Sambucus Cerulea or Blue Elderberry Elderberries are in bloom now in the lower elevations of Puget Sound. The Blue or the Black Elderberry is the one to use 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 […]
Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category
Elder Flower Syrup
Posted in Cooking, tagged Elder Flower, flower syrup, spring syrup on May 11, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
Edible Flowers
Posted in Cooking, Crafts, Growing, tagged edible flowers on May 10, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
Many of the flowers that grace our yards are edible. They can be used as accents in a salad or as garnish on a main dish. Here are a few of my favorites: I like to use chive flowers in salads to lend a slightly onion flavor. Here’s a recipe for omelets with chive flowers. Lavender cookies are […]
Carmelite Water
Posted in Cooking on May 3, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
Here’s a soothing tonic for stressful times. Carmelite Water or Eau de Mélisse, has been used since the Middle Ages to settle nerves. Here’s how to make a simplified version using readily available ingredients: Two cups white wine One cup lemon balm leaves Zest of one lemon 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
A Great Cracker Recipe!
Posted in Cooking, tagged crackers, made from scratch on April 6, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
This is still one of my favorite recipes! These crackers rival the 5 dollar a bag ones from the market and you can experiment with all sorts of herbs and flavors. Panzanella Croccatini 1.5 cups of flour .5 cup very cold water 1 tsp salt, play with this so it is to your taste, I […]
Soil Testing
Posted in Cooking on February 6, 2020 | Leave a Comment »
You’re getting ready to prep the garden but aren’t sure what the soil needs? Time for testing! There are lots of available kits and meters. Or you can send samples to a lab for testing. We have a lot of rain in the Pacific Northwest and I was sure our soil would be acidic. I […]
Dyeing with Fresh Indigo
Posted in Cooking on October 13, 2019 | 2 Comments »
It’s easy!
Calendula Cream
Posted in Cooking, Crafts, tagged calendula cream, creams on August 10, 2019 | Leave a Comment »
Calendula’s blooming so it’s time to make soothing cream.
Making Your Own Herb Blends
Posted in Cooking, tagged herb blends, herb de provence, herbs on August 4, 2019 | Leave a Comment »
Now that you have dried herbs making your own blends is easy! These make great gifts as well as stepping up the flavor of your own dishes. Here are some of my favorite blends: Herbes de Provence Herbes de Provence usually contains basil, bay leaf, marjoram, rosemary, summer savory and lots of thyme. Lavender can be […]
Kimchee
Posted in Cooking on August 2, 2019 | Leave a Comment »
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 […]