A bit of dabbling in South Texas

Is this really true?  Pinch me? Am I really writing here with all these other wonderful contributors? What an honor. My husband and I have been living north of San Antonio on the edge of the Hill Country for almost four years. When I arrived here I really wasn’t sure what I was going to [...]

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Quick and Easy Unprocessed Snacks

First let me clear up that unprocessed for me means not processed in a factory, doesn’t come in a bag/box, and is as close to the way it was harvested as possible. Cooking, canning, fermenting, and freezing are all ways of processing foods, but for this challenge we’re not using the term for these methods. [...]

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Apple Cider Vinegar

Having recently prepared apple cider and frozen apple slices, it occurred to me that I should give brewing cider vinegar a whirl. After all, I’ve brewed plenty of wine and soda pop and both could unintentionally turn into vinegar… why not do it on purpose? Cider vinegar has been touted for its health benefits. Years [...]

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Apple Cider

This year we’re making an extra effort to put up as much local food as possible while it’s at its peak ripeness. In most parts of the country, apples are in big demand. Orchards are packed and picked and farm stands are offering their very best. While my intention for apples was primarily to freeze, I [...]

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Breakfast Bread

We had a couple of requests for bread recipes this past week so I thought I’d be obliging and share our Cinnamon Swirl bread. This is the bread that my daughter asks for almost every morning of the week. It’s fantastic toasted and supremely decadent served up as french toast. I’ve used both dried cranberries [...]

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Preserving Butter by Making Ghee

Here at Chiot’s Run we use only butter, olive oil, and coconut oil. We use mostly butter since I can find fresh local butter from pastured cows, in the summer it’s a deep golden yellow, and tastes heavenly, the pale white supermarket butter doesn’t even come close to the grassy goodness of pastured butter. Some [...]

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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 [...]

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Birdhouse Gourds

A year ago I’d planted some birdhouse gourds. I placed six plants in my garden, fully expecting an overflow of fruit by midsummer. My eyes twinkled and I got as giddy as a six year old when I saw the first tiny, pollinated gourd. It grew and grew and kept growing! The second one appeared [...]

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Making Pasta at Home

One of the big things I’ve been hearing about the Real Food Challenge is the desire to make homemade pasta. I’ve been making pasta at home for 6-7 years. It’s my go-to quick meal when I’ve got company coming. Fresh homemade pasta is so delicious you don’t really even need to make a sauce for [...]

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Enjoying Homegrown Tea

This past fall I harvested a lot of my herbs for warming winter teas. I should have harvested them all summer long, but I got busy and forgot to do it until winter threatened, so I didn’t get as many as I wanted. When I harvest tea I carry a big bowl around with me [...]

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