Sambucus Cerulea or Blue Elderberry Elderberries can be planted in the garden soon. For consumption use the Blue or the Black Elderberries instead of the Red Elderberry. Freshly picked Elder Flowers These fragrant white to pink flowers can be gathered, steeped, then the liquid sugared to make a delicious syrup. If you have the patience to […]
Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category
Elder Flower Syrup
Posted in Cooking, tagged Elder Flower, flower syrup, spring syrup on February 8, 2021 | Leave a Comment »
Mulled Wine
Posted in Cooking on December 19, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
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!
Plant Prints
Posted in Cooking on September 28, 2020 | 2 Comments »
To imprint fabric with leaves and flowers place the plant material on your material, cover with a second layer and pound with a hammer. Let dry then flake off dried plants.
Dill Pickles a la Duris Farms
Posted in Cooking on September 13, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
Each year I make a pilgrimage to Duris Farms for pickle supplies. They have it all! Here’s my favorite recipe: 1.5 pounds pickling cukes with blossom end trimmed off 8 cloves garlic 1 cup water 1 cup white vinegar 1.5 Tablespoons kosher salt Large dill stem with flowers 1/4 cup Duris pickling spice mix Grape […]
Easy Plum Liqueur
Posted in Cooking on September 13, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
So many plums, so little time. Wash and pit two pounds of plums. Recipe: – Two pounds pitted plums – Two cups sugar – Three cups vodka
Tallow Candles
Posted in Cooking on August 10, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
Pictures are from a recent visit to the Lewis and Clark National Historical Center.
Dyeing with Fresh Indigo Leaves
Posted in Cooking on July 19, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
Dyeing with fresh indigo is easy! Another option is massaging the leaves with salt and squeezing out the liquid. The leaf paste can also be spread on fabric for a targeted pattern.
Making Rose Petal Beads
Posted in Cooking on May 19, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
Have you ever wondered where the name rosary comes from? Originally the beads were made from rose petals! Here’s how you can make your own scented beads.
My family loves Italian style food so we go through a ton of the herb oregano each year. Luckily it’s very easy to grow; you can start it from seed or buy a plant at most local nurseries. It does best in full sun and doesn’t like to be water logged but do be aware […]
Time to Dry Herbs
Posted in Cooking on May 16, 2020 | 2 Comments »
Drying your own herbs is a great way to spice up your dishes, make nice presents and save money. The fragrant oils are at their peak around mid-morning so this is a great time to harvest. If you need to wash them then give a light spray with the hose first thing in the […]