Salad Days are here….again. But this time, spring’s tender lettuce isn’t taking center stage. Because it’s moderately warm here in the Maritime Northwest (and, I gather, roughly as hot the 6th circle of Hell elsewhere in the U.S.) I want to cook and eat cold food, and entree salads fits the bill perfectly. Here’s a…
Toddler: 1 – Zucchini Chips: 0
I made zucchini chips for the first time. They were easy, they were a hit, they made zucchini into something fun. Something really fun. Maybe too fun. This is how it happened. Zucchini Chips 1 medium zucchini Olive Oil, for brushing dehydrator trays Salt, to taste Slice zucchini very thin. I used a Japanese slicer (like a mandoline,…
Nosy Neighbor Urban Homestead And Garden Tour 2011
Wowza! I am so excited to share some incredible gardens and urban homesteads with Northwest Edible Life Readers. I’ve taken a sneak peak at a few of the gardens being shared today by amazing gardeners all over the US (and possibly beyond!) and I’ve been blown away by the creativity and solutions I’ve observed. It…
No Spend Month: Week 4 Review
Last Week’s Total: $216.03$7 – Parking at the county park when we went swimming$1 – Parking, Nick’s second job$46.09 – Tank of gas TOTAL: $273.12REMAINING: -$23.12 Well, we went over. For the first time ever, I blew through a No Spend limit. And it wasn’t the kids presents that did it either – it was…
Roasted Beet Salad: Three Variations
Not everyone loves beets. Good, more for me. I love roasted beets tossed with a simple vinaigrette. The technique is dead simple and lends itself to multiple variations. I pick my beets at around golf ball size. I’d like to say that’s because they are sweetest when they are small, but truthfully I’d love big,…
Being Everyone
A friend came up to me at a party. “So I’ve finally started reading your blog and now I totally feel like shit!” she joked. What my friend was really saying is that when she reads about No Spend Month, and keeping the garden, and cooking from scratch, she feels like maybe she should be doing that stuff…
Rock Solid Plant Labels
I garden with kids. My 7 year old is a dream garden helper, when I can pry her out of her books and get her to help. (I have the nicest problems, truly.) She can thin seedlings, pick peas, weed and chicken wrangle. I really don’t know what I’d do without her. My 10 month…
Right Tool, Right Job, Right Technique, Your Technique
One of my best friends is moving to the eastern side of Washington State, where much of the land is under agricultural production. She is joining her fiance, who happens to be a professional seed farmer, on their 5 acre rural plot of land. My friend, Kristen, is excited to have room to start a…
No Spend Month: Week 3 Review
I had a dream last night that I went out shopping. I don’t remember what I bought, I just remember the dream sensation of handing over a big chunk of money. No Spend Month must be in full effect! Updated tally for this week: Last Week’s Total: $141.01$9 – Two large pickling crocks my friend…
Frugal Friday: What Farm Grandmas and Chefs Do (And You Should To)
When I was in culinary school, we learned how to filet salmon. Even if you are amazingly good (and we weren’t), when you cut the filet off a whole fish there is a little layer of salmon left against the bones. My instructor showed us students how to use a spoon to scrape the carcass…
Is DIY Kitchencraft Really Worth It?
Sometimes when you are up to your eyeballs in berry juice and the whir of the food dehydrator has been going on so long you are hearing noises that aren’t really there, you gotta wonder – is it worth it? Is it really worth it to, say, make your own jam when you could just…
It's Harvest Time
Yes, summer has been elusive, but that means best quality cool weather crops like lettuce and broccoli. The warm weather stuff has been slow to ripen but I’ve got zucchini and greenhouse cucumbers and the very first cherry tomatoes. And – excitement of excitement – tiny little green beans. I can’t wait to eat fresh…