There are few things that compare with cast iron on the coolness meter. It’s heavy, practically indestructible, and lasts forever. You can get so many uses out of just one pan; it can go from a skillet on your stovetop to a dutch oven to a pizza stone when flipped upside down. You can fry […]
There is nothing more disheartening for the pickling enthusiast than a soft, sad pickle. I’ve been there. It kept me from attempting pickles again for a few years. Completely avoided even growing cucumbers at all for fear that someone might ask, “Oooh, are you going to make pickles with those?” Why? Do I look like […]
“You have too many animals.” I would venture to guess there are many of you who have heard this one. Am I right? Well, me too. And it’s no big deal. Can’t help but laugh at those t-shirts and memes that proclaim the proud crazy chicken lady with her 1, 5, 12, don’t-judge-me number of […]
Harvest. It has a much more pleasant ring to it than “kill”. But in truth, I feel much the same way about the harvesting of my meat animals as I do the vegetables in my garden or the berries in the woods. It is a gathering of a food source for my family. And there […]
It’s time for another update from the garden! Some quick background for new visitors: I garden in NE Minnesota where we have a very short growing season. I use hugelkultur raised beds and apply permaculture methods throughout my garden. Nearly everything I grow are heirloom varieties and all are organically managed- no chemicals, pesticides, or […]
There are many seasons that I look forward to…gardening season, canning season, hunting season…and of course, berry season. Wild blueberries are abundant in my corner of the world, especially in areas where forest fires have occurred. And every year, I get all-out anxious about the prospect of filling up gallon after gallon of this delicious […]
Sometimes, the best things in life do come at a cost. Berry picking is definitely one of those things for us- and I don’t mean money, either. It means heading out into the woods, husband and children in tow, knowing there’s a very real risk of bears, bugs, bees, thorns, bumps, bruises, scratches, tears, and […]
It’s time for another update from the garden! Some quick background for new visitors: I garden in NE Minnesota where we have a very short growing season. I use hugelkultur raised beds and apply permaculture methods throughout my garden. Nearly everything I grow are heirloom varieties and all are organically managed- no chemicals, pesticides, or […]
I find it very helpful to take photos throughout the growing season to track progress and to help me better prepare for the years ahead. And I know that, when researching hugelkultur prior to embarking upon this permaculture growing method myself, there were few start-to-finish articles available. So I’d like to make sure I share […]
Today’s quick tip from the garden pertains to harvesting garlic scapes. Hardneck garlic varieties will produce a stiff, smooth flower stalk up through its middle that is distinctively different than the rest of the plant. This stalk, or scape, has a mild garlic flavor and is used to enhance all kinds of dishes from pesto […]
