It looks like warmer weather might finally be here. (Quick, someone knock on some wood!) It’s relative, of course, warmer in my neighborhood is 72 degree days and 53 degree nights. That’s enough for me to get a rosy glow about my neck and shoulders while I work the garden, and is good news for…
No Spend July: Be A Cheap Bastard For A Month
It’s July and that means our No Spend Month Challenge is in effect. If you’ve been following along on Facebook or on the blog, you know that June is a spendy series of weeks for us and July seems like a natural month to reign in hard on the spending. That’s where NSM comes into…
You're Invited To A Few Really Cheap Virtual Parties!
Okay, some of you readers may not follow the going’s on over on Facebook. (I’d conclude from this that you are too busy gardening – good on ya! Facebook is such a time-sink.) Here’s what’s coming up. Feel free to virtually participate in any, all, or none of these events. I’ll be blogging about them…
The Barrier Method Of Carrot Protection
We live in Carrot Fly country. I’m not sure why, but it is commonly accepted in Western Washington that you will not grow a decent crop of carrots without some sort of barrier to protect them. (Talking about barrier methods of carrot protection makes me snicker.) I’ve lost most of my unprotected carrot crops to…
Oh, What A Glorious Morning, Muffin!
There’s a local cafe that serves chocolate chip cookies that should be illegal and morning glory muffins that really do make my morning glorious. Since I have an ethical and financial problem paying $6.50 for a muffin and cup of coffee, and since it behooves my expanding ass to stay away from the chocolate chip…
Q: Why Did The Chickens Cross The Road?
A: To freak out my neighbors.Homebrew Husband and I go on approximately one date a month, if we’re lucky. Lately they’ve been less frequent, and have included our little guy, which does take some of the romance out of the mix. Anyway, last Friday was Date Night! We dropped our daughter off for an evening of…
DIY vs BUY Dishwashing Detergent
We were unloading the dishwasher yesterday and Homebrew Husband pulled a sparkling wine glass out of the top rack. Forgive me that ad-copy imagery, it irritates me even to write it, but there it is: the night before we had enjoyed wine with friends, and my man willingly unloads the dishwasher. The new look of better…
Duck Egg Fettuccine with Oyster Mushrooms and Herbs (Plus the Mushroom Kit Winner!)
As promised, today is the day to announce the winner of the Back to the Roots Oyster Mushroom Giveaway. In a few weeks, our lucky winner is going to be sporting some serious Fungus Among Us action, just like this: But first, an idea for what you can do once you harvest your can’t-get-fresher-than-this mushrooms….
Fear And Sowing In Suburbia
I had a long conversation with my mother-in-law yesterday. She lives in California, and she told me that word on the Cali street is, if your home is burgled you don’t call the cops, because they won’t come. Because of budget cuts, there aren’t enough police officers to take a report at the scene of the crime….
Chicken Crack: Homestead Upcycling
I am not the first to observe that livestock are an excellent way to convert waste scraps into food. But seeing your chickens go to town on a big bowl of, essentially, garbage, really hammers home the adage that one man’s trash is another’s treasure. This past weekend, like many, Homebrew Husband spent five leisurely hours…
The One Edible You Must Grow
Herbs. If you grow nothing else yourself, if you buy all your lettuce and tomatoes and chard and cucumbers at the market, promise me you will at least grow your own herbs. Now I might be bit biased because I did my culinary externship at a restaurant known for its herb-enhanced cuisine, but I can’t imagine…
Birds Eye View: An Overview Of The Garden
I talk a lot about my garden, and if you are kind enough to read this blog, you know a lot about my garden. A reader asked me to put up a garden map or layout to make it more clear how all the parts of “my office” come together. It is still a great…