This is something I’ve always wanted to try. I had the opportunity to gather eucalyptus on a recent visit to LA so decided to give it a go!




This is something I’ve always wanted to try. I had the opportunity to gather eucalyptus on a recent visit to LA so decided to give it a go!
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Now is the time to get out and prune so there are lots of available branches and twigs to work with.
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What do you do with more than two hundred pounds of plums? Make wine!
We couldn’t do our usual holiday open house this year so decided to bring the party to our friends. Mulled plum wine is spectacular!
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Oranges are in season right now and staying inside on a cold, rainy day to make marmalade is a great way to pass the time. Your whole house will smell wonderful!
To make marmalade follow these steps:
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Every year we have a holiday open house and I make homemade eggnog. This nog will sustain one through the dark, cold days and bring holiday cheer to any occasion.
First separate twelve egg yolks and whites then beat the yolks until thick and creamy.
Next slowly add in a pound of powdered sugar and beat until well mixed.
Now comes the heavy whipping cream; you will need two quarts of this dreamy stuff. Add it slowly and beat until thick and well, creamy.
Let the mixture sit for two hours then beat egg whites until almost stiff and fold them in to the nog.
Top with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg and have a bottle of brandy or rum on hand for people to add to their cup. To serve I use a glass punch bowl that I got at Goodwill; this time of year they have quite a selection for great prices.
(As with any raw egg product do be a good host and let people know so they can decide whether to indulge or not. Sad to say there are some nasty bacteria that can be spread by raw eggs so people with weakened immune systems should probably steer clear.)
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What’s crunchy, spicy hot and really good for you? Kimchee! Here’s how to make your own. It’s much easier than you would think.
The first step is to chop your veggies and spices:
Next mix the spices together:
Mix in the veggies:
Once all is well mixed put in a jar and let sit until it’s fermented:
Once your kimchee is ready invite friends over and eat!
Here’s a recipe with more detailed instructions.
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Cable knitting is, if possible, even more addictive than Fair Isle patterns. Best of all it’s pretty easy to do if you have the right tools and some good patterns. I like using cables on things like mittens and fingerless gloves as it makes them much easier to fit on a variety of hand sizes.
Here’s a fun site on the basics of cable knitting.
Do you have patterns you love? Comment here or on Facebook and I will post them!
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If you’ve ever handled black walnuts you know how well they can dye your hands, countertop and many other things you may not want a deep brown color. Dark brown yarn is lovely.
The first step is to carefully harvest your walnuts. I always use gloves to do this as the fruit is a bit caustic and even a little juice will stain your hands. Once you have the fruit put it in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. Mash it a bit with a fork and let it sit for about an hour. No mordant is needed.
Put the yarn in your dye bath and leave until a shade darker than desired is reached. Pull the yarn out and wash in clear water. Be careful to rinse out the dye that hasn’t fixed to the wool or it may stain your body or bleed on to other clothes.
This dye can be used for basket materials, cotton or wool.
Have fun!
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What do all urban farmers in this brisk chilly climate need? Warm knit hats! It’s easy to make these using circular needles. I like to use number 8 needles and usually cast on about 95 stitches to start for an adult hat. Once the stitches are on I do a rib stitch with two knit to one purl stitch for about 8 to 10 rows; this will give the band some stretch.
Now it’s time to use your creativity and go crazy with patterns and color using a knit stitch. Once you have 34 rows start decreasing to form the top of the hat. To decrease knit together two stitches every 10 stitches for one row then knit normally for the next.
As you get to the top of the hat knit stitches together every row then when there are a few stitches left use a darning needle to go through the remaining stitches and draw this tight. Now tuck in your yarn ends and you are all set!
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Here’s a post from the archives!
The taste of fresh chevre is good beyond belief and when paired with fresh fall beets and pecans I feel like I’ve reached a gardener’s Valhalla. Surprisingly it’s not that hard to make. If you don’t have goats then check out your local farmers market.
First your goat needs to give birth. This starts her milk flowing.
Next you need to learn how to milk. This is a fairly easy thing to do but I found that I was using new muscles and I was kind of sore for a while.
A gallon of milk is what most recipes call for.
Heat the milk to 160 degrees Fahrenheit to pasteurize it then put it in an ice water bath to cool it to 86 degrees.
Add culture, stir and let sit for twelve hours.
The curds are soft and almost creamy.
Spoon the curds into chevre molds to let the whey drain off. This takes about 24 hours. The longer you let it drain the drier your cheese will be.
Once the cheese has drained take it out of the mold and cut it into the desired size.
I like to roll the cheese in herb and spice mixtures.
The first row on the left has been rolled in zahtar, an oregano based spice mix from the Middle East. The second row in a Thai spice and the third in a Japanese mix of toasted sesame seeds and salt.
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