Winter herb plant care begins long before winter arrives. A few weeks ago I was tending the herbs. Another year of growing beautiful, useful medicinal and culinary herbs. I picked off leaves that had fallen from the trees and checked to see if they needed water. I don't plan to leave them outside to wither and die for the year. Some are perennials and others are annuals. Even the annuals were still so healthy. I will re-pot at least a portion of each plant and care for the … [Read more...]
Pear Blueberry Kompot Beverage
Other beverages will pale in comparison to a Pear Blueberry Kompot. Before the day began, I had no idea that I would be googling "What to do with pear peels" and going down a rabbit hole learning the history of kompots. The pears were getting past the point of no return. I planned to preserve them canned in water but ended up making a batch of pear butter and pear blueberry kompot. That's life when you don't want to waste any of the harvest goodness. I have a hard time looking at the … [Read more...]
What Causes Weak Egg Yolk Membranes
How do you correct weak egg yolk membranes and get perfect sunny-side up eggs? When you cook the egg does it run all over the pan? This was a question I received recently from a reader. It's fairly well known that a firm, strong egg shell requires plenty of free choice calcium for the hen to indulge in. But what about yolks that break apart as soon as the shell is cracked. The egg hits the pan and poof, there goes the yolk, spreading all across the pan. The reader who contacted me had … [Read more...]
How to Use the Whole Pumpkin
Do you try to use the whole pumpkin when you cook? Pumpkins are simply amazing, as a decoration and in taste, and nutritionally. A great vegetable all wrapped up in a very cute package. Since the pumpkin is such a wonder of nature we should learn how to use the whole pumpkin! I look forward to pumpkin season every year, and as soon as September gets rolling, I am looking for ways to decorate with pumpkins in my home and yard. I have been accused of … [Read more...]
6 Fall Chicken Coop Preparations to Make Now
The end of summer is the perfect time to think about fall chicken coop preparations. This isn't a huge job for most of us. The chickens most likely spent a lot of time outside the coop during the summer. Feathers are everywhere at this time, due to the fall molt, so it's a good time to clean up. Making sure that you are ready for the changeable fall weather, makes life much easier. Some years we have gone from beautiful fall weather to an over zealous cold front over night. Scrambling to get … [Read more...]
