My friends and fellow foragers, Butch and Char Castle, and I went foraging for these gems a couple days ago. All I can say is WOW! What’s your take on these incredible edibles from Mother Nature? Have you ever found any? Have you ever prepared or eaten these beauties? Not to mention, how nutritious they are…. Continue reading Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms: A Forager’s Bounty
It was a crazy busy day today on our little patch of heaven. We started out working with the wood pile, stacking it into manageable rows. Then we gathered seeds from the cutting flower rows. And harvesting more peppers including banana. Those banana peppers and a thawed chuck roast were motivation for supper: Slow cooker Mississippi pot roast. This iconic, yummy recipe can be made … Continue reading Mississippi Pot Roast
They’re trying to get into my house by flying onto screen doors, crawling along the outside stoop into the house, and other nefarious ways to get in to winter over. I’m talking about stinkbugs and lady beetles! I’m willing to bet you have them, too. Here’s some fun and always timely information from Joe Boggs, Ohio State University Extension. “Buggy Joe” comes through again! This … Continue reading Those Darn Stinkbugs and Asian Lady Beetles
From friend and colleague Ron Wilson, Natorp. Get that hose out!Importance of Watering It’s Dry! Be sure to water all your plants including your new trees and shrubs. HOW TO WATER NEW TREES AND PLANTSThe most common way to water new trees and plants is by letting a garden hose trickle at the base of the plant, soaking the root ball. Also, you can use stationary sprinklers … Continue reading It’s Dry Outside. Water! Especially “Newbies”
Well, this is the first year that I’ve almost run out of ways to use tomatoes. Are you in the same boat? Regardless of the way the plants/leaves look, most of us have had a bumper crop. I’ve preserved more tomatoes this year than I ever have in the past. From freezing tomatoes (I have a vacuum sealer now and just love it), both cherry … Continue reading Roasted Spicy Tomato Jam (Not preserves!) Anyone?
Today when. Annie Mitchell Egan and I chatted on the Sonrise Morning Show, Sacred Heart Radio, the subject was Rosh Hashanah which will be celebrated tomorrow through Sunday. It’s traditional to eat the head of a fish during the Rosh Hashana holiday meal. The wish there is that they hope everyone at the table will be at the head and not at the tail of whatever … Continue reading Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake
This weekend we celebrate Oktoberfest. My German mother-in-law, Clara, made the best German potato salad. I remember it warm, with a bit of a bite from the vinegar. Problem is, like so many heirloom recipes, Clara’s wasn’t written down. So after a few tries, I came up with something yummy and similar. I’ve shared this recipe in the past but tweaked it a bit again. Maybe … Continue reading German Potato Salad and Cucumber Salads for Oktoberfest
As many of you know, Thursdays are my day to chat with Matt Swaim of the Sonrise Morning Show on Sacred Heart Radio. Today, we talked about “slow cooking” and how that kind of cooking was done during Bible days. Slow cooking/cookers have Biblical roots! (Well, sort of) We are all cooking more it seems and with the kids back in school, many virtually, we’re … Continue reading Slow Cookers Go Way Back to Bible Days
Here’s the recipe everyone’s been asking for. And if I do say so, my dear friend, Nell Wilson is becoming an icon here in our cooking community. Between her delish pickles, peppers and now this blue cheese dressing that she’s shared over the years, I think she should have her own cooking show. Got a cool name for it? The recipe is written by Nell. … Continue reading MS. NELLIE WILSON’S BLUE CHEESE DRESSING
Yesterday in the chicken coop were some unwelcome visitors: yellow jackets feasting on what was left of some watermelon I had given the “girls”. Now a few months ago (May 2020), colleague and entomologist Joe Boggs of Ohio State Extension shared a bunch of good information on all kinds of hornets, starting with the Asian giant hornet. Then he shared wisdom on wasps and, yes, … Continue reading Hornets, Wasps and Yellow Jackets, Oh My!
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