I’m a huge fan of being able to combine form and function in my garden (and life overall). If something can be both attractive and useful, that’s a huge win to me!
Continue reading Scented Geranium & Apple Jelly (No Added Pectin)
If you had told me when I was a kid that I would be growing eggplant in my garden by my own free will, I likely would have walked away from you in utter disgust. Clearly, you wouldn’t have known me well.
Continue reading Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
As I have added more recipes for making jams and jellies, I began to realize I was repeating myself. A lot. I already do that as a teacher all day long. It’s not fun.
Continue reading Jam & Jelly Making Basics
I have to admit, I’m both saddened and embarassed at the amount of vegetable scraps that I have let go to waste in my lifetime. They deserved so much more respect than I gave them. Yes, scraps.
Continue reading Vegetable Scrap Broth
I have avoided doing any posts dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and all the other turmoil happening these days (or as we like to say in California speak “all this s&%t going on”). This story will be no different… kind of.
Continue reading Homestead Sweet Homestead (Well… Sort of)
I have finally accepted the fact that I will never be able to grow sugar maple trees to make my own maple syrup because of the climate here. But I live in grape growing country. So there.
Continue reading Petimezi (Greek Grape Molasses)
No, I don’t live on some isolated homestead. Yes, I could easily go to the store and buy some lard. No, I don’t want to because making your own is easy enough to do, and why not save money and reduce waste in the process?
Continue reading Rendered Fat (Tallow, Lard, and Schmaltz)
Mostly Greek 