“This one’s a keeper. What should we call it?” I asked my husband after our initial tasting of this shockingly pink cocktail, a classic gin-and-citrus shakeup made interesting with aronia berry simple syrup. “We should name it after the ducks!” My husband suggested. “Aronia….Ancona…very similar!” “Nothing about this drink is duck-like,” I argued, and took another sip.
Archives for 2015
How To Freeze Garlic
So you dug up your garlic, cured it, and realized you have so much fresh garlic you cannot possibly use it before it all starts to sprout. Yup, been there. Done that. This conundrum is particularly problematic with the hardneck varieties that I prefer to grow. While hardneck’s have a more attractive form factor and (I…
Let's Hang Out! Hands-On Home Giveaway & Events
Hello, you gorgeous and witty people. As of today it is officially one week until the release of my book! Now, I know you guys all have your pre-orders in for [easyazon_link identifier=”1570619913″ locale=”US” tag=”nortediblife-20″]The Hands-On Home[/easyazon_link] (thank you, thank you!) but it’s something of a tradition around here to celebrate big events by giving away…
Muscle-Soothing Eucalyptus Bath Soak
On Monday a super nice lady from Seattle Magazine came over to photograph me in my garden. This is all part of La Grande Promotion for my new book. So, I did what any gardener faced with the prospect of a professional photographer in their yard would do – I spent all weekend trying to hide…
Lacto-Fermented Tomatillo Salsa
No shock to any of my regular readers – I pretty much want to ferment all the things, all the time. I’m basically a jewel case away from being a Portlandia sketch. My new favorite fermented condiment is this Lacto-Fermented Tomatillo Salsa. It’s super easy. You just chop up a bunch of stuff in a…
How Much Salt Should I Use For My Fermentation?
Controlled fermentation is one of the easiest, cheapest, lowest-tech ways to preserve the harvest. With nothing more than salt, water and the microbes already living on your vegetables, you can turn highly-perishable cucumbers into long-lasting pickles, raw cabbage into more-digestible sauerkraut, and churn out dilly beans without ever heating up the canning kettle. Plus…yum! Fermented food…
How To Make All Natural Beeswax Lip Balm
Give me 90 seconds and I’ll teach you how to make your own all-natural lip balm. This recipe comes from my new book, The Hands-On Home. and is great for chapped lips, holiday gifts and more. If you need a cost-effective stocking stuffer or appreciation gift for the upcoming holiday season, I highly recommend getting a bunch of empty…
The Crush of the Harvest
Is the exciting bounty of the season slipping into a dull pounding of obligation? Perhaps your calves and your neck are tired from days of standing at a cutting board, a dehydrator, a canning kettle. Are you are starting to give the side-eye to the zucchini and the cucumbers? What insanity possessed you to plant 8 hills…
Oven-Roasted Herb Confit Tomatoes
As a gardener, going away or taking vacation in the summer is always a bit of a deal with the devil. On the one hand, a long weekend spent camping (or whatever) is awesome! On the other hand, when you come back home, you are likely to find your tomato plants have taken over your…
Green Herb & Peanut Pork Meatballs in Lettuce Cups
Great news! My publishers have given me permission to share several recipes, photos and tips from my soon-to-be-released book! The Hands-on Home is now so close to launch that it’s time to start promotion – which means giving you guys a little taste of what’s inside the book. These herby, peanuty pork meatballs are one of my…
Serendipity Days
Living life is a bit like climbing a giant mature oak tree. We start at the base of the tree, and the entire canopy is spread out above us. Every path is open. As we climb higher, some options shut behind us. Take the left branch and you cannot take the right branch. Oh sure, sometimes you…
{Giveaway} reCAP Mason Jar Accesories Variety Pack
Once upon a time, long, long ago, a new-ish blogger with more mason jars than readers heard about an amazing thing called a Kickstarter. A Kickstarter, the blogger learned, was a way for individual people to directly support entrepreneurs with really awesome ideas. The very first Kickstarter the blogger ever heard about was for a brand…