This is what we have canned from the garden so far, and this doesn’t include the several jars of salsa, jam, marinara sauce and pickles we’ve already eaten or given away. If you had trouble locating canning jars this year, my apologies, I think we used them all.
Strawberry Cornbread
To celebrate Lughnasadh I made strawberry cornbread muffins. They turned out delicious, made with the fresh strawberries that were so ripe that I needed to use them immediately. Baking something at home is a great way to celebrate this first harvest festival. Zucchini bread is another great choice if you have lots of zucchini coming... Continue Reading →
Dandelion jam
Spring has arrived and our yard has exploded in dandelions and violets. And in these uncertain times, you need to maintain the skills of foraging food and enjoy the bounty that nature provides. In his recession punk style, Mark cooked up some dandelion jam. It has a light floral flavor, and it’s the golden color... Continue Reading →
First sign of Spring
The daffodils are starting to poke their leaves out of the soil. So excited for spring to arrive!
Fire Drake
A beautiful Fire Drake light fixture outside Chicago’s famous Drake Hotel. A Fire Drake or wyvern is a legendary two-legged winged dragon, a creature of Teutonic mythology, with a tail often ending in a diamond- or arrow-shaped tip. The drake is an important symbol in heraldry, and it is a popular creature in European literature... Continue Reading →
One maker makes for another
I love when Mark uses the tools for his hobby to make me tools for my hobby. In this case he’s using his CNC router to make me odd sized hexagon quilt block templates.
Garden jungle
I nearly lost Mark in his garden today. It’s getting a bit out of hand.
Garden wonders
A monarch butterfly visited our garden today and I snapped a picture before it flew away.
Humming bird encounter
Today I revived an ailing humming bird by giving it a drink of sugar water. It sat calmly in my hand while it drank. I felt like a Disney princess.
Cauldron gardening
I used an old cracked cauldron as an herb garden for our backyard.