I’m almost certain Seth won’t be reading this before Christmas. Almost… But I’m so proud of my herby wines, I just can’t resist sharing. It’s been an emotionally draining autumn and winter. The house is cozy, but the world outside is a tempest. In our little house, we can feel heavy winds shake the canvas….
Tag: Recipe
Winter Tea
I like to think of winter as the resting season. Our nights are so very long and dark, resting feels so natural. Cold weather makes me long to curl up on the couch with tea and Tolstoy. But life can’t stop completely just because it’s winter. I may want to hibernate all through the winter,…
Making Soup
It’s hot again today. The flies are making us all crabby and the little trickles of sweat creeping down everyone’s backs feel like more intrusive flies. The goats are all pregnant, lounging in the heat, chewing cud and looking disdain at the sheep. I’m cooking barszcz on the stove, despite the heat. It needs to…
Stocking the Medicine Shelf: Oregano Oil
It’s mid-July, and no one is thinking about illness. Summer is the season of skinned knees and bug bites in our family, but I can feel winter approaching even now. I don’t know if this deep-rooted anticipation of cold is just a hang-over from last winter or a portent of blizzards to come, but it’s…
Rhubarb-Carrot Marmalade: The Makings of an Obsession.
Somewhere in the world, 2019 is a great growing season. But here in Maine, it’s been slow, wet, and disappointing. Each plant comes to fruition two weeks late (at least), and the season is fast. Peonies flowered and fell to pieces in two days, broccoli raab barely had the life of a perfectly ripen avocado….
My Favorite Books for Homesteading & Homemaking
Picky doesn’t even begin to describe my attitude toward homestead and natural living books. I’m definitely discerning; some people might say ‘harsh’. And honestly, they’d be right. I want books that are useful, beautiful, enjoyable, and lasting. As I mentioned in my review of The Grace of Enough, I’m just not interested in owning printed…
Healing, Hot Drinks for Midwinter
We are gathering around the stove more and more often these days, for tea and coffee, and other soothing cups. We cradle our mugs in hands streaked with soot and ink, sipping drinks that comfort our hearts and hands, souls and bodies. We’re a coffee family in the mornings, or late at night, and sometimes…
Maine Summer Sangria
We had friends over for dinner the other night. It was hot and humid, I put goat-curry to simmer on the outdoor stove and let peachy-thyme galettes set on the table – under a napkin to keep the bugs away. For drinks, I made fresh lemonade with blueberries and peaches for the kids and chilled…
Baiting-Cakes and Books for Rainy Days
It’s a rainy, cooling sort of day after another long week of heat. Thunder-storms are expected later this afternoon, but the gray drizzle we have going right now is as cozy as can be. I’m making lists of books we’ll need (‘want’ is probably a better word) for the fall – not only for the…
Cake and Herbs: Recipe and Retrospect
It’s the weekend, and oh my goodness am I ready for this week to end! You know how some weeks are just a big challenge? This was one of those weeks. It started Sunday with family exhaustion after Yarrow’s Saturday evening dance recital and just continued on through the week with a bout of sickness,…
Y is For Home! 