My mason jar warmer is in the running for Cold Antler Farm's mason jar cozy contest! She asked readers to post photos of their creative solutions to insulate canning jars for holding hot beverages. You can stop by Jenna's blog to view the post and leave a comment to put in your vote at: http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2011/11/warm-jar-flash-mob-part-2.html You can also find ...
Goodbye to the Homestead
Reading the passage in Little House on the Prairie where Laura Ingalls Wilder recounts leaving in the wagon and watching out the back as their homestead grows smaller and smaller, becoming a tiny speck in the distance has always had a profound impact on me. When I read it as a girl, it seemed more tragic than the ending of Old Yeller. When I read it as an adult, it blew me ...
Mushroom Madness
Fall has really set in around here with foggy mornings, flying leaves and a fair amount of drizzly weather. All these mark the beginning of my favorite wildcrafting expeditions of the year, mushroom hunting. Getting out in the woods as things are winding down for the Winter to gather up baskets full of succulent, tasty fungi is a treat all on its own, not to mention the wide array of culinary ...
Mushroom Hunting
With the rain and mists of Winter in Oregon comes one of my favorite reasons to go out in the woods. Mushrooms. Wildcrafting for fungi is a delightful way to spend a November afternoon, and my enjoyment of these excursions often carries over into crafting inspiration. With Chanterelles piled all over my counter, in my dehydrator and in many of my meals last year, I started making ...
Pumpkins all Aglow
As far back as I can remember, Halloween has been my favorite night of the year. While life has gone along, and the magic and delight of many childhood pastimes have faded in their awe, Halloween night has never dulled. The fun of dressing up as whatever you want to be for an evening, seeing all the amazing costumes other folks think up, the comforting glow of jack-o-lanterns on front steps ...
Garden Goddess
It's late Summer and gardens are bountiful. All the gardeners are busy harvesting, and baskets are spilling over with ripe fruits, squash, carrots, potatoes, onions, greens, garlic and tomatoes. Many folks are proudly wearing dirt under their fingernails on a daily basis. The Garden Goddess is smiling on us. I needlefelted this seasons figure from soft, colorful wool ...
Camping 101
My "Camping 101" article is up and published in the current issue of Mom Magazine if you want to give it a peek at this link here: http://www.mommag.com/media/158121/Eug_outdoor%20mom.pdf. It's a quick rundown of tips and ideas for camping with children, whether it's been awhile or it's a new experience altogether, to help get folks back in the tent again. Happy camping! ...
August on the Homestead
Life has gotten a bit hectic lately, as it seems to do from time to time, and I realized it has been a while since I've written a blog post. I thought it was time to give a homestead update. Summer is moving along, the days are hot and dry, and things are ripening on the vine. There has been plenty of adventuring, camping, swimming, cooking, banjo picking, backpacking and life happening along ...
Having Fun With the Pits
After many years of spending hours with a handheld cherry pitter, I listened with great interest whenever I heard tales of the cast-iron hand cranked cherry stoners of days gone by. Where were these contraptions to be found and why wasn't everyone using them today? The idea of simply feeding in cherries and turning a crank to separate fruit from stone made much more sense than hours of punching ...
First Sunflower
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