cycle makes them more vulnerable to changes in the environment than most animals. Pollution, de-forestation, water level fluctuations, water temperature changes, invasive species, and diseases including [...]

Read Full Post »